Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 656

Woooong.

A ringing sound filled the air.

A vibration, originating from an unknown place, shook his head. For a moment, his vision blurred, and he lost his balance.

Whoosh!

The Light Divine Seal emitted a light, drawing up the Four Divine Energies [Four elemental energies: earth, water, fire, and wind].

Flash!

In an instant, the ringing subsided, and his vision cleared. The balance of his two feet on the ground was restored. The muscles in his back tightened, and strength surged into his lower abdomen.

The broken battle stance was instantly restored. The subtle tension in his body, invisible to the eye, returned Yeon Ho-jeong’s body to its original state in a split second.

However.

Wooong! Wooong!

The ringing sound returned.

It wasn’t a ringing caused by a problem in his body. The vibration, resonating from somewhere imperceptible, was directly assaulting his hearing.

In that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong recalled Yang Cheon’s words.

‘People misunderstand. They think that sound techniques require sound. But that’s a one-dimensional view. Sound is vibration. A master of sound techniques isn’t someone who manipulates sound well, but someone who freely controls the amplitude of that vibration.’

‘Using internal energy to influence the vibration itself. If you think about it differently, it’s no different from us. The shockwave of a strike is also a vibration, and a strike is also a vibration in a broader sense. So, how can you block the vibration emitted by a master of sound techniques?’

Before leaving the Black Dragon Fortress, Yang Cheon had said he would teach him how to counter the Sound Demon’s attacks. His words were concise yet astonishing.

‘Vibration can be offset by vibration. Of course, it’s not easy to offset an attack from a master like the Sound Demon. But think about it. The method of blocking a fire-based strike doesn’t necessarily have to be a water-based strike. Isn’t it possible to offset the energy itself with the same fire energy? Then, what if you create a defensive barrier of vibration around your body?’

Wooooooong! Thud!

A strange screech erupted from somewhere in the air around Yeon Ho-jeong.

It was a sound close to an explosion, but not a blast. It was a strange sound, difficult to describe, the sound of vibrations colliding and canceling each other out.

‘It works.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘There’s still some impact, but it’s manageable to a certain extent.’

He couldn’t even guess how the opponent was creating the vibrations.

But at least he could defend himself. He had layered the strikes of the Four Divine Beasts with different characteristics around his body.

The amplitude and intensity of the vibrations were erratic. One type of strike wouldn’t be enough. He had to divide the constantly moving strikes into four and match them to the opponent’s attacks.

There was a gradual consumption of internal energy, but given who the opponent was, he had to endure it.

“Impressive.”

Srrrk.

The sound of silk shoes stepping on weeds carried a sense of determination.

“I didn’t think you were just anyone, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a master so easily neutralize three consecutive Dark Void Waves.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes gleamed.

“I didn’t want to fall before we even had a conversation.”

“You seem to know a lot about me.”

“There isn’t a martial artist in the world who doesn’t know the Sound Demon of the Holy Heaven.”

“Are you trying to make fun of me?”

“Of course not. I’m just saying that how I blocked your attack isn’t the most important issue right now.”

Whoooong.

A breeze blew.

‘She’s different from what I’ve heard.’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes wavered.

‘So, this is what she’s like.’

The Sound Demon, Ha Eun-gyo.

She must have been at least sixty years old. But in reality, she looked like a beautiful woman in her early thirties. Even then, her aura was so exceptional that she looked even younger.

Her beauty was outstanding, but the dignity she possessed was even more impressive.

The sleeves of her robe fluttered in the wind. She wore a white, thin robe that looked like the clothes worn by celestial maidens. Her hair, reaching down to her waist, was as smooth as silk, and her slender fingers were so refined that no other word than ‘delicate’ came to mind.

Such a beautiful and elegant appearance exuded a terrifying pressure. It was as if a fierce and violent tiger was inhabiting the body of a celestial maiden.

‘She’s strong.’

