## Chapter 1329
'Come to think of it...'
Raon gave a small nod, exerting force into his shuddering fingers.
'I have never actually pushed my limits within this spiritual realm.'
Due to the internal rule that he would simply respawn upon death, whenever he took a critical hit—honestly, even after minor grazes following that very first encounter—he had chosen to end his own life, reasoning that it was more efficient to restart the battle in peak condition. Initially, he believed this saved precious time, but the reality was the exact opposite.
'I was squandering time. And throwing myself away.'
In the heat of a genuine struggle, one never fights in a flawless state. A warrior might be hampered by training fatigue, a clouded mind from exhaustion, or the lingering ache of wounds from a previous clash.
Yet, he had insisted on facing Wrath only when his digital avatar was perfect. What he had been engaged in wasn't true cultivation; it was a mere game played for the sake of his own ego.
"Ha!"
Raon slammed his own jaw with the hand gripping Heavenly Drive. Because he struck himself with genuine intent, a throbbing ache washed over him, but his focus sharpened instantly.
'I assumed it was no different than before, but I was dead wrong.'
Back when he dueled Wrath via the Room of Self, falling to that being meant he had to traverse a literal ocean to earn another attempt. During that grueling crossing, he had desperately analyzed how to survive Wrath's onslaught, and during the fights themselves, he fought with every fiber of his being even if his limbs were being shredded.
In contrast, his current self had grown complacent due to the ease of instant resurrection. He had forgotten the core essence of growth and was merely throwing himself into the furnace like a brainless insect. Pathetically, he had committed a fundamental blunder he wouldn't have even made when he was far weaker.
"Judging by that miserable look on your face..."
Wrath gave a soft laugh, waving a hand as white as fresh snow.
"It appears the realization has finally dawned on you."
The entity let out a mocking snicker, suggesting that the epiphany had come far too late to matter.
"True. It is late."
Raon bit his lip and offered a solemn nod of agreement.
"Even so, it's a surprise you aren't cursing this king."
Wrath narrowed his gaze slightly, finding it curious that Raon wasn't blaming him for staying silent about this mental trap.
"As I thought, you aren't completely dim-witted."
The being clicked his tongue, remarking that Raon was merely a fool, not an idiot.
"Because having you tell me would have achieved nothing."
Raon exhaled a heavy, ragged breath while scowling.
"This was a truth I had to uncover through my own suffering."
Wrath had no obligation to point out the flaw. In fact, even if he had, Raon could only truly fix the issue by experiencing the weight of it personally. Of course, looking at his surroundings, the damage seemed irreversible.
"As I mentioned, your inner world is already shattered."
Wrath swept his arms wide, gesturing toward the mental landscape that lay demolished, shredded, and encased in ice.
"The mental image is a looking glass reflecting everything you have constructed. To put it simply, you are fundamentally broken."
The entity flicked a frozen blade with a fingernail, his lips curling in a sharp twist.
"Hah..."
Raon followed the demon's pointing finger and surveyed his internal world.
"You aren't lying."
Just as Wrath claimed, his mental sanctuary was in ruins. The swords representing his progress were trapped in ice, the horizon that displayed his spiritual reach was splintering, and the verdant woods symbolizing his humanity were being swallowed by dark voids. If he returned to the physical world in this state, he wouldn't just stall; he would face a catastrophic loss of power.
"However."
Raon steadied his frantic pulse and managed a bloody, faint grin.
"This isn't the conclusion."
In the heat of the last exchange, he had witnessed the two blades mend themselves momentarily when he pierced Wrath's Silver Aurora using the combined force of Flame Dragon Strike and Heavy Sky Cannon. A sliver of hope remained. If he could persist and triumph here, the frozen steel, the fractured sky, and the dying forests could reclaim their vibrancy.
"In that battered state?"
Wrath didn't hide his mockery. When a being who represented the peak of ethereal beauty smiled with such frost, it felt as though existence itself was laughing at Raon.
"The clock has run down. Your final opportunity lies within this single, broken life."
Wrath snorted, pointing out that while he had granted two more chances earlier, the passage of time meant Raon only had his current, wounded form left.
"You have already exhausted Divine-Demonic Harmony, your limbs are mangled, and your energy reserves are nearly spent. How much longer do you think you can stand?"
The entity's brow furrowed deeply, as if offended by Raon's stubbornness.
"Furthermore..."
Wrath's eyes thinned into mere slits, emphasizing his most critical point.
"The current version of you has actually eroded your own Martial Will through these lazy sparring sessions. This battle is already decided."
The being dusted off his palms as if the matter were settled.
"That might be true."
Raon released a clouded breath and nodded.
"I am wounded, my Sword Domain is gone, and my combat effectiveness has bottomed out."
He felt the frailty of his current state more acutely than anyone else, so he didn't bother arguing.
"But..."
Raon slowly opened his mouth while hoisting Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword.
"I am still breathing."
He had made a career out of surviving the impossible. He had endured countless blood-soaked struggles where his life hung by a thread, and he had even tasted the true void of death once before. Compared to those grim realities, this situation—where he couldn't actually die—felt as relaxed as a casual tea service.
"It seems I only truly wake up when the blade is at my throat. I will crush you here and take back what is mine."
Raon leveled Heavenly Drive and Heavenly Tremor toward Wrath, a sharp smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Do your worst."
He proclaimed his intent to withstand the demon's power even in this ruined state and slammed his lead foot into the ground.
