Unhwi adjusted his clothes and smiled faintly.

“Wasn’t the world boring to you?”

“……”

“I do not think it is the ‘time’ yet, but since you still took your seat and we ended up meeting like this, I wanted to say it at least once.”

Jegal Yeonghyeon’s eyes changed.

“Who plays the game of go. Who picks up the stones.”

An edge began to creep into Unhwi’s voice.

“You have believed yourself to be the player all this time, Vice Alliance Lord, but in truth you are nothing more than a stone.”

The corner of Jegal Yeonghyeon’s eye trembled.

“How dare you……”

“There is nothing uglier than a stone acting as though it is the player.”

Unhwi’s words were sharp as a blade.

“You need to cultivate yourself further, Vice Alliance Lord.”

Jegal Yeonghyeon’s fist shook.

“You filthy…… bastard. Damned bastard, a worm that still wouldn’t be enough even if I tore you apart and boiled you and ate you.”

But outwardly, he forced himself to maintain composure.

“……The Heavenly Arbiter’s tongue truly lives up to your reputation.”

“It is not a tongue. I am only stating facts.”

“Facts, you say. Then should you not consider the reverse as well?”

“The reverse?”

“If I was merely a stone mistaking myself for the player, then the Heavenly Arbiter might also be a stone mistaking himself for the player.”

A gentle smile drew itself across Unhwi’s lips.

“Now you are finally putting proper words in your mouth.”

“……What did you say?”

“You truly hit the core. Yes, that is right. I, too, might be a stone mistaking itself for the player. But there is one biggest difference.”

“And what is that?”

“That I am aware of it.”

“……”

“Because I am aware of it, I can step out of that board and set a new board. I have already done so many times, and I am doing it even now.”

Jegal Yeonghyeon’s brow furrowed.

There was a barb in the words.

A barb that rose impossibly high was clearly there, yet he could not read what it was.

What is he saying? No—who is he talking about?

As Unhwi passed Jegal Yeonghyeon, he spoke.

“That is enough. From now on, act °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° after you properly identify who the real player is.”

Jegal Yeonghyeon wanted to take the fan in his hand and slice Unhwi’s throat off at once, but Jegal Yeonghyeon stood at the Heaven-Earth Apex.

There was no way he could slice the throat of Unhwi, who had already created the Triple Profound Realm.

Justification had already been made—if he swung, his own neck would be the one that fell.

So Jegal Yeonghyeon could only stare in silence at Unhwi as he descended the mountain.

***

In that moment, the two men lunged at the same time.

Shin Jueon drew his sword with lightning speed and launched the first strike.

Flame-Illusion Sword Art

Fire Dragon Emerges from Water

From the sword tip, red flame took the shape of a dragon and surged toward Flame King Hwa Munyeom. Heat alone warped the air around it.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom twisted his body to the left to evade and countered at once.

Flame Emperor Palm Art

Blue-Flame Wave

From his right palm, blue flame spread out in a fan. It collided with Shin Jueon’s fire dragon and triggered a massive detonation.

KWA-KWANG-!!

With the first clash, the floor of the Palace Lord Hall split, and cracks ran through the pillars.

Like men of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace, the two exchanged greetings with the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace’s martial arts, then halted for a brief moment.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom looked calm, while Shin Jueon wore a slightly startled expression.

With expressions so starkly opposed, they kicked off again without hesitation.

Shin Jueon swung his sword.

Demon-Flame Linked-Ring Sword.

The blade cleaved the air, drawing red arcs.

One, two, three…… in an instant, nine sword energies surrounded Flame King Hwa Munyeom.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom kicked off the ground with both feet and leapt into the air. His body rotated, and blue flame swirled from his two hands.

From within that whirl, Flame King Hwa Munyeom spun and thrust his right arm out long.

