Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 934

The power of the Twin-Headed Dragon was beyond imagination.

“Kuh-uk!”

Unable to evade, Ya Hyuk took the full brunt of the attack, his eyes widening as he saw his mangled arms. He swallowed hard.

Ting, ting, ting!

The string of the Crimson Lotus Bow sang a vibrant tune.

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Four holes appeared in the ground where Ya Hyuk had stood. It was the power of the Formless Bullet, its destructive force reduced but its penetrating power enhanced, now deeper than ever before.

Whoosh!

Having dodged the Formless Bullet, Mak Won lunged at Ya Hyuk, swinging his dagger held in a reverse grip.

Thud!

Cold sweat trickled down Ya Hyuk’s face.

He blocked Mak Won’s arm with his bloodied arms. Even though he was among the top in the Blood Demon Sect in terms of strength, it was difficult to block Mak Won’s downward strike with just one arm.

Whooong!

As if gliding on clouds, Ok Cheong, clad in a pure white robe, extended his sword. The sword net that unraveled from the tip of his blade instantly enveloped Ya Hyuk.

It was an attack that would have left even a seasoned expert covered in spiderweb-like wounds. However, Ya Hyuk’s tough skin was difficult to penetrate even with the sword energy of the Supreme Harmony Qi, the highest level of Taoist divine art. [Supreme Harmony Qi is a powerful Taoist energy technique.]

Considering the compatibility with demonic arts, it was even more remarkable, but it was also because Ya Hyuk’s demonic energy was so strong that the power of the Supreme Harmony Qi did not work properly. It was a direct display of the difference in their levels.

However, the power of the Taoist divine art was enough to shake Ya Hyuk’s insides threateningly, and thanks to the timely attack, Ya Hyuk’s arms lost their strength.

Thwack!

“Kuh-uhk!”

Mak Won’s dagger pierced Ya Hyuk’s shoulder.

At that moment, Tang Gwan shouted.

“Fall back!”

Thwack!

At Tang Gwan’s words, Mak Won reflexively retreated.

Swish, swish, swish!

In front of Mak Won, there was a huge mass of light surrounding Ya Hyuk. The constantly moving mass of light was a wall of light made up of numerous hidden weapons.

There was no way to escape in any direction. The poison of the Emperor’s Poison Art was also embedded around the hidden weapons, shaking Ya Hyuk’s body every moment.

“Damn it!!”

In the end, there was only one answer.

Bang!

Ya Hyuk soared high into the sky.

Muk Bi, who had not missed that moment, released the bowstring.

The Divine Bow, having gained a faster and sharper strike through the enlightenment of the Formless Bullet, though its power was reduced.

The Dragon Fang Cannon of the Nine Dragons Shattering Bow struck Ya Hyuk’s body directly.

Kwaang!

With a deafening explosion, Ya Hyuk was flung twenty yards away and collapsed on the ground.

Ts, ts, ts.

Tang Gwan’s face was extremely pale as he collected all the poison he had spread around. It was the result of unleashing countless techniques that consumed enormous internal energy in an instant, from the secret art of the Emperor’s Poison Art to the Myriad Flying Flowers.

“Hoo-uk!”

Tang Gwan, having caught his breath, asked Mak Won.

“Is it over?”

“Not yet.”

Mak Won’s eyes flashed silver-white as he looked at the fallen Ya Hyuk.

“He hasn’t lost consciousness. He’s much weaker, but he still possesses a strong demonic energy.”

“It’s sickening.”

Not only was he hit by the world’s greatest poison technique, the world’s greatest hidden weapon technique, and a full-force strike from the Divine Bow, but his insides were also shaken by the highest Taoist divine art, and he was even struck by the blade of the Hundred Battles Divine Army. [Hundred Battles Divine Army is likely a reference to a powerful military force or a specific fighting style.]

The fact that he was not incapacitated was unbelievable. This was partly because he was a Limitless Master, but it also meant that Ya Hyuk’s vitality was beyond common sense.

“Let’s finish it.”

Tang Gwan, twirling his arm, held three daggers in his hand.

At that moment, Mak Won raised his hand.

“Wait.”

“Why…?”

“If I could have attacked, I would have gone straight for his neck.”

“What does that mean?”

