Chapter 1330
Clang!
With every rhythmic motion of Raon’s Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Sword, the blades—once encased in thick ice from the freezing pressure—shattered their crystalline prisons. They surged through the heavy rime, their essence sinking deep into the foundations of his spirit.
Rumble!
Raon’s execution grew increasingly lethal, his physical prowess and martial comprehension stitching themselves back together as he absorbed the spectral blades from his inner landscape. In this transcendent state, as if the spirit of a Sword God inhabited his frame, he parried the terrifying, ultimate strikes of Wrath using a different, perfectly suited style for every exchange.
At this moment...
Raon pulled in a jagged breath that tasted of copper and raised his eyes toward the fray.
Crimson Slash and Revolving Sky are the answer.
Clenching his jaw, he unleashed the twin-sword variant of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. A spinning, singular strike lanced forward, carving a path through the suffocating azure vapor exhaled by Wrath.
It connects again.
Raon felt a grim smile tugging at his lips as he integrated the concepts of Crimson Slash and Revolving Sky from his mental archive.
My consciousness feels as pristine as a new dawn.
Synergies and maneuvers he had never previously contemplated began to manifest with effortless clarity.
He wasn't prevailing through raw output or a superior reservoir of energy. It was a matter of perfect utility. By heightening the specific strengths of every school he knew, he was neutralizing Wrath’s overwhelming speed and power, countering the Demon King’s devastating arts with surgical precision.
The state of my vessel is improving by the second.
Every time a new technique was realized, the frozen armaments of his mind dissolved into him, fueling his resolve with renewed life. His internal landscape and physical focus felt more potent now than the moment he had first stepped into this psychological abyss.
This surge of vitality allowed him to maintain the high-intensity struggle against Wrath, despite the exhaustion and the toll of his wounds.
The Ring of Fire...
Raon narrowed his gaze, looking toward the celestial ring that spun above, having ground the surrounding frost into nothingness.
It has finally regained its true momentum.
Because the Ring of Fire was intrinsically tied to his mental world, it had been paralyzed by Wrath's frigid aura until now. However, through this life-or-death gamble against the Demon King, the ring had begun a slow, steady rotation, elevating his concentration and spiritual fortitude to their absolute limits.
Is it because I know there are no more second chances?
Raon’s lips curled into a sharp line as he utilized the Flame and Ice Unification of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation to incinerate the icy deluge pouring from his opponent.
Everything I’ve built. I feel capable of channeling every ounce of my history into this.
Even the most gifted genius is prone to the erosion of memory as years pass.
Yet, Raon had never abandoned his foundations. From the rudimentary forms he drilled daily as a novice to the complex styles he had personally forged, he had kept them all alive. Now, he could seamlessly manifest not only the arts he had mastered through sweat but also techniques he had merely observed, as if they had been part of his soul since birth.
Clang!
Using the totality of the swordsmanship residing in his mental world, Raon drew every frozen blade into his very essence. Though countless points of cold steel were anchored in his soul, there was no agony—only a profound, bracing clarity. He felt like an architect of his own reality, capable of shaping any outcome.
The inner world is fully restored.
The realm that had been shattered and numbed by Wrath’s cold and Raon’s own self-doubt was stitching itself back together. The sky thawed, and the fractured ground fused.
However, the charred forest remained an exception; it did not revert, instead becoming cloaked in an even more opaque, obsidian fog.
"Truly..."
Wrath dissipated the hovering frost and stepped forward.
"You are an utter freak of nature!"
The Demon King bit his lip, his expression one of sheer disbelief.
"I anticipated you might reclaim some portion of your strength given your background, but I never foresaw you reconstructing your entire domain to its peak!"
Wrath’s mouth twitched, his eyes struggling to accept the reality before him.
"If you were truly my foe, I would have snuffed you out long before you had the chance to evolve like this!"
He scowled, noting that the only logical path would have been to eliminate such a threat in its infancy.
"I owe it to you," Raon replied with a faint, weary smile, lowering his weapons. "Your sincerity in this fight allowed me to remember exactly who I am."
Despite Raon having nothing left, Wrath had refused to hold back, seeking to end him with his full might. It was that very honesty that forced Raon to fight for his life, ultimately allowing him to reclaim his mental landscape and revitalize his broken spirit.
"My thanks."
Raon offered a sincere bow, mirroring the respect Wrath had shown him earlier.
"Hmph! Spare me the sentiment!"
Wrath turned his head away, waving a dismissive hand, though he couldn't quite mask the faint flush of embarrassment on his features.
"You’ve managed to dance away like a pest until now, but the games are over!"
His expression shifted, his brows furrowing in anger even as a trace of pride lingered in his eyes.
"I'm putting an end to this tedious struggle right here!"
Wrath raised both hands in a synchronized gesture of finality. A localized blizzard formed in his right palm, while a piercing blue radiance ignited in his left. Though they appeared small, Raon knew that when unleashed, the Demon King's dual ultimates—Silver Aurora and Snow Storm—would entwine to flash-freeze the entire world.
"Huuu..."
Raon felt the air grow heavy with the absolute weight of Wrath’s power.
This is the final hurdle.
Wrath claimed he was bored, but this was the ultimate trial designed to test his limits. Only by shattering this could he overcome the demon of his heart and return to the waking world as himself.
Boom!
Wrath lunged forward, discharging both techniques at once. A colossal vortex of frost and azure light surged across the horizon.
Rumble!
The newly thawed world began to freeze over in a coat of silver, a massive arctic gale rising to consume everything in its path. It felt as though the very concept of existence was being swallowed by the Demon King’s chill.
