Reincarnation Sword God

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00409 Celestial Realm ————————————————————————=

Finally, upon arriving in Luoyang with the Sect Leader, the Emperor went to meet with the Emperor.

“Welcome.”

Jeonghu, who had ascended to the throne, rushed out to meet the Sect Leader with a cheerful expression. Even in this deserted place, there were no guards or attendants by the Emperor’s side when he met with the Sect Leader. Furthermore, Jeonghu’s face looked quite haggard, indicating that the situation inside the Imperial Palace was anything but normal.

The Sect Leader spoke to the Emperor with a weary look.

[Emperor. I need a place to stay within the Imperial Palace for a while.]

“Within… the Imperial Palace?”

[You can arrange that, right?]

Although the Sect Leader’s words seemed soft, they were no different from an unyielding command. After some contemplation, Jeonghu responded to the Sect Leader’s request.

“The Shenguan Palace in the Eastern Six Palaces is vacant. I shall provide you with the utmost convenience.”

[Thank you.]

“By the way, what about the matters of Tai Ping Dao…”

[Those individuals will no longer be able to cause a ruckus.]

At that, Jeonghu beamed and deeply bowed to the Sect Leader.

“I am truly grateful.”

[There’s no time for this. I cannot afford to indulge in pleasantries with you; just prepare a place for me to rest.]

“Understood.”

Even though it had not been long since Jeonghu ascended the throne, things progressed swiftly thereafter. In less than half a moment, Shenguan Palace was tidily organized, and the concubines within were also restructured. Then, they entered Shenguan Palace in a carriage and were able to rest in the finest separate chamber.

I asked the Sect Leader,

“What will happen to those in the wooden armor?”

[Bring them out now…]

A short while later, the Dharma Guardians and Elders, who were in the wooden armor, emerged outside. Upon seeing the Sect Leader seated on the luxurious bed, they immediately bowed down. The Sect Leader silently looked down at them and said,

[The Great Immortal of the Celestial Realm has been defeated.]

[Oh…!!]

[However, I need to rest for a while, so I will be staying in the Imperial Palace for the time being.]

With that, the Sect Leader glanced quickly at Dokgo Jun.

[Jun, while I am gone, you are to handle all matters related to the Sect. I hereby appoint you as the Acting Sect Leader.]

Acting Sect Leader!

This meant temporarily gaining the status of the Supreme Leader of the White Lotus Sect, the strongest power in the world. However, Dokgo Jun showed no sign of joy and instead seemed flustered as he responded.

[Sect Leader, what is the meaning of this? Were you injured in your battle with them?]

[It’s not an injury. I simply need to recuperate due to overusing the power of the Primordial Spirit.]

[Hmm…!!]

[Do not ask further. I trust in your abilities.]

After a moment of silence, Dokgo Jun bowed respectfully.

[Understood, honorable one.]

A while later, all the executives of the White Lotus Sect, including Dokgo Jun, exited the room. I was left bewildered by the Sect Leader’s actions, tilting my head in confusion.

‘Why?’

It made sense to recuperate after overusing the power of the Primordial Spirit. The chaotic form I had witnessed was indeed terrifying and a force that a mere mortal should not possess. It was undoubtedly a secret move hidden within the Sect Leader’s Primordial Spirit.

However, if he was to rest, it should surely be within the base of the White Lotus Sect, protected by dozens of expert members from the Elder Council, right? At the very least, it would make more sense to rest within the Su Shin Sect. No matter how much influence the Sect Leader had over the Imperial Palace, this was still foreign ground and not a comfortable place for resting.

Noticing my unease, the Sect Leader, still seated on the golden needles, crossed his arms and spoke.

[You must be curious why I came here.]

“Yes. Honestly, this isn’t a suitable place to rest…”

[Indeed. It is not a place for resting. I have someone to meet here.]

“……?”

Who is he talking about meeting? I was completely at a loss and therefore asked back.

“Who are you referring to? Is there such a remarkable individual in the Imperial Palace?”

