Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 700

‘Invincible against ten thousand’ means that one cannot be defeated even by ten thousand men.

And ‘an enemy of ten thousand’ means a person so brave that he can stand against ten thousand, against everyone.

‘Ten thousand’ is both a number and a word meaning ‘all’.

Here and now, the savage bandits, as well as the warriors risking their lives to stop their onslaught.

They all realized that the words ‘invincible against ten thousand’ and ‘an enemy of ten thousand’ were simply stating the plain truth.

A man who possessed heaven-sent bravery and all the strategies rooted in the earth.

And here was a master with absolute power that surpassed all of that.

Thwack!

With a single swing, the bodies of about a dozen red wolves were scattered and blown away.

It didn’t seem like he had put much force into it. He had simply swung. Yet, the ferocious wolves were reduced to pieces without even a single scream.

Thwack! Thwack!

It was clear at a glance that it was a heavy weapon unlike any other in the world.

The shaft of the heavy axe was bending like the blade of a curved sword. Even if it was made of an extraordinary material, it was amazing that it hadn’t broken despite having such a heavy axe blade attached to it.

Thwack! Crash!

With just four charges, most of the front-line troops were blown away, and the final attack pulverized the earth.

The explosive power was so great that the road leading to Sadoam seemed to be cut off. It was the emergence of a transcendent force that was impossible with human power, with the technique of explosive force.

Fear washed over Pyeongso’s face.

“W-what is that?!”

The appearance of a monster that was hard to call human.

Paeyul grinned and swung his sword.

“He’s my junior!”

Clang!

The force of the descending sword was imbued with immense power.

He blocked it with his twin spears, but the fierce power forced him to retreat.

It was the same when Hwa Ung-mun appeared, but especially Yeon Ho-Jeong’s appearance was boosting Paeyul’s morale to no end.

That morale, that powerful military spirit, made his swordsmanship twice as strong as before.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The attacks of the spear and sword, swirling exquisitely, were as fierce as waves.

Pyeongso couldn’t come to his senses.

‘I have to retreat!’

Whoosh!

The aura of the grim reaper, smashing his subordinates in the distance, gave strength to Paeyul and sapped his own energy.

Even without that, the sword force of the Taeul Unformed Sword [a sword style focused on adaptability] was causing internal injuries. As if he had put his soul into the last strike before death, the movement of his true energy became heavier as time passed.

And on top of that, the appearance of an unbelievable master.

Pyeongso shouted.

“Everyone, sca…”

Thwack!

Paeyul’s leg technique struck his shoulder.

Spit!

Blood spurted from Pyeongso’s mouth. He had bitten his tongue.

“Don’t worry about your subordinates.”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

White haze rose from Paeyul’s body as he swung his spear and sword like a possessed man.

“Risk your life in this fight!”

Bang!

The spears collided, creating an explosion.

‘…’

Paeyul threw away the spear in his hand.

The spear blade was broken, and the shaft was bent. The enemy’s spear attack was that strong.

Pyeongso’s eyes were dyed with red killing intent.

“You bastard!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sword, striking down the twin spears, bent as if it would break.

‘As expected.’

Pyeongso was a capable general, but his pride was also incredibly strong.

The more you scratch his pride, the more violent his power becomes. Nevertheless, his spirit, energy, and essence do not waver. He was a true master who had trained through painstaking effort.

‘But.’

Whack!

Paeyul’s fist, lowering his stance and charging, aimed for Pyeongso’s chin.

Pyeongso, dodging the fist by turning his head, thrust his spear into Paeyul’s side.

Whoosh!

Pyeongso’s eyes widened as if they would tear.

Paeyul had disappeared. It was a speed that was hard to believe even after seeing it.

Bang!

The sword force that struck down from the air shattered the ground. Pyeongso had also instinctively avoided that attack.

Paeyul’s eyes flashed.

‘Sword?’

The attack just now.

Since he didn’t have a spear in his hand, he struck down with his sword like a spear. He had unleashed the Piercing Sun Technique [a powerful thrusting technique] with the intention of finishing it, but it was the Piercing Sun Spear, not the Piercing Sun Sword.

