The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 507

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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 507
The atmosphere had turned frigid.
I felt the air shift. It wasn’t merely a change in mood.
‘Formidable.’
This was something one sensed upon reaching the level of a supreme master—an absolute expert.
The inner force a martial artist emanates reaches a level where it influences the very fabric of nature itself.
That was what I understood an absolute expert to be. And the figure before me was precisely that.
Mee Yeon-hwa. By appearance, she seemed to be a woman in her early twenties.
Her age felt like what one might call the later disciples’ generation, though whether that youthful visage was genuine remained uncertain.
At my words, Mee Yeon-hwa shattered every mask she had been wearing. The face that had shown perplexity and anxiety moments before vanished without a trace.
What stood before me now was a martial artist concealing a chilling murderous intent.
‘A Marin.’
She was a Marin.
“How irritating.”
Mee Yeon-hwa spoke, looking at me. Crack. She rotated her pale neck, producing a bone-cracking sound. Whoooosh—! My lower dantian responded to that motion.
“I’ve heard you’re clever—but I never expected you could see that much.”
“I’m not sure who told you that, but it’s quite the compliment.”
“Little brat.”
Shhhhhhh.
Energy roiled from her feet upward. Though unseen, I sensed it instinctively. Killing intent. A concentrated and violent amount of it.
It was clear to anyone that she was no ordinary martial artist.
“I don’t know what you were thinking approaching me like this, but I question whether it was truly a wise choice.”
“Your tone changed too?”
Clang. A blade was drawn. Strange—where had that sword come from? I hadn’t seen it before.
“So what changes if you realize I’m a Marin?”
“For one, we could have a more comfortable conversation.”
“A conversation?”
“Why would someone from an orthodox noble family become a Marin without anyone knowing? And one of the Eight Demon Fists no less? That’s quite the achievement.”
“…Hmm?”
She tilted her head. Her gaze still carried killing intent and fighting spirit.
“Why would I answer that for you?”
“No reason. But if you don’t, what will you do? Kill me here?”
“That would be easiest. And.”
Whoooosh—!!!
The woman before me vanished. Her presence dissolved. Seeing that, I drew the Divine Blade.
Clang—!!
My body was pushed back by an assault from the left. I endured it by gathering energy into my feet. Screeeech—!!! I was driven back. Feeling the ground scrape beneath me, I fixed my gaze on my opponent.
“The most righteous method—.”
“…This is something.”
I hadn’t wanted to fight. Yet here we were.
‘Still, even so.’
Even if it’s somewhere distant from Hanam, it’s still Hanam. Did they truly believe they could kill me in a place where the Martial Arts Alliance stands intact?
Did they think that was possible?
‘In this case, there are two possibilities.’
Either they possessed the strength to do so.
Or they were prepared to throw everything away.
‘I’d prefer it wasn’t the latter.’
I hoped they weren’t that foolish. They had to have some sense.
Screeeech!
Feeling the blade driven forward by the impact, I shifted my sword. I altered the angle and infused it with inner force, increasing the friction.
Following the flow, I deflected Mee Yeon-hwa’s attack.
Clang—! A sharp sound erupted with the collision. She too had inner force gathered. I unleashed the Moonlight Severing Form and opened my Wol-an. I perceived the trajectory and sword path.
She was already closing in. Fast. Incredibly sharp and devastatingly quick.
In that moment.
‘It’s heavy.’
Not just an attack—it carried weight. It wasn’t merely speed. Eight Demon Fists. The term came to mind.
‘Is she at the Sword Demon level?’
The opponent I’d fought before was a Sword Demon. Though I hadn’t fought him myself—it was Yoo Cheon-gil who did.
I’d encountered one other as well.
‘That one fell short of the Sword Demon.’
He hadn’t reached the Sword Demon’s level. So my standard was the Sword Demon. I’d set the Eight Demon Fists’ benchmark against the Sword Demon.
By that measure.
‘What about this one?’
What of her? I entertained such thoughts while facing the martial artist lunging at me as if to tear me apart.
