Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 691

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face snapped to the left.

Crack!

Myeong Geuk’s head jerked to the right.

The blows landed squarely, each one hitting its mark with precision. Yet, aside from a split lip, there was no significant damage. They weren’t fatal blows; the true energy of masters who had reached the pinnacle of martial arts always protected them, making it difficult to inflict a fatal wound with ordinary strikes.

Thud!

Myeong Geuk, struck in the chest, staggered back five steps.

‘This!’

A dull pain spread throughout his body.

He could have retreated a step earlier to dissipate the impact. Myeong Geuk had the strength and understanding to do so.

But he didn’t. No, he wouldn’t.

It was because he didn’t want to retreat. His pride was wounded.

In a life-or-death struggle, pride is a double-edged sword, a driving force that can unleash great power but also create fatal weaknesses.

Myeong Geuk knew this. He was intelligent and rational. He had seen countless people suffer losses because of their pride, and he never allowed unnecessary emotional expenditure to hinder his duties.

But now?

Whoosh! Bang!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist carried terrifying power.

Myeong Geuk’s Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Fist was no different. Yet, the two men were pushed back almost the same distance upon impact.

It was a subtle difference, but Myeong Geuk’s mastery was clearly superior to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s, yet in a head-on clash, they were evenly matched.

Myeong Geuk’s eyes slowly became bloodshot.

‘This bastard.’

Myeong Geuk glared at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

His fighting spirit blazed, and the cold, composed expression on his face began to show more human emotion.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong was not the same.

‘Is he not wavering?’

Crack!

A surge of energy, like a flickering flame, seemed to appear, and then, in an instant, it moved to the left, aiming for his head.

He raised his forearm to block it, but the technique was so heavy that his entire left arm went numb.

‘Impressive.’

Thud!

Myeong Geuk, using a swift palm strike to push Yeon Ho-Jeong away, took a short breath.

‘It’s no different from before, or rather, it could be said that its power has weakened somewhat.’

Thud!

Even as he was pushed back, he managed to extend a palm strike.

He instantly deployed the Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Armor [a defensive technique] to block the palm force, but the power that chilled him to the bone made his face contort.

‘It’s as if life itself is contained within it.’

Whoosh! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

The two men’s fists pounded each other’s faces and upper bodies.

‘Tch!’

Myeong Geuk’s fist, moving at a terrifying speed, suddenly opened into a sharp hand blade.

Swoosh!

He swung it to strike the neck in one swift motion, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body had already lowered.

He allowed some of the fist strikes to land, but he dodged the Six-Section Sword Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Seal [a complex martial arts technique] like a ghost. Even in this short distance, in the midst of the chaotic barrage of blows, he had accurately read the split second when Myeong Geuk’s hand transformed into a blade.

Crack!

But he couldn’t avoid the leg strike that came from below. He blocked it with both arms, but the destructive blow sent Yeon Ho-Jeong flying into the air.

Myeong Geuk’s eyes flashed.

It was an opportunity. A brief moment in the air, a chance to tip the scales of the battle in an instant.

Whoosh!

Myeong Geuk immediately approached Yeon Ho-Jeong, but he was shocked and quickly rotated his body.

Thwack! Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, sensing that he would be counterattacked the moment his body was restricted, swung the Black and White Twin Dragon Axe, which had fallen to the ground, in a sweeping motion.

If he hadn’t dodged, his upper body would have been shredded. Cold sweat beaded on Myeong Geuk’s forehead.

“Hoo!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, landing on the ground, gasped for breath.

Myeong Geuk almost cursed but hesitated.

‘What is this?’

Myeong Geuk, one of the successors of the Evil Sound Sect, called a genius of his generation.

The expression on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face, as seen by his divine eyes, was utterly incomprehensible.

‘What on earth is he thinking!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face showed no signs of joy, anger, sorrow, or pleasure.

Yet, it wasn’t expressionless either. He seemed dazed, as if possessed by something, but his gaze never left Myeong Geuk.

He seemed completely immersed in the fight. He didn’t seem to care about the surrounding situation.

