Chapter 356
Chapter 356
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 356
Chapter Title: Representative Selection Match (2)
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The moment Yang Cheon-wi's voice echoed through the arena, everything seemed to freeze.
The crowd, who had been cheering wildly at the Martial God's seven crushing victories just moments ago, fell silent in an instant. Even the announcer in the commentary booth swallowed hard.
Who would dare.
To the Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo, savior of humanity, the one called the Messiah.
Such brazen, direct insolence.
The silence didn't last long.
Waaaaaaaaah—!
An enormous roar shook the dome stadium.
It was a mix of shock, disbelief, and then explosive, fanatical excitement.
Yang Cheon-wi's words went beyond provocation—they bordered on outright insult—but at the same time, they proved his absolute confidence.
And the fact that this confidence was aimed at Lee Hyuk-soo sent shivers through the crowd.
In the VIP seats, Lee Hyuk-soo remained utterly still.
Yang Cheon-wi's blazing gaze pierced him like flames, but he endured it all in stoic silence, like an immovable mountain.
No emotion crossed Lee Hyuk-soo's face, and his eyes were as deep and calm as ever.
But that very calmness felt like the calm before the storm, heightening the tension for all who watched.
At the center of the frenzy were, without a doubt, the cheering squad and officials from the Zhonghua Federation.
They leaped to their feet, waving Zhonghua flags and chanting Yang Cheon-wi's name.
"Master Yang! Master Yang! Greatest under heaven!"
"Hahaha! That's our Martial God comrade for you! That Lee Hyuk-soo or whatever, it's time for him to step back!"
A man who appeared to be a Zhonghua Federation official shouted triumphantly.
His colleagues beside him nodded vigorously in agreement.
"No matter how great Lee Hyuk-soo was in the past, Master Yang is a cut above! And our Master Yang has constantly honed himself, transcending human limits!"
"Those Korean bastards got too arrogant relying on just Lee Hyuk-soo. This is our chance to knock them down a peg. How dare they stand against our Zhonghua's Martial God!"
Their voices brimmed with pride and excitement, laced with an overt sense of superiority that ignored the spectators from other nations around them.
There was good reason for the Zhonghua Federation side's smug confidence.
Once, Lee Hyuk-soo had been humanity's undisputed strongest, a symbol of hope.
There was no Abyss he couldn't conquer, no enemy that didn't kneel before his sword.
The title "Messiah" was no exaggeration.
But in recent months, Lee Hyuk-soo's public activities had all but vanished.
A series of events searching for Park Chan-woo had kept him out of the public eye.
In the meantime, the world hadn't stopped turning.
Nations desperately trained Awakeners for survival, and the Zhonghua Federation, with its vast population and resources, produced powerhouses at a terrifying pace.
Leading them was the "Martial God" Yang Cheon-wi.
While Lee Hyuk-soo remained silent, Yang Cheon-wi conquered the highest-level Abysses one after another, displaying overwhelming might in international crises, rising as a new hero.
Naturally, the phrase "humanity's strongest in the current era" became attached to his name.
Of course, Lee Hyuk-soo's past achievements and fame remained legendary, but compared to Yang Cheon-wi, who was actively building his feats, some dismissed him as a "hero of the past."
Especially within the Zhonghua Federation, the prevailing view was that Yang Cheon-wi had already surpassed Lee Hyuk-soo.
His seven crushing victories today and his provocation toward Lee Hyuk-soo were more than enough to solidify that belief.
However, this was South Korea, Seoul.
Amid the Zhonghua Federation's blatant cheers and provocative atmosphere, the Korean spectators never backed down.
On the contrary, their hearts burned with unwavering faith in Lee Hyuk-soo and pride in their nation's strength.
"Lee Hyuk-soo! Lee Hyuk-soo! Lee Hyuk-soo!"
"How dare you strut in front of our Messiah!"
Matching the Chinese cheers, a massive roar erupted from the Korean stands.
The red devil-like fervor swept through half the dome stadium in an instant.
"Hah! Aren't the Chinese getting too cocky? We'll see all sorts while Brother Hyuk-soo takes a break!"
"Right! Martial God? What a joke! The true god is our Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo alone! How dare some Yang Cheon-wi after seven wins!"
Young Awakeners clenched their fists and shouted.
Their eyes shone with absolute trust in Lee Hyuk-soo.
Of course, even among them, questions and concerns lingered about the mysterious group that had appeared with Lee Hyuk-soo—especially Adora, Aurum, and Yujin-seo.
"But... who are those people next to Lee Hyuk-soo? Even for him, openly slotting them into the national team feels a bit..."
"Everyone's whispering about it, but the roster did change suddenly."
"Wasn't it Minister Park Sang-min who pushed them in? I think I saw something on the morning news. They disguised them as some special advisory team to get on the list."
"Didn't you see the articles saying Lee Hyuk-soo lobbied behind the scenes? There's a lot of criticism about giving the Messiah too many privileges."
Murmurs leaked from various spots in the Korean stands.
Separate from their steadfast faith in Lee Hyuk-soo, suspicions about his sudden companions and concerns over procedural fairness were hot topics even among them.
Especially fans and families of other Awakeners had even stronger complaints.
Everyone's eyes turned to Lee Hyuk-soo.
Would he just sit and watch?
Thud.
In that moment, Lee Hyuk-soo moved.
He rose slowly from his seat, very slowly.
Every motion drew the stadium's gaze like a magnet.
