The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 252

—————
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 252
‘Cheon-gil.’
Words I’d heard before, somewhere.
‘What is it.’
As always, I answered curtly without even glancing sideways, my gaze fixed only ahead.
‘What do you think the moon is?’
Another pointless question. The absurd tone of it didn’t even draw a laugh from me.
‘Stop spouting such nonsense. What is the moon, anyway.’
I pointed toward the sky.
‘Can’t you see it?’
That which hung suspended in the night sky.
Simply something that illuminated the darkness so the night wouldn’t be so black.
If asked what the moon was, that was all I could answer.
To someone not yet twenty, the moon was nothing more than that.
It held no deeper meaning or concept.
It was simply that and nothing more.
The Cheongwol Sect’s doctrine that one must become the moon?
Even that was absurd.
‘The moon is what.’
I laughed.
Drip, drip. Blood fell from the tip of my blade.
The metallic stench reached my nose belatedly. Corpses lay scattered and torn apart all around.
I sat perched upon a pool of blood created in this place.
‘What does it matter what the moon is anyway. You weren’t even a member of the Cheongwol Sect to begin with.’
Answering casually each time he kept asking was becoming tiresome.
That one always obsessed over strange things.
‘I suppose. I’m simply curious.’
The figure lifted his head and gazed toward the sky.
‘Does that moon exist for the sake of the night. Or perhaps….’
His gaze, which had been softly observing the night, lowered.
‘Does the night exist to embrace the moon. That’s all I wonder.’
More nonsense again.
I didn’t think too deeply about what meaning lay behind those words.
‘Enough with the nonsense. Let’s get up soon.’
I rose from my weary body.
I gazed ahead with exhausted eyes.
Something was rushing toward me from far away.
‘They’re coming.’
Another fight.
I drew my blade.
And so the bloody tempest swept through once more.
Such was my existence.

* * *
Clang!
“….”
A blade blocked mere inches from his face. The Sword Demon’s brow furrowed at the sight. The tip of his sword trembled—he was clearly exerting force.
He had stopped it. The blade he’d thrust forward to slay Gwanggwi—no, Doshin’s bloodline—this child was blocking it as though it were nothing.
In response, the Sword Demon twisted the blade in his grip.
He was attempting to alter the blade’s trajectory and continue his assault in one fluid motion.
Screeeech–!!
“–!”
The Sword Demon’s eyes widened in an instant. As he twisted the blade to change its path, his opponent moved in perfect synchronization with his adjustment.
Clang-!! The rebound erupted, and the locked blades sprang apart. Just as the Sword Demon began to reposition himself and create distance.
Whoooosh–!!!
A massive chestnut fell before his eyes. The enormous fruit caught upon the blade’s edge and plummeted straight toward the Sword Demon.
“Hmm.”
Seeing this, the Sword Demon crouched slightly and drew forth his inner force.
Shuuuung!
Violet energy surged and swirled at the tip of the Sword Demon’s blade.
Clang-!
The violet energy traced an arc, flinging the dark-hued sword away.
Both fighters were sent reeling, their distance increasing.
Thud.
The Sword Demon reset his stance and regarded his opponent.
His opponent was also loosening his body, swinging his blade in preparation. Observing this, the Sword Demon spoke.
“A fine blade you wield.”
He had swung with the intention of shattering it, yet remarkably, this dark-hued sword bore not a single scratch.
“Is it Mukcheol?”
“You have a discerning eye. Yes, it is. A truly excellent blade. Even I find myself satisfied with it. Though not quite as much as my original.”
Hearing the young man’s words, the Sword Demon’s expression twisted slightly.
“Your tongue is dull, you blood clot.”
“Haha.”
At the irritating remark, the young man—Bangseong-yeon—laughed.
“What is this fool babbling about?”
“…What?”
“You expect me to show courtesy to someone I’m about to fight to the death? What foolish nonsense you speak.”
Clang. As he spoke, Bangseong-yeon gripped his blade tightly.
“Of course, I am… no, I possess a gentle and kind disposition, so if you wish, I could oblige.”
