Monochrome Sovereign (Novel) - Chapter 165 - The Essence of the Secret Struggle (5)

Chapter 165 – The Essence of the Secret Struggle (5)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat
Edited by Celestial Knight

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The next morning.

Buuuung!

The Crazy Dragon Axe cutting through the air sparkled receiving the sunlight.

“Hmm.”

Yeon Ho-jeong’s body drenched in sweat was faintly trembling.

It was his first all-out training after breaking through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End. Because he couldn’t emit techniques overflowing with destructive power, he prevented surrounding objects from being destroyed through delicate internal force control.

‘The control still doesn’t work well yet.’

Rather, unfolding the Azure Dragon Art he learned not long ago was easier. It was because the Azure Dragon Art itself focused on evasion and counterattacks, so the waste of power was minimized.

On the other hand, the Vermilion Bird Art was a vicious killing technique, and the White Tiger Art was a forward-advancing attack skill that didn’t know retreat. The Black Tortoise Art was a defensive skill that nothing could pierce, but if the power wasn’t controlled, it was the same that an opening would appear.

‘No matter how much it’s said that the other Three Divine Energies are harder to control their internal power than the Azure Dragon, to think there’s this much difference even though I learned them a long while earlier.’

Yeon Ho-jeong inwardly clicked his tongue.

‘It’s because of the Jade Gauze True Formula.’

By learning the Azure Dragon, the Four Divine Energies were completed, and the completed Four Divine Energies rose to a higher realm due to the effect of mutual generation.

The problem was the Jade Gauze True Formula. The Jade Gauze True Formula, which was the foundation of the Four Gods, grew on its own to possess a dignity fitting for high-concentration energy and achieved the great completion of ten stars.

‘I have to perfectly make the Jade Gauze True Formula mine first before touching the Four Gods Martial Arts. The Four Gods Martial Arts are merely the role of branches no matter what.’

The Jade Gauze True Formula was also different from the Great Heaven Qi. If it was the Great Heaven Qi which aimed endlessly only for internal energy amplification, rather this kind of problem wouldn’t have been noticeably revealed.

‘However, with the Great Heaven Qi, I can’t look beyond that. One way or another, it’s all because I am lacking.’

When a problem came out, he didn’t look for excuses and knew how to seriously take responsibility. It was one of Yeon Ho-jeong’s strengths.

‘If I take this opportunity to refine the Jade Gauze True Formula and melt down all of the Five Great Divine Arts…’

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘I should ask father even tonight.’

Regrettably, his father was currently not at the residence.

They were the same Honoured Guest, but the work they did wasn’t the same. Yeon Wi possessed an outstanding discerning eye in commerce, and came to take on the role of an advisor for a short time in operating the Murim Alliance’s funds.

Along with Zhuge Wen-hu, the busiest person among the High Envoys was exactly Yeon Wi.

“Are you done with training?”

“Hm?”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked at Muk Bi.

Muk Bi was also soaked in sweat before he knew it. Since she was training even before Yeon Ho-jeong came out to the rear garden, she must also be very tired.

“Is there some progress?”

Muk Bi formed a bitter smile.

“Well.”

Indeed, she was also a master with the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End right in front of her nose. In order to face that wall of enlightenment, deep meditation and comprehension would also be necessary besides simple training.

Yeon Ho-jeong looked up at the sky.

‘Time is ample.’

Yeon Ho-jeong, who readjusted his grip on the Crazy Dragon Axe, spoke to Muk Bi.

“How is it? Trying to shoot one shot.”

“Yes?”

“People say that enlightenment is important to construct a higher realm. However, this thing called enlightenment is unexpectedly not a big deal.”

Curiosity arose on Muk Bi’s face.

It was the words of a master who broke through the Wall of the Martial Arts and none other. Leaving friendship aside, it was worth listening to.

“Then?”

“Before that, what do you think enlightenment is?”

“Enlightenment is literally enlightenment, right.”

Yeon Ho-jeong clicked his tongue.

“How did you achieve that realm? Did something flash and become enlightened to you?”

“Ah…”

“No, right?”

Muk Bi nodded with a sullen face.

“Just from working hard, before I knew it…”

“That’s it. Working hard. However, that’s the basics, and the important thing is how much useful effort you make.”

“Useful effort?”

“Do you remember the reason I taught you the Great Heaven Qi?”

Muk Bi’s eyes sparkled.

“I remember.”

“Your Nine Dragons Archery didn’t grow just because you learned the Great Heaven Qi. However, through the Great Heaven Qi and close-quarters combat training, you were able to overlay a sensory shooting skill onto your archery.”

“…!”

