[{"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-867":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},1240717,1667,"Chapter 866","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-867",867,"\u003Cp>The pond’s visible size was only large enough to hold about five grown men, but that was merely what was apparent. The space beneath the surface was far larger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pond glowing with a golden hue. The moment I looked inside, my eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer hidden scale of the pond was astonishing, but what truly caught my attention was what it contained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something massive. So enormous that I couldn’t fully comprehend its size at first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…That’s….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long to recall what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A colossal serpent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A truly enormous snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I’d seen it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It looks like the snake from the Golden Stream Manor’s secret chamber.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was nearly a year after my regression, during the time when I had ventured to the secret chamber with Wi Seol-ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, I had initially mistaken it for a demonic beast, and the sight of it had scared me out of my wits. When it spoke, I had nearly fainted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could it be the same snake from back then?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was indeed the same creature, why was it here? Judging by its state, it seemed to have been dead for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…And besides that.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I observed the pond further, I noticed something else strange aside from the snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were small, round objects floating in the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each one was about the size of a thumbnail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using Spatial Manipulation, I pulled one out of the pond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A white orb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s identical to the one I consumed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spiritual core I had taken from that unknown creature—this was the exact same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant this must be what the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master had consumed. The same thing that had caused the others to transform before they died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why are these orbs floating in this pond?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why was the serpent’s corpse embedded in the pond?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t know, but one thing was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to find out.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I decided to investigate further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a wave of my hand, I released the acupuncture points on the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bound man flew across the ground and tumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment his acupuncture points were freed, he tried to say something, but I grabbed his throat before he could utter a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was careful not to let him bite his tongue to commit suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a lot I need to ask you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thump!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heart pounded in my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I don’t have much time... and I have something I want to test.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sssss--!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Guh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demonic energy surged from my palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s make this simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I let the energy pour over the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master, engulfing him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the stillness, a young man opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stretched, letting out a soft groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was an inexplicable sense of delight in his voice as he repeatedly opened and closed his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not bad. You’ve worked hard,” he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was nothing,” answered a woman kneeling before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing her response, the Blood Demon slowly rose from his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His appearance was vastly different from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not long ago, his body had been mangled and barely recognizable as human. Yet now, it had returned to its unscathed, healthy form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This should suffice... for now,” the Blood Demon muttered with satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The body that had previously failed to endure even a fraction of his true strength had been significantly improved, thanks to the excessive sacrifices he had utilized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, this vessel could endure about half of his full power. Compared to his prime, it was still lacking, but it was an acceptable start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this thought, the Blood Demon took a step forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is the situation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As you instructed, everything has been prepared,” the woman replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m pleased,” he said with a faint smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“However…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hesitation made him glance at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What about the Star King? You haven’t given us specific instructions regarding him, so he’s currently being monitored.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Star King? Ah, yes...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon nodded as if only just remembering. So that was the name people had given him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave him be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Excuse me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman’s eyes widened in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do not interfere with him. In fact, it’s better if he continues acting as he is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon tilted his head slightly, prompting the woman to bow deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My apologies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon chuckled and turned his gaze forward again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He understood her concerns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unforeseen events had disrupted their plans. The sudden appearance of an unknown force had altered everything, creating outcomes far removed from what the Blood Demon had anticipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the woman seemed worried about this development...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How delightful.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon, on the contrary, was thoroughly enjoying it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of anomalies that neither he nor the world could predict.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had thought nothing could surprise him anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet here they were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Something has changed.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel it in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something had shifted while his eyes had been closed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t dwell on it for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s you again.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That child.The lingering thorn deliberately left behind amidst a thousand veils of defiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I wonder what kind of amusing chaos you’ve caused this time.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What could they have done for the world to react so violently?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is the world itself enraged?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon covered his mouth with a faint smile, as if to stifle his amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, he stopped walking and looked up at the ceiling. Despite the obstruction, as if peering through the layers of stone and distance, he knew what lay beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it displeases you so much, why don’t you intervene yourself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dry chuckle escaped his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He resumed his stride, fully aware that no response would come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the change had already begun. It was irreversible now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon could feel it, and his smile grew wider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time had come. Or perhaps it had already passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dancer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I should go see my precious daughters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dancer’s body trembled violently at his words. She understood all too well what he meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Which one do you plan to visit first?” she asked hesitantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… Let me think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Blood Demon paused briefly, then spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face twisted into a horrifying smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I need to regain my strength. I’m starving.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>******************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space remained unchanged from earlier. The same place, the same position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet there I stood, staring intently at something with narrowed eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden-hued pond from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced to the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…H-hngh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Celestial Stream Sect’s Master, a frail and emaciated old man, was kneeling on the ground, shaking his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His expression was vacant, as if his mind had unraveled entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes had long since lost their light, and the hatred and despair he had once directed at me were nowhere to be seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as though he had lost not only his vitality but his very soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching him, I moved my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sickening sound, his skull shattered under my fist, and his body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instant death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t bother wiping the blood off my hand as I scowled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had already extracted all the information I needed—how the despicable Ilcheon Cult had come to exist, what they had been doing in this place, and the ultimate purpose behind their actions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had gotten my answers, yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is maddening.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even after hearing everything, I couldn’t make sense of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The issue wasn’t the situation itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understood all of that perfectly. What lingered was the last thing the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master had said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned around to where the Shadow King stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah also wore shocked expressions. Was it a mistake to let them stay and hear everything? Or were they shaken because they had witnessed me using demonic energy to torment the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Either way, I had done it on purpose. I couldn’t keep hiding the truth about myself forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time for them to see what kind of person I truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Something far bigger has surfaced.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What they had heard was far more shocking than anything I had just done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Shadow King…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even he wore an uncharacteristic look of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything about this place, the events that had transpired, and the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master’s final words—if I were in his position, I might have reacted even more strongly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘How is this possible?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I kept replaying the words in my mind, but they made no sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyone would feel the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue, furrowing my brow as I recalled my final conversation with the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, who orchestrated all of this?” I had asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated, choking on his own breath before finally whispering a name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Il.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound was too faint. I leaned closer to hear him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did his whisper become clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yeon Ilcheon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My expression twisted at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of nonsense was this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you bringing up that person? He’s been dead for centuries.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bound by the truth of his dying words, the Celestial Stream Sect’s Master could only spew madness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I scoffed and pressed further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, are you trying to tell me he’s alive or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reply came slowly, each word dripping with gravity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeon… Ilcheon… is alive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weight of his answer froze everyone in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>",1610,"2026-06-05T15:10:20.656Z",1,"novelbin.me","b50182094e00f1c44a6e35af64b2375b93e5b7047502176f1883f91bf6fff03a","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-868","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-866",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]