The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 568

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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 568
The age of the veiled woman was impossible to discern.
Yet I judged her to be young. Her insteps bore not a single wrinkle, and her hands gleamed with pristine beauty, each fingertip perfect.
And the aura she emanated held no trace of age.
Rather, I felt nothing at all—neither the presence that any human should possess, nor any other spiritual energy whatsoever.
‘At first, I thought the spiritual essence emanating from this Sinmok was obscuring it.’
But that was not it. She was simply suppressing all spiritual energy completely.
“Elder.”
“It has been long, Muwi.”
The woman called Muwi bowed gracefully.
“It has been long indeed. I never expected you to visit this place with a guest.”
“…There was an urgent matter, you see.”
“A matter, you say…”
The woman’s gaze turned toward me.
“You speak of bringing this guest here?”
“Something like that.”
“Should I understand that you exercised your authority as an Elder?”
“Correct.”
At those words about the Elder’s authority, the woman nodded.
Within the fluttering veil, I glimpsed something.
‘Her eyes are covered.’
Her eyes were bound with cloth. To all appearances, she could see nothing.
‘She deliberately blinds herself to concentrate on perceiving souls.’
Spiritual perception refined through focus on essence. With such a gift, one could perceive far broader dimensions with closed eyes.
Eyes that see what cannot be seen—such a thing was indeed possible.
‘She possesses even that?’
Divine sight combined with spiritual control. Even the ability to conceal the presence of her own soul.
‘What manner of woman is this?’
Her level was extraordinary. At minimum, she could easily ascend to the upper echelons of the place I once belonged to in my previous life.
As for me—well.
‘I never climbed higher because those above suppressed me.’
She, however, possessed the capability to ascend if she wished. In other words—
‘A vessel for divinity.’
Something the gods themselves would covet. A soul that should have been born as something other than human from the very beginning.
That was the caliber of essence she possessed.
Such a woman now gazed directly at me. I did not avert my eyes either. As we stood in silent observation of one another—
Shhhhh.
My soul stirred. It trembled as if drawn by something.
‘What is this?’
“Look at this, will you?”
I understand the sensation now. It’s that woman. She’s touching my spiritual essence.
Interesting.
‘She seems to be trying to verify something.’
My approach differs from hers. I haven’t concealed myself completely. To fully suppress one’s spiritual essence while moving about means something else entirely.
‘It means you can control it.’
Any being capable of perceiving this would realize it upon seeing that woman as I have. I adjust and move about with that in mind.
‘She doesn’t seem to possess such mastery.’
I learned this when observing another as well—Singyeo strangely seemed to possess many talents of this caliber.
There is one fortunate thing, at least.
‘She is not—’
a figure from Patcheon Palace. That was the most crucial detail.
For now, I don’t sense that faction’s aura.
‘Yet I cannot be certain.’
I cannot judge so hastily. If she can control her essence to that degree, she should likewise be able to touch Patcheon Palace’s aura.
‘I’ll keep this in mind for now.’
I decided to attempt something else.
Uuuuung.
My essence continues to move. She seems to be verifying something within my soul.
So then.
‘If you’re going to do this, we do it together.’
I have no intention of remaining passive. If you wish to see, I shall show you. However.
‘You must reveal yourself as well.’
I too will observe. With that intent, I slightly open the soul I had sealed away.
Whoooosh—!!
“….”
The woman’s body flinches momentarily. She sensed the surge of essence, and as she attempted to pull it toward herself, I released it instead.
Fuaaah—!
“…!”
Her essence pierces inward. The moment she seizes my soul, she falters. I exploit that opening and thrust myself in.
I open the sealed soul. I see it bound tightly. I probe it gently, testing the waters.
That’s when it happens.
“…Ugh.”
She staggers backward, repelled. As a change occurs in the woman called Muwi, the Elder regards her with startled eyes.
“Muwi. What is…?”
Before he can ask what’s wrong, her attempt to pull at my soul ceases.
As the sensation fades, I too stop my attempt to open her soul.
“…Haaah….”
She steadies her breathing.
“…Truly, a distinguished guest has arrived.”
At Muwi’s words, the Elder turns his gaze toward me.
“…What have you done?”
“I’ve done nothing. I merely responded because they were attempting something.”
“Responded…?”
“That’s correct, Elder.”
Muwi stepped forward instead.
“…I was discourteous to you.”
The woman passed the Elder and approached me.
“I apologize. I was rude.”
“I accept your apology.”
It was a clean apology. There was nothing more to say here. I could have pressed further if I wished.
‘There’s no need.’
There was no reason to do so. What mattered was that we both now understood each other.
“How did you come to be in this place, honored guest?”
“As I mentioned, this Elder brought me here. But given the circumstances….”
I turned my gaze toward Sinmok.
“What exactly is this place? Why does something like that exist here?”
“Do you know what this is?”
“I don’t know the details. I only know it’s called Sinmok.”
“…Sinmok.”
“You know of Sinmok?”
Gyemun interjected.
“As I just said, I don’t know the details. I only know it’s something different from an ordinary tree.”
“I see.”
This time Muwi questioned me.
“Before I ask your name…do you also know what you possess?”
What I possess. That would be.
‘The Celestial Demon Divine Sword.’
