Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 728

Sword Demon.

The leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult’s slaughter unit, the Ghost Blade Corps.

His known cultivation level exceeded Hwagyeong, and in terms of strength—

‘Lower ranks of the Ten Great Masters.’

Roughly at that level.

While he wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful on his own, the true terror of the Sword Demon was revealed on the battlefield.

My own infamy stemmed not only from being a traitor to the orthodox sects but also from my ability to wreak large-scale devastation.

Spreading flames and relentless suppression.

It was a strength tailored for war, and so my notoriety grew swiftly upon my emergence.

The same applied to the Sword Demon.

A blade that never hesitated to kill.

Manifesting killing intent to tear through everything around him, he was perfectly suited for the chaos of war.

Yes, manifested killing intent.

That was the power that earned him the title Sword Demon—proof of his identity as the Heavenly Killing Star.

He never gave it a name himself, but the martial world called it Bloodsteel (Salgang).

Killing intent doesn’t come directly from the dantian.

It’s purely an emotional manifestation—the desire to kill.

When that emotion merges with a martial artist’s Qi, it produces killing intent.

The strength of this killing intent depends on how intense the will to kill is.

Of course, cultivation level also plays a role, but ultimately, killing intent originates from that desire.

The Bloodsteel technique the Sword Demon wielded took that concept to a whole new level.

‘The Sword Demon thrived on killing, and his killing intent was monstrous. That’s why his Bloodsteel was overwhelming.’

Because his urge to kill never ceased, his Bloodsteel never stopped.

And since he didn’t care about friend or foe, he was even harder to deal with.

Which led me to this question:

‘What if the Sword Demon had no Bloodsteel?’

He was a martial artist at the Hwagyeong level.

There was no way he’d be weak.

But could he have reigned as a master without the Heavenly Killing Star’s power?

That’s what I’d always wondered.

‘But now… he’s just naturally talented.’

Facing Seong Yul, who now embodied the Sword Demon in this life, forced me to reevaluate.

He was strong.

For someone his age, he was far stronger than average—

A genius comparable to the Six Dragons Three Peaks.

However—

‘Only to that extent.’

He fell short of the absolute heights.

He wasn’t leagues above others, just another genius among the many.

‘Saying “just a genius” feels wrong, but still.’

“Genius” isn’t exactly a common title, and yet here I was using it casually.

He wasn’t a monster like Namgung Bi-ah or Wi Seol-ah.

In other words—

‘To reach the Sword Demon’s level, Seong Yul needs the Heavenly Killing Star.’

Could he reach it without that?

Maybe, if I pumped him full of elixirs and trained him for years.

‘But I don’t have that kind of time.’

I lack manpower.

And I don’t have the luxury of raising him slowly.

And why the hell would I waste rare elixirs on him?

Even if I had extras, he wouldn’t be my first pick.

So what should I do?

If I wasn’t going to kill him, I had to make him stronger.

To make him stronger, I had to awaken the Heavenly Killing Star.

But how?

The Heavenly Killing Star—a being said to be born once every century.

A creature born to kill, destined to slaughter until it dies, eventually turning its blade on itself.

A monster in human skin—how was I supposed to use him?

Could he even be used?

‘Of course he can.’

If anyone proved that, it was Cheonma.

The Sword Demon became a Demonized Human and followed Cheonma’s orders.

He rampaged like a beast but ultimately obeyed his master’s commands.

Even someone like Sword Demon Empress or Green King—they refused to listen to reason, yet the Sword Demon fell in line.

That proved he could be controlled if I turned him into a demon.

‘That’s why I planned to corrupt him.’

From the moment I found him, my plan was to break him and make him kneel.

But—

‘Something unexpected happened.’

I hadn’t corrupted him yet.

Pity.

Hope.

And damned empathy.

Emotions I despised held me back.

Still, the result wasn’t bad.

‘He listens.’

For whatever reason, he follows me.

I tell him to draw his sword, and he does.

I tell him to cut, and he cuts.

He hesitates to kill.

Even when he feels the thrill of bloodshed, he struggles to suppress it.

At that moment, he’s still human.

And that hesitation made me falter.

So I asked myself—

‘Then what?’

Would I just leave him like this?

I already knew the answer.

This was inevitable.

I should’ve done it sooner.

“Huff… Huff!”

The air rippled with murderous energy.

Through Spiritual Vision, I could see it even more clearly.

Seong Yul distorted the space around him with the density of his killing intent.

‘Damn.’

Even though I’d seen it in my past life, it felt different now.

His killing intent was so concentrated it felt closer to Qi than mere emotion.

“Huff… Huff!”

His golden eyes lit up.

And they were filled with terrifying emotions.

Slaughter.

A pure, unfiltered desire to kill.

Could anything be clearer?

Even the spectators were reacting.

“What… what’s this? I feel chills.”

