Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Chapter 753

Whoosh—!!

Boom—!!

A massive fist, wrapped in swirling Qi, descended rapidly.

Compressed and concentrated energy slammed into the ground.

Crack—! Kuaaaaa—!!!

The earth erupted, scattering debris in every direction. A surge of explosive force sent out violent shockwaves.

An overwhelming vortex formed.

Its destructive power was evident—terrifying and raw.

And yet—

Boom!

Boom! Boom!

The impacts continued, reverberating like rolling thunder.

Snap—! Crack—!!

Only after the movements stopped did the sounds catch up.

It was speed surpassing the sound barrier.

The two figures moved at such a level.

Flutter—!

A yellow robe flapped as a giant crouched, lowering his stance.

Golden energy surged at his feet.

Fierce Tiger Battling Dragon Strike

Grrraaaar—!!!

Utilizing the rebound, he swung his fist, forming the shape of a tiger. Several of these beasts charged toward his opponent.

“Khut—!”

The elder wielded a blunt weapon, smashing through the tigers, but he couldn’t block them all and had to endure the impact.

Boom—!

His body, struck by the Qi, trembled as it fell from the air.

The man who saw this—Hwangbo Yeolwi, the Fierce Tiger Iron Fist—quickly leaped toward the falling elder.

Grip—!

His clenched fist gathered Qi once more.

Fierce Tiger Consecutive Strike.

A punch wrapped in the form of a tiger rained down toward the elder.

Dodging was impossible in this situation.

Gritting his teeth, the elder responded.

Swish—!

With just one hand—only his index and middle fingers pressed together—he performed a strange motion.

At that moment—

Kuaaaaa—!!

Hwangbo Yeolwi’s fist struck directly. The sheer force exploded outward, unleashing devastating waves.

“Hmph!”

Yet, staring at his outstretched fist, Hwangbo Yeolwi frowned.

Something was off.

“How… can you see me?”

Hwangbo Yeolwi turned at the voice.

The elder, who had just taken his attack, was speaking.

That could only mean one thing—he hadn’t been hit.

“What are you?”

The elder’s expression twisted with disbelief as he demanded answers from Hwangbo Yeolwi.

“I am the head of the Hwangbo Clan—”

“That’s not what I asked.”

He already knew that much from the earlier introductions.

He hadn’t asked to hear a parroted response.

“How can you see me?”

His disbelief deepened.

How could this man see him?

Even as he spoke, the elder ran his hand over his chest.

Hum—.

A faint energy, undetectable to others, pulsed there.

Confirming it only raised more questions.

‘The spell is intact.’

It was a seven-day ritual engraved into his body before the battle.

It should have lasted at least two hours, and anyone outside the chamber should have been unable to detect him.

So how?

‘How is he looking right at me?’

It was incomprehensible.

And yet, others shared his disbelief.

“Was the Hwangbo Clan’s master always this strong?”

“What was that strike just now?”

The spectators, who had been watching the fight, muttered nervously.

The sudden battle.

It appeared that the Hwangbo Clan’s master, who hadn’t even been present earlier, had intervened and was holding the line.

The sheer martial prowess he displayed left everyone wide-eyed.

“Was the Fierce Tiger Iron Fist’s martial art always this powerful?”

“I heard he was frail—was that all nonsense?”

“Frail? He looks like he’s reached enlightenment over the past few years!”

Everyone knew the Hwangbo Clan’s techniques were destructive.

Because of the strain, their warriors often retired earlier than others.

And since Hwangbo Yeolwi had been absent from the public eye for years, many assumed he had followed suit.

But now—

“That power…”

All those rumors seemed false.

Hwangbo Yeolwi looked far stronger than ever.

As martial artists themselves, the observers understood.

Every movement he made carried immense destructive force.

He looked at least twice as strong as before.

“Haa…”

Hwangbo Yeolwi exhaled deeply.

He didn’t bother answering the question about how he could see the elder.

Instead, he focused on what he needed to do.

Grip.

