The World’s Greatest is Dead - Chapter 572

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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 572
The moment he claimed to be the Celestial Demon, hands clasped behind his back.
“The Celestial Demon?”
“The Celestial Demon, you say…?”
At my words, the remnants of Patcheon Palace scattered throughout the inn froze. They stood rigid for several seconds before—
“Hahahaha!”
“What is this bastard talking about?”
“He’s insane.”
They erupted into unified laughter, their cackling so loud it filled the entire interior of the inn.
“A madman wandered in at this hour of the night. Claims he’s the Celestial Demon, no less.”
“Oh my, what brings our esteemed Gyoju to this place at such an hour?”
“A most distinguished guest has graced us with his presence.”
[….]
Ah, this is rather embarrassing.
I’d hesitated considerably before speaking, making the situation all the more mortifying.
My ears felt as though they were burning red. Fortunately, the mask concealed it well enough.
“Pray tell, how does such an illustrious personage come to hide his face?”
A man chuckled and approached with sword drawn.
[You wretches are not worthy of gazing upon my countenance.]
“My, my. How magnificent you are. I wonder how our esteemed Celestial Demon learned of this humble establishment?”
They seemed aware of their own squalor. Hearing this, I relaxed my stance slightly and spoke.
[Indeed. I never imagined creatures like you would erect such a sordid place in this realm.]
“What do you mean?”
[Do you lack the wit to comprehend my words?]
Then I would need to spell it out for them.
[Why do the rabble of Patcheon Palace gather in this place? That was my question.]
“…!”
My words sent the gathered men into turmoil. Their expressions shifted. The faces that had been mocking moments before now tensed with wariness.
“…Seize him.”
A figure in the back spoke quietly. The moment the command fell, the atmosphere transformed. Killing intent erupted in an instant.
It seemed they had deliberately maintained that lighthearted demeanor until now.
‘As expected—’
There was something here after all. I couldn’t sense it from within. Other presences obscured my perception, making it difficult to discern.
Crash-crack-crack-!!!
Martial artists rushed through the narrow passage. I moved in response, assessing the situation. Should I kill them or not?
Human life is precious and worthy of respect, so I prefer not to take it if possible.
‘But I must adapt to necessity.’
Those who must die will die. That was the only thing that felt acceptable in this fallen world.
Metallic ring.
I drew my blade. Since they had aimed at me first, there was no need for hesitation.
‘Still, I probably shouldn’t use the Cyan Moon Sword Dance.’
Well then.
‘I’ll use what I can use.’
Whoooosh—!!! Spiritual energy and demonic energy intertwine. The forces repelled each other as they flowed through my meridians. The sensation still felt awkward, but it didn’t matter.
“Hup!”
One of them thrust their blade at me. Judging by the speed of the downward strike, their cultivation level wasn’t low.
First-rate? Somewhere between second-rate and first-rate. That was the caliber of skill on display.
Without using Wol-an, I couldn’t clearly grasp the sword path.
There was an undeniable sense of discomfort about that.
It was a strange feeling that arose from constantly employing the Wol Seon-geom Path.
‘That’s a bad habit.’
A sensation born from growing accustomed to observing the sword path instead. I judged it unfavorably. Using it was fine, but I couldn’t become dependent on it.
Clang—!!
I poured force into the hilt and struck the blade.
“Ugh!”
They staggered from the recoil. Seeing that, I moved my body.
Slice—
“Argh—”
Before they could even scream, their throat was severed and they collapsed. As one fell, those behind them came into view.
Whether their comrade died or not, they still rushed forward.
Shhhhh—!!!
I wrapped demonic energy around my body. I didn’t employ the Celestial Demon Divine Art. The main reason was that I still wasn’t familiar with it.
Even if I couldn’t use it and couldn’t use the Cyan Moon Sword Dance, it didn’t matter.
‘If I don’t have it.’
Then I’d go without. If I have no teeth, I’ll bite with my gums.
