Chapter 935: So in the end.

Srrrreuk.

Like a bandage being tied around my injured arm, I felt something weaving itself within my heart.

Energies that should never mix were forcibly entangled.

The heat of the Nine Flame Wheel Technique, and

the agony of the Two Wings Breaking Heaven Dance gradually began to mix in.

Or rather, no. They don’t mix.

They’re just entangled, like oil and water.

“Ssssseuuu…!”

My breathing grew increasingly ragged. The energy caused a tumult in my lower dantian.

It felt like a tidal wave crashing.

Like thunder flashing across the sky.

As if earthquakes were erupting all around.

Everything I had barely maintained was shattering.

Should I call it a disaster?

Things that made me dizzy just looking at them were happening inside me.

“Kkeuu….”

After a moment, pain followed.

As energies that couldn’t intertwine became tangled, my body erupted as if about to explode.

It was a perfect repulsion.

It couldn’t even be described as mere friction.

This was repulsion.

An extreme resistance, a refusal to ever intertwine.

“…”

My clasped hands trembled. I was gripping so tightly my bones felt like they would shatter.

“Kkeu…heuuu….”

The energy wasn’t flowing through my meridians; it was pouring out as if being violently repelled.

My meridians felt like they were about to rupture.

I could feel that if my body hadn’t awakened through the Shedding Skin technique, it would have burst long ago.

That’s how much force I was exerting.

The more I felt it, the more I wondered if they weren’t just utter lunatics.

How could there only be such rough characters?

Now that they were put together, they clashed as if trying to kill each other.

The problem is, I’m the one taking the full brunt of the backlash.

‘Thinking about it like that,’

I guess I’m quite the lunatic myself.

To be suffering like this after doing something I was explicitly told not to.

Back when I first tried this, no.

More accurately, when I said I was going to try.

They looked at me like I was crazy.

They always saw me as crazy, but this time it was much worse, wasn’t it?

-Have you lost your mind?

Pajeon said to me, his face completely serious.

-Do you even know what you’re trying to do right now?

-I have a rough idea.

-And you’re still going through with it?

Pajeon asked me, sounding incredulous.

Admittedly, even I thought it was a pretty absurd thing to do.

-Trying to weave two already completed inner cultivation techniques together to create something new? That makes no sense unless you want to die, doesn’t it?

I wanted to try merging the inner cultivation techniques contained within my body into one.

That’s what I told Pajeon I was going to attempt;

and upon hearing it, Pajeon half-angrily told me:

-Like I told you last time, if you want to die, just say so. I might grant that much.

-Master, your words are a bit harsh.

-What else can I do when my disciple suddenly decides to commit suicide?

-Who said anything about dying?

-That’s no different from saying you want to die.

Pajeon’s tone was unusually serious.

-I know you possess a peculiar body.

-Peculiar? Calling a person…

-And thanks to that, I know you can contain multiple inner cultivation techniques without issue, but

That was the first time I saw Pajeon genuinely angry, frowning like that.

-Mixing them has a completely different meaning, you foolish disciple. You seem to think it’s like mixing water and ink.

-It’s not like that.

-If it’s not, then such a thought shouldn’t even be possible.

Pajeon clenched his fist and showed it to me.

The energy of the Two Wings Breaking Heaven Dance shimmered within his fist.

-Show me your flame.

Following his words, I conjured a flame above my palm.

Hwa-reureureuk–!!

Looking at the flame, Pajeon said:

-The flow of energy inherently differs with each inner cultivation technique.

-The difference is clear even between the Two Wings Breaking Heaven Dance and your flame right now.

-The very flow of energy has entirely different directions and speeds. How can you try to achieve them together?

-That’s a different matter from simply containing other inner cultivation techniques within your body.

Pajeon went on, saying countless things that wouldn’t succeed and shouldn’t be said.

I knew well that the reason he was acting like that was ultimately to persuade me.

So, I listened quietly.

After all, the reason he spoke that way was because he didn’t want me to go wrong.

