Reincarnation Sword God

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00420 Heavenly Realm ————————————————————————=

I didn’t think waiting for the response from the Twelve Joules alliance was the best course of action at the White Lotus Sect. It was true that I managed to accomplish a bit by closing the Shangguan Family’s seal, as Yeodong-bin had said, but the Heavenly Realm was still viewing the Master of the White Lotus Sect as a threat. To turn the situation around, I needed more information. I called Yeodong-bin to ask.

[Yeodong-bin! Where in the world is Miho?]

Yeodong-bin answered mysteriously.

[To the Heavenly Realm.]

[What?!]

[The Queen Mother of the West cherishes Miho. She didn’t want her to be swept away when the Heavenly Sovereign Plan activates and purifies the earth, so she sent a special message. I simply revealed the way back to Miho as per her instructions.]

[The way back? Are you talking about the entrance to the Heavenly Realm?]

[Not the formal entrance.]

After a brief pause for thought, Yeodong-bin continued.

[I mean the exit that was used when she was banished from the Heavenly Realm.]

Zhuge Sa muttered as if realizing the implication of Yeodong-bin’s words.

[So, you mean the backdoor.]

[Ah…]

I could understand the situation from Zhuge Sa’s clarification. Memories of my past conversations with Miho Mangnyang flashed through my mind.

[The passage between heaven and earth in the north…?]

[I’m referring to the mistake of Jeon Wook, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Long ago, the Heavenly Realm and the Mortal Realm were connected, allowing humans to enter the Heavenly Realm without going through any progression. However, because of Jeon Wook’s blunder, that passage crumbled, leading to the creation of this progression system. Since the Heavenly Tiger is in the Heavenly Realm, you would know about this very well…]

When I asked Miho about the passage between heaven and earth that Mangnyang had discovered while deciphering Jeon Wook’s oracle bone script, she had replied.

[I’m not sure. But it is true that a secret passage exists connecting the Heavenly Realm to the Mortal Realm, and it’s somewhere out there in the world. This maiden was also banished to the Mortal Realm through one of those passages.]

[Then why isn’t she returning through that passage…?]

[I only know where I came from, and I could say that it’s a backdoor. If I were to enter the Heavenly Realm through there, I would be immediately attacked and annihilated by the fighting spirits of the gods.]

That was right. Miho was banished through one of the secret passages connecting the Heavenly Realm and the Mortal Realm, and she knew where that place was. However, because a being of the fighting spirit class guarded that place, she couldn’t dare approach it.

Yet, according to Yeodong-bin’s statement, it meant that the Queen Mother had specifically left that backdoor open for Miho to return to the Heavenly Realm. So, it seemed Miho had gone to confirm if she could return through that passage.

Once I realized Miho’s recent actions, Yeodong-bin spoke up.

[Miho is originally from the Heavenly Realm. Letting her return would be the best thing to do.]

“Is that so?”

I replied bitterly. While I could forcibly try to retrieve Miho, approaching the Heavenly Realm recklessly in the current situation could lead to unforeseen troubles. Of course, with the Seven Luminaries in hand, I would not be easily defeated, but the Heavenly Realm, which was attempting to execute the Heavenly Sovereign Plan, was more aggressive than ever. I could very well end up in a tougher spot.

Suddenly, I remembered something and asked Yeodong-bin.

“Yeodong-bin. I’ve heard there is a fighting spirit class being guarding that backdoor, do you know what kind of being it is?”

[I don’t know. It’s unrelated to my mission.]

“Is that so…”

[But trying to fight such a being with the power of the Dharma Protector would be reckless. That much I can say.]

I knew that without needing to be told. Just recently, I had felt the overwhelming strength that a being of the fighting spirit class could wield. It would not be too far-fetched to say that there was no martial artist stronger than the Master of the White Lotus Sect, yet Yeodong-bin had sufficient odds against even the Sect Leader. If I were to face a fighting spirit class being, at least two of the Seven Luminaries would be required.

“Then Yeodong-bin, please report to the Heavenly Realm that the Sect Leader intends to give up Luoyang.”

[I’ve already done so. However, I’m not sure if the Three Pure Ones will believe that.]

With a sigh, Yeodong-bin continued.

[Dharma Protector. Do your utmost. The Heavenly Ladder must be blocked.]

Both Yeodong-bin and Cheon Woo-jin were adamant that the Heavenly Sovereign Plan should be blocked at all costs. It seemed that the insistence was born out of a sense of danger regarding the Heavenly Realm’s direct interference in the Mortal Realm. My will swelled, yet I hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

Then Zhuge Sa spoke up.

