Childhood Friend of the Zenith

The cold air was the first sign of fall turning to winter.

Once you felt the breeze getting chillier and the colorful leaves began withering away, you could tell that winter had arrived.

Of course, it was still too early to say that it was now winter, but it wouldn’t be long until all the flora in the forest changed.

At the training ground of the Gu Clan.

Blaze.

A flame was swaying inside.

Unlike the cold air outside, the large room was filled with heat.

Giant flames moving in a circle filled the surroundings, and my fiercely blazing Qi felt like it would explode…

Don’t lose focus.

Even so, I was being careful with my control so that it wouldn’t explode.

While enduring the tremors that felt like it would explode at any moment, I compressed my Qi and moved it.

My Dantian felt like it was squeezing itself due to the recoil, but my body was maintaining control with sharp precision.

Gather.

When I whispered the command, the flames that were scattered instantly gathered in my palm.

Swoosh-!

A strong wind blew.

Due to the wind formed by the Qi, my hair flailed about, but I didn’t concern myself with it.

Right now, I had to focus on perfecting myself.

“Phew…”

Only after my flames stopped vibrating, was I finally able to open my eyes that were closed shut.

Instead of the small white hand I first saw after I regressed, I could now see a larger hand that had become rough.

And on top of that hand, was a small red sphere.

It was only the size of my fingernail, but it shone brilliantly.

After seeing it, I spoke with a sigh.

“…I finally succeeded.”

I couldn’t even imagine how much Qi was stored inside that small marble.

At least more than half of my Qi was used, and that amount of Qi was compressed multiple times.

If I relaxed my focus right now, it would’ve exploded and the blast would be strong enough to blow away everything in my immediate surroundings.

Though it’s not at all worth it.

Just making this tiny marble had taken more than half of my Qi, which meant that with my current strength, I would only be able to use this once.

Though, I used it well in my past life.

Back then, excluding the Heavenly Demon, I possessed the most Qi, so I was able to use this technique without having to compress my Qi or worry about controlling it.

But … I can’t do that now.

Kwak.

I clenched my fist holding the marble and made it scatter everywhere.

I popped it in order to retrieve the Qi, but a wave of wind shot outward and shook the entire training ground.

Flaming Sphere.

It was a martial skill that could only be achieved after one reached a certain stage of the Destructive Flame Arts.

I reached it.

That meant that my Destructive Flame Arts had finally reached the 6th rank.

Furthermore,

Only one step to go to reach Fusion Realm.

Just like when I was about to reach Peak Realm back then, I only had one step left.

…I reached this far way faster than I expected.

I expected that I would reach such a level after I crossed twenty, but it happened much earlier than I expected.

Was it because I consumed a lot of Qi and Demonic Stones?

Or perhaps was it because I had reached Peak Realm at a young age?

I didn’t know if it was because the speed of my Qi becoming one with my body was fast or not.

…But that final step is the hardest step.

The wall blocking my top Dantian was way too high and thick.

It was going to take me a while as I lacked power to break through andI couldn’t dig into an opening like I did to reach Peak Realm.

Still,

It’s a big achievement for me to reach the 6th rank.

Me training every day and consistently was finally showing results.

Just to make this stupid little marble, I went through hassle after hassle.

“…I think I can relax a little.”

It wasn’t because I wanted to use the new martial skill, but because the best and fastest way to reach 6th rank was to train using the Flaming Sphere.

I needed to have precise control over my Qi and endure an incredible amount of pressure entering my body.

To endure all that and control the flow of my Qi?

That is training alright.

Despite being fall, it felt like I spent my day under the scorching sun outside.

Anyway, I achieved my goal, so…

“I think I can rest a little from no- “

-Young Master.

“…Hmm?”

As I was dusting myself off, I heard a voice from outside.

“What.”

-I am delivering a message from the steward. The Lord wants to see the Young Master.

“…”

After hearing the voice outside, I instinctively felt that I wasn’t going to be allowed to rest like I wished to.

******************After receiving the steward’s message, I entered the Lord’s house and went to his room.

Now that I’d been there a few times, the place had become familiar to me.

“I heard you called for me.”

“Yes.”

Though father’s gaze was obviously still as uncomfortable as ever, he observed me from head to toe with a quick glance.

