The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 209

—————
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 209
Drip. Drip drip.
Blood trickling downward gradually soaked into the hard surface of the dueling arena.
Beyond the dampening martial robes, Peng Dojun’s lips curved into a subtle smile.
“What is this.”
His grin widened with an unsettling quality.
“What exactly did you do.”
Peng Dojun regarded the young man, Dang Cheon-il, with keen interest in his eyes.
Dang Cheon-il breathed in shallow gasps, his short blade still gripped tightly in hand.
Yet the blade bore no trace of anything upon it.
Despite having just slashed across Peng Dojun’s chest.
“I cannot comprehend this.”
Peng Dojun found himself utterly unable to make sense of the situation.
“How did you manage it?”
How had he sliced through his own chest so cleanly?
That fleeting sense of wrongness—Peng Dojun could not grasp it.
Questions born from the unknown always intrigued him.
“My Gigam clearly sensed something moving.”
An innately superior Gigam.
The overwhelming perception born from Cheonmu Jiche had developed all five senses to their apex.
Those heightened senses allowed him to perceive what should remain unseen.
Or to uncover what others concealed.
This was why Dang Cheon-il’s concealment technique, counted among the Dang Clan’s supreme arts, held no effect on Peng Dojun.
‘He pierced through it and struck?’
And he himself had missed it? Incomprehensible. He could not fathom how this had occurred.
Then.
“Haaah….”
Dang Cheon-il finished catching his breath and readied himself for another move.
Heat kindled in his eyes.
‘It worked.’
His attack had connected with Peng Dojun.
That single fact awakened all of Dang Cheon-il’s senses.
‘It worked.’
A barrier that seemed impossible to breach, or one he had deemed beyond his reach.
A crack had formed in it.
“Hah.”
He exhaled softly.
Simultaneously, he steadied his resolve.
Perhaps.
‘Can I do this?’
I might be able to do it.
Thinking thus, Dang Cheon-il tilted his head slightly.
His gaze turned toward where the waiting participants had gathered.
Among them stood a young man whose striking beauty caught the eye.
Beyond his exceptional appearance, his blue eyes were perfectly suited to draw the attention of those around him.
Brilliant. Those distinctive blue eyes were a trait of his sect, yet even among them, this young man’s eyes shone with an especially vivid azure.
Like the sky itself.
Or perhaps the sea.
No.
‘The moon.’
Beyond all else, he possessed the blue moon that made even the darkest night sky luminous.
The young man carried the moon within his eyes.
Dang Cheon-il, observing Bangseong-yeon—the owner of those eyes—found himself thinking precisely that.
“….”
How could he not have noticed?
How could he possibly have known?
‘How did he discover it and speak of it to me?’
How had he identified the gaps and flaws in Peng Dojun?
Dang Cheon-il could not fathom it.
Peng Dojun had been an insurmountable wall to him.
The fact that anyone could inflict such wounds upon his body was entirely due to that young man’s doing.

* * *
‘Listen carefully.’
Dang Cheon-il recalled those words from back then.
‘Watch his wrists carefully.’
At first, it was a statement he couldn’t comprehend.
‘That man shows a subtle tell in his wrists before he attacks.’
‘What I mean is, using the vertical axis as reference, there’s a shallow rotation connecting the left and right sides.’
Vertical.
Left and right?
Words alone still left him confused.
Bangseong-yeon sighed, frustrated by Dang Cheon-il’s lack of understanding.
‘You’ll see it if you try. And another thing—how do you expect to win when someone claims to use concealment arts but charges straight at you openly? Don’t use it at all, you idiot.’
‘….’
‘You keep hiding right in front of him. Does that even make sense? It’s the same when we fight. If you use concealment arts right under his nose, is that really an ambush? Why do you use martial techniques in such a pathetic way?’
It was an unfair accusation.
The Dang Clan’s martial arts were literally specialized in ambush techniques.
This was a martial art that somewhat rejected orthodox principles.
