Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 784

Thump!

His heart pounded fiercely.

His body was still, but his consciousness returned. It wasn’t clear, though, as if he were in a hazy dream.

Even in that haze, he thought. He would soon be able to fully rise. To do so, he needed to escape this haze and perfectly control his body with his will.

‘Focus…’

Whoosh.

It felt like he was plummeting from a cliff, then rising at a terrifying speed.

His body didn’t move, but the sensation of high-speed floating was clear. It was a mysterious experience.

‘Without any distractions.’

Whoosh!

His mind cleared instantly.

A person who awakens naturally opens their eyes. But he didn’t. It wasn’t that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t want to. There was a reason.

Whoooosh.

In the darkness where nothing could be seen, he created a virtual space.

When a person closes their eyes and daydreams, if their concentration is at its peak, they sometimes feel as if they are actually in that space.

His will was so powerful that he created such a space with ease.

It was a vast palace built upon his body, his energy (氣) [qi, vital energy]. The pathways where his blood and energy flowed.

“So, this is it.”

He took a few steps forward and looked up at a massive spire.

The spire was somehow shaped like a sword. Soaring to a dizzying height as if piercing the clouds, the spire exuded a majestic aura that overwhelmed anyone who simply looked at it.

Yeon-wi’s eyes gleamed.

On the first floor of the spire, there were numerous doors. Most of them were wide open, and from the open doors, countless carriages were constantly emerging, racing in all directions.

There were also many returning carriages, and they all looked old and worn.

“This is my core.”

This spire was the Sword Extremity Art, the foundation of his martial arts.

The procession of carriages rushing in all directions was the vital energy spreading through the nerves of his entire body, and the worn-out carriages returning were the vital energy that had lost its power after completing its task.

The constantly circulating vital energy was like a heart pumping blood throughout his body.

Yeon-wi closed his eyes.

And when he opened them again, he was standing before a bright light.

It was so bright, but his eyes weren’t uncomfortable. It was an intense light, yet he could look at it directly. It was a core of light that felt strong but comfortable.

“What is this?”

Yeon-wi felt both familiarity and strangeness from this light.

“Did I have this kind of power?”

His upper dantian [energy center in the body] was more developed than any other master in the world.

However, the core of divine energy residing in his upper dantian was not this large. The density was the same as before, but the size seemed to have tripled.

It was an unknown phenomenon. Yeon-wi felt uneasy.

Whoooosh.

As he became uneasy, the intensity of the light weakened.

Just as Yeon-wi realized his mistake and tried to lift his spirits, it happened.

‘……?!’

Yeon-wi saw something foreign lurking within the weakened glow.

‘Gold?’

More precisely, something golden.

‘A snake?’

It wasn’t a snake. It was long like a snake and coiled, but it definitely didn’t seem like a snake.

‘I don’t know what it is… but that’s not my power…’

That’s when it happened.

Whoosh!

The golden thing instantly pierced through Yeon-wi’s body.

“Ugh!”

Startled, Yeon-wi looked down at his chest.

But he was fine. He felt something pass through his body, but there was nothing wrong with his consciousness.

‘What was that?’

Flash!

Yeon-wi turned around.

Far away, from the spire that seemed to touch the sky, a powerful surge of light began to pour out.

Yeon-wi closed his eyes again and opened them. Then, his consciousness instantly reached near the spire.

“……!!”

Yeon-wi’s eyes widened.

Crumble!!

The spire shook violently as if an earthquake had struck. At the same time, Yeon-wi felt a sharp pain inside his chest.

‘My vital energy…’

Crumble! Crumble!

The appearance of the carriages rushing in all directions gradually changed.

They became bigger and more splendid. The wheels became thicker, and the horses pulling the carriages also became much more robust.

The fact that the appearance of the carriages had become stronger meant that his vital energy had also changed to be stronger and denser than before.

‘Why?!’

As he questioned, a faint pain was felt in his head.

Flash!

The golden thing, shot from the core of his upper dantian, struck the spire once more.

Crumble!

The shaking spire increased in size. At the same time, the carriages pouring out also became larger and sturdier.

Yeon-wi couldn’t collect his thoughts.

Flash! Crumble! Flash! Crumble!

Light flashed, and the spire shook. Then, the appearance of the carriages kept changing.

Some power lurking in his upper dantian was affecting the Sword Extremity Art. And it wasn’t bad for Yeon-wi.

Rather, it was naturally, yet explosively, raising his divine skill to a higher level.

Yeon-wi, who had been staring blankly at the spire, suddenly realized that he was holding something in his right hand.

‘A sword?!’

It was a sword.

It was a simple but perfectly proportioned steel sword. It wasn’t a real sword, but an ideal sword that Yeon-wi himself had imagined was there.

Crumble!

The world trembled.

In that terrifying environment, Yeon-wi somehow felt like laughing.

‘The sword has always been by my side.’

If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha [a Zen saying about not being attached to dogma].

Then, what should a swordsman do?

‘It’s held in my hand, but it’s just mine, not me.’

Yeon-wi held the sword upside down.

‘I must become the sword.’

He forcefully stabbed his heart.

Thud!

* * *

Flash!

“Ah!”

Jeagal Ayeon, who had come to visit Yeon-wi, was startled and sat down on the spot.

Whoooosh!

The intense glow emanating from Yeon-wi’s forehead, chest, and abdomen brightly illuminated the room.

Jeagal Ayeon got up in surprise.

“Master!”

At that moment, Yeon-wi opened his eyes.

“…….”

The light that had filled the room had vanished.