And toward Yang Cheon-wi, he spoke in a low voice that rang clearly throughout the arena.
"Prove it."
There were no more words.
But that single phrase sent ripples far stronger than Yang Cheon-wi's provocation, shaking the entire stadium.
Lee Hyuk-soo's eyes were calm, but within them raged a storm that could devour the world.
The matchup of "Martial God" versus "Sword King," a clash of Chinese and Korean pride, was now set.
'Lee Hyuk-soo hasn't changed.'
His composure in the face of such blatant provocation.
It reminded her of the past—in the life-and-death "lowest Abysses," in the tower of despair—he had never broken, his spirit unbreakable.
Back then, Lee Hyuk-soo had looked precarious, but his aura and gaze had screamed he wouldn't die.
'That guy's the same as ever.'
Lingling sighed as she gazed at Yang Cheon-wi.
Yang Cheon-wi was her bad-friend-turned-rival, training together since childhood.
She knew his skills and personality better than anyone.
She and Yang Cheon-wi were one of the Zhonghua Federation's secret aces prepared for this selection match.
While Yang Cheon-wi took the spotlight as the Martial God, Lingling had tempered herself even more harshly in the shadows.
Lingling's gaze shifted back to Lee Hyuk-soo.
No matter that he'd been inactive for months—could he really be just a remnant of the past?
Yang Cheon-wi's seven victories were impressive, but it was hard to assume they'd work on Lee Hyuk-soo.
Lee Hyuk-soo was always a man who exceeded expectations.
Lingling unwittingly licked her lips.
Yang Cheon-wi provoking Lee Hyuk-soo wasn't bad for her, in a way.
While two tigers fought, she could reap the benefits.
Or perhaps surpass them both and claim final victory.
"These Korean bastards are so damn loud."
One of the other Zhonghua Federation players beside Lingling frowned at the crowd's noise.
He seemed like one of Yang Cheon-wi's diehard fans, his eyes already gleaming with certainty of victory.
"Lingling, you saw it too, right? Master Yang's overwhelming power! That Lee Hyuk-soo guy's gonna kneel soon!"
Lingling just shrugged without replying.
Inside, she was thinking differently.
'Yang Cheon-wi is strong, but Lee Hyuk-soo is in a realm that data can't fully analyze. And that helmeted woman beside him.'
Lingling's gaze lingered on Adora for a moment. The strange pressure she'd felt since their first appearance.
'What is that?'
It was different from a mere powerhouse's aura—something essential, profound.
Lee Hyuk-soo wouldn't bring someone like that without reason.
A arrogant thought crossed her mind.
What if they were lovers?
A twinge of jealousy stirred.
She had data on Saint Yujin-seo, but no matter how much she searched, nothing on that woman.
Special advisory team... last-minute additions via loopholes.
'Lee Hyuk-soo, chasing after that Park Chan-woo guy, and he drags in all these weirdos.'
Lingling was very interested in Lee Hyuk-soo.
She'd even investigated his recent activities in detail.
She had secret allies in Korea feeding her info.
But info on "Park Chan-woo" was nonexistent.
Beyond being utterly ordinary.
"Kukuku... hahaha!"
At that moment.
Yang Cheon-wi burst into mad laughter.
Starting low, the laugh grew louder, soon shaking the stadium with fanatical intensity.
"Good! Perfect! As expected of Lee Hyuk-soo! You're exactly the opponent I've been seeking!"
His eyes gleamed with greed.
"Right here, I'll end your legend and forge a new one!"
Yang Cheon-wi pointed at Lee Hyuk-soo and shouted.
"Right now! Let's fight here!"
The stands exploded in cheers once more.
The atmosphere teetered on the brink of an impromptu showdown.
Even the arena host couldn't hide his excitement, raising his voice.
"Incredible! Martial God Yang Cheon-wi has challenged Sword King Lee Hyuk-soo to an immediate match! Will this clash of the century happen right here, right now?!"
Lingling watched with keen interest.
'That idiot's rushing ahead again. But... will Lee Hyuk-soo take the bait?'
Lee Hyuk-soo wasn't one to get dragged into someone else's pace so easily.
He had his own calculations and flow.
All eyes turned back to Lee Hyuk-soo.
"Hoo."
Lee Hyuk-soo sighed.
As if it were a hassle.
"Fine."
Lee Hyuk-soo murmured softly.
With those words, the stadium's noise vanished like a lie once again.
Ecstatic glee lit up Yang Cheon-wi's face.
"As expected! The Sword King indeed!"
The selection committee was flustered, but the momentum was unstoppable.
An impromptu clash between two titans. No justification or benefit to blocking a match drawing more attention than any official one.
In the end, their duel was temporarily approved under enhanced safety measures.
On the battle field where Lee Hyuk-soo and Yang Cheon-wi faced off.
It was hard to believe bloody fights had just occurred here—the tension between them was like thin ice.
Yang Cheon-wi slowly drew his beloved sword, the "Wind Thunder Blade." A masterpiece among masterpieces, its jet-black blade swirling with blue lightning aura. With this, he'd claimed seven victories.
"Lee Hyuk-soo! Where's your sword! You don't plan to fight barehanded out of arrogance, do you?!"
Yang Cheon-wi shouted.
Lee Hyuk-soo silently reached into empty air.
Shiiiing—.
Space warped, and a ferocious sword emitting red and black energy gripped in his hand.
The sword of the fierce god Baal.
A demonic blade, ominous yet overwhelmingly dominant, shaking everything with its mere presence.