Therefore, there existed an implicit agreement that when conducting martial bouts, poison wouldn’t be used and the application of concealment arts would be minimized.
‘This is ridiculous.’
Bangseong-yeon spoke as if it were absurd.
‘Poison, sure, that’s understandable. But concealment arts? Minimize? If you minimize it, then you minimize it. Who told you to use it like that?’
If you’re going to use it, use it properly.
Otherwise, abandon it entirely.
Bangseong-yeon spoke to Dang Cheon-il as if he were exasperating.
‘And.’
Then.
‘If you can’t see his wrists clearly.’
He spoke as though there was something more important, chewing over his words before delivering them.
‘Dig in hard. Don’t hesitate.’
‘Pardon…?’
Dig in hard?
It was truly nonsensical. What kind of bizarre advice was this?
He was being told to charge at Peng Dojun instead, despite using concealment arts himself?
Didn’t he realize that continuing to do so was precisely why he’d been losing all this time?
This hardly seemed like advice—it looked more like an attempt to mock him.
However.
‘I’m speaking seriously, so focus.’
Bangseong-yeon continued with a grave expression, making clear this was no jest.
‘This is the only way you can exploit that man right now.’
‘…You mean to charge at him first, sir?’
‘No, that’s not it.’
I correct Dang Cheon-il’s understanding.
‘It’s not about rushing in first—it’s about rushing in well.’
‘What do you…?’
What difference could there possibly be between those two things? Dang Cheon-il sank deeper into confusion.
Bangseong-yeon’s face twisted with exasperation at his bewilderment.
‘Look, when you charge in, don’t hesitate. You keep faltering.’
‘…!’
He was right. Even as Dang Cheon-il charged forward, consumed by rage, he felt that momentary hesitation.
A mere instant. An infinitesimally brief moment—yet Bangseong-yeon had caught even that.
Just as I was about to widen my eyes in astonishment.
‘Don’t misunderstand.’
Bangseong-yeon spoke.
‘If I saw it, then he absolutely knows it too.’
It was like cutting short any budding hope.
‘His instincts are sharper than mine. Accept that.’
As if Peng Dojun wouldn’t know.
If Bangseong-yeon saw it, then he definitely knows. At those words, Dang Cheon-il bit his lip.
‘…Then how am I supposed to charge in and fight?’
The matchup disparity was extreme.
Peng Dojun possessed superior instincts and excelled in close combat.
For Dang Cheon-il, whose style was rooted in ambush tactics, fighting in such an exposed, defenseless position made no sense whatsoever.
And on top of that, he was being told to charge in first and fight?
It was nonsensical.
But.
‘There’s no other answer.’
Bangseong-yeon’s expression was resolute.
‘Do you know what Heuk Taedo’s greatest problem is?’
Bangseong-yeon asked. Dang Cheon-il answered without hesitation.
‘His mind…?’
‘…’
Even Bangseong-yeon couldn’t deny this, so he had to close his mouth for a moment.
‘…That’s true too. But I mean in the duel itself.’
‘…’
A problem in the duel? Nothing came to mind.
Reluctant as I was to admit it, Peng Dojun was a monster in my eyes.
Excluding anomalies like Geombong, Peng Dojun already stood at the pinnacle among the disciples.
To face him, truly, there was only Geombong or…
Dang Cheon-il’s gaze pierced through Bangseong-yeon.
‘Why are you staring? Answer the question.’
‘…I don’t understand.’
‘Right, you wouldn’t. He’s strong enough that such things don’t apply to him.’
‘Then… what’s the point…?’
‘That’s precisely why it matters.’
Cryptic words repeated endlessly.
He was strong enough that there were no openings, so why should I charge in?
I wondered if this was truly advice worth heeding.
‘The thing about him is,’
Bangseong-yeon narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
‘He has little experience fighting against true masters.’
‘…?’
‘He knows his own strengths too well and shows it too plainly, so he’s had little experience against those who charge at him like madmen.’
‘…!’
Dang Cheon-il’s eyes widened at those words.
