The World’s Greatest is Dead

The World’s Greatest is Dead – Chapter 159

One day, when winter was subtly approaching.

In the prestigious area of Henan.

Within the Blue Moon Sect, a young man was stomping his feet as he walked.

“Damn it!!”

The people around turned their eyes upon hearing the words he spat while strolling.

However, after checking who he was, they withdrew their gaze.

It was a sight they had become accustomed to over time.

“…… That damn bastard!”

His already fierce face twisted into an even more ferocious expression.

Witnessing that, the surrounding people flinched and trembled.

The young man’s name was Tang Chun-il.

He was a direct descendant of the Tang family head, Poison King Tang Gyung-Ak, and was known as the Poison Dragon, one of the Seven Geniuses.

Tang Chun-il continued to walk with an expression full of rage.

His destination was the corner of the Blue Moon Sect’s grounds, which was, in fact, more outside than inside.

As a guest, Tang Chun-il wasn’t normally allowed to reach this place.

– I’ve already gotten permission from the Sect Leader, so come back after a month.

With the permission of Virtuous Moon Sword, the leader of Blue Moon Sect, Tang Chun-il was grudgingly allowed to pass.

‘That damn bastard, really.’

Tang Chun-il was busy grinding his teeth, thinking about the person responsible for ruining his mood.

‘How long has it been since the promise? Already acting this way–!’

He was truly seething with anger. How could anyone not be?

‘A month? A month, he says?’

Not even seven days or nights, but a full month.

He had agreed to give lessons once every few days, yet now this nonsense was happening.

‘I should never have trusted him.’

From the start, he was dubious. Despite his father’s order, the family head, he couldn’t believe he had to learn from someone like him.

He had spent so much time crawling with his head buried in the ground just to receive that one thing.

Really, he could hardly be more like a servant, but Tang Chun-il endured it.

But then.

– I’ll be gone for a month. Keep that in mind.

The abrupt notification came. An absurd message that he would be gone for a whole month.

Before he could even protest, the person had left and shut himself in seclusion.

‘Crazy bastard.’

How could someone be so bold?

This was a pact made with the Tang family, no less. And yet, did he think he could treat it so lightly?

‘Even if he’s the Sword Saint’s successor, this is too much.’

Tang Chun-il bit his lip. A bit more pressure might have drawn blood.

He admitted it. Even if he didn’t want to, he had to acknowledge it.

He was the Sword Saint’s successor. Tang Chun-il recalled their past duel and tensed his face.

The sword aura he had shown then.

Its brilliance and vastness had etched themselves deeply into Tang Chun-il’s memory.

He had regretfully reflected on his arrogance, having underestimated him based on his appearance.

‘Cowardly bastard. Hiding his power.’

If he had paid more attention, he might have noticed the concealed strength.

It was a reflection on his own oversight and underestimation.

‘…… Once I master the Sky Filling Flower Rain.’

He intended to smash that damn bastard. So went the days of patience and endurance.

‘After leaving me high and dry?’

He had only given a few lessons before pulling this kind of stunt.

Tang Chun-il was fed up as rage surged to his head, to the point where he couldn’t stand it.

At this point, he didn’t care about lessons or anything else.

‘I’ll destroy him.’

This time, it would be different. Even if he had lost due to complacency before, now it would be different.

‘Moreover, after seclusion?’

He had just come out of seclusion, so his body wouldn’t be in perfect condition.

He planned to use that to utterly break him.

Thinking so, Tang Chun-il arrived at his destination.

A disciple had tried to block his path, but when he showed the Seal he had received from Bang Sung-Yun, the Sword Saint’s successor, he was allowed through.

A giant rock with an iron gate formed in the middle.

It was the Seclusion Room used by Blue Moon Sect members when they entered seclusion.

A place that wouldn’t be opened until someone from the outside came to retrieve them.

“Dammit.”

Tang Chun-il approached, looking at it. Once he opened the door and saw the bastard, he would pummel him.

