### Chapter: 934
Kwaaaaaaaaaaahh…
A red sea of flames swept across the ground. It was an overwhelming amount of blue flame.
Kkwaddeukduk–!!
The power contained in the flame was so immense that the ground was hollowed out in its wake.
There was no adjustment whatsoever.
I poured out all the strength I could muster.
I understood that my opponent was not someone I could control or negotiate with.
I released all my power as if to burn down the trees and the earth.
This was a method I only deployed when I attempted mass slaughter in my previous life.
Not caring at all about what happened to the surroundings.
In this life, I usually try to avoid such recklessness.
But this time, there was no hesitation.
As I mentioned earlier, my opponent was not in a position to be lenient.
Furthermore…
‘Even if I don’t do that.’
I believed there would be no harm to the surroundings.
As if to affirm this belief…
Hwaaaaaaa–!
At the edge of my flames’ spread, flower petals began to float in a cluster.
The petals, widely dispersed like a net catching fish, were absorbing all the flames.
They looked so thin and light, ready to burn at any moment.
How was it even possible for them to contain this much energy?
As I watched it unfold, I couldn’t help but chuckle, unexpectedly amused.
Wow!
The rings entangled around my heart spun faster.
Roughly, violently, and destructively.
I didn’t bother with compression or rotation.
I tried to unleash as much as I could.
Tsk.
A short sound of tongue-clicking came from in front of me.
“Looks like the medicine is working.”
Paaaaaaaahh…
With those words, plum blossoms bloomed magnificently.
The petals shot up into the sky, propelled by a sudden gust of wind, forming a perfect whirlwind of pressure.
The intertwining whirlwind of leaves soared high, dragging all my scattered sparks along.
It happened in an instant.
The numerous flames rose to the sky and scattered.
Once all the fire had died down…
In the now-clear vista, my body had reached its intended destination.
To begin with, the flames were merely a hostage to hold my ankles.
My body was already mixed in the flames and whirled behind the back of Shin Noya, master of the gust.
‘Location secured.’
There were two important things to consider.
First was preventing my flames from causing any damage, as Shin Noya valued this place.
That must be the reason he called me weak.
And the second was…
‘To draw attention while erasing my presence.’
I concealed my presence as much as possible while hiding in the flames.
The most pressing concern was to stay unnoticed by Noya.
This is what I aimed for.
‘Now.’
Woooooo–!
The flames I had gathered in my hands began to take shape.
Flame Jade Holy Spear.
The spear, composed of extreme heat, stood firm at the tip.
I hurled it with an extreme level of compression.
If an explosion went off at this distance, I could sustain some significant injuries, but I felt I had to take that risk.
The moment the spear left my hand, Shin Noya reacted.
He glanced back.
It was already too late.
That’s what I thought.
But…
Whoosh-!
“…!”
Surprisingly, the spear did not explode.
Instead of detonating, it simply pierced through Shin Noya.
It was an unadulterated penetration.
What on earth was happening? I was momentarily bewildered but quickly focused on the unfolding events.
Shin Noya’s pierced body was odd.
Inside his hollow chest, something was rippling.
It was a flower petal.
Plum blossom petals were assembled there.
And that wasn’t all.
Phew.
From the hole made, the petals began to scatter slowly.
Noya’s very body transformed into leaves and faded away.
Just as I was startled by the situation…
“Slow.”
I reacted to the sound behind me.
I quickly twisted my waist and gathered strength in my hands.
Swinging with full force…
Widely-!
“Damn!”
My wrist was caught by a large, slender hand.
That was all I could see.
By the time I realized it, my sight was already gazing at the sky.
I felt a sensation of floating.
Shin Noya had caught me and tossed me away.
At what angle? Which direction was I flying?
Wow! I mustered my qi.
It was to prepare for landing.
I needed to brace myself for the next situation.
“How can a young man be so slow in reacting?”
Bang-!
“Ugh-!”
A fist collided with my face.
My flying body crashed onto the ground with a jarring impact.
Kwajijik-!
Bouncing off the ground, my body floated for a moment.
