I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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54.

As soon as Gi-rim first dropped her seed onto the ground, the soil swallowed the seed on its own and breathed deeply. Then a sprout burst forth from the mound that suddenly rose up, growing at a terrifying speed and transforming into a tree.

As if time had been accelerated, the instantly grown tree shot up high into the sky and spread its branches, from which hundreds of green leaves bloomed to cover the heavens. It was as if an intricately carved ceiling had been etched into the Great Hall that had no ceiling.

Exclamations of admiration burst forth from various places at that beautiful sight.

Seon-o also raised his head to look up at Gi-rim’s tree. Even though he knew what would happen, he couldn’t take his eyes off the wondrous spectacle.

“A hawthorn tree.”

When So-yoon quietly murmured, Seon-o’s breathing slowed.

The hawthorn tree was the tree that appeared in the prophecy Ji-woon had conveyed.

“Huh? Hawthorn trees can grow this big? Isn’t that a really small tree?”

“Since it’s imbued with divine power, naturally it would be so. What’s lacking about it?”

“As expected, our Lord Bu’s words are harsh. Lord Gwak, is this really a hawthorn tree?”

When Chae-gyo asked curiously, Gi-rim kindly answered.

“Lord Bu’s words are correct. It is indeed a hawthorn tree.”

Gi-rim’s eyes were full of affection as she looked at her hawthorn tree that had grown tall. This gateway’s task would surely approach Gi-rim, who was a Wood Power superhuman, in a special way.

After confirming the power of the seed, the candidates all dropped their seeds at once, and their seeds also quickly sprouted like Gi-rim’s. In the blink of an eye, fully grown trees amicably divided and covered the ceiling of the Great Hall, creating the illusion that the Great Hall’s design had finally been completed. It made one wonder if this process had been planned from the very beginning.

Once all the seeds were planted, blue fire rose high from the brazier again and a new divine oracle appeared.

Cheong-eum announced the new divine oracle.

“The third gateway.”

Once again, breathless tension filled the arena.

Everyone’s gaze turned to Cheong-eum’s solemn lips.

“101 days from now, the Land of Immortals will open…”

At the mention of the Land of Immortals, the expressions of the previously quiet candidates each became distorted.

Cheong-eum’s calm voice continued to recite the divine oracle.

“If you enter that place and succeed in blooming, brilliant flowers will surely bloom on the hawthorn trees of this land as well.”

Unlike the previous time, this was a puzzling task that was difficult to guess. If Seon-o hadn’t read the original work, he would have spent a long time just trying to understand the task’s intention.

At times like this, Seon-o realized that Ji-woon had awakened him to tremendous things through the original work.

But…

‘How on earth did brother know all this?’

Ji-woon knew the future. But if he had known the entire future, there would have been no need to bring him along. In the end, there must be something that even Ji-woon couldn’t solve.

While Seon-o was thinking of Ji-woon, Cheong-eum added:

“The candidates must pass through the gateway by the day the Land of Immortals permits.”

Even the deadline was vague without being clearly set, inducing anxiety.

“Then, may fortune be with you.”

After conveying all the divine oracle, Cheong-eum bowed to the candidates unlike before and turned around, causing the Great Hall to stir greatly.

“The Land of Immortals? Isn’t that a place that disappeared thousands of years ago?”

“Was that actually a real place?”

“What does blooming mean? Are there hawthorn trees there too?”

“Oh my, this is truly difficult!”

Some spectators were flustered and murmured about the place called the Land of Immortals, but conversely, some spectators were lost in deep thought. Gong-un was also among the latter spectators.

“Immortals would be the ancient superhumans, wouldn’t they? Right, brother?”

At I-so’s words, Gong-un glared at the air instead of answering.

The third gateway was incomparably more difficult than all the previous gateways. Already at this level of difficulty, one couldn’t help but wonder how difficult the remaining two gateways would be.

As I-so said, immortals were ancient superhumans and the first superhumans. They were the first to use Yin Power to control nature and live eternally, considered close to gods.

But no one knew whether they were really still alive, and if so, what they were doing.

