Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 671

Yeon Ho-jeong descended from Ha Eun-gyo’s residence.

Hwang Seok-tae, who had been waiting, asked,

“Did she leave already?”

“Yes.”

“I can’t understand it. It will be difficult to find the main base of the Four Evil Sect, and even if you do find it…”

Hwang Seok-tae couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence.

Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.

“There are many rational ways. It would be better to get help from the Open Sect, the Martial Alliance, or the Black Dragon Unit right away to investigate the survival of a child abandoned twenty years ago.”

“I think so too.”

“Looking at the results, that would definitely be better.”

“Is it an action that’s hard to interpret with reason?”

“Yes.”

Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.

“Senior has never acted as a mother before. Of course, she gave the Four Evil Sect various kinds of help because she wanted to see her child, but that was just being swayed by others. That’s separate from feeling sorry for her.”

“…”

“Whether she can meet her child again or not, she’s trying to act with her life on the line as a mother. It’s a foolish path, but at the same time, it’s a noble one.”

“Noble…”

“It’s the path of someone who feels their destiny and fate are given by the heavens. There’s no point in saying things like, ‘It would have been better if she did this,’ or ‘It would have been better if she did that.'”

“Is it similar to recommending vegetables to a wolf, saying that it’s good for them?”

Yeon Ho-jeong couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You’re making an absurd analogy, which is unlike you.”

“But it feels somewhat irresponsible to me. No matter what, because of her, the Four Evil Sect obtained a terrifying weapon. Doesn’t she think about the damage that will be caused by that?”

“That’s why she said she was sorry to me. Because I’m at the forefront, blocking the plans of the Three Sects.”

Yeon Ho-jeong recalled Ha Eun-gyo’s words.

‘Thank you, and… I’m sorry to you.’

Ha Eun-gyo also knew. That because of her, Yeon Ho-jeong, his group, and even the world were having a harder time.

That’s why she said she was grateful for being awakened from her delusion, and sorry for leaving the responsibility to him.

“There aren’t many people who try to fix the ripple effects caused by their mistakes. Only the people who suffer, suffer.”

“…”

“Even knowing that, I couldn’t stop Senior. How can you stop someone who knows the path they must take? Moreover, she gave us great help, so we should take responsibility for that much.”

Hwang Seok-tae clicked his tongue.

“Taking on that much burden is nothing. It’s just… I’ve never had a child.”

He would never have a child in the future either. He would probably never understand that kind of situation.

Yeon Ho-jeong patted his own cheeks.

“Let’s do what we have to do now. Ah, before that, I need to ask Ryang to take care of Senior’s disciple.”

“Did she leave her behind?”

“It’s not a path to take her along. She might have to stay with us for a while.”

“I see.”

“Well then.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned cold for a moment.

“Shall we go in and strike?”

“Huh? Go in and strike? Where to?”

* * *

“Damn it.”

With a low curse and a sigh, Shin Gi-ja’s face looked ten years older than before.

“Is this really okay?”

Shin Gi-ja’s mental state, having escaped the destructive killing intent, was perfectly normal.

Because it was normal, his worries grew even bigger.

‘With this, my qualifications and those of the Three Guardian Laws will be revoked. No, even if I return alive, my life will be in danger.’

Shin Gi-ja’s eyes deepened.

‘But it’s better than being prideful just because my life is in danger. The Divine Phoenix should be resonating by now…’

The Divine Phoenix was a messenger bird used by the highest-ranking officials of the Four Evil Sect.

It was more like a spirit animal than a messenger bird. With its large and heavy body, it was capable of incredibly fast and complex flight, and its beak and claws were so hard and sharp that they could cut through rocks.

Because it was a spirit animal created with the secret arts of the Four Evil Sect, it was also used in combat in case of emergency.

And the highest-ranking official of the Four Evil Sect who handled the Divine Phoenix was now in the Central Plains.

‘Myeong Geuk.’

