Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 978

Drip.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, wiping his mouth, had a deeply furrowed brow.

‘He wasn’t going to just take that, was he?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong touched his side.

He had grabbed both arms and headbutted him, but as he fell, he had unleashed a hidden palm strike. He couldn’t afford to dodge if he wanted to bring him down, so he had endured it and struck back.

‘It stings.’

The cold energy that had penetrated his body was rampaging, targeting seven of his pressure points.

Suppressing it with the Yellow Dragon Energy was a half-beat too slow. He was pushing it out, but it seemed it would take some time to completely evaporate the invading energy.

“Hoo.”

Taking a light breath, Yeon Ho-Jeong looked down at the fallen Na Gak-Roe.

‘How futile.’

A headbutt might seem barbaric at first glance, but even the Shaolin Temple had a martial art that seriously trained the Iron Head Skill. [Iron Head Skill: A martial art focused on hardening the skull for powerful headbutts.]

Of course, he hadn’t specifically trained in headbutts, but he had struck with the Yellow Dragon Energy pushed to its limit. It was actually strange that Na Gak-Roe’s face hadn’t been completely smashed.

‘I struck with the sole intention of destroying him, but… huh?’

Yeon Ho-Jeong suddenly reflected on his enlightenment.

After mastering the Yellow Dragon Divine King Art, he realized that his martial arts were now based on the upper dantian. [Upper Dantian: An energy center in the forehead, associated with mental and spiritual power.]

To be precise, he could do anything possible with his brain and imagination. If he wasn’t careful, he could even draw on his own life force.

That meant that if he had perfect control over his body and a strong belief, he could instantly extract the hidden energy that had penetrated him.

‘I’m getting complacent and not using what I have… I’m still doing that. I’m far from where I need to be.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong took a deep breath and focused his mind.

‘Get out.’

Twitch.

The hidden energy that had pierced his pressure points hesitated.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes widened.

‘Get out!’

Whoosh!

The Yellow Dragon Energy surged like a wave, completely evaporating Na Gak-Roe’s hidden energy.

He felt considerable pain, but Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face was bright. He realized that he could control not only the manifestation of his martial arts but also any element acting on his body, depending on his will.

‘Good.’

Yeon Ho-Jeong picked up the Mad Dragon Axe from the ground and aimed it at Na Gak-Roe.

What else was there to say? There was no reason to say goodbye or call him a bad guy in front of a fallen opponent.

Yeon Ho-Jeong focused on killing his opponent as calmly as usual.

He swung the Mad Dragon Axe powerfully.

Crack! Thud!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes flashed.

Cracks spread across the ground around Na Gak-Roe’s body.

But Na Gak-Roe didn’t die. Surprisingly, he raised both arms to block the Mad Dragon Axe, and the way he blocked it was incredible.

He had used the steel thread of the prayer beads, which had been pierced by the Blood Energy Beads, to block the thick axe blade of the Mad Dragon Axe.

‘When?!’

He hadn’t even realized that his opponent had regained his senses.

This was a first. He had been blindsided before, but he had never failed to read his opponent’s condition while looking at him.

However, Yeon Ho-Jeong didn’t panic. He didn’t have time to panic. In a fight with a master of this level, panicking and missing the timing was foolish.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s move was simple.

Whoooosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s entire body was filled with golden light. It was as if he had been born with golden skin.

Thud!

Na Gak-Roe’s body sank deeper into the ground.

There was no need for any other move. Yeon Ho-Jeong’s choice was to tear his opponent apart with overwhelming power.

‘Ugh!’

Na Gak-Roe’s face flushed red.

He had lost consciousness from the headbutt, but at the same time, he had regained his senses like a lightning strike.

The Blood Flame Great Power required a strong faith in the Evil Buddha to master. Faith was also largely in the realm of the upper dantian, and naturally, his upper dantian was as large as any master’s. That faith, that sense of crisis, had instantly awakened his mind.

Whoooosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s eyes shone with a strange light.