Ok Cheong said in a tense voice.

“It’s amplifying.”

“What?”

“The demonic energy is amplifying. In an unstable state, constantly.”

“I don’t feel anything…”

Whoooosh!

At that moment, a dark red aura began to rise from Ya Hyuk’s fallen body.

Ok Cheong was right. The dark red demonic energy that erupted from Ya Hyuk’s body was filled with a completely different kind of sinister energy than before.

Tang Gwan’s face twisted.

“I hate it the most, those endless secret arts. That bastard, he should have used it sooner.”

Everyone agreed, but it was not the time to be cursing.

Ok Cheong spoke quickly.

“I’ve heard that there are many bizarre secret arts in the Demonic Martial World. There are even secret arts that can inflate internal energy two or three times, like mine. However…”

“There must be side effects.”

Indeed, what was felt from that demonic energy was the inherent vitality of a human being.

It was a situation that was difficult to break through no matter what, and he was even poisoned by the Tang Clan’s poison. While losing strength every moment, he was directly hit by the bow technique that he should have carefully blocked even in normal times, and even suffered internal injuries.

A situation where he could neither go back nor break through as he was.

He couldn’t even run away. Running away meant death.

In the end, Ya Hyuk chose a method of sacrificing his own life to defeat the enemy.

“Kuaaaah!”

The roar that Ya Hyuk let out made Tang Gwan, Muk Bi, Ok Cheong, and even Mak Won flinch.

It was a tremendous lion’s roar that seemed to reach the end of the endless plains. It was a demonic cry different from the Buddhist lion’s roar, a demonic sound that seemed to drain the strength from one’s limbs just by hearing it.

Chi-i-i-ik!

White smoke billowed from Ya Hyuk’s bloodied arms.

Tang Gwan’s eyes flashed.

He could feel a familiar poison in the smoke. It was clear that he had extracted the Tang Clan’s poison that had penetrated his body with the power of the amplified demonic energy.

“You really…”

Swish, swish, swish!

Tang Gwan, who had once again sucked in the hidden weapons scattered on the ground and floated them in the air, said with a disgusted look.

“It’s terrible, terrible. Isn’t it too unfair? Do all the demonic bastards have such underhanded methods?”

“Not all of them, probably…”

“I wasn’t asking for an answer!”

Swish! Swish!

Hidden weapons circled around Tang Gwan’s body. The three thin circles constantly collided, emitting brilliant sparks.

‘I can’t use poison.’

He knew instinctively. Poison would not work on that demonic bastard’s body right now. How could poison work on a guy who had amplified his existing demonic energy several times by sacrificing his own vitality?

He couldn’t use the Fusion of Three Lives Technique either, so all that was left was his hidden weapon technique with all his might.

Mak Won shouted.

“I’ll strike first!”

Fwaaaang!

Mak Won, adding a long silver-white true energy to the tip of his dagger, creating a dazzling light sword, began to charge.

Tang Gwan shouted.

“Just die already!”

Pi-pi-ping! Swish, swish, swish!

More than ten Formless Bullets and dozens of hidden weapons flew past Mak Won and poured down on Ya Hyuk.

* * *

“…?!”

Yeon Ho-Jeong blinked.

‘What is it?’

His head was spinning for a moment.

It felt like he had been intoxicated by a terrible drug and then regained his senses. For a moment, he couldn’t understand what was happening around him.

Woo-oong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong looked down at his hand.

The Light Dragon Axe in his hand was resonating. As if understanding its master’s feelings, it emitted a cool vibration as if to calm him down.

‘Ah!’

He looked at the debris of the broken ground.

Chi-i-ik! Chi-i-ik!

In the hazy smoke that was rising, there was a man whose body was split in half.

Yet, the man did not die. Rather, the demonic energy within his body seemed to be constantly promoting regeneration, and the severed parts bubbled and boiled, repeatedly creating something and then disappearing.

“Is this your first time seeing it?”

At Cheon Gyo-Hong’s words, Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

His voice, no, his very existence had been pounding on the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art. But that was not the case now.

The demonic energy that was being emitted was uncontrolled and had lost its will. It was still residing in Cheon Gyo-Hong’s body, but he could no longer release the demonic energy at will.