At that, the Sect Leader replied in a somewhat uncertain tone.

[Well… I’m not sure myself.]

“Not sure?”

I asked in disbelief, to which the Sect Leader responded.

[I feel that if not now, I won’t get the chance to meet that person. Once I’ve sorted out my realizations, I will call for you, so today, please leave.]

“Okay.”

Who in the world is he trying to meet?

As I exited the Sect Leader’s room, I pondered in confusion. The reason the Sect Leader was refusing to return to the main sect at this time and rather, had forcibly occupied the East Six Palaces used by the Emperor’s concubines—does that mean such a person existed in the Imperial Palace that was worth all this fuss?

I ultimately asked Zhuge Sa.

[Hey. There’s no way I can guess. Who is the Sect Leader trying to meet?]

Zhuge Sa replied bluntly.

[I don’t know either.]

[What? You don’t know?]

[From the information I have now, I can’t make any guesses. No matter what I think, it’s just groundless speculation.]

If even Zhuge Sa had no idea, there must be something only the Sect Leader could sense. I sat in the room, deep in thought, and spoke again.

[Could it be Sangwan Hyuk?]

[There’s no way the Sect Leader would bother staying here just to meet someone like Sangwan Hyuk. He could simply call you or the Dharma Guardians to fetch him.]

[Hmm… So it’s someone who can only be met in the Imperial Palace…]

This was a headache. Who could the current Sect Leader, who looked down on even the Emperor and could defeat the Great Immortal, be so eager to meet? But if even Zhuge Sa could not guess, formulating a plausible theory at this point seemed impossible. Zhuge Sa said,

[Forget it, just take it easy today. How many chances does a person get to stay in the Imperial Palace in their lifetime?]

[That’s a good point.]

I was now experiencing something that the average person could never do. Since there was no way to know as long as the Sect Leader remained tight-lipped, I decided to set aside my worries for the moment. Then I practiced the Three Treasure Technique and the Soul Exchange Technique, feeling the luxurious golden needles, and comfortably fell asleep.

The next day, I headed to the Sect Leader’s room.

Gooooo…

The Sect Leader sat in the air, cross-legged, in a state of weightlessness, without a hint of movement. As I felt a heat emanating from his body, I instinctively took a step back. At the same time, I could hear an indescribable eerie voice continuously spilling from the Sect Leader’s mouth.

‘He must be concentrating so intently that he cannot afford to notice me.’

What is he saying?

After listening for a while, I could not understand any of it. Zhuge Sa, who was listening as well, spoke up.

[It’s Sanskrit.]

[Sanskrit? You know Sanskrit?]

[Of course. A significant portion of the ancient texts related to the Old Rulers has been translated into Sanskrit, making it almost essential knowledge. What the Sect Leader is reciting seems to be a Sanskrit scripture.]

[Which scripture?]

[I don’t know. The tone is so low and strange that it doesn’t sound like a human voice at all.]

Zhuge Sa was right. Upon closer inspection, it seemed to split into dozens of lines, unlike an ordinary human voice. Also, it occasionally gave me a sensation that made it feel like something was brushing against my ear, which definitely did not come from a regular human vocal cord. I waited for a while for the Sect Leader’s meditation to finish, and after about one meal’s worth of time, the Sect Leader finally loosened his concentration and slowly touched the ground.

[Sorry to keep you waiting.]

“Are you feeling any better?”

[There has been no significant change in my power since yesterday. I simply needed time to gather my swirling realizations.]

Silence hung for a while. I actually came to inquire about the Sect Leader’s health, but what on earth should I say now? Whatever I said in this situation would surely come off as awkward. After all, the Sect Leader was deeply immersed in his own enlightenment.

Clearing my throat, I said,

“Um… if you’re alright, I would like to ask about what happened yesterday.”

[What is it that you wish to know?]

“I noticed that you transformed into that bizarre form. Was that the power of the Primordial Spirit?”

[Indeed. Simply having infinite internal power would not distinguish it from the Heavenly Spirit Pill.]