‘So exploit that gap. Don’t hesitate—close the distance. If you feel yourself falling behind, watch his wrists and move accordingly. Understand?’
Grip.
Bangseong-yeon seized Dang Cheon-il’s shoulder firmly.
‘You can do this.’
You absolutely can.
Hearing such words.
Nod.
Dang Cheon-il found himself nodding without thinking.
The funny part was that hearing it made it feel truly possible.
Whoooosh—!!!
The short blade cleaves through the air. Blood sprays once more—from Peng Dojun.
‘Again.’
Peng Dojun’s expression twisted at the fresh line carved across his chest.
Simultaneously, his eyes moved to locate his opponent. A few paces away, Dang Cheon-il stood watching him.
‘I missed.’
It was the same as before.
I failed to catch Dang Cheon-il as he charged, and in that gap, he succeeded in striking me.
‘How is this possible?’
Peng Dojun was bewildered.
Has Dang Cheon-il grown faster? No. The speed difference isn’t that great.
I read his movements correctly. Yet.
‘I miss.’
Even when I reach out, my hand doesn’t connect.
It was as if he knew exactly where I would reach and where I would attack.
‘What could it be.’
How does he know that and act accordingly?
Fascinating.
Peng Dojun’s lips twisted into a grotesque grin.
‘Is it coincidence?’
Twice was too much to call mere chance.
When coincidence repeats itself, it ceases to be coincidence.
‘Something has shifted.’
Something had changed, that much was certain.
But what? That’s what intrigued me. Yes, something has shifted.
‘I’ll simply have to find out from here on.’
Peng Dojun moved his body.

* * *
-Waaaaah!!
Cheers flooded the spectator stands.
The duel between the two martial artists was growing increasingly heated.
The crowd’s reaction was particularly intense.
“Impossible—Heuk Taedo is being pushed back?”
“Was Dok-ryong always this strong?”
“It seems he’s had some breakthrough in recent years.”
Those who had lost interest were becoming increasingly animated.
They had thought he stood no chance, yet Dok-ryong was putting up an unexpectedly fierce fight.
Whoosh!! Crack!
Heuk Taedo’s fists continued their relentless assault, tearing through the air with violent force, yet—
Boom!!!
His fist only struck the ground once more.
“Hmm.”
Missed again. I touched my shoulder, observing the shattered floor beneath me.
A graze. Another wound had formed.
How curious. With that thought, I raised my upper body.
“Heuk Taedo.”
A voice called out from ahead.
“Do you still see me as merely some X-Person?”
Dang Cheon-il stared at me with a furrowed brow.
“Draw your weapon.”
….
At those words, I let out a quiet laugh.
Blood was soaking through my pants by now.
Yet I paid it no mind.
“Make me.”
I provoked him with unwavering confidence.
“….”
Dang Cheon-il rushed forward again in silence.
And then.
[Hmmmm.]
Yoo Cheon-gil, who had been watching, let out a peculiar sigh.
[Ah, I see.]
He then called out to me. Upon hearing his voice, I glanced toward him.
[I knew you had keen eyes, but how did you discern that?]
Peng Dojun’s habits and weaknesses.
He was asking how I had come to know them.
‘How did I know?’
Instead of answering, I recalled it to myself.
‘It was all in the information.’
The answer lay once again in the intelligence that Gaebang had provided.
Naturally, such minute details and habits weren’t explicitly written there.
What I had sought to examine was.
‘The martial bouts Peng Dojun had conducted in the past.’
The official records of his duels—I had scrutinized those.
And in doing so, something became apparent.
‘The battles where he had struggled.’
Peng Dojun was strong, but not undefeated.
His fight with Geombong was one example, but even beyond that, there were several records of his defeats.
And examining those, a pattern emerged.
‘In fact, he was weak against aggressive rushes.’
As the records of his duels revealed, he was actually vulnerable against those who charged at him.
For someone as formidable in close combat as Peng Dojun, it was unexpected, yet it was true.
