Rustle—!

The tentacles melted in the flames, turning into remnants that fell away.

Thud—! Thud, thud—!

Ssssshhh—!!

As the remnants hit the ground, they dissolved instantly, leaving behind scorched marks where the earth had melted.

A pungent stench stung the nose, but the owner of the tentacles seemed unbothered. With indifferent eyes, he gazed somewhere ahead.

There, a young man, wreathed in white flames, stood with a contorted expression, glaring at Taechon.

"You damn bastard, how dare you."

The seething rage in his voice was palpable. Taechon found the raw emotion amusing and let the corners of his lips curl into a smirk.

"So, it’s you. The fracture that the world watches."

He knew the moment he laid eyes on him. That distortion—it was unlike anything he'd ever seen.

No threads of fate were connected to him. Everything about him was tangled, twisted beyond recognition.

And beyond that—

"Defying divinity, are you?"

Taechon glanced at the flames licking at his tentacles. The white fire continued to consume them.

It affected his divinity. That alone made him curious.

Who ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) was responsible?

"Mangye?"

That was one possibility.

Or perhaps—

"One of the others?"

There was no shortage of dissenters. Among them, one was particularly skilled in such matters.

Especially—

"Looking to the side, there’s a rather likely candidate......."

Taechon turned his gaze to those standing beside the young man. Among them, he focused on a black-haired woman.

"Was it you, Dragon Sovereign? Are you the one who wove such a tangled fate around him?"

Dragon Sovereign.

A once-arrogant ruler of the Dragon Realm.

Taechon voiced his suspicions, but—

"What the hell is that bastard saying?"

The young man.

Gu Yangcheon showed no sign of hearing a word. Instead, he surged forward, flames engulfing his body as he charged straight at Taechon.

Whoosh—!!!

The sphere clenched in his hand shifted form.

Flame Jade Spear.

A white spear shot toward Taechon.

Fwoosh—!

It was so fast that even sound couldn't keep up.

Taechon reacted, his tentacles moving instinctively.

Crunch—!!

But the spear pierced through them effortlessly, lunging straight for Taechon.

"Hmm."

Taechon extended his hand, grasping the incoming spear—

Creak—!

The moment his fingers wrapped around it, intense heat flared, disintegrating his hand.

Frowning slightly, Taechon twisted the spear at an angle.

Its altered trajectory carved through empty space, and soon after, a deafening explosion rang out from a distance.

Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!

White-hot flames erupted skyward.

And then—

Cheonma Divine Art.

"......!"

Taechon sensed it right in front of him.

Turning his head, he saw Gu Yangcheon closing in, something forming in his palm.

"Cheonma Soul Jade."

A white, ominous sphere.

Cracks began spreading across its surface.

Thump—!

A small sound echoed, followed by a cacophony of screams.

Kiaaaaaaaa—!!!

A wail of energy ruptured the surroundings in a massive shockwave.

"Oh......."

Shin Cheol, observing from afar, let out a sound of admiration.

"This brat."

He'd created something new since the last time they'd met.

It was half admiration—

And half—

"......Disappointing."

A touch of regret.

A technique learned too recently, or perhaps a martial art that had only just been completed. Gu Yangcheon's power had gaps.

That was the issue.

That single flaw weakened the technique's destructive force.

"Tsk, tsk."

And there was no way the enemy wouldn’t notice.

"You almost surprised me there."

As the agonized wails raged, Taechon’s voice, tinged with laughter, resounded. At the same time, the ground trembled violently.

Rumble—!!!!!

The earth burst open, and an overwhelming number of tentacles surged forth.

Gu Yangcheon, seeing this, swiftly withdrew his energy and moved his body. In the heart of the blast, Taechon still stood.

His body was damaged—clearly affected by the attack. Parts of his flesh were torn apart.

But that was all.

Taechon gazed at Gu Yangcheon with an amused grin.

As if to say—

"Is that all you've got?"

"Tch."

Clicking his tongue, Gu Yangcheon exhaled deeply.

And then—

"Huuu."

He inhaled, gathering his energy.

White heat. The same White Flame he had used earlier.

He had realized in his previous battle that White Flame inflicted greater damage on them. That was why he used it now.

The white energy rose into the sky, forming a barrier.

Baekcheon (White Sky).

Under the ashen sky, a white domain unfolded.

And then—

Whoooong—!!

At its center, a sun was raised.

Flame Wheel Star.

The moment the sphere materialized, strength surged through Gu Yangcheon’s body.

The Moonlit Night Tribe’s trait activated, pushing his physical form to its limits.

"Heh."

Seeing this, Taechon chuckled.

"Interesting. To think your body can contain so much."

Especially—

"With a vessel on the verge of breaking."

He swallowed the last part of his thought.

Because at that moment, Gu Yangcheon launched his attack.

"Hup!"

With a sharp breath, his fingertips slashed toward Taechon’s position. A blast of wind pressure tore through the ground like massive claws.

Screech—!!!

He dodged.

Gu Yangcheon’s pupils, slit with battle instinct, scanned for Taechon.

Behind.

Was he still too slow? Realizing his strike had missed, Gu Yangcheon willed another transformation upon himself.

Heavenborne.

He became one with the sky.

Tua Pacheonmu's energy surged through his entire body, amplifying his abilities.

Creak—!!

By now, his muscles screamed in agony.

His body, strengthened as a member of the Moonlit Night Tribe, was the only reason he could withstand this level of strain.

Boom—!!

As he stomped the ground, the earth trembled as though about to erupt.

Feeling the surge of power swelling in his lower body, Gu Yangcheon shot forward.

Sound failed to keep pace with him.

