384 - Childhood Friend of the Zenith

**The Peerless Martial Artist's Childhood Friend - Chapter 385** Just once. Father was clear about that. He said he would tell me where Mother was if I succeeded with a single attack. ‘…Can I do it?’ I had already agreed to it, but honestly, I wasn't confident. More so than at any other time. Under normal circumstances, I would put effort into it, biting and tearing, to give it my all. But still, there’s a limit to everything. ‘What should I do?’ The air was still. The only sound was the wind brushing through the open space. Father and I stood apart, facing each other. The atmosphere that had been serious and somewhat sorrowful until a moment ago had vanished entirely, leaving only a chilling ambiance. Father watched me closely, his hands clasped behind him. The moonlight behind him cast shadows, making his red eyes seem to glimmer ominously. “Come.” At Father's words, I steeled my gaze. Heat surged within me, rising swiftly to infuse my upper core, filling it with inner strength. “Haaa…” Breath expelled birthing warmth by my lips—a sign that my body was sufficiently ignited. Feeling the strength coursing through my whole body, I asked Father. “Would you be willing to give me any advantages?” Father tilted his head, then released his hands from behind, extending one forward. “I will not use one hand.” Quite a condition. Since Father and I belonged to the same martial sect, not using one hand was akin to giving up complete balance while widening his range of attack. “…In that case, could you refrain from using one leg?” I decided to try being a bit more cunning. Restricting the legs seemed more favorable than the arms. “...” “Guess that's a no. Understood.” I gave in immediately, seeing his formidable eyes, knowing I had pushed it too far. Savoring the disappointment, I turned my serious gaze back to Father. ‘He means not using his left hand?’ Given that his left hand was behind his back, it seemed that was the hand he would not use. If possible, it would be wise to target his left side. Squeeze-! Bracing myself, I strengthened my stance. Flames began to swirl from the soles of my feet. I lowered my body, aiming to accelerate. I didn't intend to test the waters first. I had to go all out. Even that might not be enough. As the boiling heat propelled me forward, just as I was about to rush Father... Swish-! “…!” Father's figure vanished from sight. Instantly, I moved my head. There was nothing in the sensory field I'd expanded. I couldn't sense Father's presence either. This movement relied entirely on instinct. As if proving my decision was correct, something swiftly grazed past my cheek. It was Father’s arm. Boom–! Crack–! The attack was so fast that I only felt Father's movement after narrowly avoiding it. It was close, but I managed to dodge. Still, considering the pressure I sensed behind me and the crashing sound... ‘If I hadn’t avoided that, it would’ve been over.’ The power of that single strike must have been no joke. ‘Even now…!’ Seeing Father’s state, my brows furrowed. Though his left hand was behind his back, he had attacked with his left arm, too. I had assumed he would attack with his right. ‘I fell for it.’ He had baited me into letting my guard down. Clicking my tongue internally, I moved as well. His left arm was extended, and he claimed not to use his right arm. It meant his side was exposed. I twisted my waist to target it, but... Whoosh–! Flames burst from Father’s body, obscuring my vision. I immediately narrowed my sensory field to increase precision and speed. I felt something near my chest. It was too late to avoid it, so I concentrated my defensive aura at a single point. Crack-! The impact hit me. The aura I had gathered broke almost instantly. Was that Father’s knee? It was hard to tell. Boom-! With the defensive aura shattering, the force hurled me backward. Skidding–! I had to plant my feet on the ground and reduce my speed, lest I fall flat and end up finished. My focus still straight ahead, trying to discern Father’s next move... Father was already out of sight. “Damn it…!” I lost him. Where did he... Thud-! “...!” Amidst being flung backward, my momentum halted as my back hit an invisible wall. There shouldn’t be any wall in the open space I was in. Which meant… Quickly twisting my body at the chilling realization... Thud-! Father’s fist had already impacted my chest by then. “Ugh…!” The shock hit as soon as it made contact with my chest, forcefully throwing me back to roll on the ground. The pain wasn’t too severe. Considering I hadn’t fully deployed my aura, though… It was clear Father had held back this time. The terrifying truth was if Father hadn’t restrained that attack... I would have been dead right there. Scrambling to my feet, I swiftly sought out Father. He stood where he had thrown me, watching closely. Had he been waiting for me? Realizing the situation, I spoke with disbelief. “You never said you’d attack first.” “Nor did I say you couldn’t.” “…Damn, you’re right.” Assuming he’d allow me the first move was my mistake. But even more so... ‘The gap between us is too vast.’ What is this? Despite being an incomplete practitioner, such a massive discrepancy was unexpected. Not to mention he’d sworn not to use one arm. It felt as if he was toying with me like a child’s game. It was becoming absurd. Staring at Father with a sense of futility, I noticed his peculiar gaze upon me. “Your reactions aren’t bad. Though your responses relied more on instinct than calculation, they weren’t misguided.” Was he evaluating my movements? It felt like he was imparting lessons. “However, managing the heat seems to be your downfall.” I couldn’t deny Father's observation rang true. **Nine Flames Phantom Technique (Partially Translated Section)** The Nine Flames Phantom Technique was about to reach the seventh star soon, but my understanding of this martial art wasn't particularly deep. Increasing speed through smoke and blasting flames for destructive power. At most, that’s all I could muster. It seemed unfathomable that someone at my level didn't have a better grasp of their martial arts. But there was a reason for that. "I've never really had a proper teacher for this." Upon my words, a slight change flickered across Father's expression. While it was partly my fault for not dedicating myself to it, it was also true that Father hadn't really paid much attention to me either. He seemed to understand the veiled criticism, momentarily averting his gaze. ‘Now’s the time.’ When Father looked away, even for a brief second, flames erupted from my body as I surged toward him. Simultaneously, I gathered my inner strength into my palms. The flames encircling me gathered into my hand, forming a rapid fire orb. I attempted to thrust it toward Father. Slap-! “Huh?” Father’s hand waved, batting away the fire orb from my palm. The orb pathetically soared into the forest beyond the open space, exploding with a thunderous roar soon after. What just happened? I stared at Father, puzzled, but he calmly explained. “The speed of formation is quick. The gathered strength was decent.” “…Ah, thank you.” “But it lacked weight.” With that, something formed in Father’s palm. Whoosh-! A fire orb. However, it differed from mine. It was far faster and felt as though it appeared suddenly rather than being gathered from surrounding flames. Moreover, it was larger and a deeper shade of red. Just looking at it, intimidating power emanated from it. My body trembled. I realized why I was shaking. 'It's pulling me in?' The fire orb in Father’s hand seemed to draw my body toward it. Did fire orbs have such power? "It's not just about forming and sustaining it; you must keep it rotating within." I couldn't fully grasp the concept yet, but one thing was clear. Getting hit by that might leave nothing behind. As I contemplated how to respond, Father casually tossed the orb aside. The orb sailed far off, and moments later, an explosion erupted in the distance. -!!!! A massive flame burst high into the sky, causing the ground to rattle with a tremendous vibration. This was on a completely different level than the fire orbs I used. What is this...? While I gaped at the distant flames in disbelief, Father continued his guidance. “Remember the rotation. Always contemplate the meaning behind the 'ring' in ‘Nine Flames Ring Technique’ and strive to embody that meaning.” Nine Flames Phantom Technique. When initiated, a ring of flames was formed, reflecting the practitioner’s enlightenment. Depending on how it was used, the ring could rotate rapidly. I had often wondered why the technique manifested as a ring form but had never pursued the question further. Yet, it turned out this aspect was significant…. Could I apply the rotational influence of such a ring to other martial arts? ‘…Why didn’t I think of that?’ In hindsight, it seemed like a fundamental theory. Realizing the meaning inherent in the name only now, I saw it extended beyond compression to include rotation. ‘Wait a moment….’ A thought occurred to me. What we were doing felt less like sparring and more like... ‘Like a training duel, perhaps?’ Was I mistaken? But no matter how I looked at it, this didn’t seem like a mistake. Seeing my surprise, Father spoke again. “Let’s see how far you can go.” “Pardon?” “Do everything you’re capable of.” A thought crossed my mind in response to Father’s words. Could it be….? ‘Is he affected by my comment about never having received proper instruction?’ Was he trying to impart knowledge because I had mentioned that I was improvising due to lack of guidance? Either way, given I had intended to ask Father about martial arts eventually, the situation wasn't unfavorable. “Master…” “Yes.” “Aren’t we supposed to be sparring?” “We are. Aren’t we continuing?” I held back the urge to mention teaching seemed out of place during sparring. Nonetheless, it was needed, and surprisingly, I didn't find this situation entirely disagreeable. I swiftly summoned my energy from my upper core. It soared upward. The sky soon reflected those changes. Fiery Heavens. I utilized one of the Nine Flames’ secret techniques akin to a fire orb. Heat settled under the crimson sky. Whiiiing-! The fiery ring encircling my body spun relentlessly. ‘He mentioned paying attention to rotation.’ I had a faint grasp of it with fire orbs, but wasn't quite sure how to apply it to Fiery Heavens. Regardless, I had to move. Though it resembled a training duel, the essence was still sparring. My movements accelerated slightly under Fiery Heavens’ influence. I targeted the bound right side, charging in. Even as I advanced, Father was calmly observing the Fiery Heavens I conjured. Was it unnecessary for him to focus? How humiliating in many ways. I launched an assault on the right side. Despite his massive build, Father elegantly dodged all my attacks. It wasn’t exceptional movement. He was simply faster than me. Boom-! Centering my weight on my left foot, I detonated the Nine Flames Rotating Annihilation. I poured excess energy to extend its range. Impractical usage, but if it resulted in a successful attack, it would suffice. Just before the flames concentrated in my hand burst forward. Father’s palm blocked my path. “The gathering was swift, but the execution was delayed.” “…!” Woosh-! Flames erupted from my hand. Instead of attacking, the flames engulfed and swept past me. Instinctively, I shut my eyes and raised my defensive aura, but it seemed too late. Or so I thought. Surprisingly, there was no pain. Something felt off, so I squinted to take a better look. The flames were indeed real, but they had wreaked havoc everywhere except on the spot where I stood. “...” I didn’t quite know what to make of this. It was enough to sap anyone’s will to fight—an overwhelming display on all fronts. At this point, it seemed more practical to just ask Father to deal with a Heavenly Demon for me, rather than trying myself. Father, sensing my bewilderment, asked in a nonchalant tone, “Are you thinking of giving up now?” “...” After showing me this much, perhaps he was implying I should give up. And perhaps that was the logical conclusion. “No.” Unfortunately, I had no intention of giving up just yet. “You told me to try everything I have.” “...” “There are still many things I haven’t tried.” Father nodded at my declaration. It was his permission to continue. Realizing that relying solely on the Nine Flames Phantom Technique wasn't enough, I needed to try something else. I couldn’t use demonic energy or blood energy. Even with those, I doubted I could win. But at the very least, I didn’t want to resort to that kind of power in front of Father. So. There was only one option left. ‘…I was told not to use this.’ My mentor sternly warned me. Advised me not to use it in any combat unless permitted. ‘But sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.’ Desperate times called for desperate measures. Surely, faced with this situation, even my mentor would understand? ‘And if not, then what?’ Even if forgiveness wasn’t forthcoming, there seemed to be no other option. Especially since, as the Dominator himself said, there’s no one else but me to learn this. I concluded my thoughts. Buzz— “…!” I operated the Nine Flames Phantom Technique while simultaneously drawing in a different energy. “…What is this?” Father’s eyes widened to a size I had never seen before. Was it such a startling revelation? Cognizant of Father’s astonishment, I focused on spreading the energy. Then, the exclusive martial technique of the Peerless Blade Faction began to infuse into my body: the Twisting Path of Chaos. “Hoo….” The exhalation was the same as before. But this time, it mixed a dense and viscous force with the heat. Immediately, a familiar pain surged through my body. It was always manageable, this level of discomfort. With preparations complete, I spoke to Father. “Thank you for your patience. I’ll come at you agai—” Just as I was about to finish my words, for some reason, Father’s fist was suddenly flying toward me. “Huh?” Wham-! With the impact that followed. My consciousness flew away.