The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 334

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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 334
Cuckoo, cuckoo, coo.
I glanced at Seongheon as the door swung open.
Seongheon stared at me as though witnessing something utterly absurd in this world.
It was as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t have.
[How could I…]
Perhaps it was because I’d carelessly opened a hidden door in someone else’s home? I had no choice but to laugh awkwardly.
“Ah, I apologize. I didn’t mean to…”
I should have asked permission before opening it, but I hadn’t, so my apology was warranted.
[No, that’s not it…]
Seongheon chose his words carefully before asking me.
[How on earth did you open it?]
“Well…”
As for how I’d opened it, the explanation was simple.
“I could see it.”
[You could see it?]
“Yes.”
Wol-an had shown me. It wasn’t as though I possessed some remarkable talent.
Truly.
‘I simply did as it appeared.’
He’d given me the answer, and I merely followed it.
‘Has my perception changed as my realm advanced?’
A realm that transcended the peak—I wondered if my vision had undergone some transformation because of it.
‘Indeed.’
If it had changed, how exactly had it changed?
I should have asked about it, but there was no old man around to question.
‘Well, it must be because of my realm advancement.’
I didn’t overthink it. I’d already felt how peculiar the martial art that Yoo Cheon-gil had created was.
‘I’m not even surprised by things like this anymore.’
Most things were resolved by the existence known as Yoo Cheon-gil.
A remarkable martial art. How is this even possible?
Yoo Cheon-gil created it.
Aha!
‘…That man’s really a pain.’
It was absurd to say, but it was true. Whenever most incidents or problems arose, mentioning him to someone who knew of Yoo Cheon-gil would resolve everything.
Martial arts were no different.
‘It’s ridiculous, really.’
It was the Yoo Cheon-gil omnipotence theory.
[…Like master, like disciple, then.]
Look at this very moment. Seongheon was trying to understand the situation by mentioning Yoo Cheon-gil.
[…Anyway, that sect….]
Eventually, my thoughts circled back to the mystery surrounding the Cheongwol Sect.
After observing that much, I spoke to him.
“In any case…. So I just need to go in now?”
If the door was open, I could enter. At my words, Seongheon nodded.
[Yes. Go on in.]
“….”
I stepped forward into the passage. The entrance was somewhat narrow, but since my body wasn’t particularly large to begin with, I could slip through easily.
As soon as I entered, stairs came into view. I couldn’t fathom why this Central Plains had such an obsession with underground spaces.
As I stepped into the darkness, Wol-an naturally conjured light.
My vision brightened completely. I walked forward through the illuminated space, the darkness pushed back.
“There are no traps or anything like that?”
It was an unknowable space. Since every hidden chamber I’d encountered so far had contained traps, I asked whether this one would too.
[Don’t worry. There are no traps specially placed in this location.]
“…Really?”
That was quite an unexpected answer.
“This isn’t a hidden chamber?”
Being a concealed space, I thought it would naturally be one.
[It is a hidden chamber. It’s a place called the Hwadaemun—the Gate of Splendor—that only successive Sect Leaders of Hwasan can enter.]
“….”
I heard something far more impressive than I’d anticipated. A place only successive Sect Leaders could access?
“…Is it really acceptable to break through such a place like this?”
[It wouldn’t be. Normally, that is.]
Seongheon smiled benevolently.
[But surely we can afford to grant this much to Hwasan’s benefactor, can we not?]
“You mean at the discretion of the Sect Leader.”
[Precisely.]
I wanted to say that a spirit had no business exercising discretion, but I held my tongue for now.
‘The Hwadaemun, then.’
A hidden chamber that only successive Sect Leaders of Hwasan could enter.
And within it lay the object Wol Seon-geom desired?
“What exactly am I supposed to receive?”
[Something truly extraordinary.]
“….”
He seemed to have no intention of explaining further. Perhaps he meant for me to see it myself.
‘Tch.’
Every old man who occupied a position of power had peculiar personalities.
I continued forward.
Before long, a door appeared.
‘A wooden door.’
It wasn’t an iron gate. It was a wooden door, smaller than I’d expected.
