Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 72

“Great Young Master!”The urgency was evident on Shinmo’s face. With a ground-shaking step, Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had charged like a storm, had already reached the vanguard of the enemy lines. It was an outrageous speed. Closing the distance with footwork rather than a movement technique was such a waste. The problem was Yeon Ho-Jeong’s killing intent. Shinmo had seen that killing intent once before. The ferocity he displayed when he drove off the Thunderous Chaser was exactly the same as now. However, the concentration was incomparable. If the killing intent back then was a breeze, the current one was a gale. If the killing intent back then was a bonfire, the current one was a flame that could burn even a mountain. ‘Dangerous!’ He didn’t know how he was generating such killing intent. What was important was that the Great Young Master could be captured in vain. “Protect the Great Young Master!” Paah-ahk! The Chang-eung unit, with Shinmo at its core, moved swiftly. While running frantically, Shinmo suddenly noticed the footprints left on the ground. They were the traces of the ground-shaking steps Yeon Ho-Jeong had taken. ‘Such traces?!’ It was a mess. Instead of being imprinted in the shape of footprints, the ground was cracked in all directions as if a several-hundred-pound rock had fallen. It was as if he had poured his inner energy with the intention of destroying the ground. The traces showed no hint of calmness. The brutal marks clearly showed Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mental state. ‘Danger!’ Thud! Thud! Shinmo, who had closed the distance with all his might, finally saw Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back clearly. ‘Huk!’ Shinmo’s eyes widened. Kwa-kwa-kwang! The sound of gunpowder exploding echoed like thunder. Startled, Shinmo involuntarily stopped his movement technique. Puk! Pu-uk! Kwang! Thin cracks spread on the ground three inches in front of his feet. It wasn’t Shinmo’s power. It was the traces left by the rebounding, formless shockwave. “Everyone stop! Don’t approach!” The Chang-eung unit hurriedly stopped their movement techniques. Shinmo’s mouth slowly opened. “How can this be?!” * * * The giant Wei, reminiscent of a Vajra warrior [a Buddhist guardian deity], just before swinging his axe after soaring high into the sky, Yeon Ho-Jeong thought. Is this really okay? The opponent was a master. Although not a master who had surpassed the wall of enlightenment and reached the realm of the transcendent, he was a master who could compete for the top spot in the realm below. It wasn’t just this giant. The two masters who were looking at him with surprised eyes three yards behind were similar. With these three, even if they couldn’t capture the head of the Seven Great Families, they could capture a representative elder of the Nine Great Sects. He had charged towards such people. ‘I can’t fight them all at once. I’ll target one thoroughly. I can’t use the Divine Lord right now. Fortunately, they don’t intend to kill me.’ In a fleeting moment, he reads all the surrounding circumstances, reality, and the future. Numerous possibilities. He couldn’t control the killing intent that exploded when he saw his mortal enemies, but he was a veteran who had experienced countless battlefields. He reads. He calculates and derives. He reviews the derived answer and fits it into the situation. The connection between fiery emotions and cold reason. He was angry as Yeon Ho-Jeong, and he swung his axe as the Dark Emperor. Puh-uk! The giant, Myung Hak, was startled. ‘What?!’ He was someone who had trained his muscles to the limit and mastered the Myung family’s ancestral martial art, the Spirit Turtle Divine Art. The Spirit Turtle Divine Art was one of the four great divine arts left by his ancestors, and it was a miraculous divine art that, when mastered, could achieve the indestructible Diamond Body. The martial art mastered by the Dark Lord Myung Un-Ji was the Spirit Turtle Divine Art. And Myung Hak had reached a much higher level than Myung Un-Ji. This was because the depth of the martial art he had originally mastered was outstanding. The axe struck his arm, which had become as hard as steel with the Spirit Turtle Armor of the Spirit Turtle Divine Art. The axe blade penetrated more than an inch. No matter how severe the injury, considering the rebound of the Spirit Turtle Armor, it was an unbelievable power. “You bastard!” Hu-uk! Myung Hak’s fist tore through the air. It was an absurdly large fist. It seemed as if the air was shaking even before it was fully extended. An unavoidable blow. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes held the darkness of the north. Kwaang! ‘Huk!’ Myung Hak took a step back. It was not by his own will. The fist he had thrown was aching as if it would break. “What is this guy?!” Thud! Yeon Ho-Jeong landed on the ground, and around his body, a semi-transparent hexagonal pattern of a turtle shell floated. Weee-ee-ing! Above Yeon Ho-Jeong’s shoulder, a monster resembling a snake writhed as if ascending to the sky. It was the art of the Black Tortoise, the Twelve Walls of the Northern Sky. It was a technique known for its absolute defense, and when mastered, it was said that it could deflect cannons with just an inner energy shield. Myung Hak’s face contorted. “What the hell are you…?” Paah-ahk! There was no need to listen. Yeon Ho-Jeong approached with light movements. Even though it wasn’t the White Tiger’s Imperial Step, he was fast. His ability to close the distance in an instant was superior to Myung Hak’s. Startled, Myung Hak swung his fists. Bu-ung! Bu-ung! It was a heavy fist technique. It was a powerful fist technique. However, if it was about heavy power, Yeon Ho-Jeong was no less capable. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial art was about using an eighty-pound heavy weapon to achieve the essence of a single, fatal blow. He swung the Beast Spear Technique, no, the Beast Killing Axe. Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeong! The left fist was deflected, and the right fist was bent down, smashing the ground. Another surprise appeared on Myung Hak’s face. What he had unleashed was the Spirit Turtle Divine Fist. Although he hadn’t used his full power, it was a power that could render an ordinary master incapacitated in one blow. That fist had been blocked. A blow that could blow away a rock. Shwee-ik! Pu-uk! A leg like a great pillar struck Yeon Ho-Jeong’s iron axe. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body slid back. Myung Hak’s lips trembled slightly. He felt considerable pain in his leg, which he had extended with a kicking technique. It was due to the rebound. Kkung! Myung Hak, who had regained his stance, asked in a cold voice. “What are you? How dare you oppose the Myung family… um?” He hadn’t realized it because of the sudden attack, but looking closely, it seemed like this guy was the one. “Are you that brat, Yeon Ho-Jeong?” Yeon Ho-Jeong replied coldly. “Is that all of you?” “…Huh!” Myung Hak burst into a hearty laugh. “Hahaha! Have you ever seen such a crazy guy? Knowing who we are, you still rushed in and swung your axe?” His laughter was filled with composure. Not only that, but the two masters who were standing with their hands behind their backs three yards away also seemed relaxed, although they were surprised by the sudden attack. Killing intent rose in Myung Hak’s eyes. “It’s better this way. I’ll break your limbs and escort you to the main family.” Break his limbs. It was a phrase he had heard countless times. It was an insult that had become so common that it was almost tiresome. Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu. Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a fiery killing intent rising within him, to the point where he himself was becoming terrified. ‘This is the one.’ This was the one. It was certain. It wasn’t because they had mastered the same martial art. Although it was an old memory, Yeon Ho-Jeong accurately remembered the opponent’s disposition. It was certain. This guy, and the two guys standing behind him with their hands behind their backs, were the ones who had played a leading role when the Yeon family was invaded. Bu-ru-ru-ru. The axe trembled. The anger that ignored cold reason infused the axe with terrifying power. Myung Hak’s face hardened. “Your killing intent is quite vicious. Even a butcher from the underworld wouldn’t emit such killing intent. As expected of a villain who thinks killing people is a trivial matter.” “…Thinks killing people is a trivial matter?” Sparks flew from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes. “It’s okay for you guys to do it.” Flash! Flash! The bloodshot eyes, gleaming with a reddish killing intent, sent a chill down Myung Hak’s spine. Myung Hak reached behind him. “I’ll take care of him, so you guys can rest.” A middle-aged man with a long sword at his waist said. “Be careful, brother. That guy is no ordinary ferocious beast.” “He’s just a beast.” Ku-ung! Myung Hak took a powerful step forward. It was a strong ground-shaking step. It was a power no less than Yeon Ho-Jeong’s ground-shaking step. “Come on.” He was confident. Regardless of his character, his attitude as a warrior facing a match was dignified, befitting a warrior of a prestigious family. Yeon Ho-Jeong hated his confidence. He hated the confidence of that guy who had buried innocent forces under the pretext of protecting his family, who had worn a mask and beaten people to death like a butcher. Yeon Ho-Jeong, with his axe resting on his shoulder, opened his mouth. “What’s your name?” “You have no manners, like a butcher. Well, I am the elder named Myung Hak. You can keep chewing on the name of the elder who will lock you up in the main family’s prison.” “Myung Hak… Myung Hak…” Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded. “I’ll remember it.” “Enough with the nonsense. Now co…” Kwang! Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had closed the distance in an instant, swung his axe. It was a lightning-fast blow. It was a completely different speed from before. Nevertheless, Myung Hak was not flustered. He simply threw a fist towards the axe that was flying in so fast that it seemed to bend the spear shaft. Jjeo-eo-eong! The sound of metal clashing and resonating exploded. ‘What the hell is this guy…?’ Myung Hak couldn’t help but be surprised again. He had felt it in the first clash, but it was no ordinary power. Even he, who was second to none in terms of strength, had to tense his entire body to the limit to withstand the monstrous power. Yeon Ho-Jeong unleashed a storm of attacks. Jjeo-jeo-jeo-jeong! Jjeo-eong! It was fast and strong. It seemed like he was swinging randomly, but each blow was a fatal strike, an attack that cut off the flow and prevented follow-up attacks. Was there another master who could wield such a large and heavy weapon so quickly and delicately? Kwang! Yeon Ho-Jeong coughed up blood. The inner energy that flowed from the fist that had struck the axe blade instantly shook his insides. There was a soft force within the strong fist. When unleashed intentionally, it caused internal injuries just by colliding. However, Yeon Ho-Jeong did not back down either. The White Tiger’s aura soared, implementing a battle footwork of infinite advance. Kkwang! Kkwang! Kkwang! Power, and more power. Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had charged a short distance, finally unleashed the Tiger King’s Defense. ‘…!’ Myung Hak’s complexion changed. It was an attack with a different dimension of power than before. It felt like his skin was tearing even before the axe blade hit him. It was a ferocious momentum. It was not an attack that could be received with moderate force. Myung Hak pulled up the Spirit Turtle Divine Art as much as he could. Kwar-reureung! Kwang! The axe and fist collided, creating a tremendous shockwave. The spreading shockwave swept through the surroundings. The two masters, Myung Hwi and Myung Heon, as well as the entire three hundred White Dragon Army, retreated. If they were swept away, they could suffer internal injuries. Those with less skill could be in critical condition from the shockwave. It was that powerful of a collision. The two men clashed repeatedly. Kwar-reureung! A battle of power against power, inner energy against inner energy. Myung Hak was strong. Although he wasn’t agile, his entire body was a weapon. He was a fist master with an outer strength that could deflect an eighty-pound axe and a power that could blow away a rock with one fist. Yeon Ho-Jeong was the same. Unlike his appearance, his physical strength was innate. He was second to none in terms of power. Kwa-kwa-kwang! Pu-uk! Yeon Ho-Jeong coughed up blood again. Pa-gak! Myung Hak’s body faltered. “Hmm.” He had tried to land a blow on his chest with a combo, but the axe that had swung up had struck his thigh. The blow was so strong that he almost fell over. His right thigh was swollen. Myung Hak gritted his teeth. “This brat is getting too cocky!” Chiii-ik! Myung Hak’s aura soared as if piercing the sky. The pressure of the aura alone was difficult to withstand. He was unleashing the Spirit Turtle Divine Art to its extreme, drawing out his full power. It was a terrifying martial art. It was Myung Hak’s true strength. Those who had not mastered martial arts would faint just by standing in front of him. It was then. “You…” Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face was filled with bewilderment. His complexion was pale, and his mouth was covered in blood. Myung Hak’s thick eyebrows twitched. ‘What is it?’ Woo-oong. Woo-oo-oong. Myung Hak, who was about to unleash an attack, felt a strange sensation for a moment. ‘Why is that guy’s aura…?’ Tsu-tsu-tsu-tsu. A black aura soared from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body. Surprisingly, his disposition had become stronger than before he was injured. It was unbelievable. Yeon Ho-Jeong was just as surprised. “What kind of martial art did you master?” “What are you talking about!” Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression contorted. “A fake Black Tortoise Art?”