Flap, flap, flap.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s clothes fluttered wildly.

The energy emanating from the Sound Demon became a strong wind that swept over Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘Amazing. She’s different from Elder Dark King No.’

It was impossible to know who had reached a higher level. There was no need to compare.

The pressure Ha Eun-gyo emitted stemmed from a deep-seated rage. An emotion that didn’t suit her, an incongruity that made her feel even more menacing.

“Impressive.”

Ha Eun-gyo’s voice, which broke the brief silence, was as beautiful as her dignity.

“You’re not undergoing reverse aging, and you’re clearly young as you appear. The world is vast, and I never thought I’d see such a genius.”

If Ha Eun-gyo’s presence was shocking to Yeon Ho-jeong, Yeon Ho-jeong’s existence was equally shocking to Ha Eun-gyo.

She had never heard of a master who had opened the Limitless Realm [A realm of martial arts mastery] before the age of forty.

Of course, the world was vast, and there could be hidden masters who were receiving teachings in seclusion. It wasn’t for nothing that people said there were as many hidden hermits as grains of sand on the beach.

But even considering that, the young man before her was too much.

He was not yet thirty, yet he had opened the Limitless Realm. Even without revealing his true energy, his clear gaze and calm presence were those of an absolute master, something not even seen in top-tier experts.

“You’ve reached such a high level at a young age, so you must have received teachings from a renowned master.”

Ha Eun-gyo’s eyes landed on Ji So-hyeon.

Ji So-hyeon’s face was a mix of shock, joy, fear, and worry.

“Why did you target this young girl?”

Targeted.

Not to kill her, nor to do anything terrible to her.

But Ha Eun-gyo’s words were correct. Yeon Ho-jeong lowered his head slightly.

“I apologize. I wanted to meet you, Senior, but I had no other way, so I had to target your disciple.”

He spoke of targeting her so confidently.

Ha Eun-gyo’s gaze turned cold.

“If you wanted to see me, you could have come directly.”

“Because I didn’t know the situation.”

“What…”

In that moment, Ha Eun-gyo’s eyes wavered.

She had the ability to hear sounds from a distance more clearly than other masters of the same level.

Before coming here, she had overheard a bit of the conversation between this unknown young man and her disciple. That’s how she knew that this young man had kidnapped her disciple.

She was furious about it, and that’s why she had moved faster than ever.

However.

‘How did he know I was here?’

As if reading her mind, Yeon Ho-jeong said,

“You had evil people by your side.”

“… !”

“I know a bit about them. At least, it’s clear that they are enemies who must be killed.”

Yeon Ho-jeong deliberately used the word ‘enemies.’ He wanted to see Ha Eun-gyo’s reaction.

‘Now, how will you react?’

Wooooong!

The Light Divine Seal emitted a bright light.

The Four Divine Energies tightened fiercely, amplifying their elasticity. They were fully prepared to burst out at any moment.

Thick veins bulged on the hand holding the Heaven Piercing Axe.

It was then.

“You don’t mean…”

“…?”

“Do you know about them?”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyebrows twitched.

Ha Eun-gyo’s words, voice, and expression.

She clearly looked flustered. It was like seeing a child caught doing something bad.

‘What is this?’

It was strange.

‘If she knew about the Evil Sound, I thought she would either be in cahoots with them or captured by them for some unavoidable reason.’

That was the common sense. If he opened his mind, he could think of many other reasons.

‘She doesn’t seem to be in cahoots with them…’

The hand holding the Heaven Piercing Axe relaxed slightly.

‘But she doesn’t seem to be captured by them either.’

In Yang Cheon’s case, he was unknowingly being poisoned by the Sound Emperor’s Palm, and his skills were gradually declining.

If she was captured, he thought it would be a similar case. The name of the Holy Heaven was too great to be swayed simply by having a weakness.

But seeing her like this, it didn’t seem to be the case either.

