Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 900

Tang Gwan recalled his conversation with Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘I don’t know how many enemies there will be. But I think it will be a small elite force. At most, around a hundred.’

‘That’s not a small number.’

‘The problem is how many Supreme Masters there are. If they have any sense, they wouldn’t think there wouldn’t be any Supreme Masters, considering they’re returning with the support of the Martial Alliance.’

‘That’s true. The current Divine Demonic Forest Lord and that young master are both Supreme Masters.’

‘Then there’s at least one. I’m assuming there are at least two or more.’

‘Yet you sent the Hundred Divine Soldiers separately?’

‘Because I believe in the Clan Leader.’

‘It’s embarrassing to say, but I’m not a Supreme Master yet. It seems like I’m close, but you’re not entrusting this to me just based on that possibility, are you?’

‘Absolutely not. If everyone who fought reached the Supreme Master level, there wouldn’t be anyone who wasn’t a Supreme Master in the world.’

‘……You cheeky bastard.’

‘I heard from Senior Dark King No that if you master the Emperor’s Poison Scripture, you can even poison Supreme Masters. If you’re lucky, you can inflict a poison injury that could even lead to death, depending on the opponent.’

‘That’s the power of poison and hidden weapons. That’s the same even if there’s a difference in cultivation level.’

‘Clan Leader, you have mastered the Poison Scripture.’

‘I have mastered it. However…’

‘That’s enough. If it’s a potent poison that can work on a Supreme Master, the enemy forces won’t even be able to touch us.’

‘Are you saying…?’

‘It’s not an attack. It’s defense. To thoroughly protect our allies until our strength is exhausted, that’s what the Clan Leader must do.’

‘You want us to be passive?’

‘The terrain is like this, so there’s no other choice. But the small fortress protected by the Clan Leader could become an attacking fortress, depending on the situation, right?’

‘……!’

‘We haven’t even arrived at Qinghai yet. It has to be a swift and decisive battle. Please keep that in mind as you move.’

‘Honestly…’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was the only one in the world who could use the head of the Tang family like this.

‘Alright. This time, I’ll give you my full support.’

Green light flashed in Tang Gwan’s eyes.

Whoosh!

The formless energy that spread from his body covered an area of about ten yards around the carriage.

Trickle.

Cold sweat ran down Tang Gwan’s forehead.

The formless energy didn’t contain any poison yet. No, it couldn’t. If he put poison in it now, the people inside would melt without even being able to scream.

Whoooosh.

The formless energy slowly wriggled and formed a barrier.

‘Hundred Poisons, Hundred Exits.’

Whoooom!!

From the center of the formless energy barrier that formed a huge hemisphere, a thick green cloud spread out.

Tang Gwan’s lips moved.

‘Thousand Poisons, Ghost Formation.’

Krrrrrr!

The poison-filled energy barrier caused an earthquake on the ground as if it had real weight.

The Thousand Poisons Ghost Formation was not originally a martial art from the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. It was a type of formation, created by modifying the techniques of the Ghost Gate experts, who had been defeated by Tang Hyeong, to fit the Poison Scripture.

He thought he would only use this in the final moment when his life was at stake, but he was revealing this precious technique right now.

‘Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall.’

Kwarururung!!

Thunderous sounds echoed from all over the hemispherical energy barrier covered in a huge green cloud.

It was the Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall, one of the secret techniques of the Emperor’s Poison Scripture.

If the Thousand Poisons Killing Formation was a technique to form a poison formation that surrounded both the enemy and himself, the Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall was an extreme poison technique that released all kinds of poison sleeping in Tang Gwan’s poison essence to kill the enemy in one fell swoop.

Originally, Tang Gwan’s poison essence, which was packed with one hundred and eight kinds of extreme poisons, had increased to three hundred and sixty due to the Tang family incident and his training with his father, Tang Hyeong.

‘This won’t be enough.’

Even if he released all three hundred and sixty poisons, he might not be able to poison a Supreme Master.

But there was a way.

Chiiiiiiiiik!!

In the swirling cloud, the three hundred and sixty extreme poison paths that had spread like threads instantly decreased to seventy-two.

