Chapter 996: The Divine Tree and the Master.

Hwa-reureureuk—!!

My body, turned to flames, invades space as if pouring down.

The body that had been flying freely through the air plummeted straight down and hit the floor.

Kkung-! Hwa-reureuk-!!

Flames splashed onto the ground where I fell. The floor melted. I quickly took a bottle from my embrace and sprinkled its contents on my body.

The funny thing is, even the glass bottle I was holding melted.

“Hoo……”

Maintaining my dizzy consciousness, I took a step forward. Then, my vision flipped.

The sky of the alien Man-gye vanished, and the sky I knew returned.

It was the entrance to the Hwasan Sect.

Feeling the reality of my return, I put strength back into my feet.

Hwak-!

My body, once again turned to flames, leaped. I flew straight into the sky.

I turned my narrowed vision to find my location. I couldn’t see well.

If it stays like this, I’ll fall again. What should I do? Just as the worry flashed through my mind.

“……Tsk, tsk.”

A tongue-clicking sound came from nearby.

And then.

“Every time you go out and come back, you make such a damn fuss.”

Along with the familiar curse, I felt an impact on my head.

Kwang-!!

With the rough impact, my body tumbled headfirst to the floor.

Kwang-!

I fell to the ground and rolled. After bouncing a couple of times, I finally managed to stop.

“Cough.”

I coughed dryly and pushed myself up. It didn’t hurt. My dazed mind and body wouldn’t let me feel such things.

I squinted and lifted my head. The person I was looking for stood there.

“What a funny fellow.”

It was Shin No-ya.

He looked down at me, letting out a hollow laugh.

“Just a moment ago, you went out looking like you could conquer the world, even death itself. What is this mess?”

“……No-ya.”

“I’m speechless.”

No-ya spoke, examining me back and forth as if intrigued.

“……What happened? It didn’t seem like the time yet…… This is strange.”

“……What is this? Something feels off……”

At my words, No-ya asked.

“What feels off?”

“It just… feels off.”

“……What a brilliant explanation. What should I do with this guy?”

I wanted to explain properly too. But I had no explanation I could give.

It really was strange.

A floating sensation.

The exhilaration filled me to the brim, making me feel like I could do anything.

And the damn sensations interspersed within it were driving me out of my mind.

Burn everything that looks insignificant.

Stop doing pointless things, and immerse yourself in the lake you saw.

Such desires were surging from within.

At my reaction, Shin No-ya tilted his head and looked at me.

“Usually, it’s not that bad. Looks like something’s wrong.”

“……Do you know what this is?”

“Of course I do……. You know it too, don’t you?”

“What……”

“What should I do? Should I congratulate you first?”

Congratulate me? The moment I frowned at the incomprehensible words.

“Kid.”

No-ya said to me.

“You have finally reached Transcendence. How does it feel?”

“……!”

Hearing those words, my eyes widened.

Reached Transcendence?

‘Is this Transcendence……?’

Transcendence, beyond Great Accomplishment.

The ultimate state of martial arts, which they said could only be reached after achieving Great Accomplishment in martial arts.

Becoming one with martial arts in the end.

Is this Transcendence that I’ve reached now?

I had to be flustered by No-ya’s words.

This is Transcendence?

Hwa-reureuk-!

I changed my hands into flames.

The flickering embers burned rhythmically.

“This is……”

Is this the realm I so desperately wanted to reach?

My dazed mind flickered slightly.

As I swallowed my surprise watching it.

“You went out saying you’d finish the job, so what’s with this? I’d like to ask about that, but…”

Cheol-geok.

At the sharp sound, I looked up. No-ya had drawn his sword from his waist without me noticing.

“Judging by your condition, it seems there’s something that needs to be done first.”

“……No-ya?”

“Honestly, you’re the best at making an old man suffer.”

Plum blossom petals spread from the tips of No-ya’s feet.

As beautiful as the plum blossoms always were, I felt a fierce killing intent within them.

The moment I saw it, my body involuntarily unleashed hostility.

Its inner thoughts were simple.

How dare you show hostility in front of me.

It seemed that the flames didn’t like it.

What should I do?

Arrogance and exhilaration surged again. Just as I was about to gather all my strength, thinking I had to hold back.

“Don’t hold back pointlessly. I’m not someone who can’t handle a punk like you.”

Shin No-ya’s calmly spoken words actually put my mind at ease.

“Try doing what you can. It should be better than your last display of tricks.”

Hwa-reuk.

As soon as my body was engulfed in flames.

Kwak-!

No-ya’s hand clamped around my neck.

Just like that.

Kwang-!!

No-ya, holding me, accelerated.

He quickly escaped the Hwasan Sect’s territory. Breaking through the barrier I had painstakingly created, we burst outside.

The night sky, enveloped in extreme light, came into view.

Once outside, No-ya tightened his grip and threw me forcefully.

My body flew at tremendous speed.

Harsh pressure enveloped my body. Instead, I relaxed my body within it.

Hwa-reuk.

I heard the sound of sparks flying.

My flying body instantly turned into flames.

Then, my body stopped in mid-air as if hitting a wall.

