Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 150 - An Invisible Fight is Scarier (5)
Chapter 150 – An Invisible Fight is Scarier (5)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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The Shark Mouth Stronghold, located in the northern part of Hebei, had the shortest history among the Green Forest strongholds, which are bandit groups.
However, surprisingly, the Shark Mouth Stronghold, which didn’t even have a ten-year history, quickly grew into a bandit group competing for the top of the Green Forest along with the Mountain Lord Stronghold.
That was entirely thanks to the master of the Shark Mouth Stronghold, the Blood Shark Death Sword Do-chil.
Blood Shark, that is, a shark dyed in blood. He was originally a successful water bandit captain of the Yangtze River Waterway Stronghold.
Why such a man became a mountain bandit, no one knew. However, it was important that his martial arts were outstanding, and his resourcefulness was also remarkable.
Furthermore, he was skilled in tactics. Even though it is not easy for a bandit who made a living by water piracy to be well-versed in land tactics, he knew how to employ what is called tactics.
Do-chil, the top master and best strategist of the Green Forest strongholds.
A disaster fell upon such Do-chil.
Jjeo-eo-eo-eong!
“Keugh!”
Facing the powerfully pushing storm-like sword strike, Do-chil had to clench his teeth and retreat.
“This greenhorn bastard!”
“Noisy.”
The young man who fiercely drove his sword strikes right away along with a cold-hearted remark was Jang-san.
Ooooong!
A refreshing sword wind blew in, along with a loud ringing of the sword as if it would burst at any moment.
If one doesn’t dodge just because it feels refreshing, they won’t escape death. The sword Jang-san swung was the Pine Wind Sword, and the Pine Wind Sword was an ultimate technique of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.
Do-chil’s straight sword swung wildly.
Jjeo-jeo-jeong!
Sparks flew as the sword and blade clashed.
Surprisingly, Do-chil’s blade strike was stronger than that of Jang-san, a disciple of the Nine Sects. Within the explosive blade techniques, strength and skill were exquisitely interlocked, so it seemed any ordinary master wouldn’t easily respond.
But Jang-san was accompanied by the martial learning of Qingcheng, which had made its name as one of the pillars of the Orthodox Factions for hundreds of years.
Chiriring! Pararak!
Do-chil’s eyes shook.
‘This bastard again!’
The martial arts of the Shark Tooth Killing Sword that he pushed with, cut through the empty air once again.
It was a dazzling evasion. It wasn’t particularly fast, nor exquisite, but before he knew it, he had slipped out to the rear flank.
‘What kind of ghostly phenomenon is this!’
It was the secret technique of the Qingcheng Sect, Azure Cloud Step.
The footsteps that flowed like a blue cloud made one lose the line of attack before they realized. It was a footwork that perfectly solidified the offense and defense if properly implemented.
“Euaab!”
Kwang!
Do-chil, stepping heavily with a shout, scattered his straight sword.
Jjeo-eong!
Jang-san retreated to the rear once again.
Surprise colored his eyes.
‘He’s strong.’
Although he wasn’t the best, he had polished his sword in Qingcheng for over ten years.
Do-chil was a true master equipped with strength that surpassed those ten years. It wasn’t a skill that could be ignored as a mere mountain bandit leader.
‘If he hadn’t mixed the Azure Cloud Step and the sword formula to improve his practical combat ability, he would have died already.’
That wasn’t all.
Every single mountain bandit of the Shark Mouth Stronghold here was a master who had trained in martial arts. It was questionable where he brought such guys and made them into mountain bandits.
Jjeo-jeo-jeong! Pakang! Peo-eok!
“Keuaaak!”
“Left! Push from the left!”
“Yeon-gyeong! We have to clump together!”
“Rear attack coming! Block from behind!”
It was literally an Asura realm.
About fifty men and women were scattered, individually attacking the mountain bandits of the Shark Mouth Stronghold. They were the soldiers of the Evil-Annihilating Army.
Peo-eo-eok!
“Eek!”
Dong-ho, who had blown off the necks of two bandits with three sword strikes, clenched his teeth.
He had cut the enemy’s neck. His fingertips seemed to tingle from that eerie sensation.
‘No! Don’t hesitate!’
Dong-ho, clenching his teeth and charging forward again, vigorously extended his hand.
Peo-eo-eong!
Another mountain bandit vomited blood and collapsed. The ultimate martial art of the Mount Hua Sect, Bamboo Leaf Hand, landed squarely.
“This kid!”
Bu-wu-wu-ung.
A mountain bandit who leaped high and flew in swung a giant sword.
