The wound on Yarang's hand vanished as it disappeared into the air.

"Huh?"

I exhaled in surprise. That wasn't regeneration. It was, quite literally, in the realm of healing.

‘She healed the wound with magic?’

This was an unheard-of technique. I didn’t expect Cheonma to be capable of such a thing. Using a force as savage and brutal as magic to heal wounds in such a way? This was something I hadn’t even imagined in the past life.

Cheonma had never shown such a skill.

The magic she wielded was a calamity in itself.

The black sea that formed in the sky, with countless bees pouring from it, was still enough to make my knees buckle at the thought.

‘She can use it like that?’

Cheonma, possessing such power, yet—

‘Why did she lose?’

Why had she been defeated by the Divine Sword?

It was a thought that suddenly crossed my mind.

At that time, I had naturally assumed that the Divine Sword was stronger, so it was logical that Cheonma lost.

‘But looking at it now, it seems strange.’

The Divine Sword was strong, no doubt about it.

But was it truly stronger than Cheonma? Was that really the case?

‘No matter how much the power of the Divine Sword is considered.’

The power of the Divine Sword, which was said to eliminate all demons, was extraordinary.

It was said to have played a significant role in the war against the demonic forces, but still, something felt off about the whole thing.

‘Cheonma is strong.’

Cheonma never used her full strength in any battle.

Not when she killed the sect leader of the Mount Hua Sect.

Not when she decapitated all three of the Three Immortals.

‘Ah.’

Perhaps the battle with her father was a different matter.

Back then, even Cheonma was heavily injured.

Aside from that time, Cheonma had never shown her full strength.

Meanwhile, the Divine Sword had—

‘Always fought with all her strength.’

The Divine Sword’s overwhelming strength was undeniable. But compared to Cheonma, that power didn’t seem to measure up.

The reason the Divine Sword defeated Cheonma was not just strength but because of the power of the Divine Sword itself.

That overwhelming defense.

The Divine Sword's energy, which pierced through the magical powers of the stronger demons, was solely due to the Divine Sword’s essence.

‘That’s why I thought the Divine Sword won.’

Because their powers were in direct opposition.

Cheonma’s attacks would never land, so I thought the Divine Sword would inevitably defeat her.

‘...But was that really the case?’

It’s an issue I had been ignoring.

Now, thinking about it in the context of the Blood Demon, Cheonma, and Wi Seol-ah, it made things more complicated.

Furthermore...

‘I was told that my return was fate, and the cause of it was Cheonma.’

Now, looking at it, it all seemed strange.

‘I hope this is just my overactive imagination.’

I would prefer it to be just an overreaction. But as always, ominous feelings seem to match reality all too well.

“Ugh.”

I clicked my tongue, scowling, when—

Szzzzzzzz---

The air trembled. At the sudden vibration, I turned my head and saw Cheonma tearing the air open and creating a Magyeong Gate.

“...What are you doing?”

“We need to go now, since you’ve awakened.”

“What?”

“You’ll be punished.”

“What are you talking about? Who are you getting punished by?”

“Get up.”

Ignoring my question, Cheonma spoke to Yarang. Without a word, Yarang got up at Cheonma’s command.

“Hey. I’m asking you.”

“I’m not answering. Go inside.”

“Huh.”

Her tone was firm. She looked expressionless, but her words were incredibly determined.

“Go inside. We need to leave now.”

“No...”

“Hurry.”

She pointed at the Magyeong Gate with her hand, signaling that there would be no further argument.

I tried to say something, but just then, Yarang moved and stepped through the Magyeong Gate.

Cheonma followed her.

“Wait, hey.”

Are they going together? I thought Yarang wouldn’t go, but she went in first.

I watched with a puzzled expression when Cheonma grabbed my wrist and pulled me along.

Unable to resist, I was dragged into the Magyeong Gate.

Whooooosh---

My body naturally passed through the barrier of energy, and when I realized it, the scenery had completely changed.

“This is...”

The changed scenery was subtle.

The gray sky and the desolate land from before were gone. Instead, the sky was blue, and the fields were full of vitality.

It seemed like we had returned to a different place.

‘No.’

This was the place I had seen before I lost consciousness.

The pit I created using my martial arts was still there. The aftermath of the battle with that creature remained intact.

It looked like the same place, but...

“What the hell...”

It seemed similar, but different.

In the ruined remnants of buildings on the beautiful field, flowers and grass had grown, as if showing the passage of time.

In the distance, a massive tree that hadn’t been there before now stood tall.

An ancient and grand tree.

It looked unmistakably like a divine tree.

And...

“What’s this now...”

I turned my attention away from the divine tree and looked at the remains scattered across the ruined field.

The green fields, flowers, and what didn’t fit—what seemed completely out of place.

The remains of what had once been living creatures.

Their bones were scattered across the field.

