Reincarnation Sword God

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00399 Celestial Realm ————————————————————————=

Founding Goddess Nüwa!

She belonged to the Three Sovereigns among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and was revered as a creator of humans alongside Fuxi. It is said that she created humans after the great flood, and when the Buzhu Mountain collapsed during the battle between Chukong and Gong Gong, there was a legend that she supported the heavens with the legs of a turtle.

Due to her formidable primitive legend of creating humans, she was regarded as a being of a higher existence compared to the other Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. There was no boldness in Cheon Woo-jin’s words to pay respect to the founding goddess.

But something felt different. As a reborn person, I could sense that immediately.

Jeon Wook, also one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, finally got around to asking what I was here for, while Nüwa seemed to know everything and had responded to the summon as if she was already aware. If not, how could she possibly question me about awakening the Seven Luminaries right away?

Drawing from my previous experiences, I raised my head and spoke.

“Nüwa! I am Baek Woong, a human, and I have come to ask for the liberation of the Moon Sovereign. Could you accept the offering I have prepared?”

Nüwa floated in mid-air for a moment, gazing down at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai without replying. Then she answered.

[Very well.]

I recalled the actions of Zhuge Sa from before. It was truly not something I wanted to do, but to liberate the Seven Luminaries, it could only be done by my own hands.

“Please, rejoice!”

Thud.

I drove my blade into Zhuge Yulong’s prepared body and began to scoop out his heart. I placed that heart on the altar and knelt down, similar to what Zhuge Sa had done before. After a while, the heart disintegrated and was sucked into the void of the air.

Nüwa, receiving my offering, spoke.

[Human Baek Woong, why did you recklessly release the seal of the Moon Sovereign?]

Did Nüwa already know that I had released the seal of the Dark Heaven Village? My heart raced as I waited for Zhuge Sa’s advice, but strangely, Zhuge Sa had not said anything since before. I had no choice but to think for myself and reply to Nüwa.

“How did I know about the Offering Ceremony and the liberation?”

“I learned about it through gathering set clues and searching for ancient materials.”

[How much do you know?]

“I know that if the Seven Luminaries are not liberated through normal means from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, then the [Old Ruler] will descend upon the Central Plains. I also know that the Offering Ceremony is the only way.”

While responding to Nüwa’s continuous questions, I felt a sense of oddity.

Why was she asking such questions?

Wasn’t this bordering on an interrogation?

After a moment, Nüwa spoke.

[Baek Woong.]

“Yes.”

[For now, I cannot allow the seal of the Moon Sovereign to be undone.]

“……!!”

What does that mean?!

I stared at Nüwa in shock. When I had summoned Jeon Wook before for the Liberation Ceremony of the Water Element, she had graciously permitted it after receiving the offering. If Nüwa suddenly declares that the liberation is not allowed, it complicates matters significantly.

So I completely forgot that I stood before the divine being, the creator of heaven and earth, and desperately shouted.

“Nüwa! Why not?”

When I questioned her, Nüwa lowered her snake-like tail and said,

[The seal of the Moon Sovereign among the Seven Luminaries has already been released. And the seal of the Water Element will soon follow. If I permit your request, dear Baek Woong, the seals of the Four Luminaries among the Seven will be undone, leading to a very dangerous situation. The treaty with the [Old Ruler] may be broken, hence I cannot allow it.]

It seems the Earth Star in Dark Heaven Village had already been released.

“Ugh!”

I let out a grunt, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over me with unexpected information.

‘The Moon Sovereign has already been released?’

Currently, the Water and Moon Sovereigns among the Seven Luminaries were in the hands of the Twelve Joules. I hadn’t touched them for now, thinking there was nothing to worry about. After all, even though the Twelve Joules possessed formidable power, how could they liberate the Seven freely?

However, listening to Nüwa’s words, I realized that the Moon Sovereign had already been released, and the Water Sovereign was on the verge of the same fate. That meant the Twelve Joules clearly knew how to liberate the Seven Luminaries and were comfortable enough to do it in no time.

At the same time, I could grasp one fact.

‘It’ll be dangerous to lose the Seven Luminaries to the Twelve Joules in the future!!’

I had thought until now that the Twelve Joules were just watching cautiously, but in reality, they were after the Seven Luminaries all along. No, they might even have gained incredible strength to the point where it was nonsensical by now.

Surely, the reason she had asked me about the liberation of the Seven was that she already knew! I concealed my panic and spoke to Nüwa.

“Nüwa! That cannot be allowed. I must absolutely obtain the Moon Sovereign.”

[Human Baek Woong, do not be greedy for the power of the gods.]

I felt frustration at Nüwa’s stubbornness.

‘What the heck? The Celestial Realm folks… make no sense!’

Clearly, Yeodong-bin had said that he would grant me the right to perform the Offering Ceremony for the Moon Sovereign and have me act as an envoy of the Celestial Realm in the future. Then it would only be natural to receive Nüwa’s approval for the liberation during the Offering Ceremony, right? Yet, for some reason, the folks of the Celestial Realm granted me the right, but Nüwa could arbitrarily refuse the liberation!

