The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 149

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Heavenly Supreme Has Died – Episode 149
Whoosh—!
The blade cleaves through the air. From that single motion, countless lines spread outward.
The world Wol-an perceived was always certain yet ambiguous.
Sometimes it showed only a single line.
Yet other times, it displayed such a profusion of them.
The manner in which my opponent would execute their movements.
It was a cheat-like power that revealed such things.
‘When it shows this many lines, it’s really troublesome.’
There were times when countless lines appeared like this.
Where did this difference originate? The question took root in my mind.
‘Is there more than one possibility?’
Some were vivid while others were faint.
Observing the lines spreading outward, I moved my body.
Clang—!!!
The wooden blade’s edge made contact. The result of extending my sword toward the clearest line.
‘That’s it.’
The clarity of the line seemed to matter.
Among the profusion of lines spreading out, I needed to identify the clearest one and respond accordingly.
Why did Cheonhye-in’s lines appear so numerous, unlike Cheon Euijin’s?
It was somewhat puzzling.
‘But this isn’t the time to ponder that.’
I needed to move my blade instead of deliberating.
Crack—!
‘Damn it.’
Even if I could see the lines and sense which ones were clearest, what mattered was how I responded.
‘…But she’s too fast to respond properly anyway.’
Even though I could see the lines, Cheonhye-in’s blade moved so swiftly that I couldn’t respond adequately.
‘This is ridiculous.’
I tried to employ techniques regardless,
But—!
Just before I could execute the movement, Cheonhye-in’s blade pierced through and dismantled my technique.
I couldn’t even properly use the Cheonwol Sect’s swordsmanship.
‘I don’t even have time to unfold Gwangwol Seomgyeong.’
Even if I tried to wrap sword force around the wooden blade, I needed several seconds to generate it.
‘Even that gets blocked.’
Whenever I tried to raise my energy, Wol-an caught Cheonhye-in’s offensive.
She immediately aimed for my neck or vital points.
‘Her responses are too fast.’
Why was there no opening whatsoever?
At the very least, I should be showing some possibility, but….
‘I can’t win this.’
That conviction came naturally to me. I had wondered how much difference there could truly be between Chil-geol and Dok-ryong.
‘…What is this.’
The difference between heaven and earth. Even that worn phrase falls short of capturing it.
Cheonhye-in’s skill could not be compared to someone like Dok-ryong.
An insurmountable wall.
That was how Cheonhye-in appeared to my eyes now.
“Gasp!”
My body flew up into the air.
Unable to withstand the assault, my body tumbled across the ground.
“Ugh….”
Damn, it hurts. Where did I get hit? I was struck somewhere, but my entire body ached too much to pinpoint exactly where.
“Sigh….”
I exhaled heavily. Even for me, this felt excessively harsh.
‘I’ve been consuming heavenly treasures all this time.’
Yet I still couldn’t reach Cheonhye-in.
‘A genius.’
A genius of the century. The talent of Cheonhye-in, said to be above Chil-geol, finally became real to me.
That woman who might inherit the name of Sword Saint if she continued to grow at this rate.
Her worth was now unmistakably clear.
Thinking of this, I rolled my eyes upward. Countless gazes fixed upon me from the Dueling Arena.
The emotions contained in those stares were painfully obvious.
Disappointment. Bewilderment. Mockery.
Worries both known and unknown.
There wasn’t a shred of positive sentiment among them.
Seeing that, I let out a bitter laugh.
That’s exactly what I would receive if I faced Cheonhye-in at my current level.
I staggered to my feet.
Then.
“…How disappointing.”
Cheonhye-in spoke to me with an expressionless face.
Among all those gazes, the one carrying the most disappointment belonged to none other than hers.
“I thought you possessed something.”
Her azure eyes dimmed ever so slightly.
“I believed you were an intriguing figure, one who held a value I could not perceive.”
“But now you see that’s not the case?”
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.
It stung as it touched the wound.
“Trivial.”
My harsh assessment had proven premature.
“I wondered if there might be something more. I wanted to observe a bit longer, suspecting there was something I’d missed.”
