Reincarnation Sword God

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On the day of departure, as I entered the Sect Leader’s neck armor, I felt as if time had stopped. Then, when I was taken out by the Sect Leader’s hand, the scenery around me seemed to abruptly change.

‘So this is how it feels.’

Could this be how those I’ve put in and taken out of the neck armor felt? If one were unaware of the situation, they would likely be bewildered as if possessed by a ghost. Looking around, I was unexpectedly not surrounded by a horde of Su Shin Sect masters; it was just the Sect Leader, myself, two Dharma Guardians, and Dokgo Seong standing there. I had clearly seen dozens of Su Shin Sect masters inside the neck armor, so I was somewhat puzzled.

Then Zhuge Sa chuckled.

[The Sect Leader is no fool. He came here solely to exchange the Demon Book, so he wouldn’t unnecessarily call out an overwhelming force to be vigilant. He’ll only summon them when the fight begins.]

[Hmm…]

The Sect Leader looked around at the Dharma Guardians and said,

[Remain still until my command comes down.]

[Understood!]

Mokmun Bridge was a quiet manor bridge on the outskirts of Luoyang. The Sect Leader walked across the city as if nothing were amiss, but our group, donning masks, was certainly conspicuous. I didn’t wear a mask, but it hardly mattered since my appearance was that of a child.

‘And masks are a bit uncomfortable as well.’

It felt like the mask had a certain ritualistic significance.

Finally, upon reaching Mokmun Bridge, there was no presence around; it was desolate. More than being quiet, there was a complete absence of living things, indicating that the Imperial Palace had purposely set this place up.

Upon the bridge stood a mysterious man with a straw hat.

“You’ve come, Sect Leader.”

I originally wouldn’t have known his identity. If Zhuge Bu had indeed come, I would have wondered why such an unfamiliar figure stood before me. However, during my reincarnation, I uncovered his identity; he was the true mastermind of the Imperial Palace, the Evil God Zhuque, Zhuge Yulong.

It seemed Zhuque sensed that things weren’t as they should be and decided to step forward himself rather than presenting Zhuge Bu as a front. Perhaps sensing Zhuque’s identity, the Sect Leader did not show any particular curiosity and calmly responded to Zhuque.

[Do you have the items for exchange?]

“No.”

Zhuque seemed to smirk slightly.

“This is your grave.”

Boom!!

The moment Zhuque finished speaking, a colossal explosion erupted, unleashing a terrifying blast. The sheer magnitude of the blast made my fur stand on end from sheer tension.

“……!!”

This wasn’t an explosion caused by martial arts.

It was gunpowder!

Definitely an inconceivable amount of gunpowder that had exploded instantaneously! One hundred thousand jars… two hundred thousand jars… no, a million jars?! The distinct smell of gunpowder and sulfur, along with the rising smoke cloud, confirmed it.

‘Ugh!!’

I gathered my Protection Energy Technique to shield my body. However, the Protection Energy I formed was immediately disrupted.

Crack!!

‘This… is insane.’

The explosions continued wildly, and my Protection Energy crumbled, causing my internal power to rapidly shrink. At this rate, there would be no way for a typical martial artist to survive.

No, if this continues, I will surely die!

Just as the ominous sense of death approached and my throat felt dry, the shockwave of the explosions around me suddenly faded. A bizarre translucent green protective barrier had formed before my eyes. Shocked, I looked at the Sect Leader, who, with one hand raised, floated in the air.

Whooooo…

[Are you okay?]

“Yes, yes.”

I automatically replied, yet inside I was aghast.

‘He really isn’t human…’

The protective barrier was created on a scale of dozens in size, making it seem as if it was ignoring the explosion of what could easily be more than a million jars of gunpowder. It was something beyond martial arts! No – this was in a realm of powers!

As the explosions began to subside, the surroundings turned into a hellish sea of flames, the air filled with graphite and scorched smoke rendering everything invisible. I gathered with the Dharma Guardians around the Sect Leader to assess the situation.

The Sect Leader stared intensely ahead and said,

[Thorough. That one is…]

Whoooooo

As the smoke cleared, hundreds of monstrous beings appeared, surrounding us. Each of the monsters erupted with intense Evil Spirit energy, indicating that they were the Demon People created through fusion with the otherworldly beings at the Imperial Palace. The Demon People were powerful enough to threaten peak experts with sheer physical capability.

Moreover, some of the Demon People also included Dragon People. The Imperial Palace had not only transmitted the techniques of Dragon People to the Wind Spirit Sect but had also been capable of producing them themselves.

With this level of force, sweeping away half of Jianghu would be a breeze!

‘What’s going on? It seems they weren’t producing Demon and Dragon People this quickly before…’

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

[Since Zhuge Bu was defeated, he must have used the Forbidden Spell to hastily produce troops. He likely borrowed heavily from the Crystal Stele’s power…]

‘What? Is that really possible?’

[Zhuge Yulong is one of the top sorcerers in the current Central Plains. It’s nothing for him to enhance forces using underhanded methods.]

What terrified me further was the presence on either side of Zhuque. Emotionless pretty boys and girls were staring at us, and although they seemed normal at first glance, I knew well their true identities and abilities.

