Reincarnation Sword God

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00398  Heavenly Realm (天界)  ————————————————————————=

After defeating Zhuge Yulong, I pondered on what to do next.

‘Isn’t everything in the Imperial Palace settled now?’

With the high priest and mastermind Zhuge Yulong sealed in the Heavenly Realm, it seemed that the evil activities I had been concerned about in the Imperial Palace had come to an end. Although the [Former Ruler] of the Demon Subduing Hall still remained, the fact that there were currently no actions being taken indicated that we should observe the Sect Leader’s future moves. This meant that the mission to exterminate the Imperial Palace, which I had yearned for, was finally achieved in this life.

I felt a surge of emotions, but there was no time for sentimentality now. This was because the Master of the White Lotus Sect was about to clash with the Twelve Joules, and I had a sense that he had some unsettling plans in mind. Just defeating Zhuge Yulong wouldn’t bring peace to the world.

[ Baek Woong, think about your priorities.]

[ I need to take the treasure, Baek Woong, to Sangwan Hyuk now.]

[ But first, figure out the capabilities of Baek Woong.]

Following Zhuge Sa’s advice, I held up the Baek Woong and showed it to Cheon Woo-jin. As Cheon Woo-jin glanced at the Baek Woong, I asked,

“Cheon Woo-jin, can you tell me what abilities this treasure, Baek Woong, holds?”

Cheon Woo-jin replied gruffly,

“Are you going to take it even though you don’t know what ability it has? Damn…”

“I risked my life to hunt down the enemy threatening the Heavenly Realm. I believe I deserve to keep such a trophy.”

“Hmph.”

Cheon Woo-jin snorted briefly and then began to examine Baek Woong. After infusing it with spirit energy several times, he said,

“This treasure is made from the feathers of the Daebun Eunja Jo (大鵬鷹子鳥).”

“Daebun Eunja Jo?”

“It’s a mystical bird that lives in the Heavenly Realm.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued as he handed Baek Woong back to me,

“This treasure continuously recovers your technique power, allowing for the casting of spells permanently. Moreover, if someone with immortal-level abilities uses Baek Woong, they could foresee the future.”

“The future…? Are you saying it has prophecy abilities?”

“Hmm. That’s a bit vague to explain.”

Cheon Woo-jin frowned as he said,

“The future seen with Baek Woong has a very high degree of variability. Rather than a prophecy, it’s a concept of the timeline’s cross-section.”

“I don’t fully understand.”

“Think of it like sticking a stick in the middle of a flowing stream. Everyone lives their lives with water flowing steadily, but when the stick is introduced, the flow right before it gets blocked, right?”

“Hmmm, that makes sense.”

“When the water is blocked and a wave forms around the stick, reading the flow of that wave is precisely Baek Woong’s ability to perceive the future.”

“……”

It’s complicated, and I didn’t quite get it. When I made a puzzled expression, Cheon Woo-jin sighed in frustration.

“Damn it. Just say it more plainly. There are two types of abilities to see the future. One is a ‘modifiable’ future, and the other is a ‘non-modifiable’ future. Baek Woong reads the former, but only fragmented scenes or branches can be known. Therefore, it would just be detrimental to know.”

“Wouldn’t knowing even fragmented scenes be helpful? Why would it be detrimental?”

“The owner of Baek Woong has already observed the future.”

Cheon Woo-jin let out a sigh.

“The moment it is observed, the trajectory toward that future changes. This is because the observer is also ‘included in time.’ That’s the unique property of the future sight.”

“Oh…”

I finally understood Cheon Woo-jin’s words.

No matter how much one might read a modifiable future, if the path to reach it is unpredictable, it is meaningless. Moreover, if the observer’s intent mixes in, it became pure chaos. This is why Cheon Woo-jin distinguished it as future sight rather than prophecy.

‘Then could it be…’

Did Zhuge Yulong observe the future scenery through this Baek Woong?

