Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 741

Kwaaaak--!!

The ink covering the floor surged violently. It resembled a swirling vortex.

Despite the chaotic and intense movement,

Fwoosh---!!

Flames erupted above the flowing water.

Sizzle—!! The flames were so hot that steam hissed wherever they passed.

Blazing and radiant flames. Flames so scorching that they seemed to overturn everything like a dragon’s form.

In both size and energy, it was an overwhelming sight.

Amidst this scene, an old man stood silently, gazing at the display from above the water.

Not long after—

Kyaaaaaah—!!!

The flames roared as if howling and lunged at the old man.

Three massive streams of fire converged into one and began pouring down.

Even being near it felt as though one would be burned to ash.

If that struck, ordinary people wouldn’t even leave bones behind.

Srrng.

A faint sound echoed.

Paaah—!!
Slaaash—!

In an instant, the flames split into dozens of branches and began to dissipate.

“Damn.”

A hollow laugh escaped from Gu Yangcheon, watching the scene from afar.

What the hell was that?

“I didn’t even see the slash.”

Only a faint sound could be heard. He couldn’t catch how the old man moved.

It just looked like a single slash.

Yet the result was dozens of precise cuts.

How fast did he have to swing to make it look like that?

The flames vanished, leaving a frown on Gu Yangcheon’s face.

And then—

[Seven.]

The old man’s voice rang out.

[Only three more left.]

“Yes, yes. I know,” Gu Yangcheon replied, as energy began to gather in his hands.

Tsk.

Just as the old man said, there had already been seven attacks, yet not a single blow had landed.

“Damn it.”

All the old man did was swing his sword to block or dodge.

Despite using such a simple method, he had defended every single strike.

It was frustrating, but it also sparked several thoughts.

The first thought was—

“Is it the space?”

Was this place, which seemed unreal, affecting the outcome?

Could it be that the old man had altered something to make his attacks ineffective?

“But that doesn’t seem right.”

The energy flow and movements were too vivid.

This didn’t feel like a mental projection—it felt real.

And the old man gave off the same impression.

Which could only mean—

“That old man’s just ridiculously strong.”

A painfully simple conclusion.

Even if this was the realm of souls, could this really be the strength he wielded in life?

“That’s just absurd.”

It wasn’t something Gu Yangcheon wanted to believe.

No matter how powerful he was—

“If he’s that strong, how did he fail to kill the Blood Demon?”

If it was true, then the path ahead felt impossibly long.

That was the last thing Gu Yangcheon wanted to accept.

Fwoosh.

Flames wrapped around his hands, and he steadied his breathing.

Thump—! His heart pounded, sending energy surging through his bloodstream and shooting out toward the sky.

Fwooooosh—!!

The dark space turned faintly blue.

Red Heaven Flames.

Or should it be called Blue Heaven Flames now? Who cares.

With the domain activated, strength coursed through his body. His steps felt lighter.

[Hmm.]

The old man looked on, intrigued by the change.

He didn’t show the slightest trace of tension.

“Damn it. That smug face is pissing me off even more.”

Irritated, Gu Yangcheon pushed more energy into his flames.

Kuuuuuk.

A flame orb twice the size of the one used against Yeong Pung formed in his hand.

In terms of energy, it was far greater than what he poured into the Sacred Spear.

He hurled it without hesitation.

Whooooom—!!

The enormous sphere shot toward the old man.

The old man moved to cut it down with his sword again.

But before he could—

Snap—!!

A signal echoed as Gu Yangcheon snapped his fingers.

Kwoooooom—!!

The flame orb exploded, engulfing the surroundings in fire.

With such a massive amount of energy packed inside, the flames grew immense.

Which meant—

It was enough to obscure vision.

The moment the explosion erupted, Gu Yangcheon leaped back and clenched his fists.

“Getting close doesn’t work.”

Then what about attacking from a distance?

“He’ll sense the energy if I use the Sacred Spear or most of the Nine Flames Firewheel (?????).”

The seven previous attacks—

They weren’t random strikes.

“The more energy one faces, the more they grow accustomed to it. The same applies to their perception.”

Each flame attack had been calculated to make the old man grow familiar with Gu Yangcheon’s energy.

By now, both his body and eyes would be accustomed to it.

Which meant—

Now was the time.

Surprises work best when the enemy grows familiar.

Tua Pacheonmu.

If the flames had grown familiar, it was time to use something entirely different.

‘Third Form.’

Energy gathered at the tip of Gu Yangcheon’s fist.

This time, he honed it to be sharper and more destructive.

While the first and second forms were meant for close combat, the Third Form targeted enemies from afar.

‘Tua Geokseom (Fang Strike Annihilation).’

Erasing his presence, Gu Yangcheon sensed the disturbance in the flames.

Locking onto the target, he clenched his fist and delivered a short, rapid punch.

And then—

Thud—!

A ripple rang through the air.

Kwaaaak—!!

A circular hole appeared in the flames that had been swirling around.

Fang Strike Annihilation had no visible form, no discernible trajectory.

