[{"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-744":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},1240794,1667,"Chapter 743","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-744",744,"\u003Cp>Tua Pacheonmu: Fourth Form—Azure Sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An arrogant name, claiming to create the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering the Fifth Form was called \"Sky Breaker,\" it was likely Paejon had intentionally chosen these names.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To create the heavens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then to shatter them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever deeper meaning it carried, unlike the first three forms, which were all single-strike techniques, Azure Sky wasn’t meant for direct attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, it was similar to activating the body through the heat of Nine Flames Firewheel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tua Pacheonmu was a martial art designed to push the body through an artificial rebirth—a shortcut to transcendence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Azure Sky was an extension of that principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An artificial state of no-mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fleeting moment martial artists often strive for, where unnecessary thoughts vanish, and hesitation disappears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was Azure Sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single motion, the mind cleared, hesitation faded, and energy flowed naturally throughout the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy moved more freely, amplifying martial techniques in the process.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was, in essence, a physical awakening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least, it felt like the power doubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The backlash doubles too.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A martial art this absurdly efficient, doubling one’s power, naturally came with severe drawbacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time I used it, I’d thought, Is this technique insane?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after experiencing it, I understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If used wrong, it could kill you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paejon had warned me the first time I succeeded—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only use it as a last resort. If you use it too early, you’ll die.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be careful until you’re used to it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After trying Azure Sky, I understood why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tua Pacheonmu was already painfully taxing, but the backlash from Azure Sky was on another level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first time I followed Azure Sky with First Form, I was bedridden for three days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All that for a single strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the ridiculous backlash, it was terrifyingly effective in the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was why—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while coughing up blood, I felt relieved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah… damn it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wiped the blood from my lips and looked straight ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not much had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground was still stained with ink, and darkness surrounded me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked the same as it had in the beginning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Impressive.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood up and faced the old man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had a gaping hole in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result of Tua Pacheonmu’s fourth form, Azure Sky, combined with a Toothless Strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[When did you plan this?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I know this wasn’t instinct or chance. When did you plan it?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Obviously—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the start.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment I challenged him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every step of the fight, up until now, had been calculated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well—except for that bluff about the Tang Clan’s leader being a woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from that, everything went as planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Not everything. I just prepared multiple scenarios.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had predicted his movements and prepared five or six strategies accordingly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I knew he had Eternal Bind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that its abilities weren’t much different from what I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I set my plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ten exchanges.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ten chances the old man had given me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could I reach him by going all out?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I always said this—be brutally realistic about your own abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether this old man was real or fake, he was someone I couldn’t defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So what could I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Make it possible to win.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I couldn’t win, I had to create a way to win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why I decided to use those ten exchanges differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first seven, I showed my full strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I held back, he’d notice immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had to truly give it my all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed him to believe that was my limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, it felt terrible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That was my full power, and I couldn’t even singe his clothes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everything I’d been through, in this life and the last, I couldn’t even graze him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a miserable existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what else could I do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much it sucked, I had to find a way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven out of ten had to be sacrificed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By then, he would’ve decided—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is all he’s capable of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once that was set in his mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the eighth exchange, I started adding twists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To suppress any lingering doubts, I deliberately caused disruptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t only rely on flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had another source of energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tua Pacheonmu wasn’t just for show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By creating unexpected shifts, I disrupted his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced him to focus entirely on the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after ten exchanges—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite all the layers of reasoning—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire point was simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘To make sure he didn’t notice my Eternal Bind.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Couldn’t I have hidden it from the start?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He said he was watching me.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He already knew I carried Shin Noya’s tools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might’ve even known about Eternal Bind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So this approach was faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plan after plan after plan—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dirty? Sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But survival mattered more than honor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha… remarkable.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man laughed, admiration laced in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Srrrk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body began to recover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait—what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I figured he wouldn’t die since he was a spirit, but still—wasn’t this cheating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I started considering my next move—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You’ve won.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s voice stopped me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I admit defeat. You’ve won.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He acknowledged his loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haa…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, my legs gave out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slumped to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn… that was exhausting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let out a bitter sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You believe me so easily? How do you know I’m not lying?