Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 974

Flash!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes gleamed.

Moyong Gun, noticing the change in his eyes, rose from his seat.

“Everyone, prepare for battle.”

The other potential leaders, who had been resting, as well as the warriors of the Azure Dragon and Great Dragon Squads, hardened their expressions and stood up.

Dang Sang-ah asked,

“Are the enemies here?”

Moyong Gun looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had been staring at the northwest, nodded.

“They’re strong. Just as expected.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“In a fight against such masters, strategy and tactics are meaningless. We just have to fight and win.”

“Just how skilled are they?”

“Their martial arts have developed so differently from the Central Plains that it’s hard to gauge their level. What you see and what you feel are different.”

“Hmm.”

“But if I had to put a level on it.”

Swish.

Yeon Ho-Jeong raised the Gwangryongbu [a massive, polearm-like weapon].

The massive, world-class weapon, always intimidating to anyone who saw it, emitted a faint glow.

“They are at least at the level of the Three Armies, a Divine Immortal Emperor.”

“……!”

Moyong Gun, and everyone else, hardened their faces.

Namgoong Pyo, who had been silent, spoke.

“Does the So-Leium Temple have such a master?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong nodded.

“The world is vast, and there are many masters. No one knows where any master exists. Who would have known that the Great Lord of the Shinma Forest was a demon who had reached the Supreme [a very high level of martial arts mastery]?”

“……!”

Namgoong Pyo bit his lip.

There are many masters in the world? He knew it in his head.

But when masters he thought could not possibly exist appeared one after another, the shock was immense. There were already several people who were praised as geniuses who would carry the future of the martial world, but when you peeled back the layers, there were countless monsters surpassing those geniuses.

Even Yeon Ho-Jeong in front of him, who was not even thirty years old, had the skill to fight the Sword and Saber Emperors on equal footing.

“It’s surprising, but not strange.”

Moyong Gun’s voice was calm.

It was the voice of someone who clearly knew his own talent, his own position, and the future he was drawing.

“As Yeon-je [a respectful term for a younger brother or junior] said, the fact that the Three Sects didn’t take over the So-Leium Temple and just left it alone means that they would have to endure considerable damage if they tried to eradicate it. This also means that the So-Leium Temple’s forces are much more formidable than we imagined.”

“That’s right.”

“Right now, there are Senior Kwon and the Alliance Leader in the Shaolin Temple. Unless Shaolin reveals its full power, no one can be sure that there aren’t more masters who have reached the Supreme. Our world is like that, and the other world wouldn’t be any different.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“You’ve become smarter while I haven’t seen you.”

“You brat, I’ve eaten at least one more meal than you, so I have to keep up with you.”

“Even if you praise me like that, I have nothing to give you in return.”

“It’s fine. Just getting this far thanks to you is more than enough, it’s even burdensome.”

Tension slowly gathered on Moyong Gun’s face.

“Then, is the leader of the So-Leium Temple here in person?”

“I don’t think so. It’s impossible in the first place.”

“Hmm.”

“However, they are on their way for proselytizing and preliminary reconnaissance, so this is also a significant matter. If they win, the So-Leium Temple will also occupy part of the Central Plains, and they will need a reliable person to manage the So-Leium monks in that land.”

“The fact that they sent someone to take on that role means…”

“Someone they trust as much as their parents or siblings. Furthermore, since a master of that caliber is rare in this era, it seems they have called out a reclusive master from the previous generation.”

“They called out a previous generation… They’re going all in.”

“It’s a moment that changes the history of the organization, so it’s natural. Of course, we can’t be sure until we see it for ourselves.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong slowly rotated his shoulder. Even with the heavy Gwangryongbu in his hand, the way he rotated his shoulder looked as if he were holding a twig.

“In other words, if we defeat even those who are risking their organization’s fate, the So-Leium Temple won’t even dare to raise an army for a while.”

“Probably.”

“It’s become a much bigger fight than I thought.”

“Now we just have to confirm it.”

After a while.

Neigh!

The Murim Alliance [a martial arts alliance] forces, leading their horses, descended below the cliff. Their momentum, forming a line two hundred yards away from the So-Leium Temple forces, was grim and ominous.

At the forefront of the forces were Moyong Gun and Jeagal Jun.

In fact, the two had performed admirably in several battles. In terms of martial prowess, Moyong Gun and Ogumun were on par, but in commanding troops, the two’s abilities had to take precedence.

Their abilities were so special that even the proud younger generation acknowledged them.

And now, Moyong Gun could also see clearly how others viewed him. That’s why he could be so confident.

“Their momentum is formidable.”

“Indeed.”

Jeagal Jun’s eyes deepened.

“We have recovered our strength, but so have they. And…”

“Their morale has risen.”

“That’s right.”

“Since the absolute master of the So-Leium Temple has joined, they probably don’t even consider defeat. With strong faith and an invincible master, their morale is bound to rise.”

At that moment, Peng Dae-Ho said,

“It’s fake morale.”

“Hmm?”

“Their morale is great, but it feels somewhat empty.”

People were surprised and looked at Peng Dae-Ho.

Pang Dae-Ho’s eyes were sharp. His focus on the enemy made him look cautious and keen, unlike his large build.