The difference between a sword and a spear is clear. However, the martial arts that are implemented do not distinguish between weapons.

That was it.

Swordsmanship is inherently specialized in thrusting rather than cutting. Similarly, spears are also primarily for thrusting rather than cutting.

The only differences were weight, length, and the handle. If a martial artist reaches the highest level, they can cut rocks with their bare hands and kill enemies by throwing blades of grass.

It was an enlightenment he knew but had not deeply contemplated.

That enlightenment was absorbed into Paeyul’s body during a life-or-death battle.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

In an instant, Pyeongso’s attacks became incredibly fierce.

Now, he doesn’t care about internal injuries or anything else. Realizing that the attack on Sadoam had failed, he was giving his all to kill at least one of the enemy commanders, Paeyul.

Swish! Swish!

One by one, wounds appeared on Paeyul’s body.

However, his expression was calm. He was dodging the twin spears without counterattacking, and his movements were unusually smooth.

“You bastard!”

Wham!

With lightning speed.

Pyeongso’s left spear grazed Paeyul’s abdomen, and his right spear made a small scratch on his neck. He had narrowly avoided fatal attacks.

But there was no urgency on Paeyul’s face. His eyes were calm, as if he had expected this.

Surprise filled Pyeongso’s fierce eyes.

Paeyul said calmly.

“Those spears, they’re divine weapons.”

Bang!

Pyeongso spat out blood and retreated.

Whoosh!

Pyeongso, who was immediately preparing to counterattack, was startled. Paeyul’s hand was already extended straight, aiming at him.

Wham!

The explosive force from his fingertips shattered Pyeongso’s shoulder.

The Piercing Sun Spear unleashed with his hand, no, the Piercing Sun Hand.

It was a technique that could not be used with bare hands. Before enlightenment, the martial art itself had such a nature.

Yet, Paeyul used the Piercing Sun Technique with his bare hands.

‘It’s no different.’

As he approached the staggering Pyeongso, the twin spears were already being swung, aiming for his vital points.

‘It’s no different.’

Clang!

Paeyul’s hands deflected the spears.

It was a force that could break even a single spear, but his arms were fine with only a few scratches.

‘My hands, my arms, are swords and spears.’

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

A large amount of blood spurted from Pyeongso’s upper body.

The Hundred Foot Sword Technique [a close-combat sword style], a sword technique that uses both arms, was a combat sword that was excellent in close combat.

As Pyeongso gritted his teeth and tried to swing his twin spears again.

Thud! Thud!

Paeyul’s hands, drawing a strange arc, struck Pyeongso’s wrists. Pyeongso involuntarily dropped his spears.

And then.

Paeyul’s hands seized the twin spears.

Thwack!

The twin spears were thrust upwards from both sides.

“Ugh!”

Pyeongso’s feet, impaled on the two spears, were lifted into the air. The red blood he vomited stained Paeyul’s arms.

Paeyul said calmly.

“Good spears, I’ll take them.”

“Cough! You, how dare you…”

“They are spoils of war. The defeated have no right to speak. Shut up and go to the afterlife.”

Paeyul pulled out the twin spears.

Whoosh!

Pyeongso, who had spilled a large amount of blood, collapsed.

“Hoo.”

Paeyul, taking a deep breath, looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong in the distance.

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded slightly.

Paeyul chuckled and looked back at the Jongnam swordsmen.

“Are you guys okay?”

The faces of those who had witnessed the battle between the masters were filled with shock.

“If you’re okay, move. This battlefield here is finished.”

One of the swordsmen said.

“The bodies…”

The swordsmen’s faces, which had been filled with surprise, were now filled with deep sadness.

Paeyul shook his head firmly.

“The bodies will be collected after this battle is over. Even at this moment, your fellow disciples are fighting. You must move immediately.”

“…Understood.”

“Cheongmok Pass must be in chaos. I’ll follow behind, so go ahead!”

