Childhood Friend of the Zenith

"You are the hope of Shaolin.

" This was the phrase Yu Yeon had heard all his life while living in Shaolin.

From the day he first displayed his talent, up to the present.

By the time he realized it, he was already being called the hope of Shaolin.

"A mere ten-year-old has mastered the Divine Fist!?

" "Not just the technique...

his speed of improvement is on an entirely different level.

" "That child is heaven-sent.

Surely, he will become the greatest in the world someday.

" Yu Yeon learned later that the elders of Shaolin had repeatedly held meetings about him.

He didn’t know what decisions had been made by those above, but Yu Yeon had received the Great Elixir three times so far.

An elixir so rare that most wouldn’t receive it even once in their lifetime.

He received one at the age of twelve, after mastering the Divine Fist.

The second came at fifteen, when he reached the Peak Level.

The final one was at eighteen, when he ascended to Hwagyeong.

The Martial Alliance promptly assessed Yu Yeon’s state and spread the news across Zhongyuan.

They declared the birth of the youngest Hwagyeong.

They called it the emergence of a comet that would lead Shaolin into the future.

And so, Yu Yeon’s name spread throughout the martial world.

The Divine Dragon (Shinryong).

Before he realized it, Yu Yeon had been named the Divine Dragon.

He had become the pinnacle of the Six Dragons and Three Peaks, a representative figure of his era.

When Yu Yeon heard the news, he immediately went to the abbot and asked why he was being called the Divine Dragon.

With doubt in his voice, he posed his question, and the abbot Cheonan responded: "I dream of a future that cannot yet be seen.

This is a choice made for the future that must change.

" Yu Yeon found it an incomprehensible statement.

Yet, he didn’t bother to argue; if it was the will of the abbot, it was something he had to follow.

Still...

He couldn’t help but feel regret.

That grand stage of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering he had once witnessed.

What meaning was there in holding the title of the Divine Dragon when he hadn’t even stood on that stage?

Yu Yeon regretted this deeply.

What worth could there be in fame built on falsehoods?

Yu Yeon knew the name bestowed upon him carried a lie.

How could he not know?

He had seen it all with his own eyes.

"The victor of Shanxi: Gu Yangcheon.

" At that Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, The one who had dominated the stage with overwhelming force.

The one who claimed victory and stood tall with a noble presence.

"Waaaaaaah!

" The cheers he had heard from afar burned into Yu Yeon’s memory.

That was what Yu Yeon remembered of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

The sights and sounds were engraved in his mind through his eyes.

When Yu Yeon was younger, those sights had set his heart ablaze.

A boy stood on the stage with an expressionless face, as if dissatisfied with everything.

That image left a massive impact on Yu Yeon.

What could one call it?

Indifference to the audience’s cheers.

A victory so easily obtained, as if none of it mattered.

Those actions and that demeanor were burned into Yu Yeon’s mind.

Why was that?

He didn’t know.

It simply became that way.

Had he not, in a fit of defiance, left Shaolin and secretly watched the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, he might never have known.

But he had seen it.

And through that sight, he realized something.

No, perhaps he had already realized it from the moment he was named the Divine Dragon.

Even as he watched the elders praise him, calling him a genius and the beacon of hope.

Yu Yeon came to understand.

He was not the Divine Dragon.

He was not a true genius.

The real one was already outside, soaring freely in the world.

Unlike him, cramped and caged, the real one had already spread their wings.

Then where were his own wings?

"The Divine Dragon?

What a joke.

" With a self-deprecating laugh, Yu Yeon curled up even further.

If he had wings, he would have torn them out himself.

What meaning was there in wings bestowed by others?

Yu Yeon believed there was none.

He felt suffocated, stifled.

Unable to bear it, he began indulging in small acts of rebellion.

"You are our hope.

" "You are the hope of Shaolin.

" "We’re fortunate to have you.

" Words he heard countless times a day pierced his heart like daggers.

Unable to endure it, he fled.

Though fleeing only meant wandering within the bounds of Henan, even that felt like defiance to him.

