Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 600

Crack! Thud! Thud!

The lightning that surged down the damp walls instantly felled the warriors.

Some were killed outright. But Moyong Gun paid them no mind.

“Hoo.”

Fzzzt!

Blue smoke curled from Moyong Gun’s body. Surprisingly, he had sustained a number of injuries. While forcing his way through this prison, he had shattered countless formations and endured attacks from numerous warriors.

The injuries he had suffered were considerable. He had even experienced symptoms of poisoning, despite his lightning energy boasting absolute defense against foreign substances like poison.

‘Indeed, impressive.’

Even if this was the Tang Clan’s most secure prison, he hadn’t expected to be injured this much.

The martial arts and the venomous nature of the poison were formidable, but even more impressive was their ability to strike at his blind spots.

The masters who had a perfect grasp of the terrain here knew how to disrupt an intruder’s perception. If they had simply attacked everything they saw, he wouldn’t have sustained this many injuries.

‘Even with a surprise attack, their response is this good… If a proper military force were to command the Tang Clan’s troops, utilizing the advantages of the terrain, they might even be able to capture Seongcheon.’

Moyong Gun looked around.

‘Is this it, then?’

He had descended to the lowest level of the underground. He had broken through prisons on each floor, but the number of prisoners was less than he had expected.

And the prisoners up to the floor above were already on the verge of death. They were barely clinging to life. Even if the best doctors of the Central Plains were deployed, he doubted they could save more than one or two.

But this place?

‘I can feel life force.’

Moyong Gun swung his hand towards the iron door.

Bang! Screech!

His hand blade pierced straight through the iron door.

His fingernails felt like they were about to break. Even with the power of the Thunder God Technique, he felt pain. The thickness and the craftsmanship were extraordinary.

Moyong Gun firmly gripped the pierced iron door and applied force.

Crack!

The iron door was pulled out entirely, revealing the interior.

“…Who is it?”

Inside the cell, an old man was sitting.

His arms and legs were bound by iron chains. He looked so disheveled that even beggars would look like nobles in comparison.

“An unusual energy. Has the prison been breached?”

“…”

“Unbelievable. How negligent was Tang Ho in managing the prison that he allowed an enemy to infiltrate this far?”

His tone suggested that he was confident that it was impossible to breach the prison unless the Tang Clan’s forces had vanished.

Moyong Gun asked.

“What is your name?”

The old man answered. He still had his head bowed and his eyes closed.

“Tang Suk-chong.”

His voice, which readily gave his name, was tinged with resignation.

Moyong Gun’s eyes gleamed.

‘The Flying Poison Immortal.’

Tang Suk-chong was a rather famous figure.

He was known as an absolute powerhouse, one of the top three in the Tang Clan in terms of poison techniques. But what was even more famous was the fact that Tang Suk-chong, despite being from a branch family, held the position of First Elder.

The First Elder was the rank right below the Elder Council Head, one of the highest positions in the Tang Clan’s leadership. In fact, the Elder Council itself was a position that wielded absolute power within the Tang Clan.

It wasn’t that branch family members had never held elder positions before. However, Tang Suk-chong was the first to hold the position of a responsible elder, excluding the head.

That meant his abilities were outstanding, and it also meant that Tang Gwan’s selection of personnel was unbiased.

‘Even with the purge, someone like this…’

At first glance, he couldn’t feel any internal energy. It was unclear whether his dantian [energy center] had been sealed or destroyed.

However, the life force he exuded was still immense. If he had this much vitality even at his age, he must have been extraordinary before he reached this state.

Tang Suk-chong said.

“I thought that once Tang Ho stole the position of family head, the main family would soon be finished. I don’t know who you are, but I don’t want to see the family fall with my own eyes. I’d rather die in this place…”

“I’ve come to save you.”

“…What?”

“I am Moyong, the family head.”

Startled, Tang Suk-chong raised his head to look ahead.

Crack!

His appearance was quite rough, covered in wounds and bloodstains, but Moyong Gun, with his erratic lightning energy, was overwhelming.

Tang Suk-chong’s eyes wavered.

“How did the Moyong family head get here…?”

“Although it was hastily formed, I came with the Martial Alliance’s special forces to restore the Tang Clan to its original state.”

“…?!”

“The special forces include Tang Gwan, the Tang family head.”

Surprise flickered across Tang Suk-chong’s face.

“The family head, the family head himself came?”

Moyong Gun’s eyes shone with a different light.

“That’s right.”

“Heaven hasn’t abandoned the main family! So, the family head has come?”

Tang Suk-chong’s expression and voice alone were enough to tell. How great the elders’ trust in Tang Gwan was.

Not because he had saved their lives, but because they knew the family could return to its original state.

Because they knew Tang Gwan had that much ability, hope filled their eyes.

‘Unexpected.’

Although things had changed now, Tang Gwan, whom he had first met in the Martial Alliance, had given the impression of a ruler who had brought fear to Sichuan.

But the reality was different. Regardless of his outward appearance, Tang Gwan was clearly highly regarded within the family.

‘Well, the previous family head was the Dark King.’

He was a man who had been recognized by the Dark King and became the family head. He must have demonstrated great ability not only in martial arts but also in overall governance.

Moyong Gun took a step back.

“Come out. The prison’s forces and formations have all been dealt with. I will release everyone imprisoned here.”

It was then.

Boom!

A powerful explosion shook the prison.

Moyong Gun frowned and looked up at the ceiling.

Tang Suk-chong said.