‘Divine Portraits!’

Artificial life forms created by merging the Crystal Stele’s power with Eastern and Western sorcery! They could be used as offerings, and if completed, they would become incredibly powerful modified humans. A total of four of them appeared. While few in number, they possessed bizarre techniques capable of threatening even the Dharma Guardians.

Zhuque folded his arms, staring directly at the Sect Leader.

“So, you are indeed the Master of the White Lotus Sect. Who would have thought you’d survive that explosion unscathed?”

The Master of the White Lotus Sect glanced around at the surroundings before responding.

[Is this your preparation?]

“Something like that. No matter how much you are the Master of the White Lotus Sect, you won’t be easily dealt with.”

[… I seem to have yet to hear your name.]

Zhuque appeared surprised.

“Hmm…?”

[I am the Master of the White Lotus Sect, Dokgo Uncheon. I want to know your name and title, the one controlling the Imperial Palace.]

“……”

Why is he introducing himself now of all times? I found the Sect Leader’s attitude absurd, but Zhuque thought for a moment and then powerfully answered.

“I am currently the head of the Zhuge clan and the Evil God Zhuque, Zhuge Yulong.”

[Zhuge Yulong… you have been hiding your claws from the Martial World all this time.]

Upon hearing the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s words, Zhuque snickered.

“What does the Martial World matter in the human realm, after all?”

[Ah, I see… so that’s how you could become the leader of the darkness…]

“Enough with the pretense about what you know about me. Let’s settle this.”

Bang!

[Uooooo!!]

As Zhuque snapped his fingers, the Demon People and Dragon People screamed and charged from all directions. Their incredible physical capabilities had reached a level where they could not be matched by pure human strength. With the Dharma Guardians present, it was evident that they would face significant hardships.

However, in that fleeting moment of Mind Command –

[Hehehe…]

I sensed the Sect Leader’s mocking tone.

[Is this the extent of the Imperial Palace’s power?]

This is merely… a test?

Before I could fully comprehend the Sect Leader’s audacity, his first move began.

[Self.]

Seven Great Techniques!

Spider King!

The Sect Leader unleashed countless pearl-like orbs from his entire body as if time had been sliced. Each orb, made of energy, numbered in the hundreds. The orb the size of a fingertip briefly trembled, then sliced through the moment of Mind Command, drawing a long beam of light.

Pew pew pew

In the blink of an eye, all the flesh caught in that beam disintegrated and was severed. The charging Demon People and Dragon People, like chunks of meat, screamed only for a moment before being sliced apart. The sight of blood droplets dispersing in the air felt surreal.

But astonishingly, that wasn’t the end. Once the web of light formed in the void, it began to twist freely, spiraling into shape. The spiral vibrated, beginning to spin.

Grrrrr

A web that greedily expanded and devoured everything! Each strand was infused with terrifying internal power, capable of slicing through the bodies of the Dragon People like they were tofu, obliterating every enemy caught in its path without giving them a chance to resist.

Swish

Thud thud thud

After swinging the Spider King’s web several times like catching flies, all enemies within a fifty-chi radius were utterly annihilated. While the explanation was long, it all transpired in less than the time it takes to blink.

The corpses of the monsters swirled around like garbage.

[Ugh?!]

[Ahhh!!]

The Demon People and Dragon People, possessing minimal instincts and intellect, seemed filled with fear upon witnessing the overwhelming slaughter by the Sect Leader. And I myself was astonished.

‘Seven Great Techniques?! Could it be he combined the Seven Great Techniques to create such a terrifying ultimate technique?’

The Sect Leader’s words were no idle chatter. The Spider King itself must have been refined from the Seven Great Techniques to be comparable to the Three Treasure Technique, an absolute martial skill!

Boom!

In that moment, Divine Portraits appeared around the Sect Leader. I couldn’t grasp what happened, but it seemed the Divine Portraits launched a surprise attack on the Sect Leader.

‘That little rascal!’

Among them, a silver-haired Divine Portrait boy had plunged a dagger just in front of the Sect Leader’s throat. I felt it before when Xiang Yu descended; the abilities of the Divine Portraits seemed to be something beyond martial arts. There was no way they could ambush the Sect Leader from such close proximity without perfectly disguising their presence, especially not with my expert eyes as a peak martial artist.

Yet, the Sect Leader neither blocked nor dodged the attack. The dagger seemed to halt mere inches away from striking him. The due to the Sect Leader’s fierce Protection Energy, the dagger could no longer pierce any further.

Calmly watching the blade, the Sect Leader muttered.

[An interesting ability. Fully complete, it would certainly be a threat.]

Whoosh

That was the end. The four Divine Portraits were swept away in that instant by the Sect Leader’s single move, massacred. The torrent of blood surged forth, and a heavy scent of blood enveloped the Sect Leader’s vicinity.

In what couldn’t have been more than five seconds, this was such carnage!

The Imperial Palace forces were already on the brink of annihilation. The Dharma Guardians wouldn’t even need to use the Heavenly Spirit Pill with their infinite internal power.

