Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 902

‘That’s just brutal.’

The beauty of honesty is an unchanging truth.

However, Tang Gwan rejected it. There comes a moment in life when you realize that honesty isn’t always the best policy. He was like that.

Even Tang Gwan, at this moment, couldn’t help but be truly honest.

‘The fluctuations of his energy are that intense…’

From the outside, you can’t see in, but from the inside, you can see out.

What Tang Gwan saw wasn’t the enemy forces that had been poisoned and flung away, nor the young martial artist who had been thrown further back and was shaking his head.

Nor was he looking at Blood Ascendant. What he was looking at was Yeon Ho-Jeong.

It was a strange thing.

The two were engaged in a battle befitting their titles as absolute masters. Any martial artist would be compelled to watch the fight itself, not just one of the combatants.

Yet, Tang Gwan was only watching Yeon Ho-Jeong because his martial arts were so mysterious, exceptionally powerful, and, decisively…

‘I want to be like him.’

That’s right.

Tang Gwan was honest with himself.

He wanted to be like Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts.

It wasn’t just admiration or being moved. The reason he was focused on Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts was because they ideally depicted the martial path he was pursuing.

‘That bastard’s martial arts have the Emperor’s Poison Scripture.’

The Emperor’s Poison Scripture.

The invincible technique created by Tang Hyeong, the greatest martial artist in the Tang Clan’s history, the Dark King. It was an incredible feat to have compiled all the characteristics and power of every poison in the world into a single martial art.

That’s why mastering the Emperor’s Poison Scripture is difficult. And Tang Gwan was the first to master that martial art since Tang Hyeong.

He recalled his father, Tang Hyeong’s words.

‘People say that all martial arts eventually converge at one point. I don’t believe that. There are parts that resonate with my enlightenment, but I know that it is not the truth.’

‘They can become similar. But even at the end, they will inevitably be different. Why is that? Because the people who learn them are different, and each has a different end in mind.’

‘Truly becoming one is not the way of martial arts. Transcending everything to become one is to become a god or a celestial being. Martial artists cannot become gods or celestials. A martial artist is a martial artist.’

Those words, simple yet definitive, were something Tang Gwan also agreed with.

That’s why it was surprising.

The ends of martial artists, branching out into tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of different paths, yet Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts were exactly aligned with the end that Tang Gwan had set for himself.

‘That is the Upper Dantian [an energy center in the body, often associated with spiritual power].’

Tang Gwan, as an observer, could see and understand what Yeon Ho-Jeong himself had realized.

If it weren’t for Tang Hyeong’s teachings, Tang Gwan wouldn’t have been able to figure out the principles of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts.

‘It’s the will to cut, maximized. It’s completely different from my father’s Upper Dantian usage. Focusing on the depth of the action itself, the ability to realize what one imagines, that is the enlightenment that bastard has attained.’

Tang Gwan’s eyes trembled.

‘Is it inevitable, or were that bastard and I looking at the same thing?’

The thought suddenly occurred to him.

Yeon-wi’s help was instrumental in completing the Myriad Flying Flowers [a hidden weapon technique]. However, while Yeon-wi had helped with the flow of internal energy, he had never helped with the techniques that utilized the flow of hidden weapons.

Yeon-wi had simply emphasized the enlightenment of martial arts. He constantly preached about the power of imagination, about what lies at the place one wants to reach, and told him that in the end, it would become as he wished.

Tang Gwan accepted that enlightenment.

The Myriad Flying Flowers was a technique born from that. It became an invincible technique without more brutal moves, sharper flows, or stronger internal energy.

The reason was clear. It was because he had realized what he had imagined with the hidden weapons.

In other words, Tang Gwan’s enlightenment contained Yeon-wi’s advice and teachings. And Yeon-wi, in some way, must have also passed on his own enlightenment to Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon-wi was a friend. But he was also a teacher.

He himself had also been a teacher to Yeon-wi.

