The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 398

—————
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 398
“Wol-hyeop?”
“That person…? No, the face does seem right, but…”
“…Was he always like that? He was handsome before, but not to this extent.”
“And he seems taller too?”
“There’s something about his aura…”
Whispers reached my ears. The more I walked, the more pronounced they became.
My appearance had transformed through the effects of Rebirth Transformation.
While the basic structure hadn’t changed significantly—
‘No, saying there were no changes would be dishonest.’
There were many. My original frame hadn’t been large, but my shoulders had broadened and my limbs had lengthened.
Moreover, the few blemishes my skin once had completely vanished.
‘It turned white.’
My body had reverted to childhood, granting me pristine, pale skin. This made my blue eyes stand out even more prominently.
Simply put, I had become far more attractive. Considerably so.
I touched my cheek briefly. The smoothness felt supple. When had I ever possessed such skin?
‘The attention is somewhat burdensome.’
Yet I didn’t entirely dislike it. This was the gaze my father had endured his entire life, and I had some experience receiving it myself.
‘Focus.’
I steadied my wandering thoughts.
I concentrated entirely on my gait.
‘Just like then.’
I was reproducing the imitation of Yoo Cheon-gil I had performed before Sochul Daeju.
‘It’s different.’
Perhaps my realm had advanced. Perhaps it was the Rebirth Transformation.
For whatever reason, the sensation differed from before.
‘I understand it better now.’
The gait of an absolute being.
Appearing full of openings, yet containing nothing at all.
And.
‘What I witnessed in the spirit dream.’
Fighting against Yoo Cheon-gil of the Immortal Realm, or rather, meeting one-sided death, if I had gained anything, it was this first.
‘The sensation of movement.’
The subtle difference that originated from Yoo Cheon-gil of the Immortal Realm.
The movement of the body. The difference in the atmosphere and alienation contained within it.
I had discovered that.
‘How should I describe it?’
As if energy naturally permeates through each individual movement.
It’s difficult to express in words.
‘I need to utilize the sensation from possession.’
Merely observing wasn’t enough, so when Yoo Cheon-gil possessed me, I memorized the movements he demonstrated through my body and wove them into my gait.
‘It feels awkward.’
It’s still difficult. But it was worth attempting.
Thud.
One step.
Thud.
Another step.
I concentrated all my focus, channeling every ounce of attention into mimicking Yoo Cheon-gil.
In doing so, the world seemed to grow quiet.
Sound fades away.
The whispers that had surrounded me fell silent, and all I could see was the path laid before me.
Walk.
That’s what the path told me.
As if heeding its call, I moved forward, and when I reached the end of the path not long after.
‘Ah.’
My senses suddenly returned. Right. This is the Cheongrang Society.
I shouldn’t just walk carelessly, should I? Coming to my senses, I opened my eyes.
“Huh.”
I realized something was amiss. There were no people around me. There should have been plenty ahead, but none of my seniors were visible.
What’s this? Bewildered, I looked around.
‘Oh no.’
Only then did I understand.
‘I’ve gone too far ahead.’
I had surpassed all my seniors and was standing at the very front. Because of this, the person with the fastest rank after Sochul Daeju was glaring at me.
‘This is…’
It was only natural they’d look at me that way—the youngest had come to the very front when we should have been standing in order.
I laughed awkwardly and tried to retreat sheepishly.
“A fine display.”
Wol Seon-geom’s words stopped me in my tracks.
“Is this a show of confidence?”
“I… what?”
“I hope you have something to back up that confidence.”
“…No, that’s not what—”
Sowoldae, listen well.”
Before I could even make an excuse, Wol Seon-geom cut me off.
Damn.
‘I’m going crazy.’
Because of Wol Seon-geom’s words, the gazes around me felt even sharper. Without meaning to, I had declared war.
That wasn’t what I intended at all.
‘What do I do now.’
Should I try to clear up the misunderstanding? I considered it for a moment.
‘But there’s no real need.’
I shook my head. It wasn’t necessary. Even if there was some misunderstanding.
‘It’s not entirely wrong, after all.’
Wol Seon-geom’s words weren’t incorrect.
‘I should do it.’
Having come this far, I was already resolved to see it through. As I was thinking this.
Tap.
Someone placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned to look.
‘…Yoo Yul.’
Eunwol Sword was gazing at me with his characteristic eye smile.
“My, you’re far more passionate than I thought?”
“…What?”
“Had I known you were this combative, I would’ve matched your energy differently.”
The way he spoke as if regretting it felt strange.
“And something’s changed about you. Quite a lot, too?”
“….”
Since my rebirth, the way people looked at me had shifted. The blue eyes gleaming behind those narrow slits felt deeply unsettling.
Moreover.
‘As I thought.’
I could sense it. The foreign spiritual energy surrounding Eunwol Sword.
‘I felt it back then too.’
It was definitely strange.
‘The true self has no spiritual energy.’
The karma that flows from the souls shamans possess.
That was absent. Which meant.
‘The soul making contact from outside.’
The spiritual energy clinging to Eunwol Sword’s body was that of another. And this was.
‘The influence of the Death King and Gungwi that Cheonhye-in mentioned?’
It was possible. As I was considering this.
“I don’t know what’s happened, but since you’ll be different from last time, I’m looking forward to it.”
“….”
He smiled faintly, withdrew his hand from my shoulder, and took a step back.
“….”
I stared quietly at my shoulder. The lingering energy bothered me, but I chose to ignore it.
“We shall now commence the Cheongrang Assembly.”
Wol Seon-geom’s concise words followed.
“Embody the moon. As always—”
With the lengthy words inscribed throughout Cheongwol Sect’s history, the competition for Sochul Daeju, mimicking the Cheongrang Assembly, began.

