The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 276

—————
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 276
Considerable time had passed since I left Henan and set my course toward Shaanxi.
Days had drifted by, and winter—which had begun late—had ended, replaced by spring adorned with abundant blossoms.
One year.
A year had elapsed since the great transformation of my life began.
It was around this time since I met that eccentric old man and was forced to begin learning martial arts.
I had become someone entirely different from who I once was.
The Anwhui branch of the Martial Arts Alliance.
My position and cultivation level had changed so dramatically from when I was there.
In just one year, I had ascended from a third-rate martial artist to the pinnacle of mastery.
From an unknown, worthless disciple to now—
‘…Wol-hyeop…’
I was called Wol-hyeop.
The most prominent rising disciple in the current Central Plains, treated as the hero who saved Henan.
‘How did things turn out this way?’
Should I call it a fresh perspective, or should I say I was utterly bewildered?
Honestly, I had no time to feel anything.
Merely one year, yet it was filled with events far too turbulent and complex to comprehend.
I had no leisure to feel the change in position or reputation.
They say I had changed, but just how much had I truly transformed?
I still could not grasp it viscerally.
Even now.
‘Especially now.’
Even at this very moment, standing alongside a being so overwhelming I dare not even look up.
Shwiiing—!
My blade cuts swiftly through the air. Even by my own measure, the speed was remarkable.
So this is the level of swordsmanship I can now wield. The thought flickers through my mind.
Whoosh—!
My blade was not connecting with my opponent before me at all.
Only empty air parted by my swift strikes.
I had already repeated this dozens of times, and the result was always the same.
Yet I did not stop.
Rather, I could not.
‘Center.’
I pour strength into my instep to redirect my blade, which had failed to reach its target.
Thud—!
My foot planted firmly on the ground, and power surged into my abdomen.
‘Waist.’
I concentrate on my waist. If my strength falters here, my stance will collapse.
Maintaining a steady flow of power, I angle my blade diagonally upward.
I rotated my upper body entirely. The sword drew a semicircle with the momentum.
I hadn’t used my inner energy. Nor was this the Moonlight Sword Technique of Wolrang.
It was merely a similar attacking stance, but the power should surpass expectations.
‘Did I catch it?’
Even by my assessment, the movement wasn’t bad. This should be acceptable.
The moment I thought that.
“I told you.”
A flat voice reached my ears.
And then.
“You think too much.”
Ting—!
The sword’s tip trembled and shot upward into empty space.
Ugh!
The stance I’d barely maintained crumbled under the powerful recoil.
My upper body left exposed in an instant.
A foot flew into that opening.
Boom—!
Gack!
A fierce impact struck my abdomen.
Spitting blood, my body flew backward.
Crash—!
I crashed to the ground and had to roll across the floor.
“Cough….”
After rolling several times, I finally stopped and retched repeatedly.
“Ugh….”
It hurt like hell. I was rubbing my stomach where the hand had struck.
Step.
Beneath my groaning gaze, a pair of feet came into view.
As I steadied my breathing and slowly raised my head, a small-framed old man stood in that spot.
“Tsk.”
The old man clicked his tongue briefly, as if displeased.
The old man was none other than the Sword Emperor of the Celestial Demon.
“To fail at something this simple.”
“….”
I could only make a ridiculous expression at those words.
It was an utterly unfair thing to say.
“We’ll stop here for today.”
The Sword Emperor turned without hesitation and walked away.
The Sword Emperor vanished in an instant.
Watching him go, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding.
“Huff… huff… I’m going to die.”
This is absolutely brutal. My entire body was already drenched in sweat.
Less than half a shichen had passed in terms of time.
I’d only moved around a bit, yet I was this exhausted.
“Ugh…”
I released all tension and collapsed onto the ground.
Despite the weather not being particularly hot, the sweat pouring from me made the world feel scorching.
‘…How did I end up like this?’
Even as I steadied my breathing, confusion lingered.
…What am I even doing right now?
This was what I found most difficult to comprehend.
‘…I’m receiving training from the Sword Emperor.’