In other words, the three of them were teachers and disciples who had deeply influenced each other, and furthermore, they were spiritual brethren who could not be defined by such trivial relationships.

‘Just like my Myriad Flying Flowers, the Emperor’s Poison Scripture can also change like that.’

It was already changing. Combining the Heavenly Slaughter Ghostly Qi [a type of dark energy] and the Myriad Poison Ten Direction Wall [a defensive poison technique] and realizing it as imagined was an impossible feat without the power of the Upper Dantian.

He once again recalled his father’s words.

‘Mastering the Emperor’s Poison Scripture is not easy. That’s why you are amazing. Before talent, you need the survivability and patience to endure and overcome all kinds of poisons. You did it. I am proud of you.’

‘However, mastery is not the end. Especially in poison arts, mastery is different from other martial arts. Poison arts are, as the name suggests, martial arts that use poison. Mastering poison arts to the point where you can control them at will means that you can create thousands, tens of thousands of new poisons.’

‘To use an analogy with a blacksmith, mastering all the techniques of handling iron can be seen as mastering the Emperor’s Poison Scripture. Then, what is it that you must do after mastery?’

The answer was clear. It was to create the best weapon based on the mastered techniques.

To compete with the countless artisans in the world and create a divine sword that is second to none.

And to create that divine sword, Tang Gwan turned his attention to the Upper Dantian.

To generate and detoxify poison according to my will, according to my mind. Detoxification can also be done according to my will, and at that level, even minor poison bottles will not be needed.

That was the level that Yeon Ho-Jeong was showing right now.

Boom!

In an instant, the Myriad Poison Ten Direction Wall groaned. Blood Ascendant’s Blood Sound Finger [a technique that uses sound to attack] pierced through the Ten Direction Wall and vanished.

The reason why the Melting Three Lives Skill [a poison technique] was terrifying was because it could melt even the force of an attack with its poison. But that was useless if it didn’t make direct contact.

In other words, Blood Ascendant’s Blood Sound Finger had lost its momentum due to the poison of the Ten Direction Wall, yet it had pierced through the wall and vanished on the other side, meaning that its true energy density was enormous.

Clang!

Blood spurted from Blood Ascendant’s body due to Yeon Ho-Jeong’s unconventional attack.

Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

Even in a fight between ordinary masters, a single mistake can determine the outcome. In a fight between masters of their caliber, the repercussions would be even greater.

‘Good.’

He didn’t know if he could win for sure. However, it was clear that Blood Ascendant had been affected by the poison of the Melting Three Lives Skill. Yeon Ho-Jeong would have taken an antidote condensed with the Emperor’s Poison Qi [a type of energy], so he wouldn’t be greatly harmed.

‘Then.’

It wasn’t the time to leisurely observe Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial arts.

Tang Gwan’s eyes turned to Daegeumbul.

‘That bastard.’

Daegeumbul, who had been glaring at Yeon Ho-Jeong with intense killing intent, suddenly turned his head and looked at the Ten Direction Wall.

In that instant, Tang Gwan felt a chill run down his spine.

‘Can he see it?’

His father had said that even a Saint would have difficulty seeing inside the Ten Direction Wall at this level. Of course, Daegeumbul wouldn’t be able to see it either.

However, he had heard that the martial arts of the Central Plains and the martial arts of the outer regions had developed in completely different ways.

What was common sense here could be nonsense there.

Whoosh!

Daegeumbul, who had retreated and was glaring at this place, had already appeared above the Ten Direction Wall.

Daegeumbul unleashed his palm force.

Boom!

The poison cloud of the Ten Direction Wall surged violently.

Trickle.

Blood flowed from Tang Gwan’s mouth.

The explosive power of the palm force was enormous, as if it had been unleashed with intent. Fortunately, some of it was neutralized by the poison of the Melting Three Lives Skill, but the remaining impact was fully absorbed by Tang Gwan.

Whoosh!

Daegeumbul, who had flown up again and stood five yards beyond the Ten Direction Wall, had a flushed face.