I racked my brain for a moment and said,

“Nüwa, if what you say is true, then the Twelve Joules have already obtained two powers among the Seven. Is there any mortal being capable of withstanding their strength?”

[It would be extremely rare.]

“Therefore, I want to gain the power of the Moon Sovereign to prevent them. Isn’t that reasonable?”

[It does not conform.]

Nüwa lightly refuted, continuing,

[Twelve Joules are not part of the [Old Ruler]’s forces. If that is the case, we have no business with whatever they do with the Seven Luminaries. Even if you do not stop them, they cannot escape the fate of mortals, so why would you risk releasing the Moon Sovereign and endinganger the treaty?]

“……”

That was a response filled with hidden intentions. I wasn’t completely sure, but it was clear that Nüwa had no intention of permitting the liberation of the Moon Sovereign, even if it meant her own demise. I clenched my teeth inwardly.

‘What a pain… what should I do…’

If I couldn’t obtain the power of the Moon Sovereign here, the possibility of escaping the influence of the White Lotus Sect would be completely gone. Of course, I had planned to follow the White Lotus Sect’s movements this time, but considering the ticking time bomb of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, I couldn’t just follow aimlessly.

Nüwa declared decisively,

[The Moon Sovereign cannot be released. Then…]

“Wait a moment!”

I shouted desperately. I had no particular good methods, but I shouted. To let this absurd opportunity for the Offering Ceremony slip by was simply ridiculous. But I was lost and pacing back and forth in anxiety.

[… Hey, fool.]

In my mind, Zhuge Sa snapped back to attention and spoke.

[Zhuge Sa!]

[Why are you so flustered? We’ve only just checked each other’s positions.]

[Then…]

[It’s not over yet.]

With that, Zhuge Sa confidently declared,

[Let’s make a proper attempt. We can persuade even Nüwa.]

Right. I couldn’t give up here.

I concentrated and organized Zhuge Sa’s advice in my mind. Then, calmly choosing my words, I opened my mouth.

“Nüwa, I’d like to confirm one thing.”

I had already received the direction of the conversation from Zhuge Sa. However, Zhuge Sa couldn’t articulate everything on my behalf. I too had built up experience and melodies through my past life, so I had to steer the conversation favorably with Nüwa as much as possible. I began to focus.

[What is it?]

“I understand that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors were beings who transcended ordinary divine status and knew the beginning and end of the universe since the creation. If that’s the case, may I ask what your particular fixation on maintaining the treaty is?”

[……]

“The rise and fall of humans is merely the whim of an emperor, and it shouldn’t directly relate to the existence or nonexistence of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

Cheon Woo-jin next to me gazed at me in astonishment. Surely, he hadn’t expected me to delve so deeply into this matter over the Moon Sovereign with the goddess who was the founding deity! Nüwa considered my question for a moment before responding.

[It’s about management capability.]

“Management capability?”

[The treaty made with the Seven Luminaries is a non-aggression pact between the [Old Ruler] and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors; the Seven Luminaries are tokens of that promise. As long as the Seven Luminaries exist in an unliberated state, the [Old Ruler] cannot recklessly manifest in the mortal world and cannot extend his power to consume the human race. This has been the reason why your human civilization could shake off the ruler’s interference and thrive for thousands of years.]

“Non-aggression pact!”

Nüwa continued with her statement,

[The term lasts until the promised day… The treaty is significant not only for humans but also for the Heavenly Emperor. To prevent a situation where great beings fight unnecessarily among themselves, we must pay attention.]

“Hmm…”

I pondered as I slowly began to understand the non-aggression pact of the Seven Luminaries in detail.

Indeed.

The Seven Luminaries were the tokens of the non-aggression pact created by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to protect humans from the [Old Ruler]! According to Nüwa, if all the Seven Luminaries were liberated, then the moment would provide the [Old Ruler] a legitimate reason to hunt down humans. I continued to grill Zhuge Sa as instructed.

“During the governance of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, they directly intervened to stop the [Old Ruler]. However, in the era of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Jeon Wook, the communication between heaven and earth was cut off, and the Heavenly Ladder was also severed. The influence of the Three Sovereigns gradually faded from history; could you tell me why?”

[Are you asking why heaven and earth were severed?]

“Exactly.”

I nodded and continued speaking.

“If the Three Sovereigns had been in direct control, there wouldn’t have been a complicated need to establish the non-aggression pact. So, I want to know the reason why heaven and earth were severed even after creating the Seven Luminaries.”

[It’s simple.]

Nüwa replied straightforwardly.

[It has to do with Yan Emperor Shennong’s faction.]

“What did Shennong do?”

[Since the first war between the Emperor and Yan Emperor erupted at Pan Mountain, two massive factions have collided during the Mythological Age. Gong Gong, a descendant of the Yan Emperor, waged war against Jeon Wook again, leading to great destruction, and eventually, Chiyou reached a pinnacle of chaos.]

“……?”

[Chiyou, a descendant of the Yan Emperor, advocated for the autonomy of humans. The Emperor suppressed Chiyou but underwent significant changes in heart and sought to withdraw from the human world in unison. They left humans to develop on their own until the time of destruction came.]

The Three Sovereigns and the Yan Emperor, Shennong!

What Nüwa spoke of was undoubtedly the legendary great war, the Battle of Muye! It was a myth that most sagas knew, but Nüwa’s tone was oddly different. That the Battle of Muye was a war fought over human autonomy.

I thought deeply and spoke.

“Are you saying that the severing of heaven and earth was the will of Emperor Gong Sun Xuanwen? You are saying that Jeon Wook was merely an executor of the Emperor’s orders?”

[Well understood.]

Finally, I felt like I was piecing together the situation.

Even among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, their relationships weren’t all peachy; they had conflicts and collisions among themselves. The clashes resulted from factions led by the Emperor and those of the Yan Emperor, Shennong. After extensive conflict, it was decided to give humans autonomy, leading the gods to withdraw from the world of humans. Simultaneously, in order to ensure that humans would remain safe from the [Old Ruler], the Seven Luminaries treaty was established.

I stated,

“Nüwa, in that case, I must obtain the power of the Moon Sovereign even more.”

[Human Baek Woong, do you not understand even after all this discussion?]

“I can explain sufficiently.”

Nüwa, sounding slightly annoyed, said threateningly,

[Very well. If your reasoning is inappropriate, you shall face divine punishment.]

Gulp.

I swallowed hard. The curse from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, especially Nüwa, who was one of the Three Sovereigns and regarded as the Earth Mother Goddess! I might have to pay a terrifying price that could prevent me from being reborn. Having experienced the power of a god’s curse firsthand, I felt my legs grow weak.

‘Whatever, I’m dead either way?’

Having braced myself adequately, I calmly resumed as Zhuge Sa advised.

“… The non-aggression pact of the Seven Luminaries does not have global effectiveness, correct?”

To my question, Nüwa responded in surprise.

[Correct.]

“How extensive is that specifically?”

[Approximately 70% of this world.]

Zhuge Sa cheered internally, finding it to be as expected. I spoke with brightening eyes.

“In the areas where the non-aggression pact doesn’t apply, the [Old Ruler] can penetrate and cultivate heretical sects at will. By the current time, they have amassed formidable power using divine power.”

[What are you saying?]

“The West is already a territory dominated by the [Old Ruler]. They possess an abnormally rapid pace of civilization development compared to their period of growth and will soon launch a direct invasion into the East. When that time comes, the non-aggression pact of the Seven Luminaries will become meaningless.”

Zhuge Sa’s words were backed by evidence. The firepower of the firearms used by the British Empire was overwhelmingly superior to that of Eastern weapons. In just a few decades, the military gap would reach a point where conflict would become irrelevant. Zhuge Sa identified that the [Old Ruler] was behind that civilization.

[……]

Nüwa fell silent. But I didn’t stop speaking.

“The beings behind the advancement of Western civilization essentially manipulate humans to obtain the Seven Luminaries, right? If that happens, isn’t it a mockery of the will of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors before the promised time arrives?”

[What are you trying to say?]

“It means that humanity will resolve issues amongst themselves.”

I took a brief breath and stated,

“Whether it be the White Lotus Lord or the Twelve Joules, whoever wins will gain dominion over civilization. However, in the current context where external threats exist, they are also a necessary evil. Thus, I wish to become the master of the Moon Sovereign to covertly monitor them.”

[Preposterous.]

“There are suspicious movements even within the mid-tier management of the Celestial Realm. If you do not trust me, everything might crumble like a sandcastle.”

Nüwa floated silently in mid-air, emitting a silvery glow without saying a word. I looked up at her with anxious eyes, and Nüwa was truly godlike, as her emotional fluctuations were unreadable. Furthermore, she continued to emit a terrifying divine power that sublimely transcended the Great Immortal.

After a while, Nüwa finally said,

[Human Baek Woong, you seem to be a very unique existence.]

“Yes?”

[In fact, from our first meeting, I felt considerable familiarity towards you. It felt close to compassion and longing for the origin. However, you are pure human in appearance, truly the most peculiar being I’ve encountered throughout ages.]

Muttering like that, Nüwa said,

[Very well. I will trust you and release the seal of the Moon Sovereign.]

Pa-at!!

Moments later, silver starlight began to pour down at the center of the dark moon. As the silver starlight hit me directly, I felt as if my entire being was engulfed in flames along with the three divine artifacts. But instead of pain, it was closer to a euphoric feeling that seemed to elevate my very soul.

Woosh—

When I regained my senses, the sky of Mount Tai returned to normal once more. And Nüwa’s form was nowhere to be found.

Beside me, Cheon Woo-jin sighed and said,

“That’s truly terrifying… Are you really human?”

“Eh?”

“To persuade the Founding Goddess Nüwa and liberate the Seven Luminaries… there couldn’t have been another like you throughout history.”

Zzzz—

I realized that a silvery sacred light danced around my body. It was the same phenomenon that Miho had wielded before. Moreover, even being still, I felt an endless stream of power flowing from the Moon Sovereign.

That’s right.

I had become the true master of the Moon Sovereign among the Seven Luminaries.