Childhood Friend of the Zenith Novel MTL - Chapter 1058

Chapter 1058

Hwaaaaa—

A shower of petals raining down from the heavens, holding my vision captive.

They blossomed without end, as though striving to cloak the dull sky and the emptiness below with their breathtaking beauty.

A field suspended in the air. So stunning and immaculate that even my weary eyes were captured by it.

All the more because these petals weren’t a natural occurrence, but a manifestation of someone’s profound will and understanding.

How could I not feel reverence?

“Hah…”

A soft, empty sigh escaped me. What is this? The petals were so exquisite I found my hand lifting on its own. As my fingers gently grazed one, it shivered faintly and drifted through my grasp.

The feeling was unmistakable.

It was undeniably the texture of a real flower petal.

“……!”

But the instant I made contact, I couldn’t conceal my astonishment.

“……What manner of energy compression is this?”

Every single petal contained a density of power that was far beyond ordinary. I had never seen internal energy compressed to such an intense degree.

It reminded me of what Shin Noya constantly stressed in his lessons.

Compression.

A martial artist’s strength is determined by how they condense their energy and how they unleash it—hadn’t that been his teaching?

As if to exemplify those words, Shin Noya’s petals were utterly saturated with his insight.

I stood motionless, completely absorbed in wonder.

“Isn’t it a little early for that?”

An old voice, tinged with humor, brushed against my ear.

“Don’t merely watch the petals. Observe the roots that give them life.”

At Shin Noya’s words, my focus shifted.

His back came into view.

A massive back that seemed too large for his frail body.

The old man stood facing away from me, his sword held loosely at his side.

Paaaarrr.

It wasn’t the soft blue it had turned after drawing in my energy—this was its true form, the one I had first encountered. A blade overflowing with a deep, blood-red aura.

As I watched without a word—

Tuk—!

The trembling petals froze in mid-air.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was as if time itself had stopped. That eerie feeling locked my eyes onto Noya’s back.

“How peculiar.”

A voice, slicing through the silence, came from the figure opposite him.

“Truly peculiar.”

A man with sky-blue hair and pupils of solid white.

The most bizarre entity of all had the audacity to call something else strange.

“What do you mean?”

Shin Noya replied, his tone even.

“How can a vessel so insignificant in size contain so much? In a way, it is commendable.”

“You sound genuine, but receiving praise from you feels rather unwelcome.”

“It is remarkable. Had you advanced just one step further—a single step—you might have been the first to shatter your confines and ascend to the heavens.”

“The heavens, you say.”

Shin Noya gave a low chuckle at those words.

“What a futile notion. Why would I need to climb there?”

He began to move, slowly. With each deliberate step, the petals followed him, swirling in his wake.

“I have no interest in lofty heights. To plant a seed and nurture it into a single tree—that is satisfaction enough for me.”

“A tree?”

“Yes. This sword—this is my tree. What do you think? It’s not so bad, is it?”

Hwaaaaaaaaa—!!!

The petals, carried by the wind, began swirling toward Noya’s sword, Gui-jeong.

Petal after petal, compressing tighter and tighter.

To gather such densely packed energy without it collapsing under its own pressure—such a feat was beyond me. Yet, Noya accomplished it.

“This is my tree.”

“Hmmm……”

“You said your name was Taechon, correct? I do not know of your ‘heaven.’ But for me—this is sufficient.”

‘Taechon?’

My eyes narrowed at the name. Taechon—I had heard that name before.

‘That’s…’

It was the name of one of the concealed Great Demon Realms (Daemagyeongmun) hidden by the Martial Alliance (Murimmaeng).

Even without that—

‘……It’s what the Shadow King mentioned.’

The realm Amwang (Shadow King) once journeyed to—its sovereign was called Taechon.

‘It can’t be.’

Was this man truly Taechon himself?

Why would a being of that stature be here?

‘And he has taken the form of a crow—’

Was it possible that the mastermind behind the crow’s plots… was him?

It was incomprehensible. What would someone like Taechon be doing here?

As bewilderment seized me—

“A tree, you say? I approve.”

Taechon, watching Noya, gave a nod.

“I respect it. And I acknowledge it. Your tree—it possesses value.”

“Well, I thank you for that.”

“Then—show me. Demonstrate how much you can contain within such a modest soul and form.”

“You wish for a performance?”

Heh. Heh. Heh.

Noya laughed heartily, a rich and full sound.

The gathered petals—at last—took form.

“Very well. I consider myself quite skilled at such demonstrations.”

A sword, stained a profound, profound crimson.

The moment I saw it, a chill traveled down my spine.

That was no simple blade.

‘A plum blossom tree.’

