Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 693

“Ugh!”

Myeong Geuk’s face was pale as he staggered.

He had finally escaped from Yeon Ho-Jeong, but his condition was far from normal.

‘It’s broken!’

His left shoulder blade was completely shattered.

He hadn’t properly protected his body with the Celestial Armor because he was focused on using the Peach Blossom Celestial Skill. Even so, with the Celestial Energy circulating throughout his body, forming a powerful barrier, an attack had broken through and shattered his shoulder.

‘No, that’s not it.’

Whoooom!

A faint golden aura flowed from his broken shoulder.

That aura had become unstable compared to before. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s internal strike, which had penetrated through his wrist, had caused internal damage.

And to dispel that internal strike, his aura shield was unconsciously withdrawn. Taking advantage of that opening, a powerful arrow had shattered his left shoulder.

Crack! Crack!

Myeong Geuk’s face contorted.

The Peach Blossom Celestial Skill rapidly mended his broken shoulder. However, the process was not easy. There were many broken bone fragments, and he had to collect and piece them together one by one. In the urgent situation, his hasty actions were irritating nerves and damaging blood vessels.

‘Damn it!’

He wasn’t sure if he would be able to use his left arm as before.

But now was not the time to think about that.

Whoooom.

Myeong Geuk, having created a distance of about ten yards and sealed his left shoulder, looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong and the person who had landed next to him.

“Young Master Yeon! Are you alright?!”

“Cough!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face, spitting out blood, was as pale as Myeong Geuk’s. Half of the power of the Peach Blossom Celestial Skill had pierced his abdomen. It was a miracle he was still alive.

Swoosh.

The Azure Dragon Energy, empowered by the Light Divine Pill, dispelled the internal strike that had penetrated him and activated the power of Gan Jang [a legendary sword].

Snap!

He closed the pierced skin and muscles with the power of his aura.

If you get stabbed in the abdomen, your intestines will spill out and you will die. Abdominal pressure is much stronger than people imagine.

He would fix his damaged internal organs later; closing the open abdomen with aura was the priority. With the Black Tortoise and Azure Dragon Energies, his body would be protected until the fight was over.

Wiping his mouth, Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke calmly.

“You came just in time. It was a close call.”

“Damn it! Your abdomen is pierced!”

“I can fight. I won’t die from this.”

“How do you always end up like this… !”

Muk Bi, who had been shouting, gritted her teeth and drew her bow.

There was a super master in front of them, one she had never seen before. The situation was not good for sharing the joy of reunion.

Muk Bi asked in a tense voice.

“Is he the enemy commander?”

“Yes.”

Tzzzzzz.

A thick killing intent flowed from Myeong Geuk’s body.

Muk Bi’s face hardened.

She had been in such a hurry that she hadn’t had time to sense Myeong Geuk’s aura. But now, she could finally see how terrifyingly powerful her opponent was.

‘A monster!’

He was someone who had reached a level that even Muk Bi, who possessed the martial prowess of a sect leader of the Nine Great Sects [powerful martial arts schools], could not dare to fathom.

He was truly at the level of a Martial God. Despite his extreme consumption of internal energy and severe internal and external injuries, the aura emanating from his entire body was devastating.

‘Such a level exists in this world…!’

Her fighting spirit wavered, her will to fight cooled.

Just facing him made her legs tremble. No matter how injured or disadvantaged he was, the presence of a master of a different dimension was so terrifying that it made her mind go blank.

But.

“Relax.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong placed his hand on Muk Bi’s shoulder.

Whoooom.

It wasn’t the Deathly Energy. The pure aura of the Light Divine Pill penetrated her body, correcting her scattered mind.

Muk Bi said hastily.

“It’s okay! Don’t waste your internal energy…”

“Who are you to give advice? A novice doesn’t give advice to a master.”

Muk Bi was about to say what nonsense was a wounded person talking, but she was suddenly startled.

‘Young Master Yeon too?!’

Whoosh!

If Myeong Geuk’s aura was as sharp as a blade, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s aura was like a low-lying mist.

Their natures were clearly different, but the level they had reached was similar. Muk Bi could glimpse the supreme martial power that Myeong Geuk had achieved within Yeon Ho-Jeong’s comfortable presence.

