1134 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Sss-- The moon vanished from the darkened sky. The faint glow it provided crumbled, casting deeper shadows over the cold forest. Darkness descended. Ominous, unsettling; something unfathomable and deep. Feeling this, Namgoong Hyung couldn't help but let out a groan. - Descendant. A voice echoed in his mind, causing some relief in his rigid body. "Cough..." His previously obstructed breath was released. "Heu...huff..." His body, seemingly of its own volition, tightened. It was as if his breath was deliberately being blocked, and cold sweat rushed from his pores, drenching his form. 'What is this?' What is it? Namgoong Hyung stared ahead with trembling eyes. Crackle... A man clad in a black robe, tightly gripping a thunderous energy. ZGVPdDc2cnQxMFU0bVlrbnZITXlVZ0djWGU4Q0Y5bXpDa0M0MFY4SnJEY3puK3ZCMElGQ3NMUk9lb2w2ZjI5Ug Sporting long hair and standing nearly eight feet tall. And effortlessly crushing the thunderous energy in his hand as if it were nothing. '...Huh.' What is that thunderous energy? It belongs to none other than Chunzon, the supreme leader of the Namgoong clan and the feared ruler of Anhui. A man, revered as one who could erase the Namgoong clan from existence single-handedly if he willed it, was his grandfather. Yet, this man before him shredded his grandfather's thunderous energy so easily. With his bare hands, no less. '...Who is he?' His vision trembled, and his recently regained breath still refused to translate into coherent speech. What is this sensation? '...Why does it feel more intense than when I faced Grandfather?' Facing this man was more overwhelming even compared to when he stood before his grandfather. An alien sense of emptiness, yet paradoxically, an overwhelming presence that seemed to reveal too much. As if the night had taken human form. Such were Namgoong Hyung's impressions of the man. "Chunma..." He heard Chunzon whisper softly. Then he let out a faint chuckle. "I've heard of you. The master who appeared recently; is that you?" The man did not respond to Chunzon's words. However, upon hearing this, Namgoong Hyung could piece together the man's identity. He had heard of it, too. 'An extraordinary master appeared and swept away a white-level demon and other demonic creatures.' During the chaos of the ludicrous disaster called the Baek-level Demon Realm Gate, an absolute master appeared seemingly out of nowhere, eradicated the demons in an instant, then vanished. That overwhelming force... although people were hush-hush about it, whispers suggested he might be a figure on par with the Three Masters. 'Is this man who stands before me that master?' At that moment. - Descendant. Once again, the voice reached out to Namgoong Hyung. - Flee. The voice trembled with rare anxiety. Hearing it, Namgoong Hyung's eyes widened. 'Flee?' Did this voice actually tell him to flee? - Get away from that. Namgoong Hyung knew what 'that' referred to. It was the man called Chunma. Faced with him, the voice urged for flight. 'Why?' Why indeed? Despite the question, the answer was evident. His instincts aligned with that voice. Every part of his being cried out for escape from this ominous presence. If only his body would heed. Grrk. '...Keugh.' Yet, Namgoong Hyung did not move. No, he couldn't. Although every instinct and reason told him to flee, something inexplicably small, like a speck of dust, tripped up his feet. Don't go. Stay here. Just as this faint hesitation held him back. Swish. "...!" The man in the white mask, Chunma, briefly directed his gaze toward Namgoong Hyung. Meeting those violet eyes. 'Ah.' An indescribable sensation caused his body to seize. * * * 'Why is he just standing there?' As he glanced at Namgoong Hyung, who seemed dazed, his expression hardened beneath the mask. Why make such a face all of a sudden? 'He's really creepy.' The vacant expression was irksome beyond measure. Just why was he reacting like that? 'All that effort to come save him at great pains.' Why isn't he running? He’s even buying time, yet Namgoong Hyung remains still for reasons unknown. 'Damn it.' His whole body ached. The internal energy expended then had not yet been replenished. Given the rate at which he recovered due to his unique physique, improvement should come in a few days, but... '...Not right now.' This made him miss the Thousand Realm slightly; there, even just breathing would replenish his energy swiftly. 