Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 883

“Is, is such a fight even possible!”The high-ranking officials, who had been watching the two masters’ combat as if possessed, were stunned.The words uttered by one of them represented everyone’s feelings.Reaching the level of martial prowess of the Saintly Heaven was a realm worthy of praise in itself. However, they were still human, with different tendencies, different martial arts, and different goals.Yeon Ho-Jeong and Jongli Baek were similar yet different, and different yet similar.Jongli Baek’s desired realm was in the sword itself. He simply had to keep going until he could cut everything he wanted with just one sword. He was a man who had staked his life on a single, stronger, more certain, and greater sword strike.On the other hand, the martial path Yeon Ho-Jeong envisioned was one that embraced all sorts of indefinable things, aiming to soar higher than anyone else, a goal desired by most martial artists in the world. However, while trying to achieve an indefinable goal, he was also someone who knew what he had to do.Two masters, each running towards their own extreme point. Offense took precedence over defense, and they did not hold back any power with each exchange.However, because their goals were different, their martial arts were vastly different. At the same time, because they were fiercely running towards their goals, their martial arts were also strikingly similar.Higher, stronger, more perfect.That was the nature of Jongli Baek’s sword and Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist.Looking at the amount of internal energy and the perfection of their martial arts alone, it seemed that Jongli Baek was superior, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts, which never missed the flow of power, were also close to art.Even within their destructive martial arts, they were showing what each of them was pursuing, displaying an incredibly beautiful martial arts performance. Even though blood flowed and flesh was torn, those who watched did not feel cruelty or danger.They were intoxicated by the fight.Two people were holding the festival that martial artists desired most, the best festival that heated everyone’s hearts.Watching the fight, Yeon-wi realized.’So that was it.’The face of his son, wielding his fists like cannons, as if possessed.Although it was a long distance, Yeon-wi could clearly see his son’s expression.Yeon Ho-Jeong was smiling.However, it was not a smile of intoxication. It was a smile of clear reason, a smile of joy from the fight, a smile of awareness of his position, and a smile of confidence that he could glimpse a higher realm.Jongli Baek was the same. How long had it been since he had faced such an indomitable opponent? He was beyond admiration, even moved by Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had faced his countless absolute, mountain-splitting sword strikes with boundless power.Two people showing martial arts that had reached perfection.Two people breaking down perfect martial arts and exploring something else on top of it.The martial arts of the two, who were making that something else their own and improving their skills moment by moment, could not be expressed even with the phrase ‘seamless perfection’.And within that.The aesthetics of strength that Yeon Ho-Jeong wanted to show, the beauty of perfectly controlled power, were melting into it.’It’s art.’A great match that made the viewers sweat in their hands.And the thrill came to the best swordsman of Gangdong, who had been satisfied with his life.’If I could gain the same power as them.’If he could be intoxicated by the same enlightenment as them.It would be sweeter and more fantastic than any nectar in the world.Shudder, shudder, shudder.Yeon-wi’s fist trembled.In Yeon-wi’s eyes, who was immersed in the fight between the two, there was no longer any comfortable desire to be satisfied with his current position.Higher, towards a more ecstatic place.He wanted to reach such a place and fight Jongli Baek. He wanted to fight Yeon Ho-Jeong as well.He wanted to throw everything into the sea of enlightenment, which was more splendid than anything, even against Grand Master Gong Gong and the Sword Saint Namgoong Seung.Flash!A ray of light pierced through the crown of Yeon-wi’s head.Something intangible that no one else could see, only he himself could know.That something was the heavenly energy that shattered the huge iron gate that had been painstakingly built in front of the path he could already take.Wooong! Woooong!A change had begun.However, no one sitting next to him, not even Grand Master Gong Gong, noticed Yeon-wi’s change.Quietly, but clearly.Yeon-wi, watching the fight between the two masters, was moving away from his former self.* * *Flash! Slash!Yeon Ho-Jeong’s side was cut by the incoming blade that split the air.It was a rather deep wound. It didn’t reach his internal organs, but if he had been just half a step slower, he would have been cut for sure.’This is bad.’Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flickered slightly.Although the two were wielding their martial arts as if possessed, the one who first suffered a dangerous wound was Yeon Ho-Jeong.What did that mean?’My strength…….’His concentration had dropped.Yeon Ho-Jeong and Jongli Baek were warriors skilled in one-hit kills. They were capable of overwhelming strikes that could change the flow of the fight with just one blow if they wanted to.Such people had already exchanged hundreds of blows with all their might.Anyone would be exhausted after such a fight. Although it was a power not granted to humans, the one wielding that power was still human, and as time passed, their internal energy and stamina would inevitably decrease.And surprisingly, Yeon Ho-Jeong was lagging behind Jongli Baek in stamina before internal energy.Even though he was in his seventies and had reached the realm of a half-immortal, so there was no such thing as his strength declining with the passage of time, Jongli Baek’s concentration, who had not experienced real combat for a long time, should have been lower than Yeon Ho-Jeong’s.Yet, Yeon Ho-Jeong was the first to tire.However, this was not because Yeon Ho-Jeong was falling behind, but because Jongli Baek was amazing. He, whose divine energy had gone berserk and even cracked his vessel, was holding his vessel together and maintaining his divine energy with his willpower alone.That was an almost impossible task even for masters who had reached the Saintly Heaven. With that much willpower and the most ecstatic fight of his life, he could not be tired even if he had to give up his life.Flash! Flash!It was getting faster.The movement of the several tens of pounds heavy sword was so powerful that it could split a fortress wall with one strike.Such sword strikes were subtly increasing in speed as time passed. It was a terrifying sword technique, an internal energy that surpassed imagination.Thud!Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had sealed his wound with the Yellow Dragon Energy, moved smoothly and unleashed a palm strike. While creating an opening to strike, he took another sword blow to his shoulder.Clang!Jongli Baek coughed up blood and was pushed back.Although he was wielding faster and more powerful martial arts, the two’s martial arts were so close that it was difficult to discuss superiority.If he was too immersed like now, he could be counterattacked. And Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had landed this blow properly, was able to recover himself for a very short time.“Hoo!”“Cough!”Yeon Ho-Jeong, panting, and Jongli Baek, coughing up blood and correcting his internal injuries at the same time.“…….”The two staggered and looked at each other.The rough breathing was quickly corrected. The energy that filled the bodies of the masters was incomparable to that of ordinary martial artists. That was why their breathing returned so quickly.Yeon Ho-Jeong said with a smile.“You are amazing. I didn’t expect my concentration to drop first.”“Why would your concentration drop when we are having such a fun game? Well……”Jongli Baek stroked his abdomen.He had corrected his bruised internal organs, but his abdomen still hurt. Before the internal injury, he had also inflicted an external injury, a palm strike that had the power of a hammer.“I was too immersed. That’s why I allowed a blow. I was too focused on attacking.”“I think so.”“You are a truly amazing person. Just reaching this level at your age is something that would shock the world, and your understanding of the fight itself is also very high. Your ability to control your energy seems to surpass mine.”“Thank you for the compliment.”“It’s been a long time since I’ve had such a fight. I don’t know how much longer I’ll live, but I wonder if I’ll ever have such a great match again.”Jongli Baek looked up at the sky.The sky was cloudless, the weather was pleasant, and he had shared his martial arts to their limits with a master of equal skill.For Jongli Baek, the greatest swordsman in the world, there would never be another match as satisfying as this. Even if he fought the Sword Saint, or even if he fought the Two Immortals or the One God, it would not be as satisfying as this.And.’This guy, this damn disciple of mine.’Jongli Baek looked at Ogu-mun, who was far away.Ogu-mun was standing there with his mouth agape. He seemed to have been greatly shocked by the two masters’ combat.Jongli Baek smiled.’Still, he has that much insight, so he will be able to grow well on his own.’It was impossible for Ogu-mun’s level to properly grasp the flow of this fight. Logically, that was the case.However, Ogu-mun was a genius with talent that transcended common sense. As a so-called genius, even if he couldn’t perfectly grasp the flow, he seemed to be gaining a lot.His expression, his breathing, the emotions and divine energy emanating from his eyes proved it.’But don’t be arrogant. There are many monsters in the world who are better than you. This young man who is fighting me is younger than you, but he is already facing this master with a sword.’That was enough. He would understand his heart even if he didn’t say it. He had beaten him every day, but with each blow, he had forcibly injected his internal energy into him.He was sorry that he was a master who could only express himself in that way. Still, he was grateful that he understood his sincerity and followed him well.“Well, then.”Thud!Jongli Baek, who had slammed his Evil-Slaying Blade into the broken dueling arena floor, clapped his hands together.“This is good enough, but it seems like the audience is getting bored.”“I don’t think they are bored at all.”“Well, I guess when else would they get to see such a fight? However, it’s the day of the martial alliance leader selection, so it wouldn’t do for us to be the main characters.”“I agree with that.”“We are warriors who stake our lives on a single sword. We need to see the results clearly, one way or another, right?”“I agree.”“There are still things I haven’t used. Please receive them well until the end.”“I have used everything. That’s why I’m trying to go higher.”“Try if you can.”Crack!The Evil-Slaying Blade was pulled out.Chiiiiiiiiik!A fierce haze rose from the large blade.The sword energy when it was stuck in the ground and when it was pulled out was different. It was true that he had martial arts he hadn’t used yet, and that power seemed to be the last that Jongli Baek could squeeze out.Whoosh!Yeon Ho-Jeong’s clothes and hair fluttered wildly.He was raising an even more powerful Yellow Dragon Energy than before. It was a pure display of strength itself, but within it was harmony and dignity, making the viewers feel solemn.Jongli Baek grinned.“So you haven’t been doing your best until now? For the density of your true energy to increase even more, I’m a bit disappointed.”“I have done my best. However, I haven’t risked my life.”“There’s no need to risk your life.”“I don’t think there’s no need not to risk it either.”“Yes, that’s right.”The two lowered their stances at the same time, as if they had made a promise.“I said that martial arts etiquette is useless, but I want to show respect to my junior for the first and last time.”Jongli Baek raised his chin.“I’ll take just one blow. Come at me first. With your life on the line.”Flash!!A golden vortex swirled in Yeon Ho-Jeong’s fist.To Jongli Baek’s eyes, it looked like a giant yellow dragon was opening its jaws, a fist imbued with soul.“I’m coming.”The fight between the two masters had finally reached its climax.And the eyes of those who watched the final fight were widened with even greater astonishment than before.