Childhood Friend of the Zenith-Chapter 733: Collapse (5)
Once more, the Yellow Radiant Armor flared to life.
Clad in armor, the Divine Dragon gasped for air.
"Hah... Huff... Huff...."
The once-glorious radiance of the armor had long since faded.
Whether it was the aftermath of the explosion or the battle itself, it was barely holding its shape.
It existed now for one reason—to block the explosion.
"Ugh..."
The Divine Dragon staggered, his body trembling from the excessive Qi expenditure.
And yet—
He did not release the Yellow Radiant Armor.
Not yet.
The attack wasn’t over.
Fwoosh—!!!
Flames roared toward him.
The Divine Dragon raised both arms, bracing against the fire.
Crash—!!
"Gaaahhhhh!!!"
The impact slammed into him directly.
He barely managed to block the heat.
Blood poured from his wounds, soaking his robes.
His right arm—he was certain now—was broken.
It hurt.
Had he ever been wounded like this before?
No.
Not like this.
"Hraaaghhhh!!!"
Unable to withstand the force, he fell to one knee.
The flames pressed on, refusing to relent.
He had seen it earlier—Gu Yangcheon releasing flames for tens of seconds.
But how?
Where was all this Qi coming from?
‘...He said he used half...?’
Now that he thought about it, it was laughable.
Was this what remained after using only half?
‘Who... are you...?’
Who was this man?
How could he be so different from the person he had seen at the Gathering of Dragons and Phoenixes?
Humans were supposed to share the same time.
‘Did you walk while I ran?’
‘Or did you run while I crawled?’
He didn’t know.
He didn’t know anything anymore.
"Raaaghhhh...!!!"
He screamed, enduring.
That was all he could do.
He couldn’t win.
He had realized that the moment the fight began.
And yet—
‘So what?’
Hadn’t he already known that?
Or perhaps—
Back then, there had been hope.
Maybe his efforts would be enough to catch up.
Maybe the target he admired wasn’t so far away.
Maybe if he fought, he could win.
That’s what he had believed.
But after fighting—
He knew.
They didn’t stand in the same place.
Even when it seemed like Gu Yangcheon was ahead, it was because he had already circled the path and returned to the front.
He couldn’t be caught.
He couldn’t be reached.
If Gu Yangcheon didn’t look back, the Divine Dragon couldn’t even see him.
That was the difference between them.
Recognizing this, the Divine Dragon asked himself again—
‘So what?’
Did that mean he should give up?
"Hraaahhh—!!!"
No.
‘Not at all.’
Boom—!!
The Yellow Radiant Armor flared.
His conviction seeped into the armor, stabilizing it.
Not only did it recover its form—it grew stronger and sturdier.
"What the f—?"
Gu Yangcheon let out a breathless laugh, flames still flickering around him.
The Yellow Radiant Armor was glowing again.
"This crazy bastard."
His Qi had stabilized.
The incomplete martial art had evolved, and the strengthened armor not only blocked the assault but began pushing back.
‘You’re getting stronger mid-fight? Unbelievable.’
Even after taking such a beating, he found enlightenment?
The Divine Dragon’s Qi hadn’t increased.
If anything, it had decreased.
He had spent far too much.
This was simply—
‘Efficiency.’
He had stopped wasting energy and begun converting it into power.
It was enough to make Gu Yangcheon laugh.
‘Seong Yul could learn a thing or two from this.’
He should have already given up.
He should have been drowning in despair.
And yet, the Divine Dragon’s presence only grew heavier.
‘I’ll overcome this.’
That was all his aura expressed.
‘Damn geniuses.’
They learned one thing and immediately mastered ten.
It pissed him off.
Gu Yangcheon had to work just to master one thing at a time.
He was definitely annoyed—
But somehow, he found himself smiling.
Clench.
Gu Yangcheon shifted his footing.
The flames didn’t stop.
He lunged, closing the distance.
"...!"
The Divine Dragon flinched and raised his arms.
But Gu Yangcheon was already in his face.
Buzz!
The flames condensed, wrapping around his leg.
Nine Flames Firewheel Kick.
The burning strike smashed into the Divine Dragon’s arm—
Specifically, his right arm.
Crunch—!! Boom—!!
The flames tore through the Yellow Radiant Armor.
"Grrraaaahhh!!"
The Divine Dragon gritted his teeth.
Of all places, it struck his broken arm.
Gu Yangcheon had aimed there deliberately.
But—
Clack—!
"What the hell?"
The Divine Dragon suddenly grabbed Gu Yangcheon’s ankle with his left hand.
Ssssssss—!!
"Hraaaaagh!!!"
The flames seared his palm.
But even through the agonizing pain, he refused to let go.
Screaming, he clutched Gu Yangcheon’s ankle even tighter.
Buzz—!!
"You crazy bastard... Seriously?"
With his broken right arm, the Divine Dragon unleashed the Divine Fist toward Gu Yangcheon.
Gu Yangcheon burst into laughter at the sight.
"I like it."
Boom—!!
The Divine Dragon’s desperate strike slammed into Gu Yangcheon’s chest.
Rumble—!!!
Gu Yangcheon’s body was hurled through the air.
"Huff!"
But even as he saw it, the Divine Dragon didn’t stop.
He kept throwing punches with all his might.
Boom! Boom! Boom—!!!
The continuous bursts of the Divine Fist hammered the arena.