The Sword Emperor of the Celestial Demon.
A hero of the Final Great War, called the Supreme Sword of the Heavens—equal in martial prowess to Yoo Cheon-gil.
I was receiving training from him every single day.
Exactly half a shichen.
A short span of time, and what passes for training is closer to one-sided brutality…
‘…But regardless…’
Training is training, after all.
“Oof…”
Exhaustion crashed over me.
It had been several days since I began receiving training from the Sword Emperor at Wol Seon-geom’s request.
He kept his word, teaching me the sword every single day without fail.
…No, that’s not quite right either. Rather than teaching me swordsmanship…
‘…He’s teaching me how to fight.’
I was training in combat, not swordcraft.
The Sword Emperor had restricted my inner energy before training began.
He forbade me from relying on inner energy to move my body, and martial techniques powered by meditation were sealed away.
Since I’d reached the pinnacle and inner energy naturally permeated my body, not using it made no sense.
But he instructed me not to use anything else.
Only then could I understand.
‘That’s why. I wondered how the Sword Emperor would teach me the blade.’
He restricted martial techniques and inner energy, then engaged in relentless sparring.
Throughout the process, the Sword Emperor pointed out flaws in my movements.
Don’t put strength in your instep.
Keep the blade steady when you draw it down.
Your judgment is too slow.
Then what should you do next time?
The Sword Emperor pointed out such things one by one.
The problem was.
‘While beating me down.’
All under the guise of training, coupled with outright violence.
“Ugh, my whole body aches….”
Every muscle felt stiff and sore. He pointed out flaws in my movements and struck those exact spots.
My joints, my bones—everything hurt.
And more than that….
‘…I never realized how difficult it would be without using my inner energy.’
Somewhere along the way, I’d grown dependent on channeling my inner energy. After just half an hour without it, sweat poured down my body.
“Ugh….”
I pushed my upper body upright.
“…Is this even helping?”
I have genuine doubts. The Sword Emperor himself is sparring with me, that much is true.
But honestly, I’m not sure if this is actually good instruction.
Especially the lessons he’s been giving me over the past two days.
‘What did he say again?’
The Sword Emperor’s recent criticism of me.
It was this:
‘That I think too much.’
He said I think too much when I fight.
At first, he pointed out specific movements. But exactly two days ago, the Sword Emperor said something different.
‘I see.’
As I lay there gasping for breath, the Sword Emperor spoke to me.
‘You are different from Yoo Cheon-gil.’
‘…Huh…?’
Hearing that, I merely lifted my head to look at him.
Of course we’re different. We don’t even look remotely alike, that old man and I.
But it seemed the Sword Emperor meant something else.
‘Empty your mind.’
‘…What?’
‘That’s what you need to do from now on. You think far too much.’
When fighting, I must empty my mind of thought.
He said I harbor far too many unnecessary thoughts.
“…But, wait.”
If I’m being honest about my grievance….
“…How am I supposed to not think?”
How can I fight without thinking?
It makes no sense.
‘There are mountains of things I need to consider, so how can I ignore all of it?’
The angle of my feet. My opponent’s emotional state and intentions. Countermeasures and preventative tactics. Even accounting for all of that isn’t enough….
‘Empty my mind of thought?’
It was undeniably harsh criticism. Especially for someone like me.
Was this truly helpful advice?
Or was it just venting through violence? As that thought crossed my mind.
[Listen well.]
Yoo Cheon-gil spoke while looking down at me sprawled on the ground.
[It’s a point I’ve made repeatedly, and while that bastard may be useless at other things, he’s specialized in teaching people.]
“….”
Yoo Cheon-gil surprisingly defended the Sword Emperor.
The Sword Emperor was like that?
[He’s fundamentally different. He clawed his way up from the very bottom, desperately striving only to reach the heavens. In combat, he’s experienced every conceivable hardship.]
“…No….”
Even so, that was true.
“How can you tell me to erase my thoughts?”
Yoo Cheon-gil chuckled at my words.
[That’s not what I meant by erasing your thoughts.]
“…Then what?”
[Move your body before you think.]