He clenched his fist and locked eyes with his opponent.

His body felt light.

His surging Qi burned within him, heating his body.

Despite the weight of his power, his steps felt lighter than ever.

He moved freely, and his strength exploded beyond expectations.

It felt like he had broken past a wall.

Like his prime had returned.

It was exhilarating to perform feats he had previously been unable to.

Hwangbo Yeolwi felt the urge to unleash his strength but suppressed it.

Because that wasn’t his mission.

—“Is that… the Hwangbo Clan’s master?”

—“Why is he here all of a sudden?”

—“Who is he fighting? I can’t see anyone…”

He heard the murmurs.

Spectators who hadn’t yet escaped watched nervously.

He remembered the words he had been given.

These onlookers would serve as witnesses in the future.

And through them, he would achieve his goal.

That was what he had been told.

Recalling those words, Hwangbo Yeolwi took a single step forward.

Thump—!

A short leap.

His body closed the distance, and the sound caught up afterward.

Tiger-Rending Kick .

Whoosh—!!

A Qi-infused leg shot toward the elder.

The elder raised his blunt weapon to block.

Boom—!!

The weapon failed to absorb the impact.

Knocked off balance, the elder was sent tumbling.

Thud—! Crack—!

“Guh!”

He barely stabilized himself by gripping the ground.

A moment slower, and the shock would have ruptured his organs.

‘This…’

The elder’s wrinkled face twisted.

This was an unforeseen problem.

The Hwangbo Clan’s master seeing through his spell was one issue.

But his sheer strength posed another.

‘The ritual isn’t complete yet.’

He glanced at the sky.

The lines forming the seal were nearly finished, but there was still time left.

Could he endure until then?

‘The commotion will speed up the arrival of reinforcements.’

He had deliberately tangled the formations to buy time.

It should have been enough.

‘But this man ruined everything.’

He had anticipated the Hwangbo Clan’s presence, but he hadn’t expected them to interfere.

Especially not this strong.

‘He’s far beyond what I expected.’

This wasn’t the weakened martial artist he had prepared for.

‘At this level, he should’ve been contained with the others.’

How had the Hwangbo Clan’s master become so powerful?

It was baffling—but there was no time to dwell.

For now—

‘I need to retreat.’

His pride stung, but—

‘I can’t ruin everything over this.’

He focused on the plan and ignored his wounded pride.

Escape was the priority.

Just as he prepared to activate another technique—

“Hmph!”

Boom—!!

“…What?!”

“I won’t fall for that again.”

Hwangbo Yeolwi shattered the ground beneath his feet as he lunged forward.

He was fast.

At that speed, the elder wouldn’t have time to complete another spell.

“Damn it!”

The elder raised his blunt weapon in haste, trying to defend—

[That’s enough.]

“…!”

“…!!”

Stop—!

Whoooosh—!!!

Hwangbo Yeolwi’s fist halted just inches from the elder’s face.

Compressed Qi burst outward, whipping through the area like a storm.

“Aaaah—!”

The force, laced with debris, drew screams from several spectators.

Suddenly frozen in place, sweat beaded down Hwangbo Yeolwi’s face.

What the hell just happened?

It was clear to everyone that something was wrong.

Yet those watching from within the chamber weren’t looking at Hwangbo Yeolwi—they were staring at the air.

“…There’s something there.”

“Who is it? Reinforcements…?”

All eyes fixated on a point in the sky.

Huuuuuummmm—!!

The first thing they saw was a blackened orb.

Under eerie lines and dark clouds, an unknown sphere hovered high above.

And beneath it—

Like the elder earlier, another figure floated in the air.

Another figure in black robes.

Hands clasped behind their back, the fluttering robes mirrored the elder’s posture.

But the moment their features came into focus, every spectator froze.

“What… what is that?”

It was different.

Something was completely different.

Thump—! Thump—!

Their hearts pounded.

A suffocating presence pressed down on them.

Just looking at it made their hair stand on end.

The realization hit like a hammer.

