Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 925

“Is it over?” Hundreds of coffins moved through the dark passage. “Senior Brother.” Mok Gye-dam turned his head. There stood a boy, who looked just over ten years old, with an anxious face. “H-how do we do this? Are we leaving now?” “We’ll be leaving soon.” The boy was Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s youngest disciple, named Bang Won-hu. Bang Won-hu’s talent was so outstanding that he had changed Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s mind, who had declared that he would no longer accept disciples. To be precise, it wasn’t just his physique; he was a natural talent for learning demonic arts. Mok Gye-dam’s eyes were not very bright as he looked at Bang Won-hu. Even if he was talented, he was still a child. He wasn’t exactly thrilled to be carrying around a bothersome burden, especially at a time like this. “Our work is done. Let’s go.” “S-Senior Brother.” “……” “Um… what about Master? And the other senior brothers and sisters…” “Be quiet.” Mok Gye-dam’s voice was firm. “If you want to live, follow me.” He treated a naive child the same as a grown adult. Bang Won-hu’s neck shrank like a turtle’s. Mok Gye-dam, who had come out of the passage, was heading straight for the main hall when he flinched. Krrrr. A powerful shockwave was felt from afar. It must be the sound of Muk-ro and the Iron Horse Troop fighting the intruders. ‘……’ With this level of shockwave, it was no exaggeration to say that they were evenly matched. At least, judging by the soaring momentum, it seemed like a close fight. Mok Gye-dam’s eyes deepened. ‘To be on par with the old man.’ He thought it was just a way to ignore him, but it seemed like a real formidable enemy had invaded. There were many strong people in the world. Moreover, the enemy who was fighting Muk-ro was said to be a peerless genius who had made a name for himself in Seongcheon at a young age. ‘You won’t know until you fight them.’ That’s what fighting was like. However… seeing that Muk-ro wasn’t overwhelming them, they were undoubtedly worthy of being called true powerhouses. ‘It doesn’t matter.’ All he needed was to get his hands on the Heaven-Breaking Scripture. Right now, there were monsters with overflowing talent running rampant everywhere, but once he got the Heaven-Breaking Scripture, he would be able to stand at the pinnacle of those monsters. Mok Gye-dam asked the guard demon of the main hall. “Where is Elder Myeong Do-gang?” “He has not arrived yet.” Mok Gye-dam’s face contorted. “What is that old man doing?” Was it so difficult to bring one prisoner? From the past, Myeong Do-gang was known to be lazy. Still, he was the type to step up when needed, so he had gladly accepted him when he said he would join. But it seemed like he was acting like a dog who didn’t know his master, taking so long even with a simple task. “Call Ham Mu-heon.” “Yes.” It was then. ‘……?!’ Mok Gye-dam felt a strange energy resonating from somewhere deep underground. The moment he felt it, the owner of that energy moved at a terrifying speed. Surprise flickered across Mok Gye-dam’s stoic face. Thud! Thud! The main hall shook. It wasn’t just the main hall. The entire Shinma Forest’s main palace was shaking. An enormous force was surging up, creating a whirlwind, and its destructive power was so great that it felt like the mountain range was writhing. ‘Who the hell?!’ Even in his confusion, Mok Gye-dam felt puzzled. He couldn’t figure out who the owner of this surging energy was. It felt somewhat familiar, yet it was also very chaotic. It was like a giant mass of corpses made by piecing together countless fragmented bodies. It was chaotic but strong, unstable but a monster with an enormous presence. The moment Mok Gye-dam rushed out of the main hall in surprise. Kwaaaang! With a roar, a hand popped out in the central open space in front of the main hall. It was a hand like dry firewood. The sharp, black fingernails that had grown at the end were reminiscent of Ya Hyuk, the Second Commander of the Blood Cult. Kugugung! Soon, the ground around the hand cracked in a circle, and a ghost revealed itself. The tattered clothes were more like rags than something worn. The hair covered in dust was dyed gray, and the lean, well-defined muscles didn’t look like those of an old man. “……!!” It was the first time. Since fully embracing the demonic path, Mok Gye-dam was feeling an emotion close to fear for the first time. Fshhhhh. The chains loosely draped over the tattered clothes writhed on their own. They weren’t wrapped around his skin. It was more like they were hovering around his body. It was as if they were alive, and the sound of the chains clanking as they circled the old man’s body was eerily unsettling. It wasn’t just the chains. The heterogeneous aura that the old man was emitting had a density that reached the level of a Half-Immortal [a martial artist who has transcended the mortal realm but has not yet achieved full immortality]. Mok Gye-dam said in a trembling voice. “A Celestial… !” “No.” Crack. The old man, who was slowly turning his neck, said in a hoarse voice. “I discarded the Cheon surname the moment I escaped the curse. I am Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, the Lord of Shinma Forest.” “……!” “Isn’t that right?” Mok Gye-dam’s eyes became bloodshot. “…How?” His question was filled with many doubts. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s eyes deepened. They were bloodshot like Mok Gye-dam’s, but the pupils, which emitted an even more sinister aura, were the highlight. “You wanted to know about the demonic path?” “……” “Being intoxicated by a plausible illusion and living only as you wish is not the demonic path.” “…Shut up.” Hyeok Ryeon-hwi looked around. In that instant, Mok Gye-dam almost instinctively threw a punch. It was because he had read countless openings in Hyeok Ryeon-hwi. However, his savagely sharpened instincts stopped him. He had a feeling that if he had attacked at that moment, he would have suffered a fatal counterattack without any resistance. ‘A trap!’ It was a trap. It was definitely a trap. It couldn’t be that Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s martial arts were just too outstanding to deal with. The reason was clear. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s demonic energy was too unstable. The density of his demonic energy was high, but the amount was far less than his own. If you only considered the qi [life force or energy], Mok Gye-dam thought that he was no better than a master who had just entered the Limitless Realm. However, the opponent was a Half-Immortal powerhouse who was considered one of the strongest in the martial world. Even though his body and true energy were in that state, his enlightenment was the closest to the strongest in the world. He was not someone to easily fight. ‘He will continuously set up such traps. I must not waver!’ Hyeok Ryeon-hwi sighed. “You’re broken.” “……” “Who would have known that the long history of Shinma Forest, not the cursed Cheon family, but the hands of a mad fool would bring it to an end?” “Shut up!” Kwarurung! Powerful demonic energy surged from Mok Gye-dam’s body. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s body staggered in the face of that terrifying momentum. Mok Gye-dam’s expression changed strangely. He had been worried about whether he might lose, but looking at him now, it seemed like there was no reason to lose. On the other hand, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s eyes were calm. Even with his bloodshot eyes, he showed no emotional agitation. Or rather, he appeared not to. “The disciple lured in the Blood Cult, and the son lured in a master to fight against him.” “Don’t worry. I’ll kill you first, and then send them all to hell.” “You?” Hyeok Ryeon-hwi scoffed. “Even though you sensed the aura of the Blood Cult’s Second Commander fighting far away, you still say that? You’re still far off.” “Shut up!” Whoosh! Mok Gye-dam, who had approached at a terrifying speed, swung his fist towards Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s face. The murderous intent that was unleashed even before he swung was far more threatening. The divine technique that instantly turned a five-jang [approximately 15 feet] distance into nothing was also impressive. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi closed his eyes. Kwarururung! Mok Gye-dam was sent flying powerlessly, breaking through the door of the main hall and flying all the way to the grand master’s chair. “……?!” Shock was etched on Mok Gye-dam’s face. He hadn’t taken any significant damage. He had just been pushed away. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, who had dodged the punch too easily, pushed his chest with his hand. With that one push, he had been sent flying all the way here. Fortunately, thanks to the demonic energy that filled his entire body, he had suffered no damage other than some stiffness, even though he had broken through the main hall door and smashed the grand master’s chair. However, the mental shock was considerable. Thud! And before he could recover from that shock, he heard a bizarre sound. Mok Gye-dam’s eyes widened as he hurriedly got up. Thump! Thump! Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s demonic hand was gripping the neck of one of the guard demons. However, the demon whose neck was grabbed did not resist at all. He was just trembling, and upon closer inspection, his body was slowly thinning. Whoosh! The black demonic energy that was spewing out from his seven orifices was being sucked into Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s mouth. The milky white energy flowing from his entire body seeped into Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s skin. He was absorbing not only demonic energy but also vitality. It was the destructive martial art that was not allowed even for those who practiced demonic arts, the Soul-Sucking Demonic Art. Thud! The wide wall of the main hall cracked due to Mok Gye-dam’s furious stomp. “Soul-Sucking Demonic Art… I knew about it, but you’re truly a hypocrite! In the end, you locked me in the prison so that you could monopolize it, even though I hadn’t even read a few words!” Now he understood. How Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s bizarre energy was created. He had clearly sucked all the demonic energy and vitality from the guards, including Myeong Do-gang. Fshhhhh. The guard demon held in Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s hand turned to dust and scattered. “You talk too much, Mok Gye-dam.” “……!” “A hypocrite? Monopolize? Is that all your demonic path is, spouting such nonsense?” “You!” “Further conversation is unnecessary. Today, I will show you what the true end of the demonic path is, so stop flapping your mouth and just attack.” “You Celestial Scum!!” Faaaang! From Mok Gye-dam’s body, filled with rage, two demonic energies, red and blue, surged up like flames. The Red Phosphorus Demonic Art and the Azure Sovereign Demonic Power, two of the three great demonic arts of Shinma Forest, began to be unleashed simultaneously. “Aaaah!” Bang Won-hu screamed and hid in a corner. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s eyes flashed. ‘Not bad.’ The three great demonic arts of Shinma Forest were comparable to the pinnacle divine arts of the Central Plains. The talent to master two such difficult arts was rare even if you searched the entire world. No matter what, Mok Gye-dam’s talent was exceptionally outstanding. Mok Gye-dam unleashed both palms. Kwarurung! With a thunderous roar, a massive red and blue force smashed through the wall of the main hall and poured down on Hyeok Ryeon-hwi. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi stood still without moving. It was when joy spread across Mok Gye-dam’s face. Whoosh! “……?” With a single gesture from Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, the red and blue force vanished as if it had been washed away. Mok Gye-dam’s face turned pale. To extinguish the Red Phosphorus Palm and the Azure Demonic Palm with a single gesture? It was a martial art that he had never heard of before. However, Hyeok Ryeon-hwi had not extinguished the force. Thump! Thump! The blood vessels that had been writhing along the back of Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s right hand traveled up his arm, over his shoulder, down his neck, back over his shoulder, and down his left arm. He raised his left hand and pointed it at Mok Gye-dam. The moment he felt a threat to his life, Mok Gye-dam soared through the ceiling of the main hall. Kwarururung!! The massive red and blue demonic power flew towards Mok Gye-dam, who was floating in the air. Thud! He avoided the force with the secret art of aerial stepping, but the moment he thought he had avoided it, the force exploded. The enormous power caused Mok Gye-dam’s figure to crash onto the floor in front of the main hall. He had never imagined that it would explode in mid-air. ‘This is impossible!’ Mok Gye-dam got up abruptly. Kiiiiiiing! The chains that had flown in, seizing the moment, instantly wrapped around his neck. Mok Gye-dam’s face turned as red as if it would burst. Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s lips curled up. “This is the first time I’ve had a match that was so easy it makes me dizzy, you brat.”