"Hwaaaaa----."

A spectacle of petals scattering through the sky, captivating my gaze.

They bloom endlessly, as if to cover the entire gray sky and empty space with their splendor.

A field stretched across the heavens. So beautiful and pure that even my parched eyes are seized by the sight.

Even more so, knowing that these petals did not appear naturally, but were formed through someone’s # Nоvеlight # will and enlightenment.

How could I not be in awe?

“Huh......”

I let out a soft, hollow breath. What is this? The petals are so beautiful that I instinctively reach out. As my fingertips carefully brush against one, it trembles lightly and slips through my fingers.

The sensation is vivid.

It felt undeniably like a real petal.

“......!”

But the moment I touched it, I couldn’t hide my shock.

“......What kind of condensation of internal energy is this?”

Each petal—one by one—contained a level of energy that was anything but ordinary. I had never witnessed such an intense level of compression before.

I recalled what Shin Noya always emphasized during his teachings.

Compression.

A martial artist’s energy is defined by how it is compressed and how it is released—wasn’t that what he had said?

As if to demonstrate those very words, Shin Noya's petals were imbued entirely with his enlightenment.

I stood there, lost in admiration.

“It’s a bit too soon to be amazed, isn’t it?”

An aged voice, laced with amusement, brushed past my ear.

“Don’t just look at the petals. Look at the roots that support them.”

At Shin Noya’s words, my gaze shifted.

His back came into view.

A massive back that belied his withered frame.

The old man stood with his back to me, his sword lowered at his side.

Paaaarrr.

It was not the soft azure hue it had taken on after absorbing my energy—this was its original form, the form I first saw it in. A blade brimming with a rich, crimson aura.

As I watched in silence—

Tuk—!

The trembling petals halted mid-air.

My breath stopped naturally.

It felt as though time itself had ceased. That uncanny sensation fixed my eyes on Noya’s back.

“How curious.”

A voice, cutting through space, broke the stillness. It came from the figure before me.

“Truly curious.”

A man with azure hair and completely white pupils.

The strangest being of all had the nerve to call something else strange.

“What do you mean?”

Shin Noya responded, his voice calm.

“How could something so insignificant in form hold so much within it? In some ways, it’s admirable.”

“You sound sincere, but your compliments don’t feel particularly welcome, given our relationship.”

“Remarkable, indeed. Had you taken just one more step—just one—perhaps you would have become the first to break through your limit and reach the heavens.”

“The heavens, you say.”

Shin Noya chuckled softly at those words.

“What a pointless concept. Why must I climb there?”

He began to move, slowly. With each unhurried step, the petals followed him, trailing his path.

“I have no interest in heights. Planting a seed and nurturing it into a single tree—that alone is enough for me.”

“A tree?”

“Yes. This sword—this is my tree. How is it? Not bad, is it?”

Hwaaaaaaaaa—!!!

The petals, swept by the wind, began converging upon Noya’s sword, Gui-jeong.

Petal upon petal, compressing further and further.

To gather such condensed energy without it shattering from the pressure—I could never manage it. Yet, Noya did.

“This is my tree.”

“Hmmm......”

“You said your name was Taechon, was it? I do not know what your 'heaven' is. But for me—this is enough.”

‘Taechon?’

My eyes narrowed at the name. Taechon—I’ve heard that name before.

‘That’s...’

It was the name of one of the hidden Great Demon Realms (Daemagyeongmun) concealed by the Martial Alliance (Murimmaeng).

Even if not for that—

‘......It’s what Shadow King spoke of.’

The realm Amwang (Shadow King) once visited—its ruler was known as Taechon.

‘No way.’

Could that man be Taechon himself?

Why would such a being be here?

‘And the fact that he’s taken the form of a crow—’

Could it be that the one behind the crow’s schemes... was him all along?

It made no sense. What was someone like Taechon doing here?

As confusion gripped me—

“A tree, is it? I like that.”

Taechon, gazing at Noya, nodded.

“I respect it. And I acknowledge it. Your tree—it has worth.”

“Well, thank you for that.”

“So—show me. Show me how much you can fit into such a small soul and frame.”

“You want me to perform for you?”

Heh. Heh. Heh.

Noya laughed aloud, a deep and hearty sound.

The gathered petals—finally—took shape.

“Very well. I happen to be quite good at such displays.”

A sword, stained deep, deep crimson.

The moment I saw it, a shiver ran down my spine.

That was no ordinary sword.

‘A plum blossom tree.’

It was—

The plum blossom tree I had seen so many times before.