It was more than just intense concentration. It was as if he was possessed, his appearance so different from before that it was hard to believe it was the same person.

It felt like he was fighting with only instinct, his reason gone.

Myeong Geuk shouted.

“Are you trying to fight me with that kind of mindset!”

Wham! Wham! Wham!

The two men’s fists and palms intertwined once more in a complex dance.

But contrary to Myeong Geuk’s thoughts, Yeon Ho-Jeong had not abandoned himself to instinct.

‘He’s strong, as expected.’

Myeong Geuk’s martial arts, having completely discarded the strange formations and the upper dantian abilities [energy center] that disrupted rhythm, had become even more solid and perfect.

He was fighting based on his own understanding and fighting spirit, accumulated over time, without relying on tricks. This made him even more difficult to attack.

‘Amazing. He’s showing me things I don’t have, understandings that I can’t achieve, so naturally.’

The opponent must have felt the same. Myeong Geuk could see unimaginable insights embedded in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts.

Their levels were similar, but the methods and characteristics they had developed were different.

In other words, this fight wasn’t about whose understanding was superior. It was about who could implement their understanding more efficiently, who could better utilize their strengths.

Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, struck by the final blow, rolled on the ground.

Cough!

Blood spurted from his mouth.

It was the time for a follow-up attack, but Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t bother to defend. He had read that Myeong Geuk also had no intention of rushing in due to his own stamina issues.

Yeon Ho-Jeong got up and wiped the blood from his mouth.

‘This won’t end like this.’

Myeong Geuk’s words suddenly came to mind.

‘Children?’

When he heard those words, Yeon Ho-Jeong was extremely flustered.

The meaning was clear. Myeong Geuk knew that the Jongnam Sect was evacuating the disciples and scholars. And he intended to kill them to break their morale.

Morale is important even in the wars of ordinary people, but for martial artists who manipulate qi [life force], the impact of morale is absolute.

That was what Myeong Geuk was aiming for. And his strategy, though terribly immoral, was the best in terms of efficiency.

‘It’s not a lie. He’s serious. He wouldn’t think he could shake me with a lie.’

Bang!

The Howling King’s Wall-Breaking Fist, a move from the Hundred Kings Sect, completely blew away Myeong Geuk’s Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Fist.

‘He’s even targeting children… These guys really have no limits. They have no sense of morality. They consider the concept of righteousness to be more worthless than a stone lying on the side of the road if it means victory.’

It was something he already knew. But facing it directly was still shocking.

‘I have to kill this bastard quickly. I have to kill him and go to the main sect.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly thought of Hwang Seok-Tae.

‘Was that the weakness, the flaw you were talking about?’

Hwang Seok-Tae had said there was a fatal weakness.

‘I don’t know. I don’t know if the weakness that Commander Hwang was talking about refers to the children.’

Hwang Seok-Tae was a member of the Black Dragon Unit, like a soldier who lived and died by orders.

They had once had a conversation like this. If ordered, would he kill children?.

Hwang Seok-Tae had answered without hesitation that he would. To him, the lives of young children were not more valuable than the orders of his superiors.

That was why he had so many concerns, and he had learned a lot by observing the righteous sects. During his time with him, he had been learning the differences between the black and white paths.

‘If it’s you now, you’ll know. You’ll know the immorality of these bastards who are targeting the lives of children.’

It wasn’t a certainty. It was a wish.

He hoped that the weakness Hwang Seok-Tae had mentioned was the children. That he had known about it and taken measures in advance.

‘But…’

Whoosh!

Myeong Geuk’s hand blade grazed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s cheek.

Thud!

Myeong Geuk spat out blood and retreated. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Half-Dragon Palm had struck his chest.

He spat out blood, but it wasn’t a fatal wound. He had absorbed most of the impact with the Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Armor.

‘Am I truly worried about them?’

Thud! Thud!

The rocks that had been swept away by the impact were now flying through the air. The shattered trees turned to dust and rose high into the sky.

Swish!

The Coiling Dragon Chain was fired at Myeong Geuk’s neck.

