Childhood Friend of the Zenith

Crack—!!

Something inside my body was shattering. It cracked and splintered like a breaking vessel, the sharp, ringing noise drowning out all other sounds in my ears.

"Khuhhh…!!"

I was being consumed.

My vision was turning completely white.

Everything was white. And yet, it burned like madness.

As the heat surged and rose, threatening to burn my entire body to ashes—

'This…'

—Inside, I felt nothing but emptiness.

My once-full dantian had emptied in an instant.

Within the raging heat, that hollow space felt chilling and unbearably cold.

'What is this?'

What was happening?

This was completely unexpected.

I had taken a direct hit to my chest—my heart had nearly burst apart. But now, none of that mattered.

Not only had my blood vessels expanded uncontrollably—

Crack—! Crack-crack—!

My skin, my flesh, my bones—

Everything was reacting.

As if my body had forcibly triggered a Qi Transmutation Technique, my very being was changing.

CRACK—!!

And the breaking continued. Over and over again.

'This is…'

Amidst the endless transformations, I realized one thing.

'…The energies are fighting.'

Every single force inside me—

Starting with the Nine Flames Firewheel Qi,

To my True Qi and Demonic Qi, the power of sorcery, and even the energy of White Flame—

All of them were clashing, colliding, grinding against each other.

This was the aftermath.

Boom—! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!!

"Khak!"

The impact detonated within me. It wasn't just a vibration anymore—this was an outright explosion.

It felt like I was going to explode and die at any moment.

The pain was one thing, but my body was already in shambles, and my mind was on the verge of breaking apart.

'Damn it—'

I had long since collapsed to my knees. Even as I barely held myself up by pressing my hands against the ground—

Boom—! BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!!

The relentless explosions showed no sign of stopping.

"Khuh… ugh…!"

What the hell was happening?

Why had my energies suddenly gone berserk inside my body?

And of all places, why the middle dantian?

'The heart…'