* * *
The banquet and martial tournament came rather suddenly to me. I felt dragged here without even knowing it was being held, but since I was already here, I needed to observe what I could.
“We shall begin.”
I stood before the position where the bracket would be drawn and waited blankly.
The selection criteria for the Cheongrang Assembly were disciples of Sowoldae or those who had opened their eyes through Wol-an.
Those excluded were Wol Seon-geom, the Moonju, and those of Elder rank.
Whether they were excluded because they were too strong, or if it was simply a rule Wol Seon-geom had established, I couldn’t say.
I only knew what I had observed.
‘Perhaps that’s why Yoo Cheon-gil is objecting.’
I could understand the Old Man’s displeasure as well.
‘The exclusion of those of Elder rank.’
A competition for the position of Vice Moonju and all that, yet conditions were placed on the tournament while those of higher rank were excluded.
I suspected that was why Yoo Cheon-gil had become so furious.
If it had been him.
‘…He probably would have insisted everyone fight, Elders and all.’
He was the type to shout that there was no point in excluding anyone—that everyone should draw their swords and exchange blows.
‘Moreover.’
Even if it weren’t him.
‘I don’t understand Wol Seon-geom’s intention.’
Why he would hold the Cheongrang Assembly while imposing such conditions.
I couldn’t read Wol Seon-geom’s heart.
‘…What I can at least determine.’
I thought while looking toward where Wol Seon-geom stood.
‘It doesn’t seem to be him.’
The one who killed Yoo Cheon-gil.
Several candidates involved with the Cheongwol Sect.
Among them, I had slightly excluded Wol Seon-geom from consideration.
‘That look in his eyes.’
The reason was simple.
It was something Wol Seon-geom had failed to do until death—he had never engaged in a life-or-death confrontation with the Sword Saint.
‘His eyes were sincere.’
Though there was a possibility he had even acted with his eyes.
‘Still.’
From my perspective, it remained ambiguous. So I hadn’t excluded him entirely—just one step back. That was all I had ruled out.
‘Hmm.’
I was narrowing my eyes and turning things over in my mind when.
“Excuse me, Disciple.”
“Ah.”
The sect member in front called out to me.
“You must draw your bracket.”
“Oh my. My apologies.”
It was my turn. I reached into the box.
I withdrew a single slip of paper from within.
What was written on it.
‘One (一).’
The character for “one” was written in enormous letters.
First position. As I narrowed my eyes upon seeing it.
“Ha.”
Laughter echoed from somewhere.
“What a coincidence.”
I turned my head and recognized the face—the man who stood at the very front during Sowoldae’s introduction ceremony, and the person with the highest ranking number in the current Sowoldae.
‘Seo Seon. The Azure Flowing Sword.’
It was Seo Seon of Sowoldae.
“…We ended up with the same number. Isn’t that right, youngest?”
He fluttered a slip of paper with the same number as mine, laughing.
Though calling it laughter was generous.
‘…Those are frightening eyes.’
His eyes held considerable emotion. It seemed the earlier incident was the problem.
“As it happens, this works out well. Unlike the other disciples, I’ve never paid much attention to our youngest, but this seems like a good opportunity.”
This was our first real conversation. Sowoldae emphasized individual training, and besides, I had been away on long-term missions, so we’d had no contact.
“Aha…. You really don’t need to concern yourself with me.”
“That won’t do.”
Perhaps that was why.
“To do so would violate the discipline we’ve worked so hard to establish.”
Seo Seon seemed to dislike me somewhat.
“…Seeing that you can’t even recognize your senior after being shown a little favor.”
“….”
Let me correct that. It seemed like more than just “somewhat.”
He seemed to dislike me quite a great deal.
“I understand your reputation is outstanding, but I cannot tolerate becoming arrogant because of it.”
“I haven’t really been arrogant….”
“I thought I should show you that the world is vast and that Cheongwol Sect holds even greater things, and it seems today shall be precisely that day.”
“….”
He didn’t seem interested in listening anymore.
With those blue eyes filled with malice, it was awkward to say anything.
“…Ah. Yes…. I will accept your instruction gratefully.”
So I simply let it pass with those words.
“Ha….”
Even that displeased him, as his face twisted sharply.
What exactly does he want?
Seo Seon turned his back and walked away, and as I watched him go.
“How did you manage to offend him?”
Cheonhye-in, who had been observing from the sidelines, approached me.
“You can’t tell just by looking. I didn’t offend him.”
I protested my innocence, but.
“Didn’t offend him? You boldly provoked him just moments ago.”
“….”
When she brought up how I’d stepped forward and taken the lead, my words dried up.
“Be careful. That man. He’s strong.”
At her continued words, I let out a hollow laugh.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Well, he’s someone who defeated me before. It would be unsightly if you collapsed pathetically.”
“….”
“He’s evaluated as someone who might become the next Sochul Daeju. You should be more careful, you know?”
“…Yes. Thank you for your concern.”
“Don’t mention it. I just hope you’ll remember what I told you.”
She left those words like petals and disappeared with a flutter.
“Hmm.”
A talented figure evaluated as material for the next Sochul Daeju.
So Seo Seon was that strong.
Perhaps even stronger than the Eunwol Sword?
‘Still, he’s the leader of Sowoldae….’
Had I perhaps drawn the wrong opponent from the start?
Such thoughts crossed my mind. So I had anticipated a somewhat difficult match, but.
“…What is… this….”
Once the martial contest began, something entirely different unfolded.
“What sorcery are you employing…!”
At Seo Seon’s cry, I tilted my head.
“…What?”
I uttered a foolish response while looking at Seo Seon.
Because he was kneeling before me.

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