[You should go see Cheon Woo-jin. It would be wise to discuss what has transpired so far.]

“Understood.”

Whoosh!

After hopping on the Four Great Spirits, I headed to the Shaolin Temple where Cheon Woo-jin was. The atmosphere was different. The spirit energy around the Shaolin Temple had become purer and grander, overflowing with a dense essence reminiscent of a divine temple. It felt about two or three times stronger than before, leaving me in a daze.

Finally, as Cheon Woo-jin, who was preparing his qi with his hands together on the Heavenly Altar, turned to look at me, he spoke.

“You’ve come. Is that a treasure?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s gaze was fixed on the Fire Dragon Sword at my waist. While I normally couldn’t wield it, I was allowed to possess it thanks to Yeodong-bin, the original owner. I could draw and swing it, but the problem was that if I used it, it would just be an ordinary steel long sword.

I explained to Cheon Woo-jin what had happened. After hearing my story, Cheon Woo-jin frowned and said.

“In the end, the situation hasn’t changed much.”

“I’ve conveyed the Sect Leader’s intention to step down through Yeodong-bin, and the threat of Dark Heaven lurking in Luoyang has been eliminated. Isn’t that a gain of some sort?”

“That alone isn’t worth much. The Three Pure Ones have directly intervened, and the Jade Emperor has declared that he will endure the consequences of humanity’s massacre—what do you think that means? They’ve expressed their willingness to obliterate the White Lotus Sect’s threat, even if it means uprooting human civilization from its very foundation.”

“……!!”

“We need something more concrete. But for now, things feel helpless.”

Cheon Woo-jin muttered.

“Oh, I fully restored the Heavenly Altar at Songshan. We need to recover the other four Heavenly Altars as well, so please take me to those places.”

“What good does it do to restore the Heavenly Altars right now?”

“If I can restore the Heavenly Altar’s function, the demonic energy in the Mortal Realm will become several times stronger. That’s because the Heavenly Altar summons the energies of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Just this alone would provide a powerful basis for persuading the Heavenly Realm.”

Was there such a function?

“Understood. Let’s go.”

Feeling intrigued, I carried Cheon Woo-jin and began to sequentially visit the Heavenly Altars of Evil. When we arrived at the heavily damaged Heavenly Altar of Mount Tai, Cheon Woo-jin frowned as if disgusted and irritably said.

“… There’s a lot to do here, so let’s leave this for last. This is practically rebuilding from scratch.”

“Sure.”

Swoosh!

The next destination was the Heavenly Altar of Mount Huang. It seemed that the Heavenly Altar of Mount Huang hadn’t been damaged too badly, as Cheon Woo-jin took around half a moment to chant a spell, infusing it with energy, and instantly restored it. Soon, I felt the overwhelming aura akin to the power of the Divine Demon spread out across the mountains.

When we arrived at the Heavenly Altar of Mount Hua and restored its function and reached the Heavenly Altar of Hengshan, we were suddenly confronted.

“Who are you?!”

A stout, fierce-looking middle-aged swordsman charged out from the bushes, shouting. I could sense the potency of his qi, honed like a blade, and quickly recognized he was no mere opponent. So, rather than attack hastily, I made an imposing stance and countered.

“We are cultivators on a pilgrimage to the Heavenly Altars of the Five Great Mountains. Who are you?”

“A pilgrimage to the Heavenly Altars?!”

The middle-aged swordsman tilted his head in confusion before bellowing again.

“I am Jo Jin-ung, the leader of the Hengshan Sect. State your names for recklessly intruding on my sect’s territory!”

“Hmmm…”

I let out a strange sound.

Jo Jin-ung, the Eight-Armed Sword Immortal!

He was the leader of the Hengshan Sect and a renowned master of swordsmanship, particularly representing the peak of masters in the Hunan region. The title “Eight-Armed” referred to his boundless skill in illusionary sword techniques, and he was known as a Sword Master. In other words, the leader of the Nine Great Sects was standing right in front of me. Zhuge Sa sneered internally.

[Shouldn’t we have sent a member of the Su Shin Sect to deal with him instead of letting him linger here? What kind of nonsense is this?]

I ignored Zhuge Sa’s mockery and spoke to Jo Jin-ung.

“I am Baek Woong, and this is Cheon Woo-jin. Do you happen to know that this place is a spirit ground known as the Heavenly Altar?”

Jo Jin-ung replied coldly.