And they filled the field completely, with no gaps.

**********

On the greenish field, countless white bones lay scattered.

The visible range was so vast that they nearly filled the entire area.

Even more so...

‘Time has certainly passed.’

The sheer amount of bones indicated that these weren't recent deaths. Judging by how fragile they were, it suggested that a lot of time had passed.

‘...What is this?’

This was strange.

‘Was it hidden by some barrier?’

In the gray sky where I had been confronting the crow, that desolate space hadn’t shown anything like these bones.

To think that such a barrier had vanished, revealing this, made me frown.

‘This is reality, though.’

How did this even come to be?

As that thought crossed my mind...

‘No way.’

A thought surfaced in my head. The crystals I had encountered in the gray space. The life force I had felt from within them.

“Ha.”

I had a hunch about it.

What had been contained inside those crystals were living creatures. And they were still alive.

The life force of those creatures had surged into the air, only to be absorbed by the crow, triggering a dramatic change.

‘So these bones...’

I wondered if these bones were all from the creatures trapped inside those crystals. It seemed like a reasonable conclusion.

Then...

‘Did they turn into bones because the life force disappeared?’

It seemed that a considerable amount of time had passed, and I had seen the life force escape from the crystals myself.

Life force is something that exists in living beings.

Considering that these bones could no longer be considered living, it was clear something had happened.

‘When the life force left, they turned into bones.’

Did the crow absorb everything that was released?

‘But how?’

How had such a barrier been created? The very idea of gathering life force like this was unusual.

‘Based on the crow’s reaction, it seems like it prepared all of this without its master knowing.’

The owner of the Myriad Realms couldn’t know about it.

What could its intention be? And...

‘What about its appearance?’

I recalled the white form the crow had shown.

The three pairs of wings that had turned white, and the blue eyes.

Clench.

My fists involuntarily tightened.

‘It was overwhelming.’

The gap in rank.

I could feel the vast difference in presence in my whole body.

It was like...

‘...The same feeling I get when facing my mother or the Abyss.’

The sense of unfamiliarity and awe when facing those called "masters."

I felt that same sensation from the crow.

‘Something has changed drastically.’

The crow’s state had clearly shifted. Its body, which had absorbed the life force, had undergone a violent transformation, one that I could feel just by looking at it.

‘...What’s it planning?’

I didn’t know what it was, but I knew its intention was unpleasant.

‘Damn it. This is bad.’

The situation had become more complicated.

It wasn’t just that the crow had discovered my identity; it was also that I didn’t know its intentions.

‘What could its intention be?’

I couldn’t get a positive feeling from it, no matter how I thought about it.

‘...Hmph.’

I muttered to myself, then turned my gaze. The bones were one thing, but what caught my eye was the towering tree that had risen above.

The massive tree, though not as large as the divine tree inside the Mount Hua Sect, was the second biggest tree I had ever seen.

As soon as I saw it, I knew.

‘It’s the divine tree.’

That was a divine tree. But...

‘...I don’t feel its energy.’

The unique energy that divine trees usually radiate was absent. This meant...

‘Is it dead?’

If it was only the energy that was missing, I might have accepted it. But the tree itself didn’t radiate any life force.

Which meant that even this tree had already lost its life.

Furrowing my brow, I moved toward the tree.

No, I tried to approach it.

Crack-!

‘...Damn it.’

As I tried to move, I felt intense pain. My body hadn’t fully healed yet.

‘What did I do?’

What had happened while I was unconscious to cause this kind of damage to my vessel?

If it was just physical pain, I would have understood.

‘The vessel itself is damaged.’

My dantian, my vessel, everything was in ruins. I couldn’t remember what happened, but it was clear something had occurred to my body.

As I pondered, I turned around. Cheonma and Yarang were silently watching me.

In the meantime, Yarang had put her mask back on.

Her upper body looked almost like it had been torn apart. Yet, due to Cheonma’s magic, it was completely healed.

I was surprised by the result.

‘What is she?’

I had heard that she had no memory.

I was told that her memories from when she was the Divine Sword had been erased, so she couldn’t recall them.

‘Why does she keep...’

Why does she keep showing up and getting on my nerves?

I wondered if she had memory after all.

‘...If she does.’

If she did, she wouldn’t be acting this way. I believed that.

I dragged my aching body toward the divine tree. When I arrived, it became clearer.

‘...It’s dead.’

The tree was dead. On the outside, it appeared fine, but I couldn’t feel any life from it. As I reached out to touch it, I felt the rough texture of its bark.

“...This.”

There was nothing I had felt when I touched a divine tree before.

There was no sensation at all.

"It is surely a dead tree."

If only it wasn’t a sacred tree, it would have been better. I instinctively sensed it was a sacred tree, and that’s the problem.

‘What’s going to happen now?’