‘Surprise, agitation, fluster, dismay, and…’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes gleamed.

‘Guilt.’

The emotions visible in Ha Eun-gyo’s eyes and expression.

There was definitely guilt among them.

Even if Yeon Ho-jeong was quick-witted, he rarely read other people’s emotions so quickly. That meant Ha Eun-gyo was someone who couldn’t hide her emotions.

‘Strange.’

The Sound Demon, Ha Eun-gyo, had not often intervened in the affairs of the martial world.

Was that why? He felt the awkwardness of someone who hadn’t properly experienced the turbulent martial world. Even though she was a master of the Limitless Realm, she seemed to retain a sense of purity.

‘She’s more like an artist than a martial artist…’

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“They are a group called the Evil Sound Sect, and they are called the Three Great Heretical Sects along with the Divine Transformation Sect and the Blood Madness Sect. They are foreign forces, secretly aiming for the Central Plains.”

Yeon Ho-jeong had now established a principle.

Absolute honesty.

He shouldn’t unnecessarily embellish his words to persuade or test the other party.

It was an instinct. Ha Eun-gyo was not good at hiding herself, but he had a feeling that she would be good at judging other people’s lies.

Reading people’s emotions. Perhaps Ha Eun-gyo was more perceptive than him in that regard.

“I am one of many people trying to stop them. That’s why I couldn’t break through head-on. If by any chance…”

“…”

“If you had joined hands with them, Senior, I would have had several times more enemies to face.”

“You…”

Ha Eun-gyo’s eyes, looking at Yeon Ho-jeong with a wavering gaze, seemed truly complex.

“What is your identity?”

Thud.

Yeon Ho-jeong, planting the Heaven Piercing Axe on the ground, took a respectful bow.

“I am Yeon Ho-jeong, the eldest son of the Byeoksan Yeon family of Gangdong. I am currently the commander of the Righteous Army, a unit of the Martial Alliance.”

“Yeon Ho-jeong.”

Not only Ha Eun-gyo but also Ji So-hyeon was surprised.

“Yeon Ho-jeong… Yes, I remember hearing that name. I heard rumors that you were a peerless prodigy who had already gained martial power comparable to the leaders of the Nine Great Sects at a young age.”

“You flatter me.”

“The rumors were wrong. You’re not just at the level of a sect leader, you’re beyond that. To open the Limitless Realm at that age, it’s unprecedented in the history of the martial world.”

Ji So-hyeon gasped without realizing it.

He had reached a high level, and it seemed he had received teachings from a renowned master.

She thought it was just a formality that her master had said to praise the opponent.

But he had opened the Limitless Realm? Wasn’t opening the Limitless Realm the domain of the Holy Heaven?

“I am still far from enough. I have opened the Limitless Realm, but it is only half-baked. Even if there were ten of me, I don’t know if I could ever catch up to your skills, Senior.”

“Your modesty is excessive. At first glance, you have mastered a combat-oriented martial art that is full of blood and gore. If you have achieved such a practical martial art, I should also be wary.”

“If there is a need to fight, I will.”

“Does that mean you didn’t come here to fight?”

“If I had, I would have set up traps here. But even then, I wouldn’t be confident in defeating you, Senior.”

Ha Eun-gyo’s face was clouded with complexity.

“What do you want to say to me?”

Got it!

A hint of relief washed over Yeon Ho-jeong’s face. Even for the great Yeon Ho-jeong, a full-scale battle with the Sound Demon would have been an enormous burden.

Decisively, he didn’t want to fight the Sound Demon, a powerful figure in the Central Plains.

“I will tell you. The reason why I summoned you, Senior, using a somewhat aggressive method.”

* * *

“Hmm?”

Ho Yeon-jong frowned.

“Shockwave?”

Whoosh!

His body released a burst of alcohol energy.

Srrrk.

Ho Yeon-jong’s movement across the forest became as stealthy as a ghost.