Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 586

“Crazy!”Dang Juk-san, the gatekeeper, felt like he was going insane.”Catch that reckless bastard!”Whoosh!The warriors of the Cheon Yang Dan [Heavenly Radiance Unit], the unit guarding the outer perimeter and main gate of the Tang Clan, swarmed towards the wall.Their movements were swift and precise. There was no wasted motion in their fluid footwork, and their eyes were locked on their target.The guard units of prestigious clans are far stronger than people think. As those who represent the power of their sect, including the gatekeeper, they are composed of carefully selected masters.Although most of them were from collateral bloodlines, their martial arts were not to be ignored.Phew-woo-woo-woong!Nevertheless, the warriors of the Cheon Yang Dan could not catch the intruder.The reason was simple. The intruder’s martial arts were stronger and faster than any of the Cheon Yang Dan warriors.Kwarururung!The thrusting spear attack was accompanied by a terrifying explosive force.It wasn’t a long, heavy spear, but a short spear, no longer than a long sword, that shattered a section of the Tang Clan’s high and thick west wall with a single blow.“Eek!”Dang Juk-san’s face turned red.“Stop using only hidden weapons and release the poison!”Bang! Puff puff puff!No sooner had his shout ended than a white poisonous mist exploded in front of the intruder.It was an incredible poison technique. They hadn’t thrown poison pouches or scattered poison powder, but suddenly, a poisonous mist exploded from thin air.It was an explosion of a synthetic poison. The different types of poison powders had been scattered beforehand, and the Tang Clan’s signature technique, the Explosive Poison Formation (爆傷毒陣) [a technique that combines various poisons to create a more potent effect], was activated, drawing out a stronger poison by synergistic action.However.Thud! Thwack! Thump!Savage striking sounds were heard from within the white poisonous mist.The Tang Clan warriors were required to learn fist and kick techniques in addition to poison and hidden weapons. They couldn’t just be helpless in close combat. In fact, there were many excellent sword, spear, and whip techniques among the Tang Clan’s martial arts.However, Dang Juk-san was certain. The sounds he was hearing were not the sounds of the Cheon Yang Dan warriors’ fist and kick attacks on the intruder.His prediction was accurate.Puh-uh-uh-uhk!With a merciless sound, two warriors’ bodies flew over Dang Juk-san’s head and crashed into the outer wall of the inner compound.“……!”Dang Juk-san swallowed involuntarily.Whoo-oo-oong.The poisonous mist scattered by the wind revealed the intruder standing alone. On the other hand, the number of warriors lying on the ground around him was over fifteen.‘This…!’In that short time, he had knocked down fifteen warriors and sent two flying.It was truly an unimaginable display of power. His movements of striking and retreating were impressive, but the martial art he used to instantly defeat elite warriors within that poisonous mist was truly remarkable.‘A supreme master?!’He didn’t know. He couldn’t gauge the opponent’s martial prowess. He hadn’t actually emitted an overwhelming aura or displayed terrifying killing intent.‘Even so….’It was then.With a sudden flash of killing intent, Dang Juk-san instinctively leaped to the side.Shhh-eeek! Crack crack crack!A chilling sound echoed as a huge sword scar was etched into the outer wall.A vertical sword scar, a sword wind (劍風) [the force of a sword strike] shot from a distance.Cold sweat formed on Dang Juk-san’s forehead.‘This crazy!’A supreme master? That’s a joke.A person who could unleash such a powerful slash in an instant and then leap behind the west wall without showing any signs of fatigue.‘He’s a transcendent master!’He was a true master who had broken through the Wall of Martial Arts [a metaphorical barrier representing the highest level of martial arts mastery].The world of true masters that no one can easily reach, that was the realm beyond the Wall of Martial Arts.If you searched through the great sects of the martial world, there were quite a few masters who had reached that level, but the problem was the intruder’s age.He looked to be no older than forty at first glance. He was much younger than the high-ranking elders of the clan, yet his martial prowess was equal to or greater than theirs.But even more surprising than that was.“Why isn’t the poison working?!”That’s right.Hidden weapons could be dodged or deflected somehow. However, the intruder had been exposed to the poisonous mist of the Explosive Poison Formation for a long time.Yet, his movements were not restricted at all. Rather, it seemed that he was gaining momentum over time, with each movement full of vitality.Thwack!It seemed he was no longer interested in destroying the outer wall. The intruder, who had readjusted his spear, entered the breached outer wall in an instant.Even though the warriors were blocking the way, he penetrated the interior so easily. It was a result of the fundamental difference in skill.Dang Juk-san’s face turned pale.‘This is not the time for this.’Dang Juk-san shouted to the warriors.“Bring the Clan Lord! It’s an emergency! The opponent is a transcendent master who is immune to the Explosive Poison Formation!”Dang Juk-san’s shout spread quickly, mobilizing most of the Cheon Yang Dan warriors who were active in the outer compound.‘Good.’His keenly sharpened senses picked up numerous presences.He felt a much more powerful martial force than those he had faced outside. Moreover, there were far more of them.Pa Yul took a deep breath quietly.“That guy was right.”Fighting the Tang Clan guys is no fun. It’s just dangerous.But the chilling sensation was unlike anything he had ever felt on any battlefield. If he hadn’t taken the medicine that the Tang Clan Lord had prepared for him, he would have already been poisoned and his internal energy flow would have slowed down.Besides.“The first martial artist to break through the Tang Clan’s outer wall and infiltrate alone…”Pa Yul grinned.