I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 7

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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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7.

Hwan’s jet-black eyes, with his ebony-black long hair neatly tied up in half, turned toward Seon-o again.

It was a face he had never seen before. If he had ever seen such a face, there was no way he wouldn’t have remembered it.

“….”

When Hwan remained motionless while looking at his face, Seon-o also stared back at him without backing down.

It seemed that this place was filled with extraordinary handsome men that would be hard to see even after living twenty years in reality. The beauty of the man he had seen at Bujin Pavilion last time was quite shocking, but to think that even a man drinking alone in such a shabby inn would be at this level of beauty.

The man’s face held an elegant dignity.

‘Looking so decent, yet not even knowing he’s being robbed right in front of his eyes.’

Soon, that handsome man with flowing elegant dignity opened his mouth.

“Thank you.”

His voice held as much dignity as his face. He looked at Seon-o with a leisurely gaze and said.

“I would like to offer you a reward.”

“No need.”

Seon-o curtly replied, placed the ornament in front of the man, then turned around and walked back outside the inn.

Hwan’s gaze remained fixed on Seon-o as he left the inn, unmoving.

* * *

Seon-o raised his head to look at the stars embroidering the sky.

Night mountain travel was an extreme ordeal that he would never have undertaken in his previous world, but being able to gaze at such a beautiful night sky felt like good fortune.

It had already been four days since he opened his eyes in this place.

“…This shouldn’t be the last sky I see.”

This shabby inn was located on the outskirts of Myeonggyeong.

It was also the place where On Gang in the novel had stopped by and had all her belongings stolen. Seon-o had not forgotten to remember the thief with a scar on his cheek who pretended to be drunk and brushed past On Gang, stealing her luggage.

Because of that bastard, On Gang had almost been unable to even participate in the Phoenix Competition.

However, he had to stop by this inn to obtain a map showing the surrounding terrain. Therefore, Seon-o had hidden all his belongings securely inside his clothes without bringing a bundle, so the thief couldn’t steal his possessions. As a result, the thief’s target had changed.

To that handsome man’s sword sheath ornament.

Feeling uncomfortable as if he had caused unnecessary harm because of himself, Seon-o had followed the thief and retrieved the man’s belongings. He also didn’t want to attract bad luck before carrying out an important task.

Thanks to that, he had gained another opportunity to practice before the decisive battle. The Water Power he used for the second time was still unstable, causing him to knock out the thief in one blow. Fortunately, he didn’t die, but practice was needed.

Of course, tonight he wouldn’t need to worry about controlling his strength.

“….”

Seon-o planned to pass through the gateway tonight to earn the qualification to participate in the Phoenix Competition.

As he recalled the gateway he had to pass through, Seon-o’s heart pounded heavily as if it were about to pierce his own chest. But he could never avoid it.

In order to become a Phoenix at all costs.

Just then, a large golden carriage quickly passed by Seon-o, who had stopped to unfold and examine his map.

“Huh…?”

Thanks to that, Seon-o raised his head and frowned as he watched the golden carriage moving away.

It seemed like that golden carriage had appeared in the novel?

‘I think it was the carriage of someone important….’

After trying to recall for a moment, Seon-o soon gave up and resumed walking.

Tomorrow was the day the competition would begin. He had wasted two whole days trying to obtain an expensive elixir that would replenish his stamina in a short time.

The elixir he had barely managed to obtain was carefully sewn into Seon-o’s chest. It was the life-saving water that would guarantee his survival tonight.

“Whew….”

From now on, there was no time to spare even a moment of leisure.

* * *

The Golden Ghost Carriage, said to be the fastest on the continent and capable of reaching from one end of the land to the other in just seven days, had stopped on a steep cliff deep in the mountains.

When the carriage door opened and the owner stepped out, the Golden Ghost Carriage instantly became transparent and disappeared without a trace.

He stood at the edge of the cliff and looked down at the small cave below. Indeed, it was a new Demon Lair as reported. Since the entrance hadn’t closed yet, it seemed no one had discovered this place.

When the sun rose tomorrow, the entrance to this cave would close.

“….”

Hwan’s gaze, which had been watching the quiet entrance with no sign of anyone coming even if given several more days, let alone tomorrow, suddenly turned to the Yin Stone attached to his sword sheath.

Hwan, who had been recalling the clear face that had looked at him for a moment, soon erased that face from his mind and looked back at the cave.

He was Sa Hwan, the sect leader of Yawolbang who commanded Superhumans and the head of the Sa Family. There were dozens more titles that referred to him, but among them, the description that elevated his reputation the most was ‘Super God.’

Super Gods referred to those among Superhumans who had been chosen by the gods. Called the Seven Super Gods because there were only seven in the world, they were granted divine beasts that could undergo Dragon Transformation and transform into dragons.

Among them, Hwan, who was chosen as the Black Dragon, underwent his Second Awakening in front of everyone at the age of 11 and became one of the seven Super Gods. They were revered like gods, but if a Phoenix appeared, they would have to become her vassals and serve her loyally. For 500 years, no Phoenix of the next generation had been selected and the Seven Super Gods had wandered, but soon a competition would be held and a Phoenix would be chosen.

A competition to select the woman who would become his master.

Hwan, who had never once considered being subordinate to anyone, was curious about this remarkable woman, and so he decided to observe this competition closely from beginning to end. Thus, from the day the oracle about the first trial opening the competition was delivered, he had planted people throughout the entire continent.

The first trial was to conquer a Demon Lair. The pitch-black Demon Lair sent down from heaven, created solely for the competition.

At first glance, it seemed like a disappointingly simple test. However, the first Demon Lair that appeared in the center of the capital city devoured more than twenty Superhumans on the first day.

When the Superhumans who had entered boldly failed to return alive, only then did humans realize that the difficulty of the Demon Lair was not ordinary. Moreover, since the Phoenix was a position only for women, the men who challenged it playfully had their bodies melt away right from the entrance, so everyone prayed that someone would quickly conquer this hideous lair.

That first Demon Lair was conquered by the eldest daughter of the Bu Family, closing its doors. Bu So-yoon. She was a Fire Power Superhuman whose reputation was already renowned throughout the continent. Everyone thought she would naturally participate in the competition, and some didn’t doubt that she would ultimately become the Phoenix.

And then the second, third, fourth, and fifth lairs. A total of five candidates conquered each Demon Lair, bringing them to a close.

So far, the Phoenix competition had been held three times in total, and the candidates had always been unified at exactly five. Thus, everyone believed that no more candidates would emerge, but Hwan, who had spread people throughout the entire continent, heard two days ago that a sixth lair had been created here.

Although it was on the outskirts of the capital, it was truly deep in the mountains and a place with nothing, so it was an isolated spot that no one would visit even in passing.

In this remote place, there really was a sixth Demon Lair.

But the competition would begin tomorrow. To register as a candidate before then, one had to enter that lair today.

Even knowing that no one would enter that lair, Hwan stood there blankly, quietly looking down at the dark entrance of the cave overgrown with vegetation.

It was because among the women who had conquered Demon Lairs so far, he hadn’t seen anyone worthy of becoming his master.

But if there was a woman powerful enough to become his master, she would have naturally challenged the capital’s Demon Lair from the first day. So no one would come here. He hadn’t told anyone that a lair had been created in this place.

Hwan continued to stand there, unable to leave his position, even while recognizing that waiting for someone in this spot was quite foolish.

Finally, when two hours had passed and his faint hope was about to be completely extinguished, just as he was about to give up and summon his Ghost Carriage again, the vegetation in the distance rustled and something burst out from there.

“…?”

Hwan froze with held breath, watching the human figure approaching closer to the Demon Lair. It was a person.

When the figure covered in leaves finally came closer, Hwan’s eyes hardened.

It was that woman from the inn.

The one who had retrieved his stolen Yin Stone.

“Ha, found it….”

The woman standing in front of the cave smiled refreshingly as if she had finally found her destination.

As if she knew what the cave in front of her was.

That couldn’t be.

Hwan couldn’t let go of his suspicion, yet he couldn’t take his eyes off Seon-o.

Soon, Seon-o took something out from her chest, downed it in one gulp, and as if mocking his suspicion, charged straight into the cave.

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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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