Childhood Friend of the Zenith

I stepped out of the cave and wandered through the forest.

I wasn’t sure what time it was, but judging by the position of the moon, it seemed to be the heart of dawn.

“Shall we rest here?

”It was a casual remark after walking for some time.

I didn’t wait for a response.

I simply stopped and waved my hand across the ground.

Fwoosh—!

A spark flared at my fingertips, igniting a fallen branch.

I then gathered more scattered wood from the surroundings using telekinetic techniques.

With that, the campfire was complete.

The faint light of the fire chased away some of the darkness.

I sat nearby, letting time pass as I watched the flames.

When a rabbit scurried nearby, I caught it, roasted it, and waited.

Crackle.

Pop.

As the rabbit cooked slowly, my thoughts wandered.

“At this pace, I should arrive within seven days.

”If I continued like this, it would take roughly that long to reach Hanam.

Normally, I would have pushed myself, cutting back on sleep and arriving in no more than three days.

But now, that wasn’t an option.

“My body is in no condition for that.

”I had to conserve my strength as much as possible.

“If only that brat were here… Tsk.

”If he were around, I could’ve made the trip in less than a day, let alone three.

But unfortunately, he wasn’t available.

I had sent him to Ji-seon.

Under the current circumstances, I had no choice but to rely on my own two legs.

In some ways, this forced me to manage my internal injuries carefully, so perhaps it wasn’t entirely a bad thing.

That thought brought a wry smile to my face.

“All this trouble just from using it once.

”Sure, I had intentionally overexerted myself, but seeing my body in this state after a single use made me realize I needed to reevaluate.

The road ahead was long.

I couldn’t afford to falter over something so trivial.

“That doesn’t mean I can hold back, though.

”If anything, I needed to use it with even greater intensity.

Now was not the time to go soft.

So, the only solution was…“I need to grow stronger.

”I had to strengthen myself to the point where using that technique wouldn’t harm me anymore.

“If I can perfect it, that might solve the problem.

”If I could fully master what I was working on, it might bring me closer to a solution.

Of course, there was an even better option.

“To reach a new realm.

”Breaking through my current limitations and ascending to a higher state.

The problem was…“That’s easier said than done.

”Even with my overwhelming power in my past life, I hadn’t reached that realm.

The Transcendence Realm.

It wasn’t a place you could reach with sheer effort alone.

Superficial enlightenment wouldn’t even let you glimpse it.

A weak vessel wouldn’t even let you attempt to contain it.

You had to achieve mastery over your martial arts, perfect your inner image, and make it entirely your own.

Paejon once said that if you wanted to glimpse the Transcendence Realm, those were the conditions.

Which meant…“I’ve got a long way to go.

”It was clear how far away I was.

After all, the majority of martial artists didn’t even reach the Hwagyeong stage before they died.

Even those with talent often failed to reach the pinnacle.

“They say there aren’t even thirty people who’ve reached the Transcendence Realm.

”Out of countless martial artists, only a handful had made it to that realm.

It was absurd to think that someone in their twenties could even aim for such a place.

But despite knowing all this…“I still have to try.

”I clenched my fists tightly.

And as I did, I thought to myself:“How far have I come?

”I had spent three years trying to reclaim the power of my past life.

In that time, I hadn’t just replenished my internal energy.

I had also worked with Paejon to fill the gaps in my foundation.

So, how much progress had I made?

Objectively speaking…“Eighty percent.

Maybe a little less.

”Even after taking advantage of every fortuitous encounter, I wasn’t even at eighty percent.

It was laughable.

And it terrified me.

“Which just shows how powerful the Heavenly Absorption Art truly is.

”That technique, which had shrouded me in dark emotions and despair, had pushed me to the brink of the Transcendence Realm.

Using it meant power was easy to accumulate.

But…“I don’t need hollow strength like that.

”I knew that such empty power wouldn’t lead me to what I wanted.

Slow, deliberate progress—that’s what I needed right now.

“…And yet, ironically,”I also found myself in a situation where I needed to accelerate my progress.

“What am I supposed to do?

”I was still grappling with that question.

When I managed to at least complete the shell of my Firewheel Essence, Paejon had said:[At least you’ve taken the first step.

Now, fill it up.

]Having succeeded in forming an inner image, I now had to fill the incomplete shell.

In other words, I had to finish constructing the mysterious domain of the inner image.

“If I do that, he said he’d teach me the fifth form.

”It was an absurd condition.

