The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 101

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

The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 101
Afraid?
Palduyeok ground his teeth at the thought that had surfaced unbidden.
Afraid. That he would feel fear toward such a mere speck of flesh.
It was absurd.
Blood trickled down.
The crimson liquid flowed across his body.
The wound was not particularly deep, yet the sharp sting of pain irritated him nonetheless.
Palduyeok wiped his chest with his hand.
He brushed away the flowing blood to examine the cut.
‘…I was slashed.’
When had he been cut? Palduyeok had not noticed the moment.
When? How?
With a contorted expression, Palduyeok stared at someone.
There stood a handsome young man, poised and facing him directly.
Black hair with a subtle brownish tint, skin pale for a man, and a frame that was not particularly large.
His gentle-looking eyes and finely sculpted features revealed him to be quite the beauty.
Yet despite such a gentle appearance, the light burning in his gaze was far more intense by comparison.
The weapon he held was clearly of considerable weight.
He had swung it without even realizing it?
And more than that.
‘…That bastard.’
Had he always carried such an aura?
Palduyeok swallowed hard at the transformed presence of Bangseong-yeon.
Something had changed.
Nothing had changed, yet something had changed.
Palduyeok’s instincts were telling him so.
‘What is it?’
What had changed? He narrowed his eyes to look, but nothing was immediately apparent.
However.
“…You. Were you hiding your strength?”
Since what was visible was not everything, Palduyeok posed the question to Bangseong-yeon.
Bangseong-yeon let out a soft chuckle upon hearing this.
“Quite perceptive for someone with such an innocent face.”
“….”
Hearing this, Palduyeok’s brow furrowed. It was an affirmation.
So he truly had been hiding his strength?
‘…How?’
He could not comprehend it. Even now, he could not.
‘To conceal one’s realm would be.’
Nothing had changed. He remained at the first rank.
Though it was painfully obvious to Palduyeok’s eyes.
It was difficult to accept at face value.
‘His every move up until now troubles me.’
The displays he had shown moments ago.
Most of them during combat were performance and deception, I recalled.
Then.
‘Is his current speech and demeanor an act?’
If it is an act.
‘Which one is it…?’
Was concealing his power the performance?
Or was pretending to conceal his power the deception?
Confusion clouded my mind. His state was too ambiguous to commit to any single certainty.
Then.
“You seem to have many idle thoughts.”
Bangseong-yeon spoke while brushing back his hair. As his hand swept across his forehead, the blood flowing down was wiped away with it.
“Should I give you more time to think?”
“…This bastard…”
Blatant mockery. At those words, a deep furrow carved itself between Palduyeok’s brows.
“Growing arrogant over hiding a single technique?”
Crack–!!
Palduyeok’s spear swept across the ground.
Intense momentum radiated from the tip as the weapon moved.
Whoosh–!!
Violent wind pressure filled the surroundings, and Palduyeok’s fighting spirit mingled within it.
“Inducing carelessness to land a strike was admirable, but since even that failed, you have no future left.”
He referenced the wound on his chest.
Whatever he was hiding would change nothing.
“Now I’ll pierce through your neck and erase those wretches as well.”
His muscles swelled as he drew forth his power.
Gradually, he infused his energy into his massive frame.
“Your tricks end here. Let’s see you struggle with all your might—”
“In any case.”
At that moment, Bangseong-yeon cut off Palduyeok’s words.
His expression was visibly exhausted.
“Weak ones always talk too much. Does your strength not flow unless you wag your tongue? Had you swung your spear instead of opening your mouth, you would have been the Heavenly Supreme.”
“…”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Always the same with such pathetic creatures. In the old days, I would have simply torn out your tongue. But I’ve grown old, and my temperament has dulled considerably.”
As he shook his head while speaking, Palduyeok momentarily lost his words.
What in the world was this bastard spouting?
It was utterly absurd. Truly, utterly absurd.
‘…Why.’
Why was I just listening quietly? The moment I realized that.
Screech—!!
Palduyeok poured force into the spear he gripped.
I regained my composure.
‘To be played by such a trivial trick.’
A pathetic provocation.
A desperate thrashing of one driven to the cliff’s edge.
Whatever hidden technique he possessed, it would prove meaningless regardless.
“A blade that cuts the heavens, you said?”
That his sword had severed the very sky.
And that I should be grateful for it.
Words spoken to me by a mere boy whose blood had barely dried.
Truly arrogant.
Elevated as the successor to the Sword Saint, and he grows so intoxicated with pride.
Or perhaps such was his nature from the beginning.
Either way.
‘He resembles his master far too much.’
From him, I sensed an oddly familiar scent—that of Yoo Cheon-gil, that monster.
Especially in his gaze.
Eyes devoid of any anxiety or fear.
Though by stature I should be looking up at him.
Yet his presence somehow made it feel as though he looked down upon me.
The Heavenly Supreme.
Unmatched throughout all ages.
The supreme being of the Central Plains.
Palduyeok had crossed paths with him but briefly.
And I have not forgotten that fleeting moment since.