'Tut.' Clicking his tongue once, he gradually rotated his body. "Did you say Chunma?" The elder of the Namgoong clan, Chunzon, asked. "What exactly are you?" "A mere trifle." He tilted his head slightly, almost losing focus due to Namgoong Hyung. "Haven't you already heard?" "Hm?" He gestured toward the sky with one finger. "I am the sky. There's nothing more, nothing less." "…Ha." Chunzon let out a low chuckle upon hearing his claim to be the sky. Then, Crackle. The energy he emanated intensified infinitely. "The sky, eh? Is that why 'Chunma'? The demon bestowed by the heavens? Such arrogant words." Rumble--!!! Brighter flashes momentarily pierced the black sky, created by the use of the Black Heavenly Technique. It was as though the heavens themselves expressed their anger, writhing with thunderous energy. "And to say such before me." Chunzon. A warrior who has reached the heavens without the need for a sword. None dared call themselves the sky in front of him. Yet here stood another, boldly claiming the name of the heavens, rubbing him the wrong way. "Enough. I need not know what you really are." Crackle--!!!!! Rumble---!!! The thunderous energy continued to blaze through the Black Heavens. 'Wow.' He couldn't help but be impressed. Truly, when it came to firepower, he was worthy of being called the strongest among the Three Masters. Just emitting his energy yielded such formidable intensity. '...The Three Masters.' The pinnacle of warriors, the Heavenly Sovereign. Only now did he truly witness their imposing presence. Was it because he had ascended to the realm of transcendence? Things he couldn't see before now became vividly clear. 'No wonder they call him a monster.' How could that be human? He swallowed a chuckle. "The nature of your identity doesn't matter all that much. Ultimately." Boom—!!! Thunder energy cascaded down from the sky, crashing down upon Chunzon. "As long as I find out, that's enough." "......" Faced with the overwhelming force, he turned his head slightly. Ping—! A tearing sound echoed. But before that, there was light. Kaa-boom—!!! The impact erupted from behind, generating a massive pressure. Chunzon had unleashed the thunder energy. 'Ah, damn it.' This might be more taxing than anticipated. Assessing his energy, he bit his lip slightly. Could he win? He wasn't sure. Truthfully, he didn't feel particularly confident. Even though he had reached the same transcendent level, the time difference in reaching that point was significant. Whether he could win by deflecting all of it was uncertain. ‘So hurry up and run so I can escape too.’ He silently urged Namgoong Hyung to flee as soon as possible, yet, for some reason, the man did not move. Instead, he looked at him with eyes filled with some sort of expectation. Damn it. 'Like master, like apprentice.' He had wondered why Woo Hyuk turned out the way he did, and it became clear it was due to this man. They acted just the same. 'Huff.’ Suppressing his agitation, he quickly tried to compose himself. Rumble--!! Light branched out in countless streams. It was a spectacle. The cloak fluttered vigorously as the assailant warded them off. Zing—! Zing—!! Sounds moved in ways one wouldn't associate with a sword. Even a mere graze seemed as if it would deal a fatal blow. ‘First...’ He needed to figure out how to handle this. Thoughts on the matter accompanied his dodging and closing the distance. Swish—! Thud. After evading another attack, he pushed off the ground. He closed the distance swiftly. Chunzon's azure gaze followed him. Screech—!! Lightning, as if sentient, poured down toward him. Dozens and hundreds of streaks. Lightning Art of Intent. The thunderous technique of the Namgoong clan, unleashed from Chunzon's hand, had enough power to engulf the entire forest. ‘Ha.’ Did he want him to get closer? Or was it that even approaching wouldn’t make a difference? Boom—!!! Lightning transformed into rain, pouring down upon him. 'No doubt.' He understood the moment he saw it. 'This can't be settled simply.' It seemed it wouldn't suffice to rely solely on his First Breath of Heaven and Earth technique. The judgment came quickly. Boom—!! He braced his heart. Power surged through his body, a ring of black flames encircling him. Using the control of the erupting embers, he created a sphere. Flame Orb Star Burst. He launched the compact black orb directly into the thunder energy. Crack—!!! Innumerable collisions and bursts occurred in mid-air, making the energy explode like fireworks. "……!" Chunzon's eyes widened in surprise. Perhaps he hadn’t expected him to deflect the thunder energy completely. Watching this, his eyes narrowed. 'As expected.' Something that had bothered him turned out to be true. Organizing his thoughts, he propelled himself forward. Reaching the startled Chunzon swiftly. "……Huh." Chunzon started to react as he closed in. Yet, his arm moved faster. The Third Form of the First Breath of Heaven and Earth. Tua Geyser Strike. A rapid strike pierced Chunzon's body, delivering a powerful blow. Thunk—!!! Crash—!! "Urgh!" Chunzon reeled from the impact, shattered through the forest trees, and was sent flying. He saw it clearly—the terrain being destroyed as Chunzon was hurled through it. Rumble—!! Crash—!! A loud sound resonated from afar as clouds of dust surged from the shockwave. ‘I was right.’ Looking at the struck Chunzon, he was certain. 'I can beat him.’ The certainty that he could defeat Chunzon filled him.