Kuuuuuung—!!

The boom came belatedly, trailing behind his movement.

With a fist enveloped in White Flame, Gu Yangcheon launched a barrage of strikes at Taechon. Taechon evaded swiftly, but he couldn’t fully escape the young man's speed.

In the end—

Slam—! Slam, slam—!!

Gu Yangcheon caught Taechon by the ankle.

Then, without pause—

He began to pummel him into the ground repeatedly, each impact quaking the earth.

After a relentless series of blows—

Whoosh—!

He hurled Taechon toward a distant hillside.

Taechon’s body soared through the air, crashing toward the rocky slope.

Seizing the moment, Gu Yangcheon conjured another Flame Jade Spear and flung it with all his might.

Thwuck—!!

The spear impaled Taechon mid-flight, driving his body into the cliff face.

Boom—!!!

The impact sent shockwaves through the earth.

Yet, without hesitation, Gu Yangcheon pursued him.

His azure eyes, fractured with bloodlust, glinted coldly.

With a single hand, he conjured a sphere of flame—Flame Jade Core—and drove it into the spear pinning Taechon.

Sizzle—!

A searing sound, like something rupturing—

Then—

Kuaaaaaaaa—!!!

The resulting explosion dwarfed the previous one. A convergence of layered techniques, potent enough to annihilate everything in the area.

From the inferno, Gu Yangcheon emerged, landing heavily on the scorched earth.

“.......”

His face was twisted in frustration. A reaction unbefitting someone who had seemingly landed a perfect blow.

There was only one reason.

“Damn it.”

Because it hadn’t worked.

Fwoosh—!!!

Retrieving his flames, his vision cleared. The landscape lay in ruin, obliterated from the blast—

And yet—there were no melted surfaces.

That was the nature of White Flame. Unlike ordinary fire, it didn’t burn or corrode physical matter.

There was only one thing it consumed—

‘Demonic Energy.’

The unnatural energy he called Magi—that was the only thing White Flame could devour.

But—

“Shit.”

This time, it wasn’t enough.

Because from the very heart of the blast—

Taechon stood.

Half his body was destroyed, his torso barely clinging together. Yet, despite his ruined form—Gu Yangcheon felt no sense of victory.

“What the hell are you?”

Though his face resembled the Crow, the foe he fought before—Gu Yangcheon knew.

This wasn’t the Crow.

It wasn’t because the wings were missing—he simply knew. Instinctively.

“Well now.”

Taechon, broken and battered, spoke.

His voice was oddly steady, belying his shattered appearance.

“Is it something about this place? Everyone I meet is so terribly violent.”

The moment Taechon spoke, power surged once more into Gu Yangcheon’s hand.

Without a second thought—he moved to strike—

Grip—!

But his wrist was seized.

Eyes widening, he turned to see the one holding him—

“......Noya?”

Shin Cheol.

"Hold still. You're making it hard to concentrate with all this chaos."

“Noya...... Have you come to your senses?”

"Obviously. If I hadn't, would I be standing here chatting with you? Hah! That's a ridiculous question."

The usual arrogance.

Under any other circumstance, Gu Yangcheon would’ve scowled at such cheeky remarks—

But this time—he couldn’t.

Shin Cheol, noticing his silence, clicked his tongue with a crooked smile.

“Look at that face. Don’t make that expression. I’m in better shape than you think.”

"But—"

"I said I’m fine. Just nodded off for a moment, that’s all."

‘The hell you did.’

With a flicker of irritation, Gu Yangcheon tried to yank his arm free—

But the grip didn’t budge.

“Be still. Rushing in now won’t change anything.”

"That’s—"

“Besides—”

Shin Cheol’s gaze shifted beyond him.

“Even if you did, I doubt you’d stop that from happening.”

“......!”

Alarmed, Gu Yangcheon snapped his head back toward Taechon—

And saw it.

Crrrkkk—!!!

Taechon’s body—began to change.

His once-white hair deepened into an eerie blue.

The sapphire hue of his eyes—bled into an unsettling white.

Completely devoid of pupils, his eyes became a hollow, inhuman white—so unnatural it made the skin crawl.

The broken body—began to mend.

“Ah—”

A whisper.

Goosebumps.

Just that single sound—sent terror rippling through every inch of his body.

What was this sensation?

What was this thing?

Gu Yangcheon had charged in, blinded by fury—

But now, a deep, primal instinct screamed—Something was wrong.

A flicker of fear—telling him to run.

But then—

"Kid."

A low voice reached his ear—

And a presence—rested lightly on his shoulder.

A soft sensation—on his left arm.

Eternal Bind.

His sword—had left his side—moving of its own will to Shin Cheol.

Firmly gripping the blade, Shin Cheol—his eyes locked on Taechon—spoke:

"In that state... how long can you maintain it?"

“......What?”

“Your body. With White Sky, Nine Flames Firewheel, and Tua Pacheonmu coursing through it—”

“How long can you hold it?”

Without hesitation, Gu Yangcheon calculated.

“...7 or 8 minutes... at most.”

If he pushed himself to the limit—7 or 8 minutes—no more.

Hearing this, Shin Cheol chuckled.

“That so? Perfect.”

Shhhkk—

With a whisper, he raised Eternal Bind, its blade pointed directly at Taechon.

"Watch closely."

Petals—

Began to fall.

Soft, ephemeral—petals of plum blossoms—

Drifting gently through the air—and settling upon the earth.

The very moment those blossoms touched the ground—

“This is—”

A bloom—

Exploding from his form—

“—everything I have to show you.”

Hwaaaaa—!!!

From Shin Cheol—

The Plum Blossom—fully bloomed.