Chapter 864: Ilcheonkyo. Pama (Demon Destruction).

Huareureureuk.

Frowning, I watched the flame burning slowly.

No, can this even be called a flame? The color was too unexpected.

“What the?”

It’s white. So pure white, you couldn’t tell if it was snow or fire just by looking at the color.

Moreover, the way it rose up was somehow different.

Slowly. And as if swaying. It’s hard to explain precisely, but it was quite different from the rough and fierce flames I usually summoned.

Soft and calm, perhaps?

“…”

I clenched my fist.

Hwareuk-! The heat haze that bloomed in my body disappears. I understood the feeling. It seemed I could summon it if I wanted to, and also maintain my original body.

‘Is this the Great Accomplishment.’

This is the Great Accomplishment of the Nine Flame Wheel Technique.

Is this the feeling of becoming one with the flame that my father used to talk about?

‘It’s a strange feeling.’

This too is difficult to explain.

However, I could vaguely understand the saying about becoming the flame oneself. It was truly literal.

Huareureureuk.

Originally, when I used the Nine Flame Wheel Technique, I used the concept of ‘I summon flames.’ Now, there was no need to strive to summon something.

“…Mm.”

It’s an unknown sensation from beginning to end. But it wasn’t uncomfortable.

In fact, it felt good. The exhilarating feeling I felt made me try desperately to hold back an unconscious laugh.

The feeling I couldn’t grasp back then was fully contained within my body.

I felt an overflowing exhilaration, feeling like I could do anything.

The problem is.

‘Why is it white.’

Did the color change so suddenly now? To say the Great Accomplishment is the cause… my father’s flame was crimson, yet.

I don’t know why my flame changed again.

‘Moreover, just how much stronger have I become?’

Since I’ve reached the Great Accomplishment, there should be changes in my state, but I haven’t properly grasped this part.

Besides.

“Are you okay…?”

It wasn’t the time to grasp such things, really.

Kneeling down, I checked on the two people who were lying prone.

Especially Wi Seol-ah, who was bawling her eyes out.

“Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”

Why is she sobbing like this? I tried to comfort her first, but Deopseok-! Wi Seol-ah hugged me again.

“Heeo-eo… heeo-eo…”

“…No.”

What should I do about this? After pondering for a while, the action I ultimately took was one thing.

Raising my hand, I stroked Wi Seol-ah’s hair.

“Let’s calm her down first,” I thought, speaking the words, but

“Calm down first…”

“I… I can’t hit them… Heueu… I can’t do it…”

“…”

At Wi Seol-ah’s words, my stroking hand froze. What couldn’t she hit? A brief thought crossed my mind, and I quickly recalled the answer.

‘Oh no…’

It seemed like something must have happened when I lost consciousness.

Turning my gaze, I looked at Namgung Bi-ah instead of Wi Seol-ah.

She wasn’t crying like Wi Seol-ah, but she looked much dazed compared to usual.

Our eyes met.

“…”

“…”

There were no particular words. Looking into her eyes, I realized what Namgung Bi-ah wanted.

Seeing that, I waved my hand slightly in the air.

Namgung Bi-ah came into my remaining embrace as if she had been waiting.

Kkuuk. I felt her gripping my collar tightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

I don’t know what happened.

I couldn’t remember. Still, I knew I had done something wrong.

Time passed like that, barely managing to apologize.

The two people seemed to have calmed down a bit, as the strength in their hands holding onto me weakened.

Only then did I calmly observe the surroundings.

‘…What a mess.’

Whatever happened, everywhere was a wreck. Especially, I saw something panting for breath in the corner.

‘The Sect Leader of Gyecheon?’

The transformed Sect Leader of Gyecheon was slumped in the corner, barely breathing.

From the looks of it, it was miraculous that he was even alive.

‘…It doesn’t seem like the kids did it.’

Given the kids’ personalities, they wouldn’t have destroyed it so violently.

That too seems like something I did.

‘What did I do? How?’

What or how must one break something to twist it like this? It’s just astonishing.

What’s fortunate here is.

‘The kids aren’t seriously injured.’

Their physical condition has almost no difference compared to before I lost consciousness.

That was the most fortunate thing.

If even a single part of them was damaged when I opened my eyes…

‘…’

I didn’t want to imagine it.