“Nonsense! I’ve never heard of such a thing. Get out of my sight!”

“……”

He didn’t even know about the Heavenly Altar?

Feeling a bit flustered, Cheon Woo-jin, who was beside me, said bluntly.

“You’re the one who should get out of my sight.”

“What did you say…?”

Just as the irritated Jo Jin-ung was about to charge at us, he suddenly vanished as if being sucked into the void.

I stared up in shock at how a person could just vanish so thoroughly, turning to Cheon Woo-jin, who casually approached the Heavenly Altar.

“Baek Woong. As you’re the Deputy Sect Leader of the White Lotus Sect, think of a way to guard the Heavenly Altar for 49 days. We can’t let any riffraff gather around here.”

“Hmmm… I’ll try my best. But how did you do that just now?”

“Using sealing arts to confine him to another dimension. That fool won’t be able to return to the mortal realm until I allow it.”

“……”

I realized just how astonishing Cheon Woo-jin’s skills were. After all, he was arguably the strongest sorcerer in the current human realm, so it made sense. However, this level of power made me feel that the might of human martial arts could barely keep up.

‘It looks like I’ll have to mobilize the Su Shin Sect to subdue the Nine Great Sects.’

Though I didn’t really want to involve bloodshed due to the characteristics of the Su Shin Sect, I felt I didn’t have a choice. After Cheon Woo-jin restored the Heavenly Altar of Hengshan, we returned to Mount Tai, and Cheon Woo-jin sighed, looking troubled.

“Ah… This is going to take a major effort. It’s going to take at least a month, so make sure no one approaches in the meantime.”

“A month?!”

I exclaimed in astonishment.

“If I spend a month out of the 49 days, then you’ll only have about twenty days to operate later…”

“What can I do? Right now, I’m the only one who can restore the Heavenly Altar at Mount Tai. It’s something that has to be done, so I can only accept reality.”

Cheon Woo-jin lamented.

“It’s unprecedented that I have to bear this burden!”

I thought I shouldn’t disturb Cheon Woo-jin’s focus, so I left for the time being. Upon returning to the White Lotus Sect, I reported the situation to the Sect Leader.

“Sect Leader. Due to the Heavenly Altar of the Five Great Mountains, we might need to subdue the Nine Great Sects as fast as we can. Please release the Dharma Protectors and the Heavenly Spirit Pill users.”

[Of course. That’s only natural. Eliminate all those from the Nine Great Sects who are in the way.]

“Ah… No, shouldn’t we try to minimize casualties?”

[Why?]

“The areas near the Heavenly Altar are mystical locations, so having massacres or battles might cause some bad repercussions…”

As I cautiously stated, the Sect Leader nodded, as if conceding.

[Fine. I’ll make sure to mention that.]

“Thank you.”

[Restoration of the Heavenly Altar… That’s a good strategy. But having Cheon Woo-jin tied up for a month is critical. Do you have any other ideas?]

Desperately racking my brains, I realized that, according to Cheon Woo-jin, this wouldn’t be enough to persuade the Heavenly Realm and would likely be ineffective. A groundbreaking plan to appease the Heavenly Realm was needed. As I strained my mind, Zhuge Sa remarked.

[Would you sacrifice yourself if it could save the world?]

[What are you talking about?]

[Here’s what you should do.]

After Zhuge Sa’s continued advice, I was at a loss for words.

[Offer up the Golden Lamp, Wooden Armor, Four Great Spirits, Moon Sovereign, National Seal, and the Demon Beast bracelet to the Heavenly Realm. That might be enough to halt the Heavenly Realm.]

[Are you kidding me right now…?]

[Why? We can assume that the Golden Lamp and Wooden Armor belong to the Sect Leader, but the rest is a sacrifice you can make, right? Why not?]

[……]

[Heh. You’re just too scared of the potential failure. Even if you succeed, you’d end up losing everything in the instant, which is more than a bit ironic. It sounds heroic to sacrifice everything for the world, but you might just be left with nothing.]

I ignored Zhuge Sa’s comments. He might have a point, but that would be a last resort. I turned to the Sect Leader and said.

“I can’t think of anything at the moment. For now, I’ll focus on subduing the Nine Great Sects.”

[Good. I’ll give all authority, including command of the Dharma Protectors, to you, Deputy Sect Leader.]

“Honor.”

Once my discussion with the Sect Leader ended, I stepped outside. The previous Sect Leader’s Hall had been completely destroyed, leaving no trace of its form, and this was a makeshift building.

