Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 768

The Devil’s Den, and the Devil’s War (7)

Whoooosh!

The crescent blade that grazed Gwak Jun’s face embedded itself in the distant forest, creating a tremendous explosion.

Kwarurururung!

Gwak Jun’s eyes changed.

The storm of energy unleashed by the crescent blade shattered over a dozen giant trees and overturned the ground.

Kugugugung!

As the ground crumbled, the rocks on it tumbled down, and the trees, having lost their support, fell one after another.

Kwakkwakwang! Kugung!

Falling and falling, collapsing and collapsing.

It was nothing short of a small landslide. A part of the mountain, which had stood there for over a thousand years, was collapsing under the power of a martial god who had descended through a human body.

Gwak Jun turned to look at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Hwaaaak!

A terrifying killing intent erupted from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body. An infinitely powerful and majestic aura seemed to have been dyed black.

The Vermilion Bird’s energy suppressed the energies of the Three Divine Artifacts, squeezing Yeon Ho-Jeong’s heart tightly.

Pssshhh.

White smoke rose from various parts of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body. Smoke even seeped out of his nose and mouth as he breathed.

Joy filled Gwak Jun’s face.

“Who are you going to find?”

Weeeeng! Weeeeeeeng!

The pure energy of the Radiant Divine Core, which had been filled with light, seemed to have become somewhat murky.

The murky, milky-white energy spread throughout his body before gathering back into his heart. The excessive energy concentrated in his heart soon transformed into the Vermilion Bird’s fire, rising to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper dantian [energy center in the body].

Ooooh!

Seeing Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes burning with killing intent, Gwak Jun felt goosebumps all over his body.

As if forcibly dragging out a forgotten fear, a monstrous power struck Gwak Jun’s upper dantian. If not for the demonic energy of the Blood Demon Art, he would not have been able to withstand that killing intent and would have had to create distance.

Fear, and fear.

That fear, which he had not felt even when fighting the martial god Mu Heo, had come upon him while facing a much weaker and younger master.

But Gwak Jun laughed.

Even that fear was joy and delight to him. No, the fact that his opponent had finally turned into a demon no less than himself suppressed his fear and gifted him pure joy and pleasure.

‘Finally!’

Hwaaaak!

The demonic energy rising from Gwak Jun’s body became even more intense.

Is he finally using his true power? No, that was not the case.

Even during the exchange with Yeon Ho-Jeong a moment ago, he had used his overflowing power without holding back. He was at full power then, and he was at full power now.

However, the reason Gwak Jun’s demonic energy began to burn more fiercely was entirely due to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s killing intent.

The demon, at its peak, does not shrink back when facing a strong opponent. Rather, as it is also the extreme of yin, it absorbs the opponent’s killing intent and negative emotions, increasing its power.

Gwak Jun laughed and shouted.

“If you can’t kill me, your bloodline will die!”

At that moment, enormous wings of flame sprouted from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s back.

Whoosh! Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had suddenly appeared in front of Gwak Jun, punched him in the abdomen.

Gwak Jun’s eyes widened.

It was a blow that twisted and lifted his solar plexus with precision. He felt a pressure that momentarily turned his insides out and made his eyeballs feel like they would pop out.

Crack!

Gwak Jun’s hand struck Yeon Ho-Jeong’s temple.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s head and upper body bent as if they would form a right angle with the ground. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face, with a split head, was instantly covered in blood.

Thwoooong!

The tilted upper body straightened immediately. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left palm struck Gwak Jun’s side.

Gwak Jun’s eyes became bloodshot.

The subtle vibrations that spread from his side reached his internal organs, amplifying their power like lightning.

“Cough!”

A large amount of blood gushed from Gwak Jun’s nose and mouth.

Yeon Ho-Jeong did not avoid the blood that his opponent spat out. He swung his hands while covered in blood.

Crack! Thwack! Thwack!

Hand blade on the left thigh, half-fist on the left side, a straight punch on the lowest part of the right rib cage, a bone-penetrating fist on the solar plexus, and an elbow strike that struck down on the collarbone where the artery passed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts, which struck the vital points and weak spots of the human body in a single flow, were like lightning itself.

“Cough!”

Gwak Jun, who let out a stifled groan, swung his fingernails.