“It is true that you have to aim for a higher place, but whether you have sufficiently obtained what you can get from the place you are standing right now is also important.”

Muk Bi’s eyes wavered.

Yeon Ho-jeong tapped the Crazy Dragon Axe.

“My martial arts, the Four Gods Martial Arts, the true start is after learning all four martial arts. So to speak, I was fully prepared to break through the Wall of the Martial Arts´ End even before obtaining the Azure Dragon Art.”

“I-I see.”

“Don’t just look up, but also look around your sides. If you look around here and there and grope about, before you know it, you will be able to feel yourself standing at a higher place than before.”

Enlightenment was also eventually nothing but a play on words. A change in thinking, just breaking down fixed ideas made martial arts grow. That was exactly enlightenment.

An enlightenment that couldn’t be described with words or writing wasn’t something worth discussing at least at their current level.

“You are an archer. An archer has a harder time feeling the fierceness of life and death than a fist fighter or a swordsman. That is not because of the level of martial arts, but because of the characteristics of the weapon.”

“There was that reason too. The reason you taught me close-quarters combat skills, I mean.”

“Right. So you have to face people. Because ultimately, this thing called martial arts is a study difficult to develop if there is no opponent.”

Muk Bi looked at Yeon Ho-jeong with a fascinated expression.

“Where in the world did you get such knowledge?”

Yeon Ho-jeong snorted.

“It’s experience.”

“You’re not at an age to have accumulated such experience, right?”

“Experience is similar to the realm of martial arts. It means age is not important. Right now there are heaps of middle-aged masters who are even worse than you.”

“Well, yes.”

Kung.

Yeon Ho-jeong drew a line on the ground with the Crazy Dragon Axe.

“I’ll be standing exactly right here, so try flying one shot. With the momentum of truly killing me.”

Tension fell on Muk Bi’s face.

“Will it be okay?”

“Who is worrying about whom?”

At Yeon Ho-jeong’s playful words, Muk Bi smirked.

“It’ll be too late even if you regret it after getting a hole in your head.”

“Keung.”

Uuuuung.

A blue true qi arose from Yeon Ho-jeong’s body. It was the Jade Gauze True Qi.

“It’s one shot. If you can’t catch me with that one shot, you die. Try shooting with that kind of thought.”

“…Alright.”

Teo-eong.

Muk Bi widened the distance.

Too close a distance was rather easy to be read. Whether it was archery or hidden weapons, one had to properly widen the distance for proper power to come out.

“Are you ready?”

Kkadeudeudeuk.

Muk Bi nocked an iron arrow on the Red Lotus Bow.

There was no answer. Her two eyes were already concentrated on Yeon Ho-jeong.

Yeon Ho-jeong laughed inwardly.

‘Seeing things like this, clearly you aren’t an ordinarily brutal guy either.’

She was a hunter rather than a martial artist. She didn’t cheerfully exchange blows with enemies, but thoroughly polished martial arts for the sake of killing opponents.

In the past, the saying that if the Dark Emperor and the God of Archery stepped up, they could even kill the Number One Person of All Time didn’t come out for nothing.

The Dark Emperor was a warrior, and the God of Archery was a hunter. When trying to kill an enemy, there was no combination like this.

And now.

Now that they returned to the past which was also the future, the two people were polishing themselves day by day to regain the terrifyingly sharp glory of that time.

Huuuuung.

The flow of the atmosphere changed.

Just the flow of air curving in towards a single point on the Red Lotus Bow was gruesome beyond compare.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s face stiffened.

‘Good.’

No matter how much he rose to the realm of Supreme Peak, it was the same that if he made a single mistake he would die.

Furthermore, Muk Bi was a master of archery. Yeon Ho-jeong could see what she couldn’t see, but Muk Bi’s archery was threatening to anyone.

If he let his guard down, he dies. If she poured out a life-risking strike, this side also had to risk his life.

Tseutseutseutseu.

Yeon Ho-jeong aimed at Muk Bi with the Crazy Dragon Axe.

Just lifting a long and heavy axe and aiming it at the opponent required an enormous brute strength.

It was possible in the past too, but it was different again now. Yeon Ho-jeong’s posture of lifting the Crazy Dragon Axe and aiming it straight at the opponent had no shaking yet was flexible.

A realm that could contain conflicting principles in one body.

A streak of cold sweat flowed on Muk Bi’s forehead as she looked at the Super Peak Master, Green Mountain Tiger General Yeon Ho-jeong.

‘…’

Hwii-ing.

A cool wind blew.

‘I can’t see it.’

Muk Bi, who already recognized the opponent as prey. She suddenly transformed into a Reaper (Death God) solely for taking away the opponent’s life.