“The prison’s formations regenerate even if they are destroyed.”

“What?”

“It’s not a simple formation. You can break through and come down, but it will be difficult to go back up.”

“…Impressive.”

He didn’t know that a destroyed formation could automatically repair itself. He didn’t expect such a thing was possible.

Moyong Gun didn’t want an explanation. Now was not the time to listen to such things.

Moyong Gun, who was about to quickly break the other iron doors, suddenly remembered something and asked.

“Does the formation regenerate with such a loud boom?”

Boom!

The prison shook again.

Tang Suk-chong shook his head.

“No. It seems someone is breaking the formation again…”

Boom! Boom!

With an explosion much louder than the previous ones, someone descended to the lowest level of the prison.

“Hoo, this damn prison.”

The man who appeared was holding a red spear.

Moyong Gun’s eyes widened. The man was none other than Hwang Seok-tae.

“How did you get here?”

Hwang Seok-tae shrugged his shoulders and said.

“I was following Deputy Commander Yeon when I felt a murderous aura here, so I came to check it out. That guy can handle things on his own even without me.”

He had completely changed his course midway.

It was an excessively free action. From an operational standpoint, Hwang Seok-tae’s actions were simply unacceptable.

However, unless the military advisor Yeon Ho-jeong had issued separate orders, it was up to the combatant’s ability to respond flexibly to the situation.

Hwang Seok-tae had made his own decision to change direction and come here. And his judgment was indeed correct.

“Two are better than one.”

Moyong Gun grinned.

“We’ll have to break it again on the way up. You came at the right time. We don’t even need to exchange orders, we just work together perfectly.”

* * *

Tang Sa-beon shouted.

“Poison Fortress!”

Whoosh!

As soon as the words left his mouth, the entire Black Blood Unit scattered their hidden weapons.

Ten hidden weapons per person, a total of two thousand hidden weapons, filled the air. It might be possible to avoid a dozen or so people surrounding you, but no one could escape the net of hidden weapons scattered by two hundred people simultaneously occupying positions.

Tang Gwan, who was rushing towards Tang Ho, stopped in his tracks and took a stance.

Boom!

Considering the speed he was moving, it was an incredible feat that he stopped without any recoil.

But what happened next was even more amazing.

Chirrrrr!

While the net of hidden weapons surrounded Tang Gwan like a fortress, a space large enough for ten people to enter was secured.

Ten percent of the falling hidden weapons were sucked into his sleeves. How that was possible was unknown. Even though he had collected so many hidden weapons, the inside of his robe looked no different than before.

Tang Ho’s eyes flashed.

‘The Death-Gathering Butterfly-Catching Technique?!’

Gathering death and capturing butterflies.

It was a grand name, but it was a basic martial art that those who learned the Tang Clan’s hidden weapon techniques had to master. It was easy to learn but difficult to master. It was a martial art to recover hidden weapons in the air.

That martial art was unfolding as naturally as breathing. Moreover, all he did was wave his hand once. It was a level he had never seen before.

Whoosh!

But the real power of the Black Blood Poison Fortress was not the hidden weapons.

Rumble.

It was as if dark clouds had suddenly spread in the empty air.

They blocked entry with hidden weapons, and then they used a formation to gather the poison of the members to create a giant wall of extreme poison. That was the Black Blood Poison Fortress.

Fzzzt!

From Tang Gwan’s eyes, which had turned dark green, a translucent haze seemed to rise.

He looked like a demon. The Emperor Poison Technique was being unleashed to its limit.

Tang Gwan’s chest swelled in an instant.

“Ha!”

Whoosh!

The dark green clouds were pierced through by his terrifying shout.

Tang Sa-beon’s face was filled with shock.

‘Unbelievable!’

The extreme poison that made up the Black Blood Poison Fortress was of seven different types. And the seven types of extreme poison changed each time the formation was deployed.

Even a master who had reached the pinnacle of poison techniques could not instantly detoxify and neutralize seven types of extreme poison. To accept it? Of course not. Even a poison master’s life would be in danger.

But Tang Gwan showed an even more unbelievable sight. He had created holes in the Black Blood Poison Fortress with just one shout. It was a power that defied imagination.

“How dare you in front of me!”

Whoosh!

Tang Gwan drew a circle with both hands, and a swirling green orb was created in front of his chest.

“You dare to use such crude poison techniques!”

Boom!

The green orb exploded, emitting a yellowish smoke. The smoke began to seep into the Black Blood Poison Fortress, where the defense had been breached.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The dark clouds of the Black Blood Poison Fortress, which had been pierced with holes, quickly dissipated.

Tang Sa-beon’s eyes widened.

It was a dismantling of a formation that he had never heard of before. What was that green orb that could disintegrate this massive cloud of poison just by exploding and injecting it?

Flash!

Tang Gwan’s figure disappeared.

Whoosh!

In the moment he seemed to disappear, he reappeared above the Black Blood Unit.

He moved through the dark clouds that had not yet dissipated. Even Tang Gwan couldn’t completely block the poison that was penetrating, and there were tiny holes in his clothes.

But there were no further problems. The face of Tang Gwan, who was looking down at the Black Blood Unit, was filled with a terrifying murderous intent that he had not shown before.

“I clearly said that anyone who interferes will be killed!”

Whoosh!

Tang Gwan’s right hand turned black.

Tang Sa-beon shouted involuntarily.

“Evade!”

Tang Gwan’s right hand emitted a flash of lightning.

Crack!

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and the formation formed by the Black Blood Unit was shaken from its roots.