It was overwhelming killing intent. The killing intent was so strong it seemed to block out the sunlight.
Yun-ho shouted.
“Dangerous!”
Just then, a stream of cloud-like palm force squarely hit the side of the bandit holding the giant sword.
Peo-eo-eong!
“Keok!”
The posture of the man who lost his balance in the air crumbled.
Dong-ho violently swung his sword toward the falling man.
Seogeok! Puhwa-ak!
The mountain bandit whose neck was half cut, spurted blood and collapsed.
“Heok! Heok!”
Dong-ho’s breathing became rough.
If it hadn’t been for this guy taking the palm force just now, his life would have been in danger.
Even if one’s martial arts are strong, they will be done for if they don’t widen their field of vision. He once again realized the ferocity of actual combat.
“Thank you, brother Yeo!”
“This is no time for greetings!”
Parararak!
Yeo-guk, approaching at a terrifying speed, grabbed Dong-ho’s collar and pressed him down directly.
Naturally, Dong-ho’s upper body was laid down diagonally. Yeo-guk extended his sword as if waiting.
Peo-eok!
“Keureureureuk!”
The sword accurately sliced the Adam’s apple. It was a fast and precise strike.
“Snap out of it! If you blank out, you die!”
“Yes! Don’t worry!”
“Don’t make me worry, you punk!”
Yeo-guk, Dong-ho, and Yun-ho dashed out in three directions and swung their swords.
Puhwa-ah-ah-ak!
The blood spurting continuously made the sunlight flicker, and the death cast over the earth birthed a shadow of emptiness.
The fifty soldiers of the Evil-Annihilating Army formed teams and pushed the Shark Tooth Stronghold.
Although they had experienced a hellish training for three months, they were still incomplete. There were those who showed openings in crucial moments, and those who shuddered at the sensation of piercing the enemy’s flesh.
Furthermore, the opponents were mountain bandits who had somehow learned martial arts. Their numbers reached three hundred, and they were ones who committed murder like eating meals.
Crucially, this was the enemies’ main base.
Even for the severely trained Evil-Annihilating Army, it was not an easy opponent. It wouldn’t be strange to die from a single mistake.
A chaotic melee of death that required extreme concentration.
Of course, among them, there were those who showed off splendid martial prowess as if a fish met water.
Peo-eo-eo-eok!
A mountain bandit vomited blood and collapsed from a powerful kick.
One Kill per Kick. Cheok-gang’s ruthless strike, the Diancang Sect’s Flying Bow Wave-Treading Kick, was cleanly planted into the opponent’s abdomen.
“Gang, aren’t you being too bloodthirsty? Eek!”
“Watch out on the left!”
Seogeok!
“Keuak! Hey! You said left!”
“Left from my side! Argh!”
Bu-ung! Ting!
Another mountain bandit died from a sword strike fired like a ray of light.
One way or another, the Evil-Annihilating Army was still weak in actual combat. Their hands and feet didn’t match, and they couldn’t coldly observe the situation.
But to them now, there was a weapon they didn’t have before.
It was exactly guts.
Flash!
A fierce blade passes right in front of her nose.
If it had come in half an inch more, both her eyes would have been cut and flown away. Even so, Song Yeon-gyeong didn’t blink an eye.
“This much.”
Peo-eo-eok!
The forward strike of the Demon-Subduing Spear pierced the mountain bandit’s chest.
“Compared to the Squad Leader’s axe.”
Kwajeek!
The spear shaft, slammed down as if to strike, crushed another mountain bandit’s collarbone.
“It’s not even a breeze.”
Crack!
The short strike of the Indestructible Divine Kick broke the mountain bandit’s neck.
The Emei Sect serves Buddha. The level of their martial arts is enough to discuss under heaven, but there is no such murderous interpretation.
The Emei martial arts commanded by Song Yeon-gyeong and the spear wielders were different.
Even though they were unordained disciples, they were people with enough talent to unlock the main mountain’s secret techniques. When they made up their minds and harbored killing intent, each strike became an unstoppable killing technique, devastating the enemies.
It was the most prominent battle result on this battlefield. The spearmanship of the Emei Sect disciples, centered around Song Yeon-gyeong, became a moving iron fortress and crushed the enemy bandits.
Peobeobeobeok! Ka-ang!
Before they knew it, they entered the center of the enemy camp.
They advanced, crushing every enemy that approached. They were the ones who had grown the most during the training.
“Not bad.”
Looking down at the Evil-Annihilating Army from the hill overlooking the battlefield, Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“With this level of proficiency from three months of training, it’s not bad.”
