Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 769

The Devil’s Den, and the Devil’s War (8)

‘He’s getting closer.’

For someone from the Divine Flame Church, his fire energy wasn’t that abundant. However, the density of his fire energy was greater than any other master. It was a realm that Yeon-wi couldn’t reach with his current level; the density of his inner energy was terrifying.

‘So, this is the Limitless Realm.’

Even in this urgent situation, Yeon-wi’s expression was quite peculiar.

He had sensed the presence of a master walking in a different dimension from his own, but it was just a sense of presence, not a clear view of the difference in power.

But now he could feel it.

The closer he got to his destination, the louder the voice of heaven and earth groaned under the chaotic battle of monsters.

‘It’s completely different.’

Swoosh.

The air pushed by the surging energy brushed past the tip of his nose.

It was a concentration so great that it sent shivers down his spine. It felt like a single handful of power could shatter a mountain, and even Yeon-wi, known for his extreme composure, felt his body tense up at the monsters’ energy.

‘But.’

As he gripped the scabbard hanging from his waist, his mind calmed.

‘It’s within the expected range.’

He had never seen the true power of a Limitless Realm master, but he had thought about why they were considered the strongest in the Central Plains [a region often depicted as the center of martial arts in wuxia novels].

The conclusion was simple.

They were monsters who wielded power that surpassed human imagination. From the start, it was a power that couldn’t be measured by the vague imaginations of those who hadn’t reached that realm.

However, Yeon-wi had reached the supreme realm of Mind Sword, and therefore, he could analyze, albeit weakly, what they could and could not do.

‘I haven’t reached that realm, but I was able to manifest the power I gained in a realm that even they can’t easily reach, with my incomplete body.’

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

‘The potential is there.’

Of course, it was overwhelming. One wrong move and he would die before even making a move.

But he would be able to land a blow somehow.

‘If I risk my life.’

There was no life-or-death struggle without risking one’s life. But since the opponent was who they were, he had to be prepared to die without even being able to respond.

With that, Yeon-wi ran another distance.

He could have run faster, but he had to be careful for a somewhat stealthy approach.

Whoosh!

Yeon-wi’s eyes flickered.

‘Finally.’

He had entered the force field of the masters.

‘It’s truly an enormous width!’

Even by rough calculation, there were still about fifty yards left. Yet, the movements of his limbs were slowing down due to the energy waves emitted by the two masters.

Even though they weren’t focusing their killing intent on him, it was this intense.

Swoosh.

Yeon-wi, who had landed on the tip of the giant palace, focused his vision.

Boom!

With an explosion that shook his eardrums, a giant wielding a chain broke through the palace wall and flew out.

Whoosh!

Almost simultaneously, a gray-black grim reaper soared into the sky and swung his palms at the giant.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was an incredible power.

It was like several meteors falling from the sky. The palm force, wrapped in a seemingly soft gray-black eerie mist, turned the area into hell as soon as it exploded on the ground.

Ssssh.

Even the rising smoke was gray-black.

Yeon-wi’s face hardened involuntarily.

‘It’s vicious!’

It was a storm of evil energy that was hard to describe in words.

He had expected it, but it was different from when he felt it from afar. The overwhelming evil energy that blurred all five senses, its concentration was so thick that it felt like pure, clean energy.

Kieeeeeeek!

Eerie cries echoed from all directions.

A blue glow appeared in Yeon-wi’s eyes. To protect his brain from those bizarre cries, the divine energy in his upper dantian [an energy center in the body, according to traditional Chinese medicine] was rising on its own.

‘……!!’

The energy of his soul focused in his eyes.

At that moment, Yeon-wi saw it. The illusion of vengeful spirits wandering around the monster armed with that gray-black evil energy.

Dozens of eerie ghosts were circling around that evil being. As if the evil spirits summoned from the underworld were protecting their master’s body, they even shattered the damage from the fiend’s blazing energy.

‘Upper Dantian!’

That too was the power of the upper dantian. He had summoned non-existent ghosts with his extreme evil arts.

