1034 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 1034: The World's Greatest Person's Childhood Friend "A noble soul...?" I bit my lip, watching the spirit react to me. My mother had vanished. I confirmed this and spoke to the spirit. "What... what happened here?" "What... what do you mean...?" "Damn it." It seemed the spirit couldn't remember anything. 'She's gone.' My mother had disappeared, leaving behind yet another quest to find a Divine Tree. The next Divine Tree, then. 'It must be that other general.' The mysterious general about whom not much information was given. He must be where my next destination lies. I had heard where it was located, but was unaware of what kind of person was there. So, I have to head to where that general is after all? 'And I think the location is...' I'd heard it was somewhere between Marok Mountain and the Hwasan Sect. 'Could this really be a coincidence?' Why did it have to start at the distant Marok Mountain? This too had a coordinated order, it seemed. 'What on earth is this?' What was my mother's goal? Through her words, it was clear that she wanted me to obtain a Divine Fruit. That was my goal as well. The difference was... 'I don't plan on eating it myself.' The Divine Fruit I seek is for Shin Noya, not for me to consume. Furthermore, 'Even if I were to eat it again... what's going to happen?' The first one I consumed was to stabilize the disruption of my soul. Originally, I had heard that the effect of the Divine Fruit was to restore the soul to its original form. If consumed again... '...what will happen?' I couldn't foresee what might change. Is that what my mother desires? If so, it doesn't clear up what her ultimate wish is. Her claim that she wished for my happiness seemed hollow now. It seemed as if she wanted me to become a master. And so have been her actions thus far. I raised my gaze to look away from the spirit and turned my eyes to the black Divine Tree. "..." The wind which blew had disappeared. What lingered was a contrast between the calm situation and my burgeoning anxiety. Could I really continue on like this? Only one thing became clear to me here. 'The Divine Sword is Yarang.' The soul I harbored at the Shinryong Hall had become the Master of Myriad Worlds and Yarang. I had expected her to be the Divine Sword, and it turned out to be true. It's bewildering how that fact alone elicits a sigh of relief within me. I didn't know if this was the right path or the direction I wanted to go. But there was no space for hesitation. If my desire was clear, then no matter what, I had to proceed. I reached out with my hand. "A noble soul...?" The spirit displayed a puzzled reaction to my action, but I ignored it and placed my hand on the Divine Tree. At that instant. Boom-! A force radiated from the tree, shaking the surroundings. Shhhhhhh--!! The lake churned violently. The water splashed fiercely, prompting those outside to rush to the lakeside in response to the phenomenon. "What is...?" The spirit was the most bewildered. Losing consciousness for even a moment and then facing a sudden change left the spirit visibly flustered. Regardless of the turmoil, I calmly laid my hand on the Divine Tree. Or rather, the truth was... '...what is this?' I couldn't withdraw my hand. The force from within the tree was coursing into me. 'What is this?' This was different from when I had touched the Divine Tree of Night. That time, everything had happened too quickly for me to notice. But this time, the force seeped gently from the ancient tree. It wasn't my energy. It was harmonious and divine enough to be called 'spiritual energy.' It coursed up my arm, accumulating in my heart. However, 'It doesn’t seem like usable energy.' It wasn't spiritual energy, nor was it my energy. It most certainly wasn't demonic energy. It's unclear what difference this accumulation might make. As I frowned and contemplated the energy... Ssssssssss---!!!! Soon, a change occurred in the Divine Tree. The blackened hue began to be absorbed through my hand. "...Th-the Divine Tree...!" The spirit gasped at the alteration in the Divine Tree. As the black faded, it took on the appearance of an ordinary tree. The change was rapid. In a fleeting moment, the color was fully drained. 'Was the energy the color?' At the same time, the flow of energy ceased. It seemed the black hue was related to the energy. 'What is this?' The divine energy that filled my body. Whatever it meant, it felt like my previously weary body was gaining a bit of vitality. Sensing this, I prepared to tighten my grip on my fist when— Wooong-!! "What the...!?" Something emerged from the spirit’s embrace. It was a piece of purple jewel. It had been mentioned earlier as something that could carry the aura of a master or allow for spells to be cast around this area. The energy suddenly began to emit light, little by little. Shhhh!! Poof! "Huh?" It pierced into my chest and was absorbed into my body. Remarkably, it penetrated and lodged itself right into my heart. No pain was felt. Instead, what I sensed was— Hoooooo!!! "......Whoa......" An abundance of energy. Unlike the energy from the ancient tree, this energy was usable. I felt the energy cascade from my heart and flow through my meridians, triggering a response from my demonic energy spontaneously within my body. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art activated, devouring and digesting the energy. Hoooooo—!! Winds flowed out from my body. The pressure formed by energy gently swept around me. In the midst of this, the energy within my heart swelled considerably. "......Whew......" There was no need to cultivate my energy. Perhaps it was due to reaching transcendence; I could organize the energy regardless of my posture. The quantity of energy was significant. Comparable to absorbing two or three high-grade demon stones. Interestingly, 'The energy of the Divine Tree encases the energy.' Like containing robust water currents, soft energy envelops it. The wholly formed mass was distinctly embedded in my heart. "Ha......" When I exhaled the breath I had been holding quietly. "......This feels good." I could feel the distinct difference, enough to raise the corners of my mouth naturally. Fwoosh. I conjured flames at the tips of my fingers. As if the vibrant azure flame wasn't lively enough, it brimmed with newfound vitality. I hadn’t crossed another barrier, but with my growing level, the previously unsettled energies seemed to have aligned all at once. As I was processing this realization. Rumble---!!!! Suddenly, a harsh tremor erupted from above. “This, this is...!” “The barrier…!!!” “Spirit…!!” The onlookers urgently called out to the spirit. She quickly rose to her feet. However— Wobble-! “Ugh!” Without strength, her body swayed heavily. I supported her haphazardly. Curious about what was happening, I also looked up at the air. 'Ah, I see.' I quickly understood the situation. '...The energy vanished.' The power that concealed the space known as the Marok Cavern had disappeared. The forces borrowed from the jewel, said to be the remnants of the master, had vanished. The reason was obvious. 'Because I absorbed it.' Because I absorbed all the jewel's power, the space it maintained was disappearing. “No... this can’t be…!!” The spirit cried out in despair. Without that space, the chief could strike under the cover of night. “It’s fine.” I spoke nonchalantly, observing her dismay. The spirit stared at me, ready to burst into tears. “How can you say it’s fine…! If things stay like this… we’re...” “I said it's fine. If it's about the chief, don’t worry.” “What are you saying...!” “I just dealt with him. No need to worry about that guy.” “...What?” The spirit froze upon my words. Dealt with the chief? She couldn't tell if I was speaking the truth or spouting nonsense, and doubt flickered in her eyes. Woooong--!! Meanwhile, the barrier rapidly dissipated. Soon, just as the color faded from the ancient tree, the barrier filling the Marok Cavern vanished entirely. And then— ‘…I can feel it.’ The presence of life forms that had gone unnoticed in the night began to be felt again. I shifted my gaze, processing this. To the north, where I’d just engaged in a battle with the chief. I stepped lightly in that direction. "A noble soul...?" The spirit reacted to my actions but transforming into flame was faster than her inquiry. Fwoosh-! Leaving a trail of embers, I flew through the air. I had a destination in mind. * * * Thud-! I landed on the ground. I arrived at a land utterly devastated. Places were shattered and destroyed, and deep, harsh craters greeted me. All of which were my doing. The damages emerged from my fight with the chief and the combat between monsters in the area. But I had lost interest in that scene. I headed towards the center of a wide, deep crater made by the Heavenly Demon Aura. I descended slowly. Even though the moon was out, it was a place untouched by its light. Upon arrival, I saw something slumped over. Though obscured by shadows, the figure vaguely resembled a living creature. “Have you behaved yourself?” “...” Something stirred at my words. Within the darkness, two pupils gleamed. Purple light flickered in its eyes. A slight deviation from its original hue. Observing this, I conjured flames in my hand. Fwooosh--!!! The blue flames flared, instantly illuminating the surroundings. As the light burst forth, the entity before me fully revealed itself. “....” The being had human form, devoid of clothing. The entity was large. Slightly bigger than Tang's subordinate. A man with black hair and a robust frame. Oddly, a massive horn like that of a bull protruded from his forehead. Seeing the horn, I addressed him. “Chief.” “....” At my call, his face contorted. To an observer, he resembled a human aside from the horn. But he was, astonishingly, the chief.