The Tua Pacheonmu was said to consist of seven forms.

I had completed four and was ready to move on to the fifth, but the condition was to perfect my inner image.

What an unreasonable demand.

“So does that mean I have to reach the Transcendence Realm for the final form?

”It seemed terrifyingly plausible.

If it were Paejon, that’s exactly what he’d do.

The Tua Pacheonmu demanded this of its practitioners.

It forced an artificial rebirth.

It pushed one to forcibly step into a state of No-Self.

And it led to the construction of an inner vision, revealing a new world.

Now, it was driving me to construct an inner image.

In short, the Tua Pacheonmu was:“A power that makes one transcend humanity and shatter the heavens.

”I was beginning to understand Paejon’s explanation of its purpose.

That old man…“Does he actually plan to become a god?

”It didn’t seem like a joke.

He was a man consumed by martial arts.

The description fit him perfectly.

How insane must someone be to create such a technique?

“And yet, even with this, he lost to Cheonma?

”Despite creating this monstrous martial art, he had been defeated by Cheonma.

When I thought about it, I wondered.

If Paejon hadn’t ruined his body with Reverse Aging, would the world’s power dynamics have shifted?

It was pointless speculation.

“Instead of dwelling on foolish hopes,”I needed to think about what I could do moving forward.

“Hah…”I let out a deep sigh and reached out.

I was about to eat the now-cooked meat when—“…What is your plan now?

”It was Seong Yul, who had been silent the entire time we traveled.

Holding the skewer of meat, I looked at him.

“I already told you.

”That we were heading to Hanam.

I was sure I had said so.

“Are we going straight there?

” “Of course.

”There was nothing to gain by delaying.

While I could handle things along the way, heading straight there was the best option for now.

‘I have work to do in Hanam.

’I needed to arrive early to prepare.

“Why are you asking?

What’s your real question?

”I directed my words at Seong Yul.

If he was curious about the destination, it would be understandable.

But I knew his question wasn’t that simple.

He was laying the groundwork.

There was undoubtedly something more he wanted to ask me.

And as expected, once I opened the door with my question, Seong Yul didn’t hesitate to get to the point.

“...

You told me you’d explain how you plan to use me.

” “I did.

”I had said as much to him back at Wudang.

“I still don’t understand.

” “Hmm.

” “Nor do I understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

”I thought I had explained it clearly, but it seemed Seong Yul still couldn’t grasp it.

Or perhaps he didn’t want to understand.

“You said you’d attack Hanam in three months.

” “That’s right.

”That’s why we were heading there now.

“Attacking Hanam… Does that mean you’re going to strike the Murim Alliance?

”I didn’t bother answering.

It wasn’t something that needed confirmation.

Attacking Hanam was tantamount to declaring war on the Murim Alliance.

When I responded with silence, acknowledging the truth, Seong Yul’s eyes wavered slightly.

“…Why?

”The reason?

I pondered briefly over his question.

I could list countless reasons, but when answering such questions, simplicity was best.

“Because it’s worth destroying.

” “…!

” “There’s no shortage of reasons to destroy it, but no one else seems up to the task.

So I’ll do it.

”Did I need another reason?

It was worth destroying, and I wanted to destroy it.

“...

”Seong Yul didn’t react to my answer.

He just stared at me with trembling eyes.

I chuckled at his expression.

“What’s the matter?

You’re having second thoughts now?

”Didn’t he say he’d do anything necessary—killing people or otherwise—if it was required?

Was he hesitating now?

“That’s not it….

” “If you’re unwilling, just say so.

I’ll let you go if you want.

”Of course, letting him go didn’t mean sending him wherever he pleased.

Seong Yul might appear calm now, but he was the Sword Demon in his past life.

Naturally, I couldn’t let him go unchecked.

The only reason I kept him around was to see if I could suppress his Heavenly Killing Star with Dragon Speech.

If he started wavering now…‘I’ll either turn him into a demon or kill him.

’I wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.

That said,‘Wavering isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

’I didn’t know why he was hesitant.

If it was because he was reluctant to kill or because attacking the Murim Alliance—the core of the orthodox sects—felt wrong to him, that wasn’t necessarily a problem.

In fact, the real issue was when someone gleefully embraced violence without a second thought.

So,‘Should I give him a reason to justify it?

’Rather than getting rid of him, I considered giving him a justification.

“You said,” “…Yes.

” “That you can tell when someone is lying.

Does that work on me too?

”It was something he had claimed back at Wudang—that he could sense lies.

