I had to find the Divine Tree.

Not just the three Divine Trees supposedly in the possession of the Generals—excluding the one held by the Mount Hua Sect.

But the one tree that was said to exist in the space of its Master.

From that tree, I needed to obtain the Divine Fruit.

To heal Noya, I had to find it.

With that as my goal, the first thing I did was—

Whoooosh—!!!

I slowly retracted the flames I had ignited all around me.

The fire gathered into my palm before sinking back into my body.

As I felt the energy settle within me, I narrowed my eyes.

The first thing I needed to do was assess my current condition.

Even though I had reached transcendence, I had to confirm exactly what had changed.

I spent time analyzing my newfound strength.

And the result—

‘...This is considerable.’

The extent of the transformation was greater than I had expected.

Even though I had shattered my limits and broken through to a higher realm, my energy hadn’t suddenly surged.

My grip strength hadn’t drastically improved, nor had my raw physical power.

Yet, if there was one thing that had changed significantly—

‘The quality of my flames has evolved.’

The flames of Nine Flames Firewheel that resided within my body—

Their heat and nature had transformed.

Fwoosh.

The flames burned with a newfound clarity.

They had always been a bright, piercing blue, but this was different.

‘Vitality.’

I could sense life within the fire.

Flicker.

The embers dancing skyward burned with an exceptional radiance.

Even though they were my own flames, I found myself mesmerized by them.

There were no gaps, no imperfections.

I instinctively knew that if I wished, I could intensify their heat further—

And yet, their color would not change.

As I observed, a thought surfaced.

‘Then, what about Father’s flames?’

He must have reached transcendence as well.

What had his flames been like?

I tried to recall them, but—

‘...I can’t remember?’

Strangely enough, I couldn’t picture them clearly.

It was almost absurd.

I had never truly focused on them before.

It made sense.

‘I assumed they were the same as mine.’

At most, I had thought his flames were simply hotter or held more overwhelming energy.

Or perhaps—

‘He wielded them with more precision than I did.’

That was the extent of my understanding.

But now, standing at the threshold of transcendence myself—

‘I see it now. They were different.’

It wasn’t just about control.

It wasn’t merely a difference in the amount of energy.

It was something else entirely.

‘The question is whether I become the flame or not.’

This wasn’t just about manipulating fire.

It was about being it.

I sent energy through my blood vessels, converting it into flame.

Before, I had only been able to control the fire as a separate entity.

But now—

‘Even when using the same energy, it feels completely different.’

In the past, no matter how I wielded my flames, they had always felt external—merely an extension of my Qi.

Now, however, it felt no different from moving my own limbs.

How should I put it?

‘...It’s like suddenly gaining wings, yet knowing exactly how to use them.’

Like suddenly growing extra arms—

Or sprouting wings and finding them foreign yet perfectly natural to maneuver.

If I had to put it into words, that was the closest analogy.

Whoooosh—!!!

I reabsorbed all the flames I had been manipulating and clenched and unclenched my fists a few times.

I had a rough understanding of my new limits.

I had also tested the versatility and maximum heat of my flames.

‘At this level—’

Dare I say it—

‘I might be able to stand against the Three Sovereigns.’

For the first time, I felt I could truly battle the Three Heavenly Sovereigns, the unmatched figures of Zhongyuan.

It wasn’t certainty.

I would have to face them myself to know for sure.

But—

‘...I’ve finally made it here.’

From the moment of my regression, I had started as nothing more than a third-rate martial artist.

From third-rate to second-rate, then to first-rate—surpassing the pinnacle I had once known before my regression.

And now, I had reached beyond even that.

How long had it taken?

Even counting the years, it hadn’t been a full decade.

I had risen rapidly.

Recalling it all, I might have allowed myself to feel sentimental—

But instead, I clenched my fist and crushed the emotions inside.

‘Not yet.’

It wasn’t that I didn’t feel anything.

But now wasn’t the time to indulge in those feelings.

I lifted my head.

It was past noon, and the sun was beginning to set.

I had spent a long time assessing my strength.

Night would fall soon.

Would I wait for nightfall again?

Normally, I would have.

Night was the best time to move.

For multiple reasons, waiting for darkness would have been the logical choice.

But—

Fwoosh.

I didn’t wait.

I quietly ignited my flames.

Impatience burned within me.

There was no time to celebrate my new realm of power.

Even as countless plans swirled through my mind, they were all consumed by the fire roaring within me.

Thump.

The moment I lifted my foot, my entire body transformed into flame—

A streak of light shooting forward.

My speed had increased significantly.

Yet, my energy consumption had decreased.

And with my already vast reserves of Qi, this meant I could sustain even greater levels of firepower.

I passed through the barrier.

The moment I left Mount Hua, the landscape around me shifted in an instant.

I pushed my speed to the maximum.

BOOM—!

A deafening explosion marked my departure, but soon, silence enveloped my ears.

Even sound couldn’t keep up with my speed.

Flying through the sky, I soon caught sight of Yahwol Palace.

I had come here so often that the sight was no longer just familiar—it was almost tiring.