I gasped, letting out what felt like a long-forgotten pain.
Grimacing through the agony, I ignited flames in my hands.
Whoosh whoosh-!!!
The flames erupted, lifting my body slightly.
I barely managed to align myself with the angle.
That very moment…
Kwaaaaah–!!
Another fist found its way to my original spot.
A shard of debris flew towards my head.
I narrowly dodged.
If I had been a tad slower, my skull would have been shattered.
I propped myself up and focused ahead.
Shin Noya was extracting his fist from the shattered ground, shaking off the debris.
Knock knock.
Feeling goosebumps rise again as his gaze landed on me while shaking his hands nonchalantly.
‘…When on earth…?’
When did he start conjuring illusions with flower petals?
I was certain I had detected his presence!
I couldn’t make sense of it. Even worse…
‘His speed is fast too.’
Reading his movements felt impossible.
This was distinctly different from the Shin Noya of before.
I was unsure if it was him who noticed me, or if the old man before me was someone entirely different.
I never expected to be put in such a predicament by a gentleman who hadn’t even unsheathed his sword.
A little dumbfounded, I stared at Shin Noya.
“Hmm.”
Shin Noya tilted his head, addressing me.
“It’s not very amusing for a show, is it?”
“…”
“Is this all you’ve got? That’s a shame then…”
His smirk was genuinely infuriating.
“Ssssssss….”
I stood up, taking a deep breath.
The intake seemed to spark my energy into rapid circulation.
I consciously pushed it to increase.
Thump-!
My heart pulsed violently, fueling my muscles with power.
Another jade was created atop my palm.
In an instant, the sphere formed. I grasped it tightly.
Bam-!
The jade crushed and erupted.
Maintaining the burst of flames, I meticulously regulated the release.
Soon, the shape of the flames elongated, almost resembling a rope.
Closely-!
I held the flame-shaped rope in one hand, putting strength into my shoulder.
Flame Strike.
Kwagagagagagag—!!!
I swung the flaming rope wildly.
Each time the rope sliced through the air, it left behind a trail of heat.
It smashed trees and struck the ground, igniting flames along its path.
So, I could use it like this by altering its form?
It was thanks to reaching the Ten Stars that I could manage the flames with more finesse.
While it consumed a significant amount of energy, I was satisfied by being able to wield it at this level.
The moment I became a little more accustomed to it, I could use it much stronger and more diversely.
The issue was…
‘It doesn’t reach.’
Waving it around like this, the reality was that I couldn’t even touch my target.
Noya was evading all the unordered attacks without a hint of concern.
Not every attack was dodged; he was redirecting some, shifting angles in between.
That dismissive action was utterly absurd.
He was simply wrapping his bare hands around his energy, batting away all my attacks.
‘Has he lost his mind?’
The sheer audacity of handling it all like it was child’s play was outrageous.
A cold sweat trickled down my back.
Maintaining its shape took more energy than I anticipated.
I knew I couldn’t keep it up for long.
However, even if it weren’t for that, if it didn’t work, it was all meaningless.
I was already aware that a wall existed.
To think the wall would be this thick and tall was something I hadn’t anticipated.
This is outright ridiculous.
‘What on earth?’
How on earth does one reach that level?
‘…To such an extent.’
Could it be stronger than the Three Lords?
While I had only truly battled against the one I had been defeated by, I could still tell.
‘But even so.’
This was the first time I felt such a lack of odds in victory.
Whatever I did, I couldn’t emerge victorious.
That sentiment was oddly invigorating in a way.
“Huff-!”
Rather than retreating, I decided to step forward, strengthening my stance.
Bam-!
Shin Noya seized the moving rope.
Cheeeeek-!
The crackling sounds of flames were audible, yet I couldn’t smell any singed flesh.
The sound resonated from the heat being suppressed in the air.
I never expected him to simply grab the rope.
Guk-!
In that instant, the rope felt maddeningly taut.
As soon as I sensed it, I released my grip.
Kwaaaak-!
Using the rope, Shin Noya yanked it strongly.
An immense pressure loaded onto me. If I hadn’t let go, I would’ve been pulled along.