‘Is it this easy?’

Cheon Gyo-Hong possessed a power he had never seen before. It was comparable to the level of the Demonic Cult Leader before his regression.

‘Even if it’s a polar opposite…’

At that moment, Cheon Gyo-Hong spoke.

“Is it unexpected because it’s too easy?”

As if reading Yeon Ho-Jeong’s mind, Cheon Gyo-Hong’s words were sharp.

“I don’t know if you’ve lost your memories or forcibly suppressed them. Or… are you really a descendant of the Mad Thinker?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong did not answer.

It was strange.

Normally, he would have jumped in without listening to anything and crushed Cheon Gyo-Hong’s head. Then, he would have run at full speed to help the fight happening in the rear.

But strangely, his hands did not move.

To be precise, he wanted to hear what Cheon Gyo-Hong had to say.

‘No, that’s not it either.’

It was a gut feeling.

He had a feeling that if he didn’t talk to Cheon Gyo-Hong now, he might miss out on something big in his life.

‘I have to help. I have to help, but…’

Yeon Ho-Jeong pressed his lips together and approached Cheon Gyo-Hong.

Cheon Gyo-Hong said.

“No matter how I think about it, you don’t seem to be a descendant. The level of the Hell Gate Opening is not a level that can be reached at that age. Well, since it’s a modified Hell Art, it probably has a different name than Gate Opening.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong, standing in front of Cheon Gyo-Hong, pointed the Light Dragon Axe at his chest.

Cheon Gyo-Hong smiled.

“You’re thorough. You’re indeed the Mad Thinker.”

There was no option of attacking or self-destructing even without being threatened. Yeon Ho-Jeong knew that well.

Still, just in case, he used the Light Dragon Axe to put pressure on Cheon Gyo-Hong. It was the caution of a seasoned veteran.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“By Mad Thinker, you mean the Four Directional Supremes that the Central Plains Martial World reveres as a legend.”

“The Four Directional Supremes… now that I think about it, I think I’ve heard the beasts of the continent call them that.”

“I’m the Four Directional Supremes?”

“There’s no other possibility.”

“A person cannot live for three hundred years.”

“What have you been listening to me say? With the Blood Jade in hand, it’s not difficult to perform the Soul Transfer technique.”

Soul Transfer.

It meant transferring the soul. It was a dreamlike secret art researched by the Demonic Path, also known as Soul Stealing and Body Switching.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes deepened.

For some reason, this guy seemed to be convinced that he was the Mad Thinker, that is, his master.

Yeon Ho-Jeong pretended not to know and asked.

“What is the Blood Jade?”

Cheon Gyo-Hong’s lips curled up.

“I’m conflicted. It seems pointless to tell you, but if by any chance I can revive your past memories, that would be a good thing in itself.”

Reviving past memories would be a good thing?

It seemed like the opposite. If he were to recall all his memories, it would mean that the Four Directional Supremes who ended the Blood Demon Sect’s chaos three hundred years ago would descend, so how could that be a good thing?

“Whatever… it’s fine. I’ve done enough. The rest is up to the descendants. No matter how hard you guys try, you won’t be able to defeat the sect leader of our sect.”

He said it with a smile, but Yeon Ho-Jeong read the exhaustion on his face.

Perhaps holding onto a soul that could not go to the afterlife was not only against the will of heaven, but also a terrible thing to do to the person.

Cheon Gyo-Hong was clearly struggling. At the same time, he was rejoicing.

At the thought that he could finally die, at the thought that he could talk to someone after a long time.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

“Enough with that nonsense, just tell me what the Blood Jade is.”

Cheon Gyo-Hong’s smile deepened.

“Alright. Since you don’t seem to think of yourself as the Mad Thinker, I will also treat you as a third party.”

“…”

“What is the Blood Jade, you ask?”

“That’s right.”

“The Blood Jade is one of the three divine objects of the World-Transcending Blood Sect.”

“I heard you say it was a divine object. I heard it’s like a bead, but what makes it a divine object? Is it because of the Soul Transfer function?”

“It has no choice but to be a divine object. The Blood Jade is the source of the Blood Sect and the origin of life. It is an ancient treasure that can even reverse time if one reaches its ultimate form.”

“…!!”