‘She’s lost her mind.’
She’d clearly gone mad. There was no other explanation.
But.
‘That’s neither here nor there.’
I had to do what needed doing.
Whoooosh—!!!
I didn’t calculate angles. I immediately attempted Wol Cheon. My vision expanded and the world yearned for light.
Mee Yeon-hwa’s approaching speed seemed to slow. No—my world had accelerated instead.
Flowing leaves. Rising dust. Scattering fragments.
All of it felt sluggish.
Twisted time perception. Within it, I took a step forward.
Boom—!!!
“…!”
Explosive speed surged forth. Mee Yeon-hwa’s eyes widened at the sudden change. Crack-crack—!!
Her sword was sent flying. Our inner forces clashed, but mine was stronger.
“Ha—!”
Mee Yeon-hwa’s lips curved upward. The bewilderment had vanished, replaced by competitive spirit. Right—she wasn’t about to back down from this. If I’d shown my hand, then I should see what she had to offer in return.
Since I’d made the first move, I anticipated something different. Mee Yeon-hwa seemed to sense my expectations and shifted her power.
Her vital force intensified. Strength flowed into her blade. The number of reflections in Wol-an decreased. Fewer lines meant she wouldn’t resort to unnecessary techniques—
‘A sign she would fight properly.’
She had infused her sword strikes with intent.
The casual probing ceased. Mee Yeon-hwa’s blade traced a different trajectory. The enlightenment contained within it made me whistle inwardly.
Ferocious.
Far too ferocious for a woman’s swordplay.
‘It’s absurd to speak of gender among martial artists, but—’
The skeletal structure from birth and the flexibility of muscle were predetermined. There was certainly a distinction in sword styles based on one’s body.
The reason a woman’s sword differed from a man’s sword lay in that very fact. Using what suited one’s body was simply more efficient.
But.
‘What is this?’
Mee Yeon-hwa’s sword was not like that. It was as if—
‘A man’s sword?’
No, that wasn’t quite the right way to put it.
‘A sword no woman should wield.’
I could feel it in the ratio of competitive spirit and the method of application. This was—
‘Sword strikes that didn’t match her frame.’
From Mee Yeon-hwa’s modest stature came a power and intensity that shouldn’t exist. An anomalous blade.
Clang—!! Crash-crack-crack-!!!!
“Tch.”
I was being pushed back. Pushed back by sheer strength. If it were merely a matter of realm, I could accept it, but this was pure physical force overwhelming me.
Was my pride wounded? Hardly.
‘What pride could I possibly have?’
I had none. I’d thrown such things to the ground long ago. Caring about such things meant you couldn’t survive.
Whoooosh—!!!
A slender blade with a distant sword force. If I tried to create distance, her blade energy would fly at me. Approaching was somewhat difficult.
This wouldn’t be resolved so easily.
So I moved my blade.
Whirrrrr—! I raised the sword resonance.
Time slowed. Mee Yeon-hwa pierced through it.
Within that, I deliberately narrowed my vision.
Slow and slower still. I sank into a state of no-self within the sword resonance.
Sword and spirit as one.
“…!”
I evaded Mee Yeon-hwa’s blade and drew a single stroke.
Shhhhiiiing—!!!
The drawn blade burrowed directly into Mee Yeon-hwa’s upper body. That was when—just before contact—
Whoooosh—!!!
A dreadful aura erupted from her body. My concentration on maintaining the unity of sword and spirit wavered. The sword path twisted. Yet it was manageable.
‘That’s enough.’
I had anticipated this. The moment I saw that aura, I withdrew my body backward.
“…You.”
Mee Yeon-hwa stared at me with astonished eyes, wreathed in demonic energy. I did not answer her.
*Crack.*
Something dwelling within my heart. I drew up what had infiltrated the depths of my soul.
Grasping it, I moved toward Mee Yeon-hwa.
“Will this suffice?”
“What? What are you…!”
*Boom—!* Mee Yeon-hwa suddenly collapsed to her knees mid-sentence.