The Sect Leader’s eyes gleamed.

[Do you know the distinguishing features of the Primordial Spirit compared to the Heavenly Spirit Pill?]

“The Primordial Spirit can manipulate the inner small universe freely and can materialize not just the Tai Chi but also the attributes of the Five Elements and Four Concepts, as you mentioned last time.”

Having received martial arts teachings from the Sect Leader, he had previously shared some insights about his Primordial Spirit. As I mentioned what I remembered from that time, the Sect Leader continued.

[In fact, that alone does not create a significant difference in power from the Heavenly Spirit Pill. The truly potent aspect of the Primordial Spirit is that it draws out potential to the extreme using chaos as a medium. Chaos surpasses the Tai Chi, enabling such miracles.]

“…….!!”

[The manifestation of latent potential. That is the true ability of the Primordial Spirit.]

I silently gasped.

‘So that’s how it is!’

The Primordial Spirit was a system of drawing power from the Non-Birth Mother. While the Heavenly Spirit Pill scraped together a tiny bit of power from the chaos throne inhabited by the Non-Birth Mother, the Primordial Spirit seemed to borrow chaos itself for a moment, awakening a person’s self with that stimulation.

I pondered for a moment before asking,

“Are there any weaknesses to that ability?”

The Sect Leader laughed heartily.

[Haha… I’m amused that you’re asking about weaknesses. Do you think I would reveal those to you, Baek Woong?]

“I was just curious.”

As I smacked my lips, the Sect Leader whimsically continued.

[Just know that it’s a power I cannot use frequently.]

That would probably be the case. If the power to shatter the joint assault of the Great Immortal could be wielded freely, there would be no reason for the Sect Leader not to use it. There must be some constraint or weakness, meaning he could only use it when he sensed the need.

Moreover, even when facing the master of the Demon Subduing Hall previously, the Sect Leader used the Heart of Heaven’s Abundance to counter, but he did not utilize that transformation form. Although I couldn’t know for certain as I had fled before seeing the whole thing, it was highly probable that the Sect Leader conserved that power while negotiating with divine beings. He would have certainly used the transformation of the Primordial Spirit when the situation genuinely became perilous.

‘Why? That situation was certainly one of life and death…’

Cautiously, I asked.

“By the way, what kind of realization have you achieved? Is it also due to the effect of the Primordial Spirit?”

[No. The realization I gained yesterday was unrelated to the Primordial Spirit.]

The Sect Leader spoke firmly.

[It was the realization of the Primordial Void.]

“Primordial Void?”

Now that I think about it, I recalled that the Sect Leader had suddenly figured out the essence of the treasure and had been greatly pleased while conversing with the Southern Flower Immortal. I remembered that the Southern Flower Immortal also mentioned something about the Sect Leader’s realization concerning concepts. I reflected on that time and repeated the words he had said.

“The qi of heaven and earth differs in a myriad of ways in its gathering and dispersal, but the Primordial Harmony has no limits because it collides and harmonizes…”

[That’s right.]

“What does that mean?”

The Sect Leader continued explaining.

[Primordial Harmony refers to what we call the Dao. Within it, there exist properties of mutual interaction such as rising and falling, increasing and decreasing, and so forth. Yet there exists an even more fundamental unit, which is called the Primordial Void; it is formless and is the essence of qi itself.]

Upon hearing the Sect Leader’s explanation, I remembered what he had once described in a previous life. I thus recounted it verbatim.

“The Primordial Void refers to qi. Therefore, if Primordial Void is qi, then qi taken apart is indeed Primordial Void, isn’t it?”

[…….!!]

The Sect Leader seemed genuinely startled. He was still for a while, seemingly surprised, before responding.

[Perhaps you possess some martial talent that even I am unaware of. Excellent.]

“Haha…”

For some reason, I felt a rush of good feeling and almost smiled, but Zhuge Sa interjected from within me.

[Idiot. You sound like you understand when you don’t grasp anything at all. What a disgrace!]

