Childhood Friend of the Zenith – 562 (Part 1)



562 (Part 1)

”’〈 Chapter 563 〉 I am.

It has been two years since I began my training.

It has been a year since I opened my heart’s eye.

During that time I was learning the Three Styles of the Tua Pa Cheon Mu.

Moreover.

Whoosh—!

It had been about half a year since I started receiving training from my father.

The training room of the Gu family was mostly constructed of stone rather than wood.

The reason being if something went wrong everything could be burned to ashes.

If one became proficient they could control the flames to prevent them from igniting.

However there were situations where that was not possible and this was to prepare for such cases.

And now it was precisely that kind of time.

Whoosh—!!

Flames surged and filled the training room.

The sparks were bouncing around heating the walls.

[Ugh….]

A groan escaped my lips.

Compressing this wild flame into one place was not easy.

I had already experienced this once while training with the Flame Jade but this was on a different level.

This was not just about compression and rotation.

After casting it and completing it I had to maintain it on my own.

[To maintain this is insane.]

Qi was constantly leaking out.

Although it wasn’t as much as in my previous life the amount of qi filling my body was certainly significant.

I was using more than half just to create this one thing.

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I had repeated this countless times over the past few months.

Kirrururuk—!

[…!]

The result was the same once again.

The sphere I had formed cracked and before long it exploded.

Kwahahahaha—!

Light burst forth in all directions.

The amount of qi I had gathered was so great that the force of the explosion was tremendous.

If left unchecked the training room and everything else would be on the verge of destruction.

Fortunately such a disaster did not occur.

There was someone in the training room to prevent it.

Kuuuuung—!

The explosion that had erupted was blocked by the qi barrier set up inside the training room preventing it from advancing further.

This meant that even the vast explosion could not penetrate this shallow barrier.

As the raging aftermath gradually calmed down.

[Another failure.]

[…]

I turned my head at the heavy voice.

The owner of the qi barrier inside the training room.

The Clan Head of the Gu family Ho Hyup Gu Cheol Un my father was standing there.

I responded while gathering my energy.

[…Indeed. It’s not easy.]

How many times had it been?

I had lost count. To be precise it had been exactly half a year.

I could say I had been going at it like crazy during that time.

Though I had never succeeded even once.

[That’s only natural.]

My father said as he watched me on such days.

[It is only logical since you have not reached the realm.]

[…Yes. That’s true.]

I had not reached the realm.

There was nothing more accurate than that.

As Shin Noya had mentioned before.

What I was trying to do now was in the realm of heart’s thoughts.

Beyond qi it was a so-called transcendent realm that had to be used solely with the power of the mind.

Only after completely mastering martial arts and transcending them could one barely reach that place.

Knowing that I was still trying to do this.

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[Hoo.]

I wiped the sweat that was flowing down.

After repeating the compression and rotation of energy all day cold sweat was pouring down.

[Are you planning to continue this again?]

My father asked me.

Am I going to continue?

[Of course I will.]

I answered that I would.

Upon hearing that my father’s eyebrows moved slightly.

[Why is that?]

[…Huh?]

I was taken aback. I hadn’t expected my father to ask such a thing.

[Why do you want to keep doing this? As I said it is something that does not match your realm.]

[…Um….]

A pointless endeavor. Though my father did not say it outright the implication was clear.

He was right.

It was inefficient to do this when I had not even reached the realm.

However.

[Then how is it that you are helping me?]

I wanted to ask my father in return.

[You stepped forward when I asked for your help didn’t you?]

[…]

Six months ago I had directly approached my father and made a request.

I wanted to learn the power I had seen from the Tang Clan.

My father had looked puzzled at that time.

But he did not refuse.

And now half a year had passed.

Contrary to my expectations my father had been teaching me more intensively than I had anticipated since then.

It was a statement I had made thinking I would be turned down.

[Didn’t you ask for it?]

[Is that the only reason you are helping me saying it’s something that cannot be done?]

Because I asked he was helping me.

It was a simple and ridiculous reason.

Then he should have done this sooner.

That thought crossed my mind but I quickly pushed it away.

[And…. I don’t think I’ve done enough to definitively say it can’t be done yet.]

My damn master had said.

If it doesn’t work keep trying until it does.

Even if it doesn’t work it’s usually because my effort was lacking.

At the very least I needed to put in enough effort to justify giving up.

At first I thought it was a ridiculous mantra of effort.

But as I was forced to live that way my thoughts changed.

If I tried I could make it work somehow.

It was the same this time.

I would keep going until it didn’t work. That was my mindset.

[…]

My father’s expression as he watched me remained indifferent.

I had grown accustomed to that by now.

Just as I was about to start training again.

My father’s question came through.

[What is the reason you are so determined to achieve this?]

The reason I was trying to force myself to do this.

A specific reason for wanting to obtain this despite being beaten by the master from time to time.

[Hmm….]

I pondered for a moment but there was no need for that. The answer was much simpler than I thought.

[Because I need it.]

I needed it. This power was necessary for what I had to do now.

That was all there was to it.

[I have some things to do in the future. The power you showed me is exactly what I need.]

I still remembered.

The brilliant presence I had seen from the Tang Clan.

That small sun that devoured the presence of everything around it and expressed its own.

I needed that.

If that power belonged to the Gu Yeon Hwa Ryun Gong I wanted to obtain it if possible.

So I was making a request to my father something I had never done in my life.

Even knowing that I could not do it because I had not reached the realm.

Thinking that way I tried to draw up my qi again.

[Then. The direction is wrong.]

[Huh?]

My father brought up a point he had not mentioned before.

[It seems there is a problem with your perception. You need to correct that part.]

[What do you mean?]

I looked at my father with a strange expression at his sudden words.

Then he said.

[If you want to learn even superficially you need to change your perception.]

[What do you mean….]

[You are not me.]

I had to widen my eyes at that statement.

It wasn’t that I had some kind of epiphany.

I was just surprised because it was such an obvious statement.

I am not my father. That is an obvious truth isn’t it?

Seeing my blank expression my father continued.

[Only by properly recognizing that difference will you be able to reach even the tips of your fingers.]

I did not refute thinking what a nonsensical statement it was.

There must be a reason my father was saying such trivial things unlike that old man the master.

I thought that way.

And indeed.

After focusing on this story and starting my training a few months later.

I was able to as my father said reach even the tips of my fingers toward what I desired.

******************

I looked up at the sky.

A small sphere floating in the center of a darkened space.

All the light illuminating the surroundings was emanating from that sphere.

‘Fire Wheel Star.’

The small sun I had seen from the Tang Clan.

Including its bright light it was the power that disrupted the presence around me allowing me to hide my own.

Moreover it was the power I had diligently cultivated over the past time.

Whoosh—!!

The blue light illuminating the surroundings was vivid.

The Fire Wheel Star was radiating an exceptionally bright light exuding its presence.

The problem was.

Visually aside from the color of my father’s Fire Wheel Star it did not seem much different.

But if one delved into its meaning it was the exact opposite form.

If my father’s Fire Wheel Star swallowed the presence and erased the caster’s existence.

The Fire Wheel Star I used on the other hand was meant to amplify my presence.

It was a power that was fundamentally opposite to the intended use of the Fire Wheel Star.

There was no helping it.

‘…That’s how superficial learning is.’

The rotation attempted when casting the Fire Wheel Star had the meaning of amplification rather than absorption.”’