Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 459 (Part 1)



459 (Part 1)

”’Chapter 460 – Change.

A white robe.

The pattern of a plum blossom leaf drawn on the chest. A scar that runs vertically across the neck touching the chin.

Sharp torn eyes and a deeply furrowed brow. Just by looking it was clear that this person was not an ordinary figure whether an orthodox sect member or a Taoist.

He was the most ferocious-looking person I had ever seen.

Although I had never seen him before I knew who he was.

How could I not know?

He was the one whose presence had been ringing loudly in my head.

I cautiously called out to the old man who was glaring at me as if I displeased him.

“Old man?”

“Hmph.”

At my call the old man let out a loud snort.

I rubbed the back of my head which still felt numb.

“Are you really the Divine Old Man?”

“Tsk tsk… How many times have I cleaned up the mess you made? And you dare to ask that?”

The old man took a step closer.

He was taller than I expected. Almost seven feet tall?

Is he really the Divine Old Man? If so why is he here…

No should I first understand why I am seeing the Old Man here?

“You’re thinking something foolish again.”

“What?”

“Do you need another hit to the head? Get your act together!”

I flinched at the Divine Old Man’s reprimand.

I didn’t understand what he was saying. What was I supposed to get my act together about?

Yet I felt that the things that had been hazy were becoming relatively clearer.

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It felt like something was happening. Just as I was beginning to sense that.

The Old Man still pouted his lips in displeasure.

“Oh dear. That foolish boy.”

“… Why do you act like that as soon as you see me? Please tell me the reason properly.”

“Right. You always need everything spoon-fed to you.”

“…”

“Look closely at your chest.”

I tilted my head at the Old Man’s words and looked down. Why was he telling me to look at my chest all of a sudden…

“…!”

I widened my eyes and reached out as soon as I saw it.

I was filled with panic as I frantically patted my chest.

There was no other reason.

There was a sizable hole where my heart should have been.

“What the hell.”

What is this? Why is there a hole in my chest?

As I rolled my eyes in confusion the Old Man chuckled.

“The air hole is quite substantial.”

Seeing my reaction the Divine Old Man burst into laughter. It was a laugh that was close to mockery.

“… What… is this?”

When I asked why my body was in this state the Divine Old Man pointed at my back with his finger.

When I turned around I saw the enormous egg I had been looking at earlier.

Now it was surrounded by plum leaves hiding its appearance.

“What is that…”

“That was what was in your hole.”

“… What?”

I let out a breath of disbelief at the Old Man’s words.

That thing was in my chest?

That…

“Wasn’t it my vessel…?”

Are you saying that my vessel did not take form?

“The vessel and the heart are not so different. In the end they mean the same thing.”

“… The vessel should be located at the qi center. How can you say they are the same?”

“If both break you die. Is there really a significant difference?”

“…”

Well if you put it that way I suppose it makes sense…

I was at a loss for words. The Divine Old Man sighed deeply as he looked at me.

“While you were shitting blood to hold it together you really caused a big mess.”

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“You were holding it together?”

I listened closely to the Old Man’s words. He was holding it together? What was he holding together?

As I pondered the Divine Old Man suddenly approached me.

Bang-!

“Ugh!”

He struck the top of my head hard with his fist.

The shock made my body sway.

The pain was so intense that I had to sit down and rub my head.

“Ugh…”

As I groaned the Old Man spoke to me.

“The energy in your body is increasing but the vessel cannot handle it. You need something to support it.”

“… Are you saying that…”

I recalled the words the Divine had said about my vessel being on the verge of breaking.

Was the Divine Old Man saying that he was holding back the breaking of the vessel?

“Since when?”

“You already have that expression on your face. Why bother asking?”

“…”

It was around the time the isolated training ended that the Divine Old Man stopped talking to me.

‘Was it from that time?’

Right after I achieved rapid growth.

The silence I had expected to last for a few months turned into years from that point.

Could it be that…

“… Are you saying you were holding it back from that time?”