“It’s like a morale that’s strong like fire but can’t be recovered once it’s broken. Faith and all that is good, but they don’t seem to think they can win against us with their own strength.”

Dang Sang-ah’s eyes widened.

“Can you even tell that?”

“I wouldn’t say I know, I’m just guessing.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It’s not amazing. After being beaten to a pulp by my father every day, I sometimes feel like I can take it easy in this fight. But my father knows it like a ghost and beats me even harder.”

“……”

“I wondered how he knew, and then I developed an eye for discerning the quality of momentum.”

Looking at his expression, he didn’t seem to be joking.

He had developed an amazing ability in a truly absurd and strange way. Even though it wasn’t the right situation, Dang Sang-ah felt a chuckle escape her.

Namgoong Pyo said calmly,

“Any morale is hard to reignite once it’s broken.”

Moyong Gun nodded.

“That’s right. It’s good to know the enemy’s condition, but we shouldn’t be careless just because their morale is broken.”

Pang Dae-Ho also nodded and touched his sword hilt.

“I just wanted to say that even if the enemy is easily broken, it doesn’t mean they don’t have other tricks up their sleeves. In the first place, breaking a morale that’s already ignited is difficult, so what we have to do remains the same.”

“That’s right.”

They weren’t particularly close to each other, and they were far from being complete martial artists.

However, after proper training and numerous battles, they had all grown significantly. This was a more valuable experience than the growth of their martial arts, and it would be a great nourishment for them in the future as they lived through the harsh martial world.

It was while the Murim Alliance forces were preparing for battle.

Whoosh!

An unusual aura rose from the So-Leium Temple forces.

Tension rose on everyone’s faces.

“They’re here.”

The ground trembled slightly.

As five hundred troops parted to the left and right, a master appeared from beyond.

Even though they were two hundred yards away, Moyong Gun could observe the opponent in detail.

‘An old man?’

It was an old monk with a long, gray beard that reached his chest.

The thick, long beard was braided into two strands, with gold ornaments at the ends. The distance was too far to see the ornaments in detail, but they didn’t seem to be ordinary treasures.

The old monk’s physique was small, and his robe was loose.

He wore three large and small prayer beads around his neck, and his body was so thin that it seemed like it would be a burden on his neck.

His left hand was forming a strange wisdom mudra [a symbolic hand gesture], and his right hand was behind his back. With so many wrinkles, he looked at least seventy years old.

Drip. Drip.

Sweat dripped from Moyong Gun’s hand holding the reins.

‘He’s strong.’

He was already tense when he only felt the aura, but now that he saw the real thing, a chill ran down his spine.

‘He’s an incredibly strong person. Yeon-je was right. It’s similar to when I saw the Sword and Saber Emperors.’

In fact, it was even more shocking.

It wasn’t a matter of strength, but of the martial arts he was practicing. The evil energy emanating from him was so great that just facing him made his hands and feet tingle.

Even though they were two hundred yards away.

‘That’s not all.’

Behind the old monk, there were seven middle-aged monks wearing uniquely dark red robes. They were hidden by the monk’s aura, but they also seemed to be quite skilled.

Each one’s aura was formidable, but they were even stronger when they were together. They were clearly direct subordinates who were used like disciples or henchmen.

‘This is not going to be easy.’

Just fighting the five hundred troops would cause quite a few casualties, but if those seven masters joined the fight, it would be much more difficult.

‘There’s no other way. We just have to clash and win. There’s no need for any strategy or tactics at this point, all that’s left is to test each other’s strength.’

Moyong Gun raised his hand.

Then, the Murim Alliance forces also opened a path to the left and right.

Chiriring!

A strange yet somehow familiar sound of chains.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had tied the Gyoryong Chain to the end of the Gwangryongbu’s shaft, walked out with a brisk step.

Moyong Gun didn’t even look at Yeon Ho-Jeong and said in a deep voice,

“It seems there’s no need for conversation.”

“I think so too.”

“But they seem eager to talk.”

As if waiting for it, the monk opened his mouth.

“This humble monk is Na Gak-Roe of the So-Leium Temple.”

The booming voice vibrated the air.

Just hearing that voice made the Murim Alliance warriors frown. The sound flowing through the air, the vibration, was reaching their internal energy.

The monk, Na Gak-Roe, continued,

“I won’t make it long. The warriors of the Eastern Continent should retreat now. You should know best that this is an unnecessary fight. If you are looking for bloodshed…”

At that moment, Yeon Ho-Jeong said,

“A guy who would have just rushed in if he was confident, is just flapping his wicked tongue.”

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s voice was more intense than Na Gak-Roe’s, and it contained an even stronger force.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, intentionally using the power of the Yellow Dragon, shattered Na Gak-Roe’s evil energy and released the tension of the Murim Alliance warriors.

Na Gak-Roe said in an angry voice,

“Who are you?”

“You’re going to die anyway, so why do you need to know my name, you firewood?”

“What did you say?”

“But if you really want to know, fine. I’ll tell you.”

Krrrr!

The golden energy swirling beneath Yeon Ho-Jeong’s feet instantly transformed into a dragon ascending to the sky.

“I am Yeon Ho-Jeong, the twenty-sixth successor of the Four Divine Martial Arts, the current Four Divine Martial Arts Master.”