[{"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-438":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},1239914,1667,"Chapter 437","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-438",438,"\u003Cp>\"…Who…are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice made my shoulders tremble. I stared at her in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah… No, it was the Sword Demon Empress (Ma Geomhu).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no mistaking her identity. I knew her better than anyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman before me was the Namgung Bi-ah from my past life, the one who had died for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hair, once an ethereal silver, had turned pure white. Her face was unchanged, but the atmosphere around her was entirely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Namgung Bi-ah had an ethereal, dreamlike quality, then the Sword Demon Empress was like an abyss, dark and unknowable. Trying to reach into that darkness felt like it would consume me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know what to say. I looked into her icy blue eyes, and my words failed me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An oppressive silence stretched between us, broken only by the breeze, which carried the thick scent of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword moved, and my body froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura emanating from her sword weighed down on everything around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangerous. Every instinct screamed at me to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no killing intent. The Sword Demon Empress never had a need to show her intent. She never needed to radiate malice to kill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How absurd, really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For most people, some trace of killing intent would seep through when they intended to kill. That was just human nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d thought once, in the past, that perhaps she didn’t lack killing intent—rather, she embodied it so completely that it became imperceptible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, I’d later realized she wasn’t some mindless killer. But back then, I hadn’t known…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightning Qi (Noe-gi) crackled from her shoulders, and I felt my brows furrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether this was reality or illusion, one thing was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If I die here, I might really die.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as everything else I’d experienced so far seemed real, I couldn’t shake the feeling that death here would mean true death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even understanding that, I was out of options.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The immense pressure forced me down on one knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The Emperor’s Sword Technique…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the Namgung Clan’s secret technique, the same one used by Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experiencing it directly, I realized…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is on a whole different level…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to this, Namgung Bi-ah’s mastery seemed like a child’s play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Demon Empress’s strength was on an entirely different plane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming aura radiating from her pressed down not just on me, but on everything around us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The range of her aura was beyond estimation. Under the crushing force, nearby trees cracked and collapsed, and rocks split apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I struggled to endure, she looked down at me with those cold blue eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Srrrrng.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed slow, but just a glimpse of the insight behind it sent chills down my spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Demon Empress was powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d always known that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it seemed I’d grown complacent since returning to a peaceful life. I’d forgotten just how strong she truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swoosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword cut through the air effortlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no complex movements; it was simply raised, almost casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buzz—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint vibration echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, I felt death drawing close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tip of her sword swung downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the trajectory of her blade—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spllllllit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—the sky itself split open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer impossibility of it filled me with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a technique that only someone who had surpassed countless limits could achieve—a Sword Unification cut that could rend the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Urgh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The backlash of the technique whipped up powerful winds, and I had to brace myself against the ground to avoid being blown away. The Sword Demon Empress’s power was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was nothing like the current Namgung Bi-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The Sword Empress.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hit me again, just how incredible the Sword Demon Empress’s strength was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this truly an illusion?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was all too vivid, too real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the storm of wind and power gradually subsided, I finally caught my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, her attack hadn’t been directed at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she had aimed far beyond me, as though targeting something in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The split she had carved in the sky was still visible, and the clouds had stopped, unable to drift past the tear she’d created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered what she had been targeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, the Lightning Qi surged violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s not…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t her Lightning Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, an unknown source of Lightning Qi emanated from the direction she’d attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could comprehend the situation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep rumble echoed from the direction of the Lightning Qi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon, I felt it—an immense force barreling toward us. I could only widen my eyes in shock as I sensed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by then, the Sword Demon Empress was already moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She swung her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her sword, infused with powerful Qi, collided with something hurtling toward us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer power of the collision was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just being close to the burst of Lightning Qi left shallow cuts on my cheek, and blood began to drip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief standoff, she readjusted her grip on her sword and sliced through the energy entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spllllllit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force, cleaved in two, wavered briefly before dissipating entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another gust of wind blew through, this time mixed with traces of Lightning Qi, making it even harder to withstand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely managing to hold my ground, I looked around. The area was already a disaster zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bodies scattered across the ground had been thrown into disarray by the wind, and the blood puddles had splattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What was that just now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I processed the unexpected turn of events, I heard a metallic clink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone approached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was the Sword Demon Empress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fierce wind seemed to have blown away most of the blood on her, leaving only faint traces. As she drew closer—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My body lifted off the ground, suspended in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Telekinesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Demon Empress was using telekinesis on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force was considerable, and though I could break free if I wanted to, I chose to stay still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew resisting now would likely result in her striking me down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What are…you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She drew closer, sniffing the air as if trying to catch a scent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why…don’t you…smell like anything…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What smell was she looking for?