“It’s like I can’t breathe properly…”

Ordinary people instinctively rubbed their arms, feeling the oppressive atmosphere.

The season wasn’t even cold, yet their breath chilled.

And the martial artists?

“…Shouldn’t we stop this?”

“How is this allowed in a spar? What’s the referee doing?!”

It was too much killing intent for a simple duel.

Especially one in a Martial Festival.

I squinted as I watched Seong Yul.

‘So this is what happens when I push him a little.’

Unleashing the Heavenly Killing Star revealed his true potential instantly.

He didn’t need time to awaken—it was already there.

It showed how tightly he’d been suppressing it.

Like a wild beast.

It was as if his instincts had completely taken over.

“Kill.”

Boom—!

Seong Yul charged at Peng Woojin, shrouded in killing intent.

Clash—!

Sparks exploded as their blades collided.

‘He’s faster.’

Much faster.

Whether it was due to his instincts or the Heavenly Killing Star, I couldn’t tell.

But—

‘Even his muscles are adapting.’

His body was hardening, strengthening to match his speed.

The killing intent even seeped into his skin.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each clash sent shockwaves through the arena.

‘And stronger.’

Both his speed and strength had increased.

Whether it was the Heavenly Killing Star amplifying him or just a release of his latent potential, one thing was clear—

‘He’s unlocked it.’

A slight push was all it took.

It was my first time seeing him fully give in.

And my conclusion?

‘He’s strong.’

Seong Yul, as the Heavenly Killing Star, was terrifyingly strong.

But—

Crash—!!

‘This bastard.’

Peng Woojin smashed through the killing intent with his black steel blade.

Watching him, I let out a hollow laugh.

"What the hell is that?"

Seong Yul was pushing himself to the limit.

Yet Peng Woojin countered him without breaking a sweat.

"He's already surpassed Hwagyeong."

When I first saw him fight in the arena, Peng Woojin was already a fully matured Peak Realm master.

But now—he’d stepped into Hwagyeong.

He was strong.

“He hasn't peaked yet, but even so...”

He might even be stronger than the Sword Dragon or Wi Seol-ah. That’s the kind of level he was showing.

"No… actually…"

He might have already surpassed his father—the Blade King.

The only reason it wasn’t obvious before was that he’d been holding back.

And now—

"That lunatic isn’t even faltering."

Seong Yul had thrown himself into the battle, fixated solely on killing.

Even as he endured countless cuts, he advanced.

Acting purely on instinct, he gave off a pressure that was hard to ignore.

This wasn’t supposed to be a life-or-death duel—

Yet Seong Yul fought as if it were.

It was terrifying to watch.

But—

"That bastard’s the same."

Peng Woojin didn’t flinch either.

He matched Seong Yul’s intensity step for step.

He was smiling.

That crazy bastard was smiling.

What the hell was he?

"He’s grinning in the middle of this?"

What could possibly be so enjoyable?

His face was lit with elation—pure, unrestrained joy.

Clang!

Blood splattered.

The clash of killing intent and raw energy was suffocating.

This had long stopped being a sparring match.

The referee couldn’t even step in—frozen by the oppressive aura.

"Damn."

Looking at how they fought, a thought crossed my mind.

Could Seong Yul actually win this?

Not a chance.

"He won’t."

There was no way.

The gap between them was too wide.

That’s why I’d made the request in the first place.

I asked Peng Woojin to let the match drag out—

To test something.

To hold back, just for ten exchanges.

That’s all I needed.

He agreed, though he’d demanded a few conditions in return.

Conditions I wasn’t exactly happy about—but fine.

At least he agreed.

And then—

Crunch!

"H-He bit him?!"

"Did he just bite his neck?!"

The murmuring crowd jolted me back to reality.

I’d been distracted for a moment.

Quickly scanning the scene—

"What the…"

I let out a short laugh.

Peng Woojin’s neck was bleeding.

The wound looked like teeth marks—

And Seong Yul had just spit out a piece of flesh.

"He actually bit his neck?"

Was he a dog or what?

What kind of fight was this turning into?

And yet—

"What’s wrong with that guy?"

Despite being bitten, Peng Woojin looked even more excited—laughing like a maniac.

It was starting to get unsettling.

Their fight was spiraling further out of control.

Even the crowd could only swallow nervously.

"…It’s almost time."

Watching them, I made a decision.

There wasn’t much more I needed to see.

Leaving them unchecked any longer would be dangerous.

And right then—

Whoosh—!

Peng Woojin’s Qi erupted like a storm.

I could tell immediately.

"He’s going to end this."

Peng Woojin was ready to finish the fight.

And so was Seong Yul.

His fiery eyes locked in determination, and his killing intent began to condense.

I nodded to myself.

It was time to test one last thing.

Seong Yul’s aura thickened as he prepared to strike—

And I whispered.

[Stop.]

