Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 732

Crunch—!!

A sound like something tearing through space echoed.

An alien energy stretched outward in all directions, distorting the surroundings.

The force felt as though the very air was screaming.

Kiiiik—!!

With each step Gu Yangcheon took, the energy grew denser.

Was it killing intent or fighting spirit?

Whatever it was, the aura was rough and unbridled.

It was suffocating.

Even brushing against the energy felt like it would rip his skin apart.

It was too foreign, too alien to be human.

"Hah..."

From above the arena, Plum Blossom Immortal Do Hua couldn’t suppress a hollow laugh.

"...That child..."

Crunch.

As he was marveling, a crack rang through the hall.

It seemed that something had begun to fracture.

The only relief was that a barrier had been immediately erected around the area.

Recognizing the familiar energy, Do Hua turned to look toward its source.

"Well done."

"..."

The one who had cast the barrier—

It was the Sword Emperor.

He stood beside the Alliance Leader, carefully stabilizing the energy flow.

Rumble—!

Even with the barrier in place, vibrations continued to shake the area.

The Sword Emperor, one of the top ten masters just beneath the Three Lords, had set the barrier.

Yet even his barrier trembled under the force of the energy.

‘...How strange.’

Plum Blossom Immortal gazed at the arena with calm eyes.

What was this overwhelming aura?

‘I expected the eye of the storm.’

He had already acknowledged the child’s value.

A spark that had grown and grown—soon to become a roaring flame.

Do Hua had been certain of that.

‘But this isn’t the eye of the storm. It’s the storm itself.’

This was beyond expectation.

Do Hua looked down at his own hand.

His fingertips were trembling slightly, and a thin layer of cold sweat had formed on his palm.

His body had tensed instinctively.

The sheer force radiating from that child had seeped into his nerves and set his blood boiling.

"Hah... Hahaha..."

How had such a child come to possess this level of power?

Do Hua shifted his gaze beyond the arena—toward someone watching from a distance.

‘Is this your creation?’

The black-haired, kind-looking young man.

Now called the Twin Dragon, but in Do Hua’s memory, he had been known by another name.

‘Or... is this a fire that child lit on his own?’

It was a question no one could answer.

From the moment he first saw him, the boy had felt strange.

Eyes that had already died at an age when they should have been full of life.

A child who carried a bloodstained sword in his heart.

Back then, he had seemed like a blade that was already rusted and dulled, ready to shatter at any moment.

‘But now... it’s sharp.’

Far sharper than before.

In fact—

‘It’s not even the same sword anymore.’

Something had changed drastically.

Feeling the energy, Do Hua steadied his breath.

Fwoosh.

He wrapped his body in Qi, calming himself slightly.

Even so, the pressure remained overwhelming.

The energy continued to leak out endlessly.

The scenery itself began to distort.

The aura reshaped the surroundings.

Do Hua observed the others in the area.

Every face was drenched in sweat, their eyes locked on the arena in disbelief.

This was different from when the Twin Dragon fought.

Back then, they had felt the wall separating them as martial artists.

But this time—

‘They can’t even comprehend the wall.’

That was the only way to describe it.

Gu Yangcheon’s presence felt utterly alien.

Especially—

The Sword Saint, who stood in the center, staring at the arena without even breathing.

Do Hua frowned as he looked at him.

The Sword Saint’s face was devoid of expression.

Was he truly composed?

Others might see it that way, but—

‘Sword Saint.’

Do Hua knew better.

That face was far from calm.

What was he thinking as he stared like that?

Do Hua pondered the question—

Boom—!!!

"...!"

"Hah!"

The sudden explosion drew reactions from all around.

Something had burst through the energy barrier and shot into the air.

What was that?

The momentary confusion didn’t last long.

Bang—! Boom—!

Shockwaves exploded outward as if trying to suppress the energy.

And within them—

A clear, divine energy.

"Ahhh—!"

It was the Divine Dragon.

Crack—!!!

Energy poured out in waves.

‘Hah... Huff...’

At the center of the crushing pressure—

A force filled with the will to dominate.

The Divine Dragon barely managed to move his body.

‘What is this...?’

Boom—!

He instinctively unleashed his Hundred Steps Divine Fist.

‘What is this?!’

Boom—! Bang—!

He kept throwing punches.

His Qi drained rapidly, but this wasn’t the time to care.

‘I’m scared.’

Fear crept up to his throat.

The energy pouring out of Gu Yangcheon inspired nothing but terror.

Whoosh—! Crash—!!

How was he supposed to fight this?