Attacking first was always the best strategy. He would beat the weak bastard to the brink of death.

What about the aftermath? Who cares? Tang Chun-il had decided not to concern himself with such things anymore.

Not doing this would feel like dying inside.

So he gathered his resolve and grabbed the iron door of the Seclusion Room, ready to open it.

“……”

Hesitation.

He stopped his hand right in front of the doorknob.

‘If I just don’t open it…….’

After all, they said nobody from inside could open it anyway. Keeping that in mind, he wondered if it was okay to just ignore it.

‘Not a bad idea?’

It indeed seemed like a clever method, even to himself.

Tang Chun-il nodded, attempting to retract his hand.

However, at that moment.

*Swoosh!*

“Uh?”

A sound of something being cut echoed.

*Screech!*

The iron door in front of him, and the blue line etched around the rocks surrounding the door.

“What?”

What was this?

At the moment when Tang Chun-il expressed doubt while looking at the line in front of him.

*Rumble!!!*

*Crash!!*

The rock crumbled starting from the line.

“Grr!?”

Tang Chun-il hurriedly stepped back from the abruptly collapsing rocks. What on earth was happening?

He distanced himself and squinted, looking ahead.

Something wavered beyond the rising dust.

*Step.*

“!”

The sound of footsteps made chills run down Tang Chun-il’s spine.

*Step!*

The sound grew closer. Tang Chun-il looked at his sweat-soaked hands and widened his eyes. Without realizing it, he had gripped a dagger tightly.

‘What is it?’

What in the world was this?

He looked straight ahead with tense eyes.

*Flash!*

A blue light flickered from within the dust.

*Whoosh!*

The wind blew, sweeping away the dust obscuring his view, and revealed a young man in a disheveled state.

Though his long bangs covered his eyes, his bright gaze remained, and though his face looked somewhat thin and impoverished, it was still quite handsome all things considered.

However, “Ugh. What is this?”

His tone was rough compared to his neat, gentle appearance.

“Damn it. I swear I’ll never do this again.”

Growling, the young man sheathed his sword at his waist.

Tang Chun-il could only watch in silence.

‘What is that?’

What was it?

‘How?’

How did he come out? Could it be?

‘… Did he cut through it?’

Did he actually cut that thick rock and door? It wasn’t supposed to be possible to get out from inside, wasn’t it?

Moreover, ‘What is that murderous aura?’

The murderous aura emanating from Bang Sung-Yun was not just intense but terrifying.

Tang Chun-il had no idea what kind of training he underwent inside, but just seeing it was enough to make his legs tremble.

Cold sweat didn’t stop as his tense body remained cautious.

He unconsciously imbued his dagger with aura.

Apart from his on-edge instincts, only one thought filled Tang Chun-il’s mind.

‘I want to run away.’

He wanted to leave this place.

He mustn’t oppose that murderous aura.

Just when his mind was full of such thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“!”

Bang Sung-Yun’s blue eyes turned toward Tang Chun-il.

Confronted with it, Tang Chun-il flinched.

And then.

*Smirk!*

Bang Sung-Yun smiled.

“Oh, it’s been a while.”

“…….”

“What brought you here…… Ah, right!”

Bang Sung-Yun said as he approached. Tang Chun-il tried to step back but found his legs frozen.

“My legs…”

“You were supposed to open the door for me a month later, right? Did you come to do that?”

Bang Sung-Yun approached and asked. Tang Chun-il forced his rigid body to move as he watched.

The distance between them was short. If he were to stab him with the dagger, maybe it would work.

Thinking so, “Yes… I came to open the door for you.”

Tang Chun-il took out a towel from his pocket and handed it to Bang Sung-Yun.

“Oh, you’re smart!”

Bang Sung-Yun chuckled, seeing the towel, and took it.

“…….”

Watching this, Tang Chun-il thought to himself.

‘Maybe it was better to have the battle later.’

‘Yes, he just finished his seclusion training; ambushing and defeating him now would be meaningless.’