‘Should I just open it?’
With that thought, I glanced at Seongheon, and he nodded. A gesture telling me to simply open it.
Creak.
I grasped the door handle and pulled it open. The door wasn’t locked.
I carefully opened the weathered door and peered inside.
‘Hmm.’
My eyes narrowed. A subtle fragrance drifted from within.
‘Is that the scent of flowers?’
It was a smell I’d grown familiar with since arriving at Hwasan. A delicate, fragrant floral aroma.
It resembled the scent that emanated from Hwasan’s distinctive pottery.
‘That I can sense it from inside…’
There must be something within. With that assessment, I stepped forward.
Thud.
My ears perked up. Unlike the corridor, the sound echoed clearly here.
‘The materials used must be different.’
The flooring and walls appeared subtly different from the rest of the passage.
Moreover.
‘There are many boxes and things covered in cloth.’
Neatly stacked boxes. And various items draped in cloth. And then.
‘Books?’
Bookshelves were lined with numerous volumes.
[They are all martial arts texts.]
“Is this everything?”
[Yes, one could say this is the entirety of Hwasan.]
“….”
The entirety of Hwasan. At those weighty words, I found myself hesitating.
“Am I truly permitted to be in such a place…?”
[A benefactor is always welcome….]
“Please, spare me such words. I’m asking if you’re truly certain about this.”
[…Heh.]
At my refusal to hear flattery, Seongheon laughed awkwardly.
[Normally, it would be forbidden. However, this is an unavoidable circumstance, is it not?]
“An unavoidable circumstance….”
[I cannot hand it over myself. And since I have a favor to ask of you, it became unavoidable.]
“A favor?”
A favor, suddenly?
“What are you speaking of so suddenly?”
I hadn’t heard this before. A favor?
[It’s nothing grand. I simply wish for you to deliver something.]
“…Ah, that’s rather problematic.”
Receiving an object from Wol Seon-geom after hearing him out was one thing.
‘But to receive something from a Saengryeong and deliver it?’
Receiving something directly from a spirit itself was an entirely different matter.
Becoming directly entangled with a soul through such an exchange would be far too troublesome.
‘My soul would accumulate weight.’
I had no intention of accumulating unnecessary karma. So I made a troubled expression.
[It’s just a matter of handing it over, isn’t it?]
Seongheon made a pitiful expression, but of course it would have no effect.
“Yes. I’ve never received anything from spirits, nor do I give them anything. This is no different—”
[Even though it concerns Yoo Yeon.]
“….”
My face contorted sharply.
“What does that have to do with anything here?”
[Heh heh.]
Suddenly bringing up Yoo Yeon like that irritated me.
“Whether it concerns Yoo Yeon or anything else, it doesn’t matter.”
Yoo Yeon or whatever—the problem is me, so stop that.
Why is she even coming up now?
‘Did you think I’d listen if it concerned Yoo Yeon?’
Tsk.
A sigh escaped me.
“…Fine. Let me first see this object you’re giving.”
I set aside the request and spoke to Seongheon. He swallowed his regret and pointed somewhere with his hand.
[It’s over there.]
I looked toward where his finger indicated. Similarly, I saw a box covered in cloth.
“That one?”
[Yes.]
Hearing his response, I moved in that direction.
As I reached the box,
[Remove the cloth.]
Following Seongheon’s instruction, I grasped and pulled the cloth. Whoosh. The fabric slid away from the box, revealing the object inside.
‘What is this?’
It was a box within a box. The problem was—
A brilliant radiance bloomed.
“…!”
The moment I opened the cloth, a fragrance incomparably richer than before spread throughout the room.
“What is…?”
This was far beyond mere fragrance. There was something that felt sacred emanating from within.
“…What is this?”
It was absolutely not ordinary.
When I asked about it, Seongheon approached and spoke.
[It is called the Hwasan Elixir.]
“The Hwasan Elixir?”
I wondered what that was.
‘Wasn’t Hwasan Sect’s elixir the Jaseodan?’
