Chapter 934: So in the end.

KWAOOOOOOOOO–!!!

A red sea made of flames sweeps across the floor. It was an immense amount of blue flame.

KWADUDEUDEUK–!!

The power contained within the flames was so strong that the ground where it passed became deeply gouged.

I didn’t exercise any control whatsoever.

I poured out all the strength I could muster.

I knew. That my opponent wasn’t someone I could afford to control my power for.

I unleashed my full power, as if to burn away all the trees and the ground.

This was something I only did in my past life when attempting a massacre.

Not caring about what happened to the surrounding landscape.

It was something I avoided doing as much as possible in this life.

This time, there was no hesitation.

As I mentioned earlier, my opponent was not someone who allowed for such leeway.

Furthermore.

‘Even if I didn’t.’

I believed there would be no damage to the surroundings.

As if to prove it.

HWAHHHHHHH-!

At the edges where my flames spread, petals were floating softly.

Like catching fish with a net, the widely spread petals contained all the flames.

They looked so thin and light, as if they would burn up at any moment.

How could they contain such a vast amount of energy?

Watching them, I couldn’t help but let out a wry laugh.

GIIIIING-!

The rings bound to my heart spun faster.

Roughly, violently, and destructively.

I didn’t bother paying attention to compression or rotation.

I tried pouring it out to the maximum extent possible, but…

“Tsk.”

A short clicking sound of the tongue came from the front.

“You’re playing dirty, aren’t you.”

PAHHHHHHH–!!

Along with the words, plum blossoms bloomed.

In an instant, like a gust of wind, the petals shot up into the sky. The shape of that wind pressure was a perfect vortex.

The vortex of tangled leaves seemed to pull in all my flames that had spread around, lifting them into the sky.

It was instantaneous.

All those flames rose into the sky and dispersed.

After all the flames had died down.

In my cleared vision, my body had reached the desired destination.

The flames were merely hostages meant to hold me back.

My body, already mixed within the flames, had moved behind the owner of the gust, Shin Noyah.

‘I’ve secured the position.’

There were two things I considered important.

First, making Shin Noyah, who valued this place, block my flames so they wouldn’t cause damage.

This must be the reason he called me cunning.

And the second.

‘Drawing his attention like that, while conversely erasing my presence.’

I minimized my presence and hid within the flames to secure my position.

The top priority was preventing Noyah from noticing.

This was the moment I made that happen.

‘Now.’

GUUUUU-!

The flames I had gathered in my hand took shape.

Sacred Flame Spear (Yeomokseongchang).

With power compressed to the extreme, I threw it forward.

An explosion at this distance could have inflicted considerable damage on me as well, but… I reasoned that some things must be given up.

The spear, having left my hand, flew at high speed.

Shin Noyah reacted the moment the spear left my hand.

He glanced back.

It was already too late.

I thought so.

However.

SHWOONG-!

“…!”

Surprisingly, the spear did not explode.

Far from exploding, it simply passed straight through Shin Noyah.

It was pure penetration.

What in the world happened there? I was momentarily flustered, but I narrowed my eyes at the situation unfolding afterward.

Shin Noyah’s body, now pierced, seemed somehow strange.

Something shimmered within the gaping hole in his chest.

It was petals.

Plum blossom petals had gathered there.

And that wasn’t all.

PAAAAA.

Starting from the pierced hole, the petals slowly fluttered.

Noyah’s very body seemed to turn into leaves and disappear.

My momentary panic upon facing the situation quickly subsided.

“Too slow.”

Hearing the voice right behind me, I moved.

I immediately twisted my waist and put strength into my hand.

I tried to swing it with added speed, but…

TAK-!

“Damn it!”

My wrist was caught. It was a large, dry hand.

That was all I could see.

By the time I realized it, my vision was already facing the sky.

I felt a sense of weightlessness.

Shin Noyah had grabbed me and thrown me.

What angle was that? In which direction was I flying like this?

GIIING-! I immediately gathered my energy.

It was to prepare for landing.

I had to prepare for the next stance as well, but…

“A young pup like you, reacting so slowly, how can that possibly work?”

WHAM-!

“GAK-!”

A fist embedded itself into my face.

My flying body slammed into the ground along with the impact.

KWAAJIK-!