Whack!

The swordsmen used their movement techniques towards Cheongmok Pass.

A faint sense of pity lingered on Paeyul’s face as he watched their backs.

‘It’s the same.’

If the enemy had targeted Jeomchang instead of Jongnam, he would have faced a similar situation.

It didn’t feel like someone else’s problem. All the swordsmen who were running so hard were probably shedding tears of blood inside.

‘In the end, that’s what war is.’

If it can’t be avoided, then you have to kill before your own people die.

Whack!

Paeyul, approaching Yeon Ho-Jeong, watched the fight between Hwa Ung-mun and the Blood Wolf Corps.

Paeyul’s eyes deepened.

“Impressive.”

Hwa Ung-mun was stronger than he had thought.

Even though the enemies’ morale was weakened by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s initial attack and intimidation, Hwa Ung-mun’s strength was still considerable.

Especially, the young master wielding the Azure Dragon Blade [a powerful sword] at the forefront stood out.

He was relentlessly attacking the Hopae [a type of assassin], who was trying to find the right time to retreat, and each strike was unleashing tremendous power.

With that level of attack power, the Hopae’s abilities were useless. His specialty was stealthy movements and sharp attacks, but he was unable to perform at his best because he was being suppressed by a pressure that shattered everything.

Furthermore, the judgment of the young man wielding the halberd, who was commanding the troops and attacking exquisitely, was also considerable.

“This side is almost finished.”

“Yes.”

Paeyul looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.”

Whoosh!

The true energy rising from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body was unstable.

Although he had managed to recover, he had defeated numerous enemies while running here. The recovery speed was the same, but the internal injuries that were healing were bound to worsen again as he used his martial arts.

In the first place, if he hadn’t been a master of the Limitless, he would have died or lost consciousness.

“Hoo.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, after taking a few breaths, said.

“Go to Cheongmok Pass first. The final battle of the Jongnam war is there.”

“Understood. But…”

Paeyul shrugged his shoulders.

“Did you finish off the enemy commander well?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong chuckled.

“I almost died thanks to you.”

“You cruel bastard.”

Paeyul turned his body.

“Follow slowly. If you overdo it and collapse, it will be difficult to handle the aftermath.”

Whack!

Paeyul disappeared in an instant.

Even though he had consumed so much energy, he seemed to have become stronger than before.

‘He had an enlightenment.’

The enlightenment of life and death gained through a life-or-death battle.

Paeyul had become stronger. And he will continue to become stronger.

‘That’s a relief.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had planted the Mad Dragon Axe into the ground, watched the fight between Jin Yang and Seo Jeong-Gwang.

‘For you guys, it’s just the beginning.’

It was then.

Wham!

Could it be that they couldn’t hold on any longer?

The Blood Wolves launched a melee attack, and the Hopae, escaping from the blade pressure emitted by Jin Yang, flew towards the canyon in the distance.

It was the enemy commander’s escape.

Jin Yang’s face contorted.

“You, you bastard! Why aren’t you coming here? How can a commander run away so shamefully…”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand reached out towards the Hopae.

Bang!

The Hopae fell over. He had forcibly stopped his legs using telekinesis.

The Hopae’s face turned pale.

Behind him, Jin Yang, who had already rushed in, swung the Azure Dragon Blade.

Thwack!

A clean cut to the neck.

At the same time, the last member of the Blood Wolf Corps’ head was cut off by Seo Jeong-Gwang’s halberd and flew high into the sky.

Thus, the battle at Sadoam came to an end.

“What?”

Jin Yang, who had casually slung the Azure Dragon Blade over his shoulder, approached Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“Are you okay? Your face is pale.”

“I’m not okay.”

“You look like it.”

Crack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong pulled out the Mad Dragon Axe that was stuck in the ground.

Jin Yang’s face showed a look of disgust. He was also someone who handled heavy weapons, but this man’s axe was truly on another level.

Yeon Ho-Jeong said calmly.

“Prepare the ranks. We’re going to the final battlefield.”