It was winter then, a time before Yu Yeon was called the Divine Dragon.

Snow fell, and the air was bitterly cold.

His hands were freezing.

Dressed in thin clothes, the biting cold felt harsher.

Even as he shivered, he didn’t mind.

He could have used his Qi to warm himself, but he chose not to.

He wanted to feel the cold a little longer.

At least, this felt better than suffocation.

"Haa....

" He blew warm breath into his cold palms.

The warmth he created himself seeped into his hands.

That warmth, made by his own effort, brought him a peculiar sense of solace.

In the bitter chill of winter, at an age when ascending levels of mastery mattered less, this was Yu Yeon’s solace.

Perhaps that was why it happened.

"What are you doing here?

" In those particularly lonely days, it was then that their meeting began.

Hearing a dry voice, Yu Yeon hastily covered his face with cloth and looked up.

"...!!

" Yu Yeon’s eyes widened unconsciously as he saw the owner of the voice.

It was him.

The person he had seen on the stage of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

Now called the True Dragon (Jinryong).

From what he had heard, the boy was the same age as him.

Who would have thought they’d meet here?

The boy was looking at him with a curious expression.

"What are you doing here in this kind of weather?

" "...

Ah...

Ah....

" Yu Yeon couldn’t muster a response to the approaching words.

The boy’s clothes were much thinner than his own, damp with sweat, and his face looked somewhat fatigued.

Was it just his imagination?

When Yu Yeon met him, it felt as though the cold receded.

As if the surrounding temperature had risen.

"Hmm.

" The boy tilted his head slightly, observing Yu Yeon, who couldn’t respond.

"Have you eaten?

" "...

" Yu Yeon didn’t respond, but it didn’t seem to matter.

The boy placed something warm in his hands.

"If you haven’t eaten, take this.

It’s delicious.

I come all the way here just to get these.

" The boy spoke with a grin.

Yu Yeon looked down at the food in his hands.

It was a dumpling.

"...

" A piece of meat-filled food sat in the hand of someone who avoided eating meat.

Yu Yeon, startled, opened his mouth to say something, but the boy had already turned and begun walking away.

Should he call out to him?

Yu Yeon hesitated, deliberating for a moment.

Just then, the woman approached the boy.

"You bought that again, young master?

" "Yeah.

" "I told you I’d get it for you.

" "It’s fine.

I had a reason to come out anyway.

Oh, by the way, there’s a strange rumor going around at the inn....

" Seeing this interaction, Yu Yeon couldn’t bring himself to call out.

Instead, he simply stared down at the dumpling in his hand.

"...

" If there was a moment where everything started to go awry, it must have been that day.

The day he couldn’t resist the urge to rebel.

Yes, that must have been the problem.

It was that fleeting act of defiance that set everything in motion.

.

.

.

"...

" Yu Yeon looked at the piece of his belt lying on the ground.

When had it been cut?

He hadn’t noticed the sword approaching or even the strike landing.

"Focus.

" The woman’s words echoed in his ears.

Yu Yeon lifted his head to look straight ahead.

A woman with golden hair and golden eyes stood before him.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, the kind of beauty that made one’s heart race just from looking at her.

The Supreme Sword of the World.

The successor of the Sword Master, Wi Seol-ah.

A trace of the greatest leader in history.

And one of the challenges Yu Yeon had to overcome.

No, it wasn’t just his challenge.

‘It’s Shaolin’s and the Martial Alliance’s challenge.

’ Yu Yeon already had an idea of what the Alliance wanted.

Thinking about it again made him feel stifled.

He wanted to escape this place and run to the inn.

He wanted to eat dumplings.

That habit of his had started on that day.

Whenever he felt suffocated and stifled.

Running away from Shaolin and eating dumplings.

It was a form of self-consolation he had adopted since that day.

But now, he couldn’t do that.

Instead, Yu Yeon steadied his breathing.

As he counted to three while staring at the woman, he found himself muttering a prayer internally.

Her beauty was overwhelming.

