1174 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Rumbleee—!!! The clouds come crashing down. If one were to describe it, that would be the most fitting comparison. This nature, crafted by martial arts, relentless and overwhelming, it’s almost insulting to label it simply as martial arts. Rumble. A creaking sound emanated from the ground, which had absorbed all my force. Flames erupted around me. Facing this wasn’t something my standard martial arts techniques could handle. Intuition kicked in. ‘I’m going to die.’ Even a moment of carelessness or a hint of negligence and I’d be dead. The presence of my adversary was undeniable. ‘This is different from before.’ In terms of skill, he might be less than those called the apostles of Taechun, or the ones masked as generals serving my mother. ‘But if we’re talking pure instinct, he’s far more dangerous.’ As I perceive it, Pejon now is far more perilous. Crashhhhh—!!! The clouds poured down, sweeping everything in their path. My body moved swiftly. A body, now akin to a flickering flame, defied sound and stirred its surroundings. Yet. “That won’t do.” “……!” Upon reaching my destination, Pejon was already standing there. “If you only trust your eyes, you'll make a big mistake, disciple.” Thud-!! Crack-!!! The protective energy shrouding my chest shattered. Thankfully, I wasn’t hit directly. I moved back the instant I confirmed it. Had I lingered a moment longer. ‘My chest would have caved in.’ Pejon’s punch wasn’t a mere blow. ‘How much qi surrounds it?’ The energy contained in that hand, akin to heaven-shattering clouds. It’s not just a martial skill that devastates a wide area. ‘Or, perhaps, that simple description suffices.’ An overwhelming expanse. Yet, the same might. Widening a range typically diminishes the strength. This is the chronic issue with martial arts that focus on firepower. My flames indeed made immense contributions during past wars. ‘But if we’re speaking frankly.’ In single combat, they didn’t manifest significant strength due to the same reasons. Neglecting compression and rotation, I pursued martial arts solely for vast reach and firepower. Of course. ‘If we look at my grandfather, it might seem acceptable.’ Through growth in such a manner, reaching a level akin to my grandfather could indeed be desirable. ‘Single combat requires compression.’ Gathering and amplifying power. Like how a focused jet of water is stronger than a vast stream. I’ve been concentrating on compressing power. ‘In that sense, the Tua Pachen Mu excels.’ Complete consolidation of strength. Striving for a more perfect conclusion through an immaculate process. The essence of martial arts is destruction, focusing energy in such a way reflects that. That was the advantage of Tua Pachen Mu as I saw it. ‘The drawback being its limited firepower when not in single combat.’ An art evolved not to face monsters, but solely to combat humans. This is why Tua Pachen Mu might seem lacking in firepower, yet. ‘This.’ Has overcome that long-standing issue. Crasssshhh—!!!! The heavens tremble under Pejon’s fist. Condensed energy is unleashed relentlessly. Whoooossssssssh—!! With every punch, the environment shifts. The sheer power is almost laughable. ‘It’s insane.’ Who claimed the firepower was lacking? I need to grab that person by the collar. ‘What has he created?’ Pachenhoun. Clouds shattering the skies. While it seems like a martial art that summons forms, it’s hard to comprehend. ‘It’s intertwined in every strike.’ Each movement seemed enveloped, aiding him. In terms of effect. ‘Enhancement of range and maximization of Pachen’s effect.’ Augmented firepower and strength. A scenario that defies logic. Thud-! “Ugh!” I got flung sideways. Pejon, having approached without notice, wielded his strength at me. Creakkk-!! I didn’t go far, thanks to anchoring my foot to the ground. I shifted my gaze. Before my head could turn, my body reacted first. “Stop.” Uggh-! Blood surged, spurred by another use of the linguistic incantation. I endured it. Thanks to that, I carved out a brief moment—. Thump! “Argh!?” A fist dug into my abdomen. “You’ve been using something amusing.” The linguistic incantation had indeed worked on Pejon, yet he quickly nullified it and launched his attack. Had he adjusted so rapidly? This lunatic. Crack-!! My ribs protested, sending signals of damage – a fracture, perhaps. Managed to avert major injury as I twisted my waist. Pain emanated from the crack, but I gritted my teeth and carried on. Flames coiled around my rotating waist. Fire Wheel Kick. A flaming kick directed at Pejon. “Ha!” Ka-boom-!! My ki met his fist with a powerful collision. Crashhh-! The recoil of energy sent quakes through the surroundings. Everything shook violently. Sight was irrelevant, hidden behind smoke. We sensed each other with heart-sight regardless. I hesitated not. Dashing straight at Pejon. Screeeech-!!! Friction ignited within my heart, chaos ensued between the Fire Wheel and Tua Pachen Mu. A dull, gray aura shrouded my fist. That was the essence of the Chunmashin Art. Chunmashin Fist. Pivoting on a grounded leg, I sent the gathered energy directly at Pejon. By this point, Pejon was already in motion. A fist. Just like mine, Pejon approached, fist curled, a smile on his face. How can he smile at this insanity? Even though the crazed laughter attempts to freeze me. “Hoo.” There was no backing down with a fist wound up and poised. Creeeak-!! I unleashed my fist, challenging Pejon head-on. Booommmmm—!!! Pachenhoun and Chunmashin Fist collided. The shockwave far surpassed our previous exchanges, shattering the earth and altering the landscape. The catch is. “Gah-!!” Upon impact, my body was thrown backward, rolling across the ground. I had been overwhelmed. The Chunmashin Fist was devoured by Pachenhoun. Not completely. Surely, Pejon suffered damage too, yet. “Hahaha-hahahaha—!!!” Listening to that coarse laughter, it hardly seemed so. Fwooosh—!! Swooosh—!! The wind rose, clearing away dust. Pejon kept marching toward me, footsteps pounding. “It’s splendid. I felt it before too. You’ve created something exceptional.” "........" In the shadows of my mask, my eyes widened. 