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She came closer, continuing to sniff as I floated helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was she doing…?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A vague memory stirred, as though I’d seen her do this in the past. Hadn’t Namgung Bi-ah done something similar even in this life?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What kind of bizarre habit is this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was absurd. She was sniffing me like a dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the middle of what seemed like an attack, no less.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, after sniffing me a few more times, she looked at me and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without thinking, I responded in informal language, surprising myself. Habit is a terrifying thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind. She was too focused on her question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Affiliation… Answer….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I swallowed hard. So, she was asking about my affiliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed she had mistaken me for a demonic being from the Heavenly Demon Sect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She doesn’t recognize me…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apparently not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I considered my options, she tilted her head briefly before gripping her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was going to kill me. That brief hesitation wasn’t enough to save me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing her intent, I blurted out:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Black Flame Unit…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a name I’d never wanted to say out loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it… I never thought I’d have to utter that name myself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sense of utter loathing, I said it aloud, and the Sword Demon Empress’s eyes widened slightly. Her sword halted mid-swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Flame Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the name of the unit I led.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Officially, the Heavenly Demon Sect was said to have three main units:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sky-Ripping Black Net Unit led by the Head Horse, the Ghostly Sword Unit led by the Sword Demon, and the Green Fury Unit led by the Green King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three units were known to scourge the martial world under the Heavenly Demon’s name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t entirely inaccurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were indeed the three units known to the public.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, those within the cult knew that there was a fourth unit—the unit that managed the other three under the direct command of the Heavenly Demon himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Black Flame Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very unit the Sword Demon Empress belonged to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The unit I command.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The loathsome unit, with me as its leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Demon Empress frowned as she heard my words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Lies…. I didn’t hear about…a new recruit….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t fully believe me, but there was nothing she could do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had a way to confirm my claim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I am merely following the orders of the Heavenly Lord. I speak no lies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked into my eyes, focusing on my pupils, which had turned purple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, she released her telekinetic grip on me, letting me drop. At least for now, she seemed willing to trust me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Phew.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I exhaled in relief. She had no choice but to believe me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demonic beings were forbidden from lying under the Heavenly Demon’s command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To lie in his name would be to shatter the demonic energy bound to one’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though I’d severed my connection with the Heavenly Demon’s demonic energy and could say whatever I wanted, she wouldn’t know that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Sword Demon Empress, satisfied for now, began sheathing her sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—clink—the blade shattered in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed she hadn’t completely absorbed the previous impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stared at her broken sword for a moment, then tossed it aside without a second thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where did she leave her Thunder Fang (Noe-a)?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scanned her waist but didn’t see her signature weapon. She hadn’t brought it with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring my searching gaze, she turned her back on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Follow…me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively responded, confused by her command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Follow her? Where?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shot me a brief glance, as if to clarify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The Heavenly Lord…he’s coming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…We have to go back…orders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made me realize what the previous burst of Lightning Qi had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was none other than the arrival of Cheonjon (the Heavenly Lord), one of the Triumvirate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That man was here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then this really wasn’t the time to be standing around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed the Sword Demon Empress had judged me to be an ally and intended to bring me with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where to…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even amid the chaos, that thought lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d managed to avoid death at her hands, but where would she take me if I followed her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Sword Empress.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped and turned to face me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her lifeless blue eyes felt unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was proof of how accustomed I’d become to the Namgung Bi-ah of my current life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze was never this cold when she looked at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring into those unsettling eyes, I calmly asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Where are we headed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief silence followed my question. Her expression seemed to suggest that she thought my question was unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The Great Hall….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, she resumed walking, and I broke into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the base of the Black Flame Unit, and there…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m there.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s where the Black Flame Demon, the unit leader, was stationed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, it dawned on me…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…things were only getting worse.\u003C\u002Fp>",1928,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.032Z",1,"novelbin.me","4dde6168bfc746c8508a9cb4a024da1e6dd36b059c740d9232e9db2263971bb3","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-439","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-437",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]