“When your realm reached the boundary it improved a bit but it didn’t last long.”

“Then what about the time you saved me in the Bi-go?”

The Old Man looked at me as if he found my question absurd.

“Should I have just let you die then?”

“…”

“Good grief. After all that help and you still act like a madman.”

I had no particular retort to that.

As I averted my gaze slightly the Old Man sighed softly and continued.

“Kid. Your vessel is definitely not small. In fact it’s quite large.”

The Old Man was looking at the egg behind him as he spoke again.

“That vessel has taken in so much energy that it has reached this state.”

The meaning of having too much energy in the vessel to the point of it being on the verge of breaking is different from the amount of qi inside.

Having too much qi to the point of breaking the vessel would not be surprising considering how many times it had broken in my past life.

This should be thought of as a problem of the number of energies not the amount.

The energy of the Nine Flame Transformation.

The energy of the volcanic pottery.

Demonic qi.

Blood energy.

And finally the energy of the Tua Pa Cheon Mu.

In total five energies were contained within the vessel. Thus it was correct to say that the vessel had finally reached its limit.

… Now that I think about it that is quite a lot.

For an ordinary person having even two energies would be impossible.

It was no wonder the vessel was in danger.

“Right now that’s not the only problem…”

“What?”

“That’s not what’s important right now. I need to talk about something else first.”

Rustle.

The Divine Old Man reached out his hand. It was towards the plum leaves that were wrapping around the egg. As his fingertips touched there.

Whoosh-!

The plum leaves reacted.

The color of the plum leaves that tightly wrapped around the egg faded and turned translucent.

So that the egg inside could be seen completely.

“…”

Upon closer inspection the egg was in a terrible state.

It was covered in cracks and it looked like it would shatter with just a light tap.

Unknown liquid was still flowing from the cracks.

Fortunately the plum leaves were holding up against the corrupted officials outside.

In other words.

I had been in this state all along without realizing it.

“That’s wrong.”

I was startled by the Divine Old Man’s words and turned my head.

“… Are you using mind-reading or something?”

I hadn’t said anything yet how did he know?

“I always say this kid but your face gives it all away.”

The Old Man looked at me with a look of disdain.

“It was already like a rag but…”

A rag from the mouth of the righteous…? His words were still indescribable.

“It would be right to say that this incident accelerated that process.”

“This incident? What do you mean?”

What could he mean by that? What incident?

I wore a puzzled expression and the Old Man was looking at me with a heavy gaze for some reason.

“Recall it before it’s too late. You don’t have much time.”

“So what do you mean by that…”

“Or do you want to forget it instead?”

“After a long time you show up and keep talking nonsense…”

“I’m telling you to remember why you are here.”

Why am I here?

Indeed.

Why am I here?

Why is my chest in this state and what does it mean that it has accelerated?

If the Divine Old Man is telling me to remember it seems he knows.

I don’t know.

Nothing came to mind.

The clarity I had felt earlier was now shrouded in fog again.

Seeing me stammering as if I didn’t understand anything the Divine Old Man added one more thing.

“If you’re just going to ponder and then regret after losing I will respect your choice.”

“Losing?”

Losing.

That word sent a shiver through the empty corner of my chest.

What does it mean to lose?

The reason I came here…

“Ugh…”

Suddenly a headache overwhelmed me and I held my temples. It felt like something was about to surface along with the pain.

And not long after.

“Ugh…!”

I let out a breath and had to touch my chest. The sensation of a sharp blade piercing my heart came flooding back.

Only then did memories start to surface one by one.

The moment the Heavenly Lord attacked when I faced death helplessly without being able to do anything.

The back of the Heavenly Lord as he emitted killing intent towards the Demon Sword Queen.

A vibration echoed.

Vroom-!

It was the resonance coming from the enormous egg in front of me.

Looking at it I asked the Divine Old Man.

“… Am I… dead?”

“You are not dead yet. But soon you will be.”

“…”

My heart was pierced.”’