Muk Bi’s mouth dropped open.

‘W-when?!’

Yeon Ho-Jeong said.

“Focus. This is not the time to be surprised.”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

“This is war. It’s not the time to be picky about what’s fair or not.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong slightly turned his shoulder.

Despite suffering a fatal wound, his fighting spirit was growing stronger.

“If you see an opening, shoot without hesitation.”

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong slowly walked towards Myeong Geuk.

Then, Muk Bi said.

“Young Master Yeon.”

“Hmm?”

“This.”

Muk Bi took off a huge axe from her back and threw it.

Without even turning around, Yeon Ho-Jeong caught the axe.

Just like Muk Bi, who hadn’t been able to sense the presence of the enemy and Yeon Ho-Jeong due to the urgency of the situation, Yeon Ho-Jeong also hadn’t recognized the familiar friend on Muk Bi’s back.

‘It’s been a while.’

It was heavy.

It was heavy, but strangely full of power. It was similar in weight to the Heaven Piercing Axe, but somehow felt lighter.

‘Have you been well?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong stroked the blade of the Mad Dragon Axe.

Whoooom.

The sharp blade was as fierce as ever. It was a blade that wouldn’t dull even after a hundred, no, a thousand years.

The divine weapon, the Mad Dragon Axe.

After a long time, it was back in the hands of its master, and the weapon seemed to be expressing its joy, letting out a cry of its own.

‘Good.’

Swoosh.

The Black and White Twin Dragon Axes, which had been rolling on the ground, automatically floated up and returned to his waist.

‘Your friends are good too, but you’re the best for deciding the outcome of a fight.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, with the Mad Dragon Axe on his shoulder, looked at Myeong Geuk.

Myeong Geuk said with a twisted expression.

“Are you ready?”

“Were you waiting for me?”

“That’s what I’m saying. Why would I wait for you?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. You waited because you weren’t confident in finishing me off even if you attacked. And also to tend to your shattered shoulder.”

“…”

“You’ve come this far, you’re not going to run away, are you?”

“Is that something you should be saying? Bringing your allies along.”

“Because it’s war.”

“Because it’s war, it wouldn’t be shameful to run away.”

“That’s why I’m provoking you. So you don’t run away. Well, you’ve been afraid of me since earlier.”

Myeong Geuk chuckled.

He scoffed, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s provocation had not been ineffective.

He didn’t care about his pride, but once his pride was hurt, he had to restore it. It was a matter beyond his mission.

‘Unless I crush that bastard, I’ll still be a loser even if I go back alive.’

Swoosh.

Myeong Geuk lowered his stance.

His broken left arm was unusable. His internal injuries were also severe.

But Yeon Ho-Jeong was in the same boat. He had suffered a serious injury with his abdomen pierced, and the extent of his internal injuries was even worse than Myeong Geuk’s.

The time had come.

The time had finally come to end this long battle of the Martial Gods.

Myeong Geuk said.

“It was fun. Though I was annoyed from time to time.”

“I didn’t have fun, you bastard. Don’t target children even in the afterlife.”

Whoooom!

A cold wind toyed with their clothes.

Muk Bi swallowed slightly. The tension flowing between the two Martial Gods was immense.

How much time had passed?

Wham!

Myeong Geuk moved.

With the unique movements of the Swift Footwork, he approached Yeon Ho-Jeong, a golden blade flashing in his right hand.

Yeon Ho-Jeong shouted.

“Ugh!”

Clang!!

Myeong Geuk’s face contorted.

The power of the magnificent black treasure weapon, the wildly raging Dragon Axe, was completely different from the Heaven Piercing Axe.

“Ugh!”

Myeong Geuk staggered back.

He had been pushed back even though he had attacked first. That was how strong the Mad Dragon Axe was.

Drip.

Blood flowed from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s nose.

The power was strong, but he had received the full force of the recoil. His internal injuries worsened, and his legs weakened.

‘Where do you think you’re going!’

Bang!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, using a single step of True Stance to regain his footing, charged straight at Myeong Geuk.

Swoosh!

The Mad Dragon Axe was swung wide.