It wasn’t to conserve power.

Poisons can neutralize each other when they meet, or they can increase their potency.

Tang Gwan had thousands of formulas for mixed poisons engraved in his mind. He had never used them properly in actual combat, but he knew a technique to amplify the power of his poison by focusing his internal energy on the strongest mixed poison.

Chiiik! Chiiik!

White smoke began to rise from various parts of the cloud, which had already begun to turn black. As the poisons met and merged, their characteristics changed, and the concentration of the poison increased.

Tang Gwan’s body was instantly soaked with sweat. Maintaining the Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall while creating the ultimate mixed poison was not an easy task even for him.

However, even if it wasn’t easy, it didn’t mean it was slow.

‘Twelve… seven… four…’

Whoom!

Tang Gwan’s eyes, which had been filled with green light, also turned black.

‘One.’

Kwa kwa kwang!

The Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall, combined with the Thousand Poisons Ghost Formation, began to rotate.

‘Three Lives Melting Technique.’

They say there are three lives: past, present, and future.

The terrifying mixed poison technique that would melt away all three lives of a human was finally revealing itself.

‘This is?!’

Pa Yul, who was looking around in the air, clicked his tongue.

‘That’s an incredible amount of internal energy. There’s a difference in martial power, but… his internal energy is overwhelming.’

To cultivate poison techniques, he must have consumed hundreds of elixirs and chewed thousands of poisonous herbs. All that energy was converted into internal energy, so if you only looked at the amount of internal energy, Tang Gwan was higher than even Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Oh, dear.’

Cheon Hyo-Rak’s face, who had come out of the carriage, was also filled with astonishment. Hwa Hyang was simply gaping at the semi-transparent sphere of poison cloud.

‘That’s an incredible amount of internal energy. Just looking at the flow of internal energy, it’s almost comparable to Master…’

Internal energy is more about quality than quantity, but to store such a huge amount in the body, one needs extreme training, top-level martial arts, and some kind of power to stably release the burden on the body, or a durability as strong as steel.

‘This internal energy has transcended some kind of limit. How can someone who hasn’t even reached the Saint Demon level have this much power…?’

Suddenly, Cheon Hyo-Rak was startled.

‘Is it possible to have this much internal energy without breaking through to the Saint Demon level? That doesn’t make sense.’

He looked at Tang Gwan.

It seemed like he was using all his strength just to maintain this enormous power. Tang Gwan, whose whole body was soaked with cold sweat, was frowning and raising his right hand to control something.

Cheon Hyo-Rak swallowed hard.

‘Could it be…?’

He had heard that there were people whose mental strength had reached the Supreme Master level due to excessive enlightenment, surpassing the changes in their bodies and true energy.

‘Is this person the opposite?’

Tang Gwan’s body, which had absorbed thousands of poisons with different characteristics and densities, was, in another sense, indestructible.

That indestructible body was filled with a terrifying internal energy that had transcended human limits.

‘Is his body already… at the Saint Demon level…?’

At that moment, Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

Krrrrrr.

The hemispherical cloud of the Ten Thousand Poisons, Ten Directions Wall, which had been dark, gradually brightened.

But that was only the view from the inside. From the outside, no one would be able to see who was inside. It would still be filled with black clouds.

‘Be careful.’

Tang Gwan’s voice was clear, though a little weak.

‘Everyone, prepare for battle. If even one enemy commander breaks through here, it will become a headache.’

* * *

Jjeoooooooong!

The movement of the Mad Dragon Axe, which was swung diagonally upwards, was very dynamic. The sandstorm that rose along with the Mad Dragon Axe swirled and created the shape of a dragon ascending to the sky.

Paah!

The Blood Monk, who had avoided Yeon Ho-Jeong’s axe with a bizarre footwork, took a soft step forward.

Hook!

Even though it was just one step, he had already reached right in front of him.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes wavered.

‘Shrinking Earth.’

The so-called Shrinking Earth technique originated from the tales of divine beings who moved incredibly fast over long distances.

Shrinking Earth, as the name suggests, means a technique of folding the ground and moving. Therefore, Shrinking Earth is considered a type of Taoist magic, and it is said that there are actually sorcerers who use similar secret techniques.

