Chapter 1034: The Divine Tree and the Master.

“Noble One…?”

Seeing the Guardian Spirit react while looking at me, I bit my lip.

Mother had disappeared. Confirming this, I spoke to the Guardian Spirit.

“……What happened?”

“What…… What are you talking about……”

“The incident just now. Do you remember?”

“Yes……?”

Damn it.

The Guardian Spirit seemed to remember nothing.

‘I missed it.’

Mother had disappeared. This time too, leaving only the words to find another Sacred Tree.

If it’s the next Sacred Tree.

‘It must be that other General.’

That strange General, whose information isn’t detailed. It seems to be the place where that guy is.

The location is known, but they said there was no information on what kind of guy he is.

Does this mean I ultimately have to go to the place where that guy is?

‘The location is probably too…….’

I heard it was somewhere in the middle, on the way back from Mt. Myungnyeong to the Hwasan Sect?

‘Is this really a coincidence?’

I wondered if I really had to come all the way from Mt. Myungnyeong. Somehow, it felt like this was also a planned sequence.

‘What on earth is it?’

What could Mother’s objective be?

From her words, I knew she wanted me to obtain the Divine Fruit.

My objective was the same.

The difference is.

‘It’s that I’m not the one eating it.’

The Divine Fruit I would obtain was for Lord Shin, not for me to eat.

Moreover.

‘Even if I obtain and eat it, I’d be eating it twice. Is that okay?’

The first time was used to normalize the disturbance of my soul.

I heard that the Divine Fruit’s effect was originally to return the soul to its proper form.

If I were to eat that one more time…….

‘……What would I become?’

I couldn’t gauge what would change.

Is that what Mother desires?

‘If so, I can’t gauge what she desires.’

Making her words about wanting my happiness seem pointless. Mother looked like she wanted me to become the Master.

And indeed, what was happening now was just that.

I raised my head, leaving the Guardian Spirit behind, and looked at the black Sacred Tree.

“……”

The wind that had been blowing disappeared.

All that remained was my own unsettled emotions, unlike the calm situation.

Is it okay to proceed like this?

There was only one thing I learned here.

‘The Divine Sword is Yar-ang.’

That her soul, which I held in the Dragon Shrine, became Man-gyero and Yar-ang.

That she truly was the Divine Sword, just as I had expected.

Just the fact that it was true made my insides inexplicably warm.

I don’t know if this is the right direction or if the place I’m going to is correct.

It’s not the time to hesitate.

If what I want to obtain is clear, then it’s right to go, no matter what.

I reach out my hand.

“Noble One…?”

The Guardian Spirit showed a puzzled reaction to my action, but I ignored it and touched the Sacred Tree.

At that moment.

Dong-!

Energy spread from the tree, echoing through the surroundings once.

Swaaaaaaa–!!

The lake churned violently.

The currents surged and splashed; due to the strange phenomenon, those outside rushed towards the lakeshore.

“What……!”

The most flustered was the Guardian Spirit.

Not only had she lost consciousness for a moment, but the Guardian Spirit showed a flustered expression at the sudden changes.

Even in that situation, I calmly kept my hand on the Sacred Tree.

No, actually.

‘……What is this.’

I couldn’t take it off. As I touched the tree, energy burrowed in from within it.

‘What is this?’

It’s different from when I touched the Sacred Tree of Ya-wol. Back then, it was too fast to even notice.

This time, energy subtly seeped from the ancient tree.

It wasn’t demonic energy. If anything, it was pure and mystical energy, enough to be called Daoist energy.

It coursed through my arm and began accumulating in my heart.

However.

‘It doesn’t seem like energy I can use.’

It wasn’t Daoist energy, nor was it demonic energy.

It definitely wasn’t demonic energy either. It was uncertain what would change even if this accumulated.

As I narrowed my brow and looked at the energy.

Seueueueue–!!

Before long, a change occurred in the Sacred Tree.

The blackened, scorched color was gradually being sucked towards my hand.

“……The, Sacred Tree……!”

The Guardian Spirit exclaimed in shock, seeing the Sacred Tree’s change.

As the black color drained, it turned into the color of ordinary wood.

The change was instantaneous.

In a short time, all the color had drained.

‘Was the energy the color?’

At the same time, the flow of energy also stopped. It seemed the black color was related to the energy.

‘What could this be.’

The mystical energy filling my body. Though I didn’t know what it meant, it felt like my exhausted body gained a little vitality.

Feeling this, I tried to clench my fist briefly.

Uung-!!

“Hut……!?”

Something flew out from the Guardian Spirit’s embrace. It was a fragment of a purple jewel.

She had mentioned last time that it was an item that allowed her to channel the Master’s energy or cast spells around here.

The suddenly appearing energy began to emit light greedily.

Swiiik!! Pok!

“Hm?”

It burrowed into my chest and was absorbed into my body.

It truly pierced through and embedded itself precisely in my heart.

