Chapter 1058: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Hwaaaaaaaa—-.

A feast of flower petals scattering across the sky. My gaze is stolen watching it.

It blooms and wilts endlessly, as if intending to cover the entire gray sky and void.

It’s a field spread across the firmament. Beautiful and clear, a sight that would steal even my dry eyes.

What’s more, if you knew those petals weren’t naturally appearing, but were the embodiment of someone’s will and enlightenment.

How could one not be amazed?

“Huh……”

I quietly let out a breath. What is that? The petals are beautiful, so I reach out my hand. As my fingertips carefully touch them, the leaves tremble and slide down.

The texture was vivid.

It was practically indistinguishable from real flower petals, but…

“……!”

Having touched it myself, I couldn’t hide my surprise.

“……What kind of concentrated power is this?”

Each and every petal. The level of energy contained within them is extraordinary. I’ve never seen such high-level compression.

It reminded me of what Old Master Shin always did when teaching me.

Compression.

Wasn’t it said that a martial artist’s energy is determined by how they compress and release it?

As if demonstrating those words, the Old Master’s enlightenment was fully imbued within the petals.

So, while marveling at this, I was overwhelmed with admiration.

“It’s a bit too early to be surprised, don’t you think?”

An old man’s voice, tinged with laughter, brushed against my ears.

“Don’t just look at the blooming petals. Look at the roots supporting them.”

At Old Master Shin’s words, I shifted my gaze.

I saw his back. A massive back, unlike his frail body.

The old man’s body, standing with his back to me, resting his lowered sword.

Parurururu.

Its original color. Not the ‘Gwijung’ that had been dyed light blue after consuming my energy, but like when I first saw it. It was in its form then, imbued with a deep purple aura.

As I quietly watched it.

Ttuk-!

The trembling leaf stopped dead in the air.

Naturally, my breath hitched. It felt as if time had stopped. Amidst this strange sensation, my eyes were fixed solely on the Old Master’s back.

“How peculiar.”

A voice pierced through the space. It came from the fellow in front.

“Truly peculiar.”

Blue hair and entirely white pupils. A being more peculiar than anyone else was daring to discuss peculiarity.

“What is?”

As the Old Master spoke, looking at him, the fellow replied.

“How could someone of such a lowly rank contain so much, even in broad daylight? In a way, I respect that.”

“You seem sincere, but our relationship isn’t exactly one where praise is welcome, so I don’t feel particularly good about it.”

“Truly admirable. Perhaps if you had truly taken one step. Just one step, you might have been the first to break through the rank and ascend to the heavens.”

“The heavens.”

At those words, the Old Master chuckled.

“What a pointless word. Why must one ascend there?”

As he spoke, the Old Master moved slowly. The petals followed his leisurely steps.

“I have no interest in high places. It’s enough for me to have planted a small seed and grown a single tree.”

“A tree?”

“Indeed. This sword is the tree I’ve grown. What do you think? Haven’t I raised it rather well?”

Hwaaaaaaaa—-!!!

The petals moved as if carried by the wind, gradually gathering towards the Old Master’s Gwijung.

The petals clumped together, and clumped again. To think such compressed energy could gather even further there; if I had tried, it would have crumbled and collapsed long ago. But the Old Master was different.

“This is my tree.”

“Hmm……”

“You called yourself Taekcheon? I don’t know what your heavens are, but this is enough for me.”

‘Taekcheon?’

Hearing that, I frowned. Taekcheon? Taekcheon. I’d heard that name.

‘That…’

One of the Great Demonic Scripture texts that the Murim Alliance kept hidden geographically. I heard one of them was called Taekcheon.

Even if that wasn’t it.

‘…That’s the being Dark King saw, isn’t it.’

The master of the Taekcheon Realm, which Dark King once visited.

His name was Taekcheon.

‘No way.’

Could this guy be that Taekcheon? Why is someone like that here?

‘And the fact that he’s in the form of a crow…’

Does that mean this guy is the mastermind behind the crow’s actions?

It’s incomprehensible. Why is this Taekcheon fellow doing that here?

Just as I was flustered by the unexpected turn of events.

“A tree. Good.”

Taekcheon nodded, looking at the Old Master.

“I respect it. And I acknowledge it. Your tree has value.”

“I appreciate that.”

“So, show me. Let me see how much you could contain with just a small soul and rank, even in broad daylight.”

“Are you asking me to perform a trick?”

Kkulkulkul.

The Old Master let out a laugh.

“Alright. I’m quite good at things like that, you know.”

The sword, dyed a deep, deep red. I… got goosebumps watching it.

That wasn’t just a sword.

‘A plum blossom tree.’

The plum blossom tree I had seen until now. The Old Master was holding it.

The fragrance felt from the plum blossom tree. Vitality. Brilliance and beauty.