The blade I now held in my grip. So I answered this as well.
“I know well enough. How could I not? I couldn’t possess it if I didn’t know.”
“….”
The woman said nothing more and stepped forward. She approached slowly, then extended her hand.
Just like that.
‘What is she doing?’
She reached out slowly as if to grasp the sword. Sensing no hostile intent, I remained still.
After a moment.
Crackle—!
The instant her fingertips touched the blade, electricity erupted from the woman’s hand.
“Muwi!”
Gyemun rushed toward her in alarm. Her fingertips were scorched red.
“…So it truly is that.”
“How could you do such a thing!”
“It’s fine. I wanted to confirm it myself.”
“…This is terrible. You need immediate treatment….”
“Before that.”
Muwi stepped back before I could treat her. With graceful steps, she retreated several paces.
“…I am Yeran, who upholds the will of Singyeo. I greet the noble master of the key.”
“Muwi!”
She bowed her head to me with even greater courtesy than before. It was absolute devotion. I had no time to be bewildered by her sudden transformation.
[She is Muwi of Singyeo. It seems she is a newly appointed figure.]
The Celestial Demon was speaking.
‘What is Muwi?’
[She is the guardian of the ancient tree that has existed since the very beginning of Singyeo, and she is an existence that will be born together with the new Celestial Demon when one ascends.]
‘Born together?’
What did that even mean? Born together?
[The newly born Celestial Demon is predetermined. It is something that will be born simultaneously with Muwi.]
‘What is this now?’
An existence born together with Muwi? The Celestial Demon is predetermined? Is such a thing even possible? I wasn’t certain if even soul-binding sorcery could achieve this. I had never studied sorcery myself.
If what the Celestial Demon said was true.
‘That’s why.’
The reason Elder Jin and other aged Marin did not seek the position of Celestial Demon.
The reason why those who appeared to be my contemporaries were now rising as Celestial Demon Candidates and competing.
‘Ah.’
It made sense. This seemed to be the core principle of this religious organization.
‘So the Celestial Demon Divine Art isn’t the issue.’
Regardless of whether one possessed the divine art or not.
‘Whether one is born in the same era as this existence called Muwi.’
That was what the Celestial Demon was saying mattered.
‘And yet they keep talking about the Celestial Demon Divine Art this and that. It doesn’t seem important right now?’
[That can’t be. Nothing is more important than that.]
‘…You’re joking.’
What I just heard seemed the most important thing of all.
‘They called it an Academy, so I wondered how much of a cult it was.’
These people were equally strange. Muwi?
‘If I had heard this elsewhere.’
I would have dismissed it as nonsense.
‘But seeing it directly, there’s nothing to say.’
An existence born with such spiritual talent was here, and they called such a being Muwi.
It was entirely plausible. At that level.
‘She might even possess foresight.’
It happened occasionally. Beings whose eyes were so exceptional they could see far too far.
Some could reach so far they touched even the future itself.
That Muwi could potentially be such a being.
Right after hearing this, Gyemun spoke to Muwi.
“…Muwi. Are you calling that man Yeon right now?”
“I do not know. I merely follow the will of the Academy.”
“What do you mean.”
“The Academy says this.”
Despite kneeling to the ground, her pale fingertips pressed against the floor.
“One who possesses the key and is born with a soul is called the Academy’s Heaven.”
“That is.”
“Knowing this, is that not why the Elder brought that noble one here?”
“…It remains uncertain. That man is none other than Yoo Cheon-gil. The Sword Saint’s Predecessor.”
The Predecessor of an enemy. It sounded like he was questioning why I regarded such a person this way.
But.
“I follow the will of the Academy. That is my destiny.”
“Hah.”
The Elder responded to Muwi’s words with a hollow laugh. What could be done about it. I simply stared at them both.
‘A key, then.’
This sword seemed to be the key.
And being born with a soul meant.
‘The ability to wield spiritual energy.’
Moreover.
‘Unless this Muwi is speaking of an impossibly long span of time.’
She appeared to be my age.
‘There is nothing strange about Gyemun’s reaction.’
To anyone’s eyes, it was me.
By all appearances, they saw me.
But—
‘Perhaps.’
Setting aside the Young Master and the Heavenly Sword.
‘…Why does Yoo Yeon keep nagging at my mind?’
The existence called Yoo Yeon lingered in my thoughts. If not for the matter of spiritual energy, Yoo Yeon would have been a perfect fit.
After all.
‘The true bloodline is on that side.’
The direct bloodline of the Celestial Demon.
As proof of that, she could grasp the divine sword.
I am not descended from the Celestial Demon’s blood, but I was permitted because I possess a soul.
When you think about it this way, by any measure, wouldn’t it be Yoo Yeon?
As I was thinking this.
[It seems you are mistaken again, just as you were before.]
The Celestial Demon interjected.
‘What do you mean?’
[The Main School’s blade is not merely a divine sword of such simplicity.]
‘Hmm?’
[It means that merely because the Predecessor’s soul dwells within it does not make it subject to my control.]
‘What?’
What was this supposed to mean? As I struggled to comprehend—
[Your ability to wield the blade stems not from the Predecessor’s will, but from something else entirely.]
“…What kind of insane nonsense is that?”
An absurd bombshell had just been dropped.

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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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