Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 697

“Ughhhhh!”

“Block them! Block them!”

“Watch out for the explosives… Ugh!”

Cheongmok Cliff had become a complete mess.

Compared to Cheongmok Cliff, Sadoam was a relatively flat battlefield. The terrain itself wasn’t very rough, which is why it was considered the top priority defense line.

However, Hwang Seok-tae concentrated more troops on Cheongmok Cliff. If the enemy’s numbers were lower than expected, he planned to send troops to Sadoam, but as he predicted, the number of troops attacking Cheongmok Cliff was much higher than Sadoam.

Perhaps that’s why.

Among the battles at the Jongnam Main Mountain, the battle at Cheongmok Cliff was the fiercest and most intense.

Hwang Seok-tae’s Red Dragon Spear spat fire.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

With a spear strike as fast as lightning, the entire Blood Wolf unit in front was thrown backward.

Black Blade’s First Spear, the Dragon Tail Seven Flashes of the Giant Dragon Spear Technique.

The Giant Dragon Spear Technique is originally a heavy and destructive martial art. There is no retreat, only advance, and if the enemy does not die, the user’s chances of survival decrease, so the opponent must be killed or forced to retreat in one blow.

In other words, it is a battlefield martial art that aims for a one-hit kill. Unlike other martial arts, it does not have many variations; it is straightforward, and it puts all its power into each strike, so it naturally exudes tremendous killing intent.

Nevertheless, the spear technique that Hwang Seok-tae displayed was not simply destructive.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang!

It was wide.

The red spear shadow covered the entire front. Hwang Seok-tae’s one-man defense, standing at the forefront and blocking the onrushing Blood Wolves, was unbelievable to witness.

Dong-gwon and Yongho Jin-in were also doing their part on both sides, but Hwang Seok-tae displayed a martial prowess that was on a different level from them.

However.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang!

Hwang Seok-tae’s eyes flashed.

The desperate struggle of First Squad Leader Hwahan, the arrows flying in at the perfect moment from Second Squad Leader, and the close-quarters combat of Fourth Squad Leader, creating openings at every moment, pierced through the defense line of Cheongmok Cliff.

‘This isn’t good.’

Thwack!

Hwang Seok-tae’s face was grim as he smashed the head of a Blood Wolf member with his spear.

‘The best thing would have been to not allow them to approach at all.’

However, the enemy’s offensive was too unconventional.

Although it wasn’t a wide plain, if he had brought the Yongah Iron Cavalry [elite cavalry unit], he would have been able to stop them somehow. First of all, they were well-coordinated, there were many tactics they could use, and most importantly, they were familiar with it.

However, the people he was commanding now were martial artists from the White Path [orthodox martial arts sects], who had never even worked together, let alone shared the same ideology.

‘There’s no choice.’

The best-case scenario was lost. If so, he had to find the best option in this situation.

Hwang Seok-tae shouted.

“All swordsmen in the formation, retreat twenty yards! Switch the seventh and eighth formations with the reserve formations!”

Whoosh!

Fortunately, the movements of the Jongnam swordsmen were faster and more disciplined than Hwang Seok-tae had expected.

Although they didn’t have much experience, they were a part of the Nine Great Sects [prestigious martial arts schools]. Although they were following the orders of a Black Path [unorthodox martial arts path] master they had never met, they followed through with what they had agreed to do.

The sword formation smoothly changed. The swordsmen who had been using up their mental strength at the front line took a breather, and the reserve swordsmen, filled with boiling fighting spirit and tension, took their place.

Yongho Jin-in shouted.

“Retreat! Shouldn’t we hold out longer at the front!”

“It’s meaningless!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than an arrow flew in.

Clanggggg!

A tremendous resonance shook the entire cliff.

‘As expected.’

White haze rose from the shaft of the Red Dragon Spear that had blocked the arrow.

‘That guy is the problem.’

First Squad Leader Hwahan retreated a step and led the troops, while Fourth Squad Leader matched the pace of the advancing troops, repeatedly attacking and retreating.

Their movements were also skillful, but the most threatening was the Second Squad Leader, who was standing far behind and shooting arrows.

‘What kind of arrows are those…!’

They were not ordinary arrows, nor were they iron arrows with iron shafts.