Even with the eyes of such a Reaper, no openings could be seen.

‘No, to be exact…’

It was a problem because there were too many openings.

It seemed like it would hit no matter which place she aimed for. But, it also seemed like it would fail no matter which place she aimed for.

‘It’s natural.’

Aiming the Crazy Dragon Axe towards her, he slightly twisted his posture.

He narrowed the hit radius. It was an ideal posture when facing an archer.

‘If I shoot half-heartedly, it will definitely miss, and he will approach in the blink of an eye and blow away my head.’

A picture was drawn.

A picture of Yeon Ho-jeong’s unique explosive attack power and merciless killing move blowing away her own head.

‘If so…’

Vooong! Vooong! Vooong!

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

The Red Lotus Bow moved little by little, little by little. She was disturbing the direction and firing timing by moving the firing aperture.

It was a standard response. With just that peculiar movement, defense and evasion became twice as difficult.

Hwiiiiii-ing!

The blowing wind became fierce.

Muk Bi smelled the scent of the wind. The unique stuffy smell that could be smelled from iron raised her tension.

‘It’s the White Tiger Qi.’

The white true qi spewing up from under his feet seemed to be estimating the timing to attack.

That wind of the White Tiger was warning her.

That he would attack immediately if it misses. That you die in that single strike of the attack.

Jureureuk.

Another streak of cold sweat flowed down.

‘What should I do? Where should I aim to catch him? The Dragon Fang Cannon is strong, but if it’s Young Master Yeon, he’d be able to block it without difficulty.’

It was then.

‘Eh?’

Muk Bi’s eyes wavered.

‘Why must I use the Dragon Fang Cannon?’

The Dragon Fang Cannon was the technique she could shoot most confidently from the Nine Dragons Heaven-Shattering Bow.

However, that force overflowing with destructive power wouldn’t work on the opponent. Yet should she stick to the Dragon Fang Cannon until the end?

In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s words came to mind.

‘The important thing is how much useful effort you make.’

She couldn’t catch Yeon Ho-jeong with the Dragon Fang Cannon.

If so?

Huuuuuuung!!

A strange grayish true qi soared from under Muk Bi’s feet.

Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes sparkled.

‘Great Heaven Qi?!’

At that time, Muk Bi released the bowstring.

Taaaaaang!

The iron arrow engulfed in grayish fog shot out like lightning.

Even as Yeon Ho-jeong, whose five senses and quality of internal force were maximized by breaking through the Wall of the Martial Ancestor, it was a speed that he could not perceive slowly.

‘The lower body.’

The moment that split the split second.

Yeon Ho-jeong realized that Muk Bi’s arrow was aiming for his thigh. It seemed to fly in straight to the front, but taking a certain moment as the starting point, she had shot a short-range curved shot that bent towards the bottom.

‘As expected, is it still too much?’

Even while thinking so, Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand was already going down to the bottom. The moment the arrow was shot, his sixth sense read the killing intent and moved the position of his hand.

‘Anyway, it’s a failure.’

It was when Yeon Ho-jeong’s left hand was about to snatch the grayish iron arrow like that.

Peo-eong!

Surprise appeared in Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes.

The shot iron arrow instantly split vertically and increased to five.

‘Wandering Dragon Scattering Lightning Bullets?!’

Pababababak!

Yeon Ho-jeong staggered.

Out of the arrow that split into five, four stuck into the ground, and one was caught in Yeon Ho-jeong’s hand. The tip of that one arrow dug slightly into his thigh.

If he hadn’t caught it in time, a hole would have been pierced straight through.

“…Heo-eo.”

Yeon Ho-jeong unknowingly admired.

“Wasn’t the Wandering Dragon Scattering Lightning Bullets an archery technique that couldn’t be used at this distance?”

Yeon Ho-jeong looked behind him.

“Isn’t that right?”

“Heokheok!”

Muk Bi, who was panting, was occupying his rear while drawing the bowstring without an arrow.

And the Crazy Dragon Axe was also touching her collarbone.

Muk Bi panted and said.

“Heo-eok! Heo-eok! I-I forcefully made the true qi flow backwards, but did it really not work?”

“It’s a pity. It’s a pity though…”

Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.

“You did well. You swung one shot risking your life.”

Muk Bi grinned.

Her smiling face gradually became pale, and soon turned blue. Because she made the true qi flow backwards and strongly contracted her breathing, her internal injuries had worsened.

Ti-i-ing!

Unable to overcome the tension, the Red Lotus Bow fell to the ground. Muk Bi also lost her consciousness and collapsed.

Yeon Ho-jeong quickly caught her.

A proud light appeared on his face.

“You did well.”