Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 914

“……?!”

Tang Gwan’s eyes wavered.

Swoosh.

Muk Bi, Paeyul, and Busun stood in a row beside him, descending from the carriage ceiling.

Behind them stood Yeon Ji-Pyeong and Okcheong, and Makwon, who had been looking up at the sky from behind the carriage, walked forward with an iron staff on his shoulder.

Creak.

The carriage moved slightly backward.

Makwon, who stood at the forefront, pushing past everyone else, looked at the ghost that had appeared before him.

‘……It’s huge.’

Tension flickered across Makwon’s face.

The ghost that had suddenly appeared was in the form of an old man. With a hunched back and a cane in one hand, there was nothing extraordinary about him, no matter how closely one looked.

However, to Makwon’s eyes, the old man seemed incredibly enormous.

‘So suddenly?!’

An unknown ghost appeared out of nowhere, without any warning.

No aura could be felt from the ghost. Only an immense presence, like a mountain, that only Makwon could sense, filled the air.

“Amazing.”

The old man’s voice was clear.

It was so refreshing to the ears just to hear it. The voice was so clear and deep that one would want to close their eyes and listen.

“So, these are the experts dispatched from the Martial Alliance…… Each one has a unique characteristic. Among them, there are two who have entered the Saintly Demonic realm [a high level of martial arts mastery], and an ironclad unit surrounded by a powerful military aura that I’ve never seen anywhere else?”

Makwon opened his mouth.

“Who are you?”

“Who am I?”

The old man’s face was full of composure.

“You impudent fellow. Although we meet as enemies, isn’t it too disrespectful to an old man who doesn’t have much time left?”

“Did you come here just to talk nonsense?”

“Hahaha!”

The old man burst into hearty laughter.

Makwon’s eyes deepened.

‘There’s no opening.’

Even as he tilted his head back and laughed heartily, there wasn’t a single opening to be seen.

No, to be precise, there were too many openings, which was the problem. He was an opponent who inspired confidence that he could be killed with a single blow no matter where or how he was attacked.

That was why he couldn’t move rashly. If a master with such a presence was showing so many openings, the one who attacked first would be at a disadvantage.

In the end, there was no opening. He couldn’t make the first move.

‘Well, it’s not like we can fight right now anyway.’

The old man nodded.

“You’re right. Since we’re bound to point our swords at each other, it’s not right to expect respect based on age.”

“…….”

“You’ve all worked hard to come such a long way. From the Henan Martial Alliance to Qinghe, it must have been tiring to travel over thousands of miles.”

“What’s the point?”

Thud!

A powerful vibration emanated from the iron staff that struck the ground.

The old man’s eyes sparkled.

“A powerful aura. I thought I knew many of the masters of the Central Plains, but I never thought I’d feel the energy of a weapon from a person himself.”

“…….”

“Are you Makwon, the God of a Hundred Battles?”

“You know me.”

“How could I not? The one whom the Central Plains martial world praises as a legend, the Saintly Heaven…….”

That was when it happened.

Flash!

A streak of black lightning grazed Makwon’s shoulder, pierced through the old man’s body, and then returned to its original position in a large arc.

Clang!

A sharp metallic sound echoed.

Everyone turned their heads to look back.

Yeon Ho-Jeong was visible, holding the Azure Dragon Talisman in his right hand and the Black Dragon Talisman he had thrown a moment ago in his left.

“You shouldn’t turn your head when facing an enemy.”

Startled by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words, the group looked back at the old man.

“Hmm.”

The old man stroked his chest.

Surprisingly, there was no wound on his chest where the Black Dragon Talisman had pierced through. Not even his clothes were torn.

“I didn’t expect to be found out so quickly.”

Makwon grumbled.

“I knew from the moment you first arrived.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. I was a little unsure, but no matter how I looked, I couldn’t feel any life force.”

“Impressive. It wouldn’t have been easy to recognize even for a master who has entered the Saintly Demonic realm. You have an incredibly sensitive sense of energy.”

Swoosh.

Yeon Ho-Jeong stood next to Makwon.