I wrapped force around the Celestial Demon Divine Sword. Perhaps because it was demonic energy, the sword’s radiance itself was black. Could I use it? The question didn’t linger long.
Crack—!
“Huh!?”
The Celestial Demon Divine Sword shattered their blade outright. Fortunately, it seemed to work well.
Leaving the broken sword behind, I unleashed my assault.
Whoosh—!!
“Argh!”
“Gasp!”
“Aaaahhh!”
Blood sprayed chaotically. Every strike aimed at vital points cleaved through them.
My steps didn’t stop. Even with dozens rushing at me, the narrow corridor became advantageous terrain for my movements.
Blood splattered across the walls here and there. Then.
Boom!
Suddenly the left wall crumbled and someone burst through. A figure as massive as a mountain.
“You bastard!”
The Giant came at me wielding an iron mace. I didn’t bother looking his way. I already knew what was coming.
I struck one of the flying debris fragments, infusing it with my inner force as I did.
The stone shard ricocheted straight into the Giant’s eye.
Crack!
“Gaaaahhhhh!!!”
The stone fragment that had struck his left eye socket blurred half his vision. He stumbled.
I didn’t miss that opening.
Thud.
My Divine Blade pierced through his chest and I tore downward in one motion.
Crunch.
The sensation of cleaving through bone. Though a human body surely had bones, I felt nothing of the sort.
That was thanks to the sharpness of a supreme-grade weapon combined with my blade force.
The Giant, severed at the torso, collapsed and died mid-charge.
There was no time to wipe the blood from my blade.
“M-monster… what a monster…!”
Dozens had fallen in mere moments. Only now did I see hesitation in their movements.
[Why the delay?]
My steps never faltered.
[Will you not come?]
I could sense the souls. They poured forth from the dead. Before those souls could even ascend to peace—
-Screeeeeech!
-Aaaahhhhh!!!
Just as it had been with those from Patcheon Palace, they were consumed by something like a curse binding their bodies and vanished.
I left that behind.
[If you will not come—]
I had eyes only for those before me.
[Then I shall go myself.]
[…Tsk.]
The Celestial Demon seemed deeply displeased with my tone, clicking his tongue. I ignored that too. Right now, I needed to focus on this task.
[Your talent for desecrating the dead is quite remarkable. Perhaps worth learning.]
‘Even his insults have class. Wasted effort, though.’
I paid no mind to his jabs. That was simply my nature.
Keeping that in mind, I pressed forward.
I accelerated my pace.
Boom!
At my quickened movements, they flinched.
“Ugh!”
“Don’t fall back!”
“D-don’t retreat…!”
I severed the throat of the one shouting. I poured force into my blade, pushing my blade force through with overwhelming momentum.
A slashing strike.
The blade wind swept across the front with devastating force.
Screeeech—!!!
Those who couldn’t block it had their upper bodies severed and died, while those who barely managed to deflect it with their inner strength had their blades shattered.
“This is a real monster…!”
“A master…. A true master…!”
“Leader…! This is… Gack.”
I trampled over the fallen corpses. Blood pooled across the floor. Fewer than five remained now.
“Ugh….Ugh.”
“W-what do we do….”
Those holding swords froze. Their eyes trembled violently as they stared at their fallen comrades.
The moment I took a step forward upon seeing that.
“Aaaahhh!”
One of them, seized by terror, turned and attempted to flee. Or rather, tried to.
But.
Swish—!!
“Gack!”
His neck was severed and he collapsed.
“What kind of fool flees from an enemy!”
The figure at the very back—apparently their commander—had just killed his own subordinate.
“C-Commander, why…!”
“How are we supposed to defeat this monster…!”
“Running away won’t change anything! If Daeju finds out, we’re all dead regardless. Stand and fight!”
It was laughable that he barked orders from the rear. Only then did he finally step forward.
‘A shield?’
