1055 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**Heavenly Sword’s Childhood Friend - Episode 1055: The Northern Rabbit** From the sky to the earth. A single beam of light descends. A line is drawn across the crimson sky. Along this line, a man's body is severed. His vision twists. One side up. The other down. In that moment when his torso is split and twisted— Clang-! His body suddenly snaps back to normal, restoring his vision. "Gah...!" A gasp escapes him. He clutches at his heart, his eyes quaking in shock. “Huff... huff…” The sensation moments ago—he recalls it as he steadies his breath. It was clear. Just now, he had treaded the brink of death. “What...” What manner of sensation is this? To have nearly experienced death. "I have ascended...!" His body, elevated to a supreme state. Yet what had just taken place? Gritting his teeth, the man fixed his gaze forward. And there, he saw the person responsible for cutting him in one stroke. An elderly man with a mane of white hair down to his waist and an untended, bushy beard. The man looked down at him with weary eyes of crimson hue. He recognized him. Though their interactions weren’t deep, he was someone unforgettable. “...It’s been a while.” Just when the man was about to mention the name he had once heard related to the old man— “Shincheol.” The old man spoke first, his name was Shincheol. “Call me Shincheol.” “...” “So, call me that.” “Shincheol…” The man uttered the name with a lifted corner of his lips. It didn’t matter what name he went by, really. “I’ve felt it before, but you’re truly an odd one.” A name doesn’t hold much meaning. What’s important is what this Shincheol really is. “Despite having a low rank, he brazenly holds his head high. And his strength…” It was something he had felt before. Shincheol, whom the leader referred to as an outsider, was peculiarly powerful. Even when he was briefly brought in as a commander through the master’s authority, it was the same. Commanders were typically among the strongest even in their worlds, placed under the master in the infinite realms. Yet even among them, Shincheol stood out. On the day the pugnacious Yusa, seeing Shincheol's lower rank, fiercely challenged him. Since that day, Yusa never again dared to confront Shincheol. What happened between them remains unknown to all but them, but Yusa’s changed demeanor made it apparent. If that wasn’t enough— “Even the leader of the world hesitated to fight him.” Even the reckless leader avoided fighting him. It was an odd sight. The master, while bringing in commanders, didn’t bestow any authority on them. That was supposedly the condition? Most likely. Furthermore— “Even in that situation.” When Shincheol escaped with the Sacred Tree, no one could stop him. Even before the master commanded not to capture him, the combined might of commanders failed to restrain him. His strength was simply overwhelming. In the end, it was the master who personally intervened to place a leash on him. Numerous restrictions were placed, but the most notable were— ‘Do not interfere in the matters of the realms.’ ‘Do not initiate combat.’ Unless the situation involved himself, he was not to initiate anything, battles included. Such restrictions and pressures were what allowed this old man to continue existing in the realms to this day. “Well now.” The man let out a hollow laugh. With a single strike, he had nearly touched death. “This is no joke.” Even having ascended in accordance with the will of the heavens, here he was. The wind blew, carrying the scent of flowers to tickle his nose. The petals danced and swayed. Suddenly, a leaf drifted in front of him. “What?” “…!” A voice came from just ahead. The trident clutched in his hands moved. The spear, aglow, hurtled toward Shincheol. “Are your ears failing you?” Ssshhh. With a sound of slicing, the spear was neatly severed. The problem was— “You don’t respond to what you’re asked.” “Argh!” The man’s body was once again sliced in tandem with the spear. His body swayed. Almost severed, it was grasped and restored to its original state. “Hmm.” Seeing this, Shincheol narrowed his eyes. At that moment— Chrrraaack—!!!! “Gaaah—!!” Petals scattered. The sword wielded by Shincheol mirrored this. Like slicing through a storm of petals, the sword rampaged across the man's body, showering him with countless strikes. No obstruction whatsoever. Pain endlessly assailed him, yet he continually regenerated. “You bastard—!!” The man gritted his teeth. Any movement directed at a joint was intercepted by the sword. Regenration was hampered, and his physique was restrained. Though he managed to guard critical areas somehow, it was bewildering. Unable to endure further, he bit his lip and shouted. “Stop...!” A command laced through the air toward Shincheol. His body was briefly bound. “Hup!” Boom-! “What...?” With a shout, the restraints burst off. The man widened his eyes at the sight. What had just happened? Did he break free of the command? How? His startled expression persisted, but there was no time to maintain it. From the tip of Shincheol's sword, a crimson line bloomed and fell upon him. Thwack-!! “Ugh!” A groan escaped him. His arm was cleanly severed and flew through the air. It was a narrow escape. Had he