After listening for quite some time,

-So…

-Do you remember what you always used to say?

Interrupting Pajeon, I suddenly asked him:

-What?

-The words you said to me every day, Elder.

-What words are you talking about?

When training or engaging in a fight.

I recall Pajeon’s words every time.

They had become rather important words to me now.

-If it doesn’t work, make it work.

-…

-Those are the words you always told me.

-You should know, even if you’re lacking, that I didn’t mean for you to apply that here?

Pajeon no longer looked merely uncomfortable; he seemed half-angry.

-Whether it works or not is something unknown, isn’t it?

-Yes, as you say, it might work. That’s true. But.

Pajeon’s kind eyes turned sharp.

-Why the arrogance to meddle with this when you haven’t even achieved mastery in either martial art?

-…

I had to fall silent for a moment at those words.

-Don’t misunderstand, disciple.

Pajeon strode towards me.

Standing right in front of me, Pajeon was about half a finger shorter than me.

It must be the after-effects of experiencing the Reverse Aging phenomenon.

Yet, despite that, Pajeon somehow felt much larger than me.

-What angers me isn’t just that you’re doing something pointless, but your arrogance in looking for another path without seeing anything through to the end.

-…

I had nothing specific to say in response to Pajeon’s words. They were true.

Why try something else when I haven’t even completed one thing?

It was difficult to speak, as those words were too factual to use the excuse of lacking time.

However.

-So, are you saying it would be worth trying if I achieved mastery in at least one?

-…This brat?

Pajeon’s aura grew heavy, perhaps nearing anger. I was damn scared.

-I’m serious. Whether it’s possible or not can only be known by trying. And as you said, Elder, if I achieve mastery in one, wouldn’t it be worth attempting?

It was a statement bordering on stubbornness. Hearing that, Pajeon paused his anger, narrowed his eyes as if sensing something strange, and said to me:

-Why are you fixated on this? You’ve gained quite a lot already. What is it you’re trying to gain so desperately?

The Nine Flame Wheel Technique and the Two Wings Breaking Heaven Dance.

A life filled with countless fortuitous encounters.

In reality, what I had gained was more than enough for a lifetime.

Especially when compared to my previous life.

-What’s making you so impatient? If you continue like this, you’ll be able to overcome even the current Three Venerables without much difficulty.

-…

It was somewhat absurd hearing that from the Three Venerables themselves, and at the same time,

I was a little taken aback because it was the first time Pajeon had said something like this to me.

If I continue like this, I can overcome the Three Venerables too.

Pajeon’s voice held such conviction.

Yes, that was something I had also been thinking about.

If I continue like this.

Perhaps someday, truly someday, I could even surpass the Three Venerables, known as the ‘Beyond Heaven’ of the Central Plains.

Although that was something I thought about,

-Someday is too late.

Knowing when that ‘someday’ might be,

or whether it would take years, even ten or several decades, is unknown.

I didn’t have that much time.

-I just don’t understand. Your impatience, and your belief that you can gain greater power by mixing inner cultivation techniques. Why do you see it that way?

Pajeon spoke as if he truly couldn’t comprehend it.

What confidence do you have in this crazy act of trying to mix inner cultivation techniques?

Pajeon was full of questions.

I was the same.

Even when I first thought of this, I used to dismiss it as a fleeting delusion.

What lunatic would even think of such a thing?

It was definitely something I could have just let pass.

But strangely, this thought wouldn’t disappear.

It felt almost like a compulsion.

‘Try it.’

‘You can do it.’

‘If you just do it, a new world will unfold.’

It was precisely during that accumulation of feelings that I added to my words to Pajeon:

-So, you don’t think it’s possible, Elder?

-Of course…

-Not that it’s impossible. I mean the thought that if it can be done, something interesting will happen.

-…

This time, Pajeon fell silent at my words.

What would happen if I succeeded in mixing the two inner cultivation techniques.

Wouldn’t you be interested in that?

Pajeon’s expression shifted slightly at my question.