Elixirs that existed individually, led by Shaolin’s Great Returning Elixir.
The Cheongwol Sect also possessed numerous representative elixirs.
Among these, if one spoke of the Hwasan Elixir—
‘The Jaseodan.’
There was already a well-known elixir throughout the Central Plains.
But.
‘What is the Hwasan Elixir?’
It was not an elixir I knew of.
I thought it might be just an ordinary elixir.
‘But this aura is absolutely not that.’
It was an extraordinary aura. Even I, who knew little of elixirs, could discern that this was a tremendous one.
“What is the Hwasan Elixir?”
What is this thing? To my question, Seongheon answered.
[It is an undisclosed elixir of Hwasan.]
“Undisclosed, you say…?”
[Each sect has its secrets, does it not? The Cheongwol Sect is no different. We are the same.]
“…That is.”
His words were correct. I had experienced such things in the Cheongwol Sect.
An elixir one could obtain upon becoming the sect leader.
After consuming it, Wol-an had properly opened his eyes.
‘Then this is also such an elixir?’
And.
“Is this the item our sect leader instructed us to retrieve from Hwasan?”
[How could it be otherwise?]
“…What do you mean?”
It was not certainty. Could it be otherwise?
My brow furrowed at his incomprehensible words.
[Wol Seon-geom never entrusted anything to Hwasan in the first place.]
“What do you mean by that…?”
[I was merely certain that there would be something to receive.]
“…!”
At Seongheon’s words, my head rang as though struck by a hammer.
‘Wait a moment…’
Could his words possibly mean—
‘This old man?’
Ha.
I let out a hollow laugh, catching onto Wol Seon-geom’s thoughts.
‘…A fox of a man, truly.’
On the surface, he appeared to be a tiger or leopard, but when you peeled back his layers, Wol Seon-geom was a nine-tailed fox.
‘Did he predict this?’
This was merely a succession of anticipated circumstances.
‘Did he know?’
Wol Seon-geom had anticipated that I would resolve something at Hwasan.
Perhaps he had even grasped that I would come to be called a benefactor.
Moreover.
‘He must have known that Seongheon couldn’t go to Henan.’
He likely anticipated that Seongheon couldn’t head there to repair Shin Chang.
Thus.
‘Did he make me bring something back to him?’
The moment I had earned Hwasan’s favor—was he using that to make me bring back something?
‘…This doesn’t make sense.’
If that were true, there was something I couldn’t understand.
‘How could he have known I would give it?’
I couldn’t fathom his certainty that I would hand something over.
It was clearly written in the letter.
‘If the Sect Leader dies or something similar occurs.’
If that were the condition, then he would have told someone to retrieve it.
‘It would have been more likely that he mentioned it to someone other than Seongheon.’
What basis did he have for judging that such a person would readily hand it over?
‘From the beginning….’
He was certain that Seongheon couldn’t come, and so he sent this.
It was entirely different from Jegal Jin’s choice.
‘What on earth is it?’
What exactly was Wol Seon-geom?
What had he been thinking? Could it be.
‘Did he know I could see ghosts?’
I wondered if he knew I could perceive Seongheon as a Saengryeong and anticipated this outcome.
‘That doesn’t make sense either.’
That made even less sense.
‘What is it really?’
I felt unsettled. Many thoughts swirled about Wol Seon-geom.
Even so, I spoke to Seongheon while looking at the Hwasan Sect’s treasure.
“…Are you saying I should take this with me?”
[Whether it can revive the League Leader remains uncertain. But it is the finest recompense I can offer.]
“….”
The Fire Immortal Pellet.
I stared at it intently. First, I needed to secure it, so I reached for cloth to wrap it.
[It’s right beside that.]
“Pardon?”
Seongheon spoke to me.
[What I was trying to ask of you earlier—it was right next to that.]
“…But as I mentioned before….”
I spoke with a sigh mixed into my words. I had no intention of listening to whatever he might say.
Just as I was about to respond that way.
“…Hm?”
I widened my eyes upon seeing the object beside me.
“This is…?”
There lay a sword.
An old blade, its edge completely dulled.

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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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