Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 596

Gang Ryang’s gaze, fixed on the west, was sharper than ever before.

Whoooong.

The vital energy rising from his dantian [a key energy center in traditional Chinese medicine] relaxed his entire body.

The Ghost Sword Style of the Ghost Iron Sword Clan pursued a domineering yet free swordsmanship. Though it was considered a peerless art, it manifested differently depending on the enlightenment and capabilities of the practitioner.

The Ghost King True Energy was different.

If the Ghost Sword Style was a powerful and free sword technique, the Ghost King True Energy was the ultimate divine art, considered the best of the dark path. To be considered the best of the dark path meant it was a martial art that contended for the top spot in the entire martial world. The extremely profound Ghost King True Energy bloomed within Gang Ryang, the Ghost Iron Sword Clan’s greatest prodigy, elevating his senses to their peak.

Little by little, even a little more.

His senses continued to develop even when he was so close to the wall of martial arts that he could reach out and touch it.

The Ghost King True Energy, impressed by Gang Ryang’s will to always sharpen his senses as a swordsman, was pulling his mastery a step forward even at this very moment.

‘I can feel it.’

Even a transcendent master who had broken through the wall of martial arts could not be certain that their senses were more acute than Gang Ryang’s.

‘I can feel it. My brother’s rage.’

A fiery aura, like a blazing inferno.

Though they were separated by a great distance, he could feel the ominous aura clearly.

It was the descent of a sun god, whose existence was only known in myths and legends. The Vermilion Bird, the incarnation of Byeongo [a mythical bird associated with fire and the south in East Asian mythology], was spreading its massive wings as if to set the heavens and earth ablaze.

It had been a long time since Yeon Ho-Jeong had emitted such an extreme aura. It was as if he was unleashing the full power of the Azure Wall Tiger.

Except when facing those related to the Three Teachings [referring to Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism], he had never shown such a flamboyant aura.

But.

‘It’s not the Three Teachings.’

Gang Ryang was certain. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s anger was not because of the Three Teachings.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was different when he faced the Three Teachings.

Even if the emitted aura was similar, it felt like something fundamental within him had changed. To put it in a metaphor, it was like a firebird that dominated the sky transforming into a phoenix of hell that had crawled out of the lava.

‘Brother.’

Even if it wasn’t the Three Teachings, Yeon Ho-Jeong was clearly enraged.

No, perhaps it was more like frustration than anger. He also felt a sense of helplessness. Gang Ryang could feel Yeon Ho-Jeong’s emotions one by one, just by reading his aura from this far away.

‘His emotions are intense. It seems like he’s still maintaining his composure, but…’

Gang Ryang’s face clouded over.

‘Something must have happened.’

If he had read everything about Yeon Ho-Jeong with his five senses, now was the time to mobilize his sixth sense.

‘Should I charge in?’

He was currently near the entrance of the most secret escape route out of the Dang Clan’s inner compound.

Originally, Hwang Seok-Tae was supposed to be in charge, but Hwang Seok-Tae had more experience in chaotic battles. Moreover, even if Gang Ryang’s mastery was exceptional, Hwang Seok-Tae’s martial arts would be more useful in the inner compound, where poison and hidden weapons were rampant.

The problem was whether it was right to wait for the enemies to retreat from this place.

He recalled Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words.

‘The problem is that it’s entirely up to you to decide whether to act as a reserve force or to defend the front line to the end.’

‘I trust you.’

It was a relationship built on strong trust.

Yeon Ho-Jeong had finally recognized Gang Ryang as a comrade, and Gang Ryang had grown enough to live up to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s trust.

And Gang Ryang did not want to betray that trust.

That was why he had to be cautious. Making a rash decision because of a pointless excitement was something only novices would do.

‘It’s okay to be cautious for now. Although a battle has broken out, the real battle that will determine the success or failure of this operation has not yet begun. That’s what’s important.’

It was a keen insight.

Gang Ryang knew how to read the flow of the battlefield. Pae Yul had drawn attention, Moyong Gun had moved like lightning, and Dang Gwan had also shown a rather flamboyant performance at the Green Water Tower.

And then there was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s explosive appearance.

But within all of that, there was no fight that could change the course of this Dang Clan incident.

‘It’s almost time.’

Gang Ryang could tell.

The air, the blood-soaked air, was telling him. That a battle was about to break out. That the final battle, where the victor and the vanquished would be clearly decided, was about to begin.

‘So, will I step into that battle, or will I defend this place to the end?’

That was unknown. It was not too late to make a decision after the actual battle had broken out and he had observed the situation.

However, what was important was that in any battle in the world, a person who was about to die could live, and a person who did not have to die could die, with just a moment’s intervention.

The key to battle was time. If the right force was not deployed in the right place at the right time, the battle would become twice or three times as difficult.

Gang Ryang did not want anyone in his group to die. That was why he was agonizing so much.

How much time had passed?

Krrrrrr!

The ground trembled.

The air exploded, creating a terrifying shockwave. In Gang Ryang’s Ghost Eye, he could clearly see the air rippling like waves.

‘The battle has begun…’

It was then.

‘……!’

Srrr.

Sensing a subtle presence, Gang Ryang immediately dove into the bushes.

His movements were truly like a ghost. Fast, stealthy, and extremely natural.

A moment later.

Whoosh.

Gang Ryang saw a group of people running towards the Dang Clan.

They were running, but at first glance, it was impossible to describe it as running. He couldn’t believe what kind of movement technique they were using, their lightness technique, which seemed to float halfway in the air, was so bizarre.

