Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 447



447

”'< Chapter 448 > Resonance. (3)

As the flames transformed into a threatening shape.

“You know that you called us for no reason. How could you not?”

“Ugh… ugh….”

A voice filled with laughter was rather frightening.

The dense killing intent contained in the words was so thick how could one not be afraid?

“Watching your ridiculous struggles is somewhat entertaining but… unfortunately it has become a bit tiresome. It means it’s too much to watch for long.”

Clank.

The Demon Sword Master placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.

It seemed he understood my thoughts without needing to say anything.

I felt the same way.

‘That bastard is really pissed off.’

And it felt like he was genuinely furious. The way he spoke with a grin was just that.

Indeed his inability to control his anger was among the worst in the world.

Biyunseong already seemed to be at its limit.

“Huff… huff….”

His breathing had become ragged.

The qi he possessed was clearly disordered.

It seemed Biyunseong wouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure of the Demon Master for much longer.

While the Demon Master’s demonic qi was engulfing the surroundings Mukgwon appeared dragging a demonic practitioner behind him.

It seemed that as I and the Demon Sword Master charged forward he hastily increased his speed to lead them.

Mukgwon was quite perceptive.

As soon as he assessed the situation he frowned slightly and gestured behind him.

In response the demonic practitioners began to stir.

A tense moment.

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That seemed to be the right description.

It meant that a battle was about to break out.

Even amidst all this I was busy looking around.

I wanted to understand why this damned situation had unfolded.

Of course the situation was important but.

‘Where is it?’

There was something more important.

According to the information Mukgwon had mentioned it should definitely be here.

‘Sogeomseong….’

The Wiser of this era.

I had heard she was here but I still couldn’t see her.

Was she far away in the village?

Just as I was scanning around.

Thud.

Biyunseong facing the Demon Master staggered and lost his stance.

Fortunately he didn’t fall but it looked like he was on the verge of collapsing.

What was strange was that.

Not only the Demon Master but also the Demon Sword Master and even Mukgwon had already lost interest in Biyunseong.

No….

‘Had they not been looking at him from the start?’

I followed their gazes to look somewhere.

It was an empty void where nothing was visible.

I concentrated my senses towards that direction thinking that if there was something there I would be able to see it.

Then.

‘…!’

I truly felt something.

Very faint but there was definitely something there.

‘This is.’

An unknown chill.

It felt as if someone was pointing a sword at me.

Recalling that sensation I activated my physical senses.

Now I understood why everyone was looking that way.

I had been so focused on Sogeomseong that I had forgotten the crucial part.

It wasn’t just her that was here.

Crackle.

A lightning bolt burst forth from the empty void.

The Demon Sword Master reacted slightly upon seeing it. It was certainly reminiscent of her lightning.

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As I pressed down on my pounding heart and gazed into the void.

[You still look the same.]

With the growing lightning a voice echoed.

Crackle-! The lightning gradually grew in size and soon formed a human figure.

The figure seemingly made of energy gradually took on a human shape.

Thud.

As the figure that appeared from the void touched the ground.

Huuuuuh-!

The pressure that had been surrounding us rapidly dissipated.

The suddenly appeared figure was an old man with white hair.

The old man with his hands clasped behind his back took light steps as he slowly approached us.

I swallowed hard as I confirmed that.

The white hair with a history and the blue eyes reminiscent of someone.

It was a figure I hadn’t seen in a long time.

More precisely it was someone I had never met since my return.

“Ugh… huff….”

Perhaps due to the release of pressure Biyunseong was continuously exhaling harsh breaths.

As the old man approached him and touched Biyunseong’s back with his hand.

“Cough.”

Biyunseong spat out black blood.

It seemed he had forcibly corrected his twisted insides.

“Rest for a bit.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

In response to Biyunseong’s words the old man patted his shoulder and answered instead.

The Demon Master who had been watching expressionlessly then spoke to the old man.

“I was wondering where you were hiding. So you were here.”

“Chuckle… hiding? I have never hidden.”

“Since you keep bothering me like a rat I thought you were panicking and thrashing about.”

‘Wow.’

Just hearing it was a dizzying provocation.

I wanted to immediately shut that bastard’s mouth.

I wondered if he was truly in a state where his brain was soaked in demonic qi.

‘…Did I act like that?’

I wanted to deny it.

It was hard to believe that I could act so brazenly in front of someone who was not just anyone but one of the Three Lords and the absolute being of the Namgung Clan….

‘I really lived with my neck on the line.’

The old man before me was none other than Cheonjon (天尊).

In front of the old monster sitting in the sky of the Central Plains the Demon Master was casually spouting off.

“I was just about to kill the old monster that was nearby. This works out well.”

Chuckle.

Even in response to the Demon Master’s words Cheonjon merely smiled.

“…An old monster… yes that’s correct. I am living a life I cannot die from.”

Cheonjon smiled and looked somewhere.

In the direction of the Demon Sword Master.

“It’s been a while.”

“…”

In response to Cheonjon’s words the Demon Sword Master did not reply.

He merely gazed at him silently.

The Namgung Clan had been annihilated by the Demon Sword Master’s hands.

Cheonjon had not been able to stop it so if there were any bloodlines of the Namgung Clan left in the entire Central Plains it would only be these two.

It was indeed an uncomfortable relationship.

