882 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Chapter 882: Return with Seong Yul** --- I returned to my quarters with Seong Yul. He still seemed overwhelmed with emotions, his demeanor significantly brighter than before. This guy, he was so overjoyed that he probably forgot about the meal I had practically forced him to eat. Desiring to wield his sword immediately, I sent him off. I understood; not only had he ascended to a higher realm, but his energy had surged, making it impossible for him to remain idle. 'Moreover.' I recalled Seong Yul's eyes. 'They've become even brighter.' Perhaps it was due to surpassing a barrier or absorbing the energy of the Heavenly Pill. Seong Yul's golden eyes shone more brilliantly than ever before. Is that really a good thing? 'They shine even more than the Sword Demon of my past life.' To my knowledge, those eyes were a testament to the Heavenly Destruction Star, and them shining might not be positive. 'When he fought Peng Woo Jin, the same thing happened. Is this really okay?' When the Heavenly Destruction Star manifested, the eyes shone, the killing intent amplified, and it was used in battle. Given this, viewing those sparkling eyes with optimism was questionable. '…Although he seems to be managing well…' Outwardly, there were no issues. He didn't seem consumed by the killing intent. This was true internally as well. The Heavenly Destruction Star wasn't rampaging, nor was killing intent subtly creeping out. 'Could it be because I suppressed it once?' While organizing his energy, as the Heavenly Destruction Star was trying to emerge, I had suppressed it. That might have been the reason. 'His physically flawless appearance after rebirth, devoid of impurities, seems due to removing his noxious Qi.' Even during sparring, which I used as an excuse to beat him up, I periodically removed his noxious Qi. Thanks to this, even during his rebirth, there seemed to be less release of impurities. 'Hmm. Not bad.' Whatever the outcome was, as long as it was good. Seong Yul becoming stronger was a beneficial outcome in any case. 'I’ve got a rough idea of how to use the Heavenly Pill.' I had grasped how to use that absurd miraculous pill. Even if it didn’t seep into the body, it could still be utilized if needed. 'Naturally, using it post-rebirth is preferable, but it isn't easy.' Rebirth isn't a trivial feat anyone can perform at will. If possible, I'd like to use the water from that pond. '...But it takes a long time.' The fact that it takes five years is the biggest drawback. Granted, the ability to achieve rebirth in five years would make it a sought-after treasure throughout Zhongyuan, with everyone drooling over it. 'By my standards, it’s too slow.' Utilizing it faced numerous time constraints. Furthermore, 'I don't even know the mechanism behind its effect.' How it possesses power and transforms a warrior — without understanding this, it was risky to use indiscriminately. I couldn't predict what results would follow. 'Especially the monster in the pond. That’s worrisome.' No matter how much I investigated, it remained elusive. Even the Dark King claimed to have never seen or heard of it. This ambiguity made further investigation challenging. 'The only thing I could ascertain....' There are several secret spaces underground. These were things uncovered while deciphering the energy of the formations. I had secretly dismantled these mechanisms and entered these spaces alone, but found nothing substantial. The space currently storing the Heavenly Pill is one of those. 'What purpose could these serve?' Though the temperatures differ, their height and width are identical. Was it made to hide something? If so, what were they meant to contain? Additionally, 'Nothing present here means either nothing was placed or... it's already been taken.' If something had been taken, was it the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader who took it? 'This is perplexing.' Although I requested the Dark King to search, nothing had surfaced as of yet. 'For what purpose...' Were such processes put in place? The questions remained endless. *Whoosh---!!!* Expressing my frustration, I unleashed flames. *Kwoooosh---!!!* The pouring white flames swept around, forming a large circle. The flames circulated, engulfing everything and returning to me. To my surprise, the area where the flames passed showed no evidence of change. "Hmm." Squinting slightly at the outcome, I muttered. "As expected." No matter how many times I tried, the result remained the same. The white flames couldn't burn ordinary things. Not trees nor even stones could be melted. Often, with absolute control, flames could be manipulated without causing damage, but this time it refused to burn despite my efforts. Then, was it solely flames for slaying demons? 'Why could I burn the subterranean architecture, though?' When I fought the Heavenly Golden Sect Leader, the flames I spewed indeed pierced through walls. Back then it was possible; now it wasn't. What made the difference between the two? 'At least there's....' *Whoosh!* The white flames that initially arose in my hand swiftly transformed into blue flames. 'The bright side is I can control it freely.' The newly acquired white flames. And the original blue flames. Finally, the black flames bestowed by demonic Qi. I could control each aspect and use them at will. This was truly fortunate. 'Had it changed to only white flames, it would have interfered with combat.' Barring the incredible power against demons, practically speaking, it's force rather tricky to use in real battles. There was a risk of the plan getting derailed entirely. 'This segment is settled... now remains.' After dispersing the flames, I heightened my sensory perception. Confirming there was no one around. *Snap!* Using my thumb and middle finger, I released a light flick. That moment. *Gi-i-i-iing---!!!* A rift opened in the air behind me. *Growl...!!!* From beyond the rift, a beast's cry resonated. As I watched it indifferently, I examined the item in my possession. 'The Demon Seal Talisman still shows no reaction.' The Wu Dang school's creation anticipated to provide warnings before a demonic gate manifested. They called it an essential artifact for any respected swordsman of the current era, yet the Demon Seal Talisman showed no response to the gate I opened. 'Indeed, it's probably because this isn’t a true demonic gate?' The rift seems unresponsive to the Demon Seal Talisman because it was created through my power. Realizing this, a grin crept onto my face. ‘This might actually be quite useful.’ The demonic gate, unresponsive to the Demon Seal Talisman, held immense value just for that. Understanding this, I tightened the grip on my heart. ‘How far can I push this?’ The name of this power is Life (生). It’s an ability that consumes energy to summon the demons I have slain. That’s why that night, I could summon a large number of blue and red demons. This implies that perhaps... ‘Could those ones be possible as well?’ Thinking of that, I exerted my power. I visualized them in my mind. The beings I conjured up were none other than the original owners of this power. The White-rank Demons. If I can summon the demons I've killed, wouldn't summoning them be possible too? Attempting to verify this, I applied more force. *Whhhooooooo*---!!! "...!!" The moment I conjured them, the energy within my body was drained almost instantaneously. It was a quantity completely different from before. And then. -Kyaaaaahhhhh---!!! From within the rift, a fierce roar emanated, accompanied by an immense burst of energy. "Damn it." I immediately released the power, closing the rift. *Shhhhh---!!!* Even after closing the rift, the air still held traces of pressure. If summoned, the division would have sensed the anomaly. If it had gone unchecked, warriors might have flocked here, so I had to close it quickly. "That was dangerous…." I almost caused another ruckus. Letting out a sigh of relief, I chuckled slightly. “It can be done.” It's possible. Even the White-rank Demons can be summoned. Realizing this made me smile. ‘I probably can't summon them for long, though.’ Judging by the energy consumption, I could only maintain it for half an hour at most. But for me, that was more than enough. The fact that the Demon Seal Talisman did not react and that I could summon a White-rank Demon even briefly. This alone made Life a formidable power. ‘With this confirmed. Now to…’ Finally. *Whoosh.* Flames surged around my outstretched hand. Rather than being wrapped in flames, I converted my body into fire. This was the transformation that occurred as the Nine Wheels Flame Technique reached its pinnacle. 'Becoming the fire myself.' Not just igniting flames or wrapping them around my body. Becoming one with the flames. That was the culmination of the Nine Wheels Flame Technique’s strength. ‘So now, what do I do with it?’ I was currently facing one problem. Reaching the pinnacle was great. My skills had improved too. Though not fully verified, my firepower had seen an overwhelming increase. Considering that, the situation seemed impeccable, yet…. ‘In the end, how should I harness this ultimate power?’ The most anticipated power when reaching the pinnacle. The ultimate form of the Nine Wheels Flame Technique. The overwhelming strength my father used to exhibit. I didn’t know how to use it. Even after reaching the pinnacle, I’ve tried in various ways, but I couldn’t achieve it ultimately. “Hmm.” In that case, should I just ask my father after all? '...I’ve been planning to visit anyway.' The decision was already made. Considering the vision I witnessed when I reached enlightenment, I must see my father at least once. Not just seeing him, but if possible, 'Engage in a conversation.' Perhaps it was time for a long talk with my father. That’s what I thought. 'A long conversation with my father, huh.' I’ve never done it before, so it felt awkward. I imagined it for a moment. "..." Just imagining it made my heart feel heavy. “…Alright. I’ll worry about this when I get to Hanam.” It seems meaningless to ponder over it now. Nodding slightly, I turned my steps. --- Upon returning, I headed straight to the infirmary. The purpose was, of course, to see Namgung Bia. “You’ve almost fully healed.” I said while lifting my hand off Namgung Bia's back. “…Yeah.” “You should be able to walk by the day after tomorrow.” Every day I would come by to remove the noxious Qi. Also as a pretext to see her face, of course. 'Her healing is indeed rapid.' It was the same before, but Namgung Bia's physical recovery seemed exceptionally fast. The wounds were near fatal, yet not only had they mostly healed, but she’d be able to walk in a few days. My body wasn’t a fair comparison, but even so, Namgung Bia’s recovery speed was abnormally fast. 'Is it because I keep removing the noxious Qi?' Perhaps. In any case, it was a hundred times better than healing slowly. Looking at her bandaged back, I spoke. “Why do you always seem to get such serious injuries?” "..." Namgung Bia cast a glance at me. I could read her thoughts from her eyes. -You’re one to talk. That intention was glaringly obvious. “Ahem…” I had no grounds to argue, so I awkwardly cleared my throat to cover it. “Stop glaring at me like that. Your eyes are sharp, and it’s intimidating when you look at me like that.” “So are yours….” “Anyway.” I cut her off. Continuing the conversation would only lead to me losing. Besides, I had a reason for coming to see her in the first place. “We’ll be returning to Hanam in a few days. You should be able to walk by then so the schedule will align.” As I spoke, I calculated in my head. “By the dates…. We’ll probably set off within five days.” Yes, that timeframe seemed feasible. Resolving the issues concerning the Tang clan, and after requesting a favor from Cheol Jiseon and the Dark King, it would take about three to four days. “So, here’s the thing.” “…Yeah….” “Come to my room in a couple of days.” “…What?” “It’d be best if you come at night.” Namgung Bia stiffened for a moment at my words. I was too deep in thought to notice her reaction. ‘By then, with the help of the Poison Suppression Pill, I'll ensure her inner state is stable enough before administering the Heavenly Pill.’ After mastering how to use them, I intended to grant the Heavenly Pill to each ally one by one. Naturally, before giving it to Namgung Bia, I’d conduct a few more tests. “…At night?” “Yes.” “With my body healed, at night?” “Yes, when you’re able to walk, and at night.” “…?” Namgung Bia, continuously questioning, eventually tilted her head in confusion. Was my explanation too complex? Why was she reacting like this? Assuming I hadn’t been clear, I was about to explain about the Poison Suppression Pill when— "Are you going to sleep with me?" "No, that's not what I—wait, what?" I stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening. What did she just say? I looked at Namgung Bia, shocked by her words. Did I hear wrong? I must have misheard, I thought, as I watched her. But then— "If you want to, it's alright with me..." Namgung Bia continued, her voice clear as day. "Are you going to... sleep with me?" This time, I was the one who froze stiff.