Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 605

Tang Gwan looked around.

Krrrrrr!

The earth was turning black.

What emerged from the ground were the hands of half-rotten corpses.

There were dozens of such hands. The heaving ground, the hands wriggling and gripping the floor, their joints moving grotesquely, twisted here and there.

Thud!

Finally, dozens of corpses broke through the ground.

It was impossible to tell if they were corpses or ghosts. They looked like corpses, but eerie blue lights emanated from their eyes.

‘What is this?’

A gruesome sight that would make anyone with a weak heart faint just by looking at it.

Even while witnessing such a scene, Tang Gwan remained unfazed. He only felt a slight tension and bewilderment.

‘An illusion?’

At that moment, Tang Ho spoke.

“It’s an illusion.”

Tang Gwan frowned.

The calm voice seemed to have become heavier. There was power in the voice itself. It was because Tang Ho’s energy had become heavier than before.

That was also why he couldn’t attack immediately. It was a change that made it seem as if the person had changed in an instant. He couldn’t guess what method he had used, so he couldn’t easily launch an attack.

“It’s an illusion, but it’s a more terrifying illusion than reality.”

Whooooom!

Dark red energy emanated from Tang Ho’s body.

“……?!”

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

The martial art that Tang Ho had cultivated was the Guiding Reversal Three Yang Return to Origin Art, a divine art representing the Tang family. [A powerful martial art focused on manipulating internal energy].

Not only Tang Ho but all the descendants of Tang Hyeong had mastered that martial art. There was no other martial art of the Tang family that was more stable and of a higher level.

However, the true energy that Tang Ho was emitting now was different from the existing Guiding Reversal Three Yang Return to Origin Art.

It was much more sinister and much more insidious.

“It’s fortunate that I wasn’t late in preparing. To be honest, you were much stronger than I thought. I pay my respects to your strength.”

Chiririring!

Hidden weapons that flowed out from Tang Ho’s sleeves spun around his body.

It was a mysterious sight. None of the hidden weapons were larger than the size of a little finger. The sight of hundreds of such hidden weapons swirling around his body was both mysterious and unsettling.

“But this is the end for you too. It’s better this way. I will cut off the head of the traitor and announce it to the world, clearly showing who the master of this family is.”

Tang Gwan, who had been silently watching Tang Ho, looked around again.

“Ggrrr.”

“Whooo.”

Seventy-nine, no, maybe eighty-nine.

Torn and hanging clothes, rotten flesh, black dead skin, and strangely twisted limbs.

It was a hellish sight. Dark clouds covered the sky, and the wind that blew was hot.

‘It’s a formation.’

It was a formation, but not an ordinary one. It felt as if this entire area was separated from the real world.

Tang Gwan opened his mouth.

“It’s a formation of the Ghost Gate.”

“……?!”

Tang Ho’s eyes deepened.

“You knew?”

“It’s a fact that all the leaders of the main family know. How could I, the master of the Tang clan, not know about the Ghost Gate?” [A mysterious and dangerous place or organization].

He wasn’t asking if he knew of the existence of the Ghost Gate. He was asking if he knew that this formation originated from the Ghost Gate.

“However, this formation is clearly from the Ghost Gate, but I don’t know where that altered martial art you cultivated originated from.”

Tang Gwan slightly turned his shoulder.

“Let’s find out now.”

“You crazy bastard!”

Tang Ho’s curse was direct. It was a complete change from his behavior a moment ago.

“Once you’re trapped here, you’ll never get out alive!”

Pipipiping!

With the sound of tearing through the air, some of the hidden weapons swirling around Tang Ho’s body were fired at Tang Gwan.

Even though it was only some, there were dozens of hidden weapons. Moreover, their speed was so fast that even Tang Gwan had to be on his guard. It was not the skill that Tang Ho had shown before.

Paah!

Tang Gwan instantly created distance and avoided the hidden weapons. The subtlety of the Churae Divine Method shone. [A technique focused on speed and agility].

However.

