[{"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-903":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},1240647,1667,"Chapter 902","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-903",903,"\u003Cp>150 Years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The staggering number made my mind go blank for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>150 years? Not months?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… what kind of nonsense is that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya had been absent from my body for a few months at most. How could over a hundred years have passed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked again, unable to believe it, but Noya’s expression was deadly serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There were far more days when I didn’t bother to count. It’s likely been even longer than that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What in the…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place was nothing but barren land when I arrived. Completely lifeless. So, I planted a single tree.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze followed his words. A massive tree, so enormous it blocked the sky, came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That… is that the one?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It’s grown quite a bit, hasn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s beyond enormous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even accounting for time, the tree was absurdly strange. Even if Noya’s claim of 150 years was true, a tree growing to such a size was nothing short of bizarre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t quite… understand. So…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s fine. You’ve been dim-witted for far longer than a day or two.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can we skip the insults and focus, please…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, apologies. It’s a habit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was infuriating, but I held my temper and pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Noya, are you saying it’s been 150 years since you arrived here? And during that time, you created the Mount Hua Sect? Yet, in the world I came from, only a few months have passed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so you do understand now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not at all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time flowed differently. Could it be that while over a hundred years had passed here, only a few months had gone by in Zhongyuan?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If that were the case…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Why didn’t you return sooner?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he had promised to return in a few months, why stay here all that time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my question, Noya scratched his head, looking slightly embarrassed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I couldn’t come back, now could I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean you couldn’t?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned at his response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said there was a way back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s because I believed that guy’s words. How was I supposed to know it’d turn out like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya grimaced as he added,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides, technically, I ended up in this mess trying to grant your request. So why are you making a fuss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had a point. I was at a loss for words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sincerely apologized, and Noya looked at me with a peculiar expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, this is unexpected. I thought you’d be shameless to the end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not that hopeless, am I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The confident tone irritated me greatly. Was I really that much of a scoundrel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, 150 years was excessive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could anyone endure such an unimaginable length of time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya lying?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible. The Noya I knew wasn’t the type to make up stories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was true, then he had truly spent over a century in this place, creating the Mount Hua Sect in his own image.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I pondered, a glaring issue came to mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Noya.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…How are you still alive?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you cursing me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I’m asking seriously.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Setting aside the years and the absurd tree, the core issue remained unresolved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve lived far too long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you really are cursing me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that’s not it…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how I phrased it, it sounded off. I was being genuine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did Noya live an additional 150 years in his body?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what I knew, he was already over eighty. Martial artists aged slower and lived longer, but enduring an extra century and a half?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more bizarre was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He looks exactly like he did in the mental realm.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya’s appearance hadn’t changed a bit from what I’d seen in that realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You still have a physical form, haven’t aged, and are still here. What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When I laid out my thoughts, Noya stared at me quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it a hard question? He tilted his head slightly before explaining.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When I first came here, someone spoke to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He continued in a calm, explanatory tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They offered to lend me their body for a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Lend you their body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know, that thing that used to growl in you every day.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kurung…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, yes. What a fitting name. Quite clever of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. I think so too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Behind me, I could feel Cheonma staring at me with a strange expression, but I ignored it and addressed Noya.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you’re saying Kurung lent you their body?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Thanks to that, I haven’t aged a day and have been using it well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t wrap my head around it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How did that creature lend its body to Noya?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That enormous thing was Kurung.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gigantic, roaring beast I’d encountered alongside my mother. It had been as massive as the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What kind of being was Kurung to not only lend its body to Noya but also reside within mine?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My mother said she attached it to me. Why did they fight?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What had led to their battle when my mother suddenly appeared?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The questions were endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leader!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice called out from the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya nodded toward the speaker. It was a small boy, one who genuinely looked young, unlike the other “small” people I’d seen here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…He’s not human either.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had animal ears and a tail, much like my mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re back!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Have you been well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy beamed with a radiant smile. His face was pure and cheerful. Then, his gaze shifted to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy tilted his head slightly, meeting my eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who’s this? Another new disciple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, this one’s too slow-witted to be of any use.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What kind of nonsense is that to say right to my face?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not even human, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it genuinely stung. What’s worse, the boy accepted it without batting an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“See you next time, then! And bye, slow-witted hyung!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slow-witted…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do your best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy ran off after bowing politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stared dumbfounded at his retreating figure when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pfft.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden laugh broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to see Cheonma standing there, expressionless as always.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Did you just laugh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you laughed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t laugh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head firmly, but something felt off. It really seemed like he laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click, click… Stop messing around and follow me. There’s still much left to discuss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya turned and strode off without looking back. Watching him go, I frowned and muttered under my breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He smacks me around and berates me, then just walks off like nothing happened. What a thug. How is he supposed to be some master sage? He’s just a common neighborhood thug.