“Gasp….”
She knelt and gasped for breath. Her trembling fingertips were tinged with bewilderment. Veins bulged around her eyes as she looked at me.
“You… what… is this….”
“This is what they call demonic energy.”
I swept my hair back and approached. Wiping away cold sweat, I closed the distance. In doing so, I let demonic energy flow through my body from my heart as the source.
This was the sensation I remembered. The feeling from my memories was like this.
Recalling it, I embodied it within myself.
*Whoooosh.*
I felt the change. My hair color shifted. The charred black hair seemed fresh anew. This didn’t feel quite right though.
“…You….”
I recalled what I had done to Gwima before. It seemed I could indeed control demonic energy.
Whether it was a Marin’s demonic energy or my own.
I had never intended to use this. But if circumstances were like this, it seemed I could employ it.
If I had a tool, I should use it.
“…That appearance….”
“I have one question to ask.”
I approached and knelt down. After aligning my gaze with hers, I asked her.
“Why do you follow Yeon Socheon?”
“What?”
“I’m not particularly curious about reasons like why you betrayed the righteous faction.”
Everyone had their own circumstances. There was no point in listening to the words of a turncoat.
“What I’m curious about is why you specifically follow Yeon Socheon… that’s it.”
“…Yeon Socheon will become the heavens. He will ultimately stand at the apex of all worlds, so naturally…!”
“That’s exactly it.”
I looked at her and tilted my head slightly.
“Why are you so certain he will become the heavens?”
“What…?”
“That worthless thing with no qualifications and nothing… how can you be confident he will become the heavens of the Demonic Sect and the heavens of this world? That’s what I’m asking.”
“You bastard…!”
My words struck a nerve, and Mee Yeon-hwa bristled. Her fierce momentum sent my insides churning. For a moment, I nearly retched from the backlash of her master’s power.
I held it back.
“What do you know? Are you saying he lacks the qualifications?”
“He lacks them entirely. What could a fool who can’t even draw the Divine Sword possibly accomplish?”
“What?”
“You don’t seem to understand what this blade is.”
“…A blade?”
Mee Yeon-hwa’s gaze fixed on the sword I held. Wrapped tightly in bandages, she couldn’t recognize it as the Celestial Demon’s Divine Sword.
It didn’t matter.
“Would the previous Heavenly Supreme truly have said that wretch possessed the qualifications? Do you genuinely believe he is his bloodline?”
“…What are you saying? Are you claiming that Yeon Socheon is not the child of the previous Heavenly Supreme?”
“No. That’s impossible.”
I laughed. This was the crucial moment.
“He has no qualifications and is merely a fake. It has to be that way. Because.”
I looked directly at Mee Yeon-hwa.
“I am the child of the Heavenly Supreme.”
“…What?”
[Ha.]
The Celestial Demon burst into laughter. I ignored it. Honestly, my conscience was screaming, but I had to use what I could.
The Celestial Demon’s laughter seemed genuine—he was truly amused.
“Now… that… what….”
“Gwima.”
“Yes.”
Gwima, who had been watching from the shadows, immediately approached at my call and knelt.
“What…? Gwima?”
Mee Yeon-hwa’s eyes widened at the sight of Gwima’s appearance.
“You called for me.”
“What of those who were following us?”
“I’ve dispersed their attention.”
“We need a quiet place to talk.”
“I shall prepare it at once.”
Gwima rose to his feet and vanished.
“Mee Yeon-hwa.”
“…!”
I called her name. At my voice, her body trembled.
“Come with us.”
I smiled wickedly at her.
“We have much to discuss.”
“….”
She said nothing. It was clear she was already deeply shaken.
That’s all I need.
‘From this moment on.’
What comes next is what matters. Everything depends on how I speak.
‘Whether I’ll kill you.’
Or whether I’ll use you—that choice rests in my words.
With that thought, I turned my back.
I didn’t bother to see whether Mee Yeon-hwa followed or not.
The answer was already decided.

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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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