‘……!’

Even though the directions were different, the many hidden weapons turned at right angles and flew back towards Tang Gwan.

Moreover, the speed gained momentum the moment they changed direction. It was a hidden weapon technique that struck at his blind spot.

Srrr.

Tang Gwan’s figure appeared behind a corpse.

Puhbuhbuhbuk!

The hidden weapons, having changed direction once again, pierced through the corpse.

In that instant, Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

‘It passes through.’

He had thought that the hidden weapons would pierce through the corpse and attack him.

However, piercing through and simply passing through were completely different.

Tang Ho’s hidden weapons did not pierce through the corpse but literally passed through it, aiming for Tang Gwan. It was such a natural movement, as if nothing had been there in the first place.

‘As expected, an illusion.’

Tang Gwan’s hands moved as fast as lightning.

Tatatatatang!

His hands drew a circle, creating an invisible internal energy shield in the air. Tang Ho’s hidden weapons could not penetrate the shield and bounced off in all directions.

At that moment, a corpse turned its body and reached out its hand towards Tang Gwan’s neck.

‘……?!’

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

The corpse’s movements were truly fast. So fast that even Tang Gwan, a master of the highest level, was surprised.

However, what was more threatening than that speed was the eerie energy felt at the fingertips.

‘It’s real?!’

In a moment that split a moment, Tang Gwan hesitated. Should he avoid the corpse’s hand gesture?

If this formation itself was an illusion, then such a vivid true energy should not be felt from that gesture. Yet, it was being felt. As if a real master was attacking him.

After hesitating, Tang Gwan trusted his instincts.

Paah!

He tilted his upper body using the Iron Plate Bridge technique. [A defensive technique that uses the body’s core strength]. The corpse’s hand failed to touch Tang Gwan’s body and slashed through the air.

“Why are you dodging?”

When did he approach?

Tang Ho, who had approached silently, pointed at Tang Gwan with his finger.

Piiing! Thud!

With body movements close to a divine skill, he avoided being directly hit by the finger wind. However, he did not avoid it completely. The end of Tang Gwan’s robe was pierced by Tang Ho’s finger wind.

Pababak!

Tang Gwan, who had instantly created distance from Tang Ho, indiscriminately unleashed palm strikes towards the corpses.

Puhpuhpung! Pung!

The palm strikes that passed through the corpses shook the earth and shattered the outer walls of the buildings.

“Krrruurr.”

In an instant, the area was devastated, but the corpses were still limping towards Tang Gwan as if nothing had happened.

Tang Gwan frowned.

“It’s a boring prank.”

“If it were a prank, there would be no need to avoid it.”

“A formation that confuses reality and illusion… You’ve been taking in such strange studies.”

Tang Ho raised his chin.

“That’s your problem. You’re too rigid.”

“I’d like you to think of it not as rigid but as cautious.”

Cautiousness.

Tang Gwan, who calmly retorted while not letting his guard down, suddenly felt awkward at himself for saying the word cautious.

‘…….’

Why?

In the midst of this utterly immoral battle, for some reason, a conversation he had with his father in the past came to mind.

‘Father’s way is too rigid! If you stick to Father’s way, the Tang family will stagnate!’

‘You fool! It may seem rigid to you, but this is cautious! Furthermore, it is better to be rigid than to cling to an uncertain future and put the family members in danger!’

‘Stagnant water is bound to rot! I will run the main family my way, so don’t interfere with me anymore!’

‘The master of an organization can send family members to hell with a single gesture! Don’t try to justify your desire for change as being for the bright future of the family members! Even if you think a hundred times and are cautious a thousand times, the leader is bound to make mistakes!’

The father and son, who had discussed the future they envisioned, their voices echoing throughout the Tang family’s inner courtyard.

‘Cautiousness, huh.’

Srrr.

Tang Gwan, who had unknowingly relaxed his stance, looked at Tang Ho with a troubled gaze.

‘Back then, I was a truly ambitious fool.’