I was asking if it applied to me as well.

At my question, Seong Yul hesitated for a moment before looking at me.

His eyes wavered.

Why was he acting like that?

I stared at him with curiosity, and after a moment, Seong Yul spoke.

“…I don’t…know.

” “Hmm?

”I tilted my head at his answer.

He didn’t know?

I thought for a moment about what he’d said.

‘Maybe it’s because I haven’t lied to him yet.

’Come to think of it, I hadn’t told him any lies so far.

Was that why?

Or was there something else?

‘Could there be more to it?

’I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t really matter.

Whatever it was, I could confirm it directly.

‘It’s the perfect chance to justify what I was going to say anyway.

’What I was about to say would serve as a convenient test.

Looking directly at Seong Yul, I spoke.

“Then, can you check if what I’m about to say is a lie?

” “What are you…?

” “You know, about the death of the Blue Sea Sword…”Ssshhh…As soon as I brought up the Blue Sea Sword, Seong Yul’s demeanor shifted drastically.

A strange energy began to fill his golden eyes, and the air around us grew tense.

It seemed my words had stirred his Heavenly Killing Star.

But I didn’t stop.

Smiling faintly, I continued.

“That death—it was because of the Murim Alliance.

”Ssshhhhaaa!

As soon as I spoke, a dark aura began to emanate from Seong Yul.

Watching it, I asked,“So, does that sound like a lie?

” “…What are you saying…?

”Seong Yul’s yellow eyes darkened further.

Should I push him a little more?

Until now, he’d been holding it together well.

But I was curious about what would happen if he let it loose.

Besides,‘I need to see how far I can suppress him with Dragon Speech.

’This was a remote area with no witnesses.

Even in my injured state, I should be able to handle this.

As I observed Seong Yul’s rapidly intensifying killing intent,Rustle.

“…?

”Suddenly, I felt something behind me.

“What are you…?

Explain immediately…” “Shut up.

” “…!

”Seong Yul’s growing killing intent crumbled instantly.

“Gah…!

”The backlash from his disrupted energy hit him hard, leaving him shaken.

At the same time, pain surged in my chest, and I frowned.

The backlash was from using Dragon Speech hastily without proper preparation.

Still, there was no other choice.

‘What is that?

’I sensed something—faint but unmistakable.

And the problem was…It was very close.

Within ten steps, at most.

If I could only sense it now, despite the proximity, it meant…The individual’s skill level was extraordinarily high.

‘This is troublesome.

’Even accounting for my injured state, their skill was impressive.

‘Who is it?

’Who could it be?

Someone capable of approaching this close while concealing their presence…‘Wudang?

’It didn’t seem likely, given the circumstances.

‘Or the Beggar’s Sect?

’That seemed more plausible.

Even though Ubong Chwigye had placed restrictions, they might have sent someone.

But…‘If it were the Beggar’s Sect, they wouldn’t have approached this closely.

’They might have observed from a distance, but they wouldn’t come this near.

For someone to get this close meant…‘They bypassed Nahi.

’Nahi was likely watching from somewhere in the forest.

I hadn’t sensed anything that indicated she’d been defeated.

Which meant this person had managed to bypass her senses entirely.

Woom—!

I drew energy into my body.

The dull ache in my chest didn’t matter.

I needed to figure out who this was.

Fwoosh.

Expanding my senses rapidly, I moved swiftly to locate the presence.

Woom!

“What…?

”As my senses spread, I pinpointed the location.

‘Behind me?

’Right behind me.

As soon as I realized, I gathered energy into my hand and turned.

Without hesitation, I prepared to unleash fire—“Woof!

” “…!

”I froze.

A small figure raised their hand with an innocent sound.

I blinked.

Before me stood a petite woman with light green hair, her round eyes fixed on me.

Her large, luminous eyes were strikingly distinctive.

For a moment, I could only stare in stunned silence.

This was someone I hadn’t expected at all.

As I looked at her with a baffled expression, the woman tilted her head quizzically.

“You’re not surprised?

” “…Ha.

”Her disappointed tone made me let out a breath of disbelief.

“I put so much effort into this… Ugh…”The woman, who had effortlessly bypassed my senses, was someone I knew well.

After a brief pause, I spoke first.

“…It’s been a while.

”At my words, she smiled.

Her bright, kind smile hadn’t changed.

“Yes, I’ve missed you so much, young master.

”Under the pale moonlight, Tang So-yeol stood before me.

Completely unexpected.