853 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 853: The Arena in the Forest** Navigating through the underbrush. The forest at night is dark, yet it always feels as bright as day to my eyes. Due to my swollen blood vessel, my body remains in pain. Perhaps it was because I had overexerted my senses, but the agony was even more intense than before. "Tch." I clicked my tongue and continued walking. As always, I just need to endure the pain. Right now, my suffering is not what's important. [We detect some presence nearby. There are four of them.] I nodded at the Dark King's transmission. I already knew. ‘While they are far away, they have surrounded this area in a circle.’ Focusing my energy, I quickly realized this. This spot forms the center of their intent. It was a strange sensation. Outwardly, it looked like just any other plain. It wasn't even that wide. Trees were spread around, and all I could see was rocks and wild grass. Yet, I could sense something here. “Do you sense anything?” With that inquiry, something fell. A human head. Four in total. The Dark King had mentioned the number earlier and took care of all of them. Did he travel that distance in such a short time? His speed was immense. “I don't sense anything.” “Hmm…” The Dark King doesn't know. There was something curiously unsettling about that statement. How could he not perceive this? Does this mean it's unrelated to the presence? Perhaps. ‘It might just be my imagination.’ I could be imagining this sensation, but secretly, I was convinced. There's definitely something here. This is my conviction. ‘Where might it be?’ It was in this vicinity, but where exactly? I looked around, eyeing the surroundings. Something should be here, yet I still feel nothing. ‘Where could it possibly be?’ I needed to concentrate, but my nerves were getting in the way. Was it because I was impatient? Annoyed? Or was I simply dissatisfied with being stuck in this situation? That might be it. ‘I see nothing but weeds and rocks. At best, some flowers over there. What could I have possibly sensed…?’ I stopped mid-sentence, frowning. The two in the front were fine. But the flowers behind were somehow bothersome. ‘Flowers?’ I turned my gaze downward, staring at the flowers. Now that I look closely, it was odd. ‘Why are there flowers here?’ These were the first flowers I'd seen. Not that I had never seen flowers before, but these were new to this region. Four in total. They seemed like common mountain flowers, and their locations didn't form any apparent pattern. Yet, the crucial point was. ‘Four flowers. Four people.’ The number of individuals the Dark King had eliminated matched the number of flowers, which hadn't been there before. On the surface, it seemed like a mere coincidence. I immediately bent down to examine the flowers. I reached out to gently caress a flower bud. Then. Buzz- "..." A faint vibration was discernible at my fingertips. This is it. ‘Be it formation or something else, there’s something with these flowers.’ As the vibration intensified, I lightly moistened my lips. “I’ll fetch more people.” The Dark King said, almost like an apparition. No explanation was necessary. He, too, seemed to have deduced the answer from my reaction and the number of flowers. He planned to bring more people. This implied something crucial. As I mentioned, there’s likely a connection between the number of flowers and some phenomena, and having all four people could hold the solution. The Dark King suggested bringing others, but. “No. There’s no time for that.” I had no time to wait for them or find a method. “We've killed those people, and soon others will come. Trying to manage anything under such circumstances would be difficult.” It might be possible. After all, if the Dark King wished, he could turn the entire Sichuan division upside down. But. “Then what other method?” “If we can't solve it, there's only one thing left….” I had one method I could attempt. I grasped the flower's stem. I didn’t pluck it out, just held it and concentrated. Wooong. The vibration grew stronger. The sensation entered through my hand, traversing my body, journeying deep towards my heart. A foreign sensation filled my being. I slowly opened my eyes. I observed the flowers with the mind's eye open. ‘Wow.’ I exclaimed in amazement. ‘This is absurdly complex.’ The entangled stems were unusual. I’d never seen anything this intricate before. More complicated than the spell wielded by Pildu Ma to bound Wudang Seom Seon. How should I solve this? The thought crossed my mind, yet I was already in motion. There's no need to call for people. It can be unraveled. All the bindings cast over the surroundings can be broken. Could unraveling take longer than fetching people and finding a solution? Maybe. However, I believed. I believed I could unravel this. Once, Shin Ui had told me something. It was during a late-night session when I was learning spells from him. -You’re too extraordinary sometimes. -What do you mean? I was following his instructions step by step. Watching me, Shin Ui commented. -Where did this wretched brat come from…. -Suddenly? Did I do something wrong? -No, you did well. That's what’s bewildering, you wretched kid. -Shouldn’t you compliment me instead of scolding me then…? -If you were going to show up, you should’ve appeared fifty years ago. Why did you have to be born in this era? I was dumbfounded. -How is that hurtful? Fifty years ago, I wouldn’t have even been born. -That’s precisely why it feels even more regrettable. -Why? I wondered why this old man was acting this way. However. -If the Jegal family had retained its honor and existed in this era, or even as it is now…. Perhaps if your last name were Jegal. Shin Ui spoke with genuine regret. -It might not have been as tough for the Jegal family to make a resurgence. That’s what I find unfortunate. It was praise, albeit exceedingly. I never thought I'd be considered extraordinary, especially in terms of spells. At this point, it's impossible not to know. ‘I have something after all.’ I thought I had nothing, yet I possess something significant. The issue is that it happens to be spells. Moreover, few people know about it or use it, so its extent is unclear. But I understand that those who see it often react with astonishment. To exaggerate, they might see it the way I view them. ‘So if that’s the case.’ If that truly is the case. ‘I can do it.’ There's nothing I can't do. I focused my eyes and slowly put pressure on the ordered lines. To unravel this wretched thing. ******************* A massive iron door opened. Big enough for a person to enter. Wi Seol Ah and Namgung Bia strode forward, cautiously stepping inside. The moment they entered the room, Namgung Bia's expression soured. "...Big." She exclaimed, scanning her surroundings. The room was incredibly spacious. And also tall. The vastness overwhelmingly contrasted the size of the corridor. How could such size exist underground? Had they even descended that far to begin with? A sense of alienation filtered in. "..." While Namgung Bia surveyed the area, Wi Seol Ah focused her wide-open eyes on one spot. Straight ahead. Something conspicuously mismatched with the vast room lay in front. Something Wi Seol Ah had fixed her gaze on the moment they surveyed the room. "…That's…" With a subtly trembling voice, Wi Seol Ah spoke. At her voice, Namgung Bia looked at the same spot. That's when it became visible. There stood an incongruously placed tree in the room. A floor made not of soil, but stone, where, inexplicably, a small tree had grown. It stood slightly taller than Namgung Bia, best described as a sapling. Why is such a sapling in this vast room? Moreover. "It's white…." The tree remarkably had white leaves. They possessed a pearlescent hue, emitting a faint glow. It seemed the reason for the relative brightness of this room, despite the absence of a single lamp, was the tree. Namgung Bia looked at the tree with curiosity, yet Wi Seol Ah's reaction was unusual. She seemed both surprised and slightly disoriented. "Seol Ah…?" Namgung Bia called out to Wi Seol Ah, but without a response, she moved forward. Her steps carefully placed her before the tree, where she gently caressed the leaves. As her hand touched them, the leaves crumbled instantly. The fragments resembled light shattering into pieces. "..." "Seol Ah…." As Namgung Bia questioned Wi Seol Ah's actions. “…!” Namgung Bia swiftly turned around, her silver hair swaying as a flash erupted from her waist. Clang-!! The sword she swung swiftly deflected something. Sparks flew briefly from the friction. It was another sword. Namgung Bia scowled and looked in the direction the sword had come from. "My goodness." There stood an old man, with his hands behind his back, gazing at the two. "I was aiming to cut her throat immediately... but she’s unexpectedly sharp, this young one." "..." At the old man's voice, Namgung Bia raised her sword. “Oh.” Observing Namgung Bia, the old man expressed his admiration. “The young lady is quite beautiful indeed. With hair and features like those, I can guess who you are. Are you the Flower of Anhui?” Wuuung. With the old man's words, swords around them began to float upwards. “It’s truly peculiar… Star King. Was it him? It shouldn't be….” “Who…?” Namgung Bia asked, watching the muttering old man. “Ah… Right, forgive me. I should introduce myself first.” The old man finally smiled and introduced himself. “I am Dae Hwan, the master of Gaecheonmun.” Hearing the introduction from the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader, Namgung Bia swallowed hard. "..." The tip of the sword hanging in the air pointed at Namgung Bia and Wi Seol Ah. “Uninvited guests seem to have arrived, so I came to see who they are….” With intensifying force, Namgung Bia swallowed hard again. The power was strong. Her body tensed involuntarily. Namgung Bia quickly glanced back. Throughout this ordeal, Wi Seol Ah continued to stare at the tree, appearing entranced. Kieeeeng-!! Bang-! “Ugh!” Namgung Bia maneuvered her sword to deflect another attack. She succeeded in defending again, but the impact felt much stronger than before, leaving her hand tingling. “It’s improper to gaze elsewhere when someone is speaking.” “…Sigh….” “Young one, please, do pay attention. This is an important question.” Shrrrrr. Swords began to circle around Dae Hwan. A new sword had appeared in the interim. “How did you open this door?” "...” At his question, Namgung Bia's eyebrows twitched. “Once in six years. That’s how seldom this door has opened. No matter what I tried, it was unbreachable…. How did you manage to open it?” An unbreachable door. Despite his words, Namgung Bia recalled the previous situation. There was nothing special in opening the door. Merely upon Wi Seol Ah’s touch, it opened spontaneously. As she recollected, she sized up the current situation. Wi Seol Ah, entranced by the tree. The forbidden door she was able to open. The astonished Heavenly Golden Sect Leader. "..." Pondering this, Namgung Bia nodded. Did she realize something? ‘It's difficult….’ No, she simply decided to abandon the complexity of the issue. Such intricacies never quite aligned with her nature. Something is there. Knowing just that is enough. Thus, the task at hand becomes straightforward. Resolute, Namgung Bia addressed the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader. “…Are you curious…?” “Oh, are you willing to tell?” Swish. “Hmm?” The Heavenly Golden Sect Leader responded to Namgung Bia’s actions. She quietly aimed her sword at the old man. “…If you’re curious….” The Heavenly Golden Sect Leader's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her sword's tip. “…Try to find out on your own.” "Heh heh…." As always, if she didn’t know the answer, she would fight. It was always the simplest solution for Namgung Bia. “…Oh dear.” Dae Hwan shook his head wistfully as he looked at Namgung Bia. Shing. The hovering swords ceased their rotation and aimed their tips at Namgung Bia. “You’ve made an unwise choice.” With those words, four blades rained down upon Namgung Bia.