From this, one could discern.
‘He was surprisingly vulnerable in close-quarters combat.’
And the reason was.
‘He had so rarely faced equals that his experience against true masters was limited.’
To rush at someone like Peng Dojun meant being a master capable of standing against him without issue.
Yet Peng Dojun had so little experience fighting such opponents that he was somewhat vulnerable to aggressive assaults.
Furthermore.
‘His wrist habit.’
I had witnessed only a few of his battles, but in those fleeting moments, I had seen it.
The habit he displayed when fighting.
Thus, synthesizing all of this.
‘It would have been a weapon to use against him later.’
But I had given it to Dok-ryong instead.
‘Tsk.’
I wondered if I’d been meddling unnecessarily, but watching him fight suggested otherwise.
Boom!! Boom!
Peng Dojun threw punches at Dang Cheon-il while the latter dodged and counterattacked.
Blood sprayed continuously, yet.
‘It’s shallow again.’
The attacks connected, but none were fatal.
‘Is he evading even while being struck?’
He must be dodging in the midst of receiving blows.
Even under such pressure, he managed to slip away.
As I watched this with fascination.
[Hmm.]
Yoo Cheon-gil exhaled a breath that seemed to catch on something.
I wondered why he’d react that way when Dang Cheon-il held the advantage.
But I felt the same unease.
‘…This is troubling.’
Time dragged on. There was no decisive blow.
‘If this continues.’
Something bothered me. Dang Cheon-il seemed to handle his opponent without difficulty.
‘In the first place, Peng Dojun hasn’t even drawn his blade.’
What troubled me most.
Was precisely.
‘If this man is a more exceptional genius than I anticipated.’
I had no way of knowing Peng Dojun’s true level of talent.
Boom boom boom.
Dang Cheon-il’s eyes rolled as he evaded the punches.
His gaze fixed on Peng Dojun’s wrists.
‘Left side.’
Boom!
He dodged another punch.
‘Left side again.’
He evaded once more.
Then he thrust his short blade forward. It grazed past by a hair’s breadth.
He increased the distance between them.
Evading every attack while continuing to land blows.
To onlookers, Dang Cheon-il appeared to hold the advantage.
‘…None of them are landing properly.’
Dang Cheon-il’s brow furrowed. No matter how many attacks he pressed forward, none dealt fatal damage.
‘Tch.’
Dang Cheon-il eyed Peng Dojun. The man rotated his fists with a contemplative expression.
He still hadn’t drawn his blade.
‘Damn it.’
Why haven’t I drawn my blade yet?
I grit my teeth. Is he still trying to preserve his pride?
‘Even at this point?’
Would he truly cling to his pride rather than lose to someone he once scorned?
I cannot accept this.
Dang Cheon-il could not tolerate such an attitude even now, in this dire situation.
‘By any means.’
I will force that arrogant man to his knees.
With that resolve, I hurl myself forward again.
In an instant, I close the distance.
My eyes dart, assessing his wrist.
Even then, Peng Dojun’s expression remained troubled.
‘This time for certain.’
I will deal a fatal blow. With that intent, I move my blade.
His wrist moves simultaneously.
‘To the right.’
Is it the right side this time?
Just as Dang Cheon-il makes his judgment and prepares to attack accordingly—
“I see.”
Peng Dojun’s voice reaches my ears. At that voice, my spine crawls with dread.
A chill runs through me!
I must evade. That much I understand—
“I understand now.”
CRACK!!!
Peng Dojun’s fist smashes into Dang Cheon-il’s face.
“Gack!!”
Struck by the blow, Dang Cheon-il flies backward. Blood scatters through the air as his body tumbles across the Dueling Arena.
When Dang Cheon-il’s rolling form finally comes to rest—
“That was it.”
Peng Dojun grins wickedly as he speaks.
The miracle of the Peng Clan.
Heuk Taedo Peng Dojun.
The moment he identified his own weakness—
“He overcame it.”
He overcame it as though it were nothing.

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