Monochrome Sovereign [EN]: Chapter 99

“Hoo.”

How long had he been like that?

The clothes, repeatedly soaked and dried by the dew, had become limp. His sweat-soaked and disheveled hair indicated that he had been sitting in that position for a long time.

He was in a state of selflessness. Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had been sitting in that spot for three days, focusing on his inner energy, had eyes as calm as a tranquil lake.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong wore a faint smile.

Shortly after, his expression contorted.

“It’s over… d-d-darn it! Oh, my legs!”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had released his cross-legged position, groaned and massaged his legs.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

As he hastily circulated his inner energy, a chilling white energy flowed towards his stiff legs.

Flash!

A sharp energy surged like lightning.

It was a true energy completely different from the Flying Swallow Technique. If the Flying Swallow Technique created a gentle green light, this true energy boasted a cool white energy like a divine sword.

Sharp, yet pure and radiant at the same time. It was as if it was showing Yeon Ji-Pyeong the path he should take as a swordsman.

“Hoo, that’s better.”

The energy that had been released from his legs surged through his entire body in an instant.

The body that had been stiffened was instantly relaxed. His joints still felt rusty, but after moving his body a few times, he quickly felt better.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong brought his hands together in front of his chest. Then, he focused his energy.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

How much time had passed?

The energy that was emitted outside his body gathered and formed a faint white light.

Joy flickered across Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s face.

“It, it worked!”

He had emitted his inner energy, precisely controlled it, compressed it, and fixed it outside his body.

It was a control of inner energy that was impossible without a deep understanding of inner energy. It was not a level that could be achieved at the age of sixteen.

A surprisingly clear and noble energy.

It was the Sword Extremity Thought Energy, one of the five great divine arts of the Yeon family.

Whoosh!

He absorbed the energy he had created in front of him.

It felt as if his whole body was filled with energy. A sense of accomplishment made him smile.

“Hehehe.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had been chuckling to himself, soon cleared his throat and crossed his arms.

“No, I can’t be satisfied here.”

He thought of Yeon Ho-Jeong, his older brother.

“My brother never settled for just getting something.”

His brother was always someone who looked upwards.

In fact, that didn’t suit Yeon Ji-Pyeong’s personality. At least, that was true for the current Yeon Ji-Pyeong.

However, as a martial artist, his brother’s attitude had much to learn from. If his efforts had paid off and he had risen to his current position, he should solidify his foundation and then aim higher again.

Perhaps all martial artists living in the martial world were like that. To not neglect daily training for stronger power and higher realms was the destiny of those who lived in the martial world.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong picked up the long sword that had been placed in the corner of the training ground.

Shhh.

“Ugh!”

It was still sharp, but somehow the luster was duller than before. Since it was an ordinary iron sword and not a treasured sword, it was inevitable that it would lose its shine if it wasn’t maintained for a few days.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong quickly wiped the sword, making sure no one was watching.

Of course, rubbing it with his sleeve wouldn’t restore its shine. In the end, Yeon Ji-Pyeong looked distressed and stroked the sword.

“Sorry, I’ll polish you well after training.”

It was the first real sword he had ever received. It had been over a year since he had started wielding this sword. It was bound to be special.

“Alright.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong lowered his stance and brought the sword down. The smile on his face vanished in an instant, replaced by a blank expression.

Swish, swish, swish!

The footwork as he dashed forward was fast and light.

It was the Yeon family’s secret footwork, the Heavenly Net Divine Steps. A peerless footwork that covered all areas under the sky like a net. Although his cultivation was still low, he was a genius who produced results beyond what he had learned.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had been traversing the entire training ground with his fantastic footwork, finally swung his sword.

Swoosh! Thud!

A strong explosive force erupted from the tip of his sword.

Strong but sharp. Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had violently shaken the air in front of him in an instant, swung his sword at a terrifying speed.

The sword patterns that stirred the air like a net were uncharacteristically violent and fast. He was unleashing the Chaotic Sword Technique of the Iron Sword Training.

