[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith":3,"chapter-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-320":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Childhood Friend of the Zenith",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1240296,1667,"Chapter 320: Ironclad (4)","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-320",320,"\u003Cp>Woong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Cheol Jiseon sensed a presence, a barrier formed around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He steadied himself, suppressing his trembling as he turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one he had been waiting for had finally arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must have waited for a long time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not at all…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Jiseon turned toward the voice behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A handsome man with a gentle smile stood before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Meteor Sword, Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He came for Cheol Jiseon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Jiseon remained still, silently staring at Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a distance, Gu Yangcheon observed the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched, but the barrier kept me from hearing anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would try to listen if I could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To hear anything, I’d need to get closer, but using my Qi to break the barrier would alert Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His personality may be shitty, but I can’t deny his talent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as I was concerned, he was worse than trash, but his talent was undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sat beneath a tree, and observed Cheol Jiseon and Jang Seonyeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Cheol Jiseon confessed earlier, he mentioned that he had to meet Jang Seonyeon afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Jiseon’s earlier expression lingered in my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, he looked at me with a face full of fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why though? I told him that I would let him go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had told him I’d let him go, even though I planned on killing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why did you get scared then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that wasn’t the issue, maybe it was when I told him to obey Jang Seonyeon’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Jiseon was smart, but he probably didn’t expect me to say such a thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps he thought I had no real intention of letting him live, and that he should take Jang Seonyeon’s side regardless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s his problem if he took it that way though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t something I needed to be concerned about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I hoped Cheol Jiseon would follow Jang Seonyeon’s orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Cheol Jiseon really wanted to stand by my side,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is a way I could make use of his power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now, I needed more time to think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t something I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Cheol Jiseon really was indeed the future strategist of the Murim Alliance, as I remembered from my past life, then his power was truly dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I didn’t know if the current Cheol Jiseon had the same power he had in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The important part was that it was a dangerous power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could definitely be useful, but I had to decide if it was worth the risk to accept his power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I turn him into a Demonic Human and put a Shackle on him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the first thought that crossed my mind when I considered making him my servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I turned him into a Demonic Human, I could control him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just… not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t want to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was reminded of Yeon Il-Cheon calling me a calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I also didn’t want to do the same thing that the Heavenly Demon did in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t think for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shouldn’t even be hesitating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was letting my emotions cloud my judgment when I should have been using every tool at my disposal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this was the last line I was willing to cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one that would either transform me into a Demonic Human once again or allow me to remain a normal martial artist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no going back if I crossed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew it instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rubbed my left arm as an ominous feeling settled in my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was where the bandage was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please wake up now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man appeared and helped me in a crucial moment, but he had fallen silent again, with no response when I called.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elder Shin’s words lingered in my mind because of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-Trust in yourself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To trust in myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a very difficult thing to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were easy, I wouldn’t have lived the way I did in my past life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What a pointless thought.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a bitter regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was no different in this life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just focus on the future. That’s what matters now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to organize the information I gained back in the secret vault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I still needed to figure out the mystery behind the bandage on my arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t able to gain anything special from the secret vault, so I had to find the fastest path to reach the Fusion Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is it the White Demonic Stone, after all?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I considered the method of explosively increasing my Qi capacity to achieve the Fusion Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I could get the White Demonic Stone buried deep beneath the ocean, I could ascend to the next level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that wasn’t an option…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d need the legendary herb from Shaolin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The herb was less potent than the White Demonic Stone, but it could still make the leap possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How nonsensical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought left me speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where would I be able to find a legendary herb like that in the first place?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the real answer was that I needed to strengthen my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I considered the conditions to reach the Fusion Realm, I had enough Qi, and though my physique was slightly lacking, that wasn’t what held me back from advancing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant that my mind was the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I have so many problems regarding this, so I don’t know where I would even start tackling it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t just one or two problems plaguing me, so I didn’t know where to start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I had to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to begin now if I wanted to surpass the Fusion Realm and even consider aiming for higher levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I relied on the White Demonic Stone to reach the Fusion Realm now, I’d hit my limit far too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I chose that path, no matter how many Demons I hunted, I’d never reach the next stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from that level, it wasn’t just Qi that mattered after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is no way, seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a shortcut, but I knew I wouldn’t reach my ultimate goal if I took it, so I found myself back at square one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why martial arts could be so frustrating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no shortcuts, but I needed to reach my goal quickly—yet there wasn’t enough time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There simply wasn’t enough time for me to train properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a while, I stood up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes… that’s the only way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reaching the next level through normal means while saving time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem is, I’d need that bastard to use this method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the problem is that I needed that bastard if I wanted to use this method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought about it while staring at Cheol Jiseon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, I would’ve given up on this method after killing Cheol Jiseon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he’s more useful than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheol Jiseon’s willingness to side with me over Jang Seonyeon gave me reason to consider giving him a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A little more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t certain yet, though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I still planned to observe him further… but my opinions of him were slowly shifting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Dragon Academy was a sanctuary for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once I left this place, I’d need to kill whoever stood in my way, gather the important people, and make preparations for what lay ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I couldn’t trust anyone and had to act alone, then I needed to get rid of the people who were potentially going to become my enemies in the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the simplest and fastest way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept rubbing my left arm while watching, and it seemed that Cheol Jiseon and Jang Seonyeon’s conversation had come to an end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t see Jang Seonyeon’s disgusting smile anymore since he left the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seems like there were no issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only had one reason to watch Cheol Jiseon despite already knowing everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If something went wrong between them and Jang Seonyeon tried to harm Cheol Jiseon, I’d have to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jang Seonyeon wasn’t the type of bastard to kill Cheol Jiseon just because his plans went wrong, but I had to come just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully though, nothing seemed to have gone wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Jang Seonyeon and Cheol Jiseon left, I stood up as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How long is left I wonder.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a few days, Jang Seonyeon would likely reach his limit and begin to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All I had to do was wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt excited since I was finally able to get rid of him soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced that excitement back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tingle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I quickly scanned my surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What was that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like something had just brushed past me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sharpened my senses, but there was no presence to detect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it just my imagination?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I would’ve looked harder if it was a stronger sensation, but it was faint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking off the thought, I made my way back to my room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morning sunlight streamed through the windows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the other students were making their beds and preparing for the day, I remained in bed, disheveled and dumbfounded, my hair a mess from just waking up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wiped the drool from my face, still questioning what had just happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others had stopped what they were doing, all staring in my direction, their faces frozen in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following their gaze, I saw someone kneeling on the floor, staring right at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their white hands on their knees and their golden eyes staring right into my soul, wasn’t something that belonged in this room at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you… just say…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I like you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I was about to ask again, wondering if I had misheard, their elegant voice repeated the words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The same words as before, the ones I thought I had misheard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Uh… Wha?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pinched my arm, wondering if I was dreaming, but the sharp pain told me otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t a dream then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe I could actually feel pain in my dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That seemed more plausible than this bizarre reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I stood there, unsure what to do, the lady continued to stare at me with those same, unwavering eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman who had come to me early in the morning to say something so unexpected was none other than Wi Seol-Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>",1727,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.031Z",1,"novelbin.me","da0be11eccb326735c9e55694bea12b067df361e87a1d0a833fdf7b7c07cedf3","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-321","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-319",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]