It was an attack made purely of energy, one that left no time for its target to react.

The sudden assault should have engulfed the old man.

No—it was certain.

It should have.

[Eight.]

Hearing the voice from the side, Gu Yangcheon bit down hard on his lip.

[The attempt was good. Its utility wasn’t bad, either. The completion wasn’t low, so I can’t help but wonder—who exactly taught you this?]

The old man spoke as if genuinely intrigued, explaining his thoughts while gazing at Gu Yangcheon.

“…You’re a bit too fast, aren’t you?”

Too fast. Far too fast.

So fast that Gu Yangcheon hadn’t even realized it until the man started speaking.

[Of course. In my lifetime, there were only a few faster than me. Maybe two.]

The old man chuckled as he spoke.

[Myeong and Tang Jeolcheon. Aside from those two, no one in Zhongyuan could match my speed.]

Thunder Blade (Myeong) and Tang Jeolcheon, the Poison Breaker.

It made sense.

Myeong was renowned as the fastest wielder of lightning energy in Zhongyuan.

Tang Jeolcheon had been an assassin—of course, he was fast.

But there was one lingering question.

“What about Yeon Ilcheon?”

Gu Yangcheon referred to Yeon Ilcheon, the man once considered the greatest martial artist in the world.

Since the old man hadn’t mentioned him, did that mean he was slower?

That’s what Gu Yangcheon’s question implied.

[He was strong, not fast. But that strength of his….]

Before the old man could finish, he moved.

Gu Yangcheon had already thrown a punch.

Tua Pacheonmu, Second Form.

Tubi Uicheonkwon (Fang of Intent Piercing the Heavens).

A vortex of energy erupted, surging toward the old man.

Explosions burst out all around Gu Yangcheon, centered on him.

[Hah. How cowardly of you, boy.]

Even so, the old man easily deflected all the strikes.

Deflected.

What kind of nonsense was this?

Tua Pacheonmu was an explosion of energy.

Just circulating it caused unbearable strain, and it unleashed destructive force through sheer violent pressure.

When it erupted, it was supposed to leave traces everywhere.

Yet the old man, standing right in its range, emerged without a scratch.

The reason was obvious.

‘He cut through it all.’

An unbreakable artifact.

He swung his sword and erased every trace of energy coming toward him.

“That guy’s a real monster.”

[Calling your elder a monster, huh? What terrible manners.]

People often called Gu Yangcheon a monster.

He wished he could show those people this.

This.

A real monster.

[Only one attack left.]

Watching the old man lazily swing his sword made Gu Yangcheon’s blood boil.

He wanted—desperately—to land a single hit.

‘One more chance.’

The final opportunity the old man had allowed him.

Gu Yangcheon stepped back, lowering his body into a crouch.

Fwoosh. The flames began to expand.

How much energy did he have left?

‘I don’t know.’

Maybe about half.

Fortunately, this wasn’t reality, so there were no external or internal injuries to worry about.

‘…Not that it matters.’

Internal wounds, energy depletion—none of that mattered.

It wouldn’t work anyway.

No matter what he tried.

Not against that old man.

No matter what he did, it wouldn’t be enough.

Even knowing that, Gu Yangcheon still tightened his stance.

Fwoosh—! Flames wrapped around his arms, surging with power.

His hands ignited, and he clapped them together.

Clap—!!

The impact scattered sparks in all directions.

Sparks that should have burned out midair—

Instead, they stopped, floating in place.

And then—

‘Yeomok Seongbiyong Ohwa (Flaming Jade Stars).’

The scattered sparks gathered and grew into countless flame spheres.

They surrounded Gu Yangcheon, hovering like stars.

Another technique derived from Nine Flames Firewheel.

The old man’s eyes narrowed.

‘Rain down.’

Swoooosh—!!

Countless blue flame marks shot into the air and rained down.

Kwaaaa—!!!

An assault concentrated entirely on one target.

It had enough destructive power to wipe out a small village.

And yet—

Gu Yangcheon saw it.

Slash—! Slash—!!

The old man swung his sword.

Unbelievable speed.

It wasn’t that the slashes were visible now.

It was the afterimages—remnants of his continuous movements—that Gu Yangcheon could barely perceive.

Yeong Pung’s swordsmanship.

A style so complex yet fluid—so free yet grounded in fundamentals.

Its perfected form was unfolding here.

Slash—! Slash—!!

The flame marks were torn apart and erased.

No flame could withstand that sword.

Gu Yangcheon waved his hand.

More flame orbs formed, and his other hand commanded their movement.

The flames shifted—from two streams to three.

When the sky was blocked, he attacked from the sides.

When the sides were cut off, he struck from the front and back.

He unleashed flames from every direction.

[Hmm.]

The old man’s response remained simple.

Slaaash—!!

Faster.

If one side was blocked, he moved faster.

The sword struck down every single flame.

Not a single one made it through.

Gu Yangcheon let out a bitter laugh.

It was utterly, completely hopeless.