Hwangbo Yeolwi wasn’t frozen out of fear—

It was because of that thing.

The Fierce Tiger Iron Fist’, who had just displayed overwhelming strength, was rooted in place, unable to move.

And then—

[I enjoyed the little performance.]

Ssssshhh—.

The figure in the air slowly began to descend.

As the distance closed, their features became clearer.

“…What the—!”

“That’s…!!”

Reactions exploded from all corners.

A massive frame, easily over eight feet tall.

Black robes and long, flowing black hair.

And—

A cracked, featureless mask.

The image sent chills down their spines.

Especially the Sword Saint’s expression—it hardened instantly.

“…That bastard…”

The man perfectly matched the description of the monster that had attacked Wudang in the past.

The gleaming violet eyes behind the mask seized everyone’s focus.

The figure glanced at the barrier and continued speaking.

[That was merely child’s play.]

Rumble—!!!

His words were accompanied by a sudden vibration.

No one could tell if it had already been there—or if he had caused it.

Whoooosh—!

Dark energy erupted from his shoulders, flooding into the black orb above.

The energy pulsed outward.

Fwaaaaaa—!!

Using the orb as its source, the energy began expanding, creating a dark field around the area.

It all happened in seconds.

When it settled, an oppressive darkness blanketed the surroundings.

“H-Hiiiiiik…!”

“W-What is this? What the hell is this?!”

The presence of that darkness—the suffocating energy—instilled pure terror.

Those who had been shouting or pleading for help fell silent.

The overwhelming fear robbed them of even the ability to scream.

Thud.

The figure landed.

Directly between Hwangbo Yeolwi and the elder.

[Apologies for interrupting your pathetic little festival.]

The weight of his voice struck their eardrums, leaving them numb.

Ssshh.

The figure lowered one hand.

[I had no intention of interfering… but, unfortunately, there’s been a complication.]

And then—

“Guaaaaah!”

Suddenly, Hwangbo Yeolwi let out a scream and was flung backward.

It didn’t stop there.

Boom—! Crash! Crack—!!

His massive body tumbled, shattering the ground as he rolled.

“Kuhack—!!”

Blood spilled from his mouth.

Thud—!

Finally, he collapsed, trembling briefly before going limp.

He seemed to have lost consciousness.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

One of the spectators cried out.

“When did he even attack?!”

Sweat poured down their faces.

To their eyes, it had only looked like the man lowered his hand—

Yet Hwangbo Yeolwi had collapsed.

“I didn’t even see the strike.”

“How fast must he be to make it look like he wasn’t moving…?”

“Who the hell is he?!”

Just moments earlier, they had been awestruck by Hwangbo Yeolwi’s power.

Yet now—

The Fierce Tiger Iron Fist’ had been crushed.

And none of them had seen the moment it happened.

The shock in their eyes went beyond disbelief.

Meanwhile—

‘…Hmm.’

The masked man, Gu Yangcheon, was thinking the same thing.

He stole a quick glance at Hwangbo Yeolwi’s unmoving body.

‘That guy…’

Why—

‘Why is he acting so well?’

It was a genuine question.

He’d only told him to pretend to pass out—

But the man had screamed and collapsed so dramatically that even Gu Yangcheon was startled.

He had barely managed to keep his mouth shut.

Thank god for the mask.

“…L-Lord…”

Beside him, Pillduma stared with eyes full of admiration.

The old man’s gaze made Gu Yangcheon uncomfortable.

But—

Gu Yangcheon shifted his focus back to the crowd.

Their reactions were priceless.

It seemed Hwangbo Yeolwi’s performance had exceeded expectations.

Good.

Better to overdo it than undersell it.

So Gu Yangcheon took a step forward and spoke.

[Greetings.]

This was the moment he had been preparing for.

The beginning of a long-laid plan.

[I am—]

On a day like this, in his previous life—

[The one you will come to fear and worship.]

Just like the woman who had torn through the Martial Alliance’s defenses—

[I am Cheonma.]