[Ugh… What’s wrong with pretending to understand?]

[Don’t you realize that’s the most foolish thing to do in learning? Anyway…]

Just when Zhuge Sa’s sharp words threatened to twist my expression, the Sect Leader continued speaking.

[Remember this well, Baek Woong.]

“Yes.”

The Sect Leader, with a serious expression, selected his words carefully.

[The gathering and dispersing of qi in the Primordial Void resembles the freezing and melting of water. So… if one recognizes that the Primordial Void is indeed qi, then there exists nothing (無無). This is what is described in Buddhism as ‘no ignorance (無無明)’ and ‘not having the end of ignorance (亦無無明盡)’.]

“……”

[Upon realizing this, one might understand that a human can surpass a deity.]

So, does that mean Primordial Void is qi? Am I misunderstanding something?

I tilted my head, then suddenly realized.

Ah… I don’t understand a single word.

Noticing my expression, the Sect Leader turned away and said,

[You’re not likely to grasp this principle easily. After all, it relates to the truth of this world and also is tied to privileges bestowed solely upon humans… Nevertheless, I realized this principle much more profoundly yesterday, and I needed time to quietly整理.]

“I see.”

[And I have now completed that process this morning.]

With that, the Sect Leader rose significantly.

[Then let’s go.]

“Where are we going?”

[Follows me.]

The Sect Leader strode purposefully toward a destination. I followed him, completely baffled. The Sect Leader, despite possessing the world’s best Light Body Technique, insisted on walking, which indicated something significant was happening in his heart.

Eventually, he arrived at the main gate of Shenguan Palace. The guards standing in front of the palace did not panic when a mysterious figure wearing a mask walked out, but instead bowed their heads to the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader, however, paid them no mind, looking ahead at the main gate as he spoke.

[Who are you?]

I looked to where the Sect Leader was staring. However, that spot contained nothing but empty air.

‘Did someone use the Stealth Technique?’

Just to be sure, I heightened my Qi Sense, making it sharp enough to detect even the tiniest movements of ants dozens of yards away. But no matter how much I raised my Qi Sense, it seemed like there was nothing in this location. The guards were also watching the Sect Leader with odd looks as he spoke to the empty space.

‘There’s really nothing there?’

Indeed, absolutely nothing. In the direction the Sect Leader was looking, there was nothing and no one.

What on earth could the Sect Leader be seeing?

Finally, the Sect Leader quietly continued speaking.

[If you do not emerge, I will have no choice but to fight…]

Kugugugung

Suddenly, the Sect Leader raised his power level. At that, the guards screamed.

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

It was just a show of strength, with no killing intent behind it, yet the overwhelming pressure caused the guards to faint instantly. I hurried to check on them, and sure enough, it was a heart attack. I infused my qi into their pulses to restore their hearts, while the Sect Leader remained focused on the empty air.

Then… something unbelievable happened.

“Since entering the Central Plains.”

That person had appeared out of nowhere.

Without any forewarning, dressed in shabby garments with a blade at their side, they stepped forth.

The problem was that I had no idea when that person had revealed themselves. Their movements easily surpassed my sensory limits. The moment I perceived that realization, a cold sweat drenched my body.

This was different.

The guy in front of me was something else entirely!

“You are the second person to realize the Lunar Kill Technique.”

That person’s words were somewhat clumsy. They had the air of someone from another country who had forcibly learned Central Plains language, creating an awkward impression. Yet, I couldn’t focus on their awkwardness because there was an overwhelming pressure emanating from the swordsman before me.

The Sect Leader’s eyes shone as he gradually spoke.

[Have you been observing me all along?]

“Indeed.”

[Can we have a proper introduction?]

The person appeared to be indifferent to everything, their body seemed full of flaws, yet I could find no weaknesses in them.

“Twelve Joules, Special Position.”

Their martial arts level had reached a level beyond my imagination, indicating they were a super powerhouse I had never even dreamed of.

“Two Heavens One Style, Miyamoto Musashi.”