*Thump.*
The tip of the wooden sword Cheonhye-in held trembled.
By the time I realized she was channeling power into it, her blade was already inches from my face.
“I don’t think that will be necessary anymore.”
Cheonhye-in’s disappointment became her sword, pouring forth in a torrent.
My senses slowed like a lantern in the wheel of karma. Watching it unfold, I cursed inwardly.
‘I have to admit it.’
The confidence I’d gained from defeating Dok-ryong was crushed in an instant.
‘Not yet.’
I cannot defeat Cheonhye-in.
Not yet.
‘But.’
I had to win somehow, no matter what.
Even if these hands weren’t truly my own.
‘So please, come in now.’
You understand my current state well enough. Now is the time to act.
What pride could remain when there was none to begin with?
Only a dull numbness.
*Chuckle-chuckle.*
The Old Man’s laughter I’d been waiting for finally sounded.
[I thought you’d become a bit too full of yourself lately. This is quite the sight.]
His voice dripped with malicious satisfaction, grating against my nerves.
[Step aside.]
At the Old Man’s command to resolve this situation, I closed my eyes.
My body went limp immediately.
In that instant.
*Twang!*
My body moved of its own accord, driving forward into Cheonhye-in instead.
“-!”
Cheonhye-in’s eyes widened at the sudden turn.
If I continued on this trajectory, my head would be shattered against her wooden sword.
But.
*Crack!!*
“Ugh…!!”
Cheonhye-in’s arm holding the wooden sword was knocked back, and my fist drove deep into her abdomen.
*Boom!*
With the sound of air pressure rupturing, Cheonhye-in’s body rolled across the ground.
Seeing this, I exhaled a breath of relief within my heart.
‘That’s done.’
I’d possessed the body just in time.
Now I could finally let my guard down. Just as I was about to release all the tension from my body.
[…Huh?]
‘Huh…?’
I heard a voice. It was Yoo Cheon-gil’s voice.
Yoo Cheon-gil was staring at my body with startled eyes from beside me.
…Why is that man outside?
‘…What? Then.’
Who is controlling my body right now?
Suddenly, chills ran down my spine.
If Yoo Cheon-gil is outside, then who is the one moving my body?
Whoosh.
My body moved of its own accord.
‘Who are you.’
Sensing this, I asked.
“….”
No answer came.
‘Who are you, damn it-…!’
I tried to ask again.
Snap-!
My consciousness suddenly flickered and went dark.

* * *
[What is this?]
The Old Man floating in mid-air furrowed his brow, surveying the situation.
[…How did this happen?]
Just moments ago, I had been enjoying the sight of Bangseong-yeon getting pummeled by Cheonhye-in.
I was already displeased with his recent arrogance, and I thought he would make a fine example. I had been anticipating it.
And indeed, watching him get thoroughly beaten was a delightful spectacle.
But just as the situation reached its climax and I was about to step in—
[What is the meaning of this?]
The Old Man’s frown deepened, a rare expression for him.
A body that should have been easily penetrated now seemed as though a barrier had been erected, preventing any entry.
Boom—!!
With a violent sound, Cheonhye-in’s body flew backward.
[Hah—!]
Witnessing this, the Old Man gasped in astonishment.
That movement just now.
It was something that could never come from someone of Bangseong-yeon’s caliber.
Which meant—
[It is not him.]
The body being controlled was not Bangseong-yeon, but someone else.
And simultaneously—
[Who is this bastard?]
The entity wielding that body was no mere martial artist of ordinary skill.
[Where did he suddenly emerge from?]
From where had this unknown figure suddenly appeared?
An unidentified presence had wrapped itself around Bangseong-yeon’s body and begun fighting Cheonhye-in.
“Cough.”
Cheonhye-in retched violently, her body barely able to maintain its balance from the impact.
At that moment—
Whoosh—!
Bangseong-yeon rushed forward, swinging his fist.
“–!”
Cheonhye-in hastily raised her blade to block the punch.
Once. And then again.
A third time, a fourth.
