Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 16 - Activation of the Four Gods (6)
Chapter 16 – Activation of the Four Gods (6)
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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“Second Young Master! We have broken through the southwestern main gate! The fire on that side has been brought under control!”
“I-is that so?”
Shin Mo looked at Yeon Ji-pyeong with questioning eyes.
Yeon Ji-pyeong’s expression was strange. He seemed to be afraid of something, yet also appeared to be in awe.
“Second Young Master?”
“This is not the time for this! Quickly evacuate the people!”
Yeon Ji-pyeong dashed forward.
“I will go and bring the people from the Zhuge Clan!”
“Gasp! Second Young Master! That way is dangerous! The leader of the enemy is…!”
“It is fine! My brother has dealt with him!”
Brother? Was he talking about the Eldest Young Master?
Shin Mo turned his head toward the broken main gate with confused eyes.
At that moment, a streak of intense explosive sound rang out.
Boom!
‘Gasp!’
Immediately after the violent collision, Ma Bang involuntarily retreated.
‘It hurts?’
He looked down at his own hand.
His palm was swollen red. The hand that could break a log even with a palm strike that did not carry internal energy was faintly trembling.
Ma Bang looked at Yeon Ho-jeong’s iron staff.
From the tip of the staff, a blue energy was rising like a haze.
‘A spear?!’
It did not seem like staff techniques, but rather spear techniques.
It looked like an iron staff, but the move he had just thrust was clearly a spear strike. It was a technique filled with killing intent that aimed to pierce the opponent’s chest in a single blow.
“You bastard…”
“Take it out.”
“What?”
Yeon Ho-jeong said coldly.
“Weren’t you blocked while practicing the Yin Fire Red Type?”
“…!”
“I will receive it for you, so come at me.”
Ma Bang’s eyes turned red.
The emotion of anger, which he had forgotten for a while, slowly rose up. It was not because his opponent was a master beyond his imagination. It was because he was startled by an opponent who knew about the Yin Fire Red Type.
“It would be useless to ask how you know, wouldn’t it?”
Paaaang!
Yeon Ho-jeong charged in an instant.
It was not an extraordinary speed, but the momentum with which he rushed in was incredibly fierce. That fierce momentum alone made it difficult to even dodge.
‘He is like a beast.’
Paaaang!
The iron staff he shot forward aimed for the neck in one go.
It was the neck, not the chest. Aiming for the neck, which had a small hit area, meant that he was confident in his precise attacks.
Chiiiiing!
With the daggers in both hands, Ma Bang diverted the path of the iron staff.
‘Kugh!’
A strong impact remained in both hands holding the daggers.
If nothing else, his physical strength alone was superior to his own. He could not understand how such a slender body could produce this kind of power.
Exchanging three bouts was all it took for Ma Bang to finally realize. That in this state, he could not defeat this fellow.
‘This bastard!’
Fwoosh.
It felt as if bright red flames were being pulled up from within his dantian.
‘If you want to see it that much, I will show it to you!’
Killing intent soared in Ma Bang’s eyes.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes flashed.
That was exactly the problem.
Whether it was the Yin Cold White Type or the Yin Fire Red Type, if one had mastered the martial arts of the Yin stream, they would never reveal their killing intent. This was because it was a martial art originally created for assassination.
Anyone could see that Ma Bang was not in his right mind. Even in front of the children of the Zhuge Clan, he was not afraid; rather, he even thought of torturing the siblings and selling them off.
Ma Bang was currently suffering from madness due to falling into Qi Deviation.
However, that was a stroke of luck for Yeon Ho-jeong.
“You son of a bitch!”
Paaaak!
Ma Bang’s movements changed.
The footwork that had been insidious and passive instantly turned rough and active. Before anyone knew it, he had thrown away the poisoned daggers and aimed for Yeon Ho-jeong’s head with his bare hands.
‘Here he comes.’
Paaaaang!
The palm technique that tore through the air was quite fierce.
It was a palm technique as fast and violent as the revealed killing intent. It was truly a martial art like fire.
Bang! Boom!
Sounds like drums bursting rang out in the air.
Whether dealing with the disciples of the Thunder Fire Hall or dealing with Ma Bang until just now, Yeon Ho-jeong did not stop his attacks. He seemed like a person who did not know defense or evasion in the first place.
That was not the case now.
He did not face Ma Bang’s fire-like martial arts head-on but was thoroughly evading them. His movements were jerky and did not look natural, but he did not allow even a single strike.
‘This guy?!’
Ma Bang, who was continuously attacking, could not hide his bewilderment.
‘Does he even know the characteristics of the Yin Fire Divine Palm?’