"Huff! Huff!"
Sweat and blood poured down his body, but the Divine Dragon didn’t stop.
Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!
With each strike, his Qi drained violently.
His legs trembled.
His core screamed in exhaustion, and his shattered bones warned him that one more move could end it all.
That he might die if he kept going.
That there might not be another chance.
He didn’t care.
‘I don’t care.’
Even if he died here, he would finish what he started.
That’s what he believed.
And so, the Divine Dragon kept pushing—
Slip—!
"...!!"
But his body gave out.
The accumulated fatigue finally collapsed his legs, and he had to stop attacking.
"Huff... Huff...!"
Barely managing to steady himself, dizziness overwhelmed him.
"Haa... Huff... Huff...."
Even breathing felt painful.
Drool ran down his lips, but he didn’t bother wiping it away.
His eyes stayed locked forward.
Beyond the cloud of dust and scattered debris.
The Divine Dragon stared only at that spot.
Had it ended after all that?
No.
He didn’t think about something so meaningless.
He knew.
He hadn’t won.
He could feel it.
And as if to prove him right—
"Ptoo."
Gu Yangcheon’s voice came from within the dust.
Moments later, the dust settled.
"Damn, that really hurt."
Gu Yangcheon stepped forward with a slightly tired expression.
Blood dripped from his chest, soaking his clothes.
But as the Divine Dragon looked closer, his face twisted.
‘...Nothing’s changed?’
He had clearly landed the hits.
Most of his strikes had connected, yet Gu Yangcheon looked only slightly fatigued.
‘Is he a monster...?’
Was this even human?
What kind of body could endure this?
Doubts began to creep into his mind.
"Hey."
"...!"
Gu Yangcheon called out to him.
"Just so you know."
He slowly lowered his hand.
"You’d better dodge this."
There was no need to ask what he meant.
"...Grr."
Energy began to condense in ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Gu Yangcheon’s hand.
The Divine Dragon’s instincts screamed at him to move.
But his legs wouldn’t budge.
Fwoosh—!!
It wasn’t just the same blue sphere as before.
The Divine Dragon’s heart pounded wildly as the flames shifted and changed shape.
It was dangerous.
His instincts hammered him with warnings.
But he still couldn’t move.
In the end, the flames solidified into the form of a spear in Gu Yangcheon’s hand.
"... ..."
It was obvious at a glance—
That weapon was deadly.
The heat radiating from the spear distorted the air around it.
He had to run.
He couldn’t face it.
Now—run!
A sliver of reason screamed in his ear.
Sssshk.
But the Divine Dragon clenched his fist.
Clank—!
He activated the Yellow Radiant Armor again.
"... ..."
"... ..."
They locked eyes without speaking.
No further warnings or words were needed.
"Hup!"
Gu Yangcheon threw the spear with all his might.
Screech—!!!
The rotating spear tore through the air, heading straight for the Divine Dragon.
Boom—!!!
The moment it hit the armor, an earth-shaking roar erupted.
"Grrrrraaaaaahhh!!!"
Crack—!
The Divine Dragon’s feet dug into the ground as he was pushed back.
"Ugh... Aaaaaghhh!!!"
Crack.
The armor began to shatter.
At this rate, it would pierce through.
This wasn’t something that could simply be blocked.
Just as Gu Yangcheon warned—it was unstoppable.
So what could he do?
‘Redirect it.’
He had to change the angle.
Even holding out was impossible—he had to force it off course.
"Ughhh!!"
There was no question of whether he could do it.
He had to.
Immediately, the Divine Dragon concentrated his Qi into his broken right arm.
The armor condensed at a single point, strengthening its defense.
Then—
"Huff..."
He raised his right arm slightly and—
Whack—!!
Smashed his left arm into it.
Bang—!!
His arm twisted from the impact.
Screech—!!!
The spear’s trajectory shifted upward.
Moments later—
Boom—!!!
It exploded in the sky, far above the arena.
"Huff... Huff..."
The Divine Dragon’s trembling body stared at the aftermath.
He had done it.
"I blocked it...?"
He...
"I blocked—!!"
Whoosh.
"...?"
Something flashed past him—
Boom—!!!
"Kuhak!?!"
The explosion from behind hurled his body across the arena.
Staggering, he turned back—
"...What...?"
He couldn’t say anything.
The arena was in ruins.
What the hell had just happened?
As confusion filled his mind—
"Why are you celebrating already?"
Gu Yangcheon’s voice rang out.
The Divine Dragon turned his trembling head—
And there he was.
Holding another spear.
"What? Thought saving yourself once meant you won?"
The Divine Dragon stared blankly at the spear.
Gu Yangcheon grinned.
"There’s one more. Want to try again?"
"...Hah...."
The Divine Dragon muttered.
"...Screw you."
It was the first curse he had ever spoken in his life.
Try again?
That?
"..."
After agonizing for several seconds, the Divine Dragon met Gu Yangcheon’s gaze.
"I... concede."
It was impossible to continue.
He let out a deep sigh and admitted defeat.
The referee, already prepared, shouted—
"V-Victory goes to... Gu... Yangcheon!"
And shortly after—
"Waaaahhhhhh—!!!"
Cheers erupted throughout the arena.
"Wooooo—!!!"
"So Yeomra! So Yeomra! So Yeomra!"
Without a doubt, it was the loudest cheer the Martial Arts Festival had ever heard.