When Flower Cloud Island, the Land of Immortals, disappeared, their traces were also cut off.

‘But that Flower Cloud Island will open.’

This was quite an interesting task.

Flower Cloud Island had disappeared, but the method to enter Flower Cloud Island was still being passed down.

Gong-un’s gaze turned toward Seon-o again.

He was curious which of those two methods Seon-o would choose.

As expected, Gi-rim and So-yoon would probably use the first method, which was the most certain above all else.

As Wi Gong-un had predicted, So-yoon could be seen leaving the platform without looking back and departing the Great Hall without hesitation. And Gi-rim immediately followed behind her. Gi-rim’s steps weren’t hurried, but she looked peaceful as if she had decided what to do.

“It seems Lady Bu and Lady Gwak already know how to enter Flower Cloud Island?”

“They are Phoenix Competition candidates, after all.”

Wi Gong-un answered simply to I-so’s seemingly curious question.

This trial had two tasks, and what the first task was had been self-evident.

One. Entering Flower Cloud Island.

Two methods had been passed down to later generations, and quite many people knew those methods, but it was by no means easy.

And two.

To enter that place and find out what the ‘Blooming’ that Divine Oracle spoke of was. He couldn’t guess that part at all.

“Shouldn’t sister come down quickly too? It’s 101 days, so she needs to start right away.”

When I-so muttered anxiously, Wi Gong-un chuckled. I-so still not knowing his sister like this was simply absurd.

I-ryeong wouldn’t use the same method as Gi-rim or So-yoon.

And probably Seon-o would…

Just then, when Seon-o descended the platform and followed into the place where Cheong-eum had disappeared, Wi Gong-un’s eyebrows shot up sharply.

‘Why there?’

Wi Gong-un flinched as if he wanted to follow immediately, but Wi Gong-un, who was neither a priest nor a Phoenix Competition candidate, didn’t have such qualifications. At that moment, a groundless premonition swept across the back of Wi Gong-un’s neck.

‘Could it be… the High Priest’s preference…?’

At the unpleasant speculation that came to mind for a moment, veins bulged tightly in Wi Gong-un’s neck.

‘So… his preference is that kind of pale, sickly-looking man who couldn’t even get porridge.’

Wi Gong-un instinctively knew that he and Cheong-eum were at opposite ends of some preference.

‘Hmph, I wondered what kind of great preference he had, but it’s just…’

Wi Gong-un raised the corner of his mouth as if it were ridiculous. However, his tightly clenched fist trembled finely.

* * *

A short while later, a man cornered looked at Seon-o.

The pale, sickly-looking man that Wi Gong-un was fiercely criticizing was Cheong-eum, who had finally turned around, unable to ignore Seon-o who was following him menacingly.

A subtle tension circulated in the empty hallway with just the two of them.

“What business do you have?”

His face was cold as if there was no reason for Seon-o to follow him. The face that feigned ignorance as if the past events had never happened was quite shameless, but the eyes that had become excessively cold were rather evidence.

Cheong-eum was on guard, wondering if Seon-o might be trying to find out more information about this trial using the past incident as leverage.

That day’s incident was clearly his mistake, and he acknowledged that Seon-o had almost gone wrong because of it, but even so, he couldn’t help one candidate in the competition.

He had no such intention, and it would be tantamount to betraying God. The result of the competition had to be left entirely to heaven. Even if Seon-o were to threaten him by holding his weakness.

“I have nothing more to say to you, sir. Go and prepare for the third trial.”

Even at those cold words, Seon-o didn’t mind. He just glanced around, and after confirming no one was there, he took something out from his chest and held it out.

Cheong-eum didn’t easily extend his hand and looked down at it with wary eyes. What was rolled up was paper.

“…What is it.”

Instead of answering, Seon-o personally unrolled the paper and brought it before Cheong-eum’s eyes. Cheong-eum’s flustered pupils read down the characters written on that paper.

What Cheong-eum was reading was something very precious.

It was the prophecy that Ji-woon had delivered to Seon-o through a mysterious method.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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