Moreover, the bow was noticeably large, and the arrows on the bowstring were as large as the bow itself. At first glance, they were so large that they could be mistaken for short spears, and their power and penetration were comparable to a spear strike from a true supreme master.

It had an attack power that even the sword force of a Jongnam Sect elder could not change its trajectory. There was no other way but to block it head-on and deflect it.

Hwahan shouted.

“An opening has been created! Everyone, reorganize the ranks!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Now, twenty yards back, there was space at the edge of the Cheongmok Cliff for the Blood Wolf members to climb up.

In an instant, devils wearing crimson and black uniforms filled the cliff. Their speed was truly fast. Watching their ghostly movements, one could feel how amazing the Jongnam sword formation had been to hold them back.

Dong-gwon shouted.

“Why did you let them… !”

It was then.

Whoosh!

Quietly, but surely.

A terrifying power began to gather in the mouth of the Red Dragon Divine Spear, a divine weapon.

Hwahan’s eyes wavered. Second Squad Leader, who was aiming arrows from afar, and Fourth Squad Leader, who was aiming for this side with erratic movements, felt a chill run down their spines.

Whoosh!

Hwahan and Fourth Squad Leader moved to the center.

At that moment, Yongho Jin-in’s Gale Sword and Dong-gwon’s Star Luo Sword Technique heavily pushed the two men away.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang!

It was a perfect timing.

The opportunity created by the two supreme masters, Hwang Seok-tae’s eyes blazed.

Bang!

A powerful step.

Hwahan shouted.

“Second Squad Leader! Block it!”

Whoooosh!!

The Red Dragon Divine Spear, swirling and shooting out, contained a powerful force that it had not shown before.

The rotating force of the warrior was outstanding. It was a strike of the Giant Dragon Cannon, a Giant Dragon Spear Technique that crushed the enemy with all its might.

At the same time as Hwang Seok-tae’s Giant Dragon Cannon swept the front, Second Squad Leader released the bowstring.

Crack! Thud!

The overwhelming destructive power turned more than ten Blood Wolf members into mincemeat.

Not only that. The Blood Wolf members standing nearby could not escape the force field.

They lost their balance and were swept away, then flew in all directions with a bang. Their bodies were sucked into the abyss at the bottom of the cliff, which was dozens of yards long.

“Hoo!”

With a light breath, Hwang Seok-tae tilted his spear.

His face was pale. He had overexerted himself by pouring out destructive power in an instant.

Besides.

‘As expected.’

When he touched his side, a chunk of flesh had been torn off.

It was the mark of Second Squad Leader’s arrow piercing through. He had twisted his body at the last moment, but he had not been able to avoid it completely.

‘It’s not bad for this much.’

It hadn’t touched his internal organs, but it was still a significant wound. It was a serious injury that would have made anyone other than a supreme master fall to their knees immediately.

However, Hwang Seok-tae did not fall. Rather, the fighting spirit that emanated from him became even fiercer.

“Push them back again!”

Whoosh!

The Jongnam swordsmen, who had passed Hwang Seok-tae, launched a fierce attack on the Blood Wolf members, whose ranks had been disrupted.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Thud! Thud!

It was an amazing sight. They had sacrificed their individual strength to change the flow of the battle.

They gave flesh to take bone. They were willing to do anything for the victory of the entire group, not just themselves. It was the sense of responsibility of a famous general of the Black Path, who always stood at the forefront and defeated the enemy.

It was then.

Swoosh!

As a huge sword blade drew a crescent moon, the bodies of five Jongnam swordsmen were torn apart diagonally and flew away.

Even though they were using a more aggressive martial art by drawing on the power of the sword formation, they could not block a single blow. First Squad Leader Hwahan, that terrifying master, had begun his activity.

“You fiend!”

Before Dong-gwon, Yongho Jin-in rushed towards Hwahan.

Killing intent flashed in Hwahan’s eyes.

Clang!

It was two exchanges.

In just two exchanges, Yongho Jin-in’s body was thrown backward as if he had been bounced.

The difference in martial arts between the two was not that extreme. However, Yongho Jin-in did not have enough space to fully unleash the martial arts of the Hwasan Sect [a famous sword sect].

Hwahan, who had seen through this, used a short and heavy sword strike to knock Yongho Jin-in away.