“…It’s been a while since I’ve met you and there are things we need to discuss and settle but unfortunately there is something I must do first.”

Something to do?

I focused my attention on Cheonjon’s words.

Indeed it meant there was something to be done here.

“Something to do….”

The other ‘me’ also heard Cheonjon’s words.

He frowned and asked Cheonjon.

“Are you saying there is something you must do that requires you to disregard the Cult Leader’s warning?”

“Correct.”

Cheonjon smiled at the Demon Master.

“We wish to trade with you.”

Trade I tried to concentrate for a moment to interpret that unexpected statement.

“Hah.”

I had to roll my eyes at the sudden burst of laughter from the Demon Master.

‘Ah that’s a bad omen.’

Sure enough.

“Trade? Just a moment ago that trash was asking me for a conversation. Now the old monster is asking for a trade.”

“This would not be bad for you as well….”

“Shut up. It sounds like my ears are rotting.”

The pressure that had momentarily paused surged once more.

The smile that had remained on the Demon Master’s face vanished and only the feeling of demonic energy remained.

“The Cult Leader has shown mercy to you but… as always those who do not know their place tend to lose their gratitude.”

Flames wrapped around the Demon Master’s body.

“So if you do not know your place it would be right to teach you personally.”

“…Do you always think bloodshed is the answer?”

In response to Cheonjon’s words the Demon Master waved his hand.

“Do not spew your ridiculous ideals at me.”

Kwahhhhh-!

At the gesture the flames that had been floating in the air began to roar and fall towards the ground.

“You do not even have the right to say such things.”

The flaming sphere began to fall slowly.

Despite its speed not being slow at all Cheonjon facing the Demon Master merely frowned and showed no intention of taking any action.

What is this?

I swallowed hard.

‘Is he really going to drop that?’

No matter how crazy I was at this time I wouldn’t recklessly explode like this in front of Cheonjon.

What on earth was he thinking?

I couldn’t understand his intentions.

I didn’t even know what that crazy bastard was thinking to pull off such a mad stunt.

At that time could I defeat that old man?

‘Impossible…?’

No matter how I looked at it that was impossible.

It wasn’t just about the amount of qi; they were clearly beings of a higher level than me.

It might be possible only if I teamed up with the Demon Sword Master.

That was the majesty of the Three Lords. He was acting as if he didn’t care at all.

Whoosh-!

The flames were getting closer to the ground.

As they did the expressions of the martial artists around deepened in despair.

“Ah no!”

“Save me!”

Panic began to spread and their formation started to collapse.

Until that moment Cheonjon had not moved at all.

He neither drew his sword nor raised his energy.

Why?

Was it a force he couldn’t stop?

That couldn’t be.

No matter how mixed the demonic qi was if it was that old monster’s righteous power it should be more than enough.

‘But why?’

The flames drew nearer.

Soon they would touch the ground and cause a massive explosion.

Was he really planning to burn everyone alive?

Just then.

Swish-!

Something flew through the sky towards the flames.

The speed was incredibly fast.

Before I could even properly identify what it was dozens more followed suit diving towards the flames.

Immediately an anomaly occurred.

Suuuuuuuu–!

“…!”

The enormous flames that had been exuding overwhelming majesty began to gradually diminish.

The black flames that had been floating in the air seemed to be sucked into somewhere disappearing in an instant.

It took only a few seconds for all those flames to vanish.

‘Ah.’

Only after confirming the anomaly did I look at the Demon Master and realize his intention.

The reason he had used so much energy to pull this off.

‘He did it to call someone.’

While there was a sense of pressure the true intention was to show someone and call that person.

In the space where the flames had disappeared something was slowly rotating. It was a sword.

Several strange swords glimmering with a golden light.

They were gracefully swimming through the air.

As I witnessed the flames disappearing the martial artists who had been steeped in despair until just before began to cheer.

It seemed they had realized whose swords they were.

“She has come…! The Captain has arrived!”

At their cries the demonic practitioners frowned and looked at the air.

At that moment the golden swords floating in the air swiftly flew somewhere.

The position was right above where Cheonjon stood.

There was someone floating in the air where no one had been just moments ago.

“…”

Seeing her I had to bite my lip.

As it was an illusion of my past life I had a feeling that I might meet her someday.

Whether to express it as anticipation or worry.

Or whether to call it anxiety I wasn’t sure.

But I had been consistently expecting that I might see her.

However.

‘…This is.’

Seeing her in person far more emotions than I had anticipated rushed through me.

Several swords moved as if to protect the woman.

The woman stood calmly atop the swords floating in the air.

Her hair not brown but completely golden.

Her shining eyes contrasted with her fatigued gaze creating a dreamy atmosphere.

She was different from the woman who always sat beside me smiling and chattering.

“…Sogeomseong.”

The Demon Master murmured as he looked at the woman.

Did she perhaps hear that small voice?

Sogeomseong turned her gaze towards us.

It seemed she was looking at the Demon Master….

‘Huh?’

…Or so I thought….

Something felt off.

‘What is it?’

Sogeomseong was not looking at the Demon Master.

This could be an illusion but it didn’t seem like one.

Sogeomseong was not looking at the Demon Master. Rather than him….

‘It feels like she’s looking at me…?’

For some reason it felt like she was staring at me.

I couldn’t understand why but she was definitely looking at me.

With eyes that were filled with surprise.”’