With a pulse of power, I sent the command through Voice of Dominion.

Flinch—!

Seong Yul froze.

"It works."

Relief washed over me as I grinned.

Even with his Heavenly Killing Star unleashed, my command still held sway.

I could control him.

But—

"How far does it go?"

This entire match had been set up to find out.

Thump.

I focused my Qi, keeping it steady.

Breathing slowly, I mixed it into my words and faced Seong Yul.

[Now.]

[Disappear.]

"Urk—!"

Seong Yul’s body convulsed.

Fwoosh—!

His killing intent vanished.

As if snuffed out.

With his Qi drained, his legs buckled.

Thud—!

He collapsed onto the arena floor.

Peng Woojin’s eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

"What just happened?!"

"He was winning, then suddenly…"

The crowd erupted in confusion.

But the match was already over.

"Winner—Peng Woojin of the Peng Clan!"

The referee checked Seong Yul’s condition and called it.

Roars of applause.

Despite the match’s brutality, the audience seemed exhilarated.

Only Peng Woojin looked dissatisfied.

"Damn."

His expression was unreadable—

But his dark eyes locked onto me.

He clearly knew something was off.

And then—

-What the hell did you do?

Peng Woojin’s voice rang through my mind.

A private transmission.

-What do you mean?

I feigned ignorance.

-I don’t like this, Master Gu.

His tone was sharp—no trace of his usual playfulness.

He was pissed.

-I didn’t do anything. I just honored our agreement. I’ll hold up my end, don’t worry.

-…

He didn’t respond.

But there was no evidence.

I left nothing behind.

There was no evidence. No trace of what I had done.

And Peng Woojin knew that.

All he could do was glare at me.

Was it that frustrating to leave a fight unfinished?

We locked eyes for several seconds—

Then—

-Very well.

Peng Woojin wiped away his cold expression and replaced it with a smile.

But it wasn’t a real smile.

If anything, it was even more unsettling.

-Though I’m unsatisfied, I’ll let this go—for now. However…

That smile—it didn’t reach his eyes.

It was something darker.

-I expect you’ll bring me even greater joy than he did when we meet again.

-…

Joy?

I had no idea what he meant by that.

But—

-I’ll try not to disappoint you.

I had a feeling it wouldn’t be too hard.

   ******************
   

Later.

The matches resumed as if nothing had happened.

Even after the blood-soaked duel between Peng Woojin and Seong Yul, the event continued without much trouble.

A couple of contestants forfeited—no surprise there.

And then—

“I’m back!”

Tang Soyeol arrived, cheerful as ever.

I waved her over.

“Good work.”

Unsurprisingly, Tang Soyeol had won her match.

Her opponent had barely scraped past Peak Realm—

There was no way she’d lose.

“Hehe.”

She grinned, clearly in high spirits.

“What if I end up winning the whole tournament?”

“Then I’ll congratulate you.”

I smirked.

“Congratulate? No gift or anything?”

“What kind of gift?”

“…Uh…”

Tang Soyeol hesitated, glancing nervously at Bong Soon.

Why was she looking at her?

“What? You want me to give you her?”

“…Master Gu, Pi Yeon-yeon isn’t an object.”

“She’s close enough.”

“Huh? Me?”

Bong Soon tilted her head, confused.

She was adorable—until she started drooling nonsense.

I smacked her lightly on the head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“Because you’re annoying.”

“Then hit me a little—”

“Shut up.”

“Okay.”

Bong Soon instantly went silent, while Tang Soyeol let out a tired sigh.

I chuckled.

“Anyway, I’ll think about it.”

“About the gift?”

“Yeah. Who knows? If you actually win, maybe I’ll surprise you.”

Who could say?

Life was unpredictable.

“So win your next match, too.”

I turned to Bong Soon.

Seong Yul was still unconscious.

Not that it mattered—I’d gotten what I needed.

But Bong Soon was different.

“You need to go as far as you can.”

For my plans, Bong Soon’s rank had to be high.

“Ooh! You’ll be happy if I win?”

“Of course.”

“So does that mean we’ll—”

“I’m thinking you don’t need a tongue.”

“I’ll shut up!”

Bong Soon clamped her mouth shut.

I considered pulling her tongue out anyway but decided against it.

“Stop talking nonsense and focus.”

“Okay!”

Bong Soon’s opponent wasn’t going to be easy.

But if she fought seriously, she had a shot.

-Hua Mountain’s Yung Pung and Western Serpent Family’s Pi Yeon-yeon—prepare for your match!

The announcement echoed through the arena.

“I’m off!”

Bong Soon grabbed her staff and stood up.

I sighed.

“Win.”

“Got it!”

She marched off with confidence.

A short while later.

“Hey! Master!”

Bong Soon came back—covered in bruises.

“I lost! She was really strong!”

“…Seriously?”

Her cheerful voice made me bury my face in my hands.