Chapter: 935
Swish.
I feel something being entwined at my heart, like a bandage wrapping around an injured arm.
The energy that never mixed before is now being forced to tangle.
The heat of the Gu Flame Wheel Technique and the pain of the Two-faced Man slowly blend together.
Wait, no. They don’t mix.
They just clash together like oil and water.
Sss…!
My breathing is becoming increasingly ragged. Energy is swelling from my dantian like a raging tide.
It feels as if a tsunami is crashing through.
It’s like I’m sensing lightning flashing in the sky.
Earthquakes are happening all around me.
Everything that was barely holding on begins to shatter.
Should I call this a disaster?
Just looking at it makes my head spin—something dizzying is going on inside me.
Gah…
After a moment, pain follows.
The energies that couldn’t intertwine are now tangled, causing my body to feel ready to explode at any moment.
It’s a perfect backlash.
It’s not just friction, not even close.
This is pure resistance.
An extreme aversion to ever merging.
“…”
The grip I have is shaking. I’m holding so tight that it feels like my bones might break.
Guh… Heee…
The energy isn’t just flowing through my veins; it’s bursting out like a wild torrent.
I feel like my blood vessels might burst.
If it weren’t for this awakened body, having shed its shell, I feel it would have exploded long ago.
That’s how intense it was.
The more I sense it, the more I think these guys must be completely insane.
How come only these rough-and-tumble types are around?
When they come together, it’s as if they all want to kill each other.
The problem is, I’m taking on all of that backlash myself.
‘This makes sense,’ I think.
I must be a little crazy, too.
To be getting into this kind of situation I wasn’t even told to venture into.
When I first tried this—no, to be precise, when I said I would try. They all looked at me as if I were the crazy one.
I did look a bit crazy before, but this time it seems worse?
Are you out of your mind?
A solemn-faced mentor speaks to me.
Do you even know what you’re trying to do right now?
I have a rough idea.
And yet, you’re doing it anyway?
The mentor looks at me as if he can’t believe it.
Surely, even I recognized how ridiculous this was.
You’re intending to weave together two perfectly completed Heart Techniques to create something new? That makes no sense unless you’re trying to get yourself killed!
I plan to amalgamate the Heart Techniques within me into one.
That’s what I told the mentor when I mentioned I was going to try it.
Upon hearing this, the mentor half-yelled at me, half-astonished.
As I’ve said before, if you want to die, just say so. I can consider that request.
You’re being a bit harsh there, Mentor.
What can I do if my disciple suddenly says he wants to commit suicide?
Who’s dying?
That’s no different than saying you’re going to die!
The mentor’s tone was remarkably serious for once.
I understand your body is unusual.
Unusual? What do you mean by that?
Despite that, I recognize you can retain multiple Heart Techniques in your body, no problem.
That’s when I first noticed genuine anger on the mentor’s face.
Mixing is a whole different concept. You dense disciple, you seem to think it’s as simple as mixing water and food!
That’s not the case!
If it weren’t, the very thought would be impossible!
The mentor clenches his fist and shows it to me.
The energy of the Two-faced Man is swirling visibly in that fist.
Show me your flame.
Following his words, I ignite a flame on my palm.
Fshhhh—!!
As I watch the flames dance, the mentor comments.
The flow of energy varies from Heart Technique to Heart Technique.
Even now, you can clearly see a distinct difference between the Two-faced Man‘s energy and your flame.
The very flow of energy has different directions and speeds. How can you possibly expect them to work together?
That’s different from merely putting another Heart Technique in your body!
In addition to this, the mentor went on to say numerous things about the impossibility of this endeavor.
I knew full well this entire tirade was ultimately to persuade me.
So, I quietly listened.
The reason for his insistence was that he genuinely hoped I wouldn’t make a mistake.
After listening for a while longer.
So…
Do you happen to remember what you always say?
I interrupted the mentor and suddenly posed a question.
What?
Those daily words of wisdom you give me!
What are you babbling about?
While training or in battle, every time I recall the mentor’s words.
They’ve become important to me now.
If it doesn’t work, make it work.
…
Those are the words you always tell me!
You do know I didn’t mean for you to write that down here, right?
Seeing the mentor’s annoyed expression felt oddly humorous.
Whether it works or not is still up in the air.
Yeah, fine. You’re right, it might work. But…
The mentor’s once-kind eyes sharpened into something fierce.
What arrogance to meddle in either martial art without mastering either!
…
His words left me momentarily speechless.
Don’t delude yourself, disciple.
The mentor strides towards me confidently.
Standing before me, he seems about a half-joint smaller than me.
Probably because I just went through that chaotic episode.
It must be the case, yet somehow he feels overwhelmingly larger right now.
What angers me is not just your pointless actions, but your hubris in seeking other paths without completing anything!
…
I was at a loss for words in light of the mentor’s accusation. His words rang true.
What right does someone who hasn’t completed anything have to try and do something else?
It was hard to respond, as that accusation felt too accurate to come up with excuses about not having the time.
Yet.
So if I complete even one, you’re saying I should give it a try?
… You?
The mentor’s demeanor shifted, as if he were beginning to get angry. I was genuinely scared.
I’m serious. It’s only through trial that you understand your own limits. If, as you say, I can achieve even one thing, wouldn’t it make sense to try?
It was a statement tinged with obstinacy. Upon hearing it, the mentor seemed to sense something peculiar, narrowing his eyes at me.
Why are you so obsessed with this? You’ve already accomplished quite a bit. What exactly are you trying to gain?
The Nine Flames Fire Technique and the Two-faced Man.
A life intertwined with countless opportunities.
In reality, I’ve more than enough to be satisfied with at this point.