A white whirlwind swirled around the large, dark axe blade. The ultimate techniques of the Tiger King’s Nine Wall Stance, the Tiger’s Roar, engulfed Myeong Geuk.

Clang!

The blade of the Peach Blossom Celestial Skill was certainly the best in the world.

It was deflecting all the power of the terrifying White Tiger Force. His body was being worn down by the pressure, but the sharp blade did not fade even slightly.

Whoom! Thud!

Myeong Geuk’s kick, aiming for an opening, struck Yeon Ho-Jeong’s abdomen.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face turned white. It hadn’t hit the wound, but just the impact on his abdomen was enough to make the wound he had just closed try to open again.

Thud!

The shaft of the Mad Dragon Axe struck Myeong Geuk’s left shoulder.

Myeong Geuk screamed and retreated. The shoulder bone he had painstakingly sealed was shattered into pieces again.

“Ugh!”

Slash!

The Peach Blossom Celestial Skill slashed down diagonally. A deep gash appeared on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body.

Whoom!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attack was relentless. He finally deflected Myeong Geuk’s Celestial Skill, then swung his entire body and chopped off his left shoulder with the Mad Dragon Axe.

Thud!

Myeong Geuk’s eyes wavered.

It was a useless shoulder anyway, but seeing it severed like this brought a tremendous sense of loss.

“You!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Three punches of the Celestial Fist landed on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body.

Yeon Ho-Jeong retreated, spitting out blood, and the enraged Myeong Geuk used the Swift Footwork again. He intended to catch up in an instant and end his life.

But.

‘……!!’

His movements were awkward.

Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem, but now, with only a fraction of his strength left, he had lost his sense of balance due to his missing left arm. Staggering forward, his feet were now heading towards Muk Bi.

Myeong Geuk, Yeon Ho-Jeong, and Muk Bi.

The eyes of all three changed at the same time.

Wham!

Myeong Geuk, sprinting with all his might.

Muk Bi released her bowstring.

Whoosh!

Myeong Geuk, having skillfully dodged the arrow, had reached within a yard of Muk Bi.

It was a terrifying speed. Muk Bi used the Dragon Flight Step.

Thud!

In terms of speed alone, there was no difference between Myeong Geuk and Muk Bi.

But Myeong Geuk had something that Muk Bi didn’t.

‘……!!’

Muk Bi was startled. His feet, kicking off the ground, were out of sync, slowing down the speed of his footwork.

It was Myeong Geuk’s Peach Blossom Divine Eye. It was the ultimate enlightenment that was displayed at the crucial moment.

Wham!

Myeong Geuk’s hand flew towards Muk Bi’s neck.

The distance was too close, and there was no time to react. Muk Bi leaned her upper body back as much as possible and swung her leg.

That’s when it happened.

Swish!

“Cough!”

The Coiling Dragon Chain, flying in at an incredible speed, wrapped around Myeong Geuk’s neck.

Swish!

Muk Bi’s neck was scratched. Her skin was torn by Myeong Geuk’s fingernails.

Wham!

Unable to resist the Coiling Dragon Chain, Myeong Geuk was hit by Muk Bi’s kick and sent flying into the ground.

Above him, a mad dragon with a black body descended, leading a white storm.

Kwarururung!!

It was an amazing response.

The moment the internal energy was transmitted through the Mad Dragon Axe, the power of the Coiling Dragon Chain weakened. Myeong Geuk, like a ghost, read that split second and managed to fly to the right.

At the same time, Myeong Geuk realized.

That he had dodged incorrectly.

Since his left shoulder was empty, his weight naturally shifted to the right. He had evaded to the right according to that instinct.

And the opponent.

The incarnation of combat who had returned as a new Martial God of the new world, after passing through the dark ages of the past, had accurately predicted that.

Wham!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, surrounded by dozens of white storms, launched his final attack on Myeong Geuk.

The White Tiger Force, the Tiger King’s Nine Wall Stance.

The final technique, the Hundred Kings’ Heaven Shaking Dance.

Seeing the teeth of the pale beast protected by the Evil God, Myeong Geuk closed his eyes.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Myeong Geuk’s body was torn to pieces and scattered.