It would be better to completely defeat him when his body was in peak condition.

Surely, that was the case.

With that conclusion, Tang Chun-il decided to postpone the fight.

At least… at least now didn’t seem like the right time.

* * *

The first thing I did right after emerging from the seclusion room was washing up.

It was likely because I hadn’t bathed for a month that my body smelled, and from having rolled around in the dust, I looked a mess.

As soon as I dipped my body into the water to wash, it turned murky, and I couldn’t help but be startled.

“Huuu… I’m finally feeling alive again.”

I sighed in relief after scrubbing and changing into clean clothes.

Only now did I feel like a person again.

“Really… I should never do it again.”

Recalling the past month, I shook my head in disgust. No matter how I thought about it, it was not something a person should endure.

I had somehow managed to escape, but it felt like something I could never repeat.

Even so.

‘Even if there were some results.’

Even if I had gained something from the secluded training, I did not want to do it a second time.

It had been that grueling.

『Hahaha.』

A burst of laughter could be heard. When I looked up, Yu Chun-gil was smiling at me.

『Boy, anyone seeing would think you achieved nothing.』

Yu Chun-gil spoke with his blue eyes flickering.

『After all I’ve given you for a month, why the long face?』

“Given me… wasn’t it me who struggled on my own?”

Anyone listening would think I had been taught something all month.

‘It was just me rolling around on my own.’

Yu Chun-gil had been unable to appear due to using Mind Realm, and during the day, I had to train alone.

Ignorantly and repeatedly in the way taught.

After collapsing into sleep, I would experience hell in the Mind Realm.

That was the cycle for a month.

‘I barely woke up in the end…’

An endless cycle of seemingly unsolvable situations.

I lost count of how many hundreds of times I died in one night. Such was a day in that month.

It was relentless and grueling.

When could I ever manage to win, I wondered. Those days finally ended on the last day of the training, and I barely woke up from Mind Realm.

It was because I had obtained something in the final moment.

『Even that one thing alone made that month’s worth. You are aware, are you not?』

“……”

I didn’t argue. Despite how miserable it had been, there was indeed something gained by the end of the secluded training, as Yu Chun-gil said.

However,『Child, let me tell you again.』

“Yes. I know. You have mentioned it countless times.”

I sighed as I looked at Yu Chun-gil.

“Don’t use it recklessly until you get used to it. I understand.”

『Good.』

Yu Chun-gil had warned me because there were issues with what I had gained.

Moreover, ‘I feel the same.’

It was still power that was hard to wield freely.

It was good when used. With that power, I had cut through the training room and escaped.

Remembering that, I clenched and unclenched my fists.

‘How strong have I become?’

What exactly had I reaped from the training?

My level hadn’t skyrocketed. I was still at the peak.

‘Still, it seems somewhat improved.’

I felt much better compared to before.

How much better, I wondered subconsciously.

『You funny fellow.』

Yu Chun-gil, sensing my thoughts, smirked and spoke.

『What did you think a month would achieve? You’re full of ambition.』

“… I was just curious.”

『Put that away too. You’ll find out soon enough anyway.』

“……”

I acknowledged that was true.

I smacked my lips and unclenched my hand.

Soon, it would become apparent.

I knew precisely what he meant.

It involved something spoken by the Virtuous Moon Sword.

That was also why I had rolled around for a month.

While thinking about that.

“Pardon me.”

Suddenly, a voice came from behind, prompting me to turn.

It was a 3rd-generation disciple of the Blue Moon Sect.

“…… The Sect Leader requests your presence.”

“Haha…”

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

How did he know I’d come out and find me like a ghost?

“Please inform him I’m on my way.”

My breath formed mist as I spoke, realizing the change in seasons.

Moreover, the season was gradually getting colder.

Beyond simply feeling the chill, something significant was approaching.

A grand festival held every few years by the righteous sects.

The Dragon-Phoenix Tournament was about to commence.