“Hmm.”

Then, I noticed a slight change in the expression in his eyes.

He noticed.

It seemed like he had noticed that I had reached the 6th rank.

As always, he was keen as ever.

Also,

Despite reaching 6th rank, I was still unable to see father’s heat.

That meant that he was either concealing its presence, or our levels were so apart that I couldn’t even dare to sense it.

Whichever it was, my father’s strength still felt surreal.

…A monster like him is only considered to be on the same level as one of the Hundred Masters of the Central Plains?

Impossible.

I had seen him in my past life, and it was definitely impossible to rank father on the same level as them.

He was simply hiding his fangs.

After noticing my change, my father spoke.

“Not bad.”

“…Thank you.”

It was a compliment, but I didn’t really feel anything.

What a trivial compliment that was.

“Third child.”

“Yes.”

“Why do you think I called you here?”

“…”

I didn’t know…?

What the –, was I caught doing something?

What was it?

Did he find out that I was the one who destroyed the training ground during my training the last time?

But it was hard to call that trouble because of the number of times I’d done it already.

If that wasn’t the case, was he perhaps referring to the time when the entire mountain was engulfed in flames when the First Elder tried sparring with me to teach me a few things?

Honestly, that was mostly on the First Elder.

He threw his fist at me calling it a lesson, so how could I just run away?

“…I’m not sure.”

Way too many things came to mind, so I wasn’t really sure.

Father nodded at my response, pulled out a letter from his pocket and handed it to me.

“I have not called you here for a special reason.”

I took the letter from my father and opened it.

“Oh.”

Inside it was information I had forgotten about as I had been completely focused on my training.

-Notice on entering the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

Following that heading, a bunch of lines filled the letter, but I was able to summarize it all in two lines.

-A blood relative who has received this letter can take the test to enter the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

-You may not take the test even if you are late by a day.

…So it came.

I knew that it would soon be winter and that the awaited day was drawing closer, but it kinda slipped my mind because I was focused on training.

The Heavenly Dragon Academy, huh.

It was a place I hadn’t attended in my past life.

Well, to be more accurate, I couldn’t attend it because I failed the test.

Fuck me…

Thinking about it now, it was rather embarrassing.

I could’ve just entered freely because of where I came from, but since I had too much pride and said that I didn’t need such a thing…

I failed like I deserved to.

At that time, Father didn’t say anything, but I would have to assume that he was pretty embarrassed inside.

And my eldest sister, Gu Huibi, also attended the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

I heard that she was either ranked first or second there, and that Peng Woojin was her classmate.

All they should be doing is educating us, so why are they even ranking everyone?

Was it because they were obsessed with ranking everything, that they even ranked this as well?

“You are telling me to attend it, right?”

“Yes.”

I asked that question hoping that father would tell me I didn’t have to attend if I didn’t want to, but father’s response was firm.

…Fuck my life.

He was lenient when it came to other matters, but with matters like this, he didn’t go easy.

It didn’t seem like he really cared in my past life and it looked like he had expected that I would fail the test.

But how can I fail this time?

I had grown too much to be able to swim in the same pool as the other young prodigies.

It wasn’t like I was being arrogant or anything, but because there was no way that there would be any young prodigy that could match my current level.

Peng Woojin would be the only one… and I’m not sure about the Water Dragon.

Putting aside Peng Woojin, as it was difficult to call him a young prodigy at this point, and I wasn’t sure about the Water Dragon as I had still not met him at this point of time.

As for Gu Huibi, I had never sparred against her seriously, but at this point, I didn’t think that I would lose to her.

I could’ve just sparred with her to find out, but when I thought about Gu Huibi becoming happy if I asked her to, I didn’t feel like doing so.

Of course, it wasn’t just young prodigies who attended the Heavenly Dragon Academy, but that was its main goal.

It was an educational institution made for talented young prodigies.

I guess one could call it a gathering space for geniuses.

Though they don’t really teach you martial arts, and only prepare the young prodigies to join the swordsmen army.

In my eyes, it was only a political thing meant for building connections.

Many people knew that as well and that was why they tried their best to send their children.

The flow of the world had already changed too much for them to care about justice any longer.