Could such a being truly be called human?
No.
He was not human.
It would be more apt to say a god had descended.
When word came that he had died, I could scarcely believe it for some time.
Such was his existence.
‘Yet from this boy.’
Why do I sense that same aura from him?
The fragrance of the absolute.
A scent that should never emanate from one not yet past his youth.
Yet undeniably, that very scent rises from him.
Perhaps.
‘Is it because of that sword?’
An unnaturally rough and violent demeanor.
Now I understand.
‘That blade.’
It was the sword that monster wielded. Did his disciple find it and seize it?
Crunch—!
I pour strength into my spear.
‘I will kill him.’
He must die here.
That one will surely become poison to the Palace Master.
‘Even if I face punishment from the Palace Master for this.’
I had to kill him here.
“Let me see what you can do.”
Palduyeok stepped forward, grinding his teeth.
In that instant.
Boom—!!!
Cracks spider across the ground as Palduyeok charges at Bangseong-yeon.
His massive frame tears through the air, driving forward.
Normally one might yield first strike or speak such words.
Palduyeok did not.
A strange, rising unease prevented it.
So I unleash a probing strike first.
Screech—!
Clang—!
“…!?”
Suddenly the angle of my spear blade shifts.
What I had thrust in a straight line flows like water, embedding itself in the ground.
“You have considerable strength.”
A voice reaches me. By then, my lower body was already moving.
I use the spear as a lever, applying the recoil.
Channeling power through my feet, I swing toward Bangseong-yeon.
후웅—!!!
Only the sound of wind being rent.
Bangseong-yeon is no longer where he was.
Where did he go? There’s no need to search.
Keen—!
I already feel a heavy presence beside me.
Crack—! I wrench the embedded spear free and swing it toward the presence.
But.
Whoosh–!!
Again, there was nothing.
‘Damn it.’
But how did I sense that energy? The question was answered quickly.
Something was floating in the empty air—a blue mass formed entirely of qi.
“This bastard…!”
Had he used a crude trick to draw my attention?
If so.
‘Where is he?’
Where had this wretch gone?
Just as Palduyeok furrowed his brow and turned his gaze away.
쉬이이익—!!!
A sound pierced the air.
My body had already moved.
Clang–!!!
I blocked it with my spear. From the left, he swung his blade at me.
Qi exploded outward. My body shook and was driven backward.
‘What kind of power is this…!’
This is the strength of a first-rate martial artist? Palduyeok gritted his teeth.
‘He concealed his presence and approached.’
He drew my attention with qi while suppressing his presence entirely.
Because of that, I missed his aura.
‘He accomplished that in an instant?’
It was nothing short of extraordinary qi control.
Qi rippled outward like heat shimmer.
Whirrrr–!!
The spear spun rapidly. The force generated by acceleration swept away the qi.
Dance of the Ocean’s Return.
Palduyeok’s secret technique unfolded like a calamity—
Crash–!!
At the moment of deployment, Bangseong-yeon wedged his blade through the spear’s opening.
Twang–!
The qi twisted and the movement faltered.
Crackle–!
The sound of something collapsing echoed.
“Huh…?”
At the sight that unfolded, Palduyeok let out a gasp.
The offensive had crumbled.
Unable to fully execute the technique, the flow was severed, and the backlash shattered the movement.
And.
쉬이이익—!!!
The blade came flying in.
“Kugh!”
Palduyeok forcibly exerted strength to execute his movements.
He poured excessive force into his lower body to anchor his center, then swung his spear accordingly.
Clang-!
The blade collided with the spear, and a harsh sound rippled outward.
“Hmm.”
Bangseong-yeon narrowed his eyes at the sight.
Immediately after blocking the attack, Palduyeok adopted a footwork stance and increased the distance between them.
Bangseong-yeon did not pursue him.
He simply.
“How unfortunate.”
He merely tilted his head from a distance, as if something displeased him.
“Ordinarily, I should have severed one arm just now, but this pathetic body failed to accomplish even that.”
“What…?”
What is he saying right now? Palduyeok’s face contorted.
Yet Bangseong-yeon’s mouth did not cease.
“I see. Did you observe? Using deception is fine, but when everything is false, meaning loses its luster. The method itself is not wrong, but…”
What on earth is he talking about?
“Everything has gaps. What you must learn in combat is ultimately to discover those gaps and how to find them…”
“What exactly are you doing right now?”
“Ah.”
When Palduyeok spoke with irritation, only then did Bangseong-yeon open his eyes wider.
“Oh, my apologies. There are several things I should be teaching.”
“…Who are you conversing with?”
“There is one. A fellow who seems clever yet is foolish.”
Tsk tsk tsk.
His laughter was grating.
His words were clearly not directed at him.
Then who was he speaking to?
Or perhaps.
“Are you trying to mock me?”
Was he ridiculing him?
When such a question escaped him.
“Hmm?”
Bangseong-yeon spoke with an expression of utter bewilderment.
“Mock, you say? An amusing notion.”
“What’s so amusing about it?”
“No, what difference would such a thing make? After all.”
Shing.