‘Huh?’

Swoosh.

Yeon Ji-Pyeong, who had been releasing his sword patterns, suddenly straightened his posture.

‘What is it? It’s different from before?’

He didn’t know exactly what had changed. But it had definitely changed.

And because of that change, it seemed better not to use the sword techniques, at least for now.

“Hmm, let’s do some physical training.”

Grumble.

“…Let’s eat first.”

Shhh!

“Gah! I have to take care of my sword too! So busy, so busy.”

Yeon Ji-Pyeong quickly disappeared, clutching his sword.

Shortly after, Yeon-Wi and Yeon Ho-Jeong appeared in the empty training ground.

Yeon-Wi glanced at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

“What do you think?”

Yeon Ho-Jeong clicked his tongue.

“When did that kid grow up so much?”

“Does he seem quite capable to you?”

“Are you saying he’s just ‘quite capable’ after seeing that? Who else could achieve such high-level swordsmanship at Ji-Pyeong’s age?”

Yeon-Wi’s eyes sparkled.

“Swordsmanship, you say. You have a good eye.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong shook his head.

“It’s just a discrepancy caused by his body not being fully grown yet. Ji-Pyeong’s sword has already reached a high level. However, if he had continued to train his martial arts like that, the discrepancy between his sword principles and his physical body could have led him astray.”

“That’s probably true.”

“But he realized that and stopped training. He realized that his understanding had surpassed his physical training with just a few sword swings. It means he clearly sees his own growth indicators.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong couldn’t help but be amazed by his younger brother’s talent.

‘A genius who encompasses everything with his senses. There wasn’t even a genius like that in the Black Demon Fortress.’

With just a few sword swings, Yeon Ho-Jeong could accurately grasp the path his younger brother’s sword was taking.

What Yeon Ji-Pyeong had realized was the sword of the middle path.

It was also what his father, Yeon-Wi’s sword, pursued. That was why it was the way of the sword. It was the right path, not leaning to one side.

“The most important thing for a martial artist is to know what kind of training they need to do to grow in their current position. In that regard, Ji-Pyeong is a possessor of innate senses.”

“He will become stronger faster than anyone else. Maybe even more than me.”

“But I am worried. He will grow rapidly, but like other areas, martial arts become more difficult and burdensome as you climb higher. I’ve seen many geniuses who have never been frustrated break down when they hit a wall.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong smiled.

He was still looking at the spot where Yeon Ji-Pyeong had disappeared.

“Ji-Pyeong will do well. He won’t go astray like me.”

Yeon-Wi looked at Yeon Ho-Jeong.

The eldest son was smiling. There was no emotion other than pride and joy in his eyes as he looked at his younger brother.

It was like the expression of a parent who was proud of their child’s growth. It was clear that he genuinely welcomed his younger brother’s growth.

A small smile also appeared on Yeon-Wi’s lips.

‘You didn’t go astray either.’

There could be a temporary deviation. But Yeon Ho-Jeong had overcome himself and had grown this much.

As a result, Yeon Ho-Jeong had also grown straight and well without going astray. The sight of the eldest son, who had repented his mistakes and turned his eyes to the world, was, in a sense, an even greater surprise than the second son.

Yeon-Wi looked up at the sky.

Was it because his eldest son had returned? He suddenly thought of his wife.

A warm light flickered in his usually indifferent eyes.

‘Thanks to you watching over them, our children have grown up so well.’

Yeon-Wi sincerely thought that he had done nothing.

He just thought that his wife, who had left first, had given strength to their two sons from heaven. That was why they had grown up so well.

However, since he had done nothing for his children so far, he would give them everything he could now.

“Let’s go up.”

“Yes.”

The father and son stood in the center of the training ground.

As soon as they stepped onto the training ground, the atmosphere of the two changed completely.

Yeon-Wi looked at the axe that Yeon Ho-Jeong was carrying.

“It’s become quite rough.”