The red beads scattered around him floated into the air.

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled coldly.

“I didn’t realize it when I fought that Blood Monk, but now that I see them, those beads look very useful.”

Na Gak-Roe’s eyes wavered for a moment.

“You! Do you know my disciple?!”

“He was half-destroyed and ran away. He used a similar martial art to yours.”

“You bastard!”

“I don’t know about anything else, but I’m interested in your hidden weapons. I’ll make good use of them.”

“Shut up!”

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s waist bent slightly backward.

It was astonishing how much power came from his old body, pushing back the eighty-pound Mad Dragon Axe with the prayer bead thread.

The moment Na Gak-Roe’s waist was halfway off the ground.

Yeon Ho-Jeong lowered his stance.

Clang!

The prayer bead thread was cleanly cut, and the huge axe blade was buried in the bare ground.

Yeon Ho-Jeong turned his gaze to the left.

He had used the brief opening to fly like lightning, but his left arm was cleanly cut off by the axe blade.

But Na Gak-Roe’s expression was bright.

“It’s over.”

He was already outside the full range of the Blood Energy Beads.

The one hundred and eight Blood Energy Beads, which had gradually reduced their range, were gathered within a foot of Yeon Ho-Jeong. In other words, the entire area around him was filled with Blood Energy Beads.

Na Gak-Roe said with a sinister smile.

“You seemed like you weren’t letting your guard down, but you ended up doing it anyway.”

“…”

“Still, it’s been a long time since I’ve faced an opponent as strong as you. Although I lost an arm, it’s nothing compared to the fruits of victory. I’m evaluating you that highly, so you should be proud.”

“…”

“I don’t know where you fought my disciple, the Blood Monk… but if you crushed him as you say, then his senior brother must repay that debt. You reached that level at such a young age, so the name Yeon Ho-Jeong will be recorded in my memory until I die.”

“Is that so?”

Na Gak-Roe frowned.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression and voice were too calm.

‘Has he given up?’

In a battle between masters, even a single lapse in posture, a flinch at the wind, or a stiffening of the body can create an opening and lead to defeat.

Then, is there no situation where a clear advantage is established, where no variables apply?

Yes, there is. It’s right now.

The one hundred and eight Blood Energy Beads were connected by invisible energy. There were large gaps between the beads, but the moment he tried to escape through them, all the beads would pierce Yeon Ho-Jeong’s torso.

He would die whether he stood still or moved. The power of life and death was in Na Gak-Roe’s hands.

But why?

Looking at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s expression, Na Gak-Roe felt an unknown unease.

‘Does he have some kind of plan?’

Then, Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled and said.

“That memory will end soon. Because you’re going to die here.”

“Huh?”

“But when are you going to shoot these beads at me?”

“…You’re arrogant.”

Na Gak-Roe’s lips curled up.

“It’s impressive that you can maintain such composure even when facing death. Since you didn’t beg pathetically on your last journey, I’ll send you off without pain.”

Thud!

‘Huh?’

Na Gak-Roe, who had finished speaking, looked down at his abdomen in response to a sudden pain.

Something was sticking out.

‘A rock?’

It was a sharply broken rock. It was almost like a dagger, and it seemed to be a rock that had popped out of the ground that had been broken during the fight.

‘But why is this rock…?’

That’s when it happened.

Crackling!

The one hundred and eight Blood Energy Beads trembled.

Lightning began to spark in the air where the Blood Flame Great Power, the formless energy, had been flowing.

“Cough!”

Na Gak-Roe, clutching his abdomen, staggered. The rock that had pierced his kidney had passed through his intestines and out the side of his navel.

No matter how skilled a master was, they couldn’t properly control their inner energy. If it were a narrow blade, it might be different, but a rock thicker than two fingers had pierced him.

And Yeon Ho-Jeong, taking advantage of that opening, had infiltrated his inner energy into the one hundred and eight Blood Energy Beads floating in the air.