It was—

The plum blossom tree I had seen so many times in the past.

The scent it carried. The vitality, the radiance, and the elegance.

A martial technique that was the embodiment of nature itself.

As a martial artist, it was an awe that shook my very core.

‘……It’s real.’

It was possible—this was the proof.

A cold sweat beaded on my back, and every hair on my body stood upright.

That vision struck a primal chord within me as a warrior.

And then—

“Boy.”

Noya called out to me.

I could not answer. I could not find my voice.

“Watch closely.”

It seemed Noya expected no reply, for he moved his sword with tranquil elegance.

A single stroke through the air left a faint, crimson trail—as if drawn with liquid pigment.

Its name — Plum Blossom.

Plum Blossom.

No embellishments. No grand proclamations.

Only the name—Plum Blossom.

And I understood.

‘It bloomed, it grew, and it came to rest in his hand—that is all.’

It retained its life. It remained authentic.

Though crafted from pure internal energy, it was unquestionably a plum blossom.

This, I realized, was the essence of Shin Noya’s art.

“Yes.”

My lips, which had refused to open, finally parted.

“This is my tree. Do you see it?”
“……I see it.”
“The tree you cultivate does not need to be a tree. Nevertheless, concentrate on what you can manifest. What will you bring into bloom?”

“……”

I had no answer.

Manifest something? It doesn’t have to be a tree? What could I possibly create? I had never considered it before.

And once again, now was no different.

“Remember this.”

Noya did not press me for a response. This was not a question he wanted answered.

“It does not matter what you become, or what you aspire to be. If you are to live as a martial artist, understand what you wish to achieve and strive for it. That is all that is required.”
“……”
“Observe carefully from here on.”

Noya moved.

The Plum Blossoms trembled.

Their fragrance saturated the air.

“This is my tree.”

The life Noya had lived, cradled in his hand, blotted out the sky.

Like a gentle wind, the tree drifted on the breeze.

I was captivated by the immense petals. Blossoms opened on the sprouting branches. They curtained the gray heavens.

Plum Blossom.

The old man’s life descended upon Taechon.

KUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNG—!!!!

The sky was torn in two. The fabric of the gray firmament was ripped apart by a single swing.

“Ha.”

Taechon laughed.

Though he caught the strike with his spear, his arm shook fiercely, betraying the strain.

“Magnificent—!”

His voice rose in volume.

“It’s the brink. You are nearly there.”

What was nearly there?

What did he mean by the brink?

I didn’t completely grasp it, but somehow, I felt that I did.

“Show me. Prove that you can attain it through your own power.”

The sword slid. Noya’s blade wavered, and with the next motion, it continued.

Two cleavages.

Two strikes divided the mountain. A cross-shaped scar appeared in the sky.

KUGUGUNNNG—!!!

The earth quaked violently. Taechon tapped the ground lightly with his foot. Instantly, enormous tentacles burst forth from the soil.

They were vastly larger than any before.

Tentacles, each the size of a Crimson-Rank Beast, surged upward, driving straight for Noya.

Noya observed calmly, giving his sword a brief flick.

PANG—! PANGPANGPANG—!!!

The tentacles exploded into fragments, and through the opening, Noya advanced.

It wasn’t speed—just a simple step, his sword moving with grace.

One strike after another rattled the heavens.

Beneath them, the Heart Sword materialized.

Taechon smiled upon seeing it.

“Astounding.”

KUNG—! KWAGAGANNNG—!!!

The Heart Sword plunged into the ground. The impact caused the earth to buck and shudder.

Taechon’s upper body shattered—fractured and broken.

Yet his gaze never left Noya.

“I covet you. I desire you, Shin Cheol.”

Interest had twisted into obsession.

As he spoke, Noya’s Plum Blossom thrust toward his throat.

KANG—!!

It did not penetrate.

Noya’s Plum Blossom was halted by some invisible barrier.

But it was irrelevant.

Plum Blossom Formation.

Noya leaned his body into it, pouring all his strength into overcoming the obstruction.

KIIIIIIIIIIIIIK—!!!!

“Huh.”

Even without cutting the barrier—
Noya, drawing a deep breath, pushed onward.

KWADUK—!!

And finally—

He broke through.

Taechon, witnessing it, stretched his lips into a wider, grinning slash.

“You have reached it.”

A brief utterance.

A quiet note of praise.

“Divinity.”

The tip of the Plum Blossom touched his throat. It was poised to end him.

“Congratulations—”

Taechon, mid-sentence, was interrupted.

Crunch.

“……What?”

His eyes widened at the noise.

Gui-jeong fell.

The arm that had been holding it was turning to dust.

“……Noya!”

Seeing it, I sprinted toward him without a second thought.