While I was deep in thought, Zhuge Sa said,

[ Baek Woong, hold off on giving the Baek Woong treasure to Sangwan Hyuk.]

[ Are you suggesting I use the ability to see the future?]

[ Yes.]

Zhuge Sa calmly continued,

[ There may be a significant clue. After all, you don’t need to rush to give the treasure to Sangwan Hyuk, do you?]

[ That’s true.]

[ No matter how fast you go, all that awaits you is forcing your return to the sect and receiving the Heavenly Spirit Pill.]

While I was discussing with Zhuge Sa, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly spoke up.

“Well, since everything is settled, I’ll be on my way.”

“Wait a moment!”

I couldn’t let him leave like this!

I urgently stopped Cheon Woo-jin. Looking at him blankly, I said whatever came to my mind.

“There’s one more task to accomplish!”

“What is it? By the way, I came here under deployment orders to subdue the Heavenly Realm. If I can’t move the Heavenly Realm, I can’t be utilized either.”

On Cheon Woo-jin’s face was a clear expression of not wanting to work. It seemed he wanted to go home immediately, perhaps because defeating Zhuge Yulong had turned out to be more of a hassle than anticipated. However, it wasn’t common to gain such a powerful ally like Cheon Woo-jin, so I started to feel anxious.

‘Ugh, I have to make good use of this guy until the end…’

What to say?

As I contemplated, Zhuge Sa spoke.

[ There’s a task already decided, so what’s there to worry about?]

Finally, following Zhuge Sa’s advice, I opened my mouth.

“… You must know that the Imperial Palace has fallen into the hands of the White Lotus Sect.”

“Well, I’ve heard of it…”

“Within the underground of that Imperial Palace lies the National Seal. If the Master of the White Lotus Sect obtains it, it would be a great disaster. You must help me reclaim the National Seal together.”

At the mention of the National Seal, Cheon Woo-jin’s complexion changed.

“The National Seal? Really?”

“Indeed. This is something that must be done as a messenger of the Heavenly Realm, so you must help me! And one more thing.”

Taking a deep breath, I continued,

“You must help me perform the Offering Ceremony to liberate the Moon Sovereign.”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin’s expression distorted greatly. I said, trying to argue.

“Why do you look so sour? I need to liberate the Moon Sovereign to gain enough power to confront the Master of the White Lotus Sect. That way, I can fulfill the mission granted by the Heavenly Realm.”

“Well, that’s one way to look at it…”

Cheon Woo-jin said, his face very displeased.

“If you do as you say, you’ll end up with both the National Seal and the Moon Sovereign.”

“That’s true.”

“Why should you get everything?”

I made a dumbfounded expression. Is this guy really saying this again? However, considering I had an opportunity to gain the best two treasures for sorcerers, I could understand. I cleared my throat and retorted,

“Sorry about that. What was it again… if something good comes up later…”

“If it comes up?”

In a voice that seemed to retreat, I said,

“I’ll share some with you.”

Cheon Woo-jin snorted.

“Yeah, right. You’re just saying that because you don’t mean it, pig brat.”

“……”

“No, I mean, idiot puppy.”

As Cheon Woo-jin cursed, he abruptly turned his head.

“Guide me. Let’s wrap this up quickly.”

“Ah… Understood.”

Being suddenly scolded left me feeling a bit bad, but I decided to endure it for now. This was almost like free labor from Cheon Woo-jin’s perspective. If I could gain two peerless treasures for a bit of cursing, it was worth it.

I asked Zhuge Sa while riding the Four Great Spirits,

[ Is it okay to just take everything now?]

[ You should avoid receiving the Heavenly Spirit Pill at all costs. However, there’s no need to make excuses to the Sect Leader before the full-scale battle against the Twelve Joules. After all, you all officially rank among the peak powers of the White Lotus Sect, excluding the Dharma Guardian. You cannot fall behind in power enhancements.]

With that explanation, Zhuge Sa grinned.