The Yin Fire Divine Palm was a hidden palm technique specialized in Penetrating Strength.
It was not a martial art that utilized destructive power, but one that penetrated and damaged the interior. Even if it was blocked, it would pierce through that defense and cause internal injuries to the opponent.
The person facing it had no choice but to find it tricky. This was because there was no way to respond other than dodging or aiming for a gap.
Ma Bang, who had pulled up more internal energy, thrust his palm toward Yeon Ho-jeong’s chest.
Swish! Boom!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s body spun and passed directly behind Ma Bang’s back.
Ma Bang’s eyes shook.
The blow aiming for the chest was a feint. He had pretended to attack with the Yin Fire Divine Palm and aimed for the midsection with his toe, but even that had been evaded.
‘He read this?’
Even his decisive move had been evaded. It was a marvelous evasion ability.
Without even looking back, Yeon Ho-jeong snapped his iron staff.
Thwack!
“Kugh!”
Ma Bang staggered.
His back, hit by the tip of the staff, felt like it was going to split open. If internal energy had been loaded, his ribs and part of his shoulder blade would have been shattered to pieces.
“Did you steal and learn it from somewhere? Why is it so clumsy?”
“…!”
“Why don’t you try doing it properly.”
Ma Bang’s eyes smoldered with rage.
“I will thoroughly cook your entrails.”
Whirrrr!
Yeon Ho-jeong spun the iron staff. As he held the middle of the staff and spun it, the air seemed to be sucked in.
Sparks flew from Ma Bang’s eyes.
There was no expression to speak of on Yeon Ho-jeong’s face. In a way, he looked drowsy, but no particularly plausible emotion was revealed.
‘He is completely ignoring me?!’
He did not see his opponent as an opponent. Ma Bang felt his boiling internal energy surging up to the crown of his head.
“You bastard!”
Paaaang!
It was a faster speed than before.
Precision had vanished, but it was much more threatening. In particular, the faint red light blooming from Ma Bang’s hands made those who saw it feel an unknown sense of foreboding.
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes shone.
‘Fire Qi!’
His opponent had finally pulled out his true power.
Ma Bang’s hand aimed for Yeon Ho-jeong’s face.
Crack!
The wood hit by the Yin Fire Divine Palm snapped right from the middle. The surface of the broken wood was charred black.
‘Impressive.’
Yeon Ho-jeong, who had exquisitely evaded, was satisfied with his opponent’s level.
Ma Bang gnashed his teeth. It was because he saw Yeon Ho-jeong’s face smiling as if satisfied.
“You brat! I am the successor of the Yin God!”
Boom! Bang!
The air heated up intensely.
The faint red radiance became increasingly thick, and before long, it took on a shape similar to flames.
‘A little more.’
Bang bang bang! Fwoosh!
Small sparks flickered in the air and then disappeared.
The more he performed the martial arts, the more the fire Qi rose and the power increased. The speed also became faster.
Ma Bang’s eyes were completely bloodshot. No matter how one looked at it, he was not in his right mind. On the other hand, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sank calmly.
‘More!’
“Die!!”
Whoosh!
Ma Bang’s movements momentarily grew larger.
A powerful energy burst out as if he were going to deliver his maximum attack. Fire Qi and killing intent rose to their maximum.
Yeon Ho-jeong’s gaze transformed.
‘Right here!’
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s body, which had been seven steps away, rushed right in front of Ma Bang’s nose.
The flustered Ma Bang struck out with his palm.
Thwaaaack!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s left hand caught Ma Bang’s right hand.
Joy surged on Ma Bang’s face.
“You retarded bastard! You are dead!”
Vrrrrrrr!!
A strange resonance echoed from the hands of the two people who were locked together.
Ma Bang, who was wearing a cruel smile, was momentarily bewildered.
‘What?’
The palm force that entered through the opponent’s hand should have instantly burned the blood vessels and internal organs.
However, Yeon Ho-jeong was still looking at him with an expressionless face and transparent eyes. He seemed fine even under the penetrating strength of the Yin Fire Divine Palm.
“…Huh?”
Ma Bang said with a dazed face.
“What is it? Why are you fine?”
It was then.
Something pitch black surged from Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes, which were glowing with a faint blue that was barely visible.
It was darkness, yet it was different from ordinary darkness.
It was a black color that gave a somewhat chilly yet soft feeling. The surging black energy, undulating, seemed as if it would pour out of his eyes at any moment like an overflowing river and sweep Ma Bang away.
Sssssssss!
Thick steam rose from their joined hands.
Ma Bang’s eyes widened.
‘The fire Qi?!’
The energy of the Yin Fire Red Type was being sucked into the palm of this young fellow.