I felt no pain. What I felt instead was.

Huuuk-!!

“……Hah……”

An overwhelming amount of energy.

Unlike the energy from the ancient tree just now, this was energy I could actually use.

I could feel a large amount of energy spreading.

As the energy spread from my heart towards my blood vessels, my internal martial arts moved on their own.

The Demonic Heaven Absorption technique activated, devouring and digesting the energy.

Huuuk–!!

Wind flowed out from my body. An air pressure formed by the energy gently swept the surroundings.

In that process, a large amount of energy filled my heart.

“……Hoo……”

There was no need for energy circulation practice. Perhaps thanks to reaching transcendence, I could organize the energy regardless of my posture.

The amount of energy was considerable. If anything, it was comparable to absorbing a couple of hundred-grade spirit stones.

What was strange was.

‘The Sacred Tree’s energy envelops the energy.’

Like containing rough, bursting currents and putting them in one place. The gentle energy enveloped it.

The resulting form entered my heart completely.

“Haa……”

When I let out a quiet breath I had been holding.

“……This feels good?”

I could feel a difference significant enough for the corners of my mouth to lift naturally.

Hwa-reuk.

I conjured a flame at my fingertips. My already brightened Azure Flame felt even more vibrant.

I hadn’t broken through another wall. However, it felt like the unorganized energies from my advancement in cultivation were instantly tidied up.

While I was figuring this out.

Kugugugugugu–!!

Suddenly, rough vibrations erupted from the ceiling.

“Th-this is……!”

“The barrier……!!!”

“Guardian Spirit-nim……!!!”

Those watching urgently looked for the Guardian Spirit.

She also quickly got up. But.

Hwicheong-!

“Ugh!”

She staggered greatly, seemingly lacking strength. I roughly caught her.

Wondering what was happening, I followed suit and checked the air.

‘Ah, I see.’

I could immediately figure out what happened.

‘……The energy is gone.’

The power that had been hiding the space called Myungnyeong Cave.

The power borrowed and used from the jewel, called the Master’s Trace, had disappeared.

The reason is obvious.

‘Because I absorbed it.’

Because I completely absorbed that jewel, the space forming the surroundings was disappearing.

“Oh no…… Ah, no……!”

The Guardian Spirit cried out seeing that. It was because if the space disappeared at night, the Boss could appear and attack.

“It’s fine.”

Seeing this, I said nonchalantly. The Guardian Spirit, hearing me, looked at me and spoke as if about to cry.

“Fine, you say……! If it becomes like this…… If it becomes like this, we……”

“I’m telling you it’s fine. If it’s because of the Boss, it doesn’t matter.”

“What do you mean……!”

“I just dealt with him. You don’t have to worry about that guy.”

“……Yes?”

At my words, the Guardian Spirit faltered.

I dealt with the Boss? At my words, her eyes trembled rapidly.

Could it be true? Or was it nonsense? She seemed unable to believe it.

Uuung–!!

Even amidst that, the barrier rapidly faded.

Before long, just as the ancient tree’s color disappeared, the barrier filling Myungnyeong Cave also vanished completely.

And then.

‘……I can sense it.’

The presence of living beings, which couldn’t be felt in the middle of the night.

It was only now beginning to be felt again.

Grasping this, I shifted my gaze.

North. The place where I had just been fighting the Boss.

Looking that way, I moved my feet slightly.

“Noble One…?”

The Guardian Spirit reacted to my action, but I transformed into flames faster than she could.

Hwa-reuk-!

Leaving embers behind, I flew through the air.

I had somewhere to go.

---

Tuk-!

I landed on the ground. The place I arrived at was a mess.

Not only was it broken and smashed everywhere, but deep, rugged pits had formed, welcoming me.

All of it was made by me.

It was an area ruined by the fight with the Boss and monsters clashing with each other.

I had no further interest in such an area. What I headed for was the center of a wide, deep pit made of the Heavenly Demon Soul Jade.

I slowly descended.

A place where the moon was out, but its light couldn’t reach.

Arriving there, I saw something slumped down.

It wasn’t clearly visible due to the shadows, but at a glance, it seemed like a living creature.

“Seems like you were listening well?”

“……”

Hearing my words, something moved.

Two pupils manifested in the darkness.

They were eyes shining with a purple light.

A form slightly different from the color the original being possessed.

Seeing that, I ignited flames in my hand.

Hwa-reureu-k!!!

The Azure Flame flared, instantly illuminating the surroundings.

As the light burst, the one before me revealed their full form.

“……”

The being was a human wearing no clothes.

Their build was huge. Compared to that Dang-deok fellow, they were slightly larger.

He was a man with black hair and a sturdy frame.

What was peculiar was that a massive horn, like that of a bull, grew from the top of his head.

Seeing those horns, I called out to him.

“Boss.”

“……”

At my call, the guy’s face contorted.

Anyone could see he had a human appearance, except for the horns.

Surprisingly, that guy was the Boss.