후우우우우웅—!!!
Brilliance settles upon the dark blade.
Energy rises in a gentle flutter, radiating light as it wraps around the sword.
Moonlight Swordsmanship. The essence of the moon dwells within the blade.
“Please forgive me, Elder.”
“….”
“Ah, is this not it?”
Beautiful energy. Yet unlike his handsome, gentle face, his words were crude and unrefined.
The Sword Demon’s expression crumpled at such vulgar speech.
Of course, the change was not merely from his manner of speaking.
What mattered was that light.
The Sword Demon focused intently on the radiance the young man emanated.
“I see.”
He nodded as if understanding.
“Child. So you are the Sword Saint’s Successor.”
Blue eyes and scattered energy.
Unlike the Cheongwol Sect’s philosophy of valuing delicate swordsmanship, his stance was somehow tyrannical and rough.
And that devastatingly brilliant sword force.
It all brought to mind a single existence that had once been the terror of the Marin.
“I dismissed the talk of the Sword Saint’s return as nonsense.”
The Sword Demon’s expression hardened completely.
The exchange just now. And this present form.
It was certain.
“You must die.”
The Sword Saint’s Successor was not the Sword Demon’s objective.
His true target had always been Cheon Rijin-an.
But after that brief exchange, the Sword Demon changed his mind.
This was dangerous.
An immense threat that would obstruct his path forward—or that of the Young Master.
Even that brief clash made it abundantly clear.
He had to be killed here.
“…Tch….”
The Sword Demon laughed softly with an expressionless face.
“The Sword Saint’s Successor….”
A lesser Sword Saint. Truly a simple and disagreeable epithet.
Facing him now made it all the more so.
“Even in death, you plague us.”
The accursed calamity of the Demonic Sect.
How many Marin had fallen to that cursed light.
If left unchecked, how many more would perish.
“This is fortunate instead.”
So the Sword Demon actually considered it fortunate. Better to sever the bud here than to let it grow into a calamity.
To cut it down at its roots in this very place.
What else could be more fortunate than that?
그그그그그—!!!
Murderous intent erupted from the Sword Demon’s body. An aura beyond imagination.
It was so overwhelming that even those standing nearby felt the crushing pressure.
“Gasp….”
“Kugh…!!”
Those of lower cultivation staggered and fell to their knees.
Those who could barely endure it desperately channeled their energy to push back the oppressive force.
An absolute master.
Peak realm or whatever—a superhuman who had transcended cultivation levels and reached a singular position.
Though his original arm had been severed, the aura the old man had cultivated did not vanish, so he radiated an overwhelming presence.
However.
“Is this the aftermath of war?”
Watching this, Yoo Cheon-gil still smiled.
“You seem weaker than before.”
“…Tsk.”
Was it mockery? Or provocation?
The Sword Demon smiled expressionlessly.
“You speak as if you’ve seen me before.”
“Right? Did I see you in a dream?”
Bangseong-yeon chuckled and spoke.
“Yeah, I think that’s it. In my dream, you were like that.”
He moved forward steadily despite the distant aura, as if it didn’t bother him in the slightest.
“Arrogant as a fool, and one of your arms got severed.”
“….”
“That vicious habit of yours—even after dying and coming back to life, you still haven’t shed it. Truly unfortunate.”
“….”
Crack.
A harsh sound escaped the Sword Demon’s lips.
“How arrogant. You’re just like your master.”
“Thanks for the compliment. I hear that often.”
With a satisfied smile, Bangseong-yeon charged forward.
Clang-!!!
A crystalline sound rang out as energy exploded.
Purple sword energy and warm light began to intertwine endlessly.
Clang-! Clang clang!
Screeeech–!!!
Two colors collided frantically in the void.
Several of them watched the battle unfold and lost themselves in the spectacle, despite its deadly reality.
“The Protagonist is… truly that formidable?”
“…Matching the Sword Demon in combat?”
The Sword Demon, renowned as a Celestial Demon-class martial artist.
Even if this old man was Geomseong’s Predecessor, he was merely a disciple—yet he was holding his own against the Protagonist.