not evaded, it would not have ended well. His eyes rolled. While he managed to evade, a problem arose. “What in the world...!” The severed arm wouldn’t regenerate. Could this too be a force impacting divine power? No, it was not that. There was no anomaly in his ascended state. Then what was this? As he wondered the cause, realization dawned on the man. “The energy...” The cut surface of his arm was wild with energy. It continuously inflicted damage, preventing regeneration. “That’s absurd.” The energy, as if possessing its own will, ceaselessly impeded his regeneration. This wasn’t merely the power inherent to the energy. Intense focus and control of energy was the result. "A mere mortal with such insignificant rank…” How could he wield such power? Moreover, a mortal who hadn’t even lived a thousand years. Gritting his teeth as though to crush them, he moved his trident. Scccch-! He sliced through the severed surface once more. Only then did the energy binding the cut dissipate, allowing it to regenerate. Sensing his body mend, he widened the distance. Creating distance seemed the wisest course. With this in mind, he retreated further. All the while, Shincheol remained where he was, lowering his sword, merely watching the man. “What on earth…?” What exactly had happened? What was the gap from moments ago? He had attained divine power and become a vessel for the master. And yet, he was unable to counter an affliction by this being, who didn’t even reach the rank of a commander? To make matters worse— “Even commands didn’t affect him?” Things that should have worked didn’t. Despite seeing Shincheol as lower ranked, even commands failed against him. No, it wasn’t that they failed. The commands clearly landed, but— “He broke them.” He shattered them with sheer force of will. What madness was this? “This... man…” Who exactly was he? “What is your identity?” “Hmm?” At the man’s question, Shincheol gave a slight nod. Identity? “Well, now.” There wasn’t much to say about that. Shincheol. The Head of the Mount Hua Sect. The hero who saved the Central Plains. The greatest swordsman of all time. All these titles came to mind, but they would be forgotten eventually. The essence he recalled was something deeper. “It’s something I recently came to understand.” How long had it been since he came to the myriad worlds? A body that neither grew nor decayed. Energy that neither increased nor decreased; a body that neither broke nor improved. Despite some issues with his soul, Shincheol retained all that he had before his death. Such was the contract. Thus, he never had to seek growth. Honestly, having died as an old man, there was no desire for growth. Such thoughts crossed his mind from time to time. “Even this old mind has desires.” Shincheol discovered something about himself after arriving in the myriad worlds. “What…?” “No matter how much I ponder, the essence remains anchored in the body. Thinking this way helped me improve.” “What are you saying now…?” “Were you asking about my identity?” Shincheol adjusted his stance. He faced the man directly, raising his lowered sword to align its edge. The Mount Hua Sect’s grandest plum tree. About his identity, Shincheol said: “A martial artist.” “Huh?” A martial artist? What did that mean? While the man puzzled over this— “Seek endlessly and never cease to grow. No matter what wall impedes you, you shall eventually overcome it.” That was the nature of a martial artist. There were no dead ends. What seemed impassable was merely a wall. Walls blocking one’s path had to be climbed over or broken through. The essence of being a martial artist was growth and enlightenment. For Shincheol, a martial artist was just that. Even in the seemingly barren life of the myriad worlds, he sought to gain something. A body that didn’t grow. But what about the mind? He pursued. He craved. He questioned what martial arts signified. What was the sword? What was Mount Hua? What value and meaning did the achievements he reached hold? Amidst this sea of contemplation, when everything came full circle, only one conclusion emerged. The path of martial knowledge had no end. That implied no limits existed for a martial artist either. Subtly, he erased the excuse that his death had stopped him from progressing. The burden of excuses he'd carried during his journey was finally set aside. Srrrng. Shincheol’s sword rose toward the sky. The man watching trembled. He had to stop it. Thinking thus, his instincts propelled him forward. His body was enveloped with white energy, his blue eyes blazing with light. “It doesn’t matter what you are.” He knew this opponent was extraordinary, yet that was the extent of Shincheol's regard. What did it matter what his opponent was? “Ultimately, you will be cut down.” Though he hadn’t advanced many steps— One step was enough. Shincheol realized he had taken precisely one step forward. That sufficed. Having never truly halted, that was enough for him. There was nothing his sword couldn’t cut. He lived to embody that belief, and it infused into his blade. Plum Blossom Sword Technique. Blossom Path in One Sword. Shincheol’s refinement. Late Blossom Plum Sword. Sccch. The deliberate sword sliced through the man. And with that, the world itself was cleaved apart.