Myeong Geuk was one of the successors directly raised by the Four Evil Sect Leader. Unlike Ho Yeon-jong, who survived alone in fierce battlefields, he was a disciple whom the Four Evil Sect Leader recognized for his talent and taught himself.

He was bound to be behind Ho Yeon-jong in terms of experience, but in fact, such a comparison was meaningless. If the Four Evil Sect Leader recognized his talent, he would show his best in any situation, even without complex experience.

There were a total of five successors of the Four Evil Sect in this generation.

Three of them were directly raised by the Sect Leader, and two were half-blood relatives who unexpectedly showed talent and demonstrated the ability to jump into the succession battle.

Ho Yeon-jong was the latter. That was why he came all the way here, which was not like his personality. To get ahead in the succession battle, he wanted to achieve the merit of destroying one of the Nine Great Sects.

But before he even started, he caused a loss of power during the battle with the enemy. It was a fatal mistake.

“To be in this state before even starting… my fate is truly unfortunate.”

Shin Gi-ja fiddled with the Mountain Echoing Divine Bullet.

The world was dark, and only fifty Golden Crow members remained around him. The remaining members, now free from the killing intent, were each preparing for death.

Shin Gi-ja sighed.

‘Death is approaching, but I can’t help but do my best.’

He struck the ground with the staff he had placed beside him.

Thud!

The Golden Crow members looked at Shin Gi-ja.

Shin Gi-ja said calmly,

“If you’ve come to your senses, start preparing the Golden Crow Sonic Blast Formation.”

The Golden Crow Sonic Blast Formation was a unique formation created by combining the Golden Crow’s proud Golden Crow Killing Formation with the sound techniques received from the Sound Master.

It was a formation that boasted tremendous destructive power, but its duration was only two quarters of an hour. If the attack power was pushed to its limit, it was only one quarter of an hour. After that time, all the members would be unable to fight.

In other words, telling them to deploy the Golden Crow Sonic Blast Formation was the same as ordering them all to die.

“Now is the time for us to return to the embrace of the gods. Do not be afraid. We are just going a little earlier than others. Let’s go ahead and make the divine realm cleaner until the honorable ones of this world arrive.”

There was no attachment to life. Rather than going back, losing his position, and being threatened with his life, it would be better to die here.

Swish.

The Golden Crow members each spread out and took their positions.

Once they had taken their positions, they all took out and ate red pills from their pockets, as if they had made a promise.

Whoooom!

They had not had proper rest, nor had they eaten anything. Yet, their energy was much stronger than before.

Shin Gi-ja closed his eyes.

Even though he hadn’t given the order directly, the Golden Crow members had taken the Fighting Immortal Pill. The Fighting Immortal Pill was a drug that amplified internal energy by almost double.

‘I’m sorry, everyone.’

Go to the divine realm and prepare the place?

That’s a joke.

Shin Gi-ja had lived a long life and had long since broken away from the absurd faith unique to the Four Evil Sect. However, that place had been replaced by loyalty and responsibility.

‘Whatever it is, this is the last sky in this life.’

The moonlight was beautiful. There weren’t many stars because of the scattered clouds.

A sky that wasn’t clear? That’s too much.

Shin Gi-ja closed his eyes.

Coo-roo-rook.

The sound of an owl hooting was heard from somewhere.

He used to find that sound very annoying. But not now. Thinking that it was the last moment in this life, even the annoying owl hooting sounded somehow good.

‘Did he get out safely?’

He couldn’t know. He had used his own tricks just in case, but it wouldn’t be easy since it was a place where the influence of the Jongnam Sect was strong.

‘I may die, but you must not die. Die only after getting proper revenge. That way, you won’t feel so wronged.’

It was then.

Coo-roo-rook! Ping!

Along with the sound of an owl hooting, there was a sound of something breaking.

Shin Gi-ja’s eyes snapped open.

An intruder had come close.

“Everyone, activate the formation!”

Whoooom!

The Golden Crow Sonic Blast Formation was activated in an instant, and the surrounding scenery was slightly distorted.