Tch!
Raon bit his lip hard, drawing blood as he faced the soul-sucking blizzard and the waves of frost that threatened to entomb the heavens.
I have to condense every strike, every style, and every memory into a single moment.
The twin calamities Wrath had unleashed could not be evaded or simply parried. Breakthrough was the only option.
In that case...
Raon released his grip on the Wooden Ring Sword, letting it fall as he braced the Heavenly Drive with both hands.
There is only one path forward.
He centered his breathing, focusing on the singular martial truth that could unify his entire history into one instant of action.
Hummmm!
As the Ring of Fire resonated at its peak, the celestial circles in his mind sang with a metallic ring, spinning until they coalesced into a golden orb that rivaled the sun.
Flash!
Raon stepped into a realm where time, sound, and light ceased to exist. He hoisted the Heavenly Drive, and a golden brilliance unlike anything before saturated the silver steel.
Sword Domain: Heaven's Rift.
Every technique Raon had ever refined flowed into the strike meant to tear open the firmament. With each added style, the radiance of Heaven's Rift intensified, its golden heat rivaling the frozen light of the Demon King.
Slash!
A strike that defied the boundaries of conventional martial arts tore through the blue frost, blossoming into a magnificent display of light. Yet, behind that initial wave, the world-devouring storm continued its relentless advance.
Creeeeak!
Even the blinding glow of Heaven's Rift began to be smothered by the sheer magnitude of the arctic gale, its light beginning to flicker.
"Acceptable," Wrath remarked with a somber nod, seemingly satisfied that Raon had reached his limit. He looked as though he were content with how far his pupil had come.
"Not yet!"
Raon refused to yield. He maintained the pressure of Heaven's Rift with his primary blade while flinging open the gates of his upper dantian.
Vrummm!
The discarded Wooden Ring Sword levitated from the earth, radiating a soft, elegant light as it pierced the sky of frost.
Raon Zieghart Style.
10th Form: True Sword.
The blade of a warrior who finally understood the essence of his craft shot forward, guided by threads of sheer will. The azure steel hummed with the weight of Raon's life and his identity as a swordsman.
The strike containing his technical history and the blade carrying his spiritual essence collided with the storm that dominated the world.
CRASH!
An explosion of light and force erupted, shaking the foundations of his consciousness. The collision of pure martial wills created a kaleidoscopic wave that transcended human sight, painting the void in vibrant hues.
"Ha! You absolute lunatic!"
"Ah..."
Raon felt himself drifting backward as the voice of Wrath—a mixture of awe and exasperation—faded away.
My final strike was truly...
He watched the two paths of light carve through the blizzard, a smile on his face.
...beautiful.
"Hah!"
Raon bolted upright, his lungs burning as he gasped for air.
"...My quarters?"
He recognized the white ceiling. He instinctively checked his throat and chest. The cycle of death and rebirth in his mind had left him momentarily uncertain of his reality.
Vrummm!
He felt the Ring of Fire. Ten rings hummed in unison, confirming that he had returned to the physical world.
"Hmm..."
He performed a quick internal inventory. There was no lingering pain, and his soul felt remarkably intact. He had successfully navigated the trial of the heart demon.
"Phew..."
Raon let out a long, grounding breath.
I actually made it back.
He had been worried; the final clash against Wrath’s dual ultimate had felt like it might not be enough, but the struggle had clearly served its purpose in purging the darkness.
Just to be certain...
Before he could finish his self-assessment, a familiar presence manifested.
-Tsk!
Wrath clicked his tongue and appeared above him, looking down with a scowl.
-You absolute madman!
The Demon King seemed genuinely incensed about something.
What’s the issue now? Raon asked, pulling Wrath down to eye level.
-How dare you!
Wrath didn't explain his fury, merely grinding his teeth in obvious irritation.
Why are you acting like this?
-Grrr, forget it!
After venting his frustration, the Demon King huffed and turned away, refusing to elaborate.
You really are something else, Raon thought, shaking his head with a light chuckle. You helped me fix my mind, so why the anger?
He couldn't reconcile the help he received during their duel with this sudden outburst of saltiness.
-Who helped who?! And besides...
Wrath let out a pained groan, his expression souring.
-I wanted you to get back to normal, not transcend it!
He looked disgusted by the fact that Raon seemed to have grown even more powerful through the ordeal.
I’m stronger? Raon blinked. Is that a fact?
He hadn't yet noticed a significant change in his baseline power.
-That’s exactly what I’m saying! It’s likely even more than you anticipated!
Wrath’s jaw tightened in disbelief.
-You always have to overachieve...
The Demon King wrinkled his nose, clearly annoyed by Raon's constant progression.
[You have survived a crisis of the soul.]
[You have experienced the cycle of life and death.]
[A major milestone has been reached.]
[All attributes are increased by 99.]
[New trait <Death...]
[Trait...]
The system chimed in immediately, validating the events of the mental world with tangible rewards.
-Wait... what?
Wrath stared at the floating text, his mouth hanging open.
-Is this system actually insane? Why is it rewarding things that happened inside your own imagination!
He shrieked at the absurdity of the situation.
Is this also part of 'exceeding expectations'? Raon wondered, still a bit dazed by the rapid-fire developments.
-Shut it! Helping you is a fool's errand!
Wrath began spitting out his indignation along with a literal fountain of frustrated saliva.
I’m just teasing. I really want to thank... wait.
Raon’s thoughts stalled as he scrolled through the rest of the system notifications.
What is this? I’m receiving that specific trait?
Would you like me to look into what that new trait might be or help you paraphrase the next chapter?