Gang Ryang’s eyes flashed.

‘They’re masters!’

There were about fifty of them.

They were as skilled at concealing their vital energy as they were at their bizarre movement techniques. If you could read the density of their vital energy, you could roughly guess their level, but it was difficult to read that density from them.

Except for three of them.

‘Transcendent masters!’

The three at the front, wearing black cloaks and red masks, showed a different aura from the fifty or so masters.

The three masks were pale yellow. They were so bright that they almost looked white, but perhaps because they were wearing such dark cloaks, it was as if they were seeing ghosts with only their faces floating.

‘Who are they?!’

It was a bizarre energy.

The emitted aura was comparable to Pae Yul’s, but their vital energy was so unique. It felt like an energy that could not be obtained in this world.

Was that why? They were even more terrifying and unsettling than Pae Yul. It seemed that Pae Yul had achieved a higher level, but if he had to fight, he would rather fight Pae Yul.

What was certain was.

‘Those guys…’

Gang Ryang’s eyes wavered.

‘They’re not from the Central Plains martial world!’

It was then.

Srr.

The three yellow-masked men and the fifty or so red-masked men stopped simultaneously in their tracks.

Gang Ryang felt a chill run down his neck.

No one had given a signal, nor had anyone said to stop, but they stopped in place as if they had been waiting for it. Considering the speed at which they were running, they should have been pushed forward, but even that did not happen.

They were creating a strange fear.

Then, the yellow-masked man in the center muttered something.

Even if he was muttering to himself, Gang Ryang should have been able to hear him with his enhanced hearing, but strangely, his words were not audible.

Gang Ryang watched them tensely.

A moment later.

Whoosh!

The three yellow-masked men and the fifty or so red-masked men moved again simultaneously. They were heading towards the Dang Clan.

Watching their backs as they quickly moved away, Gang Ryang carefully stood up from the bushes.

It was then.

“……”

Gang Ryang’s movement stopped.

A drop of cold sweat trickled down his forehead, down his chin.

‘What is it?’

Gang Ryang couldn’t believe it.

‘When did they?!’

At that moment.

A yellow mask with only a pair of crescent moon-shaped eyeholes appeared over Gang Ryang’s right shoulder.

Faaaaang!

Gang Ryang’s body spun out of the bushes at a terrifying speed.

Chwaaaak!

Drops of blood painted the air.

There was no time to curse. His back was scratched by three blade-like weapons.

Whoooooong!

Gang Ryang, having drawn the Ghost King True Energy to its extreme, turned his eyes towards the bushes he had jumped out of.

“……?!”

There was no one there. He had no idea when or where they had moved.

Gang Ryang looked around and focused the Ghost King True Energy on the wound on his back.

‘Damn it.’

The blades had not touched his muscles, but an unpleasant vital energy was swirling around the cut skin.

It was a very sticky energy. He had burned away the remaining energy with the domineering power of the Ghost King True Energy, but the wound still bothered him.

It was a bizarre internal energy, as strange as their bizarre energy.

‘If I don’t get rid of it in time, the vital energy will enter through the wound.’

Even though it was not a penetrating energy. The vital energy itself had the property of penetrating the body of a living creature.

The vital energy that had penetrated the body would naturally cause great harm to the flesh.

‘They’re really like ghosts. Where the hell are they?’

Thump-thump!

The sound of his heart beating wildly echoed in his ears.

In an instant, Gang Ryang calmly controlled the Ghost King True Energy. If he got excited and failed to control his vital energy properly, he would be defeated in an instant.

Whoooosh.

A sigh that he naturally exhaled.

The Ghost King True Energy, which had been bubbling as if it was about to explode, once again gently permeated his entire body.

Srr.

His left thumb touched the hilt of the iron sword sleeping in its scabbard.

‘I didn’t know at first, but I read his presence anyway. There’s no way I’d miss a presence I’ve read once, twice.’

Gang Ryang closed his eyes.

A part of the Ghost King True Energy, which had been maximizing his vision, could not find its job and added power to his other senses.

‘Stealthy but explosive. A technique that kills the enemy with one attack, in other words, a martial art that is good at one-hit kills. Then…’

If he could read the moment that attack erupted, he would be able to respond somehow.

Gang Ryang waited.

He lowered his stance and prepared to draw his sword, and completely relaxed the Ghost King True Energy so that it permeated every tissue in his body.

‘Come out.’

His senses were heightened.

He wondered if they had left this place, but Gang Ryang quickly dismissed that thought.

The air was telling him. That the guy was still here. That he was aiming for his life here.

Not killing intent, but murderous intent.

Gang Ryang, who had concentrated to an extreme in an instant, was unknowingly feeling out the enemy’s murderous intent.

‘A musty smell. The smell is getting stronger. He’s definitely closing the distance.’

He could tell. He was reading it.

From smell to sound, from sound to touch.

‘He’s definitely…’

Flash!

Gang Ryang’s eyes blazed.

‘Here!’

Chaaaaaang!

Along with the clear sound of a sword being drawn, an iron sword unleashed a cool slash.

It was a slash of the Ghost Killing Sword that was unleashed with the drawing of the sword. If it hit properly, it was powerful enough to cut a transcendent master or anyone else in half in an instant.

“……?!”

Gang Ryang’s eyes wavered.

There was no one where his iron sword had passed.

‘This…’

Thwack!

At that moment, three blades pierced through Gang Ryang’s abdomen.