1014 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

As the sun was setting, the sky was ablaze with the colors of dusk. In a secluded field at Mount Hua Sect, flames danced tirelessly, vivid and bright, casting a vibrant hue across the landscape. Fiery blues illuminated the surroundings, more radiant than they had ever been, as intense heat swept over the area. The aftermath of the flames bore a likeness to a swarm of fireflies in motion, a beautiful display of flickering sparks. The mass of blue fire cut through the air, effortlessly weaving elegant curves with a simple gesture, asserting its presence. For a long while, the spectacle played on. Watching the flames, he gradually clenched his open palm. In an instant, the flames that hovered in midair, casting shadows over the horizon, began to struggle. BOOM—!!! They showered upon him, the fiery waters threatening to consume and incinerate him. Yet, rather than succumbing to the conflagration, the flames coalesced, wrapping around his clenched fist, tightly wound around his right arm. The flames increased in velocity, spiraling rapidly, tightening their grip while darkening in color. With an escalating speed, their size diminished. The intensity increased as the size decreased, adding pressure to the mix. The friction heightened the heat. Before long, as the flames ceased spinning— Sizzle—!!!! A sound reminiscent of sizzling echoed from his right arm, heralding the completion of the flame’s form. “……” He stood in silence, eyes fixed on the creation. It felt as though a new layer of skin had formed over his arm—skin made of flames, perhaps? The seething, sizzling texture and the tendrils of fire emanating slightly. Looking at it, the heat alone was enough to make one feel like they were searing inside out. This differed significantly from the martial arts techniques used before. “Hmmm…” He let out a soft hum, dissatisfaction evident in his expression. Though the power appeared formidable— and practically was so. “The firepower itself might not be bad.” For a technique utilizing such a vast amount of internal energy, harnessed by a vessel expanded through transcendence and filled with even stronger qi than before. ‘If compared to the past, it’s about three parts, or possibly four parts.’ Comparing it to pre-Myriad Worlds times, it equated to using approximately that much power. Thus, the firepower itself should indeed be formidable. “This isn't it.” His brows knitted in frustration. This was not what he sought. The firepower was indeed high, the completion seemed thorough, yet critically, this wasn’t the form he desired. Crunch—! He tightened his grip, squeezing the fists wrapped in flames. The flames responded violently, bursting outward. Whooossshh—!!! Upon exploding, the flames unleashed a gust of wind, though it caused no surrounding damage; only a brief, fierce gale swept through. “…Tsk.” He assessed his condition, dismayed yet aware he retained ample qi and wasn’t fatigued. He had spent considerable time casting intense flames, yet nearly three-part qi still remained. ‘With this…’ It seemed he wouldn't exhaust qi in most battles. The flames, too, had grown significantly more pliable upon reaching transcendence, moving seamlessly like an extension of his own body. Overall, he had grown much stronger. This much was satisfying. ‘Still, in the end, I have not succeeded.’ Despite repetitive attempts, he had not yet achieved his goal. He had tried earnestly, only to fail to even come close. ‘How did Father accomplish it?’ What he was attempting was nothing else. It was the very power his father had once wielded in Sichuan. He had been repetitively attempting to replicate that power. ‘...The ultimate technique he used against the Heavenly Demon in a previous life.’ The ultimate secret of the Gu family. Achieving transcendence allowed him to learn it, yet he couldn't harness it entirely like his father had. The power Father had used against the Heavenly Demon, driving her to the brink of death. The force that had dissolved the inexplicable constraint within the Celestial existence. ‘How exactly does one wield it?’ He couldn’t grasp it. Whereas he had immediately learned the methods of the Taesan Five Forms upon reaching transcendence. ‘This is different.’ He had not been able to grasp this. It was not merely a segment of the ultimate technique. This strength required mastering through a distinct means. ‘How is it done?’ He distinctly remembered only his palm glowing brightly, concentrating all heat within. He tried numerous methods. ‘Enclosing the heat merely to my palm was the ultimate.’ No matter the compression, pressure application, concentrating all the heat solely in his palm was out of reach. He still remembered the amount of qi his father wielded. It was indeed considerable, but trying to mimic the seemly small amount with compression… ‘It always ends in failure.’ The energy was too ample, rendering control impossible. Given transcendence, he at least contained it within his arms. Originally, it would have merely hovered randomly in the air rather than being compressed. “Tsk.” He clicked his tongue, glancing at the sky. What had begun in the morning was now advancing into evening. He had commenced training immediately after his talk with the Abyss, leading up to this moment. Intending to release the pent-up frustration, too much time had slipped by. Brush, brush. He lightly dusted off his body with his hands. Meanwhile, he replayed parts of that dialogue in his mind. ‘The Heavenly Demon was the one who planted the Abyss within me…’ The conversation with his mother arose. Followed by the recent dialogue with the Abyss. Merely recalling it weighed heavily on his mind. He had engulfed himself in training to clear his thoughts, only for them to resurface sharply at the conclusion. “Hooo—.” A low sigh escaped, accompanied by a wave of frustration. ‘What is it?’ The Abyss, which had manifested as part of him, hadn’t shared extensive dialogue. Just a few exchanges. ‘The factual acknowledgment that it was indeed the Heavenly Demon who had placed it inside me.’ The other responses were to his inquiries about whether he foresaw becoming calamity within the Zhongyuan. The Abyss, in response to the question, said, "Be cautious." Cautious of what? When I pressed for clarification, the Abyss continued, "Remember the seed." "…Remember the seed?" It was a baffling statement. What could it mean to suddenly remember a seed? Yet, as soon as the curiosity arose, a memory surfaced. "Perhaps." Back then. It was probably three or four years after my regression. It happened on the front lines. I had discovered something immense, egg-shaped, at a location managed by the Gu family. As I unwittingly reached out to it, Kkooreung— the Abyssual demon— had stopped me. I remembered what it had said then. "Seed." It had referred to the egg as a seed. Thinking back, it was incomprehensible. "How could something so vast be called a seed?" It was too enormous to label merely a seed. Why would the Gu family be safeguarding something the Abyss called a seed? "As far as I know… it’s a place the Gu family has maintained for generations." It wasn’t just for a short while but likely for a very long time. And yet it was a seed? "Remember." As if it were imperative for me, destined to become a calamity, to remember. Recalling the Abyss’s words caused my expression to sour. Having conveyed what it needed, the Abyss vanished, leaving me dumbfounded. "Why didn't it mention the Heavenly Demon?" How could the Heavenly Demon, not even my mother, place the Abyss within me? And when did this happen? "Could it have been when she granted the authority?" When they transformed me into a demon and bestowed that power. I had received Demonic Celestial Absorption at that time. Could it have been then? "Is this related to the regression?" I even knew that the Heavenly Demon played a part in the regression. "What was she hoping to achieve?" Why did the Heavenly Demon plant such things within me? How could she even initiate the regression? "Why me?" Why was it me? Was it a part of some destined path for the Heavenly Demon to involve herself with me? The answer eluded me. The more I pondered and tried to understand, each event I experienced seemed interconnected. Despite wishing to dismiss it as nonsense, it undoubtedly appeared that way. What lies at the end of these densely intertwined threads? What awaits that makes this connection so uneasy? As I was about to conclude my thoughts— Crunch! I turned my head, sensing a presence. I found myself chuckling at the sight before me. "Speak of the devil, and she appears." "Hm?" It was the Heavenly Demon. With her familiar, vacant expression, she approached and asked, "Are you finished?" "…Yeah, more or less." I had long been aware of her watching from afar. Knowing I was in the midst of training, she had simply observed without interfering, but as soon as she sensed the end, she approached. "What will you do now?" "……." I frowned slightly at her straightforward question. Instead of answering, I countered with a question of my own. "Hey." "Hm?" "What exactly are you?" "Hm…?" The Heavenly Demon tilted her head at my inquiry. "Why... why are you doing this to me? Do you know something, or are you pretending?" "……Hm?" "There’s that look again." Just like Wi Seol-ah's, she feigns ignorance with that expression. Though it seems innocent on the surface, given what I’ve heard, I can't tell if it's genuine or not. "What's your identity?" "I am who I am." "…And who exactly is that?" "I'm me?" "Are you trying to pick a fight?" "No?" The Heavenly Demon shook her head vigorously. A strong denial. She stopped, then stared at me before speaking. "I am me. And—" With her index finger extended, she pointed at me. "You, know it." "…What are you saying?" I felt foolish for engaging in this conversation. What could have changed so much after my regression that this haughty, proud woman became like this? “Is this truly her true self?” Or was she hiding it? It didn’t seem like she was concealing anything from my perspective. Then— "What would lead her to become that Heavenly Demon?" The transformation she underwent in her past life intrigued me. With this curiosity in the back of my mind— "…Enough. Get ready." I clucked my tongue and instructed the Heavenly Demon. "Get ready?" "We're leaving, so prepare." "Where are we going?" She asked with a trace of curiosity, and I sighed before replying. "Mount Maryeong." The Mount Maryeong where the next Divine Tree was supposed to be. I intended to head there, and this time, I planned to bring the Heavenly Demon along. "Given how deeply she's involved in all of this." If it was going to be a long trip, it would be better to keep her close than leave her behind. The Heavenly Demon's eyes widened slightly at my words. "Oh? I'm coming as well?" "If you don't want to, then don't." "I'll go. Let's go." The Heavenly Demon approached me with a spring in her step. Her expression remained unchanged, but she seemed subtly excited. What could she possibly know, where she was going, or what she would be doing to feel so thrilled? Incredulous, I remarked, "…We'll leave immediately, so gather what you need." It was more of a standard suggestion. After all, what would the Heavenly Demon need to prepare? To confirm this, the Heavenly Demon said, "I have nothing." I was about to turn and move when she added, "But you need to prepare." Her words made me halt momentarily. What did I need to prepare for? "For what?" I asked, puzzled, and the Heavenly Demon replied, "It's a mountain." "And?" "You don't like climbing mountains. You need a staff." "What kind of nonsense is that? Why would I need a staff?" "You dislike mountain climbing, don't you?" "That's correct—." As I responded, I frowned deeply. Something was off. "…How did you know?" No one should know that I dislike climbing mountains. Naturally, I'd never told anyone about it. I don't like climbing mountains. It was something I had pondered since childhood, but never found reason to share, so I'd kept it to myself. How was the Heavenly Demon so certain? When I asked her about it, she simply replied, "Ah—" The Heavenly Demon said, "It just seemed like something you would." And with that, she gave a slight nod. As dusk gave way to night, I realized the fire remnants around me shone particularly bright. Evening had come, and the Heavenly Demon's violet eyes, perhaps due to the night, seemed to sparkle more than usual. --- Comment Section: 1 Comment | Rating: 3.1 / 5 - 81 votes Yeon Woo | 2024.10.30 17:43 | Report The Heavenly Demon seems to have something going on, but I can't quite imagine what it is. --- Only logged-in members can post comments. 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