It was sucked in so naturally, like water flowing from a high place to a low place. As if that place was originally its own, the fire Qi that had escaped Ma Bang’s control headed toward Yeon Ho-jeong at a terrifying speed.
‘Gasp!’
Ma Bang’s body trembled violently.
Yeon Ho-jeong exhaled.
“Whew.”
A thick moisture was present in his exhaled breath.
‘Good, I have pulled it out.’
Like the legend of the “Besieged from All Sides” associated with that Great Hegemon of Western Chu, the wall of fire surrounding the Tower of the Chu Sound was emitting fire Qi that put one in a dilemma.
But that was not enough.
The Four Gods Martial Arts were clearly human martial arts, so they would activate properly when they received the opponent’s killing intent and fighting spirit. He did not know if his realm was deep, but the initiation itself presupposed a battlefield of life and death.
More easily, more surely.
Encountering an enemy emitting fire Qi and killing intent, Yeon Ho-jeong finally awakened the legend of the Four Gods sealed within his soul.
Yeon Ho-jeong swung the iron staff held in his right hand.
Whoosh! Thwack!
“Keugh!”
Ma Bang groaned and fell forward.
It was as if he had been hit by an incredibly thick whip. It was difficult to regain his senses from the pain that felt like his left collarbone was going to split.
Thud!
Yeon Ho-jeong, who struck the iron staff into the ground, took a deep breath.
Fwooooosh!
The fire that was being suppressed momentarily tilted toward Yeon Ho-jeong’s side.
‘Come.’
As the secret technique of the Four Gods, stimulated by Ma Bang’s fire Qi, finally raised its head, it pulled out even stronger flames than that to amplify the water Qi.
The amplified water Qi wrapped around his entire body, making his physical form flexible. His meridians, which had become hot due to the force of the Yin Fire Divine Palm, instantly regained their original state.
Whirrrr!
The wind blew.
The water Qi emitted by Yeon Ho-jeong met the wind and created the shape of a translucent divine beast. That divine beast had a bizarre appearance with the head of a snake and the body of a tortoise.
The Water God of Guihai. The ruler of the North.
The Black Tortoise of the Four Gods Martial Arts revealed its form.
Sssssssss!!
The surging water Qi swirled around the entire iron staff.
Ma Bang, who vomited a mouthful of blood, let out a scream.
“Aaaah! You bastard! What did you do to my internal energy!!”
Ma Bang thrust his fist with a face covered in blood. Although it was a fist swung with the little internal energy he had left, the destructive power was sufficient.
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong spun his iron staff.
Bang!
Ma Bang, who had delivered the attack, was sent flying at a tremendous speed and rolled on the ground.
The body of Ma Bang, who had rolled on the ground, twitched. His outstretched right arm was hideously broken.
It was a monstrous counter-rebound force.
Whirrrr!
A faint barrier formed in front of the iron staff spinning in a circle.
It was the martial arts of the Black Tortoise. It was an absolute defense technique that was said to be able to block even cannons and battering rams when it reached its peak.
“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to pull it out faster than I thought.”
Since he had passed the initiation of the Four Gods Martial Arts, calling forth the other three gods was only a matter of time.
The legendary secret art of the ancient Murim, the Four Gods Martial Arts, was an undefeated martial art that had never been defeated once as it was passed down for a thousand years.
Once it was awakened, a martial art of Ma Bang’s level could not even touch a single thread of Yeon Ho-jeong’s clothing. Although he had only awakened one of the Four Gods, that alone was enough to block almost any attack.
Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed the fallen Ma Bang by the collar and lifted him up.
“Since I saved time thanks to you, there should be a corresponding reward, shouldn’t there?”
“Cough!”
“Seeing as you seem to like fire, I will at least let you spend your end in the fire.”
The eyes of the weakened Ma Bang widened.
“N-no…”
Thwack!
His front teeth, hit by the iron staff, were all broken.
While everyone watched, Yeon Ho-jeong, holding Ma Bang, walked toward the blazing flames.
A look of “surely not” appeared on the people’s faces. Among them were Yeon Ji-pyeong, Shin Mo, and the Zhuge siblings.
Yeon Ho-jeong grabbed Ma Bang by the neck and lifted him high.
“If you are born again, play with fire by yourself.”
“Grrr!”
Yeon Ho-jeong threw Ma Bang toward the fire demon.
Fwooooosh!
The fierce flames swallowed Ma Bang. Ma Bang, who had suffered terrible internal and external injuries, could not escape from the flames.
A ghastly scream echoed throughout the Tower of the Chu Sound.
Watching the person burning alive, the audience shuddered in horror.
Two quarters of an hour later.
The fire at the Tower of the Chu Sound was brought under control.