Returning Flame, Shaking the Heavens Palm,

The palm wind slammed down from midair and began shattering Shin Jueon’s sword energies in a chain. When only the last remained, Flame King Hwa Munyeom snatched Shin Jueon’s sword with his opposite hand.

Shin Jueon’s eyes went wide.

“……You lunatic—”

KRAK.

It was clearly palm against blade, yet the sound that rang out was the palm crushing the sword. Shin Jueon, who had driven his Heaven-Earth spiritual energy to the extreme, could not comprehend it.

He should have been tearing Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s palm apart instead.

Slowly, the blade began to stain with blood. It was the blood flowing down from Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s palm.

“When you killed Yuseong, did you feel even a little sorry?”

“……I have been feeling it since earlier. Once a Palace Lord, always a Palace Lord. You keep speaking casually. Palace trash, you have gotten bold while I wasn’t looking—”

“Answer the question I asked.”

Shin Jueon curled his lips into a greasy smile.

“Not even a trace of remorse. The bastard dug his own grave.”

“Fine. I understand.”

Flame King Hwa Munyeom yanked the hand gripping the sword.

Because it happened in a blink, Shin Jueon staggered for a fraction.

And into his abdomen—

KWA-A-A-ANG-!!

Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s fist drove in.

The destructive force did not match his lean frame, and Shin Jueon spat blood at once.

“Flame Emperor Fist……! This insane old man…… he never stopped refining.”

His panic lasted only a moment. Flames surged up from his flesh, and he immediately grabbed Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s left wrist with his other arm.

Shin Jueon’s eyes flashed, and Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s eyes flashed as well.

Shin Jueon raised his sword high above his head, and fierce flames began to blaze along the entire blade.

Flame-Illusion Greatsword.

Karmic Inferno, Sky-Scorching.

A massive pillar of fire erupted from the sword and burned the ceiling of the Palace Lord Hall. Shin Jueon brought the sword down toward Flame King Hwa Munyeom.

For the first time, Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s expression turned serious. After drawing up his power, he raised his opposite wrist.

A Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace martial art specialized in defense.

Flame Emperor Barrier.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom had refined it for a particularly long time.

Because he had wanted his conviction not to be shaken by any attack, by any storm.

Because he believed he could achieve it only if he endured.

A shield of blue flame formed, and Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s white hair began to take on a blue tint.

KWA-A-A-ANG-!!!

A tremendous impact crashed down on him. His arm trembled violently, and his feet sank deep into the floor.

“You block it? Insolent old bastard!”

Shin Jueon raised the sword again and struck down once more.

“This is the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace’s martial art evolved through the Absolute Flame Heaven-Mixing Art!”

Believing he had seized the advantage, Shin Jueon unleashed a barrage.

Flame Sword Dance.

The sword swung like a storm.

Dozens of sword energies poured down toward Flame King Hwa Munyeom.

In that brief instant, Flame King Hwa Munyeom, who was still caught by Shin Jueon, twisted his arm and stepped forward.

With a booming impact, his shoulder slammed into Shin Jueon’s solar plexus.

Shin Jueon’s brow knotted as he retreated, but the technique he had released remained.

Storm-like heat that fell from above drove toward Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s throat, his limbs, and points across his body.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom crossed his arms at once, and blue heat exploded upward from his body as if erupting.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom redeployed Flame Emperor Barrier, and Shin Jueon’s attacks reached him almost at the same time.

KWA-A-A-A-ANG-!!

With a deafening roar, flames swallowed everything in all directions, and the surroundings began to melt.

Stepping far back, Shin Jueon regripped his sword and narrowed his eyes.

Almost everything around them had been reduced to scorched ruin.

As men of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace, both naturally unfurled Return-to-Flame Flowing-Shadow Steps.

Return-to-Flame Flowing-Shadow Steps was a unique footwork art of the Soul-Dao Demon Flame Palace that accelerated and accelerated again by igniting demonic flame beneath one’s feet. These two had long since gone beyond mastering it and made it into footwork of their own.