‘For now…’

What needs to be done from now on? Rather than figuring out my body’s state after reaching the Great Accomplishment, I decided to focus on that first.

I turned my head back and forth. As I shifted my gaze like that,

Uttuk.

Seeing something, I had to freeze right there.

‘That thing…?’

A tree was visible near the back of the space. Was that there originally?

‘Something like that existed, but why didn’t I notice it?’

I should have noticed it sooner if it were there. Now that I see it, I wondered if maybe only I could see it, so I immediately asked Namgung Bi-ah.

“Can you see that?”

Namgung Bi-ah turned her head at my gesture.

“…Yeah…”

The tree doesn’t seem like a hallucination. If so,

“…Was it there from the beginning?”

“Yeah… From the start.”

“Hmm.”

Since it existed in the first place, it’s more accurate to say I wasn’t perceiving it.

‘I couldn’t perceive something so strange?’

If it were normal, fine. But how could I not have noticed something like that?

I got up. The two people who were hugging me made disappointed expressions, but I ignored them and walked towards the tree.

It’s small. It’s closer to a sapling.

But,

‘The leaves.’

The leaves attached to the bare branches are strangely white.

Just like the flames I emitted. Or,

‘It’s similar to Wi Seol-ah’s state… or the Sect Leader of Gyecheon’s condition.’

There’s a strange foreignness to it, beyond just being white. In the first place, a tree looking like this didn’t make sense.

However, I wasn’t surprised.

‘Because I have experience.’

I had already seen it once.

How could I forget? It happened to be Sichuan back then too.

The time was probably…

‘Around the time I was looking for the Bigo of the Geumcheon Yeongga family.’

Back then, in the space she found instead of me, there was exactly this kind of tree.

Of course, the size difference was vast. The tree back then was huge, large enough to be called an ancient tree.

‘What on earth is this?’

What I saw back then vanished along with the space, even the tree disappeared.

What on earth could this tree be? Just looking at it, I knew it wasn’t an ordinary tree, but what on earth is its identity?

‘Does it give off this kind of feeling?’

Energies that cannot be felt from a normal tree.

Holiness? Or awe.

I was feeling those things from the tree.

‘And this…’

Turning my head, I looked at Wi Seol-ah.

‘It’s similar to what I faintly felt from Wi Seol-ah.’

Is it purely a mistake? I thought it wasn’t.

I didn’t know back then, but I know now how Wi Seol-ah figured out the location of the Bigo.

Furthermore, why this tree and Wi Seol-ah give off similar feelings.

‘There is some connection.’

Wi Seol-ah and this thing had a connection for whatever reason, and if that’s the case, it means…

‘Wi Seol-ah and Yeon Ilcheon could also be connected?’

It’s an incomprehensible situation if not.

‘How, exactly?’

If they are connected, how do they exist?

Moreover,

‘What on earth is this place?’

What was the Sect Leader of Gyecheon plotting here, and what is that grotesque appearance of his? There were mountains of things to find out.

So, shall I examine this tree first? Thinking so, I reached out my hand. Let’s lightly touch the leaves first.

With that intention, I brought my fingertips to the leaves.

At that moment.

Saaaaaa—-!!!

“Huh?”

“Wha…?”

The still tree began to move. Its branches moved as if dancing, and accordingly, the leaves also swayed.

No wind was blowing. This place was underground and sealed. There was no way wind could blow.

“What is this now?”

Did something go wrong? Just as I was about to step back from the tree,

Phaseu-seu.

Leaves fell from the swaying branches.

Seeing that, my eyes widened.

Leaves can fall, but these weren’t just falling to the ground.

The leaves that fell from the branches didn’t head towards the ground, but flew towards my body.

Moreover, they weren’t sticking to my body, but were spinning around me as if drawing circles in the air.

“…What the hell.”

“What kind of bullshit is this now?” I tried to say, but before I could even open my mouth, the leaves reacted again.

Ttuk–!

The spinning leaves suddenly stopped moving, and then…

They crumbled right there and scattered like dust.

The leaves floating in the air sparkled, their appearance resembling fireflies.

What are they trying to do? While maintaining a defensive stance, as I watched them,

Saaaaaa—-!!!

“…!”

The fragments of light moved in an instant and burrowed into my body.

They were so fast I couldn’t even resist.

By the time I realized it, all the leaves had already been absorbed into my body.