The fragrance it carried. The vitality, the brilliance, and the beauty.

A martial art that embodied nature itself.

As a martial artist, it was an awe that resonated through my very being.

‘......It’s real.’

It was possible—this was proof.

Cold sweat trickled down my back, and every hair on my body stood on end.

That sight struck something primal within me as a warrior.

And then—

“Boy.”

Noya called to me.

I could not answer. I could not find the voice to speak.

“Watch closely.”

It seemed Noya did not expect a reply, for he moved his sword with a serene grace.

A single stroke through the air painted a faint, crimson line—a line as though drawn with liquid color.

Its name — Plum Blossom.

Plum Blossom.

No embellishments. No grandiose declarations.

Only the name—Plum Blossom.

And I understood.

‘It bloomed, grew, and came to rest in his hand—nothing more.’

It retained its life. It remained true to itself.

Though formed of pure internal energy, it was undeniably a plum blossom.

This, I knew, was the truth behind Shin Noya's creation.

“Yes.”

The mouth that refused to open like a lie finally parted.

“This is my tree. Do you see it?”

“......I see it.”

“The tree you will bring forth does not have to be a tree. However, focus on what you can create. What will you bring into bloom?”

“......”

I could not answer.

Bring something forth? It doesn’t have to be a tree? What could I create? I had never thought of it before.

And once again, this time was no different.

“Remember this.”

Noya did not urge me for an answer. This was not a question he wished to hear a response to.

“No matter what you become, or what you aim to become, it does not matter. If you are to live as a martial artist, know what you wish to achieve and pursue it. That alone is enough.”

“......”

“Watch carefully from this moment.”

Noya moved.

The Plum Blossoms shook.

Their fragrance sunk into the air.

“This is my tree.”

The life Noya had lived, held within his hand, blocked out the sky.

Like a breeze, the tree flowed with the wind.

I was drawn to the vast petals. Blossoms bloomed on the budding branches. They veiled the gray sky.

Plum Blossom.

The old man’s life crashed down upon Taechon.

KUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNG---!!!!

The sky split in two. The space that had created the gray heavens tore apart from a single swing.

“Ha.”

Taechon laughed.

Though he caught the blow with the spear he held, his hand trembled violently, showing how difficult it was.

“Incredible—!”

His voice grew louder.

“It’s the edge. It’s almost there.”

What was almost there?

What did he mean by the edge?

I didn’t fully understand, but somehow, I felt I did.

“Show me. Show me that you can reach it with your own strength.”

The sword slipped. Noya’s sword wavered, and with the next strike, it continued.

Two cleavages.

Two strikes split the mountain. A cross-shaped line appeared in the sky.

KUGUGUNNNG—!!!

The ground trembled violently. Taechon lightly stomped the ground with his foot. At that moment, huge tentacles erupted from the earth.

They were far larger than before.

Tentacles, the size of Crimson-Rank Beasts, surged up, heading straight for Noya.

Noya quietly watched, flicking his sword briefly.

PANG—! PANGPANGPANG—!!!

The tentacles exploded into pieces, and in that gap, Noya moved.

It wasn’t fast—just a simple step, with a sword moving gracefully.

One strike after another shook the sky.

Beneath them, the Heart Sword emerged.

Taechon smiled as he saw it.

“Amazing.”

KUNG—! KWAGAGANNNG—!!!

The Heart Sword sank into the earth. The shock made the ground leap and tremble.

Taechon’s upper body shattered—fractured and broken.

Yet his eyes never left Noya.

“I’m coveting you. I covet you, Shin Cheol.”

Interest transformed into obsession.

As he spoke, Noya’s Plum Blossom struck for his throat.

KANG—!!

It did not pierce.

Noya’s Plum Blossom was blocked by some unseen wall, halting its movement.

But it didn’t matter.

Plum Blossom Formation.

Noya pressed his body against it, using all his strength to push against the barrier.

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIK—!!!!

“Huh.”

Despite not cutting through the barrier—

Noya, with a deep breath, pushed harder.

KWADUK—!!

And at last—

He broke through.

Taechon, seeing it, split his lips wider, a grin stretching across his face.

“You’ve reached it.”

A brief word.

A small admiration.

“Divinity.”

The tip of the Plum Blossom touched his throat. It was about to end him.

“Congratulations—”

Taechon, about to speak, was cut off.

Crunch.

“......What?”

His eyes widened at the sound.

Gui-jeong fell.

The arm that had wielded it was crumbling.

“......Noya!”

Seeing it, I immediately rushed toward him.