The old man sighed as he looked at the two men staring at him silently.

“Makwon, the God of a Hundred Battles, and Yeon Ho-Jeong, the Azure Mountain Tiger General…….”

The Azure Mountain Tiger General was his title before he became the Overlord.

He knew that Yeon Ho-Jeong’s martial prowess had reached the Saintly Heaven realm, but he didn’t know that his title had changed. This meant that he had been cut off from the outside world and had only received important information.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“Enough with the ghost tricks. What did you come here for? I was planning to go and cut your head off neatly when the time came.”

The old man chuckled.

“Just as I was told. They said you were extremely aggressive, and indeed…….”

“I’m asking you, what did you come here for?”

“…….”

“If you just came to see our faces, go back. We’ll see each other soon anyway.”

The old man’s smiling face slowly hardened.

“You are more dangerous than I thought.”

“Who cares?”

“You know how to provoke your opponent well. Your tone, voice, expression, eyes…… They may seem trivial, but they are not at all. You truly deserve to be called a veteran of a hundred battles.”

“Your praise is excessive.”

“It’s not excessive. I thought I was being careful, but your tone is so unique that it makes me want to fight you without any hesitation. I’m impressed.”

“It’s embarrassing if you’re impressed too quickly.”

“…….”

“So, what’s the point? You’re just a demonic minion who’s hiding your true form and showing yourself with some kind of sorcery.”

“Hehehe.”

The old man, who had lowered his head and burst into laughter, spoke calmly.

“I’m sure that fellow, Cheon Hyo-Rak, has already told you everything, right? That I came from the Blood Abyss [a demonic organization].”

“Yes.”

“I am Mukro, the First High Priest of the Blood Abyss.”

“Mukro? You talk so much, yet you’re called Mukro?”

“My specialty is silencing my opponents.”

“I see.”

Although he spoke calmly, Yeon Ho-Jeong was inwardly very surprised.

The First High Priest of the Blood Abyss.

In the past, the Fallen King Gongsun Baek-Ryong, who had died at his hands, was said to be the Fifth High Priest of the Blood Abyss.

In other words, the old man before him was the top master among the high priests.

‘Indeed.’

Since it wasn’t his true form, he couldn’t know his real power. However, just the presence of the illusion created by sorcery was enough to suggest that he was a master of the Overlord level.

‘Perhaps even more than that.’

Mukro spoke calmly.

“Before we get to the main point, I have a proposal.”

“Spit it out, old man.”

“Is there anyone who would like to join our sect?”

“Is that what they call a last will or something?”

“…….”

“I’d appreciate it if you refrained from talking nonsense before I piss on your body.”

Okcheong couldn’t help but burst out laughing, then quickly hardened his face as he realized his mistake.

Not only that, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s joking words were also loosening the tension in the group.

The old man, Mukro, shook his head.

“I can’t win against your words.”

“I know, right? If my martial arts were even half as good as my mouth, I’d be the best in history.”

“Since no one wants to join our sect, let’s get to the main point. I expected it, but it’s still disappointing.”

“Tell me, the main point.”

Mukro looked around at the group.

Each one of them had extraordinary eyes. Apart from their martial arts level, each one was a possessor of a strong heart.

Mukro felt a sense of bitterness once again.

‘I shouldn’t envy my enemies, but I’m truly envious. There are so many talented people in the Central Plains.’

Mukro, who had let out a deep sigh, shone his eyes.

“I’m not afraid of fighting you.”

“It’s a strange situation to feel a sense of camaraderie.”

“We will win, of course. However, the damage on both sides will be severe.”

“I can’t agree with that, but anyway.”

“How about the three representative masters decide the outcome?”

Even Yeon Ho-Jeong, the greatest of all, couldn’t have imagined that his opponent would make such a proposal.

“Are you suggesting a life-or-death duel to decide the outcome?”

“That’s right.”

“……It doesn’t seem like a joke?”

“Of course, it’s not.”

“You expected that we would refuse, right?”

“Not at all.”

Mukro shook his head.

“As I said, if you attack, it will be a pretty big fight. But we will win. With your current forces, you cannot defeat us.”