It was an impossible situation.
Whoosh—!
The Moonlight Blade carved a horizontal line through the air. The Sword Demon twisted his upper body to evade, but couldn’t fully escape—strands of his hair were severed clean.
Yet without pause, violet energy surged toward Bangseong-yeon.
The blade’s tip rose sharply and flew forward without hesitation.
Bangseong-yeon tilted his blade diagonally with ease, deflecting the Sword Demon’s attack.
The successful deflection created a momentary opening.
But Bangseong-yeon was already moving before that gap appeared.
He had anticipated the opening and prepared his next technique accordingly.
Wolrang.
A crescent moon formed from the blade extended directly toward the Sword Demon.
The Sword Demon’s eyes narrowed as he perceived it.
Screech—! Boom—!!
He barely blocked it with his blade, but unable to fully absorb the impact, his body shuddered.
Rotating his frame to dissipate the remaining force, the Sword Demon spoke to Bangseong-yeon.
“You’re a troublesome one.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
The Sword Demon’s face deepened with wrinkles.
Troublesome meant something specific.
It was already astonishing that he followed his blade so completely, but his very method of attack was genuinely vexing.
‘He’s doing this intentionally.’
Deliberately targeting only his right side.
Ruthlessly exploiting the weakness of his left arm.
And the way he parried his extended strikes—even engaged in direct combat, it was enough to make one gasp in admiration.
‘A monster.’
Seven? It wasn’t even funny. This was simply a monster.
‘…Hmm.’
The Sword Demon surveyed his surroundings. He still had reserves of power, but the situation wasn’t favorable.
‘Two Daeju-class warriors.’
The Daeju-class martial artists of the Martial Arts Alliance—the warriors serving as Cheon Rijin-an’s guards were pinned down by other forces.
It was a plan designed with this outcome in mind, so the situation itself was manageable.
‘But it delays things.’
He never expected to be held back by a mere disciple.
Even having lost an arm, this should never have been possible…
‘…No, wait.’
The Sword Demon knew the issue had nothing to do with the one-armed man.
‘This is.’
The influence of the ‘Seal’.
The fact that I could barely muster three-tenths of my wartime strength was almost entirely due to that.
“Hmmm.”
The Sword Demon drew upon his power. The violet aura blazed with unprecedented intensity.
Both the plan and that man himself—I had to deal with them one way or another.
Everything.
‘For the Young Master.’
For the sect’s new future.
카가가가가각—!!!
The violet light intensified before erupting outward.
Bangseong-yeon nodded as he witnessed it.
“Seems you’re in a hurry.”
The Sword Demon did not answer.
But Yoo Cheon-gil paid it no mind.
“Good. I’m in a hurry too—I don’t have much time to spare either.”
Whoosh.
화아아아아아—!!!
Just as the Sword Demon’s violet sword aura had done.
Bangseong-yeon’s Moonlight Swordsmanship expanded vastly, enveloping his form in an instant.
Celestial Moon.
Hair turned white. Eyes of brilliant blue that held light.
An aura shimmering like heat haze.
Before the Sword Demon could react to this alien transformation.
Whoosh-!
“…!”
Bangseong-yeon reached his position.
Fast. Incomparably faster than before.
Fortunately, it was not beyond my ability to block.
Clang-!
The clash resumed once more.
Several sword strikes. Amid the fierce and relentless combat.
“….”
Something caught my eye. Was it because the movements grew more violent? Or because I couldn’t keep pace with the speed?
A gap appeared in Bangseong-yeon’s form. I could exploit that opening.
It was a clear opening that anyone could see.
Whoosh-!
Yet I thrust my blade not at that gap, but chose another target instead.
Then.
“As expected.”
Bangseong-yeon spoke with a faint smile playing at his lips.
“You.”
The Sword Demon flinched involuntarily at the cold, manic gleam in his eyes.
“You cannot kill a person right now.”
“…!”
Words that pierced through to the truth.
And with those words.
촤아아아아아악—!!!
Bangseong-yeon’s blade sliced cleanly through the Sword Demon’s chest.

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