Bangseong-yeon’s body unleashed an endless barrage of unarmed strikes against her.
As though wielding a sword was beneath him, he attacked with his fists alone.
Crack—!
The sound of something shattering echoed out.
“Ugh!”
The protective inner energy surrounding Cheonhye-in’s body shattered with a sickening crunch.
Bangseong-yeon’s fist drove into Cheonhye-in’s ribs.
“Gasp….”
The sound of air being knocked from her lungs.
The brutal impact left her unable to even cry out properly.
Her stance crumbled as a result.
Cheonhye-in’s trembling knees buckled beneath her.
Bangseong-yeon’s foot pressed down on her joints, crushing them.
Her upper body lurched forward rapidly.
Crack—!
Bangseong-yeon’s fist whipped across her jaw. Cheonhye-in’s head snapped back.
Even in that moment, Cheonhye-in gathered energy around her body.
She seemed desperate to regain control of the exchange.
Thud—!
“…Ugh…!”
This time, Bangseong-yeon drove his knee directly into her dantian.
Her inner energy ceased to flow, completely severed.
Screech.
Bangseong-yeon’s foot pivoted against the ground.
Momentum built through his body.
The generated force wound through his fist and drove straight into Cheonhye-in’s face.
Crack—!!
Cheonhye-in’s body trembled violently from the direct blow to her face.
Thud—!
Her knees gave way completely.
Cheonhye-in’s body collapsed toward the ground, but—
Snap.
Bangseong-yeon seized her throat and held her in place.
Blood dripped from Cheonhye-in’s nose. The Old Man’s eyes widened as he watched.
It was clear she had lost consciousness.
“….”
The Old Man’s gaze sharpened as he observed Bangseong-yeon’s expression.
[…This bastard.]
His face was utterly expressionless.
Eyes devoid of all emotion, as if gazing upon a mere stone lying on the roadside.
[Could it be…?]
The Old Man recognized that look well.
But this could not be allowed to happen.
[…It cannot be.]
And so the Old Man twisted his face in denial, refusing to accept what he saw.
In that instant.
후우우우웅—!!!!
The air trembled.
Bangseong-yeon, who had seized Cheonhye-in by the throat, was gathering energy in his other arm.
Gwangyeol Seomgyeong.
The blade force that should have been wrapped around a sword condensed into his fist as raw power.
When the densely packed energy gathered into a solid form.
Bangseong-yeon thrust his fist directly at Cheonhye-in’s face.
The fist flew in a straight line, creating a flash of light, about to strike Cheonhye-in’s face when—
Crack-!!
Someone seized Bangseong-yeon’s wrist at the last moment.
“That’s enough.”
It was Wol Seon-geom.
He appeared on the Dueling Arena and caught Bangseong-yeon’s fist.
“She’s already lost consciousness. Were you planning to kill her?”
“….”
At those words, Bangseong-yeon looked at Wol Seon-geom.
As their gazes met, Wol Seon-geom’s brow furrowed slightly.
Thud.
The light vanished from Bangseong-yeon’s fist.
He had withdrawn his energy. Only then did Wol Seon-geom release the strength from his hand as well.
“….”
He released the hand that had been gripping her throat.
Bangseong-yeon simply turned his back and walked away.
He showed no interest whatsoever in the battered Cheonhye-in.
He then trudged over and sat down in his designated place, closing his eyes.
He hadn’t even shown courtesy to the Moonju, and his demeanor suggested he placed little significance on the match itself.
Silence settled over the surroundings at that sight.
No one uttered a word.
After a long silence, it was Wol Seon-geom who broke it.
“The match is concluded. The victor is Bangseong-yeon.”
He announced Bangseong-yeon’s victory in a low voice.
Yet no cheers erupted.
Cheonhye-in, who ranked above the Seven Prodigies and was called a genius destined to be remembered in Cheonwol Sect history.
She had been utterly defeated by the Geomseong’s Predecessor, the Protagonist, not with a blade but with his fists.
Everyone fell silent at this reality.
Drip- drip-
The only sound in the space was the patter of blood droplets falling from Cheonhye-in’s face.

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