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said it yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hm?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you cross swords, you understand someone. Same goes for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This old man wasn’t the type to bluff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d learned that much during the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Cunning yet oddly sincere. You’re an interesting one.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hear that a lot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boy.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What was that about the Tang Clan’s leader being a woman?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who knows?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…What?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t planning to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s baffled expression made me grin as I tossed Eternal Bind back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for letting me borrow this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man stared at it strangely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boy.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m listening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Did you say you’re my reincarnation?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced myself to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pain shot through my entire body. The backlash was hitting me hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this mental space, the pain was real.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What would happen when I returned to the real world? That thought lingered briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Looking at your Eternal Bind… perhaps it’s true.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s voice broke my thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did my weapon convince him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s strange. How could you not be a child of Mount Hua?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cryptic remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tilted my head, rolling my neck to loosen it. I’d heard similar things far too often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I first learned I might be Shin Noya’s reincarnation, I remembered what Hwang Ahbulyeong had said upon seeing Noya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You failed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya should have been reborn in Mount Hua.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he failed and became a wandering spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That revelation had left Hwang Ahbulyeong in despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It showed how critical this matter truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boy. Then…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hold on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I raised my hand, cutting the old man off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sorry, but shouldn’t I be the one asking questions? You’re the one who lost.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The winner gets to ask the questions—that was the deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the old man had been throwing questions at me this entire time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ah, so you noticed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smirked, almost as if he’d been caught red-handed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait—did he know all along and still kept talking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unbelievable. What kind of Taoist master was this shameless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned and shot my first question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was finally my turn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I told you already—I’m Mount Hua’s…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not what I meant.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Then what are you asking?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve already met the Mount Hua Sword Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…What?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not you. Someone else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I mentioned Shin Noya, and the old man visibly reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not missing that, I quickly summarized what had happened—how I met Shin Noya and everything that led to this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…That can’t be.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice trembled with disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why I can’t believe you’re real.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Everything points to you being the Mount Hua Sword Saint.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Circumstantial evidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clues from the records in Shaanxi all lined up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how I look at it, I just can’t believe you’re the real one. So what are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about him felt… wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was he organizing his thoughts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was the weight of the revelation too much?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe it was both.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I waited for his answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, I felt like I had to hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long pause—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I see.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice finally broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[So that’s how it is.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a strange sadness mixed in with his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boy.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You said Shin Cheol doesn’t remember his final moments.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shin Noya had told me as much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sealing the Blood Demon, he lived out his days as Mount Hua’s leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, one day, he woke up sealed inside a weapon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And his memories?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fragmented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Large gaps he couldn’t account for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now, Shin Noya was piecing things together, but his circumstances were vastly different from the old man standing before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hearing that explains a lot.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I always had questions.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man moved closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Boy. Do you know where we are?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ink-stained ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swirling black aura above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had no clue where this place was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d assumed it was just a mental space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the old man said—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[This is Mount Hua.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mount Hua?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scanned the surroundings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What nonsense was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d been to Mount Hua before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mountain brimming with flowers and vibrant greenery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was filled with the fragrance of plum blossoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Technically… it was Mount Hua.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice carried a bitter weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You said the Blood Demon was sealed, right?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although, to be fair, the seal wasn’t perfect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon was still roaming around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I answered honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man gave a bitter laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I see.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s nothing. I just had a little hope. But now I know it was only a dream.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man sat down heavily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ripples spread out through the ink-like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gentle ripples.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It was strange, wasn’t it? A child of Mount Hua shouldn’t have been able to appear here. I let myself believe in a dream. How pathetic.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What are you talking about?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[‘We’ failed to stop the Blood Demon.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words left me speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[We… couldn’t stop the Blood Demon. This place is Mount Hua, destroyed by its hand.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of his words hit me like a hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>",1811,"2026-06-05T15:10:16.200Z",1,"novelbin.me","96168973e2fa5a24ab736599cbdfb95a74b245f397b6bca53f3e9acff8c69678","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-745","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-743",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]