[{"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-467":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},1239993,1667,"Chapter 466","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-467",467,"\u003Cp>Dragon (龍).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, it was a creature spoken of only in legends. But after the Blood Demon War several centuries ago, the term took on a different meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that time, all white-ranked demonic beasts were collectively called \"dragons.\" Historical records show this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, the Mist Dragon (霧龍) that Shin Noya defeated, as well as the white-ranked demonic beast that Tang Jemoon subdued. They were called dragons because of their appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, judging by what this thing was saying…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…So, if I undergo this ‘transcendence,’ I’ll turn into a dragon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[A noble and exalted transformation.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature responded without masking its labored breathing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[A lowly being offered the chance to become a divine seed—a privilege you should accept with gratitude.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell are you on about, you crazy bastard?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yet despite all the Qi you amassed within your vessel, you clung to your humanity. You lack the qualifications.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just wanted to live as I am. I’m only doing this because it’s do-or-die. Who’s toying with me here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did it think I wanted to become some unknown creature? If it were up to me, I’d live as a human. The problem was that this damned world wouldn’t let me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want this either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Then give yourself to me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s even worse, you bastard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this thing really mocking me right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re so upset, take it by force. Stop asking for it like a coward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mocking it seemed to have an effect. The creature’s body began to tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Pathetic thing. Do you truly think you can withstand this with your human mind?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and you can?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Of course. I am the seed of the Dragon Emperor. You are nothing compared to me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rumble!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Just give up your body—!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Qi surged toward him again, fully charged.Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using all the Qi he’d gathered, he twisted his body to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he didn’t completely evade it this time, and the creature clamped down on the same arm it had bitten before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its fangs dug in, shredding his arm to pieces.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A groan escaped from the pain, but he held on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Biting his lip, he glanced at his injured arm. He’d managed to pull it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting it bite his already injured arm was better, so he’d put a bit of effort into making that happen. Thankfully, it worked out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pain was excruciating, but compared to the agony from using the Tua Pacheonmu technique, this was almost bearable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the creature prepared to make its next move, he acted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whirr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the creature’s movements, he immediately activated the Demonic Sky Absorption Art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Grrr!?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing something was wrong with the arm in its mouth, the creature hesitated, trying to throw him off. He intensified his grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whooosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy began to flow into his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly as he’d anticipated. Earlier, he’d noticed something as his fingertips brushed against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I can absorb it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because it was a manifestation of Blood Qi, the Demonic Sky Absorption Art activated upon contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he didn’t know how it was possible to absorb the Qi it had within him, the important thing was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You… wretched… thing…!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was clearly not in the creature’s favor. As he continued to drain its energy, the creature struggled more violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held on with all his might, refusing to let go despite its thrashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The absorbed Qi circulating in his body made it possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Release me! Do you think this will end in your favor?!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tone in its voice became more desperate, likely due to the Qi being drained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You won’t last. You’ll collapse mentally and die—you’ll never withstand it!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature’s claws tried to tear him away. He didn’t flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if its nails punctured him, he held firm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Qi continued to pour into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount of Blood Qi he absorbed was beyond what he’d originally possessed. The difference was staggering, but he had no time to dwell on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply handling the rush of energy was overwhelming enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s so much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though the energy was pouring into every corner of his body, filling it past capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could he really withstand all of this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But then he thought—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s the alternative if I can’t?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no other option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could see it: the more Qi he absorbed, the smaller the creature became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t care what effect all this Qi might have on his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For now, his only goal was to consume this damned creature entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Rel… release… me…! I am… the great…!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up. You can’t just squat here without paying rent and expect to take over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had barged in uninvited and now wanted to claim his body? Not a chance. As the creature shrank, his Qi grew stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though only seconds had passed, he’d now reached a point where the creature’s thrashing did nothing to faze him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Continuing to absorb without hesitation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grrr…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature emitted a low groan, then finally disappeared, leaving no trace behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A silence fell over the space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Phew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled, brushing his hand over his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it over? Feeling the energy flowing through him, he nodded slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seems pretty unimpressive, honestly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all the warnings Shin Noya had given, he expected it to be a much tougher ordeal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for all that, he felt surprisingly fine. His body was wrecked, but since this was a mental space, he figured he’d be fine once he returned to reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the Qi….