Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 901

Swift Decisive Battle (2)

Originally, Yeon Ho-Jeong had created and mastered seven techniques. However, he added two more to his repertoire.

In truth, calling them mere ‘techniques’ was a misnomer; the two additional ones were closer to the embodiment of enlightenment itself.

Whether it be an axe, a sword, a spear, or a scythe, all weapons, when mastered, reach a pinnacle that aligns with their inherent characteristics.

Therefore, these two techniques didn’t necessarily require an axe to be executed. After all, once one ascends to the highest levels of martial arts, such distinctions become irrelevant.

The existing seven techniques were also so fundamentally simple that it felt almost awkward to even label them as ‘techniques’.

This simplicity was inevitable from the start. Aside from his illness, the axe’s primary purpose was to swing and chop, or to add force to a cut.

Whether it was the Mad Dragon Axe or the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes, they were all axes, differing only in length and weight.

Rather, it was Yeon Ho-Jeong who was the anomaly, wielding those three axes in the style of the Four Divine Weapons [a legendary set of weapons]. Even the Twin Dragon Axes were somewhat understandable, but what master in the world could wield the eighty-plus-pound Mad Dragon Axe with the speed and precision of a master swordsman?

Furthermore, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t always wield the Mad Dragon Axe with such unrestrained ferocity. If he could achieve his goal with a single, decisive blow, he wouldn’t bother with flashy, unnecessary attacks.

Complex techniques, simple strikes, energy-based martial arts—he had executed them all in hundreds of battles.

All of these experiences combined to forge the Yeon Ho-Jeong of today.

And it was because of this Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had experienced everything and ascended to the Yellow Dragon [a high level of martial arts mastery], that he could create the extremely simple yet overwhelmingly powerful martial art, the Mad Wind Nine Dragon Kill.

Simple and powerful axe work.

The will to infuse his own momentum and imagination into each strike.

The unparalleled weapon, the Mad Dragon Axe, unleashed the first move of the Mad Wind Nine Dragon Kill: the Ruthless Dance Cut.

Flash!

A massive surge of light cleaved a path five yards wide.

Though it was a simple slash, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s movement as he unleashed the strike seemed as beautiful and dynamic as a dancing maiden.

Thwack!

Only after being flung away did the terrifying resonance erupt. Despite covering the hand holding Dokgojeo with his other hand and pushing his inner energy to its limit, Hyeolseung’s body was sent flying over ten yards away.

Swish!

Unfortunately, Daeguem-bul couldn’t block it like Hyeolseung did.

He managed to block with the red staff he had drawn, but the attack power of Mucham pushed the staff aside, leaving a deep wound on his right arm.

It didn’t end there. The shockwave that exploded along with the slash sent Daeguem-bul’s body flying over twenty yards away.

Crumble.

A single, dynamic swing.

The aftermath was immense. Nothing remained in front of the swung Mad Dragon Axe.

There was no need to increase destructive power with internal energy; simply putting the most suitable force into the axe as a weapon caused a shockwave to follow, blowing away everything around it.

This was the first move of the Mad Wind Nine Dragon Kill, Mucham.

‘That’s incredible.’

Even Yeon Ho-Jeong, who was using the Mad Wind Nine Dragon Kill in actual combat for the first time, was taken aback.

He thought he could push the two of them back enough, but this was not just pushing them back; it was sending them flying.

‘Even if the Yellow Dragon Art [a high level of martial arts mastery] is an exceptional technique, can it produce this kind of power?’

That was the moment.

Flash!

A spark ignited in the corner of his mind.

‘Ah!’

The Yellow Dragon Divine King Art is hailed as the greatest divine art under heaven.

However, mastering the greatest divine art doesn’t automatically make one the greatest. In the martial world, even those who have mastered the second, third, or fourth greatest divine arts can still defeat you.

Many factors come into play: experience, physical condition on any given day, mental fortitude, the environment, mistakes, luck, and so on. All these elements are crucial.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had fought more battles than almost anyone else in the world, knew this all too well.

But now, things were different.

He had to be mindful of his physical condition. He couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. It would be advantageous if luck was on his side, but if not, there was nothing he could do about it.

Then, what about mental fortitude and the environment?

‘The Mad Wind and Golden Dragon Dance, and the Dragon Form Steps, all originated from the Yellow Dragon Art [a high-level martial arts technique].’

He had ascended to the Yellow Dragon level through enlightenment.

Enlightenment, mental fortitude.

