764 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Title: The World's Best Fighter's Childhood Friend - Chapter 764: The Northern Rabbit The situation had left Ilcheong-sword acting as if he'd malfunctioned. Even those around me, including Beomdong, seemed as if an earthquake had shaken their eyes. What should I say? Connections are always a great sight to behold. It's something I realized anew. ‘…Sigh.’ Was it because the Celestial Being had intervened to stop things? Thanks to that, my head cooled down a bit. With this body, I wouldn’t have been able to fight Ilcheong-sword. Though, if push came to shove, I might have won. But it would have certainly derailed the plan. “Is the conversation over? Can I leave now?” “...” The brows of Ilcheong-sword furrowed tightly. He seemed like he wanted to say something to me, but with the Celestial Being nearby, he kept his words to himself. He just stared at me for a moment. “…I will guide you.” He quickly lowered his stance. ****************** Once the path was cleared, the road to the pavilion was smooth. This was partly because Ilcheong-sword was personally guiding us. Besides, the distance wasn’t that far to begin with. I moved calmly, glancing around now and then. ‘There are quite a lot of people around.’ There were more than the initial forty I had counted. Though fewer compared to the original strength the Alliance might have had, it was still a considerable number. The question was. ‘Where did the remaining people disappear to?’ There were three at the master level beside me. Ilcheong-sword, Seom-sword, and another. ‘I’m not sure, but I guess it might be Geumryong-ju.’ Judging by the two swords at his waist, he seemed to be the dual-sword wielding Geumryong-ju. I confirmed that Il-ryong-ju was dead... and knew what Cheokryong-ju was up to, but as for Pung-ryong-ju, what was he doing, and where were the remaining people? ‘When the monster was causing havoc, they didn’t show up, so I thought they were all here.’ But that didn’t seem to be the case. Then, where on earth did they head to? “...” I had a guess, and I hoped with all my heart that it was wrong. If it was correct, it would only wrap contempt around the nonexistent endearment I had for them. Walking along the guidance a bit further. Eventually, I arrived at the pavilion. Where the fight with the Martial King had unfolded. To think I would return here after having my body wrecked like this, not long ago. ‘It’s ridiculous.’ Thinking of such absurd sentiments, I gazed ahead. The crimson barrier was still there. There was a significant number of people surrounding it. “…Damn…!” “How in the world are we supposed to handle this?” “Try speeding up a little…! Our Lord is inside!” “We’re doing our best!” Those anxiously watching the barrier. I saw familiar martial sects’ uniforms and emblems of renowned clans. There were even emblems of those said to be among the wealthiest in the Central Plains. Whether it was power or money, they were the core of the current Central Plains. I quietly observed them and then looked up slightly. I saw the ones gathered on the tall pavilion above. Among them, I focused on the face of the old man at the forefront. ‘Look at the old man’s expression. He looks like he could cut someone down any second.’ It was the current Lord of the Martial Alliance. The Sword Sage of Wu Tang. The Sword Sage had discarded the benevolent expression typical of a Daoist and wore the face of a fiend. The clear skies suggested the situation was nearing an end, which he must have known. Yet if he was showing such an expression. ‘He must be aware.’ He seemed to know the precarious state of the current Martial Alliance and how his position was at risk, but being unable to act himself, how infuriated he must feel. I understood that sentiment all too well. ‘I find it amusing.’ Feeling surprisingly refreshed, I continued walking. I gently nudged the ones blocking the path. “If you would allow me to pass, please.” “Ugh…! What the-!” “Ah, yes. Please step aside. I’m in a bit of a hurry.” Somehow, I managed to make a path and proceed. Only then did I see what was happening in front of the barrier. Those closely attending to the barrier were members of the Martial Alliance, identifiable by their attire inscribed with the character for wind (風). ‘Pung-ryong-dae.’ Members of one of the Eight Sword Companies, the Pung-ryong-dae. Experts in arrays gathered at the front of the barrier. Below them. “…Master…! Please, stop…this is dangerous.” “Yes, please. Leave the rest to us… Please….” Despite the entreaties of those around, as if hypnotized, the man continued to work on the barrier silently. Pung-ryong-ju, Bi Ma-pa, knelt, touching the barrier. With a decrepit and unwell body, his hands trembled as he tried to lift them, yet the old man persisted in brushing against the barrier. This was in an attempt to unravel the seal. ‘Not quite effective.’ He was acting upon my orders. “Heh…heaugh….” Pung-ryong-ju, seemingly on the brink of collapse, did not stop moving his hands. Narrowing my eyes at this sight. ‘I had hopes, but nothing was unexpected.’ It was said that even if Pung-ryong-ju acted, breaking the barrier would take half a day. Half a day was considered a swift outcome only because Pung-ryong-ju was an expert among experts; with anyone else, it would take several days. This was a testament to Pung-ryong-ju’s exceptional ability. As evidence. ‘The barrier seems slightly weaker.’ The crimson barrier had faded a bit since the start. However. ‘It’s still far from done.’ Though slightly diminished, completely dispelling it would take substantial time. I pondered what to do upon seeing this. Half a day would be too late. I needed to dismantle it before then by any means possible. For this reason, I was employing Pung-ryong-ju. ‘This makes it a bit troublesome.’ What should I do? Thinking about it, I looked at the barrier. It seemed like an ordinary barrier at a glance. As Pildo-ma had confidently stated, the barrier possessed enough strength to bind three of the top ten martial artists and several practitioners of the Flowing Qi realm. However… I found myself puzzled. ‘Is it really that difficult to unravel?’ I activated my third eye to inspect the barrier. Though burdened with internal injuries, opening my third eye was a challenge. ‘Oh.’ I could see them. An uncountable dance of intertwined threads. Strings tangled in a way that made it impossible to discern their beginnings or ends. This mass of threads constituted the barrier. It seemed that Pung-ryong-ju was carefully trying to identify the starting point by pulling at these threads. Watching him, I came to a realization. ‘No wonder it takes over half a day.’ How on earth could anyone unravel all those threads to find the starting point? ‘It’s the ultimate needle-in-a-haystack job.’ I scrutinized the barrier more closely with a grimace. ‘…Hmm.’ Even as I squinted and surveyed the various parts. ‘I can't discern the principle behind it.’ How it functioned and produced such effects eluded me. It was understandable. How could I comprehend a principle I hadn’t learned? ‘It’s unfortunate.’ If I could grasp it, it would be a useful power to wield. But with Pildo-ma gone, such pondering was pointless. Still. ‘Hmm.’ Instead of grasping the principles now, I needed to focus on something else. Amidst the dense lines. It wasn't long before I noticed something peculiar among the tightly woven forms of the spell. With my third eye, I saw lines glowing unusually bright. ‘What is this?’ Why were these lines glowing differently? Puzzled, I traced the gleaming lines. They were endless, tangled lines, yet the majority converged at a single point. Somewhere on the ground beneath the barrier—a spot that appeared unremarkable. Leaving Bi Ma-pa behind, I moved towards that place. It was six or so steps away from where the martial practitioners had gathered. Though numerous lines shone, they all converged into a single cascade at this unremarkable spot. Staring at that spot, I reached out my hand. Wooooom-!! As my hand touched it, the barrier resonated with a throbbing vibration. “Chief! The barrier seems to be reacting!” “Could it really be progressing…?” Perhaps believing it to be Bi Ma-pa’s doing, others excitedly spoke to him. Ignoring them, my fingertips began to move discreetly. Wooom. Wooooom. Countless energies emanated from my touch on the barrier. What had seemed like a complex spell felt different in contact. ‘I’ve... felt this somewhere before.’ The sensation was familiar. Where had I experienced it? After pondering briefly, I recalled. ‘Ah.’ Pildo-ma’s hideout. It was similar to the formations I had touched there. While the finer details differed, the overarching framework was alike. This one felt much more refined. All the threads were reacting violently. They writhed spasmodically, seemingly displeased by my touch. Woooooom-!! “…This, this is unbelievable! The spell seems to be rebounding!” “If it continues at this rate…we’ll need to recalculate everything from scratch…?” “Damn it! Why is this happening…!!” Others lamented due to the disturbance. If disrupted now, they'd need to start the unlocking process from the beginning. I couldn’t comprehend their distress. ‘Why restart?’ The reactions were vigorous, but they were irrelevant to the crux. The core was not the chaotic threads, but the thread I held. ‘The beginning and end aren’t what’s important.’ When could anyone possibly find a start or end point? Instead of searching for them. ‘Why not just tear it apart from the middle?’ Once the proper thread was identified, wouldn’t pulling it suffice? Inspired by this thought, I forcefully yanked the line. In an instant. Snap! The thread came apart effortlessly with hardly any exertion. My eyes widened in surprise. Why did it break so easily? Momentarily flustered, I wondered if I had broken it incorrectly. Woooooooo----!!!! Suddenly, the severed barrier emitted a violent shudder. Gwoooooong---!!!! Starting from the part where the thread was torn, the barrier began to dissolve. “Gasp--!! Chief!! You’ve unlocked the barrier...huh?” “What?” As the barrier began to collapse and people prepared to cheer, they realized the starting point wasn’t Bi Ma-pa. Their gaze swiftly turned to me. “...” “…?” Faces filled with bewilderment, unable to grasp the situation. Facing them, I chuckled awkwardly. “…Well, I just thought, why not try it myself to see if it was doable…? And it worked…? Haha. Well, that’s fortunate, isn’t it?” Hahaha... I managed a forced laugh, but. “...” “...” “...” No one joined in with my laughter.