Chapter 1042: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Kugugugugung!!!!!

Blue flames burst in all directions, engulfing the building.

The firepower, a mix of air pressure and internal energy, battered the surroundings, melting the building rather than just burning it.

Hududuk-!

As debris fell, I rolled my eyes and concentrated power into my hand.

I didn’t kill him.

Was it because I narrowed the range and concentrated the firepower? I felt nothing.

I found a presence. Just one.

‘There are too many.’

There are too many presences around me, making it overwhelming to catch the faint ones.

That’s why it took time.

It was only an instant, but enough time for an opening to appear.

Huuk-!

Something pierced through the flames.

I twisted my body to dodge.

I tried to burn it, but judging by its energy, it wasn’t strong enough to be burned.

It meant I couldn’t catch it. I immediately summoned energy force into my hand. Instantly, flames erupted, changing shape.

Infernal Star Spear. A spear of blue light gleamed.

Bursting embers, I hurled it towards the direction the attack had come from.

Kuaaaaaa—–!!!

A roar erupted as a flash of light skimmed past.

Kuuung—–!!!!

Beyond the flames, the sound of an explosion was heard.

It was the sound of the star spear exploding.

It didn’t hit this time either.

‘What is it?’

I frowned, feeling puzzled, and recalled the scattered flames.

Hwareureuk–!!!!

The flames spread everywhere swirled violently and were sucked into my hand. As I withdrew the blue flames, my vision cleared.

It had become a disaster zone. The nearby buildings were gone, leaving only a cratered floor and charred debris.

Something remained over that landscape.

‘……That.’

Upon confirming, my face contorted.

It was the thing I had checked when I entered the building.

A crystal containing a withered human.

It was shaped like the human, contained within the crystal, and all the presences around here were felt from that place.

Confirming that, I reached out my left hand.

Hwaaaaaaah—–!!!!

Flames erupted, pushing aside the building on the right.

In an instant, one side subsided, leaving only the crystals I had been looking at until just now.

They hadn’t melted even from the blue flames. The firepower was enough to destroy the building, yet those crystals weren’t even scratched.

‘There aren’t just one or two.’

The crystals that appeared were numerous.

The buildings contained anywhere from one to several crystals.

‘I feel the presences coming from there.’

The strange presences I had felt in this space until now.

All of them were presences felt from those crystals.

Why were presences felt from those crystals? And they weren’t just mere presences.

‘This is life force.’

As if indicating they were alive, life force could be felt from the crystals.

Dugeun-! Dugeun-!

As I listened closely, I heard heartbeats. This means…

‘They’re alive.’

It means all those beings are alive.

“Hmm.”

After confirming this, I looked away. As I raised my gaze into the air, something was hovering far away.

In the grey sky, dust was floating, making the place look even more disordered.

At its center, a man with spread black wings was looking down at me.

He had long, flowing grey hair and wore a dark crimson cloak.

He was a man with an expressionless face and skin so pale it was almost devoid of blood.

As our eyes met, he spoke, looking at me.

“You’re rather impatient. We haven’t even properly exchanged greetings.”

“……”

“I was hoping we could have a slow conversation. But it seems you don’t want to.”

Chwaak.

Instead of answering his words, I swung my hand.

Huuk-!! Paang-!

At the incoming assault, he too moved his hand. The moment he moved, a spear sprang into his hand, deflecting the whip.

Embers burst.

Meanwhile, I glanced at the spear he was holding.

‘A trident?’

A black trident. Judging by its shimmering appearance, was it made of energy?

The moment I narrowed my eyes to figure it out.

Huuk-!

Kuuung–!!!

He threw the spear he was holding at me.

I dodged slightly. As the spear embedded itself in the floor, it exploded immediately.

Black energy burst out erratically.

Emitting heat, I flew up into the air.

Leaving the sizzling floor behind, I glared at him.

“Let me ask just one thing.”

“Hm?”

He tilted his head at my question.

“What is it?”

“That. Is that your doing?”

At my gesture, he looked. At the crystals filling the floor.

“Ah. You mean that.”

He laughed at my question.

“Isn’t it beautiful?”

“What?”

“An immortal beauty that will never break.”

“……”

Hearing him, I heightened my senses.

I felt presences and life force pouring in from all directions. Taking a breath, I focused my senses.

“Why?”

“Do I need to state a reason? We aren’t exactly on those terms. Besides, if you want to get technical…”

Huuuung.

A spear materialized again at his fingertips.

“Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for me to ask you?”

“You’re right about that.”

Hwareureuk.

As I spoke, I tensed my body.

“But, from the looks of it, neither of us is going to answer the other.”

Flames rose, covering my entire body.

The blue flames coiled around my body once, then transformed into black energy.

“So, we have to make each other answer. I like that.”

I enveloped myself in demonic energy. Then, I created a ring behind my back and spun it frantically.

The ring of demonic energy trembled violently.

Giiiying-!!

I increased the speed extremely, generating friction.

