995 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 995 of "The World's Greatest Prodigy's Childhood Friend" Screeeeeam---!!! A piercing scream echoed, sharp enough to sting the ears. It was a cry of utter desperation and raw ferocity. “Aaaaaah---!!!” “Urrrgghhh……!!!!” The sound didn't just affect me. Soldiers who couldn't escape in time clutched their ears and collapsed. It seemed odd for them to react so strongly to mere sound, but it wasn't just any sound. To call it simply a sound felt strange in itself. This was a manifestation of aura. The aura had taken on the form of sound. That form was akin to a scream, adding a layer of spine-chilling horror. And it wasn't just the sound. Boom---!!! The aura, having already been unleashed, lingered in place, swirling violently for a long time. Gazing at that spectacle, my mask-covered face went blank with awe. Though it was a scene I had crafted. ‘Could that truly.’ Be called aura? Its form resembled a storm. An expanding aura taking on such a form was nothing unusual. In fact, the solar eclipse of the Heaven Shattering Art, the essence of its unleashed technique, forms in such whirlwinds. The jagged, thrashing blades of aura. Whipped up and exploded outward from within me in that form. ‘……That.’ Was this current storm like that? As I assessed its condition, I internally shook my head. ‘No. That's not the case. That's not just a form.’ This wasn't a mere storm. This was. ‘Chaos.’ A chaotic amalgamation of all kinds of aura. The Heavenly Demon Divine Art involved the friction of aura against aura. That friction resulted in form. Hence, the reason it's expressed as a vortex is fairly straightforward. ‘Though everything is bundled together, it's not mixed.’ This is why the auras are in extreme opposition, making it appear storm-like. ‘……Opposition and friction.’ The pressure radiating from it. The destructive power derived from it. What had only occurred within my mind was now being physically expressed, and I couldn't look away. This was definitely not something one could call beautiful, even flippantly. Not like the Plum Blossom Sword Art of Mount Hua. Nor the Crescent Moon Sword of the Sword Sovereign. No other martial art carrying such savagery could compare. Of course, because this was raw malice of aura, unmasked. Its true nature is rage itself, how could anyone dare call it beautiful? This piece, so wild and brutal, how could beauty be found within it? I may have, under normal circumstances, seen it that way. But like gazing at a beautiful flower or jewel, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the aura I had crafted. I was enthralled. My body felt as if it had turned to stone, solid and immobile. My gaze was fixed, unwavering. Thump-! Thump-! In the midst of it, my heart, acting as a substitute for my dantian, beat wildly. My blood was burning. The aura circulating within my body responded in kind. Thump-! An undefinable heat welled up in my enflamed body. The aura remained still. Was this a side effect of using the Nine Flames Wheel Art for the Heavenly Demon Divine Art? No, that wasn’t it. This wasn't heat from aura. Then what was it? Despite not utilizing aura, why was such heat building? ‘Ah.’ I understood. The Nine Flames Wheel Art was moving of its own accord. Even without actively manipulating aura, the Nine Flames Wheel began to spin, generating heat within my body. Why? I couldn't comprehend it. Crack-! A cracking sound reached my ears. Even then, my eyes were still fixated on the chaos. Screeeeeeech---!!! The sound gradually diminished. The dwindling sound signified the waning of the aura. Crack!! The shattering noise continued unabated. Where was this noise coming from? Not from outside. Then, it must mean the sound was originating within my body. Why? Why is it breaking? What's breaking? Crack-! Snap-! The surface cracked and the shell shattered. In that moment. Riiiing---!!! The ring of the Nine Flames Wheel Art spun wildly. Whoosh---!!!! As the spinning started, flames engulfed my entire body. The azure flame wrapped around me. Whoosh-!! Whoosh---!!! Circling repeatedly around the pillar of my body. The Nine Flames Wheel always did. Maintaining the form of the wheel, rapidly spinning and expanding. It was an experience always felt and demonstrated each time it was used. Whoosh…… Whoosh---!!!! But this time, it was a little different. The flames appeared on their own, disregarding my will, expanding rapidly, and then gradually retracting. Shrinking and shrinking until the ring barely enclosed my body. Clink. With a sense of something being undone, the ring moved. Leaving behind what had enveloped me, it rose behind my back. The ring hovered in the air, rotating slowly in its circular form. Blip. Tiny embers scattered into the void. Witnessing this, I turned my hand over to look at my palm. A hand that should be empty. Yet. Whoosh. The hand transformed into a form of pure flame. Unlike the sensation of wrapping a flame around my arm, the hand truly became fire itself. It wasn't anything unusual. It had been discerned upon reaching mastery, yet this was. ‘……I understood the principle.’ Previously, it merely ended at the possibility of transforming into flame. Now, the intent and significance were comprehended. ‘It's not the flame that's important.’ Not the flame. The significance lies in how the flame adopts the form of the wheel. ‘The ideal form for accelerated rotation.’ That was the wheel's choice. Because it's flame, it can be faster and hotter. Hence, it became flame. ‘The Nine Flames Wheel Art focuses not on the flame but on the rotation.’ A memory of my father's words resurfaced. At the time, I thought it was simply about focusing on faster rotation and compression derived from it. ‘He had revealed it all.’ The meaning behind those words had finally been grasped. Recalling that. Fwoooosh---!!! The ring formed behind me commenced its spin. Savoring the sensation, I took a step forward. Sizzle. A footprint was etched into the ground with each step. The burned scent of scorched earth lingered due to the heat. As I walked toward the source, where the aftermath of my unleashed technique was most prominent, the scene was chaotic: collapsed buildings and scattered bloodstains. In the center lay a twisted, fragmented form of white flesh. “Ugh… guh… ah…” A pained groan emanated from the creature, yet despite its condition, it had not perished. It was even regenerating. “Hmph.” I wasn't surprised that it hadn't died; in fact, I intended for it to survive and had moderated my power. After exchanging a few blows, I deduced that its regeneration would sustain it even through such injuries. Whether it regenerated or not was of no consequence to me; my intentions were clear either way. Gazing at the broken white form, I spoke. “Pathetic.” “Ugh… guh…” The creature seemed to want to say something to me, but there was no reason for me to listen. “Did you really think, even with the darkness emerging, that you could reach me?” I laughed. I laughed genuinely because its foolishness amused me. Its absurd ambition was entertaining. An inexplicable exhilaration surged within me, never-ending. “For a so-called deadly weapon, you’re awfully soft.” Repeating the creature's earlier words, I approached. I remembered the purpose for keeping it alive. The transformation into a demonic being—Demonization. I intended to use it to verify something. As I had done with Heuk Saek, I pondered whether this creature, too, might be immune to the transformation into a demon. Was demon energy ineffectual for the Wolya Clan as a whole? This was what I aimed to confirm by sparing it. “Hm.” Just before my finger, charged with demonic energy, made contact with it, something seemed off. It was an inexplicable feeling. I flicked my finger. A tiny spark flew from my fingertip, landing on the white flesh. Boom---!!! “Aaaaargh---!!!” A massive blaze engulfed the white flesh, slicing the air with its scream instead of a groan. It was over in an instant. The blaze enveloped it in a mere moment. When it subsided, not a trace remained. “Our leader---!!” “The leader…!!” Those who witnessed the death of their leader were petrified. However, when my gaze turned toward them, an eerie silence descended. Fear was palpable. Looking at them, I reached out a hand. Just as I was about to move a spark from my fingertip toward them, like I had done with the creature, I paused. “…….” I mused silently as I observed the soldiers. What expression was I wearing right now? And. ‘What is it that I intend to do?’ As the thought crossed my mind, the scenery shifted. I found myself standing atop a lake. What lake was this? As soon as I saw it, I knew its identity. This was exhilaration. A manifestation of the exhilaration within me, greeting me as a lake. The surfacing exhilaration was infinitely serene. Its depth, exceptionally profound. I knew instinctively. ‘The moment you fall in, it’s over.’ If I were to be enveloped by this tranquility, I’d sink into its depths, unable to ever resurface. So, I walked. Sizzle. Leaving the heat where it was, I continued forward. Desire crept in. ‘What am I concerned with?’ So what if I fall in? This deep lake is also a part of me. Why should I fear venturing into my own being? Rather than worrying needlessly, might it not be better to simply enter? With that thought in mind, I attempted to step into the lake. Splash. “…….” Something formed over the lake within me, preventing my step. A lotus flower. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, a sublime crimson lotus arose to support my footing. As if to say, “Not yet.” Seeing this, I lifted my head, and the lake vanished, revealing the terrified audience watching me once more. My breath caught. I retracted my outstretched hand. Immediately. Whoosh--!!! I transformed into flame and soared into the sky. If I wanted to endure here ‘as myself’ for now. I needed to leave this place. * * * The deepening night. Far away, a woman sat perusing the sky. Against the not-quite-dark backdrop, something ascended into the heavens. A blue flash. Watching it, the woman bit her lip. The sky painted with a magenta-hued aurora. Her eyes, transfixed on the blue flash, took in the sight entirely. In her gaze. Was a blend of the brilliant flash and a measure of worry. --- Note: The translation captures the core narrative, atmospheric tension, and the protagonist's internal conflict as illustrated in the original text. New Ahuya Still.. struggling sometimes................................................ Sometimes I get into a mode like this. Have I aged in vain... Vegetable Beauty +5 11.11 🧩(˶' ᵕ ' 🫶)🧩 +6 11.11 Is it right for them to come this way? +9 11.11 Sigh.. +1 11.11 Unfinished) Fabre in Sichuan Tangga 1-345 +17 11.11 Turns out to be a national power S-Class Mosquito Hunter? +46 11.11 Edit shared! 11.11 Request for the series --Night of Peng Yujing +2 11.11 Even if they lie, don’t say you're sick lol..lol..lol +13 11.11 Suddenly curious before sleeping, suddenly thinking about suspicious things... +3 11.11 Please read it Chapter 995 of "The World's Greatest Prodigy's Childhood Friend" (995/1059) This section seems to be an informal conversation or collection of thoughts and online updates, perhaps posted in a forum-like space. It captures casual thoughts and interactions between individuals, reflecting social dynamics and the sharing of various interests or updates from the community members.