Chwaaaak!

Four diagonal wounds were etched onto Yeon Ho-Jeong’s upper body.

It was a claw attack that tore away flesh. It was a much more painful and serious wound than being cut by a blade.

Uduk!

Gwak Jun’s eyes widened again.

The wrist of his right hand, which had gouged a groove in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chest, was suddenly grabbed.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s index finger, which was holding Gwak Jun’s wrist, poked his elbow joint. At that moment, Gwak Jun felt a sharp pain and his entire right arm became paralyzed.

Thwack!

Gwak Jun’s left palm struck Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chest.

A large amount of blood gushed from the wounded chest. It was a blow powerful enough to knock him unconscious with a single strike.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body turned diagonally. His paralyzed right arm was now wedged in his side.

Kwaduduk!

The elbow joint was shattered, and the cartilage was torn.

It didn’t end there. Yeon Ho-Jeong put the rotational force of breaking Gwak Jun’s right arm into his left leg.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left leg, which was rotating as it slightly floated in the air, struck Gwak Jun’s back squarely.

Kwaaaang!

With an explosion, Gwak Jun spat out blood and flew away.

Thud! Kwarurung!

Gwak Jun, who had crashed through the outer wall of the imperial palace, twenty or so yards away.

There were spots of blood where he had passed.

Hwaaa!

More smoke flowed from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body as he walked towards Gwak Jun with his mouth open.

Now, among the remaining Three Divine Artifacts, the White Tiger and Black Tortoise had completely shrunk and were hiding in their respective organs. Only the Azure Dragon remained in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body, making his body flexible and burning away the invading demonic energy.

The rest was all Vermilion Bird’s energy.

The massive amount of internal energy that the Radiant Divine Core was pouring out, most of it was concentrated into the Vermilion Bird’s fire, amplifying Yeon Ho-Jeong’s killing intent without limit.

“…Heo.”

Gwak Jun, buried under the collapsed wall, looked at the sky and burst into a hearty laugh.

“That bastard, how can he fight so well?”

It wasn’t a one-dimensional problem like being strong or fast.

His senses were as sharp as a beast, and the attack came the moment his senses reacted.

He avoided all of his attacks while landing critical blows. There were many veterans and naturally gifted fighters in the world, but he had never seen anyone react so frighteningly.

Moreover, the incredible vital point attacks that came from the lower to the upper body.

‘It’s brutal. If I had received such attacks before fighting the monk, even I would have been in danger.’

Even a master who had reached the pinnacle could not be free from vital points as long as they possessed a human body. If a vital point was destroyed, whether a commoner or an absolute master, their life was in danger.

‘If it weren’t for the Blood Demon Armor, my middle dantian would have been crushed by now.’

He was almost killed instantly as soon as he provoked his opponent. Even Gwak Jun, the great Gwak Jun, felt his heart drop.

‘If I die without being able to do anything against such an interesting guy, I won’t be able to close my eyes in peace.’

At this moment, he had even forgotten his desire for revenge against Mu Heo. To him, Yeon Ho-Jeong was a wonderful and interesting opponent, enough to make him forget even his lifelong revenge.

Pssshhh!

Gwak Jun raised his body, which had been buried under the rubble.

Uduududuk!

His right arm, whose joints had been broken and cartilage torn, had already returned to normal.

Even after seeing that, Yeon Ho-Jeong was not surprised. He didn’t take it for granted either.

His eyes were simply staring intently at Gwak Jun’s eyes.

‘…!’

Like a giant grim reaper approaching through the gray mist on the ground.

Gwak Jun even felt affection for Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was coming towards him with tremendous killing intent and force.

Kwaaaang!

This time, Gwak Jun was the first to move.

With his unique and bizarre footwork, Gwak Jun instantly closed the distance and swung his right palm.

Kwarurung!

The palm force that poured out from Gwak Jun’s right hand created a dark red whirlwind and flew towards Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong swung his left fist.

Thwoooong!

Just as Gwak Jun had deflected Yeon Ho-Jeong’s first crescent blade, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left fist deflected Gwak Jun’s Blood Transformation Palm with force.

And Gwak Jun, as if he had expected it, moved immediately.

Whoosh!

He was faster.