"Ha."
Wrath let out a disbelieving laugh, clutching his forehead.
"To discard a perfect chance and then put on such a pathetic display of bravado. It is nonsensical. And yet..."
The entity's red lips curved upward in a genuine nod.
"That arrogance isn't entirely repulsive. It is likely that very trait that keeps this king tied to you."
Wrath lifted both hands, which began to glow with a terrifying blue radiance, as if confirming his choice.
"Naturally, while I appreciate your resolve, I have no intention of holding back."
The being unleashed a crushing aura of absolute zero, declaring he would fight with the same lethal intent as before.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
Raon controlled his breathing and lifted his chin with newfound defiance.
"Otherwise, I could never hope to mend this world."
A victory granted by mercy would leave him hollow. Only by surmounting the demon king at his peak could Raon and his inner world be restored to their true forms.
"In that case."
Wrath lowered his hand with fluid grace, his blue eyes flashing with predatory light. A crystalline flower sprouted from his palm and drifted into the air. The supreme art of the demon king—Ten Thousand Death Blossoms—manifested as an infinite storm of ice petals bathed in moonlight, cascading toward Raon.
Kigigigigigik!
Raon forced the Ring of Fire into an overclocked resonance and leaped backward.
'I can't simply blast through Ten Thousand Death Blossoms like I did with the Silver Aurora.'
The technique was designed to erase everything in its path before triggering a cataclysmic detonation. If he tried to charge through, he would be shredded into nothingness.
'If one flower can cut through all...'
Raon projected the image of a massive World Tree onto both Heavenly Drive and the Wooden Ring Sword.
Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation Heavenly Drive.
Fire Spirit.
With a grit of his teeth, he unleashed Fire Spirit once more—the very technique that had previously been annihilated by the ice blossoms.
Huuuuuuk!
Vermilion and azure petals erupted from the twin World Trees, surging toward the oncoming Ten Thousand Death Blossoms.
Kyagyagyagyagyagyang!
Consistent with their previous clash, the fragments of Fire Spirit were unable to withstand the singular blue bloom and were shattered instantly.
"Pathetic fool."
Wrath wrinkled his nose as he watched the remnants of Raon's technique fall like dying leaves.
"Have you stopped thinking entirely? This king told you that with a single flower..."
"I don't have to fight the same way you do."
Raon nodded calmly, as if he had anticipated this outcome, and swung his blades again.
Huuuuuuk!
The red and blue World Trees manifested a second time upon his swords, discharging a massive deluge of flame and frost shards. The sheer frequency of these strikes was incomparably higher than before. The Fire Spirit seemed to pour forth without end.
Kyagyagyagyagyagyang!
The Ten Thousand Death Blossoms continued to tear through the Fire Spirit fragments, but the momentum of the glacial blades began to falter. By the time Raon's third wave of Fire Spirit arrived, the ice flower's lethal edge had been completely blunted.
"Ha..."
Wrath let out a bewildered chuckle as he watched the energy of his technique dissipate harmlessly, its cutting power ground down to nothing.
"It must be nice to be able to end everything with a single strike."
Raon's lips curled as he caught the blade of a Fire Spirit that had surged through the melting ice.
"But if I lack that power, I'll just bury you under a mountain of attacks."
He stated that there isn't just one path to victory, and that persistent effort can turn a 'wrong' answer into the right one.
"A wrong answer becoming right..."
Wrath laughed and gave a small nod.
"I can't exactly argue when you've proven it before my eyes."
The demon smiled, finding the turn of events entertaining.
"Let's see how long you can maintain this."
Wrath challenged him to go to the bitter end as he gathered a new concentration of cold energy in his palm.
Uuuuuuuung!
The frost didn't radiate outward; it was being crushed into a tiny, dense sphere. He was preparing the devastating Silver Moon Demonic Seal.
"One obstacle after another."
Raon sighed, eyeing the thickening energy in Wrath's hand.
"You have quite the expression for someone complaining."
Wrath snorted, looking at Raon's face.
"That's because this is actually fun."
Raon nodded, despite the way his hands continued to shake.
"I should have been fighting with this mindset from the very start."
Had he applied himself like this from the beginning, he would have achieved his goals in this realm ages ago.
"Regretting the past is a waste of breath!"
Wrath told him to stop his whining and fired the Silver Moon Demonic Seal. The silver radiance erupted like a bolt of lightning, aiming straight for Raon's heart.
"I'm well aware!"
Raon met the incoming beam with a combination of Silver Sword Dream and Fire Wall. The ethereal, flowing sword and the shield of frozen flame worked in tandem to parry and redirect the terrifying force of the seal.
Kuwaaaaaaaang!
Missing its target, the Silver Moon Demonic Seal struck the ground, causing a colossal spire of ice to erupt where Raon had stood a moment prior.
"I won't waste time on regrets. I'll simply give everything I have to the present. If I do that..."
Exhaling a cloud of white vapor, he used the flames of his soul to burn away the frost choking the sky and earth.
"I might even surpass the heights I originally aimed for!"
Raon vowed to turn this disaster into a breakthrough, his eyes flickering with the intensity of red lightning.
Kugugugugugugugu!
In response to his soul's demand, the frozen Ring of Fire in the sky began to turn once more, pushing back the ice, while his shattered blades began to reform and lengthen.
Would you like me to continue paraphrasing the next part of this battle?
