Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 929

Hoo-ooo-ooo.

A soft sigh escaped, causing a wisp of pale smoke to dance in the air.

He held the massive axe, yet he couldn’t feel its weight.

He stood on the devastated earth, yet he couldn’t feel the texture of the soil.

He couldn’t perceive the wind, the temperature, or even the cool yet stuffy air of Cheonghae.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s golden divine eyes were fixed solely on Cheon Gyo-hong.

Krrrreung!!

A beastly roar erupted from the maw of the great yellow dragon as it swelled in size.

It wasn’t a cry directed at Hyeok Ryeon-hwi. The yellow dragon, which had reacted so sensitively to the demonic energy that it had almost defied its master’s will, was now completely under Yeon Ho-jeong’s control, its gaze locked on Cheon Gyo-hong.

‘The leader of the Gwanghyeol Church.’

One of the three great cults.

Even though he was merely a half-being, a soul dragged back from death, Yeon Ho-jeong’s feelings were complex as he faced the former leader of one of the three cults.

Yet, amidst this complexity, one emotion stood out above all others: rage.

Even though he had discarded his past self, stained with madness and bloodlust, he couldn’t suppress his anger at facing one of the enemies fate had ordained for him.

It was a cold rage.

Even amidst the seething emotions, Yeon Ho-jeong’s reason was fully intact. The opponent demanded nothing less.

‘There’s no point in testing the waters. Trying to figure out his habits or exploit his weaknesses is useless against him.’

Yeon Ho-jeong coldly assessed Cheon Gyo-hong’s power.

‘He’s stronger than me.’

Definitely stronger.

He was different from the Six Demonic Commanders who had only unleashed a fraction of their power. Without a doubt, this man was capable of wielding power far closer to his prime than they were.

Then.

‘There is only attack!’

He could hear Hyeok Ryeon-hwi shouting something beside him.

Yeon Ho-jeong ignored it. He needed no information or provocation from anyone right now.

There was only one thing to do.

Krrrreung!!

The golden true energy, compressed to its limit, flowed through his legs and gathered at the soles of his feet.

Yeon Ho-jeong lowered his stance.

And then.

Kwaang!

Pushing off the earth, Yeon Ho-jeong shot forward like an arrow, unleashing a powerful palm strike.

It was the Sky-Turning Palm of the Golden Dragon’s Might, the first martial art he had created after achieving the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art. But this Sky-Turning Palm was different from any he had used before.

Hoo-ooo-woong!

It covered a wider area, yet it was more solid and more explosive.

Kwaaaang!

The remains of the great battleground shattered once more, and Cheon Gyo-hong’s body, embedded in the cliff, was driven even deeper.

Kwarung! Kwareureung!

A tremendous explosion echoed from the cliff.

In the cliff face, which was now carved into the shape of a giant palm, only one of Cheon Gyo-hong’s arms was visible. The rest of his body was still buried in the cliff.

Yeon Ho-jeong raised the Gwangryong Axe [a large, powerful axe].

Hyeok Ryeon-hwi, who had been about to attack, was startled by the sudden surge of energy and retreated, feeling as if his entire body was being torn apart.

Kwarung! Kwareureureung!!

The earth trembled.

It felt as if an entire mountain peak was shaking. The golden power that coursed through the devastated land looked like streaks of searing lightning.

The Yellow Dragon energy was amplifying.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s martial art, drawing the power of his upper dantian [an energy center in the body] to its limit, was generating a destructive force. As the Yellow Dragon energy amplified to enhance this power, it was as if Yeon Ho-jeong’s internal energy had permanently increased by a level.

‘Gwangpung Nine Dragon Kill [a powerful martial arts technique].’

Thick veins pulsed on the arms that held the Gwangryong Axe.

‘Ruthless.’

Boo-oo-woong!

The Gwangryong Axe was swung in a dancing diagonal motion.

In an instant, a blinding crescent of light plunged into the center of the giant palm print on the cliff.

Kwaaaang!

It was a single strike that had reached the pinnacle of destructive power, cutting force, and propagation.

Hyeok Ryeon-hwi felt a chill run down his spine as he watched the attack.

‘He’s strong!’

He knew that Yeon Ho-jeong was unleashing power beyond his own capabilities.

But even knowing that, he couldn’t help but be amazed by the sheer force of the blow. Even with his current body, which had summoned the Five-Colored Hell Energy, it would be difficult to block.

It was then.

Just as Yeon Ho-jeong was preparing the second move of the Gwangpung Nine Dragon Kill, the Rising Sky Strike.

Puh-uh-uh-uhng!

A massive hole appeared in the center of the cliff, and countless fragments of rock scattered into the air.

Yeon Ho-jeong swung the Gwangryong Axe from low to high. It was the Rising Sky Strike.

Flash! Kwareureureung!!

The countless fragments collided with each other, then began to spin grandly, soaring high into the sky.

It was a martial art that far surpassed imagination.

People had given the masters of the Heavenly Realm the title of Martial Gods, but they had not truly become gods.

However, those who witnessed Yeon Ho-jeong and Cheon Gyo-hong’s martial arts would kneel and proclaim the reincarnation of gods. It was a power akin to a natural disaster, a superhuman strength that could only be displayed by mythical monsters and deities.

“Amazing!”

Kung!

Even after receiving such a powerful martial art, Cheon Gyo-hong did not die.

His left arm was broken and dangling, and long, deep wounds were carved into his body, but the density of the demonic energy flowing from him did not diminish in the slightest.

Even more astonishing was the speed of his recovery.

Ududuk! Uduk!

The broken left arm twitched erratically and returned to its original state. The open wounds closed on their own and soon became whole again.

It was a scene that defied common sense. Cheon Gyo-hong was demonstrating what the ultimate form of demonic energy, which aimed for immortality, could achieve.

Pa-a-a-a-ang!

Yeon Ho-jeong was not surprised by Cheon Gyo-hong’s recovery.

He simply closed the distance in an instant, then leaped high into the air, swinging the Gwangryong Axe with both hands in a single, decisive strike.

It was the third move of the Gwangpung Nine Dragon Kill, the Mountain-Crushing Stance.

Cheon Gyo-hong’s eyes changed.

Weeeeing! Weeeeeeeng!

The writhing energy of nature rushed in at a terrifying speed, compressing into a massive force. And that compressed power was constantly flowing into the Gwangryong Axe.

It was synchronization with natural energy. It was a formidable strike that combined the power of his own divine skill with the energy of nature, using his body as a medium.

Cheon Gyo-hong’s eyes widened.

‘Transcending Demonic Energy?!’

No. That wasn’t true transcendence.

However, synchronization with natural energy was a path towards transcendence. In other words, it was a martial art that touched upon the beginning of transcendence.

‘How can this be? How can someone walking on the mountainside draw upon the power of the summit?’

Then, Cheon Gyo-hong saw Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

Two eyes dyed with a brilliant golden light.

Within them, the massive body of a great yellow dragon writhed.

Cheon Gyo-hong’s hands unleashed the power of the Demonic Emperor’s Divine Palm.

Flash!

There was no explosion. The two men’s immense power collided, devouring even the sound.

In the silent world, everything turned to dust. The remains of the great battleground, the outer walls of the distant palace, and even the surface of the collapsed and fractured cliff were shattered into pieces.

Kung! Kung!

In the silent world, it was only Hyeok Ryeon-hwi who was creating explosions. He couldn’t even offset the shockwaves with his Absorption Demonic Art, so he had to protect himself with the Heaven Piercing Moon Blade and his own power.

Hook!

The shockwaves that had been exploding outward were suddenly compressed again with a chilling sound.

The moment the compressed power, gathered into a single point, exploded was truly instantaneous.

Kwadududududuk!

The power, which was laid flat on the ground with a terrifying gale, created cracks throughout the entire mountain peak.

It wasn’t an exaggeration; it was a power that could truly destroy a mountain peak. It was, in the truest sense, the power of a god.

“Cough!”

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had been thrown back about twenty yards, knelt and coughed up blood.

But that was all. His internal injuries were not severe. His subconscious had wanted to offset the shockwaves that were spreading out, and the Yellow Dragon energy had once again surged to its limit, faithfully carrying out its master’s will.

Kung!

Yeon Ho-jeong, once again supporting himself with the Gwangryong Axe, rose to his feet.

Hwa-a-a-a-ak!

It was an astonishing sight.

Even after unleashing a transcendent attack, his power had not diminished. Rather, it was even more intense.

And from that moment on, the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art began to display a strange appearance.

Kureureung! Kureureureung!