“Well, at least I’ll have that glory to take with me.”If he didn’t die, that is.“It’s him!”“An intruder! Kill him!”“Don’t kill him! Capture him alive and find out who he is!”It was utter chaos.Although they were well-trained, the Tang Clan had never properly fought against an intruder. Of course, they were a dangerous clan that didn’t need such experience, but they couldn’t help but have confusion in their command system.The warriors didn’t even know whether to kill or capture Pa Yul right away.And that worked to Pa Yul’s considerable advantage.‘Let’s really go wild.’Whoo-oo-oong!A blue glow gathered on the short spear. The power of Gwan Il-gong [a martial art technique] was gathering.Pa-a-ack!Pa Yul, who had leaped forward, extended his sword.It wasn’t to stab. It was a guide to create a straight path for the short spear that was pulled back.Pa Yul’s eyes flashed.Kwaang!He swung the short spear like a beam of light, powered by a strong step.Puh-uh-uh-uh-uhng!* * *“Clan Lord Lee!”Dang Ho looked at the warrior who had rushed into his office with cold eyes.In an instant, the warrior’s face turned pale.“I, I apologize. I misspoke.”“……It’s alright.”Dang Ho smiled. But his eyes were still cold.“It’s understandable since you’re not used to it yet. Besides, I haven’t officially ascended to the position of Clan Lord yet. I understand.”“I am sorry.”It was surprising.Even though Dang Gwan was still present, he was telling them to call him Clan Lord. It was something that would be absolutely impossible unless he had already taken control of the entire Tang Clan. Just how he had turned the Tang Clan’s family members into his own people, his cunning and ability were truly remarkable.“So, what brings you here?”“An intruder has appeared near the clan’s west wall.”In an instant, Dang Ho’s eyes emitted a faint reddish-green glow.“An intruder, you say?”“He is presumed to be a very powerful master. Based on the reported martial prowess, he is inferred to be a transcendent master who has broken through the Wall of Martial Arts.”The Tang Clan was vast.Although it was called a clan, it encompassed an area like a huge castle. No matter how skilled Dang Ho was, he couldn’t clearly sense the battle taking place at the outer wall from his office in the inner compound.However, he did feel a sense of unease.“I did feel a strange sense of unease in the west, so it was because of an intruder.”Awe appeared on the warrior’s face.How far was it from here to the outer wall, yet he said he felt a strange sense of unease there. He couldn’t imagine how great one’s martial arts had to be to have such intuition.“But.”Dang Ho frowned.“Just one person?”“Y, yes.”A master who had broken through the Wall of Martial Arts?It was impressive. But there were quite a few masters within the Tang Clan who had broken through the Wall of Martial Arts, and Dang Ho himself was a master who was only slightly inferior to Dang Gwan, and could hold his own anywhere in the world.Moreover, he was an outsider. Even if he had some resistance to poison, the moment he was exposed to the Tang Clan’s poison, the meaning of his level would disappear.“They say he was unharmed by the Explosive Poison Formation.”“He withstood the Explosive Poison Formation?”“Yes. It seems he came prepared.”Dang Ho snorted.“It was just the Explosive Poison Formation. He won’t be able to withstand anything more than that.”He didn’t even need to see it to know. There were only a handful of masters in the world who could withstand the Tang Clan’s extreme poison.“Tell the Inner Compound’s Yin Soul Unit Leader (陰魂團主) [Shadow Soul Unit Leader] to go and capture him quickly.”“Capture him alive?”“We need to find out where he came from and who ordered him.”“But… the intruder’s momentum is quite….”“Listen.”Dang Ho smiled.It was a snake’s smile that felt much more chilling than a glare.“Didn’t I, the Clan Lord, tell you to do so?”In an instant, the warrior knelt on the spot.“I, I apologize! I have committed a grave sin.”“Hahaha.”Dang Ho shook his head.“The Tang Clan will be reborn with forgiveness and harmony. However, the authority of superiors must not be diminished. I hope you understand that well.”“Please kill me!”“It’s alright. I will forgive you, so go and convey my words to the Yin Soul Unit Leader.”“Yes!”The warrior bowed once more and left the office.As soon as the warrior left, Dang Ho’s face turned as cold as the sea breeze of the North Sea.“That arrogant bastard.”One of the biggest weapons Dang Ho used to capture the clan’s family members was the radical change in the clan’s customs.For that, Dang Ho also had to show patience that didn’t suit his nature. At least until the clan stabilized, he needed to firmly establish his image as a kind-hearted master.It was frustrating for a tiger to pretend to be a deer. Dang Ho slowly suppressed his rage that felt like it was about to explode.‘Just wait a little longer.’Dang Gwan had come.He didn’t know how he had penetrated the clan’s intelligence network. He was extremely flustered and had just returned from a meeting with the leadership.‘The result won’t change.’He was flustered, but it was okay. After all, Dang Gwan was someone he had to kill.If so, he could just think that the timing had been brought forward, albeit somewhat clumsily. That’s why he sent the elders and elite soldiers, wasn’t it?With that much force, they might not be able to capture Dang Gwan, but they should be able to inflict some significant damage.‘However.’Dang Ho’s eyes turned to the west.‘An intruder suddenly appearing at this time… is he someone Dang Gwan is using?’That was highly likely.Those guys, or rather Dang Gwan, must be aiming for something. That’s why they sent an intruder to shake things up here.‘I don’t know what you’re aiming for, but you will never get what you want.’He was actually anxious. He wanted to rush over there right away and find out who the intruder was and what his purpose was.But Dang Ho held back.If the leader wavered, the clan would waver. He had no intention of moving even a step from this place.It was then.“C, Clan Lord!”“What is it?”“The Fourth Elder, the Fourth Elder requests an audience with the Clan Lord!”“What?!”Dang Ho jumped up.