Bangseong-yeon flicked the tip of his blade.
“No matter what you do, you’ll never reach me.”
“…!”
At Bangseong-yeon’s words, veins bulged across Palduyeok’s brow.
“You bastard—”
Simultaneously, he twisted his mouth upward in a vicious snarl.
Then.
콰가가가가가가—!!!!
He detonated the energy coursing through his entire body in a violent eruption.
The force was so ferocious that the very surroundings trembled.
“Good.”
쿠구구구구—!!!
Gradually, Palduyeok’s spear became engulfed in energy.
It appeared as though the weapon itself was swelling in volume.
A colossal pillar.
Palduyeok, gripping this massive shaft, moved forward.
Now it no longer mattered.
What he possessed.
Or what tricks he held in reserve.
None of it meant anything anymore.
‘I will kill him.’
For Palduyeok, only that singular purpose remained.
I must pierce that arrogant bastard’s skull.
With that thought, I channeled energy and killing intent into the spear’s point.
Then.
Keugeuk—!
The energy grew progressively stronger, taking on tangible form.
It was Heavenly Force.
Beyond merely wrapping energy around the weapon, it achieved physical manifestation.
This was the enhancement of qi that most martial artists dreamed of and pursued as their ultimate goal.
And it was also the greatest reason why first-rate martial artists could never defeat peak martial artists.
‘You may claim victory over Socheongeom.’
But you’re nothing but a bloodied wretch who couldn’t properly wield Heavenly Force.
Had Socheongeom known how to properly harness Heavenly Force, I’m certain Bangseong-yeon would never have emerged victorious.
And for good reason.
‘Heavenly Force can only be broken by Heavenly Force.’
A martial artist who cannot wield Heavenly Force cannot defeat one who can.
This was the common knowledge of the current Central Plains.
‘You will die here.’
It is self-evident that a first-rate martial artist like Bangseong-yeon cannot defeat Palduyeok.
Recalling this, Palduyeok moved his spear infused with inner force.
And then.
“Hmm.”
Seeing this, Bangseong-yeon’s eyes curved with amusement.
Palduyeok’s eyes flashed with fury upon witnessing that smile.
“You dare laugh? Even that won’t work anymore.”
Disrupting one’s focus is quite effective, certainly.
But having come this far, it’s too late.
“Let’s see you block this.”
Boom! Palduyeok shattered the ground beneath him as he charged forward again.
The speed was on an entirely different level than before.
By the time Palduyeok had already closed the distance to Bangseong-yeon, the sound followed in his wake.
“Whoosh!”
Palduyeok thrust his spear with all his might.
At this level, it wouldn’t merely pierce—it would pulverize.
The spear tip shot toward Bangseong-yeon’s head.
In that instant.
“Ahhh. Don’t miss even a single moment.”
Crack!
Something shattered along with Bangseong-yeon’s words.
“What?”
Palduyeok uttered a dazed exclamation.
What was this?
‘Why.’
Why was his spear blade fluttering before him?
‘This is….’
Had the spear shattered?
Palduyeok’s gaze shifted slightly downward.
Indeed.
The tip of the spear had been cleanly severed.
The severed blade danced through the air.
What in the world had happened?
‘…What….’
I couldn’t comprehend it.
How could a spear wrapped in inner force be cut away?
In the moment my thoughts halted at this mystery.
“It has always been so.”
A resonant hum.
From somewhere.
“How narrow and trivial fixed conventions become when one fails to recognize them for what they are.”
Uuuuuung–!!
A vibration rippled through the air.
“A martial artist pursues higher peaks and carves their own path forward. Yet…”
Palduyeok’s eyes shift once more.
“How lamentable it is when one becomes ensnared by trivial conventions and fails to perceive what should be seen.”
His gaze fixed upon Bangseong-yeon’s blade.
‘That is…!’
Palduyeok’s eyes widen.
There was no other reaction possible. Upon Bangseong-yeon’s sword, at this very moment.
‘Inner force…?’
Unmistakably, inner force coiled around the blade.
How could a first-rate martial artist be channeling inner force?
‘Could he have concealed even his realm?’
Had he been at the pinnacle all along? No. Even now, Bangseong-yeon’s realm remained first-rate.
Yet how was he wielding inner force?
And moreover.
‘What is that?’
It was no ordinary inner force.
Not merely inner force wrapped around the blade.
‘It radiates light.’
The energy itself emanated luminescence.
That light was so beautiful.
For a moment, it stole even Palduyeok’s sight.
And so.
“The first was to envision the moon.”
Bangseong-yeon’s words also.
“The second was to grant night to the moon that had risen.”
The movements he made, shifting gradually.
“What then shall be the third?”
This was why Palduyeok could only watch, unable to move.
“The moon, from ancient times, must shine with its own light, must it not?”
The tip of Bangseong-yeon’s blade moved.
“This is the third I shall show you.”
Azure Moon Sword Dance.
Third Form.
Luminous Moon Annihilation.
파아아아아아—!!!!
The azure moon that rose from the blade.
inverted the world itself.

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