“Keep going.”

“However, it’s clear that we will also suffer considerable damage, and we don’t want that. We have a lot of things to do on our own. And honestly…….”

“…….”

“Because of you, our sect, as well as the Divine and Evil factions, have suffered great losses, haven’t they? We’ve lost far more masters than we expected.”

“I know.”

“The higher-ups don’t want to waste any more unnecessary forces. I’m sure it’s the same for you.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong stared at Mukro without a word.

Makwon looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong and said.

“That’s nonsense. You know that too, right?”

Mukro interjected.

“If you think it’s nonsense, you can attack right now. Actually, that would be easier for us. If a war is going to break out anyway, it’s not bad to end it quickly.”

“…….”

“But I’m making this proposal because I don’t want to see meaningless bloodshed. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Do you agree?”

“Let me ask you one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know what we want?”

“It’s obvious. If you’ve heard everything from Cheon Hyo-Rak, your goal is to restore the Divine Forest to its original state, isn’t it?”

“Well, broadly speaking, yes.”

“In the process, your true purpose for coming here is to defeat the Great Young Master, who can be considered your enemy, and drive out the forces of the Blood Abyss.”

It was a fact that could be understood with just a little thought.

However.

‘Why did this guy come out?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong was puzzled.

‘It would have been better if the Great Young Master or whatever came out. It’s hard to believe that he didn’t come out simply because he couldn’t create such an illusion.’

The reason why Yeon Ho-Jeong was going along with Mukro’s words and continuing the conversation was because he wanted to find out more from him.

But it was still vague. There was definitely something these guys wanted, but he couldn’t figure it out.

It seemed like he could find something out if he probed further, so Yeon Ho-Jeong asked aggressively.

“What if we win?”

“The Blood Abyss will retreat.”

“Isn’t that a promise you made with the Great Young Master?”

“A promise? Of course. But if we stake our honor on this match, we will act accordingly.”

More, more was needed.

“Representative masters…… Are we putting forward the strongest masters from each side? Or is it a designation?”

“If we put forward the best masters we have, how would that be different from waging a war? If it’s a life-or-death duel, one side could be fatally injured even if they survive.”

“Is that so?”

“Let’s make it a designation. Wouldn’t that be better for both sides?”

Designation…… Three life-or-death duels…….

‘These guys definitely want something.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mind began to spin rapidly.

‘Meaningless loss of forces? That’s nonsense. These guys aren’t the type to care about that. They’re fanatics who would risk their lives for a single mission, let alone the corrupted Divine Forest.’

What were they aiming for? What did these guys really want?

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

“Will the Great Young Master come out too?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why? Is it because you can’t come out because you’re busy monitoring the Demon Immortal Hyeok Ryeon-Hwi, whom you’ve captured?”

For a moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong did not miss the slight tremor in Mukro’s eyes.

“That can’t be…….”

“Okcheong, Tang Clan Head, Muk Bi!”

Chiriring!

In an instant, Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had connected the ends of the Azure Dragon Chain and the Azure Dragon Talisman, shouted.

“The three of you will go in with me! The rest of you, protect Young Master Cheon here!”

Surprise flickered across Mukro’s face.

“What!”

“These guys don’t intend to kill Young Master Cheon! They intend to capture him!”

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had swung the Azure Dragon Talisman filled with the Yellow Dragon Aura and cut through Mukro’s illusion, kicked off the ground.

Whoosh!

Tang Gwan, Okcheong, and Muk Bi quickly followed behind him.

Mukro appeared out of nowhere, and Yeon Ho-Jeong made a sudden decision to infiltrate.

Cheon Hyo-Rak, who had come out of the carriage, shouted.

“Young Vice-Leader Yeon! What about the Immeasurable and Unbreakable Great Formation……!”

“This was all a scam! Just like that old man’s illusion!”

Whoooooooosh!!

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had pushed the Yellow Dragon Aura to its limit, unleashed the Gale Nine Dragon Kill in the air.

Crackkkkkkkkk!

The air began to split apart.