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At least keep your insults to yourself…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I’m going to say it, why would I keep it to myself?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya turned back abruptly, and I braced myself for another blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I suppose I’m not much better, but you’re something else too, brat. You’ve taken all those beatings and still can’t keep your mouth shut?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to say what’s on my mind to feel better.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I suppose that’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya nodded as if he agreed. Maybe I wouldn’t get hit this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the thought crossed my mind, pain shot through my skull. My head drooped as a sharp impact landed on my crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, some things deserve punishment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Shit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rubbed the top of my head, swearing under my breath. I’d expected it, but I hadn’t managed to dodge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click, click.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked around, still nursing my throbbing head. The boy who had run off earlier was now holding a sword amidst a group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their appearances varied greatly, the sword techniques they practiced were uniform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I watched the group of non-human figures, I voiced the question that had been on my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About what you were saying earlier.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mentioned that bull was once on the verge of becoming a demon. By that, do you mean…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gestured toward the strange beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…that they were once in a similar state?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya fell silent for a moment, but thankfully, not for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how are they here instead of becoming demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The elderly beings and the beast-like children didn’t appear demonic to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was their world not destroyed?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought maybe their world hadn’t perished, allowing them to avoid becoming demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, all of it was annihilated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya’s response was resolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then how did they not turn into demons?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my question, Noya stroked his long beard. His eyes, the color of plum blossoms, reflected a faint emotion—compassion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we walked, a dwelling came into view. It was the smallest and plainest building I’d seen so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could that be Noya’s residence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You asked earlier what this place was.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking toward the dwelling, Noya began to explain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some call this world an act of mercy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Mercy?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, mercy. Out of the countless lives whose worlds vanished, only a select few are brought here. They don’t become demons; instead, they settle in this other world to live.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that, my eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His words meant…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Creatures from countless realms you’ve never seen come here every day. That’s why this land is called Mangye (The Myriad Realms).”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Myriad Realms).The name signified a fusion of innumerable worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This place is where those who should have perished arrive by sheer luck. Because of that, some call it the world’s mercy. And others…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noya paused, turning to me, before uttering another word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…call it paradise.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That word struck me as oddly familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Haha, isn’t it amusing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paradise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the very ideal the Blood Demon sought to achieve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>**************\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the stillness of the space, a woman reclined slightly, her half-lidded eyes lazily open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her amethyst eyes, resembling the sky and stars of this land, and the long tails extending behind her, radiated an undeniable presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman, whose breathing was calm yet faintly labored, repeatedly furrowed her elegant brow as if something was bothering her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her slender, jade-like fingers tapped lightly against her furrowed brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is strange.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A discomfort lingered, heavy and oppressive.Her frustration grew, her delicate brow knitting deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did she feel this way?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The source of her unease was a face she had seen not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why does it keep coming to mind?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because it was a face she hadn’t seen in a long time?Or was it because she had thought such things had long been erased, making the memory stand out more?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought as much, but it didn’t feel like the whole story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I can’t understand it.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The face had undoubtedly belonged to a dragon.A species that had sinned, broken cosmic laws, and faced annihilation. They had been banished from Mangye as punishment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘They’ve reappeared.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could such a species show itself in this land again?It was beyond her comprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Dragon King must still be enduring punishment.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That arrogant and loathsome being had long since disappeared from sight.How, then, had this situation come to be now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And more importantly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s irritating.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the two hatchling dragons, the face of one in particular lingered, stirring unease within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dragon with piercing blue eyes.Its black fur and fierce gaze left a distinct impression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know why, but the face of that dragon continued to clutter her thoughts, leaving her increasingly agitated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she mulled over this, deeply engrossed in her frustrations—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[My master.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man appeared in the space, kneeling before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[The captain has returned.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his words, the woman straightened slightly.If he had returned, did that mean the mission was a success?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had they succeeded in killing the dragon?The thought sent a faint shiver through her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[However, he reports that he was unable to carry out your will due to unforeseen interference.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes flickered subtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Failure? I had assumed he would succeed.”[An outsider intervened and obstructed his mission.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An outsider.At that word, her expression briefly tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, this outsider had become something of a nuisance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I extended my mercy… Why would they make such a choice?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was puzzling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had exchanged mutual promises, fulfilling each other's desires. Why, then, had he chosen this path?And more than that, how had he succeeded?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Breaking the terms of their agreement shouldn’t have been possible. What trick had he used?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the woman sank deeper into her thoughts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What shall we do?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man asked, looking toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m not sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her reply, uncharacteristically uncertain, left him visibly taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His reaction betrayed his surprise at her ambiguous answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll need to think on it for a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Understood.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite his questions, he said no more.His master’s words were always absolute. He was certain this time would be no different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With unwavering confidence in her, the man bowed and remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>",2173,"2026-06-05T15:10:21.117Z",1,"novelbin.me","2c6c5198fd38319fadd95ded0dabc3d26f9d41dcf9096dc4aa4b35491a3489ce","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-845","childhood-friend-of-the-zenith-chapter-902",974,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fchildhood-friend-of-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]