With my energy released, the rope vanished, dissipating into nothingness.
I didn’t attempt to retrieve it. Instead, I utilized the pulling force to advance.
With a sudden dash, I grabbed the jade from my hand and threw it.
The moment I tossed it, it burst.
Kwaaaaah–!!
The flames spread, momentarily obscuring my visibility.
It wouldn’t last long.
Just a fraction, really.
I had to make the most of those moments.
As the view cleared, I turned my head.
Kwaaaaak-!!
A fist shot out from the crack in the flames.
That was Shin Noya’s punch.
I sensed it through the flames and evaded.
Quickly, I dove into the embrace.
I generated jade in my hand again.
Drawing in the scattered flames, I compressed it tightly.
Oh my gosh!
Bolstering the pressure.
Shh…
Adding rapid rotation.
As the flames fully dissipated, Shin Noya’s figure came into view.
I twisted at my waist and extended the jade.
By now, Noya had already unleashed his fist.
It was bound to take some time for him to retract the motion.
I needed to capitalize on this opportunity.
Victory seemed impossible; that much was evident.
‘At the very least, I need to make him draw his sword.’
I thought to myself as I pierced the jade deep into his abdomen.
Keuggeuggeuk–!!
“…Huh?”
I let out a breathless gasp at what had transpired.
The jade had indeed made it into his abdomen, but it didn’t penetrate fully.
Sararararak.
The plum leaves were blocking the jade.
Could this flimsy little plum leaf really stop it?
Staring wide-eyed at the shocking situation…
“Your compression and rotation have improved since before.”
Shin Noya spoke, his tone laced with amusement.
“But you focused too much on that. You’ve missed what’s truly important. Doesn’t this make it meaningless?”
Instinctively, I darted back urgently.
Doon sihil-.
A single plum blossom petal floated up before my eyes.
My gaze was involuntarily drawn to it.
“Your concentration has slipped. Get a grip.”
Kwajik-!
Noya caught the jade and crushed it.
The act echoed the manner Cheonma had in the past.
The difference now was that Noya not only shattered it but also halted the explosion with the plum petals.
Thud-!
“Ugh!”
And then his knee buried into my abdomen.
My body floated once again.
The force sent me rolling across the floor.
I tumbled over a couple of times before gripping the ground to get up.
“Cough….”
I clutched my stomach and coughed.
“Huff… Phew!”
I spat out blood-tainted saliva and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.
Staggering to my feet, I cast a glance at Shin Noya.
He simply stood there, unconcerned, having tossed me far away.
He was purposely remaining still.
‘He could have finished this just now.’
If he wanted to, he could easily wrap things up.
He was just choosing not to.
“…This is so frustrating.”
I thought I had grown significantly stronger, but was this the extent of the disparity?
Might using magic change the outcome?
’No.’
Even magic wouldn’t ensure victory. Plus, I wasn’t keen on using magic against Noya.
“Is this the end?”
Noya spoke to me in a slightly curt manner.
“If it ends like this, it wouldn’t even be a joke, right?”
“…”
“A bit disappointing for someone so full of confidence, don’t you think?”
I recognized his words as deliberate taunts.
I understood that well enough.
“Very disappointing indeed.”
Still, the irritation surged within me.
“Huff…”
With a sigh, I pondered.
How could I land one decent hit on that old man?
I considered that quietly.
There seemed to be no answers in conventional methods.
So then…
‘…Should I attempt something unconventional?’
My deliberations were brief.
“….”
“Aesong—ah. Is this really how it ends…?”
Noya’s words faltered, precisely as he observed my posture.
I was closing my eyes slowly, hands clasped together.
“What are you… trying to do—?”
Sss…
Ignoring whatever Noya had to say, I concentrated.
Hwaruk.
A light ignited within my heart.
Thump-!
The pain of the Tuapacheonmu embedded itself inside.
And then…
Sararararak.
Four rings breaking free of the rotation around my heart began intertwining the two senses.
At that very moment…
Ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki-ki—!!!!
A turbulent surge erupted from my dantian.
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