For Yu Yeon, who had no resistance to women, it was a grueling ordeal.

Swiik.

Instead of speaking, Yu Yeon took a stance.

He extended his left hand slightly forward and adjusted his lower body posture.

"Thank you.

" Rather than an apology, he offered his gratitude.

"Thanks to you, I’ve regained my focus.

" Barely.

Truly, just barely, he managed to pull himself together.

He repeated it to himself.

The reason he was here.

He thought of it continuously.

Srrrng.

In response to Yu Yeon’s movement, Wi Seol-ah also took a stance.

In that instant...

Saaaaahhh---!!!

An immense aura surged toward Yu Yeon.

It felt as if dozens of sword tips were aimed at him.

The pressure was palpable.

Cold sweat ran down his back.

Amidst that overwhelming sensation...

"Hoo....

" Yu Yeon let out a low breath.

And at the same time...

Swiik.

He slowly extended his fist.

To Wi Seol-ah, it seemed like a sluggish motion.

Watching the deliberate movement, Wi Seol-ah furrowed her brows.

It wasn’t because the motion seemed insignificant.

On the contrary.

Swiik!

Wi Seol-ah moved swiftly, her body darting aside.

It was a motion purely meant to evade.

And it was the right choice.

Thud.

Yu Yeon’s fist struck empty space.

At that moment...

A mountain seemed to descend upon the spot where Wi Seol-ah had just stood.

Kuaaahhhhh---!!

"...!!!

" The judge standing outside the sparring arena widened his eyes.

A tempest was unleashed with a single strike.

"Th-the Divine Fist!

" Someone in the audience shouted.

"That’s the Divine Fist of Shaolin...!

" A single, overwhelming strike.

A technique that reduced everything it struck to nothingness, a pinnacle of Shaolin martial arts.

A skill used by only a select few Shaolin warrior monks.

With just one blow, Yu Yeon asserted his presence.

"Waaaaahhh---!!

" Cheers erupted.

The youngest Hwagyeong.

Yu Yeon was beginning to prove the weight of that title.

"...

" The cheers were similar to those from back then.

Even as he heard them, Yu Yeon’s expression remained calm.

He couldn’t hear their voices.

His eyes darted quickly.

Thwack.

He felt a presence.

Yu Yeon immediately turned his head.

Swiish!

A sword blade grazed his cheek.

Turning his head, he spun his body.

Using the momentum, he planted strength in his lower body.

Swiik!

The tip of his foot slashed through the air.

Boom!

Yu Yeon’s foot collided with Wi Seol-ah’s sword, unleashing a powerful burst of Qi.

Kwaaaang!

The sound was deafening.

The impact was so great that it caused vibrations to ripple through the audience stands, sending shivers down the spines of the spectators.

A single exchange.

Having experienced that, Wi Seol-ah shifted her approach, choosing to deflect rather than block.

‘He’s strong.

’ Her opponent was overwhelmingly powerful.

Whoosh!

Gripping her sword handle differently, she redirected Yu Yeon’s strike along the blade.

Her intention was to close the distance and press forward, but— Whoong!

"...!

" At that very moment, Yu Yeon’s fist was already approaching her face.

She tilted her head to avoid it.

Kuaaaaaang!

The Divine Fist exploded past Wi Seol-ah, narrowly missing her.

The air it stirred was so intense it felt as though her skin might be torn.

Wi Seol-ah frowned and released a wave of pressure.

Golden Qi radiated from her.

The refreshing aura of the Moonlit Sword Dance began to envelop Wi Seol-ah’s body.

Her movements accelerated.

Sword energy infused her blade.

Her hair began to shimmer faintly.

Creaaak!

Her footwork carried her a short distance away.

The Divine Fist was a long-range martial technique.

She was cautious of that as she adjusted her focus.

"Hup!

" Yu Yeon also released his Qi.

Fssssshhhh!

The intensity of the Qi was so great that steam rose from the friction.

Yu Yeon’s yellow aura, similar to the golden glow of the Moonlit Sword Dance, radiated power.