The reason why the forms of the Mad Wind and Golden Dragon Dance had become simpler was partly because he had accumulated enough experience and enlightenment that complex form manipulations were no longer necessary. Now, mental fortitude was more important than the forms themselves.

‘Upper Dantian [an energy center in the body]!’

A single swing.

With what resolve does one swing an axe? What visions fill the mind with each swing, and why is this technique called ‘Ruthless’?

Finally, Yeon Ho-Jeong understood. What his body had known instinctively, but his mind had yet to grasp, became clear in that instant.

‘I’ve already transcended the ordinary.’

The power of the Upper Dantian [an energy center in the body, often associated with spiritual power] resonated with the Yellow Dragon Art. Originally, the Yellow Dragon Art wouldn’t have manifested in this way. This particular application was entirely Yeon Ho-Jeong’s unique interpretation of the martial art.

‘With what spirit, with what intention do I swing? Depending on my mental state and focus, my martial art transforms into something entirely different.’

The variance was far greater than what others experienced.

He could unleash power far beyond his current capabilities, or he could execute a technique so clumsy it would be unworthy of his skill. That’s why the outcome might depend on environmental factors, or it might not. If his concentration was unwavering and his will was resolute, then even a battle in a chaotic environment would be no different from a fight on this open field.

Ultimately, everything hinged on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s will.

*Flash!*

By simply initiating the first movement of his self-created martial art, he achieved a profound enlightenment. He saw the path he needed to follow.

If this wasn’t enlightenment, then what was?

*Whoosh!*

That moment of enlightenment felt both fleeting and eternal. He absorbed a vast amount of knowledge, yet the passage of time was but a blink of an eye.

Already, the Blood Ascendant was charging towards him, gripping Dokgojeo [likely a weapon]. Merely blocking Yeon Ho-Jeong’s overwhelming strike had caused internal turmoil, yet the Blood Ascendant, pushing the Blood Sound Bodhi Divine Art [a martial art technique] to its absolute limit, remained an immense threat.

Paaah!

The Blood Ascendant, propelled by the Thunder Sound Heavenly Steps [a movement technique], unleashed his aura.

In that instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong felt a disorienting sensation, as if his entire vision was being stained crimson.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes widened.

Aaaah.

The illusion of a demonic Buddha, with red skin and massive fangs protruding from his lips, materialized. The demonic Buddha seemed to groan with a cavernous voice, extending his right hand.

It was a terrifying martial art. It was the Blood Ascendant’s most powerful palm technique, the Blood Tree Great Palm, which he unleashed after finally recovering from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s previous strike.

There was no room to evade. Even taking a single step felt like an impossible task. The power emanating from his entire palm was like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf everything.

Yeon Ho-Jeong responded by unleashing his left palm. It was the Golden Dragon Skyward Turn [a martial art technique].

Kwaaang!

Palm force collided with palm force, creating a massive shockwave. The impact was so intense that it felt like the very air was being torn apart.

A battle between martial gods who had transcended human limitations. The ground within a radius of ten yards cracked and slowly began to sink under the immense pressure.

‘He’s strong,’ Yeon Ho-Jeong thought, his mind racing.

Having neutralized the remaining shock with the Dragon Form Seven Qi Steps [a movement technique], Yeon Ho-Jeong stared at the Great Golden Buddha [referring to the Blood Ascendant].

The Great Golden Buddha, who was already charging forward with his staff gripped anew, also wore a look of surprise. It seemed he hadn’t anticipated that two supreme masters would clash and reach a stalemate.

‘Locked on,’ Yeon Ho-Jeong’s lips moved slightly, a subtle hint of determination in his expression.

“Whirlwind Flash (狂風閃).”

The Whirlwind Nine Dragon Kill’s Fourth Form, Whirlwind Flash.

It was a secret technique of controlling a sword with one’s inner energy [internal energy or life force].

Krrrrrr!

A terrifying whirlwind arose above Yeon Ho-Jeong’s head.

The moment his will stirred, the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes each began to spin, creating a massive vortex.

Wind is invisible to the naked eye. The sandstorm of the prairie rose with the whirlwind, creating an earth-colored tornado.

The two twisting tornadoes flew towards the Great Golden Buddha.

Jjeojeojeojeojeojeong! Puh-uh-ung!

He somehow managed to block the two crazily spinning axes with his staff, but he couldn’t stop the shockwave that the whirlwind brought with it.