My body bounced off the ground once and then lifted.

A gasp escaped my lips. It was a sharp pain I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I unleashed flames from my hand.

HWARYUREUREUK–!!!

As the flames erupted, my body lifted slightly.

I managed to twist my angle.

At that moment.

KWAOOOOO–!!

A fist burrowed into the spot where I had originally been.

Rock fragments flew towards my cheek.

I barely dodged it.

I got up and looked straight ahead.

From the heavily damaged ground, Shin Noyah pulled out his fist and dusted off his hand.

Tuk-tuk.

As he casually brushed off his hands and looked my way, goosebumps prickled my skin again.

‘…Just when…?’

When did he create that illusion with petals?

I definitely sensed his presence?

I couldn’t comprehend it. Even more so.

‘His speed is also incredible.’

It was at a level where even reading his movements was impossible.

He was definitely different from the Shin Noyah I had seen last time.

Whether he was going easy on me.

Or if this old man in front of me was someone else entirely, I didn’t know.

To think I’d end up like this against someone who hadn’t even drawn his sword.

I stared at Shin Noyah, slightly dumbfounded.

“Hmm.”

Shin Noyah tilted his head and spoke to me.

“As far as tricks go, this isn’t very entertaining.”

“…”

“Is this all you’ve got? Then I’m quite disappointed….”

The way he said it with a smirk was incredibly irritating.

“Sss….”

I pushed myself up and took a deep breath.

As if the breath became fuel, my energy began to circulate faster within my body.

I intentionally pushed it even faster.

THUMP-!

My heart pounded once violently, and strength flowed into my muscles.

I recreated the Flame Orb in my palm.

A sphere formed in an instant. I grasped it firmly in one go.

KWAK-!

The Flame Orb was crushed and burst forth.

Maintaining the erupted flames, I controlled them meticulously.

Soon, the shape of the flames stretched out long and longer.

It resembled the shape of a rope.

KWAK-!

Holding the rope in one hand, I put strength into my shoulder.

Flame Whip Barrage (Yeomrinanta).

KWAGAGAGAGAK—!!!

I swung the rope made of flames like a madman.

Each time the rope cut through the air, heat left its mark.

It shattered trees and left flames wherever it struck the ground.

To think I could change its form and use it like this.

It was thanks to reaching the Tenth Star, which allowed me to handle flames more delicately.

The energy consumption was considerable, but I was satisfied using it to this extent.

If I got a bit more used to it, I felt I could use it much more powerfully and diversely.

The problem was.

‘It doesn’t connect.’

The fact was, even swinging it wildly like this wouldn’t connect.

Noyah was effortlessly dodging attacks that defied rules and laws.

He wasn’t dodging everything; he occasionally deflected them, twisting their angles.

The way he deflected them was absurd.

He was simply deflecting all the attacks by surrounding his bare hands with energy.

‘Is he insane?’

To deflect this so casually.

And even more absurdly, to deflect it all with a blank expression.

Cold sweat trickled down.

Maintaining the form consumed more energy than expected.

I didn’t think I could use it for long.

However, even if that weren’t the case, it was meaningless if it didn’t work anyway.

I already knew there was a wall.

But I hadn’t realized the wall would be this thick and high.

It was truly baffling.

‘What the hell is this.’

How on earth could someone reach that level?

‘…At that level…’

…Wouldn’t he be stronger than the Three Venerables?

Although, the only one of the Three Venerables I’ve properly fought is Pae-jon.

‘Still…’

This was the first time I felt such a low chance of winning.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t win.

Such feelings were encouraging, but…

“Hoo-!”

Rather than retreat, I chose to step forward, putting strength into my feet.

KWAK-!

Shin Noyah grabbed the moving rope.

CHIIIIK-!

The sound of flames scorching could be heard. However, there was no smell of burning flesh.

The sound was the heat scorching against his energy.

To think he’d just grab the rope like that.

KKUUK-!

In that moment, I felt the rope tighten with force.

As soon as I felt that, I released the energy in the rope.

KWAAAAK-!

Shin Noyah pulled strongly, rope and all.

It was immense pressure. If I hadn’t let go, I would have been dragged along.

As the energy dissipated, the rope vanished into thin air.

I didn’t retrieve it separately.