Thud!

Myeong Geuk’s left palm strike caused the Coiling Dragon Chain to lose its power and become limp.

‘Am I worried about the children because I’m afraid of defeat in the war, or am I worried because I’m afraid of the children’s deaths themselves?’

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong was pushed back.

He no longer knew how he was being hit. The deepening thoughts, the swirling ideas, gradually crumpled his reason and pushed it behind his instincts.

‘Thoughts… instincts…’

What am I doing right now?

Whoosh!

He tilted his head back to avoid Myeong Geuk’s fist. The wind pressure slightly tore his earlobe.

‘Where am I going?’

Thwack!

Myeong Geuk staggered back.

‘How are my limbs moving?’

Bang!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body rotated, deflecting Myeong Geuk’s palm force.

Myeong Geuk’s eyes wavered.

It was a blow that, while not fatal, was impossible to avoid. Yet, Yeon Ho-Jeong had dodged it.

‘Worrying won’t change anything. Then what should I be thinking about now?’

Thinking?

‘Why should I be thinking?’

Wham! Wham! Wham!

The two men’s three fists collided in the air.

‘Is there any need to think? In this urgent situation?’

He had to.

What to think about?

‘Martial arts.’

Whoosh!

The Vermillion Bird Fire [a powerful energy technique] that erupted in an instant blocked Myeong Geuk’s approach.

The hazy eyes of Yeon Ho-Jeong now emitted a sharp divine light.

‘My fists work on him. But I can’t land a fatal blow.’

Is it a lack of power? That couldn’t be.

Then what exactly is the problem?

‘Principle.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body rotated, moving to Myeong Geuk’s left side.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Four lightning-fast fists struck Myeong Geuk’s side.

Myeong Geuk’s face contorted.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s head, struck by a leg technique, snapped back and then returned to face forward.

Thwack!

A spinning kick, delivered while rotating, struck Myeong Geuk’s jaw.

Myeong Geuk’s body shook violently. It was a blow that landed more squarely than any other he had suffered so far.

‘Movement based on principle can unleash the power of a thousand pounds with the strength of one. Then…’

Whoosh!

‘Have my hands and feet not been following the principles until now?’

Crack!

Myeong Geuk’s foot, instinctively thrust out, broke Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left arm.

A chilling pain shot up his spine. But even amidst that, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand was moving.

‘Move according to principle.’

Swoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s right hand, entering between Myeong Geuk’s arms, touched his collarbone.

In that instant, Myeong Geuk felt a strong sense of dread.

Whoosh!

Just before Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand could tear off his collarbone, Myeong Geuk’s body moved backward.

“…”

Myeong Geuk’s eyes wavered.

‘Something…?!’

Fzzzzzz.

A strange energy began to rise from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

It wasn’t killing intent. It was an energy closer to fighting spirit.

“You…!”

“Principle.”

“…?”

“Appropriate movement…”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, muttering, glared at Myeong Geuk.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled coldly.

“Are you running away?”

“…!!”

“What are you so afraid of that you’re running away?”

In that instant, killing intent exploded from Myeong Geuk’s eyes.

Thwack!

Myeong Geuk’s Peach Blossom Heavenly Divine Seal pierced Yeon Ho-Jeong’s abdomen.

“Hah! Hah!”

A sprint with all his might, and a single blow.

Myeong Geuk’s breathing became incredibly ragged. The tension was released, and he felt a savage pain all over his body.

Then, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand grabbed Myeong Geuk’s wrist.

“You followed well.”

“Hah! What?”

“Before following the principles of martial arts, shouldn’t we follow the principles of the battlefield first?”

Myeong Geuk shouted.

“What nonsense are you spouting!!”

It was then.

“Young Master Yeon!!”

With a scream-like voice, an iron dart was fired with the speed of a gale.

Myeong Geuk’s eyes widened.

He instinctively tried to dodge, but he couldn’t move because Yeon Ho-Jeong was holding his wrist.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled fiercely and said.

“Where is there a battlefield where only one-on-one, honest fights are recognized?”

Thwack!