934 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 934: The Childhood Friend of the Greatest Under Heaven Roaring flames swept across the ground, akin to a crimson sea. The sheer intensity of the azure flames was overwhelming. With a whooshing sound, the ground hollowed out wherever the flames touched, bearing testimony to their incredible strength. Holding back wasn't an option. I unleashed all the power I could muster, fully aware that my opponent wasn't one to show restraint against. Unleashing all my energy, as if to burn down the trees and earth, was something I only attempted during massacres in my past life. Now, in this life, I opted to avoid senseless destruction whenever possible. However, this time, there was no hesitation. As I mentioned before, this opponent left no room for hesitation. Additionally, I believed that the surroundings wouldn't suffer any harm, even without my restraint. As if to prove my belief, at the edge of my spreading flames, flower petals began to rise. Wide and expansive, they caught every bit of my flames, reminiscent of catching fish with a net. Though these petals appeared thin and delicate, on the verge of combustion, they miraculously held the vast energy. Observing this caused me to chuckle involuntarily. In the instance my blaze spread, my heart felt the chains wrapped around it spin more rapidly and intensely, disregarding compression or rotation. With all my might, I unleashed everything I had, yet there was a clicking sound followed by a terse remark. "You clever devil." A sudden gust ascended, blossoming the petals in full bloom as if caught in a whirlwind. This spiral captured my flames, spinning them upward into the sky. It happened in an instant. My once-thriving blaze scattered into the heavens, vanquished entirely. With my vision now clear, I had reached my desired destination. The flames were merely a decoy. Already engulfed within the blaze, I had moved discreetly, positioning myself behind Shin Noya, the storm's master. "The position is seized." My priorities were twofold: ensuring that Shin Noya would prevent my flames from causing harm and stealthily erasing my presence while hidden within the flames. It was crucial that Noya remained unaware. I had orchestrated such a moment. "Now." Gripping a concentrated flame, shaping it into a spear made of searing heat—the Spear of the Flaming Pearl. The lance's blazing point poised for a strike, its power compressed to the utmost before being hurled. I knew the proximity of the explosion could harm me, but some sacrifices were necessary. The spear left my hand, slicing through the air in haste. The moment it departed, Shin Noya reacted. With a slight turn of his head, though I believed it was too late. However. Whoosh—! To my astonishment, the spear failed to explode. Instead, it merely pierced through Shin Noya. A simple penetration, bypassing any expected explosion. What had transpired? While momentarily confused, I focused on the unfolding events, noticing something peculiar within the gaping hole in Shin Noya's body. Flower petals swirled within the void. Petals of a plum blossom gathered there, further unfurling from the puncture, transforming Noya's very body into petals that vanished. Any initial panic was fleeting. "So slow." A voice from behind urged me into action. I immediately twisted my waist, gathering momentum in my hands for a swift strike. But a hand caught my wrist. "Damn it!" The large, bony grip was all I could comprehend before my perspective shifted skyward. A sensation of weightlessness overwhelmed me. Shin Noya had seized and launched me. Where was I heading? In which direction would I land? Channeling my energy, I prepared for an impact, focusing less on current predicaments than on the next move. "You young ones react too sluggishly." Crash—! Pain exploded as a fist collided with my visage, sending me hurtling into the ground with force. With a jarring crash and bounce, I felt the sting of impact after such a long time. Gritting my teeth against the agony, I ignited flames within my hand, leveraging the burst to reorient myself. Barely evading a follow-up blow, debris flew as another fist struck where I had previously lain. A narrow escape. Mere moments could have cost my skull. Rising immediately, I surveyed the destruction where Shin Noya now stood, extracting his hand from the debris, casually brushing off the dust, and meeting my gaze with unsettling eyes. '…When did he...?' What sorcery allowed such an illusion of petals, undetected by my senses? Incomprehensible. Not to mention—his speed was unreal. This Shin Noya differed markedly from our last encounter. Whether he had revealed mercy before, or if this current visage was another entirely... I was unsure. Still, facing an unarmed elder left me dumbfounded by my predicament. Focusing on Shin Noya, bemusement mingling with disbelief, I listened to his comment, cocking his head slightly. "Your antics are not very amusing." "...." "Is that all you have? I find it rather disappointing...." A smirk accompanied his taunting words, abrasive in their condescension. Gritting my teeth, I rose, inhaling deeply. Breath invigorated me, amplifying the energy's circulation through my body, akin to a catalyst. I intentionally focused the energy more swiftly. Thump-! With a vigorous throb, my heart surged, imbuing my muscles with strength. In my palm, I once again formed the Flaming Pearl. A sphere conjured in an instant. I grasped it outright. Crunch-! The sphere shattered, bursting outwards into flames. While maintaining the blaze, I meticulously controlled its form. Soon, the flames elongated, stretching into a long, rope-like shape. Firmly, I gripped the fiery rope and tensed my shoulder. Flame Striking Chaos. Crackle---!!! Swinging the fiery rope wildly, each swing left a trail of heat through the air. It smashed trees, scraped the earth, leaving trails of fire wherever it went. To think I could manipulate my flames this way. Reaching a level of mastery allowed me to handle the flames with precise elegance. Although the energy expenditure was significant, using this technique brought satisfaction. With some familiarity, it might even evolve into something stronger and more intricate. The problem was that it didn’t reach its target. No matter how wildly I swung, it never made contact with Noya, who deftly evaded or parried with ease. His parries were perplexing, effortlessly deflecting my attacks with bare hands enveloped in qi. ‘Is he out of his mind?’ To deflect all of this so nonchalantly. His impassive expression while warding off the assaults was equally stunning. A cold sweat trickled down my temple. Maintaining the form consumed more energy than anticipated; it wouldn't last long. Yet, that hardly mattered if it couldn't hit the mark anyway. I recognized the barrier before me, but the extent of its towering thickness caught me off guard. It was utterly deflating. ‘What on earth?’ How does one reach such a level? ‘...Surely.’ Could he be stronger than the Third Masters? Granted, the only Third Master I’ve truly battled was indeed Pacifist Master. ‘Even so...’ Never before did I feel such a lack of opportunity for victory. No tactic seemed capable of overcoming him. That sense of despair was palpable, yet it drove me forward. “Hu-!” Choosing to advance rather than retreat, I pressed my feet firmly down and closed the distance. Grasp-! In motion, Shin Noya snatched the rope. A sizzle resounded as the heat met his grip, though no scent of burning flesh followed. The sound was from his qi resisting the heat. He simply caught it. Squeeze-! At that moment, tension braced the rope. Sensing it, I promptly released my grip. Snap-! Shin Noya pulled with colossal force. Had I not let go, I would have been dragged along. The released energy dissipated the rope, but rather than retreat, I used the pull to close in. Dashing forward, I summoned a new Flaming Pearl and hurled it, detonating immediately. Boom--!! The ensuing flames momentarily obscured my vision. Though it wouldn't last, even a moment counted. In that brief concealment, I sidestepped. Whoosh-!! A fist emerged through the flames—Shin Noya's. Predicting it through the fire, I evaded. Quickly, I closed the distance again, forming another Flaming Pearl. I reabsorbed the dispersed flames, gathering them in my hand. Buzz—! Applying heavy compression. Whoosh—!!! Amplifying the rotation speed. As the flames dissipated, Shin Noya's form came into view. Twisting my waist, I extended the Flaming Pearl. Noya had already thrown a punch. Retracting his motion would take time. This was my chance. Winning isn't in the cards. That much is obvious—but. ‘I must, at the very least, force him to draw his sword.’ At the very least, make him wield his sword, I thought, driving the Flaming Pearl towards his abdomen. Scrreee--!! "...Huh?" I gasped, dumbfounded at the result. Though the Flaming Pearl made contact with his abdomen, it didn’t pierce further. Leaves. Plum blossom leaves were obstructing it. Unable to pierce these fragile and small leaves—how? Shocked, my eyes widened as Noya spoke with a hint of amusement. "Your compression and rotation have improved since before." His words tinged with laughter. "But you focused too much on that alone. You missed what's truly vital, rendering it all meaningless." Instinctively, I pulled back, but a solitary plum blossom leaf floated before my eyes. Unaffected, I found my gaze inadvertently captured by it. “Your concentration wavers. Get a grip.” Crack-! Noya crushed the Flaming Pearl in his hand. Similar to what the Heavenly Demon once did. Except, instead of merely destroying it, Noya encapsulated it with petals, preventing an explosion. Thunk-! “Ugh!” And drove his knee into my abdomen. My body lifted from the impact, tumbling across the ground. Rolling a few times, I dug into the earth and forced myself upright. "Gah..." Clutching my stomach, a dry cough escaped. "Ha...phew!" Spitting blood-tinged saliva, I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, wavering as I rose to face Shin Noya. He stood unmoving, having propelled me away, deliberately remaining still. ‘He could have ended it there.’ Had he wanted, he could've finished me off by following through. He simply chose not to. "...It's exhausting." Though I thought I had grown stronger, the gap was this wide. Would it change if I used demon energy? ‘No.’ Even wielding it wouldn’t ensure victory. Besides, I had no desire to employ such energy against Noya. "Is that all?" His voice carried a slight impatience. "At this rate, even calling it child's play would be generous." "...." "You boasted much, yet amount to little." I know it's a taunt designed to provoke me. Fully aware, yet. "You're quite disappointing." The words still set a fire in my chest. “Phew...” I took a deep breath. What could I possibly do? How could I land a hit on this old man? I pondered quietly. Conventional methods held no answer. Then perhaps... ‘…Shall I try something unconventional?’ The hesitation was brief. “...” “Young one, is it over...?” Noya began speaking but stopped short. It was the sight of my posture that halted him. I stood with my fingers interlocked, eyes slowly closing in concentration. “You...? What are you...?” Ignoring whatever Noya was saying, I focused intently. Fwoosh. A fire ignited in my heart. Thump-! Within it, the agony of Tuapacheon-mu was embedded. Then. Rustle. The four rings that once rotated around my heart emerged, beginning to shackle two of my senses. In that instant. Screeeeeeeech---!!!! A tumult erupted within my lower danjeon.