‘The Sect Leader managed to do it all by himself…’

Though some Dragon People and Demon People remained, it was clear that they wouldn’t have a chance against the Sect Leader. How could they attack a monster that just wiped out over a hundred Demon People with a single move?

The Sect Leader had been strong, but this was on another level. It seemed after learning the Seven Great Techniques from me, he had arrived at a terrifying True State of Martial Arts!

As the defeat rapidly set in, Zhuque appeared somewhat flustered.

“Such… a thing…”

It all ended so swiftly that Yeodong-bin didn’t even show any signs of wanting to descend anymore. The Sect Leader looked coldly at Zhuque with one hand extended toward him.

[Now, you too.]

Boom

That marked the end for Zhuque Zhuge Yulong. He couldn’t resist and was torn apart by the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s single move. However, I knew that he had merely discarded one body and could use a prepared substitute to come back again, so I didn’t let my guard down. Last time, I had been thoroughly outplayed by that tactic of his.

After defeating Zhuque, the Sect Leader ordered us.

[Finish off the small fries.]

[Understood!]

The Dharma Guardians then began to sweep away the remaining Dragon People and Demon People around. Countless waves of strong qi flew about, and thunderous blasts echoed.

[Ahhh!]

They screamed shrilly as they charged in, yet Dokgo Jun and Han Baek-ryeong possessed a shocking battle power that they couldn’t contend against. Moreover, it seemed that Dokgo Seong had researched the Seven Great Techniques upon returning to the sect, as his martial arts had surged markedly, easily taking down five Dragon People alone. I joined in to decapitate a few of the Dragon People.

Once the cleaning was done, I cautiously opened my mouth.

“Sect Leader…”

Right before I could warn him, the Master of the White Lotus Sect gazed at the heavens and muttered.

[Hmm… from now on, it’s the real deal.]

“What?”

Boom boom boom…

The sky turned crimson. A powerful Evil Spirit filled the center of the heavens, and I felt the ominous aura enveloping the world. I knew well what this phenomenon meant, and I bit my lip tightly.

‘Dalgi!’

What should I do when the divine apostle Dalgi descends?!

Of course, with our current strength, we might somehow manage to fight him off. Even if I wasn’t requested now, simply casting the Curse of the Evil God for the Sect Leader might break Dalgi’s magical defense. I felt like the Sect Leader would handle it.

However, if I cast the Curse of the Evil God, the Sect Leader would immediately grow extremely suspicious.

‘But I can’t just die for Dalgi… If I can’t breach Dalgi’s magical defense, no matter how strong the Sect Leader is, it won’t mean anything.’

Boom boom boom…

There was still a bit of time until Dalgi would descend. As I pondered, Zhuge Sa said.

[Hey, just watch.]

[What? If the Sect Leader loses to Dalgi…]

[The Sect Leader already knew that the Imperial Palace was getting support from the Demon Subduing Hall. He probably expected that he would face off against the apostle. Yet, he willingly accepted the enticement of the Imperial Palace today. This indicates he believes he can win against the apostle.]

[Hmm.]

[Something interesting seems about to happen.]

I was unsure, but I decided to follow Zhuge Sa’s words after all.

And sure enough, as Zhuge Sa had said, something ‘interesting’ began to unfold.

Amid the Blood Sky, a gigantic bubble began to emerge, slowly revealing the Great Demon Dalgi, when suddenly the Master of the White Lotus Sect pulled out the Self-Controlled Moon Blade from the neck armor. I was taken aback at the sight of the moon blade.

‘Th-the Self-Controlled Moon Blade!’

Indeed. The Master of the White Lotus Sect suddenly revealed the Self-Controlled Moon Blade he had obtained from the Master of the Twelve Joules in exchange for resources.

[Engaging the divine apostle without a proper strategy is foolish. It’s an expected outcome.]

The Sect Leader aimed the Self-Controlled Moon Blade at Dalgi.

Boom!

The Sect Leader unraveled five strands of the black silk that had been attached to the moon blade. There were a total of nine strands of silk, so having unraveled five meant only four remained. Seemingly ready, the Sect Leader shouted loudly.

[Then let me expel you.]

The Self-Controlled Moon Blade shone with a blue light. That light briefly flashed before the Blood Sky enveloping the air washed away like it was never there.

Whoosh!

Was that the sound of something being rewound?

And then, a wailing filled with resentment echoed through the void.

[Aaaah!!! Just you wait!!]

That was the end.

The atmosphere that was on the verge of Dalgi’s descent seemed to be swallowed by terrible resentment as he was sent back to Golden Crow Island. The sky returned to clarity once more.

“……”

I stared at the Sect Leader in disbelief as he put the Self-Controlled Moon Blade back into the neck armor and said,

[With five strands remaining, it will take immense time and effort to fill them all. However, the cost of defeating an apostle is very cheap.]

“What, what does that mean?”

[It’s the true usage of the Self-Controlled Moon Blade.]

The Sect Leader replied as he surveyed the surroundings. All the Imperial Palace forces present had been completely annihilated, leaving no trace of any living presence outside of us. Casually looking at Zhuque’s corpse, the Sect Leader said,

[Let’s go. Now, let’s kill the Emperor and seize the Imperial Palace.]