“Hoo.”

With a light sigh, Yeon-wi slowly raised his upper body.

Despite having been lying down for a long time, his movements were very smooth. It was as if he had just woken up from a night’s sleep.

“M-Master! You’re awake! That’s a relief.”

“Ayeon, is that you?”

Yeon-wi seemed as calm and composed as ever.

Jeagal Ayeon was genuinely happy.

“You’ve finally woken up. I’m so glad.”

“How long have I been lying down?”

“It’s been quite a while.”

“I see.”

Yeon-wi looked out the window.

It seemed to be well past noon. It wasn’t evening yet, but the sun was slowly setting.

“I’m still in the Imperial Palace.”

“Yes!”

“How is the situation in the Imperial Palace… No, never mind.”

Yeon-wi slowly pulled back the blanket and lowered his feet to the floor.

Jeagal Ayeon quickly supported him.

“Master, please lie down more. I’ll call a physician.”

“It’s alright. I know my body well.”

“But…”

“Although my body couldn’t move, my consciousness was awake. As long as I don’t overdo it, I’ll be fine.”

“Then… here, have some water.”

Yeon-wi slowly drank the water from the bowl.

His movements were never rushed. The sensation of water was refreshing after a long time, but Yeon-wi remained calm.

“It’s pleasantly warm. Your skills seem to have improved again.”

She had warmed the cold water bowl instantly using internal energy before handing it to him. It was clear that Jeagal Ayeon’s internal energy level was very high.

Jeagal Ayeon smiled sheepishly.

“It’s nothing much. More importantly, are you really alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“I did insert a tube into your esophagus to feed you, but you must still be hungry. Let’s start with a light meal.”

Yeon-wi smiled.

Jeagal Ayeon flinched for a moment. Yeon-wi’s smile seemed somehow different.

“Thanks to the constant influx of energy from the heavens and earth, providing nourishment, I’m hungry but not in a rush.”

“Still…”

“More importantly, I must go to the audience chamber.”

Jeagal Ayeon’s eyes wavered.

“You’re going to see His Majesty the Emperor?”

“He is the one who entrusted the fate of the Imperial family to a mere commoner. Now that I’ve regained my senses, I must pay my respects first.”

“Then…”

Jeagal Ayeon lowered her head.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll go and inform them.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. I’m so happy that you’ve woken up, Master.”

Yeon-wi, who had been smiling, suddenly tilted his head.

“But is something the matter?”

“Huh?”

“Your face is full of confusion.”

“On my face?”

“It seems so.”

Jeagal Ayeon grinned.

“There’s nothing wrong. Don’t worry.”

Yeon-wi, who had been looking at her face, nodded.

“Alright, I understand.”

After bowing, Jeagal Ayeon left the room.

Yeon-wi stepped onto the floor.

He felt better than he had expected, but perhaps because he had been lying down for so long, the sensation of his feet touching the floor felt a little awkward.

Rustle. Rustle.

After taking off his clothes and changing into the neatly folded clothes on the side, Yeon-wi’s eyes fell upon a sword hanging on the wall.

It looked simple, but upon closer inspection, both the hilt and scabbard were full of artistic craftsmanship. The length and thickness of the blade were somewhat combat-oriented, but it had an excellent balance.

It was the Heavenly Empire Sword. One of the treasures of the Empire that the Emperor had personally bestowed.

Yeon-wi picked up the Imperial Sword and left the room.

Whoooosh!

The wind blowing was very cold.

It wasn’t a wind that a patient’s body could handle. Even though his breathing was very slow, steam escaped from his nose. It was extremely cold.

Yeon-wi closed his eyes.

Clang! Clang! Thud!

From somewhere far away, he could hear the sounds of workers.

That wasn’t all.

This rather strong cold wind provided a lot of information. Countless sounds and smells, the movements of masters, and even the flow of the atmosphere.

‘Good.’

The Imperial Palace was devastated. The outer and inner walls were destroyed in many places due to the battle that day.

But at this moment, in this vast area, a strong vitality and hopeful atmosphere were burning like a flame. He could feel the passionate breaths of those who were forgetting the past tragedy and moving forward for the future.

Yeon-wi, who had been feeling the atmosphere of the Imperial Palace with his eyes closed, sat down in a cross-legged position.

Whoooosh.

The Sword Extremity Art naturally activated and penetrated every part of his body.

He guided the energy that was regenerating his body on its own with a clear will, making it move much more abundantly.

Fwoosh.

The accumulated impurities were instantly blown away.

In his slowly opened eyes, there was no longer any fatigue.

Rather, his eyes were much clearer and deeper than before he had collapsed. His eyes, which had shed the hazy veil, were filled with a strange power that seemed to draw people in just by looking at them.

‘I see.’

Yeon-wi let out a soft sigh.

‘I wondered why my vital energy had grown so much.’

While circulating his vital energy with his will, he finally realized. The reason for the growth of his divine skill, the real reason why the density of his vital energy had increased.

“…Jeong-ah.”

The identity of that energy that felt somehow unfamiliar yet familiar.

It was the power of his own flesh and blood, one of the two beings he loved most in this world.

“You took such good care of your incompetent father, even sacrificing yourself.”

He seemed to know what his son’s feelings were when he shared his energy. That’s why he was more grateful and more sorry.

‘After seeing His Majesty, I will go straight to…’

That’s when it happened.

“……?!”

Yeon-wi, who had released his cross-legged position, slowly stood up.

A moment later.

A loud voice was heard from outside the door of his residence.

“His Majesty the Emperor is arriving!”