His already fast speed doubled the moment the Blood Transformation Palm was launched.

It was a divine technique of lightness that disrupted a person’s senses. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s senses perceived Gwak Jun’s speed as even faster than it actually was.

Thwack! Thud!

Gwak Jun’s fingernails left over twenty wounds on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body.

None of them were deep. This was because Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fists struck Gwak Jun’s wrists and forearms, offsetting their power.

‘He’s amazing after all!’

In that short moment, reading the movements of both arms moving like lightning and striking the arms to reduce their power was not easy even for a master of the Saintly Heaven.

‘He’s a beast! He’s truly a beast!’

Whoosh!

Red smoke rose from the fingernails of Gwak Jun’s hands.

At the same time, a pure energy like light flickered in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes, which were filled with killing intent.

Kwakwakwak!

Gwak Jun’s ultimate technique, the Blood Night Demon Claw, which was finally revealed, tore apart the earth.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who sensed the danger and retreated, was instantly turned into rags. The light armor on his upper body, except for the greaves on his shins, was completely blown away, and his upper garment was also in tatters, barely hanging on his left shoulder.

Gwak Jun’s arm cut through the air once more.

Kwakwakwakang!

Even without direct contact, the demonic energy of the Blood Night swept through, smashing not only Yeon Ho-Jeong but also the mounds of dirt and broken trees behind him.

It was an incredible destructive power. In terms of the power of his energy techniques, he could compete for the top spot in the world.

Joo-reureuk.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body, which was leaning diagonally, was once again covered in blood. He had avoided the Blood Night Demon Claw’s attack, but he had been injured by the wind pressure.

Gwak Jun grinned.

Bang!

There was no need for further conversation. As Gwak Jun charged, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left hand reached towards the rear where the landslide had occurred.

Thwoooong!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was holding the crescent blade that had flown through the mounds of dirt, swung the gleaming blade down towards Gwak Jun’s head.

Kwaaaang!

The thick blade of the crescent blade was blocked by Gwak Jun’s crossed forearms.

Blood was flowing, but that was all. The moment he unleashed the Blood Night Demon Claw, his arms seemed to have gained the strength of a divine weapon, only slightly cutting his skin.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was struck in the side by Gwak Jun’s leg technique, spat out blood and was thrown back.

Gwak Jun, who was about to follow up and tear off his thigh, stopped moving in an instant and lowered his stance.

Buaaaaaang!

It was impossible to know when it had been launched. The crescent blade rotated at high speed and passed over Gwak Jun’s head.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s hand sword, which moved before Gwak Jun who was charging again, was swung in a straight line.

Thwoooong!

Gwak Jun, who tilted his head back in horror, was grazed by the Vermilion Bird’s Crimson Lotus Flash, which cut through his upper trapezius muscle.

It was an ultra-close range where they could even feel each other’s breath. Gwak Jun smiled brightly and raised the Blood Night Demon Claw towards Yeon Ho-Jeong’s chin.

At that moment, the two men’s eyes met head-on.

‘…?!’

Gwak Jun’s eyes wavered.

Saaaaak!

The Blood Night Demon Claw had already cut through the air. Yeon Ho-Jeong had avoided the attack on the spot.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s knee struck Gwak Jun’s abdomen.

With a force like a cannonball, Yeon Ho-Jeong grabbed Gwak Jun’s left arm as he flew backward and swung his head.

Crack!

“Kuek!”

Gwak Jun, whose nose was broken by the headbutt, retreated madly.

Thwack!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who immediately chased after him and swung his fist, had his fist grabbed by Gwak Jun’s left hand.

Thwoooong!

Gwak Jun swung his right hand, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s left hand snatched his wrist.

Thud! Thud!

The blood flowing from the two men’s bodies formed puddles on the ground.

The two men, who had blocked each other’s arms, glared at each other as if they would kill each other.

It was a fight between beasts, not absolute masters of the pinnacle. Even when injured, they never backed down, and they were so immersed in destroying their opponent that they even forgot the pain.

Gwak Jun wore a smile full of pleasure.

Yeon Ho-Jeong also smiled brightly and looked down at Gwak Jun.

After a moment.

Kwakwakwang!

The two men’s surging energy waves collided, turning the area into a wasteland.