Of course, from the perspective of a sorcerer, ghosts exist. But no matter how he looked at it, the master of that evil art had no connection to sorcerers.

With martial arts pushed to the extreme, the upper dantian had bloomed, reaching the realm of sorcery.

That was why such a thing was possible. Just the naturally occurring eerie cries could drive people mad and shake their minds. It was a viciously twisted demonic martial art, but the level it had reached was truly beyond the heavens.

‘That must be the Mad Demon Ghost Lord, Gok Gyeong. His energy is much harder to approach than I heard in the rumors.’

Yeon-wi’s eyes calmly settled.

‘Well, now I should join the fray.’

The battle between the two supreme masters was so flashy and terrifying that it made the onlookers’ eyes spin, but in reality, even though the aftermath of their power was great, their movements were clearly visible.

The speed difference between a supreme master and a master who had reached the Limitless Realm wasn’t that great. Unless it was someone with an unconventional lightness skill like the King of Flying Swords, Gongson Baek-ryong, Yeon-wi’s speed was not inferior to Seongcheon’s.

‘It would be different if I were to fight them head-on.’

Yeon-wi looked at Gok Gyeong.

The divine martial arts that shattered the chains of fire closing in from all directions with an eerie expression.

Yeon-wi, who had been quietly watching the two men fight, suddenly lit up his eyes.

‘Now!’

[Mad Demon Ghost Lord, Gok Gyeong, is that you?]

Yeon-wi’s telepathic message reached Gok Gyeong so clearly.

Gok Gyeong wasn’t surprised at all. He had already sensed Yeon-wi’s presence when he entered the force field.

And that would be the same for Gi Woo-shin as well.

[I am the head of the Byeoksan Yeon family. I came to help you for a quick resolution.]

Gok Gyeong sent a telepathic message without turning his gaze from Gi Woo-shin.

[Don’t interfere. You’re in the way.]

It was a very rough statement.

But he was in the middle of a life-or-death struggle and was very sensitive. It was amazing that he didn’t curse with that personality.

Also, his words, though rough, were true. In a battle between absolute masters, any kind of variable becomes a risk factor. There were only a few in the world who had the ability to use that variable as their own power to pressure their opponent.

Besides, Gok Gyeong had a slight advantage in this battle. If he dealt with his opponent step by step, he could win. That’s what Gok Gyeong thought.

Yeon-wi’s thoughts were different.

[While you two are fighting, the Divine Flame Church bastards will attack the royal palace. It’s best to finish this as quickly as possible.]

Was it a statement that would unnecessarily disturb the opponent’s mind?

No, it wasn’t. If they couldn’t fight properly because their minds were disturbed by this much, they didn’t deserve to be called Seongcheon [a term for a master of martial arts].

Swoosh.

Gok Gyeong, who had released his stance, slowly circled around Gi Woo-shin.

[I know, so go to the royal palace. I’ll take care of this side.]

[How long do you think it will take?]

[I don’t know! He’s strong too! No one knows if it will take half a day or if the outcome will be decided in an instant!]

He said that, but Gok Gyeong felt it. This fight would be a longer battle than he thought.

Gi Woo-shin was thoroughly on the defensive, but the moment he broke out of the area, he pounced like a beast.

Since he was so persistent, even Gok Gyeong couldn’t launch a one-hit-kill attack. He knew that the opponent was superior to him in terms of stamina, if nothing else.

And Yeon-wi also guessed that.

[Aim for a moment.]

[Shut up! Don’t bother me and just hurry……!]

[There will be a moment when the opponent can’t react. Don’t miss that opportunity.]

Gok Gyeong, who was about to swear, flinched without realizing it.

‘……What is this?’

He was going to curse and chase him away, but for some reason, he didn’t want to.

Rather, when he heard the other’s voice, a strange trust arose. He was a martial artist much weaker than himself, but somehow, it felt like there would be a moment when Gi Woo-shin couldn’t react, just like he said.

‘What is this?’

Gok Gyeong was flustered as he looked back at his state, which was becoming more and more tempted by the other’s words.

And Gi Woo-shin seized that moment.