My eyeballs rolled.

I tried to find No-ya, but.

Seu-reung.

I felt a cold sensation at my neck.

My body, now flames, shifted position. Just then.

A sword cut through the space where I had been.

It was No-ya.

Kwa-ga-ga-gak—!!

The sword that cut the air sliced through everything behind it. It felt as if the world was cleaved in a single stroke.

Why are we suddenly fighting, No-ya?

The question arose in my mind, but instinct, driven by No-ya’s hostility, moved before reason.

Gii-iiing—!!

A circular ring appeared behind my back, spinning rapidly.

Sparks emerging from my shoulders gathered into a sphere.

The surroundings filled with a sea of flames.

I swung my fingertips.

Gua-ah-ah-ah-ah–!!

The sea of flames poured towards No-ya.

Like countless shooting stars falling across the night sky, blue orbs invaded No-ya completely, but.

“Hoo-up!”

No-ya took a deep breath, then slashed his sword in a cross shape.

With those two sword movements.

Peo-beo-beo-beo-beong–!!

The sea of flames spread all around exploded, annihilating everything.

I stared blankly for a moment, watching the exploding sea of flames. Did he detonate it just with air pressure?

How could he do that?

Back when I was sparring with Yeong-pung during the Martial Arts Tournament.

The No-ya I met in the Mind Realm back then had sliced through the sea of flames with thousands of cuts, whereas.

This time, he finished it in just two.

I couldn’t help but be astonished by the difference.

“Is this the time for idle thoughts?”

It wasn’t the time to be calmly surprised. A voice sounded right in front of me.

Hwa-ah-ahk-!!

Plum blossoms spread out fully.

Beautiful.

The thought naturally occurred to me.

They were so beautiful, I felt an urge to admire them, but.

Contrary to that feeling, my body ignited flames again.

Because I knew all too well how terrifying those plum blossoms were.

Gu-yeom Taeryuna.

The burning flames grew in size and swept through the surroundings.

Trees, rocks, grass.

They swallowed everything without discrimination.

Those swallowed weren’t burned, but melted.

The intensified heat made everything like that.

It was the same for the plum blossom petals No-ya emitted.

They were all covered in flames and lost their existence, but.

Even amidst that, my eyes tracked No-ya.

It was faith.

The certainty and belief that No-ya wouldn’t lose to something like this.

As if responding to that firm conviction, I sensed No-ya amidst the flames.

“I get that you’re excited, but your size is unnecessarily large. Did you forget what I taught you about losing your mind?”

Along with the words.

Chwa-ah-ahk–!!

My body split. A sword blade falling from the sky sliced past me.

I stepped back and dodged, but if I hadn’t, I would have died right there.

I looked at the sword that had attacked me and fallen to the ground.

It was a Mind Sword.

He criticized my size, but then dropped a Mind Sword almost the size of a house on me.

It was absurd, yet the size of the Mind Sword represented the magnitude of the caster’s mental image.

I could tell how immense No-ya’s power was, to casually manifest a sword like that.

The important thing was.

‘No-ya doesn’t use just one Mind Sword.’

I looked up at the sky.

I could see it.

The awe-inspiring sword tip piercing through the night sky.

A brilliance opposite to the baseness of ‘saving the world’.

I caught my breath at its presence.

How could one manifest a mental image so vividly and powerfully?

The rising exhilaration and arrogance began to waver.

The lake that had formed within me was gradually becoming shallower.

“What are you doing?”

At No-ya’s voice, I looked towards the source of the sound.

There stood No-ya, looking at me with his hands behind his back.

“It’s problematic if you’ve only snapped out of it this much. I went to the trouble of bringing you out here, shouldn’t you be better than last time?”

“……”

Last time? Was he referring to when I sparred with No-ya?

The day I first succeeded with the Heavenly Demon Divine Art.

“Kid. If it’s just this much, I’m disappointed. I’ve practically spoon-fed you countless things. Can you really disappoint me with just this?”

Despite his scolding words, No-ya grinned.

“Ah.”

Seeing that smile, I uttered a short sound.

“Show me. I know you can do more.”

What can I possibly do?

Why does he show such faith?

I couldn’t understand.

But my body was already moving.

Transcendence, was it called?

This place I’ve reached now. Was that it?

If so.

What I needed to do now was simple.

Seu-reuk-.

I extended both hands, forming a shape as if grabbing something.

No one taught me.

All I could do was try what I’d seen. I only captured it with my eyes, so why am I doing this when I don’t truly know?

I found it absurd myself, but.

There was no learning, but there was desire.

A desire for the one I always resented, yet always wanted to emulate.

This is the shape of that desire.

My father’s image overlapped with my body.

‘Gu-yeom Geuktaesan Ohyeong.’

“Gu-yeom Geuktaesan Ohyeong.”

I layered my voice over my father’s.

Ta-dak.

Along with the sound of sparks erupting, a blue flame rose.

Pat-!

Light burst forth, flipping the night sky into a white night.

In the newly created white landscape.

“Well done. You useless disciple, you.”

No-ya’s praise could be heard.