This sacred tree, called the Black Phoenix Palace. I need to obtain it, but what if the tree has already died?

‘...Is it even possible for a sacred tree to die?’

I’ve never heard of such a thing, so I don't know.

‘Tsk.’

I’m left wondering what to do with a sacred tree that’s unresponsive.

‘The fact that the sacred tree is dead in the first place is a problem.’

If I listen to my mother’s words, there should be some predetermined sequence of events. But perhaps because the sacred tree is dead, there’s been no reaction at all.

Could this be the work of the crow?

It felt like it had sucked the vitality, so I wondered if it had done something to the sacred tree as well.

‘In my opinion, this is the most likely scenario.’

Far more likely than the possibility that the sacred tree simply died by itself.

It’s far more likely that the crow did this.

“Hoo...”

I withdrew my hand from the sacred tree. As I turned around, the bleached bones scattered across the field once again caught my eye.

“...”

I recalled what had happened in the ash-gray world. The reason I frowned when I looked at the crystal was simple.

‘I could hear the screams.’

Not only did I feel vitality from the crystal, but I could hear desperate screams too.

Something inside it was screaming.

Not asking to be saved.

It was begging to be killed.

Begging to be killed so it could escape this place.

It was screaming like that.

That’s why.

I had gotten a little heated at the cursed scene.

That’s why I had rushed at the one who looked like the culprit.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue briefly and moved my hand.

Suuuu-!

Energy moved from my heart. I felt a sharp pain, but I ignored it. It was bearable.

As I gathered more energy and moved it, the bleached bones on the ground began to tremble.

And then...

SHII-III-III--!!!

All of them floated up into the air, and at that moment, I looked at Cheonma and spoke.

“Hey. Dig a little deeper.”

“...”

Upon hearing my words, Cheonma’s energy trembled from his toes. Black energy surged out and overturned the ground.

Kuuu-KUUUUUNG—!!!

It was instantaneous. The solid ground trembled, and a massive pit was formed. The bones were collected and thrown into it.

Thud-thud-thud-! The bones fell in.

I looked at the bones that had been slightly piled up. I could just cover them up as they were, but...

‘Still.’

I swung once more, causing flames to ignite. The intense heat wrapped around the bones, burning them into ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ ash and reducing them to powder.

“Cover it.”

After confirming that the bones had turned to powder, I told Cheonma. He used his black energy to cover the ground again.

Boom—!!

It looked like a mound, but as he pressed down with pressure, it became flat, and it wasn’t noticeable anymore.

I tidied everything up and, after a brief pause, turned my back.

I didn’t perform a bow. I’m not the type to do such things, so this felt like enough.

“... Now, what should I do?”

I still don’t know the crow’s intentions.

I don’t know what it’s targeting.

‘I don’t even understand the state of my own body.’

I wonder what happened that caused my vessel to be in this state.

Right now, that’s the most concerning thing.

‘I can’t remember.’

Just before my consciousness faded, something overflowed from my vessel and seeped into my body.

A warm sensation enveloped my enraged body.

And not long after, I lost consciousness.

‘And when I opened my eyes again...’

I found myself in the chamber within Cheonma's Magyeong Gate.

‘What was that?’

What happened in that brief time?

It can’t just be that Cheonma came and saved me.

‘This feels strange.’

The lingering traces in my body are subtle.

It’s not just the pain I feel.

‘This...’

It’s that distant and foreign presence I felt from the crow.

That presence has left a mark on my body, leaving me confused.

Moreover, knowing where this energy is coming from makes it all the more confusing.

This is...

‘The energy I got from the sacred tree.’ 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

The energy I had gathered from the sacred tree several times before. Now, it lies dormant in my vessel, quietly lurking, but for some reason, it’s making its presence known.

Is this a good sign?

I don’t know.

‘So... Should I ask my mother about this?’

Perhaps due to the state of the sacred tree in this region, my mother hasn’t appeared.

My plans have been disrupted, and everything has gotten complicated.

‘What should I do?’

What should I do now?

‘Should I return to Mount Hua for now?’

Then...

‘What about her?’

What should I do about Yarang, who’s next to Cheonma? Should I take her with me too?

While I was deep in thought...

Zzziiick-!

“Hmm?”

A sound suddenly reached my ears.

Chik. Chichick.

It sounded like something was frying.

Annoyed, I touched my left ear.

“...!”

To my surprise, I heard a voice. And it was a voice I recognized.

It’s that voice...

“...Elder?”

It was definitely the voice of the turtle. Why is it coming to me all of a sudden?

As my eyes widened in surprise...

_____________________________________________________

...Return immediately. Something has happened at Mount Hua.

_____________________________________________________

“...”

The turtle continued speaking.

At that moment, I turned and set fire to my body.

Frrr-!!!

A sense of foreboding filled the air.