Particularly when I compare it to my previous life.
What drives you to rush? If we continue like this, we may well surpass the current three without too much struggle.
…
Since the Three Lords themselves said this, I found it almost absurd.
This was the first time the mentor had ever said something like this to me, which took me by surprise.
If things keep going like this, the Three Lords won’t stand a chance.
The mentor’s voice contained an unexpected certainty.
Yes, this was something I had also been contemplating.
If it keeps going like this.
Someday, perhaps really someday, even the Three Heavenly Kings—the ones known as the Transcendents of the Central Plains—could be surpassed.
That thought lingered, but then.
Someday? That’ll be too late!
I know when that time will be.
It could take years. It might take ten years, or maybe even decades.
I don’t have that kind of time.
I can’t get through to you. Your impatience and thinking you can achieve even greater power by mixing the Heart Techniques—how do you even reason this way?
The mentor spoke as though he simply couldn’t grasp it.
What kind of confidence did I have in this crazy idea of combining Heart Techniques?
The mentor was filled with questions.
And so was I.
When I considered it, I initially brushed it off as a mere passing thought.
What kind of lunatic would even entertain such notions?
I could have let it slide as a fleeting remark, but strangely, the thought wouldn’t go away.
It felt like someone was almost pushing me.
Just go for it!
You can do this!
If you try, a whole new world will open up!
At that moment, as those emotions swirled within me, I added something to the mentor’s reasoning.
So, you think you’re not on board?
Of course not…
I’m not suggesting it’s impossible. If it’s feasible, I think it could lead to something exciting!
…
This time, the mentor fell silent at my statement.
Once I achieve success in mixing two Heart Techniques, what results will come from that?
Isn’t that what you’d want to know?
At this query, the mentor’s expression shifted slightly.
…Well…
He licked his lips.
The direction of energy.
The frequency of vibrations within the energy, and the significance each Heart Technique represents are all mixed together.
If this were to succeed, what might happen?
If I could control the friction between the Heart Techniques and completely convert the pressure generated into something usable.
… Surely, something incredible would emerge.
Not as a mentor, but as a human being.
There is no denying it at all.
If it actually succeeds.
Something extraordinary will come out of it.
The problem remains that no one can even pull this off.
Just having two Heart Techniques in one’s body is a dilemma on its own.
But I could do it.
Only I could even attempt it.
I still don’t know why my body can manage this.
But if I can use it, I’m going to try!
That’s how it all began.
After hearing the mentor’s words, I made one promise.
This wasn’t a promise made with anyone else; it was a vow made to myself.
If I’m going to attempt this, I must achieve even a single Heart Technique to perfection.
Right after making that commitment, the Gu Flame Wheel Technique finally reached its potential.
Haaaaah—.
Following that, I undertook several attempts.
To intertwine the techniques.
Kkiiiiii-!!!
The backlash erupted soundly.
Binding was possible.
This belongs in the realm of sorcery.
Tiny threads slinked in and around.
These weren’t mere threads; they were woven from sorcery.
I used this to bind them.
I figured something out about sorcery.
Sorcery is a domain that cannot be easily broken by sheer energy alone.
It requires either meeting specific conditions or breaking the finely-tuned rules within its framework to be dismantled.
What this indicates is that.
“Completely opposed to energy.”
In turn, that means, “there’s nothing more convenient than sorcery for binding energy to prevent it from escaping.”
Now that’s not a certainty.
I am convinced that sorcery is essential for me to achieve what I want.
But I still don’t know how to bind it with sorcery.
For now, it’s just a feeling.
Binding is the sole focus of my attempts.
In this manner, I’ve managed to bind together energies of different speeds and backlash.
Kkiikikik—!!
The energy, forcibly amalgamated, creaked and coiled around my arm.
My arm shook due to the strain.
This pressure is monumental.
I managed to gather the energy somehow, yet it feels like my arm might snap.
This is absurd!
Hua—.
Feeling that pressure, I slowly loosened my grip.
Both arms were already trembling uncontrollably.
My left arm was wrapped in what looked like a flame but wasn’t quite.
It was a chaotic swirl of colors.
Should I call it a broken flame?
It differs from the dark flame created by sorcery but is too muddied to be a pure blue flame.
Could this color be the after-effect of the Two-faced Man?
Maybe.
However, there’s no time to dwell on it.
Huh.
I spat out any remnants and willed my left arm into motion.
My stance was a mess, and I struggled to maintain my strength, so my speed was sluggish.
But I extended it.
The fist slowly cut through the air. Before long, it came to a halt.
That instant.
Thud.
With a tremor.
KIIAAAAAHHHHH—!!!
The energy screamed out.
AHHHH—!!!
My breathing halted.
I was feeling deafened.
All senses—hearing, sight, smell, touch—everything switched off in an instant.
The world darkened before my eyes.
What is happening? Is this what it feels like to float in a black sky?
Is this what losing all five senses means?
It feels so… strange.
What is this sensation even?
While I marveled at the complexity of it, I felt myself being pulled somewhere.
WHOOSH—!
Suddenly, all my senses returned.
SHHHH.
The sound of wind filled my ears.
A scent brushed my nose.
The foul stench of smoke.
My vision returned as well, revealing what had previously been obscured.
“…!”
I widened my eyes at the sight before me.
“…Hoo….”
The area surrounding me had become a complete disaster.
Not only was there a massive circular hole, but flames danced inside as well.
And at the center—
“…Heh heh heh.”
The one standing there was Shin Noya.
His attire, once pristine, was now disheveled.
“…What the hell have you created?”
He held a sword, staring at me with an expression filled with astonishment.
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