Even in broad daylight, martial arts emulate nature. As a martial artist, this fills me with awe and chills.

‘…That.’

It’s actually possible.

The cold sweat trickling down and the goosebumps rising stimulated something within me as a martial artist.

As I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the Gwijung.

“Youngster.”

The Old Master called me.

I couldn’t answer. I wasn’t able to.

“Watch closely.”

The Old Master, perhaps not expecting an answer, calmly moved his sword. As the tip moved gently, a deep purple line was drawn in the air.

It was as if painting with ink of that color.

“Its name is Plum Blossom (梅華).”

Plum Blossom (梅華).

Without any further words. Just Plum Blossom.

I understood.

‘It simply bloomed, grew, and was held in hand.’

Without losing its vitality, just as it was.

Though formed from my energy, it truly is a plum blossom.

That must have been what Old Master Shin meant.

“Yangcheon-ah.”

The Old Master called me by name.

“Yes.”

My mouth, which hadn’t opened as if by a lie, finally did.

“This is my tree. Are you watching?”

“……I am watching.”

“What you bloom doesn’t have to be a tree. However, focus on what you can bloom. What will you bloom?”

“……”

I couldn’t answer.

Bloom? It doesn’t have to be a tree? What could I possibly bloom? I had never thought about it.

But, just like this time.

“Remember this.”

The Old Master didn’t press me for an answer. This question wasn’t seeking a response either.

“Whatever you become. Whatever you try to become. That doesn’t matter. If you are to remain a martial artist (武人), keep in mind what you aspire to and where you must go. That is enough.”

“……”

“Now, watch closely.”

The Old Master moved.

The Plum Blossom trembled.

Its fragrance sank.

“This is my tree.”

The life held in the Old Master’s hand obscured the sky.

Like a gentle breeze, the tree flowed on the wind.

My gaze was captured by the vast petals. Branches sprouted, and petals bloomed upon them. They obscured the gray sky.

Plum Blossom (梅華).

The old man’s life fell upon Taekcheon.

Kugugugugugugugugugugung—-!!!

The sky split in two. The space that had created the gray heavens tore apart. It was merely a single swing.

“Hah.”

Taekcheon laughed.

He blocked the Plum Blossom with the spear in his hand, but I could tell how difficult it was by the slight tremor in his hand.

“Magnificent-!”

His voice grew louder.

“It’s the edge. We’re almost there.”

What had arrived?

What was at the edge?

I didn’t know, but I felt like I understood.

“Show me. Show me that you can reach it with your own power.”

It slid. The Old Master’s sword faltered, leading into the next strike.

Isom.

Two cleavages split the great mountain. Lines shaped like a cross appeared on the ceiling.

Kugugugung-!!

Everything around vibrated. Taekcheon lightly stomped the ground with his foot. At that moment, giant tentacles erupted from the floor.

Their size was incomparable to before.

Tentacles the size of red demonic beasts surged upwards. They headed straight for the Old Master.

The Old Master calmly watched them, then flicked his sword briefly.

Pang-! Pangpangpang-!!

The tentacles burst and scattered, and in the gaps, the Old Master moved.

He wasn’t particularly fast. With ordinary steps, he simply moved his sword.

The successive sword strikes shook the heavens.

Beneath them, the Mind Sword emerged.

Taekcheon smiled as he saw it.

“How fascinating.”

Kung-! Kwagagagang-!!

The Mind Sword embedded itself into the ground. The impact sent the earth leaping upwards.

Taekcheon’s upper body was ruined. It shattered and cracked.

Even amidst this, Taekcheon’s eyes were fixed solely on the Old Master.

“I desire it. I desire you, Shincheol.”

Interest morphed into obsession.

As he spoke those words, the Old Master’s Plum Blossom encroached upon his neck.

Kkang-!!

It couldn’t penetrate.

The Old Master’s Plum Blossom was blocked by some kind of wall, halting its movement.

It didn’t matter, though.

Plum Blossom Formation.

The Old Master seemed unfazed even by such a wall, pouring all his strength into his body to carve through it.

Kkigigigigigik–!!!!

“Hoo.”

Yet the sword still didn’t pierce through.

But the Old Master, along with his breath, added all his remaining strength.

Kwadeuk-!!

He finally cut through.

Seeing this, Taekcheon split his lips into a wide grin.

“You reached it.”

A short statement.

A small admiration.

“The divine level.”

The ink of the Plum Blossom entered Taekcheon’s neck. Thus, he intended to finally cut Taekcheon down.

“Congratulations-.”

Just as Taekcheon was about to speak to the Old Master.

Pasak.

“……Huh?”

I widened my eyes at the sound.

The Gwijung fell.

The Old Master’s arm, which had wielded it, was crumbling.

“……Old Master!”

Seeing that, I immediately charged forward.