Having faced a true natural disaster, the Great Golden Buddha couldn’t withstand the aftermath and was once again sent flying.

The distance was nearly twenty yards. If he hadn’t made his body heavy with inner energy, he would have flown even further.

Kaaang!

The approaching Dokgojeo [a short, single-edged sword] was blocked by the shaft of the Mad Dragon Axe.

Jjeojeojeojeong!

He wielded the short Dokgojeo like a dagger, and Yeon Ho-Jeong had never seen such fast and flexible dagger techniques before.

There was no time to swing the axe. Blood Ascendant, with a speed that was both simple and overwhelming, blocked Yeon Ho-Jeong’s attack, then extended his right index finger.

Fwoosh! Thwack!

The power of the Blood Drinking Finger, which had merely grazed the blade of the Mad Dragon Axe, pierced through the ceiling of the Ten Thousand Poisons Barrier far away and dissipated.

A master like Blood Ascendant could pierce through the Ten Thousand Poisons Barrier with his internal energy alone.

Having confirmed this, Blood Ascendant shouted fiercely,

‘Great Golden Buddha, along with the Arhats [Buddhist saints] and Rakshasas [demon-like beings], get rid of that poisonous cloud first!’

Even before his shout, the Hong Arhats and Rakshasa troops, who had already reached the front of the Ten Thousand Poisons Barrier, were unable to advance easily.

No, rather than advancing, they were constantly retreating. The formless poison that flowed out the moment they entered within five yards had poisoned them all.

It wasn’t even a potent poison. It was simply that the area where the poison from the Fusion of Three Lives was slowly dispersing was within five yards, and entering that area naturally caused symptoms of poisoning.

‘Cough!’

‘Gasp!’

About a dozen Rakshasas with weak internal energy collapsed on the spot. They didn’t die, but the poison within their bodies had penetrated their internal organs, rendering them unable to move any further.

Blood Ascendant was incredulous.

‘How vicious!’

Is there even a Dark King inside?

‘Attack! Great Golden Buddha, with your internal energy, you should be able to break through…!’

Clang!

Blood Ascendant, mid-sentence, recoiled with a frustrated groan.

The Golden Dragon True Annihilation Fist, delivered with a single, devastating strike, created a vacuum, disrupting Blood Ascendant’s breathing. The shockwave from the fist’s impact sent him hurtling backward.

‘This crazy bastard!’

Blood Ascendant was incredulous.

The strongman from the Eastern Continent, standing before him, was his equal in cultivation. That alone was astonishing, but he was wielding martial arts that shouldn’t be possible at their level, using them to relentlessly pressure him.

Blood Ascendant gritted his teeth.

Once he secured the Heavenly Effect Jade, there would be no need to fight these men. But his pride had been wounded, and he felt a burning need to kill this man before he could calm down.

‘You bastard!’

He used the Blood Hand Great Art to forcefully push Yeon Ho-Jeong back, then severed the prayer beads around his neck.

Charrrr!

Even though the string was cut, the beads didn’t fall. They were Blood Ascendant’s unique weapon, the Hundred and Eight Merit Beads, following the Poisonous Hook [a weapon that can extend and retract, often with a poisonous tip].

‘I’ll kill you within ten moves!’

It was then.

‘……?!’

He felt the Blood Sound Bodhi True Energy [a type of internal energy], which he had channeled into the Hundred and Eight Merit Beads, abruptly cut off.

‘What?!’

Thud!

With a terrifying stomp and a flexible twist of his waist, Yeon Ho-Jeong unleashed a straightforward punch.

The form was simple, but the power emanating from it was like a mountain. Blood Ascendant was taken aback and tried to evade with the Thunder Sound Heavenly Steps [a movement technique focused on speed], but even that didn’t go as planned.

Crash!

Blood spurted from Blood Ascendant’s nose and mouth as he blocked the Golden Dragon True Strike [a powerful martial arts technique] with his single staff.

Sizzle!

Smoke, accompanied by a foul odor, rose from the blood that had fallen to the ground.

‘Poison!’

Blood Ascendant’s face hardened with shock. He had already neutralized the poison once; how could it be back?

‘That is the Tang Clan’s poison, taken to its extreme.’

Blood Ascendant was startled. Yeon Ho-Jeong had appeared behind him, already swinging the Mad Dragon Axe behind his shoulder.

Yeon Ho-Jeong spoke coldly.

‘Ten moves, you say?’

Flash!!

The strike, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved Blood Ascendant’s single staff in half.