Energy permeated both my hands. The air tore and shimmered.

The Heavenly Demon Arts manifested.

Kkuuk-!!

Jjirit.

The bones throughout my body resonated. The pain was incomparable to the time of Tua-pacheonmu.

Tua-pacheonmu involved strong stimulation of the acupoints, and the energy itself was based on pain, so there wouldn’t be major physical issues, but…

‘This one is actually painful.’

The Heavenly Demon Arts caused that pain to directly affect the body.

The friction was so intense that my entire bones resonated, and sharp, skin-tearing pain assaulted me.

‘This isn’t easy.’

Maintaining it was already unreasonably difficult, and even if I managed it, the pain was unbearable.

I created it myself, but it’s undeniably madness.

‘If it weren’t for my Dragon body, I wouldn’t be able to withstand this.’

Even after reaching transcendence, it’s this bad.

I do wonder how I can possibly use this, though.

‘Handle it? How else but by…’

…enduring it.

As always.

Kung-!!!!

Vibration erupted as energy formed in my hand.

I contained it within my fist, pressing it completely close, and increased the speed.

Paak-!!!!

Firepower erupted from behind my back, and my body shot forward.

I charged towards him.

He swung the trident and flapped his wings, charging fiercely at me.

Huiiik-!

As the spear moved, its energy traced a path.

As the spear cut through the air, black energy followed, and its size was formidable.

Moreover, the energy itself was potent.

Seeing that, I slightly altered my course.

Huuuuk–!!!!

The strike grazed past my body.

Kuaaaaaaaa—-!!!!

Following that, an explosion erupted behind me with a vibration. I didn’t bother checking. Just the vibration and the sheer amount of energy told me how powerful it was.

It was good that I didn’t block it.

Not that I couldn’t have blocked it, but…

‘It would have been annoying to pierce through.’

Unless I intended to take the hit, my speed would decrease.

So, I had to sacrifice some momentum.

My speed decreased, and the power likely took a hit, but nevertheless, I succeeded in closing the distance.

That was enough.

‘Heavenly Demon Arts.’

I charged forward, penetrating right up close to him.

‘Heavenly Demon Fist.’

Chaos exploded from my fist.

Kiiiaaaaaa—-!!!!

The scream of energy engulfed him.

It swept through the air and burst forth. The energy’s form was like an embodiment of a scream.

It seemed to convey the feeling of energy writhing in agony.

I thought the power itself was truly amazing.

‘Damn it.’

The reaction was the same as before.

‘It didn’t hit.’

There was no sensation in my fist.

Huuk-!

I lowered my head.

Chwaak-!

The spear passed over my head. Right then, I focused power into the ring.

Tung-!

Flames burst as I fell down. I landed on the ground.

Kwaaa-!

Debris flew. There was no time to assume a breakfall technique.

I condensed flames in my hand.

I overlaid Chaos onto it.

Heavenly Demon Chaos Orb.

And.

Kuuung-!!!!

I lifted my foot low and stomped down. Pressure poured onto the sky.

Heavenly Demon’s Descent.

I intertwined demonic energy and the Heavenly Demon Arts into my legs.

I derived the principle from the Emperor Sword Style. Since that involved weaving demonic energy and sword energy to seal movements, this likely contains a similar intent.

Emitting energy, I looked up at the sky.

He was looking down at me, his body without a single scratch.

Although his expression was hidden by the cloak.

I could tell he was smiling.

‘What is it?’

Why didn’t it hit?

I hit him point-blank, so why didn’t it connect?

I narrowed my eyes.

‘Is it some kind of ability?’

This is strange. I definitely hit him point-blank, landed a proper attack, yet it didn’t connect. Something is wrong.

And yet he’s smiling?

‘This bastard?’

Is he mocking me?

Thinking that far, I dismissed the energy I was creating.

If it doesn’t work, there’s no point in just throwing attacks around.

‘It doesn’t seem like an ability.’

If it were an ability, I would have known.

Tam should have reacted first. But Tam remained still.

‘Hmm.’

What should I do?

Just as I was pondering for a moment.

“Hm.”

My eyes flashed slightly.

It wasn’t an ability, nor was it a skill I could grasp.

Then.

‘There’s only one thing left.’

Recalling the thought, I immediately focused strength into my eyes.

My Mind’s Eye activated.

I poured in full strength. As energy seeped in to the point my eyes hurt, the view changed.

Since what was spread around this area was itself a spell, what I saw was naturally strange, but…

‘I can see it.’

There was something around him.

‘That’s it.’

It was a spell. I didn’t know what kind, though.

But.

‘If it’s a spell…’

…that changes things.

I smiled and moved my hand.

My hand reached out into the air. Seeing that, his expression changed slightly.

Just then.

Kkwaak–!!!!

My hand caught something amidst the strangeness visible before me.

At that moment.

Kuung-!!!!

“……!?”

His body shook violently.

Seeing that, I became certain.

This… somehow…

‘This bastard.’

Seems like I can catch him.