On my way, I made eye contact with several experts from the Elder Council, and each one, upon meeting my gaze, bowed their heads or looked away. Usually, they were unbearably high-handed, so their reactions had me bewildered, while Zhuge Sa chuckled.

[That guy was utterly wiped out in an instant and wouldn’t have anything to say. He’s probably feeling like he wants to bury his face in the mud.]

I see.

Feeling in good spirits, I couldn’t help but smile. Was this what it felt like to possess power?

[But that’s not your power.]

What a pain!

I commanded the Dharma Protectors to be summoned. Soon, the powerful members of the Su Shin Sect, including the Dharma Guardian Dokgo Jun and Fire Spirit Technique user Han Baek-ryeong, arrived, and I began to speak.

“I will convey the Sect Leader’s orders. As of now, I have received the authority to suppress the Nine Great Sects, so initiate the suppression operation against them based on my command.”

Han Baek-ryeong, who had been standing with arms crossed, said.

“We’re weak and helpless, so wouldn’t it be better for the Deputy Sect Leader to go personally?”

His tone was coldly mocking. Han Baek-ryeong seemed to have a blatant dislike for me.

Since I, too, wasn’t particularly fond of this lifetime’s Han Baek-ryeong, I chose not to be swayed by emotions and bluntly replied.

“While you say that, how can you dare speak like this when you possess the Heavenly Spirit Pill? Speak again and I’ll punish you with the Sect Leader’s authority.”

“Of course, I will follow your order, Deputy Sect Leader.”

I shot Han Baek-ryeong a glare and began issuing my orders.

“Dokgo Jun. Lead the Su Shin Sect to suppress the Huashan Sect, Hengshan Sect, Wudang Sect, Jian Chang Sect, and the Gongdong Sect.”

[Understood.]

“Han Baek-ryeong. Lead the Fire Spirit Techniques to suppress the Ami Sect, Kunlun Sect, Zhongnan Sect, Huashan Sect, and Clear Stream Sect.”

“I will do as instructed.”

Han Baek-ryeong, who had responded, wore a peculiar smile as he said.

“Are you saying that the Deputy Sect Leader alone will suppress the Shaolin Temple, the Mount Tai of the Martial Arts World?”

“Correct.”

“Impressive.”

I didn’t respond to his words, nor did I feel the need to explain further.

‘The Shaolin Temple is on our side, so why would I suppress it?’

I could also launch a show of force using the Moon Sovereign, but if they were willing to become allies, there was no reason to fight unnecessarily. However, there was no need to explain that to Han Baek-ryeong, so I just let it go.

Also, while the Nine Great Sects should total ten, it had actually increased to eleven due to the Huashan Sect. The Huashan Sect had suddenly wedged itself into the Nine Great Sects, making themselves known due to the disappearance of the Gongdong Sect. It would have been easy to simply call them the Ten Great Sects, but there had been some odd power dynamics amongst the Nine Great Sects, which prevented a complete alliance, hence the retainment of the original title.

“One more thing. The Sect Leader ordered that while suppressing them, we should aim for as bloodless a resolution as possible. While injuries are acceptable, we must take care not to kill anyone.”

Then Dokgo Jun expressed his disbelief.

[Did the Sect Leader really say that? Why should we care about the Nine Great Sect scum?]

“You may check for yourself, but that would mean doubting both the Sect Leader and my authority.”

[Well… I’ll trust that it’s true.]

“Stop your doubts. Damn it.”

I said with irritation and slammed the table.

“Now, move immediately! Whether it’s using the Flame Spirit or whatever it takes, we must suppress them quickly as per the Sect Leader’s command.”

[Honor.]

I watched as the White Lotus Sect’s officials scattered to their tasks without worrying about the immediate suppression order failing. It was because there was such a significant gap in power that it would be like twisting a child’s arm to suppress them. I intended to wait for reports from the White Lotus Sect while practicing the Soul Exchange Technique and the Three Treasure Technique.

The report came after about four days. I was stunned when I heard the messenger’s news.

“What? Failure?”

“They said so. The reason is…”

Before the messenger could finish explaining, a devious thought crossed my mind. It was the perfect opportunity to call out the Dharma Protectors who had been looking down on me. So, I waved my hand.

“I’d like to hear directly from the Dharma Protectors.”

“If so…”

“Call them here.”

Since rank mattered among us, Dokgo Jun and Han Baek-ryeong had no choice but to come to my office. I glared at them and asked.

“Why did you fail?”

Dokgo Jun remained silent for a moment before delivering a shocking statement.

[The Thunder God lineage interfered.]