'Is he really alright?' Pejon’s left arm clearly wasn’t in good shape. Blood dripped steadily from it. It was proof that the shock of my Chunmashin Fist had indeed had an effect. "I like it. But..." Thump-! Pejon materialized before me. Smash-! A kick grazed my cheek. "If this is all you have, that's not going to cut it." "...Tsk." I quickly darted my eyes around. Pejon refrained from using his left arm. Perhaps due to the injury, he only started using his right arm, but. Even so, hand-to-hand combat didn’t become any easier. “What's the matter?” Amidst our exchange of blows, Pejon asked. “Were you not planning on using them?” “......” He seemed to be referring to the summoned net. Kyaaaaaaa—!!! The wails of the net could be heard. It was busy buying me time somewhere else. Honestly, I could call it back… but… ‘I don't want to.’ I didn’t wish to drag the net into this fight. Thump-! The competitive spirit surged within me. I didn’t want any interference in this battle. That was my honest sentiment. So foolishly exciting. Thump-! I could hear my heartbeat. Thud-!! “Ugh!” His strike caught my side. The fractured area throbbed painfully. The agony was intense. "Disciple." Pejon’s voice drifted through. My sight momentarily blurred as he pressed his bloody left palm against my face. I could've dodged, but somehow I didn’t at that moment. “You are thinking too much.” Pow-! My jaw spun. I gritted my teeth, maintaining my stance. Wooshhhh-!!! A fiery jade formed in my hand. "That flame." Pejon’s chuckling voice grated my ears. "It's from the Gu family, isn’t it? How are you able to wield it?" His question was loaded with curiosity. From his perspective, I was merely a forgotten descendant of my grandfather, devoid of knowledge of the Gu family’s martial arts. Though I wished to keep this a secret. ‘Desperation calls for desperate measures.’ This wasn’t a time for picking and choosing options. Thud-!! The fiery jade morphed into a divine spear. I directed it towards Pejon without hesitation. “Impressive.” Pejon glanced at the divine spear, and a chuckle slipped out. “You keep showing fascinating things.” That's where the surprise ended. Even upon seeing the divine spear, Pejon didn’t back down. Instead, he charged forward. Is this man insane? Yet, it was indeed the correct approach, as even I knew. His action effectively blocked the divine spear from exploding in close quarters. ‘Did he realize it?’ Almost as if recognizing that it would explode, reducing its potential damage. ‘What an impressive instinct.’ Every time I witness it, his instinct and combat judgment are truly of a different caliber. However. Whirl-!! “Hmm?” I control the explosion of the divine spear. If not, I could simply wield it as a spear. I deftly spun it to target Pejon. “Haha!” Perhaps because it defied his expectations. Pejon’s laughter intensified. In that instant. Snap. “Huh?” Pejon abruptly grabbed the tip of the divine spear. Sssizzle!!! Even with its intense heat, he showed no hesitation. And then. Crush-!! He clutched and shattered the spear, triggering an explosion. Boommmmmmm—!!! The fierce flames engulfed Pejon. On my side, there was no damage. Being my own energy, controlling it was easy. “Is he insane?” There must be damage on Pejon’s end. To catch and detonate it completely? Clearly, he had lost his mind. Was he truly alright? A fleeting worry crossed my mind. “I told you, didn’t I?” Pejon’s voice spoke, just in front of me. “If you don’t go all out.” Then. Tingle-! Chills swept through my body. “You’ll die.” The flames dissipated. A string of crimson letters caught my attention: Pejon emerged, slightly burnt, his robes singed, indicating he had sustained a burn. As soon as I comprehended his appearance, Pejon's fist collided with my chest. Sixth Form. The perfect martial form of Tua Pachen Mu exploded forth. Rumbleeee—!!! The impact caused my body to tremble. “Kuh……” Thunk. The mask I wore clattered to the ground. Thud. My knees gave in, collapsing. My body hadn’t been flung away or anything, which was the problem. It meant I had absorbed the full brunt of the attack. Drip. The sensation was one of my bones shattering completely. Not even a scream escaped my throat. Am I really going to die here? ‘Dying?’ And by Pejon’s hand? Initially. ‘Can I even die in this place?’ Is death even possible here in this world? Is dying at my master's hands how it ends? As confusion tangled my thoughts repeatedly. “This should suffice.” Pejon addressed me in a relaxed tone. “To this extent.” As my mind grew hazier. “Isn't it about time for it to show?” Even hearing Pejon’s voice. Squirm-! “……!” Something stirred within me. Woooooshhhh—!!! Flames erupted, encircling my body. The white flame. White Pyromancy coated me entirely. And then. Crack-!!! An audible shattering came from within.