Whoosh!

The chain, shot with tremendous speed, aimed for Gok Gyeong’s neck in an instant.

The speed was fast, but its sharpness was on a different level than before. To thoroughly defend and then launch a decisive attack the moment the enemy’s weakness was revealed, that was Gi Woo-shin’s tactic.

Gok Gyeong’s eyes widened.

Swish!

He couldn’t block it. Gok Gyeong quickly tilted his body to the side, and blood splattered on his neck. His skin was torn by the wind pressure from the chain.

‘Damn it!’

Trust or whatever, he was furious. Gok Gyeong bit his lip and charged at Gi Woo-shin, unleashing the Black Evil God Palm.

Boom!

Gi Woo-shin’s body swayed.

He could have easily dodged it, but he took it head-on. He had seen that Gok Gyeong’s posture and energy were disrupted and decided to gamble.

“Die.”

Gi Woo-shin’s left fist pierced into Gok Gyeong’s side.

Gok Gyeong’s eyes were bloodshot.

‘Damn it!’

Thud!

With a gruesome impact sound, Gok Gyeong was pushed back three yards.

‘……?!’

In that fleeting moment, Gok Gyeong felt a sense of bewilderment.

‘What?’

He had no choice but to take this blow. He had braced himself for a serious injury, with at least three or four broken ribs.

But his side only throbbed, and there was no further impact.

Whoosh!

Gok Gyeong quickly turned his body and approached Gi Woo-shin, swinging his palms.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

As the two men’s fists collided, the half-collapsed palace wall shattered into pieces and scattered.

Gok Gyeong looked at Gi Woo-shin.

He was trying hard to maintain a blank expression, but Gi Woo-shin was also bewildered. He seemed to have expected that this blow would instantly tip the scales of the battle.

‘…….’

Whoosh!

Gok Gyeong, who had momentarily created distance, flicked his thumb and middle finger together.

Ding!

A gray-black sphere was created in the empty air and aimed for Gi Woo-shin’s forehead.

Speed and sharpness that surpassed imagination.

It was the Finger Flicking Skill, the Finger Shadow Piercing Finger, unleashed with extreme mastery of inner energy.

Clang!

Gi Woo-shin barely dodged the Finger Flicking Skill. A part of the chain that was swaying near his shoulder was hit by the wind pressure of the Finger Flicking Skill and crumbled.

Trickle.

Blood flowed from Gi Woo-shin’s mouth.

His true energy was communicating with the chain as if it were a part of his body. But because it had been severed, he had suffered some internal injuries.

But Gi Woo-shin didn’t waver.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but the ally who came to help won’t be able to change the outcome of the battle!”

Whoosh!

Gi Woo-shin shot towards Gok Gyeong.

Gok Gyeong flicked his hands.

Ding!

Gi Woo-shin’s two fists, which had been prepared, deflected the two Finger Flicking Skills.

He hadn’t inflicted as much damage as he wanted, but he had still injured his opponent with the blow to the side. Now, he could take the lead even if they fought head-on.

Gok Gyeong also read the opponent’s intentions.

‘Damn it!’

His energy was shaken by the internal injury, and his movements were a beat slower. He couldn’t evade and launch a Finger Flicking Skill.

It was an unavoidable head-on fight. Gok Gyeong gritted his teeth and pulled up the power of the Black Evil God Palm.

That’s when it happened.

Flash!

‘……?!’

Gok Gyeong’s eyes widened.

‘What?’

In a moment that split a moment, his eyes saw something translucent, like a blade, piercing Gi Woo-shin’s chest.

Whoosh!

The speed of Gi Woo-shin, who was rapidly approaching, slowed down drastically.

The powerful energy he had been emitting from his whole body crumbled like a sandcastle. Confusion appeared on Gi Woo-shin’s face.

In that moment, Gok Gyeong remembered Yeon-wi’s words.

‘There will be a moment when the opponent can’t react.’

Flash!

Gok Gyeong charged forward and slammed a palm into Gi Woo-shin’s chest.

Boom!

The thick chain scattered into dozens of pieces.