Yeon Ho-Jeong tapped the axe blade.

“I think I need to take care of it. It seems the blade is quite damaged from clashing with the Myeong family so many times.”

“It doesn’t just look like the blade is damaged.”

“Yes. It’s still okay, but there’s also a problem with the shaft.”

Yeon-Wi shook his head.

“No matter how great the aftermath of martial arts collisions was, it’s difficult for such a large heavy weapon to be damaged so quickly.”

“Yes.”

“That’s proof that your inner energy is extremely strong. A temperament that is only endlessly strong will inevitably burden the body. If your inner energy control was perfect, it wouldn’t have been damaged to that extent.”

“I know.”

Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, Black Tortoise.

He had obtained the three energies of the Four Divine Beasts and had perfectly controlled each energy.

But that meant there was no problem in handling his true energy. He hadn’t set aside time to refine the true energy itself. Because it would refine itself.

However, unless he wielded a divine weapon, the lifespan of any weapon he held would be short.

“Let’s go see Master Shin tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

Shhh.

Yeon-Wi drew his sword.

It was not the training medium sword he had wielded against Yeon Ho-Jeong before, but a three-and-a-half-foot-long iron long sword.

Yeon Ho-Jeong’s face stiffened.

Whoosh.

A terrifying sword energy was carried on the wind that naturally arose.

‘He’s serious.’

He didn’t draw his beloved sword.

But he was serious. He was not here for a sparring match at their level like before, but as the head of the Byeoksan Yeon family and a judge who had reached the ranks of the renowned masters.

“Show me everything you’ve gained today.”

“Understood.”

“I don’t want to leave any marks on my son’s body. However, keep in mind that you could get hurt if you don’t unleash your full power.”

Bang!

The entire training ground seemed to shake.

Ch ch ch ch.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had drawn his power with a more powerful stance than ever before, lowered his axe to the lower right.

Yeon-Wi’s eyes flashed.

‘Amazing energy!’

It was as if a pure white energy was rising like smoke from the bottom of his eldest son’s feet.

That energy was surprisingly strong and cool. It would be hard to find such energy anywhere in the world.

The most aggressive energy among the Four Divine Beasts. The Gyeongin’s Metal God, the ruler of the wind, the White Tiger, was roaring.

Whoooooosh!

The wind that had been blowing from all directions gathered at the tip of Yeon Ho-Jeong’s axe.

Yeon Ho-Jeong opened his mouth.

Yeon-Wi could see the remnants of the pure white storm spreading from his son’s open mouth.

“It’s still far from enough, but…”

Whoosh!

He was pressuring his opponent with his momentum even before the attack began.

The White Tiger’s momentum, based on the Byeokra True Energy, spread without end.

Crack, crack, crack!

The ground around where Yeon Ho-Jeong stood cracked in a circle. The solid ground of the training ground could not withstand the pressure of the pouring energy.

Surprise appeared on Yeon-Wi’s face.

‘This can’t be.’

It was a level where he could affect external objects with just his atmospheric pressure.

He had been half-expecting it, but his son’s level had truly risen to a level where even the elders of a great sect would find it difficult to determine the outcome. In just a few months!

“I will do my best.”

Clang!

It was an extremely combative step.

Yeon Ho-Jeong, who had received power with a powerful stance, swung his axe with a storm-like momentum.

Whoooosh!

He swung it so strongly that it seemed like the steel rod would bend.

Surprisingly, the target was Yeon-Wi’s collarbone. It was a momentum that would cut him diagonally through the torso, proof that he was seeing his opponent not as his father, but as just another martial artist.

In an instant, a strange excitement arose on Yeon-Wi’s face.

This fighting spirit, this pressure.

How long had it been since he had felt such pressure as a swordsman? Now that he had thought of the two words, life and death, as the head of the Yeon family, he felt a boiling fighting spirit rather than tension.

‘Good!’

Yeon-Wi’s sword moved like lightning.

The two men’s weapons collided head-on.

Clang!