The two, now both wreathed in their respective auras, faced each other.

"...

" "...

" No words were exchanged.

There was no need.

In their last exchange, all necessary communication had already been made.

Rrrrnnnnngg!

The auras of the two warriors intertwined.

The resulting vibration caused dust to rise into the air above the sparring stage.

Wi Seol-ah’s usually gentle gaze turned razor-sharp, and beads of cold sweat formed on her skin.

For a moment, the two simply stared at one another.

Drip.

A bead of sweat slowly trailed down Wi Seol-ah’s cheek, eventually reaching her jaw.

When it fell to the ground— Tap.

The instant it struck— Swoosh!

Kwooooom!

The two combatants clashed.

Kwooooaaaang!

An overwhelming flow of Qi surged through the air.

The scene resembled the eye of a storm, with golden and yellow winds intertwining violently.

Bang!

Kwoooom!

The earth quaked as if in the midst of an earthquake, sending shockwaves in all directions.

It was fierce.

And heavy.

The sheer volume of Qi they unleashed was immense, amplifying even the simplest movements to devastating levels.

"Hah...

Haaa....

" "This...

This fight is absurd....

" "How...

How can this really be a fight between advanced disciples?

" Neither awe nor shock could fully capture the spectators' feelings.

As if facing an illusion, everyone trembled as they watched.

The intensity of the battle was so overwhelming that even the martial artists sparring on nearby stages paused to witness the spectacle.

Flash!

A dazzling light streaked through the air.

Wi Seol-ah’s sword radiated brilliance, flickering dozens of times within seconds.

Her movements [N O V E L I G H T] resembled the shimmering of stars.

In contrast, Yu Yeon’s strikes were far fewer.

Boom!

Boom-boom!

Yet, in the intervals between her flashes of light, a single reverberation from Yu Yeon shook the entire arena.

In terms of power, his blows were incomparable to hers.

Each strike he delivered disrupted the very air around him.

The Divine Fist, containing the essence of enlightenment in each blow.

Each strike bore a resemblance to the First Strike of the Tua Pacheonmu.

From the activation to the movement, the similarities were undeniable.

‘Even the amount of Qi used seems similar.

’ The difference, however, lay in their nature: The Divine Fist was focused on destruction.

The Tua Pacheonmu was centered on tearing.

Though the disparity was significant, the essence felt similar.

The immense power and resonance of both techniques consumed a massive amount of Qi.

Yet the Divine Dragon wielded that force repeatedly, back-to-back.

‘How large is his Qi reservoir?

’ For someone like me, it’s manageable.

That’s only because of the opportunities I’ve gained.

But what is that guy?

Something that others might call a finishing move, he uses like it’s an ordinary technique.

It feels ridiculous.

Is he insane?

‘Is this how others feel when they look at me?

’ The thought crossed Wi Seol-ah’s mind.

Kuaaaaaaaang!

Each time the Divine Fist exploded, it ripped through the air.

The enlightenment embedded in his strikes, along with the condensed Qi, was truly awe-inspiring.

Yes, even I find myself in awe.

‘Shaolin...

These insane bastards.

’ What on earth has Shaolin created?

Avelizing the battle with the Divine Dragon, a bitter laugh escaped Wi Seol-ah's lips.

The reason was simple.

‘This isn’t how it was in my previous life.

’ In my past life as the demonic monk Gui Seung ...

I didn’t encounter him much.

Only briefly when he died.

At that time, Gui Seung was undoubtedly strong.

That’s not something I’ll deny.

He was strong.

So strong that even the Celestial Sovereign had to personally step in and kill him.

But.

Was the Divine Dragon this strong during his advanced disciple years?

I’m not sure.

No, he must have been.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been called the Divine Dragon, a name that transcended even Shaolin’s reputation.

Still, even with that being the case.

“...

What the hell is with this guy?

” It shouldn’t have been to this extent.

And for good reason.

‘How is he using the Heart Fist?

’ The Divine Dragon, although not to the fullest extent, had undoubtedly mastered the heart projection technique.