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was overflowing with energy, to the point of feeling nauseated, but he could handle it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… is it over?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This “transcendence” and everything else had been hyped up, but it all seemed anticlimactic. There wasn’t much change he could feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The vessel didn’t return, either…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emptiness in his body remained, and on top of that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do I get out of here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered how to escape…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whrrr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another vibration rippled through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sensation was coming from where his heart would be. He could feel it clearly now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to investigate further—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cracking sound echoed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Craaaaash—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gah…!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a tremendous pain radiated from his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Doubling over from the piercing pain, he let out a muffled groan.Whirr—!The surrounding water began to shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The currents wrapped around his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They soon began to seep inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the pain in his heart, he sensed it clearly: it was energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the surrounding water entered his body, it transformed into Qi, churning violently inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He regretted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had felt too easy, and of course, it was about to come back to bite him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body was already at its limit from absorbing the Blood Qi. He was barely maintaining his sanity, and now, more Qi was flooding in?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha, you’ve got to be kidding me…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if something were testing how far it could push his body before it broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his teeth. The energy surging through him made his entire body tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he understood why Shin Noya, and that Blood Qi in dragon’s form, had warned him he’d never survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A human could never withstand this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His instincts warned him. If he let go, even for a moment…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he lost control, he’d burst apart from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Qi creature would take over my body?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps something else would take his place. Whatever it was, he knew that something other than himself would occupy his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s not happening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crunch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard the sound of his own teeth cracking from the strain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his fist tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he couldn’t endure it, he would.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he was going to give up, he should have done it long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d come too far to let go now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll endure this somehow…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sole purpose of going back and rubbing it in Shin Noya’s face about Tang Jemoon’s feat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps it was that trivial goal that helped him keep his mind tethered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whrr…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sensation arose within his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In response, Shin Cheol, who had been quietly keeping his eyes closed, slowly opened them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed something was happening. A powerful reverberation was constantly resonating inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whrr—Whrr—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was subtle, but to Shin Cheol, it felt as though something was forcefully pounding from within, as if trying to break down a wall to get out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a sensation Shin Cheol had never experienced before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feeling this vibration, he looked straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing was there. The place where Cheonjon should have been seated was now empty—Cheonjon was nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmph.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol let out a short, irritated breath. He’d sensed that Cheonjon would leave, even without looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Shin Cheol hadn’t bothered to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was already dead as a warrior. There was no point in interfering any further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Cheonjon were someone who should die, it wasn’t his responsibility to bring that end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Cheol lowered his gaze and examined his hand. More precisely, Gu Yangcheon’s hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body was still dark, as if it had been swallowed by shadows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, tsk tsk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this troublesome brat, even in death, he was facing hardships, feeling as though his once-straightened back was starting to bend under the weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A disciple of Mount Hua would have been one thing, but to be stuck with this ill-tempered, persistent brat? It was enough to drive Shin Cheol mad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And to make it worse, he’s even mocking me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled Gu Yangcheon’s last words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think we’ll have things to discuss regarding Lady Tang Jemoon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of it made him angry, but it also raised questions. No matter how much he thought about it, Shin Cheol couldn’t understand that statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he’d been inside Gu Yangcheon’s body, he had been busy trying to prevent the vessel from shattering, so he hadn’t been able to monitor everything that happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew they had encountered Tang Jemoon, but he hadn’t been able to discern the details of their conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was what puzzled him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could they have talked about…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wretched brat was referring to Jemoon as“Lady.”It was a perplexing situation, and Shin Cheol couldn’t help but keep tilting his head in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And no wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, to Shin Cheol’s knowledge, Tang Jemoon wasn’t a woman at all—but a man.\u003C\u002Fp>",1758,"2026-06-05T15:09:39.032Z",1,"novelbin.me","c10ebd2814418a43f3516c330023dab0a03c4f3312c7ad740b0bcacd723d11c1","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-468","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-466",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]