Free and fast in movement, free in changing direction as well. The problem was that demonic flame remained wherever they stepped, melting and exploding everything around them.

That was exactly what was happening now.

There was almost nothing intact. Everything was melting down, and ash drifted through the air.

Shin Jueon stared through that chaos.

Between the rising dust and surging heat, Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s figure came into view.

“……”

Shin Jueon lost the words.

Several parts of the robe were torn, and blood flowed from the left shoulder and the right side.

It ran down from the leg as well, but it did not seem to hinder walking or running in the slightest.

“……Hng……”

A groan slipped out on its own.

He had attacked with the intent to kill, yet at that level the man was practically fine.

“You said it evolved through the Absolute Flame Heaven-Mixing Art.”

“……”

“From what I see, you mixed Absolute Flame Heaven-Mixing Art into the formulas of the Demon-Blend Return-to-Flame Heart Method. And this is all it amounts to?”

“……You worm.”

Slowly, Flame King Hwa Munyeom began bringing both hands together before his chest.

Blue flame started to rise around his body.

Flame Emperor Heavenly Mandate Art

Descent of the Flame Avatar

Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s presence surged explosively. His hair whipped about, wrapped in blue flame, and his eyes turned blue.

Shin Jueon’s face hardened.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom stepped forward. In that moment, the entire Palace Lord Hall shook.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom thrust both palms out in rapid succession.

Eight massive spheres of blue flame spread outward in eight directions and encircled Shin Jueon.

Extinguishing Flames in Eight Directions.

Shin Jueon hurriedly turned his sword to block, but he could not stop attacks coming from eight directions at once.

KWA-KWANG! KWA-KWANG! KWA-KWANG!

Three of the flame spheres slammed into Shin Jueon’s body. His right shoulder was badly charred, and blood ran down from his left leg.

He clenched his teeth.

He had to kill that man.

Suddenly, red flame wrapped around Shin Jueon’s entire body.

His hair burned up, and his skin flushed red-hot.

Absolute Flame Heaven-Mixing Art.

Heaven-Mixing Flame Demon.

Like Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s, Shin Jueon’s power swelled.

He kicked off. It was a speed incomparable to before, and he tore through space and brought his sword down without mercy.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom tried to block in a hurry, but even he could not predict speed at that level. At best, experience and instinct allowed him to twist his body.

SKRAK-!

Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s right arm was cut deep. Through blood that sprayed up like a fountain, Shin Jueon smiled.

He had almost lost it, but he had seized the advantage again.

That was his judgment. So he did not stop.

His burning sword moved with lightning speed as it aimed for Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s vital points.

Flame King Hwa Munyeom retreated and focused on defense. But perhaps because the injury dulled his movement, he allowed several strikes through.

SHK— SKRAK— SKRAK.

Wounds multiplied across his body. Chest, shoulder, thigh.

Naturally, his robe began to soak with blood.

“Die!”

Shin Jueon extended his sword for the final blow. Red flame wrapped the entire blade, shining like a sun.

Absolute Flame Heaven-Mixing Art

Heaven-Mixing Severance

As if he had been waiting for this very moment, Flame King Hwa Munyeom’s eyes flashed.

Both shoulders twitched.

Power surged up and reached out, flooding him.

Then he thrust it straight out.

Flame Emperor Heavenly Mandate Art

Flame King Returns to Heaven

Blue flame erupted like an explosion and slammed head-on into Shin Jueon’s attack.

KWA-A-A-ANG-!!

The entire Palace Lord Hall shook.

Walls collapsed, pillars snapped, and chunks of stone poured from the ceiling.

Within the tremendous blast, the two men’s figures were swallowed by smoke.

A moment later, as the smoke cleared, they stood several paces apart, facing each other.

Both were wrecked. Shin Jueon’s entire body was covered in burns, and Flame King Hwa Munyeom was drenched in blood.

They stared at each other, dragging in rough breaths.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep