I Will Become a Phoenix More Noble Than the Emperor - Chapter 8

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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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8.

Hwan’s pupils contracted at Seon-o’s unhesitating action.

A sharp thrill ran down his spine.

“….”

The pitch-black Demon Lair swallowed Seon-o whole, and Hwan remained frozen in place without moving.

The last night the Demon Lair was permitted to exist flowed by at an unbelievable speed. Until the dark sky brightened with blue light and the sun finally prepared to rise from the far end of the mountain ridge, Hwan watched the gaping cave entrance without stirring even slightly from his spot.

Finally, as the sun rose and the cave began to vibrate slightly, Hwan’s pupils narrowed.

-Crrrack.

Seon-o still hadn’t come out.

-Crrrrrrrack.

The vibrations grew stronger and the cave shook as if it would collapse. The tremors were strong enough to reach the cliff where Hwan stood.

Just then, as Seon-o burst out from inside the cave soaked to the bone, Hwan’s breath caught.

Having barely escaped from the collapsing cave, Seon-o threw her body forward with all her might. As she slid and fell face-first, the last Demon Lair completely crumbled behind her.

A tremendous vibration echoed as if it would bring down the mountain, then suddenly became quiet.

“Huff…, huff…”

Seon-o, clutching something tightly in her hand, lay face-down gasping for breath.

At that sight, an exhilarating thrill unlike anything he’d felt before swept over Hwan’s heart.

That woman had conquered the last Demon Lair.

At that moment, quiet cursing could be heard from below.

“Damn, I thought I was going to die…”

At the irritated muttering that followed, Hwan lowered his head and smiled quietly.

When Seon-o flipped over and sprawled out spread-eagle, Hwan smoothly stepped back. Moving stealthily so Seon-o wouldn’t notice his presence, he summoned a carriage and quietly climbed aboard.

The competition would begin soon.

The qualification earned with such difficulty was only valid if she returned by the time the competition started. That was the rule.

He was curious whether that woman, who looked utterly exhausted just from conquering the Demon Lair, would be able to accomplish that as well.

* * *

The day of the competition dawned.

The Great Temple of Geumhwi Kingdom, which was overseeing the competition, had demolished an entire mountain for this day and built a magnificent Great Hall in its place.

The Great Hall, built solely for the competition, was vast enough to accommodate hundreds of spectators, but those numerous audience seats had been packed without gaps since early morning. This was thanks to those who had gathered at dawn wanting to witness the start of the first Phoenix competition in 500 years.

Cheong-eum, standing below the platform of the Great Hall, watched the sun rise to its highest point.

Finally, when noon arrived, a great bell rang throughout the Great Hall.

“High Priest. It is time.”

At the priest’s notification, Cheong-eum nodded.

The graceful and beautiful man with silver hair that shone like silver thread was Seol Cheong-eum, the High Priest of Geumhwi Kingdom and one of the Seven Super Gods.

Unlike other super gods who were selected randomly, only the White Dragon super god who served as priest and produced divine oracles from blue flames was inherited through the Seol Family. Thus, Cheong-eum was a chosen one who was born with both superhuman awakening and super god awakening simultaneously.

He had produced blue fire as people wished and finally received a divine oracle that the Phoenix competition would be held within it. Everyone praised him as a true messenger of god for delivering news of the Phoenix’s new birth. However, they didn’t know that a very fatal secret was hidden within him.

Cheong-eum raised his head to look at the candidates ascending to the platform. A desperate light faintly flickered in his clear eyes. Among them, the woman who would become his master was his last remaining hope.

Once all candidates had taken their places, he soon erased his previous expression and ascended to the platform. At his appearance, a breathtaking tension flowed through the hall. Hundreds of spectators captured that glorious moment in their eyes without even making a sound.

“From this moment, we will begin the competition to select the Phoenix who will become the administrator of yin.”

At his declaration, amazed gasps erupted from various places. When Cheong-eum raised his hand, blue fire shot up high from the giant brazier in the center.

The blue fire that could only be produced by the superhuman of the Seol Family, who was both White Dragon and High Priest among fire power superhumans, was a symbol of god.

When a rolled scroll emerged from it, Cheong-eum approached the brazier and reached his hand into the fire. The blue fire gave up the scroll without harming its master in the slightest.

“Blue fire, seeing it in person is truly wondrous. Then there are three super gods here right now, aren’t there?”

Someone watching him whispered in an interested voice to one of the three super gods present.

The man with captivatingly long, narrow eyes reacted quietly to that whisper, raising his eyebrows slightly. Occupying the best seat in the Great Hall, he was Wi Gong-un, the young master of the Wi Family and Wi I-ryeong’s cousin who had recently qualified as a candidate by conquering a demon beast lair, and one of the Seven Super Gods.

Unlike his family’s medical arts that brought them fame, he was granted poison power that harmed life, and at age nine he underwent Second Awakening before everyone, earning reverence as a superhuman who governed both life and death.

However, there were quite a few who viewed him uneasily, considering him ominous as a poison power superhuman who was also a super god. But all that gossip was meaningless. After all, the Wi Family would prove their power by claiming even the Phoenix position. So it was natural that Gong-un had come to watch the start of the competition.

However, his presence here wasn’t solely to represent his family. He was personally very interested in this competition as well. Opportunities to witness something this entertaining in his lifetime wouldn’t be very common.

But…

Gong-un glanced at Hwan, who was sitting far away from where he was seated, and leisurely murmured.

“How strange.”

“What do you mean?”

When I-so, Gong-un’s cousin and I-ryeong’s half-brother, asked curiously, Gong-un answered.

“I mean that only three people came to select their master.”

“Well, there are only four known Super Gods in the world, aren’t there? High Priest Seol Daein, Yawol Sect’s leader Sa Daein, and you, brother, plus that reckless Heukmwolbi.”

“There’s one more. Takma’s.”

“Ah, you mean that eccentric. Doesn’t he have no interest in worldly affairs and live holed up in some mountain corner, cultivating his studies?”

Gong-un didn’t answer further and fell into thought with his mouth closed. What he was curious about wasn’t that eccentric or the reckless one. It was the two superhumans who hadn’t yet revealed themselves to the world.

The Seven Super Gods were beings chosen by heaven who had the duty to protect this world unchangingly even when the Phoenix didn’t exist. Thus, when one Super God passed away, immediately somewhere on this continent a Super God would be born to replace them. They would change their physical bodies and revive infinitely. However, if no one witnessed that birth and the Super God themselves had no intention of revealing themselves, there was no way to find them.

But humans were beings who yearned to reveal their existence and be admired. Where in the world was there anyone who would refuse to become a hero? So these five Super Gods – Black Dragon, White Dragon, Red Dragon, Purple Dragon, and Blue Dragon – didn’t hide their activities and made their existence known to all under heaven.

However, the two Super Gods, Yellow Dragon and Silver Dragon, were hiding somewhere, absolutely refusing to reveal their existence. As time passed, humans began to respect and yearn for those two Super Gods more and more. They praised them for silently fulfilling their roles without wanting anything, but Gong-un’s thoughts were different.

‘They must be sinister fellows who have reasons they cannot reveal their existence.’

Gong-un knew snake-like people well and didn’t doubt they would be the same. Well, this hide-and-seek would all end once the Phoenix was born. The Super Gods would have to submit to the Phoenix.

“Now I will announce the names of those who have passed the task given by the Heavenly Emperor and become candidates for the competition.”

Cheong-eum began to announce the list of candidates.

“First candidate, So-yun of the Bu Family.”

Then everyone’s gaze turned to the remarkable woman who was smiling calmly without any sign of nervousness.

“Everyone expected Lady Bu’s participation. And to be first at that – truly befitting of Lady Bu.”

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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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