An invisible, intangible barrier, an intangible energy that caused waves, was emitting vibrations and gathering the power of the formation.

And Shin Gi-ja, who was at the center of the formation, captured where the intruder was approaching from.

“The east wall…!”

It was then.

Bang!

The moment Shin Gi-ja captured the intruder, the intruder also charged in with terrifying speed.

Shin Gi-ja shouted,

“Pour out all your energy! It’s a Mountain Breaker on the east wall!”

Weeeeee!

The moment the barrier of the Golden Crow Sonic Blast Formation seemed to ripple.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

An intangible shockwave with a radius of more than three yards pierced through the space in a straight line. Of course, it was in the east direction where the intruder was charging.

Crash! Boom! Rumble!

Trees and rocks were shattered, creating a long path.

It was a terrifying power. The shockwave, which made a whirring sound, had destructive power beyond the speed of sound, and it seemed that no one could avoid it.

Rumble!

Amidst the sonic attack that was crushing everything.

Someone’s charge was felt to falter. The intruder had entered the area of the shockwave.

Shin Gi-ja’s eyes lit up.

“I’ve captured him! Increase to maximum output! Maximize the damage for one quarter of an hour…!”

It was then.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The intruder, who had faltered, had disappeared from that spot. The shockwave, having lost its target for a moment, shattered the trees and rocks as they were.

Shin Gi-ja’s eyes widened.

‘He dodged it?!’

He could recognize it and dodge it, but he couldn’t escape the situation of being caught in the shockwave.

No, there was a way. To break the shockwave with force and escape.

‘Could it be that he escaped with force? That energy where the combined energy of so many experts was concentrated?!’

Clatter! Thud! Thud!

Two hand axes that flew from somewhere began to mercilessly spin and cut off the heads of the Golden Crow members.

The direction change was free. The black and white twin axes, spinning at high speed, instantly cut off the heads of about thirty Golden Crow members.

Thud! Swish!

A black and gray iron chain that sprang from the ground wrapped around Shin Gi-ja’s ankle and pulled him straight away.

Crack!

Shin Gi-ja’s ankle was broken. He immediately struck the chain, but it wouldn’t break, no matter what material it was made of.

It was then.

Whoosh!

Shin Gi-ja’s eyes shook.

It wasn’t as strong as before, but a very familiar and terrifying killing intent swept down his spine.

Thud! Thud!

The sound of a human body being crushed whole was so gruesome that it sounded bizarre.

It wasn’t a hand axe. Shin Gi-ja knew instinctively. It wasn’t the two hand axes that had cut off the heads of the Golden Crow members a moment ago, but something much larger and heavier that was crushing the members’ bodies.

And.

Bang!

A huge axe that was struck down like lightning split the body of the last remaining member.

Thud! Thud!

Blood that soared high into the sky rained down.

Shin Gi-ja trembled and turned his head.

There was a grim reaper with a huge axe slung over his shoulder. In his left hand, he held two hand axes stacked together, and the iron chain that came out of his sleeve was connected to Shin Gi-ja’s ankle through the ground.

‘It’s him.’

Shin Gi-ja felt his vision go dark.

‘How did he recover so much already?!’

Whoosh!

Swish!

The iron chain that had been released from Shin Gi-ja’s ankle had already slipped into Yeon Ho-jeong’s sleeve.

Thud!

The black and white hand axes were each embedded in Shin Gi-ja’s collarbone and thigh. It was to prevent him from escaping.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you. In your right mind.”

Thud!

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had approached, hammered a Heaven Piercing Talisman next to Shin Gi-ja’s leg.

Shin Gi-ja’s face turned pale. The killing intent had been washed away, but the memories of that time kept coming back, and the fear that had subsided was slowly rising again.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who was squatting in front of him, asked calmly,

“Where did he go, that moronic son of yours?”

“I, I… !”

“Did he already go to Jongnam?”

At that moment, Shin Gi-ja’s eyes shook.

Yeon Ho-jeong chuckled.

“You guys really don’t deviate from expectations at all.”

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