The Blood Monk’s Shrinking Earth was different. His understanding of footwork had reached its peak, allowing him to fold and break through a distance of ten yards in one step. It was a supreme enlightenment that could not be understood by human common sense.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

The Blood Monk’s Vajra [a ritual weapon symbolizing a thunderbolt], swung like lightning.

The Vajra was originally a Buddhist implement to aid monks in their practice, and its origin was the lightning wielded by the Thunder God of India when he defeated the Asura [a class of power-seeking deities].

The Blood Monk’s Vajra was a single-pointed Vajra, shaped like a dagger.

And in fact, the Blood Monk wielded the Vajra like a dagger. But its power was beyond imagination.

Pa ba bak!

His palms tingled as he turned his axe blade and spear shaft to block the Vajra. The power emanating from the short Vajra, which didn’t weigh much, was worthy of the term ‘gigantic force’.

‘It’s not just the power, but…’

Pajik!

Blue sparks flew from the tip of the spear shaft.

‘Is that thunder energy?’

It was a magical tool that symbolized the Thunder God’s tool, but it couldn’t actually contain the power of lightning.

This power was entirely due to the Blood Monk’s internal energy. It was light and fast, but the internal energy was heavy. And with the thunder energy alive, each strike boasted the power of a fatal blow.

‘If we hadn’t met in this place, we could have had a pretty exciting fight, but…’

Kwaang!

A rotating whirlwind exploded beneath the Blood Monk’s feet. The Blood Monk, who had been approaching with Shrinking Earth, lost his balance and staggered.

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had appeared in front of the Blood Monk like a ghost, raised the Mad Dragon Axe again.

The Blood Monk’s eyes wavered.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, standing with his back to the sun, holding an axe as big as his body, looked like an Asura from mythology.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes blazed.

‘Swift and decisive battle!’

Flash!

The Mad Dragon Axe, swung as fast as lightning, was filled with golden flames.

The Blood Monk felt his vision darken. The speed of the swing was fast, but the pressure was beyond imagination.

There is a saying that heavy weapons are about momentum. It seems like you wouldn’t be able to swing them properly if you got too close, but the reason why it’s difficult to get close is because your life could be in danger the moment you enter their range.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s axe was the same.

There were no complex movements or mysterious forms. It was a series of extremely simple and honest attacks.

But when he was determined to strike, each blow felt like the pressure would turn every bone in his body to dust.

Kwaaaaang!!

The ground, five yards wide, caved in with a huge explosion.

Hook!

Yeon Ho-Jeong stepped back.

He was clearly trying to create an efficient attack distance. The Blood Monk gritted his teeth and followed him, swinging his Vajra.

That’s when it happened.

‘……?!’

The Blood Monk’s eyes wavered.

‘What is it? When?!’

The tingling sensation from his fingertips.

It wasn’t thunder energy. This ominous energy that was rising through his nerves was…

‘Poison?!’

Paah!

The Blood Monk, who had created distance with the Thunder Sound Thousand Step Lightness Technique, pulled up the Blood Sound Bodhi Divine Art.

Chiiiiiiik!

Black smoke rose from his fingertips. He had really been poisoned.

‘When the hell did it happen?!’

The moment the Blood Monk’s face was stained with panic.

He saw a huge black cloud behind Yeon Ho-Jeong.

‘Even though we’re this far apart, I’ve been invaded by poison?’

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong tilted his head.

‘Aren’t you coming?’

‘……!’

‘Then…’

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and looked at Daegeumbul.

He had grasped the opponent’s personality at a glance just from their expression, eyes, and posture.

‘You play with him, kid.’

Daegeumbul’s eyebrows shot up.

‘You bastard, I’ll tear you to pieces!’

Paah!

Daegeumbul rushed towards Yeon Ho-Jeong.

The Blood Monk shouted.

‘Fall back!’

At the same time, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s body rotated.

The Mad Dragon Axe, burning with the Yellow Dragon Energy, the Mad Wind Nine Dragon Kill that he had created during his sparring with Yeon Wi, revealed itself.