Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Kuuuuuu—!!!

The clouds poured down. That was the only way to describe it.

A force of nature created through martial arts. No—something beyond martial arts. It rained down upon me relentlessly.

Kugugung.

The ground, reinforced by my energy, cracked with a sharp sound. Flames surged around my body. Tua Heaven-Shattering Dance alone wasn’t enough.

I knew it instinctively.

I’ll die.

If I let my guard down—if I even slightly faltered—I would die.

The sheer presence radiating from my opponent made that clear.

This is different from Mangye.

Judging by strength, it's like the apostle Teachon, no less.....

Or the one who had hidden as my mother’s general—perhaps they were stronger.

But by pure instinct—this one is far more dangerous.

From what I could feel, this version of Paejon was far deadlier.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gak—!!!

The clouds crashed down, sweeping through everything. My body moved quickly. I became a flicker of fire, breaking the sound barrier as I tore through the battlefield.

But—

“You won’t escape.”
“……!”

I reached my target—only to find Paejon already standing there.

“If you rely only on your eyes, you’ll get yourself killed, disciple.”

Kwoong—!!
Kwaduduk—!!!

The protective energy around my chest shattered.

I had barely avoided a direct hit.

Only because I had sensed it at the last moment and pulled back.

Had I been even a fraction too slow—

My chest would have caved in.

Paejon’s punch wasn’t just a simple strike.

How much energy is he layering over that fist?

That Heaven-Shattering Stormcloud …

That wasn’t just a technique for mass destruction.

No… if anything, that description is too accurate.

An overwhelming expansion of range.

Yet, each attack retained the same devastating power.

Normally, when a technique’s range increased, its force would weaken—that was the fundamental flaw of any martial art that prioritized firepower.

It was true that my flames had played a massive role in the war during my past life.

But if I had to analyze it critically…

In one-on-one combat, they weren’t as effective.

I had neglected compression and rotation, focusing only on expansion and firepower as I developed my techniques.

Of course—

If I had reached my grandfather’s level with that approach, it would have been fine.

If I had achieved that level of mastery, it could have worked out.

But in one-on-one battles, compression was the key.

Gathering power. Amplifying it.

Like how a focused stream is stronger than a scattered flood.

I had been striving toward compression.

And in that regard, Tua Pacheonmu was overwhelming.

A technique of pure accumulation.