“…Crazy…”

Frantically, I tried shaking my body. Why did this suddenly happen?

What did it just stuff into me again… No, should this be called being forcibly shoved into my mouth?

Not knowing what changes might occur, I tensely examined my body, when…

[Ah… No… NO!!!]

A screaming voice was heard from behind.

When I turned my head, it was the almost dead Sect Leader of Gyecheon.

Whether he had regenerated in that short time, the Sect Leader of Gyecheon shouted at me with bloodshot eyes.

[You bastard… YOU BASTARD—!!! How dare you, someone like you, touch His miracle…!]

That old geezer was lying quietly, but why is he suddenly acting crazy?

He seemed extremely angry, forcing himself up even though his body wasn’t fully regenerated yet.

[I can’t forgive you… I really can’t forgive you… Th-this way, our plan–!!! Ughhhhhh–!]

Kung-! Stomping on the ground, he lunged towards me.

Seeing that, I narrowed my eyes.

Wi Seol-ah and Namgung Bi-ah also reacted, but I was faster.

I was going to kill him anyway, so this is good.

I clenched my fist. At that moment, my body changed.

Huareureureuk-! My hand was dyed in flame.

Feeling the heat, I threw my fist forward just like that, when…

Dugeun-!

My heart skipped a beat. The feeling is different from usual.

‘Huh?’

What is this? It feels peculiar. Still, my movement didn’t stop.

Traveling through my shoulder, my fist extended in a straight line.

It’s no different from usual. It felt exactly like using the Nine Flame Fetal Wolf technique, yet…

Hwaaaaaaaaa—-!!!

My heart beat like crazy, and the white flame calmly surged.

Nine Flame Fetal Wolf (俱炎態牙狼).

Kwaaaaaa—-!

The white flame engulfed the Sect Leader of Gyecheon.

[Kkuaaaaaaa—!]

In the immense heat, the Sect Leader of Gyecheon screamed. The flame pierced him and headed towards the wall, even melting it as if to show its heat.

It was truly immense heat.

I thought it might even melt the bones.

However,

Hwaaaaaaa—-!

Right after the flames subsided, I had to frown at the sight before me.

“Huh?”

As if to show its power, the flame melted the wall, creating a large hole, but

The Sect Leader of Gyecheon’s condition was actually the same.

Not even the slightest damage was visible. What is it? Did he endure it?

‘That can’t be right.’

The power just now was astonishing even to me. The increased firepower after consuming the White Horse Stone was fully realized.

So, he absolutely couldn’t be unharmed like that…?

Thinking something was wrong, as I looked at the Sect Leader of Gyecheon,

[Kkeu… Geueo…. Th-this….]

The Sect Leader of Gyecheon staggered and suddenly knelt down.

It’s not strange. His physical condition was a mess, so him collapsing like that was natural, but…

[Ah… No… NO….]

Udeudeudeuk.

“Hmm?”

Not long after the collapsed Sect Leader of Gyecheon, a change began.

Udeudeuk… Deudeudeudeuk—!

[Keueok….]

“What the…?”

Along with rough sounds, his large body gradually shrank.

His white hair slowly turned black, and the scales on his skin, as well as his pupils, were returning to their original forms.

He was changing back from a monster into a human.

Udeudeuk…!

In less than ten seconds, the Sect Leader of Gyecheon, having returned to his original form, had a look of despair.

“Oh no… Th-this… how…? Ah, no…. It can’t be!”

As if unable to believe it, he touched his face with his hands.

Then, looking at me, he crawled towards me.

“Give it back… Give it… give it back… Please give it back…”

“…”

He looked crazed.

As if he had lost something he shouldn’t have, the Sect Leader of Gyecheon screamed at me, begging for it back.

“…Haha.”

Seeing him like that, I let out a laugh.

The Sect Leader of Gyecheon himself wasn’t even in my sight anymore.

I raised my hand and examined the flame. The white flame was still burning.

I wondered what had changed, and it seems this is the cause.

‘This power…’

The power of the flame that I just used.

After using it, I realized what it was.

This is…

‘Seems similar to Demon Breaking?’

Demon Breaking (破魔).

In my past life, it was the power the Divine Sword used, and it was the reason she could fight against the Heavenly Demon and save the world.

It seemed that had appeared in me too.