“…Jeong-ah.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Zhuge Ah-yeon.
Her face was slightly pale.
“Just what did you do to them?”
“What?”
“Who in the world would ever imagine that those are the martial arts of the Nine Sects’ disciples…”
She was so surprised she couldn’t even finish her sentence properly. And that was the same for Peng Man-ho.
‘Is this hell?’
Dong-ho’s clumsiness? The unagile response of the Qingcheng disciples?
Such things meant nothing.
The Evil-Annihilating Army, having opened their eyes to actual combat, was displaying truly terrifying combat power. Even if it was a stronghold aiming for the top of the Green Forest, the Shark Tooth Killing Stronghold had enough power to turn an ordinary minor faction into ashes overnight.
The Evil-Annihilating Army was pushing them back. Without a single person dying.
“In the end, it’s this, this.”
Yeon Ho-jeong thumped his chest with his fist.
“The guts to advance and attack rather than stepping back even when spears and swords come flying right before your eyes. The venom to crush the enemy before dying, even if you die.”
“…”
“That’s what those guys learned during the past three months.”
Yeon Ho-jeong sighed.
“Those guys, for the first few days, they couldn’t even eat or sleep properly. Some of them actually got cut.”
“Heok! R-really?!”
“Among them is Ok-cheong. Look at that, his movements aren’t refined, right? It’s evidence that while his external wounds are all healed, the internal injury he suffered on the first day still remains.”
The two were greatly surprised.
“His internal injuries still haven’t fully healed?”
“Yeah.”
“And yet you threw him in? What are you going to do if he falls chronically ill!”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes instantly turned cold.
“The enemy’s blade has no eyes. Where is there a thankful enemy who faces you while checking your condition one by one?”
“…!”
“To die even after receiving sufficient training? Then that’s the limit. It’s no one’s fault but their own, it’s mere luck.”
Yeon Ho-jeong spoke bitterly.
“That is actual combat, and that is war. The ones meant to live will live, and the ones meant to die will die.”
It was a statement carrying a deep weight.
Because he himself had lived like that. Even after learning the Four Gods Martial Arts and descending the mountain, he was just a greenhorn who knew nothing about actual combat.
The reason such a man made a notorious name as the worst dangerous figure of the Black Path in a few years was because he fiercely killed his enemies and survived.
Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly looked up at the sky.
Why was it? Watching the battle of the Evil-Annihilating Army, he uselessly remembered his days in the Dark Emperor Castle.
The true martial artists who had risked their lives with him to pacify the Black Path.
Among them, the people who survived until the creation of the Dark Emperor Castle were a mere seven, including himself.
“They will live.”
“…?”
“Those guys will survive. At least, they aren’t the ones to die in a place like this.”
“…How do you know that?”
“They weren’t the only ones who risked their lives. I also risked my life while teaching them.”
“…”
“For the guys who seemed like they might die even with one in ten thousand chance, I called them directly and engraved the fierceness of life and death into their bones. If they know that sincerity, they can’t die easily.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“They will do well. Because when the Evil-Annihilating Army is disbanded later, they have to go back and do great things.”
Zhuge Ah-yeon, quietly looking at Yeon Ho-jeong, gave a faint smile.
The fingertips of Yeon Ho-jeong, with his arms crossed, were trembling minutely. That venomous guy who wasn’t afraid of any enemy was feeling anxious watching the Evil-Annihilating Army’s fight.
“Don’t worry.”
“Yeah?”
Zhuge Ah-yeon grinned like a hero.
“Didn’t you tell me to be the strategist of the Evil-Annihilating Army? Although I look like this, I used to be called a genius in that field.”
“Is that so?”
“I won’t let my friends die. Absolutely not.”
There is no such thing as an absolute in the world. In fights, in martial arts, and in human relations.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong didn’t want to ruin Zhuge Ah-yeon’s bravado with unnecessary words.
“Right, please take good care of it.”
“Heoheo.”
“Don’t smile so insidiously.”
“Insidiously!”
Just then, Muk Bi spoke.
“It’s over.”
The battle ended with Qingcheng’s Jang-san blowing off Do-chil’s head.
It took longer than expected, but no one died.
Zhuge Ah-yeon exhaled deeply.
“Phew, just watching made my heart clench.”
“There’s no time to be surprised one by one. We’ll do a rough treatment and immediately move to the next target.”
“Heok! A-again?!”
“Yeah.”
Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at the sky once again.
“Until this autumn comes, we’ll clean up as much of the Black Path as possible.”