[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-journey-to-become-the-zenith":3,"chapter-journey-to-become-the-zenith-journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-76":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Journey to Become 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},1828613,2432,"Chapter 76: A Calm Blade","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-76",76,"\u003Cp>A Calm Blade\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor charged forward toward Alibaba, ignoring the swarm of villagers rushing around the chamber.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes were locked on a single target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necromancer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything else faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The echoing chamber, the clash of weapons behind him, the smell of rot in the air—it all blurred into the background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor bent his knee and launched himself forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ripple of wind gathered beneath his feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sky Step.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intermediate wind magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The spell compressed the surrounding air, turning invisible currents into solid platforms for brief moments. Each step hardened the air like a stone tile floating in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor stepped once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body soared above the villagers as if he were running across invisible stairs in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lane noticed it first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Victor’s using wind magic...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clara’s eyes widened slightly as she slammed her shield into the chest of a lunging corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So he can do that too...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Victor didn’t hear them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His focus was absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba watched the approaching figure carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necromancer had originally believed Victor to be a pure close-combat fighter—someone who used mana only to strengthen muscles and reflexes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wind magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And executed cleanly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy was far more versatile than he appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba lifted his skeletal hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Frozen Lance Rain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana gathered instantly above him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven jagged spears of ice materialized in the air, hovering like deadly stars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a casual flick of his wrist—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They launched forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The icy projectiles screamed through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s golden eyes tracked them instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He twisted his body mid-step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two spears sliced past his shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another grazed his coat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three more came straight at his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor swung his scythe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The curved blade shattered the ice spears one after another, shards exploding outward like crystal dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The final spear came from his blind side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It missed by a hair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba watched with growing curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy didn’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t shout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t taunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply moved forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that silence made the necromancer uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s mind was burning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That word echoed again and again inside his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba had slaughtered an entire village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experimented on their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corrupted their souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s grip tightened around the scythe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if this had been my village?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought arrived uninvited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He imagined the small wooden house he grew up in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mother cooking in the kitchen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The quiet nights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The warmth of human life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he imagined Alibaba standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cutting them down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Experimenting on their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rage flooded through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back in his previous life...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Supreme Demon Emperor...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of thing would not have angered him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demons lived by a simple rule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strong ruled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weak died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had lived as a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Loved as a human.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had gained emotions he never possessed before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right now those emotions were boiling out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart pounded violently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His mana churned like a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Diana’s voice inside his mind was drowned out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Victor—calm down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t hear her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor dropped from the final Sky Step and landed directly before Alibaba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steel rang as the scythe swung again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba raised his barrier just in time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The protective magic groaned under the force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The necromancer stepped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such raw killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba studied the boy closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite the anger radiating from him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s movements were still precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every swing efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every step balanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t wild rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was controlled destruction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This style...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba’s mind raced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the centuries he had seen countless warriors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assassins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sword saints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Victor’s style was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Optimized entirely for killing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could a boy who looks sixteen possess this level of mastery?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba’s curiosity grew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Victor died...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could simply harvest the boy’s memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba raised his hand again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Grasp of the Abyss.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stone beneath Victor’s feet darkened instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A circular shadow spread outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s instincts screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chains erupted from the darkness—solid black tendrils snapping upward like striking serpents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor kicked off the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He rose into the air again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chains snapped at empty space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor twisted mid-air and slashed downward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scythe carved through the shadow chains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They dissolved like smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor landed several steps away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two fighters stared at each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Torchlight flickered between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breathing steadied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Control it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rage inside him was still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was forcing it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His fingers loosened slightly around the scythe handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor inhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chaotic mana inside his body gradually settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above his head—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Six needle-like blades floated silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hovered like loyal predators waiting for his command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba noticed them now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor shifted his stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right hand above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left hand below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The scythe blade curved behind his back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His left foot slid forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right foot braced his weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body lowered slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A perfect killing stance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba’s eye flames flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This boy...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments ago Victor had been a storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt like a drawn blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice calm again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sorry about that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba tilted his skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s golden eyes met the necromancer’s burning gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Showing you such an unsightly battle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You call that unsightly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His skeletal fingers flexed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My boy...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Most people would call that terrifying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me something.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice carried curiosity again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did you learn that fighting style?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor slowly lifted the scythe again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alibaba paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s lips curved faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I lived it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Alibaba chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How fascinating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana gathered around his skeletal hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark energy condensed like liquid night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...let us see how long that style keeps you alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Victor’s floating needles rotated slowly above his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the duel continued.\u003C\u002Fp>",1002,"2026-06-09T06:06:36.927Z",1,"novelbin.me","4b91f1f6ebde648d73ae96bb485f713c5be2742754887e5046b5474436f182e5","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-77","journey-to-become-the-zenith-chapter-75",253,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fjourney-to-become-the-zenith-cover.jpg"]