He was wielding a shield. It was a stance I’d never seen before. Among those who used swords, very few ever carried shields.
“Useless fools…. I have to step in myself.”
Whoooosh.
I could see energy swirling around the shield. Its density was quite profound.
“In all my years, I never thought I’d encounter a madman impersonating the Celestial Demon. What exactly are you?”
[Impersonating… Do I still appear to be a fake?]
“Ha! Then you’re a fake. Should I consider you real? You seem skilled enough, but… you can’t impersonate the Celestial Demon.”
He raised his shield forward and pointed his sword.
“If you were the Celestial Demon, this place would have become Hell with a single gesture. You wouldn’t need to swing your blade around like that.”
[A clever one. I like him.]
The Celestial Demon interjected and affirmed. He always showed up when praised like this.
‘Is that really important right now?’
Was he pleased that someone acknowledged him? Like some deranged old man.
[You know quite a lot for someone so insignificant.]
“It’s not knowledge. You’re just a bloodstain who never even participated in war.”
[….]
I didn’t expect him to figure that out. My eyes widened at his unexpected words.
“So I was right? Otherwise, he wouldn’t dare impersonate the Celestial Demon. Even if the Celestial Demon were dead, that monster is so terrifying that no one would dare speak its name!”
Crash—!
He lunges forward as he speaks.
I prepare to block. That’s when something scatters from his hand.
Whoosh!
[…Tsk.]
Sand. He’d gripped a handful of dirt and hurled it at me.
‘What is this guy doing?’
A far cruder tactic than I’d anticipated. As I evade it, a shield comes into view.
He swings the shield—infused with martial energy—to strike me down.
Boom—!!!
I raise my blade to defend, but I’m pushed back slightly.
‘He’s strong.’
I sense it from the clash. This man is a master.
A master who has easily surpassed the peak realm.
“…So you’re no ordinary opponent.”
He seems to have realized something from seeing me defend.
“You know about Patcheon Palace and yet appear alone? So you’re not from the Demonic Cult…? Then… could you be from Jeongpa? But for someone said to have arrived recently….”
He studies me as if calculating information.
The odds favor his theory, certainly.
“No. That can’t be right—you’re using Magi.”
I was shrouded in Magi.
“You’re from Singyeo, but what exactly are you? Who sent you here?”
[He talks too much.]
I can’t let this continue.
[Notice this: the weak always seem to be the talkative ones.]
“…Insolent wretch. I’ll tear that mask from your face and rip that mouth to shreds. I’ll extract every last word from you—”
Crack. He charges forward, shattering the ground beneath him. He advances brutally, shield raised before him.
[….]
Seeing this, I regulate my breathing.
I stimulate the spiritual energy within me. What was wrapped in Magi begins to respond gradually.
Uuuung.
The blade resonates.
From within my newly stabilized breathing, I step forward.
Since this is my first time using Magi, I wasn’t certain it would work.
Whoosh.
I feel time slow.
Divine Blade Unity.
The noise ceased.
The world returned to normal, the Wolseon Geomro gone. I stared ahead. An attacker came rushing at me.
I could see nothing, yet I found something within that darkness.
Or rather, it wasn’t so much that I found it—I simply knew where it was.
‘There.’
The place I needed to cut.
Seeing only that, I drew my blade in a single stroke.
In that moment, I felt the sword energy coiled around my blade loosen slightly. Why?
A fleeting thought crossed my mind—would this weaken my sharpness?
Screech.
[….]
The blade cut through everything effortlessly.
“Ugh… gack.”
The man’s shield ground away as his body collapsed.
Thud.
The man, his upper body severed vertically, fell into death.
[Damn.]
Though I’d won the battle with ease, I bit my lip in frustration.
[…I shouldn’t have killed him-.]
There was so much I needed to hear, yet I’d simply slain him outright.
This was troublesome.
[…Fool.]
The Celestial Demon, rarely doing so, cursed at me.
As if to say how pathetic I was.

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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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