Until now, the masters who had developed their upper dantian had read Yeon Ho-jeong’s energy and imagined a great yellow dragon.

It was just an illusion, not something that actually existed. In the first place, a dragon was a mythical beast that existed only in legends. Unlike the Four Divine Beasts’ energy, which emitted the energy of contemplation, the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art was an enlightenment, so it could not take on such a majestic form with a qi wave.

But now, the Yellow Dragon Art was flaunting itself as if it were another living being, just like the Four Divine Beasts. [mythical creatures in East Asian legends]

A massive yellow dragon, coiled behind Yeon Ho-jeong’s back, revealed itself.

“……!!”

Hyeok Ryeon-hwi’s eyes widened.

A power that was impossible for Yeon Ho-jeong’s level, no, a power that was not allowed to any martial god in the world, was gathering and creating a divine beast.

It was also a form of energy created by the harmony of true energy. That was why it was even more surprising. Even with the Five-Colored Hell Energy, the worst demonic art, he couldn’t create such a massive hellish water.

‘Huh?’

And then Hyeok Ryeon-hwi realized.

‘In all of history, is there another martial art besides the Hell Energy that can manifest a phantom image?’

No. It was impossible.

The manifestation of a phantom image was achieved through the unity of the incantation and enlightenment. Even if one operated their true energy according to the incantation, the hellish water would not appear if their enlightenment did not reach that level.

Then what was that?

What was the martial art that had allowed Yeon Ho-jeong to actually summon that massive golden dragon, not just a phantom?

Why was the hellish water, which had bared its teeth, howling with joy as it looked at that martial art?

“Could it be!!”

Kwaang!

Cheon Gyo-hong, who had been buried in the ground by the aftermath of the explosion, revealed himself, unleashing the Demonic Emperor’s Power.

He was in a truly terrible state. Surprisingly, even with the Demonic Emperor’s true energy, his recovery was slow. This was because the Yellow Dragon energy, which had even taken control of the surrounding natural energy, was hindering his recovery.

“……So that’s how it is.”

Cheon Gyo-hong’s face was filled with shock.

However, his voice was still calm.

“There is no power in all the world that can suppress the Demonic Emperor’s true energy. Even with the Five-Colored Hell Energy, it might be possible to contend with it, but it is impossible to break it down.”

Kung!

He straightened his posture, prioritizing the realignment of his dislocated kneecap.

“Except for one single martial art, nothing can stop the Demonic Emperor’s Power.”

Cheon Gyo-hong glared at Yeon Ho-jeong.

He didn’t know if he was sane or not. Yeon Ho-jeong’s appearance, with his black pupils and even the whites of his eyes dyed gold, was like the incarnation of a martial art, or rather, the Yellow Dragon itself.

“It was you.”

Kung!

Cheon Gyo-hong took a step forward.

He was urging on the Demonic Emperor’s Power, even at the cost of his remaining lifespan, and the Demonic Emperor’s Power, freed from the interference of the Yellow Dragon energy, was rapidly restoring his body to normal.

Cheon Gyo-hong shouted.

“It was you! The contemplative madman who has been hiding for hundreds of years has finally revealed himself before us!”

Woo-oong! Woo-oong!

Cheon Gyo-hong’s voice was ringing in Yeon Ho-jeong’s ears.

“The worst traitor of our cult, no, the Blood Cult! The demon who erased the footsteps of the thousand-year-old Blood Cult! The thief who reversed history and the seed of destruction!”

The voice penetrated deep into his eardrums.

Yeon Ho-jeong, who had received no stimulation or information other than the desire to kill Cheon Gyo-hong, felt his five senses awaken the moment he heard the words ‘contemplative madman.’

‘A traitor?’

Puh-suh-suh-suh.

Cheon Gyo-hong took another step forward.

In just two steps, he had completely restored his body and demonic power, and he now draped himself in a cloak of black darkness.

“It would be enough to call you a traitor for all eternity just for stealing the Blood Jade and running away, but you, a half-demon who couldn’t even die, have appeared here like this!”

“Blood Jade……?”

“Aren’t you ashamed, you bastard!”

Flash!

Cheon Gyo-hong’s eyes, like Yeon Ho-jeong’s, were completely dyed black, even the whites.

“If you have any blood flowing in your veins, you should hand over the Blood Jade right now!”