Whoosh.

I landed on the fortress walls.

"Hmm."

Standing atop the towering walls, I surveyed the land below.

I heightened my senses, sharpening my perception.

But then—

‘The population has decreased.’

There were significantly fewer people than before.

Just yesterday, the city had been bustling with activity.

Now, the streets were far quieter.

‘Figures.’

I already knew the reason.

‘It must be because of me.’

The chaos I caused yesterday—that was why the streets were so empty.

The evidence was clear. The number of civilians had drastically decreased, but the military presence had grown.

Fear and unease were written all over the soldiers' faces.

And the reason for that was simple.

‘The White Death.’

The head of the White Family had been killed last night.

Even though the head of the Blue Family had also been attacked, he hadn’t died.

But in the previous attack, despite being surrounded by countless guards, the White Family’s leader had been killed.

The level of fear in Yahwol must have skyrocketed.

‘Hmm.’

I observed them for a moment before leaping away.

Transforming into embers, I erased my presence and slipped into the alleyways between the buildings.

I didn’t have a change of clothes.

I didn’t need a mask, either.

Because today, I wasn’t here as Cheonma.

At least—

‘Not during the day.’

Right now, there was no need to change my appearance.

I stopped in a secluded spot and focused my energy.

I sensed no presence nearby.

Once I confirmed my surroundings were clear, I strengthened my heart.

Threads of sorcery spread through my body, and soon, ears and a tail sprouted.

Since it was daytime, I couldn’t fully transform into the Moonlit Night Tribe—I had to rely on sorcery instead.

“Whew.”

I checked my transformed body before moving forward.

Stepping out onto the street, I listened to the murmurs around me.

“...How is this going to end?”

“Are we really supposed to just sit and do nothing? What if the damage spreads to us?”

“The other noble families... What are they even doing?”

The atmosphere was heavy.

Despite the bright daylight, their faces were filled with anxiety.

“Two family heads have collapsed in just a few days...”

“And one of them is already dead...”

“What the hell is going on? I feel like I’m suffocating from the tension.”

Another attack could happen at any moment.

If that happened, who would be the next target?

And what would become of Yahwol after that?

Their worry and fear were palpable.

And beyond that—

“What are the nobles doing?”

“...Now is the time they should be uniting their forces.”

This frustration was beginning to fracture the city’s unity.

With two of the four great families shaken, it was the perfect opportunity for something to break.

As always, when aiming to destroy something—

‘It’s far more effective to make them fight among themselves.’

Rather than taking direct action, the best method was to turn them against one another.

“We trusted the nobles, and yet in this crisis, they’re more concerned with protecting their own territories...”

“If we can’t rely on them, then who are we supposed to trust?”

Even after everything that had happened, the noble families had remained passive.

The people of Yahwol were starting to lose faith in them.

I touched my lips as I observed.

‘I didn’t plan for this.’

I had anticipated that something like this might happen, but I hadn’t intended for it.

This wasn’t what I wanted.

‘I only meant to create some chaos to make my movements easier.’

I hadn’t expected the people’s distrust of the nobles to be so deeply rooted.

But their reaction was intense.

Which, in a way, worked in my favor.

‘It’ll make things easier for me.’

The ones who had already fallen were irrelevant.

The question was—what were the ones still standing doing?

People might be curious about that.

‘They can’t move.’

The Black Family was locked down due to my Demonification technique.

The Red Family had been incapacitated after I crushed them.

I didn’t know when they’d recover.

But—

‘Even if they do, would it change anything?’

Even if they reappeared now, it wouldn’t make a difference.

It was already too late.

Tap.

I walked forward at a slow pace. I hadn’t set a specific destination.

I had come here with a purpose.

But I wasn’t supposed to be the one searching.

‘How long will it take?’

I deliberately wore the robes of Mount Hua Sect.

I made sure my face was visible.

I was walking around openly.

I expected them to show up soon.

‘Come on, then.’

Ask me what you want to ask.

I don’t have all day.

I suppressed my impatience as I waited.

And then—

“You there.”

“......”

I stopped in my tracks at the voice.

Turning toward the source of the sound, I kept my face neutral.

I had to be careful not to let my expression twist in irritation.

‘They’re here.’

The ones I had been waiting for had taken the bait.

The person locking eyes with me—

It was Yusa.

“...Follow me. We need to talk.”

His face was scrunched in frustration as he spoke.

“Sure.”

I nodded immediately.

Of course I’d follow.

I had come here specifically to see him.

That was the whole point.

But more than him—

I was after the information he held.

Because if anyone knew—

‘He would know where the Divine Tree is hidden in this place.’

For that, I was willing to stir up as much trouble as necessary.

The plan I originally had?

I erased it from my mind.

Moving carefully, step by step?

That was useless now.

Today, I was going to find the Divine Tree hidden somewhere in Yahwol.

And while I was at it—

‘I’ll wipe them all out.’

This one, and every other obstacle in my way.

I would erase them all.

And if the heavens were watching—

I would make sure they saw it clearly.