-…Well.

Pajeon pursed his lips.

The direction of the energy.

The frequency of vibration within the energy, the very meaning held by each technique-two things completely different mixing together.

What would happen if that were to succeed?

Controlling the friction generated between the inner cultivation techniques.

And if the resulting pressure could be fully converted into power.

-…Something incredible would surely emerge.

Not Pajeon the master,

but Pajeon the martial artist had to admit it.

If it truly succeeded.

Something incredible would emerge.

The problem was, it was something no one else could do.

Just containing two inner cultivation techniques in one’s body was already an issue,

but I could.

Only I could even attempt it.

I didn’t know why my body could do this,

but if I could use it, I would try.

That’s how it began.

After hearing Pajeon’s words, I made a promise.

It wasn’t a promise with anyone else, but one I made with myself.

If I were to try it, let’s achieve mastery in at least one martial art first.

No sooner had I made that resolution than the Nine Flame Wheel Technique finally reached mastery;

“Haaaaaa-.”

From that point on, I’ve attempted it several times recently.

Binding the inner cultivation techniques.

Kkigigigik—!!!

The backlash erupted noisily.

Binding was possible.

This was the realm of sorcery.

Small threads creeping stealthily.

These were threads formed not by internal energy, but by sorcery.

I bind them with this.

I had gained one realization about sorcery.

Sorcery was an area difficult to break through with mere energy.

It was easier to break if one met specific conditions or deciphered the intricate rules within it.

In other words,

‘A complete antithesis to energy.’

Then, conversely,

‘Wouldn’t sorcery be the most convenient way to bind energy so it doesn’t unravel?’

This wasn’t quite certainty.

But I was certain that sorcery was necessary to achieve what I desired.

I wasn’t sure exactly how sorcery could achieve the binding, though.

For now, it was just intuition.

Attempting it while focusing solely on the binding.

And so, I managed to bind energies with different speeds and reactions.

Kkigigigigik-!!

The forcibly gathered energy creaked as it wrapped around my arm.

My arm trembled violently due to the coiled energy.

The pressure was immense.

I had somehow gathered the energy, but even that felt like it would crush my arm.

This is insane.

‘Hooah….’

Feeling the pressure, I slowly released my clasped hands.

Both my arms were already trembling madly,

and one arm was wrapped in something that seemed like flame, yet wasn’t.

It was a chaotic color.

Should I call it a broken flame?

It was different from the black flames made of demonic energy, and too murky to be called a pure blue flame.

Was this color caused by the influence of the Two Wings Breaking Heaven Dance?

Perhaps.

However, there was no time to figure that out.

“Kkuh.”

Spitting out a groan, I moved my left arm.

My stance was terrible, and my speed was slow from enduring the force,

but I extended it.

My fist slowly cut through the air, and after a short while, it stopped.

At that moment.

Tung.

Along with a vibration.

Kkiaaaaaaaa—-!!!!!

The energy screamed.

Aaaaaaaa—-!!!

My breathing stopped.

My ears felt blocked.

Not just my ears, but sight, smell, touch-all my senses ceased instantaneously.

My vision went black.

What was this? It felt like floating adrift in the night sky.

Is this what it’s like when your five senses disappear?

It felt alien.

What kind of sensation was this?

Just as I felt like I was being swept away somewhere by this unknown sensation,

Hwaak-!

My senses returned in an instant.

Saaahhh.

I heard the sound of wind.

A scent brushed against my nose.

It was a pungent smell of burning.

My distant gaze returned.

I could see what hadn’t been visible before.

“…!”

My eyes widened the moment I saw it.

“…Huh….”

The area in front of me, starting from my position, was a mess.

Not only was there a massive circular hole blasted through, but flames were burning where the hole had been made.

And then.

“…Hehehe.”

Shin Noya stood at the center of it all.

His martial attire was somewhat disheveled;

“…You brat, you lunatic…”

Holding a single sword,

“What in the world did you create?”

He looked at me with an expression bordering on shock.