Rather, the pulling pressure was there, so I used that to charge in.

Charging forward, I grabbed the Flame Orb in my hand and threw it.

I detonated it the moment I threw it.

KWAOOOOO–!!

The flames spread, momentarily obscuring vision.

It wouldn’t last long.

It would only be for a moment, really.

I had to use even that.

While vision was obscured, I turned my head.

KWAAAAK-!!

A fist shot out from within the flames.

It was Shin Noyah’s fist.

I sensed it with the flames and dodged.

I quickly burrowed into his embrace.

I generated another Flame Orb in my hand.

I recalled the scattered flames as well and gathered them in my hand.

GIIIIIIING-!

I applied strong compression.

SHIIIIIIING–!!!

I added rapid rotational force.

The flames completely vanished, and Shin Noyah came into view.

Twisting my waist, I thrust the Flame Orb forward.

Noyah had already thrown a punch.

It would take time for him to retract that movement.

I had to aim for this opening.

I couldn’t win.

I knew that much, but…

‘At least I should make him draw his sword.’

‘I’ll at least make him hold a sword in his hand,’ I thought, shoving the Flame Orb into his abdomen.

KKUGUGUGUG-!!

“…Huh?”

I gasped at the situation that unfolded.

The Flame Orb had entered his abdomen properly, but…

SARARARAK.

It couldn’t penetrate all the way.

Plum blossom petals were blocking the Flame Orb.

Am I unable to pierce these weak, small plum blossom petals?

As I widened my eyes in shock at the situation…

“Your compression and rotation have improved compared to before.”

Shin Noyah spoke to me in a voice tinged with laughter.

“However, you focused too much on those aspects.

You missed what’s truly important.

Wouldn’t that make it meaningless?”

Instinctively, I tried to pull back quickly, but…

DUNG SIL-.

A single plum blossom branch floated before my eyes.

Seeing it, my gaze involuntarily locked onto it.

“Your concentration has wavered.

Snap out of it.”

KWAAJIK-!

Noyah grabbed the Flame Orb and crushed it.

It was the same form that Cheonma had used before.

The difference was, Noyah didn’t just stop at crushing it; he blocked it with plum blossom petals to prevent it from exploding.

KOONG-!

“Kkuhk!”

And then, his knee dug into my abdomen.

My body was sent flying again.

My body, sent flying by the impact, rolled across the ground.

After rolling a couple of times, I grabbed the ground and pushed myself up.

“Keuhuk….”

Clutching my stomach, I coughed out a gasp.

“Hooah… Ptooey!”

I spat out blood-tinged saliva and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

Staggering, I got up and looked at Shin Noyah.

Noyah had thrown me far away and remained motionless in his spot.

He was deliberately staying still.

‘He could have easily finished me off just now.’

He could have followed up and finished me off anytime.

He simply chose not to.

“…This is damn hard, really.”

I thought I had gotten much stronger, but is this much of a difference?

Perhaps, if I used demonic energy, would it be different?

‘No.’

Using it wouldn’t guarantee victory.

Besides, I didn’t want to use demonic energy on Noyah.

“Is that all?”

Noyah spoke to me in a slightly brusque voice.

“If this is it, it’s not even entertaining anymore?”

“…”

“Considering how confident you were, you’re quite underwhelming, aren’t you?”

I knew those words were meant to provoke me.

I knew it well, but…

“I’m somewhat disappointed.”

I let out a sigh.

What should I do?

How can I land even one hit on this old man?

I pondered that carefully.

There was no answer through conventional methods.

Then.

‘…Should I try something unconventional?’

My deliberation was brief.

“…”

“Brat. Is it the end…?”

Noyah stopped talking to me.

More precisely, he stopped upon seeing my posture.

I was slowly closing my eyes, my hands clasped together.

“You…? What are you trying to-.”

“Ssssseeee….”

Whatever Noyah said, I ignored him and focused.

HWARUK.

A fire lit up in my heart.

THUMP-!

Within it, the pain of the Two-Arm Sky Dance was implanted.

And then.

SARARARAK.

The four rings that had been rotating around my heart emerged and began to bind the two sensations.

At that moment.

KKIGIGIGIK—!!!

A tumult erupted in my lower abdomen.