“You will depart in four days.”

“…Understood.”

Despite knowing all that, I didn’t argue against my father's words because I also had a few things I needed to do at the Academy and a few people I had to find and meet there.

I also have to go to the basement.

I had to go to the secret vault hidden in the Heavenly Dragon Academy’s basement.

SInce I had to go there, then I might as well take everything from there.

I had to empty the secret vault before the Heavenly Demon could.

Even so, I didn’t expect that I would actually go.

Though I was unable to convince myself that I was happy about it.

“I will start preparing as soon as I return home.”

This had already happened in my past life and I had more reasons to attend it than to run away, so I decided to accept it without much resistance.

“Alright. Make sure you take good care of the ones who are going to accompany you.”

“Yes… I’ll make sure I… Huh?”

Hearing father, I couldn’t help but frown for an instant.

“…Who are you telling me to take care of…? Is someone else coming with me?”

Still confused, I asked Father.

In response, Father took out another letter and handed it to me.

When I took the letter and checked the name, my expression only got darker.

******************It had been four days since that day.

It was still fall, but by the time I would arrive in Henan to attend the Heavenly Dragon Academy, it would be winter.

The tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes was also held in winter, but it was highly unlikely that it would take place in the Murim Alliance as it clashed with the opening of the Heavenly Dragon Academy.

“I don’t really have that many belongings, huh?”

I muttered after checking my stuff.

Compared to when I went to Anhui, it was way less.

“I was informed that you will be provided with everything there, so there was no need to pack a lot.”

“But what if I fail the test?”

“The Young Master? Failing the test?”

Hongwa responded as if I was acting strange.

Her trust in me felt way too heavy.

If things were like before, she would’ve obviously thought that I would’ve failed the test.

The fact that my servants were thinking differently of me in recent days made me feel rather uncomfortable.

I feel like this started happening after I got that damned title.

Ever since I had become one of the Six Dragons and Three Phoenixes in the tournament of Dragons and Phoenixes filled with snakes and birds, all my servants now looked at me as if each and every action of mine held a meaning, when they used to constantly complain before.

There was no meaning, guys.

“…Whatever. Please finish preparing.”

“Understood.”

After Hongwa showed respect and disappeared, I looked beside me with a sour face.

“I heard you are attending as well?”

Someone flinched in shock as soon as they heard my question.

Then I heard a voice.

“Yes… it turned out that way.”

It was Gu Jeolyub who was avoiding my eyes.

My father told me the last time that this bastard was also coming along with me.

I already know that this is the First Elder’s doing.

It wasn’t a big issue that he was coming with me.

Someone who I could use for chores was coming with me, so it was better for me,

And a bastard like him won’t fail.

At his level, Gu Jeolyub wouldn’t fail the test.

Though he hadn’t overcome his wall to reach Peak Realm, he did reach the peak of First-rate.

Making him roll around paid off.

Though I’ll seriously destroy him if he still gets beaten up.

If he came back to me after being beaten up, it only meant that he still didn’t know his place and his passion had gotten the best of him, so I had to destroy him.

However, Gu Jeolyub wasn’t the only problem, nor was I familiar with them.

Namgung Bi-ah was unexpected though.

I obviously thought that Moyong Hi-ah would be coming as well.

She kept telling me from time to time that she would come along if I was going, so I knew she would be coming.

However, as far as I remembered, Namgung Bi-ah didn’t go in my past life, so I was a bit surprised when she told me that she would come along.

She feels like she needs to in order to live in this world.

That’s what she told me.

Anyway, that wasn’t the important part.

“…So.”

Behind Gu Jeolyub, I could see a person who had put good distance between us as if she didn’t want to come any closer.

It was her that made me wonder what I should do in my current situation.

“You are coming as well, sis?”

“…”

The girl who had now become a lady, turned her head after hearing my call.

The lady who looked like Gu Huibi and was starting to resemble Lady Mi even more, finally made eye contact with me.

“…Yes.”

I didn’t know how long it had been since I heard her voice.

She tried her best to avoid me, but finally, we were able to face each other properly.

She was my second sister, and a direct blood relative of Gu Clan who would be called the Flaming Sword in the future.

Gu Yeonseo.