Tang Ho, emitting sinister true energy and glaring at him with bizarre eyes.

Looking at his younger brother, Tang Gwan thought. Tang Ho’s current appearance was not much different from his own past self.

Of course, he did not act as recklessly as Tang Ho. Tang Gwan had a line he would not cross, but the current Tang Ho had no such line.

But other than that, he and Tang Ho were no different.

Self-confidence that had gone beyond conviction. Arrogance that did not know how to accept advice from others. The madness-filled obsession of packaging one’s own pure desires as the greater good, while not looking back at oneself.

“It’s absurd. Have you already given up?!”

Whoooooom!

Dark red energy emanated from Tang Ho’s hands.

The color of that energy was truly deep. As if holding the flames of hell in both hands, a fierce and oppressive energy wave shook the surroundings.

Tang Gwan closed his eyes.

“How about stopping now?”

Tang Ho shouted.

“That’s why you’re not qualified! If you’re a member of the main family, you must exclude even a shred of affection once the opponent becomes an enemy! You are not qualified as the head of the main family, nor as a member of the main family!”

Kuuung!

With a powerful step, Tang Ho unleashed a double palm strike.

Kwarurururung!

The dark red energy swirled and shot towards Tang Gwan.

It was a terrifying power. Even before the palm strike distorted space, the air pressure was twisting uncontrollably. It was a destructive palm technique that created a vacuum in its path.

Mad Soul Poison Wind Palm.

It was Tang Ho’s true ultimate technique, created in his own way by combining the Tang family’s ultimate martial art, the Guiding Reversal Three Yang Return to Origin Art, with the ancient martial art of the Mad Soul Energy Technique that the White-Faced Man had obtained. [A forbidden technique that corrupts the user’s energy].

‘He won’t be able to block it.’

Tang Ho was certain.

The Ghost Gate formation, the Dead Summoning Soul Array, inherently suppresses the internal energy and true energy flow of those who enter it. [A formation that weakens opponents].

On the other hand, those who are immune to the Dead Summoning Soul Array can actually amplify their original internal energy by using that flow, and can also operate their true energy flow much faster.

Moreover, that was just an additional function of the Dead Summoning Soul Array. The real Soul Summoning Array was much more terrifying than the half-finished one that was currently deployed here.

But this was enough.

He was stronger than expected, but it was an excessively large power to crush just Tang Gwan.

‘Farewell, Tang Gwan.’

It was then.

Tang Gwan, with his eyes closed, swung his hand carelessly.

Hook!

“……?!”

Tang Ho’s eyes widened.

‘What, what is this?’

The enormous palm strike that would have been more than enough to obliterate Tang Gwan had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Whoooom! Whoooom!

It had disappeared without a trace, but the energy of the decomposed palm strike was circulating within the formation. The power was so great that the world inside the formation was distorted here and there for a moment.

“You’ve mixed an unstable demonic art formula into the main family’s great martial art, creating a half-baked version.”

“……!!”

“But the foundation is still the main family’s martial art, so the method of breaking it is not different.”

Chiririririring!

Various metallic sounds rang out from Tang Gwan’s sleeves, and soon a rather large iron ball was grasped in his hand.

It was a lumpy iron ball. It looked like a haphazard collection of dozens, hundreds of small iron pieces.

Sluuurp.

Cold sweat dripped from Tang Ho’s forehead.

Looking at that lumpy iron ball, he felt a chill run down his spine for some reason. He didn’t know why.

The reason was about to be revealed.

Flash!

Tang Gwan’s eyes opened.

Whoooing!

His right eye was still flashing with a deep green light, but the color of his left eye was different from before.

A golden light.

A gaze that proved he was standing on the final line to transcend the limits.

The Golden Heavenly Eye of the Monarch’s Poison Art had been opened, albeit incompletely. [A powerful technique that enhances perception and combat abilities].

“That’s enough of the petty tricks. Under this ominous sky, I will personally shower down a rain of flowers to erase the stench of blood and rot that permeates this act of patricide.”