The energy crushed his thoughts, leaving him blank.

Should he run?

He wanted to.

Step.

"...Hah."

He froze at the sound of footsteps.

Step.

Where?

Where was it coming from?

Where—?!

"You can’t even focus, huh?"

"...!"

The voice came from his left—

But—

Crunch—!

"Guh—!"

The impact came from the right.

Crunch! Boom—!!

The sensation of bones being crushed exploded through his body as he was sent flying.

His body soared rapidly through the air.

In the split second when the pain threatened to overwhelm him, the Divine Dragon expelled his energy.

Rumble—!!!

He forced his feet to scrape against the ground, creating friction.

Screech—!!!

His flying body finally ground to a halt.

"Huff... Huff..."

By the time he noticed, he was already at the edge of the arena.

That meant he had been blown this far from the center.

Throb—!

"Khrrr...!!"

The Divine Dragon curled up and clutched his right side.

The spot where he had just taken the blow.

Cracks spread through his ribs, and the wound in his chest reopened.

Drip.

Blood flowed from the reopened wound.

The pain was excruciating.

He clenched his teeth, barely enduring it when—

"Not bad just now."

Once again, the voice came from beside him.

"You got caught by a feint, but you still wrapped Qi around both sides—probably as a precaution. That’s what saved you."

The voice explained the previous exchange.

Even as he listened, the Divine Dragon was already moving.

"Still, if you hadn’t fallen for the feint in the first place, you could’ve concentrated your Qi at a single point to reduce the damage. What’s the point of having a higher level if you lack experience like this?"

Hundred Steps Divine Fist.

The signature martial art of Shaolin burst forth again.

At this close distance, it was bound to land a hit.

That’s what the Divine Dragon believed.

Bang—!

But before he could even fully extend his arm, something struck his fist.

It was Gu Yangcheon’s fist.

He had countered the Divine Dragon’s punch with his own.

‘This can’t be...!’

The Hundred Steps Divine Fist was one of Shaolin’s most aggressive techniques.

It gathered Qi and unleashed it explosively—attempting to block it up close could easily snap one’s bones.

Was he planning to die?

For a moment, the Divine Dragon thought so—

Crunch—! Boom—!!

"Kugh...!"

But instead, it was his own fist that was flung back.

A sharp pain shot through his wrist.

It was clear—his right fist was no longer usable.

"The Hundred Steps Divine Fist... It’s a strong technique. But did you know?"

Boom—!

"Guhk!"

A knee struck his solar plexus.

Blood sprayed from the Divine Dragon’s mouth.

"It’s a technique that focuses on releasing Qi at the moment of impact. That makes it easier to deal with up close. Do you know why?"

Smack—!

A punch slammed into his cheek, twisting his head to the side.

"Because if I destroy it before it explodes, it’s useless."

What nonsense.

Destroy it before it exploded?

How could anyone time it that precisely?

And if the punch did explode, the opponent would take the brunt of the damage instead.

It wasn’t a tactic anyone should dare to attempt.

He wanted to argue that point, but—

"If you’re going to turn left, you need to prepare for the recoil. Instead, you braced yourself. Are you an idiot?"

Thud—!

A strike hit his joint, forcing him to his knees.

"You resisted instead of bending at the joint, and now your balance is completely ruined. Do you think Buddha will help you stand back up?"

Before his knees could fully hit the ground, Gu Yangcheon’s palm smashed into his chin.

The Divine Dragon’s head snapped back, his gaze shooting toward the sky.

"Grrr...!"

While his vision was locked upward—

Fwoosh—!!

The sound of flames filled the air.

"Mess up again, and you’ll die."

A chilling warning.

The Divine Dragon lowered his head and stared at Gu Yangcheon.

A glowing blue sphere hovered above Gu Yangcheon’s palm.

Ah, this... this is bad—

Buzz—!

"Namu Amitabha—"

Boom—!!!

Heat exploded outward, flames surging in all directions.

"Ahhh—!!"

"Aaargh!"

Screams erupted even from the audience.

Fortunately, no one was harmed.

Gentle plum blossom petals circled the area, forming a barrier to protect the spectators.

Drip, drip.

The smoke slowly cleared.

Rather than dissipating naturally, it was swept away by Gu Yangcheon’s movement, vanishing from the arena in an instant.

The heat lingered.

It continued to scorch the arena floor, refusing to fade.

And at the center of it all—

"Huff... Huff..."

The Divine Dragon stood, gasping for breath.

Buzz—!!

Yellow Radiant Armor shimmered on his body again..