The unstable Blood Flame Great Power couldn’t overcome the Yellow Dragon Energy and was repelled, and eventually, most of the Blood Energy Beads were seized by Yeon Ho-Jeong’s Yellow Dragon Energy.

Na Gak-Roe looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong with hazy eyes.

His figure, with his hand not holding the Mad Dragon Axe raised to his midsection.

The stolen Blood Energy Beads were slowly circling around his body. It was a mystical sight, like a scene from a myth.

“Letting my guard down? Who said I was letting my guard down?”

“…”

“It doesn’t seem to be because of a lack of real combat experience, it just seems like the old man’s nature is to like to brag. This old man should know not to let his guard down unless he’s sure he’s killed someone.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

“Just like I am now.”

“Cough!”

Na Gak-Roe knelt down.

He couldn’t understand. Even though his abdomen had been pierced by a thick rock, it didn’t make sense that he, with his sea-like inner energy, would fall so helplessly when his spine wasn’t even broken.

‘Why… why?!’

Then, Na Gak-Roe felt it.

That the pressure points around his dantian were already completely destroyed. [Dantian: An energy center in the body, often associated with the abdomen.]

‘……!!’

It was shocking that his pressure points had been destroyed, but the method of the hidden energy that had destroyed them was even more shocking.

The way the hidden energy carried by the rock had penetrated like a snake, destroying the major pressure points. There were many penetrating energies in the world, but this penetrating energy that destroyed the large and small pressure points in succession was unique.

“Ah, Evil Heart Palm?!”

“Is that what you call the Evil Heart Palm? Seriously, what were you guys thinking when you named your martial arts like that? Well, if you’re openly declaring that you’re pursuing evil, then that’s pretty cool in its own way.”

“How did you?!”

“I learned it.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong glanced at his side.

“You gave me a hit before you fell, didn’t you? I learned it then.”

“I-Impossible…!”

“What’s impossible is your mindset of prematurely declaring victory in a life-or-death battle. You’ve managed to survive this long with that kind of attitude. The Western Region martial world must have been quite peaceful, huh?”

Na Gak-Roe’s face contorted.

He was angry at Yeon Ho-Jeong’s words, but he was also shocked again.

Whoooosh!

The one hundred and eight Blood Energy Beads rotated at high speed in place.

A terrifying speed that sucked in the air. It wasn’t as fast as when Na Gak-Roe had used them, but the fact that he could rotate a hundred and eight beads at once shocked Na Gak-Roe.

“Even the Hundred and Eight Blood Shadow Bullets…?!!”

“I won’t be using them again. It’s not a martial art that suits me. But each of these beads is a treasure, so I’ll melt them down and use them for something good.”

The blood vessels in his eyes burst.

Shedding tears of blood, Na Gak-Roe shouted.

“You bastard!!”

“Farewell.”

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Na Gak-Roe, turned into mincemeat by the one hundred and eight beads, lost his life.

It seemed like a futile battle, but for Yeon Ho-Jeong, it was also the first time he had engaged in such a delicate battle involving internal energy. It was a much greater learning experience than Na Gak-Roe’s martial arts techniques, going beyond just exchanging blows to infiltrating and manipulating his opponent’s inner energy to disrupt it.

Drip.

Blood flowed from Yeon Ho-Jeong’s nose. It was because he had overused his upper dantian.

Wiping the blood from his nose, Yeon Ho-Jeong retrieved the Blood Energy Beads and turned around.

Whoosh.

After briefly checking his body, Yeon Ho-Jeong looked far to the west.

‘It’s slowly coming to an end.’

The enemy’s morale was at rock bottom. On the other hand, the morale of the Martial Alliance forces had risen to an unprecedented level, surging like a huge flame.

Whoosh!

Yeon Ho-Jeong kicked off the ground. He intended to take on any remaining enemies to prevent even one more person from getting hurt.

The battlefield where Yeon Ho-Jeong had left.

The traces of less than ten pieces of flesh showed that the absolute ruler of the Western Region martial world had once come to the Central Plains.