[ In that case, it’s better to gather everything you can beforehand. I’ll explain the rest later.]

Whew!

I headed to the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai with Cheon Woo-jin. There, I offered Zhuge Yulong’s surplus body as a sacrifice while Cheon Woo-jin grasped the time of the Heavenly Spirit Ceremony, and soon, I began the Offering Ceremony on Mount Tai.

Kugugugugu…

As I knelt below, I contemplated while Cheon Woo-jin stood atop the altar, harmonizing the spirit energy.

‘What kind of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will emerge?’

When I performed the Offering Ceremony to liberate the Water Spirit at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Hua in the past, Jeon Wook of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors appeared. However, that was not a coincidence; it was bound to happen since I used the statue of Jeon Wook in the ruins of the Water Spirit as a medium.

This time, there was nothing specific to serve as a medium, so a random Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would emerge.

I gazed at the Moon Sovereign placed on the altar. Calming my racing heart, I nervously looked up as the sky gradually darkened.

Woooow

Cheon Woo-jin slowly began to infuse energy into the flags he had set earlier. In the past, Zhuge Sa assisted Cheon Woo-jin, but now that Cheon Woo-jin had overcome his fever and grown significantly stronger, it seemed unnecessary. He had become powerful enough to perform the Offering Ceremony by himself.

Soon, green spirit energy flowed from the altar, and gradually, a sphere of darkness began to appear.

That sphere of darkness briefly started to draw the Eight Trigrams in the void.

As the Eight Trigrams slowly descended onto the altar, the dark clouds in the sky became even heavier. The dense clouds loomed as if they obscured all the sunlight. When the entire world was completely enveloped in black,

Kigigigigik

A wail of the void tore through the sky!

It was a sound that could only be described as sorrowful and eerie, echoing throughout Mount Tai. The sound resembled a funeral song that negated existence itself, and just hearing it sent chills down my spine. The ominous dark energy seemed to resonate with my very soul.

The moon started to turn dark. The ink moon grew larger as it devoured the clouds, eventually becoming five times its original size. The ink moon disregarded the surrounding starlight, slowly covering the sky.

In contrast to when Jeon Wook, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, appeared, where his multitude of divine spirits manifested alongside various divine beings, now it felt as if the primordial darkness were seeking to unveil itself through the moon.

How long has it been?

In the center of the dark moon, a ‘something’ glowing with silver began to descend to the ground. That silver shape, reminiscent of a human form and size, overwhelmed me with an unimaginable presence the moment I laid eyes upon it.

Wiiiii—

A peculiar creature, born of sparkling moonlight, flew around with its beak extended. Its form was far from that of a natural living being, making me question whether it was an otherworldly race, yet the divine energy radiating from it was far too pure and clear for that. The strange creature emitted an inexplicable cry, circling around to bless the silver entity.

As it drew closer, I could scrutinize the figure more clearly.

It looked like a human but was fundamentally different from one. Beneath the cloudy silver shimmer, what resembled a snake-like lower body appeared, yet it was closer to a tail. The eyes sparkled with starlight, shining intensely, and it possessed human limbs. Clad in sacred divine attire, it held a red-hued orb as bright as the sun in one hand—a goddess stood before me.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin, who was conducting the spirit energy, naturally lowered his neck and fell into a prone position. Cheon Woo-jin then warned me,

“Show respect to the Original Ancestor Goddess!”

Without a word, I was left with no choice but to lay flat like Cheon Woo-jin. This was because, in a single phrase, I realized who the being summoned before us was. Even Zhuge Sa, who was within me, fell silent in awe upon facing that being.

To think I would confront this existence in my lifetime.

Then, the silvery being, looking down upon the prone Cheon Woo-jin and me, spoke in divine language,

[ I am Nüwa (女?).]

With those words, I could ascertain the close relationship between the Offering Ceremony of the Seven Luminaries and the Creator of the Seven Luminaries!

[ Who dares awaken the Seven Luminaries (七曜) from slumber?]