This was the reason why life and death could not be determined by skill alone. This was especially true in large-scale battles like this.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

An enraged Second Squad Leader shot out four arrows, and First Squad Leader and Fourth Squad Leader, who were supporting him, charged in very fiercely.

Thud! Swoosh!

It was a terrible martial art.

Just as Hwang Seok-tae had been able to smash the Blood Wolf members with one blow, and just as Yongho Jin-in had been able to knock Hwahan away with a surprise attack, the martial arts of First Squad Leader Hwahan, Second Squad Leader Sowol, and Fourth Squad Leader Geukpae were so strong that the Jongnam swordsmen could not withstand even a single exchange. As defenders, they had gained an advantage with their thorough defense formation and positioning, but when masters of this level attacked with determination, they could not easily block them.

Hwang Seok-tae shouted.

“The two elders, come forward!”

Whoosh!

Without being told, the two were already moving.

At that moment, Hwahan’s eyes blazed.

“Explosive Advance.”

A rough and harsh voice.

The eyes of the Blood Wolf members who had climbed onto the cliff were filled with killing intent.

At the same time, Hwang Seok-tae’s face hardened.

In an instant, the enemy’s momentum changed. Their fierce killing intent was the same, but their mindset seemed to have changed.

“Block them!”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dong-gwon and Yongho Jin-in, who had sensed something was wrong, also tried to block the Blood Wolf members, but the squad leaders would not leave them alone.

Taking advantage of the gap, the Blood Wolf members charged forward.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Hwang Seok-tae’s spear strike spat fire, and the sword energy of the Jongnam swordsmen pierced through the bodies of the Blood Wolf members.

But they did not stop.

Even if their arms were blown off, even if there were holes in their abdomens, they charged forward.

Hwang Seok-tae’s face contorted.

‘No!’

Hwang Seok-tae, who was about to unleash his Giant Dragon Spear towards the place where the Blood Wolves were most concentrated.

Clanggggg!

Second Squad Leader Sowol’s arrow accurately targeted Hwang Seok-tae’s psychology.

As he unconsciously deflected the arrow, his figure was pushed back for a moment.

Taking advantage of the gap, the Blood Wolf members jumped towards the left formation.

Hwang Seok-tae shouted without realizing it.

“It’s dangerous!!”

KWAHHHHH!

In an instant, a huge explosion occurred, and one of the Jongnam sword formations was blown away entirely.

It was an explosive. All the Blood Wolf members had been holding an explosive that they could detonate at any time.

No matter how vicious they were, he never thought they would do a suicide charge like this. The recklessness of destroying a sword formation that could not be penetrated no matter what, by burning their lives, made them seem like they were not from the same world.

“Ugh!”

Hwang Seok-tae’s body, which had been caught in the range of the explosion, was blackened.

But surprisingly, he was not seriously injured, even though he was right next to it.

‘Who?’

Even in his daze, Hwang Seok-tae realized. Someone had pushed his body to the side.

He didn’t know how, but someone had gently pushed him away for his safety.

‘Yongho Jin-in? Or Elder Dong-gwon?’

No.

Above the Cheongmok Cliff where the explosion had occurred, in the midst of the chaotic battlefield.

In the black smoke, five streaks of light blazed.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

The heads of five Blood Wolf members, who were once again attempting a suicide charge, were blown off simultaneously.

Thump!

No matter how much they were planning to self-destruct, they could not charge forward with their heads gone. The Blood Wolf members who had been charging fell between Hwahan and Geukpae, Yongho Jin-in and Dong-gwon.

Hwang Seok-tae shouted.

“Get out of the way!”

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The masters, startled, moved out of the way.

KWAANG! KWAANG!

Another wave of fire poured out with the explosions.

This explosion was actually disadvantageous to the Blood Wolf side. This was because the wind was blowing towards the cliff.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

Something invisible flew with an eerie sound.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The heads of the Blood Wolves who were climbing up the cliff were blown off and they fell down.

Sowol shouted.

“Be careful! Everyone, get back… !”

Whoooosh! KWAANG!

A short, swirling iron arrow completely shattered the place where Sowol was standing.

Sowol, who instinctively used his movement technique to climb onto Cheongmok Cliff.

In his eyes, he saw a woman holding a red bow in the cleared smoke.

Her eyes were cold and shining, and her posture of drawing the bow was perfect.

“An archer?!”

Muk Bi’s finger flicked the bowstring again.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!