“So in other words….”
How was I supposed to do that? Just as I was about to sigh and ask.
[If your head is full of thoughts, you die before you can express them. That’s what real combat is.]
“….”
I had to close my mouth at Yoo Cheon-gil’s serious words. His tone was extremely resolute.
[Your method isn’t bad. In fact, it suits you well enough… but you need to learn this to a certain degree.]
“…Yes.”
These were the insights of two people who bore the title of Heavenly Supreme, no less.
Any rebuttal here would only be spitting in my own face.
‘This isn’t easy.’
In my past life, I would have been justified in killing my thoughts entirely.
But here, I had to move my body before my mind.
“Ah…. This is difficult.”
It was truly a challenging task.
After struggling with this dilemma, I groaned and pushed myself up.
Then I looked up at the moon hanging in the sky.
“Oh no.”
I’d spent too much time lost in idle thoughts.
I needed to move quickly.
‘It should be my turn tonight, shouldn’t it?’
The night watch rotation that happened every day—today it would be my turn.
I hurried my steps toward the campsite.
We had positioned it some distance away for training purposes.
‘How much further do I have to go?’
The journey toward Mount Hua.
We had departed from Hanan, and considerable time had already passed since then.
By distance, we still had quite a ways to travel.
‘…So I have to do this the entire way?’
I shuddered slightly. It was already exhausting doing it once a day, and now every day until we arrive?
Goosebumps rose across my skin.
“Damn it…. So there’s no other way to-”
Just as I was about to ask Yoo Cheon-gil something.
[Shut your mouth. There are eyes.]
“….”
I stopped.
My body reacted to the warning and I closed my mouth.
Eyes?
‘…Where?’
I glanced toward Yoo Cheon-gil. He was pointing at something with his finger.
The forest. A forest where nothing was visible.
I couldn’t sense any presence at all.
‘…What is this?’
What was happening all of a sudden?
For now, I walked as naturally as possible toward the campsite.
[Don’t be nervous. The Sword Emperor has probably already noticed them anyway.]
“….”
That was at least reassuring to hear.
Right.
‘It would be strange if problems arose in this group right now.’
We were traveling with the Celestial Demon.
What danger could there be here? I pressed forward with that meager reassurance.
As I continued onward.
‘Hmm?’
A peculiar fragrance reached my nose.
‘What is it?’
It resembled a floral scent. It was fresh and delicate.
‘…Is it because it’s spring?’
I had been sensing the arrival of spring after winter’s departure.
So I wondered if that’s why the floral scent was present.
But for something like that.
‘Something feels off.’
The sensation was different. It wasn’t a simple floral fragrance.
[Mm.]
Yoo Cheon-gil chuckles softly.
[Well, you certainly have a keen eye for people.]
What was he talking about? As I stood there confused, Yoo Cheon-gil continued.
[How do you manage to pick out only such exceptional individuals to nurture? It’s remarkable every time I see them.]
What was he referring to? I still had no idea.
Lost in confusion, I arrived at the campsite.
“…Huh?”
Strange presences emanated from where the group had gathered.
Narrowing my eyes to look closer, I sensed someone there.
More precisely, I saw many people.
“Ah, Young Master Bang.”
As I approached, Cheon Euijin acknowledged me and spoke.
At his words, the gazes of the others fixed upon me.
They wore martial robes of pure white with embroidered flowers adorning them.
Seeing them, I understood.
‘Ah.’
So that floral fragrance I’d been sensing came from them.
How could people carry such an intense flower scent? As I pondered this.
“You would be the one responsible for this party, correct?”
The man at the front stepped forward and addressed me.
He was a sturdy man with an angular face and a commanding presence.
“Forgive the intrusion. I am the Second Disciple of Hwasan Sect. My name is Yeo Hyeok.”
“….”
Second Disciple Yeo Hyeok.
I knew of him.
‘…It’s him.’
Before Yoo Yeon appeared and drew all attention to herself.
‘The youngest Plum Blossom Sword Master of his era.’
He was the man who had gained renown as a legendary prodigy of Hwasan Sect.

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