‘He’s been poisoned.’

He had a deep wound on his right arm. He had stopped the bleeding, but the Melting Poison had penetrated there, scattering black smoke.

But that was only for a moment.

The smoke rising from Daegeumbul’s right arm gradually disappeared.

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

‘Did he detoxify it?’

That couldn’t be.

It wasn’t detoxification, but just a temporary suppression. There was no way to detoxify the Melting Poison so quickly. Even a martial artist of the highest level wouldn’t be able to do that.

It was then.

As Daegeumbul raised his hand, the masked men took out something black and round from their pockets.

In that instant, Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

‘Could it be fire bombs?’

He didn’t know.

But when the head of the Tang Clan, who was well-versed in both poison and gunpowder weapons, saw it, it was clear that it was either a poison bomb or a fire bomb.

It was pointless to throw a poison bomb into a place surrounded by poison. Therefore, there was a high probability that those black spheres were fire bombs.

‘Damn it.’

There was no way to know how those damned bastards had gotten their hands on fire bombs.

‘Even the Ten Direction Wall can’t withstand fire bombs…’

It was impossible. It wasn’t the Ten Direction Wall itself, but the person maintaining it, which was himself.

Could he withstand that much impact?

It was then.

Boom!

A steel dart that pierced through the Ten Direction Wall flew and blew off the head of one of the Rakshasa [a type of demon].

Tang Gwan and the entire group were startled and looked at Muk Bi.

By now, Muk Bi’s Crimson Lotus Bow had three steel darts loaded.

“Defense first, then attack.”

“…!”

“Right?”

Muk Bi didn’t even wait for an answer.

Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!

Daegeumbul, who had sensed the killing intent of the three arrows that flew like rays of light, swung his staff like a ghost.

It was an amazing reaction speed. Even though the poison of the Ten Direction Wall was so potent, he was able to detect and respond to the killing intent of the arrows that pierced through the wall.

Tang Gwan was shocked.

The target wasn’t Daegeumbul, but Muk Bi.

“How…?”

Muk Bi’s complexion was extremely pale.

It was due to the rapid consumption of internal energy. If attacks from the outside didn’t work, then naturally, attacks from the inside would also be useless.

To prevent that, he had concentrated his internal energy to the limit on the arrowheads themselves. It seemed that the excessive true energy he had poured out temporarily had even caused internal injuries.

But Muk Bi didn’t stop.

“The main battle is important, but it’s also important to step up when you need to.”

Creak! Creak!

Muk Bi pulled the bowstring especially hard. A milky white true energy was gathering fiercely at the tips of the two arrowheads.

“But if you can help, you should. You can’t just sit around doing nothing.”

Muk Bi released the bowstring.

Bang!

One of the arrows that pierced through the Ten Direction Wall was caught by Daegeumbul’s hand. But the other one pierced through the collarbone of one of the Hongnahan [a type of warrior].

It was an incredible power. Considering the poison of the Ten Direction Wall, it was an unbelievable penetration power.

‘It’s because it was concentrated into a point.’

The Blood Sound Finger had penetrated, but the palm force had shaken the wall.

It was due to the concentration and form of the true energy. Muk Bi’s internal energy was also among the leaders of the absolute masters, and the reason why the arrowheads, which had concentrated all their power while excluding the minimum internal energy for survival, were able to pierce through the Ten Direction Wall was clear.

At that moment, Daegeumbul shouted something.

Then, the Rakshasa all threw something they were holding in their hands. Not everyone had them, but the number of black spheres flying was almost thirty.

Tang Gwan’s face turned pale.

“Damn it.”

Muk Bi pulled the bowstring again. Five steel darts were loaded on the Crimson Lotus Bow.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Ten Direction Wall changed its form, and twenty tentacles extended out. It was to melt the incoming fire bombs first.

But what about the rest?

‘Danger!’

It was then.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

A huge number of arrows flew and detonated the fire bombs in mid-air.