Reincarnation Sword God

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I arrived at the Zhongnan Sect with Jin So-cheong. The place I reached was a lake, a secluded spot favored by the leader of the Zhongnan Sect, Yeon Jeong-hong. It was also the site where I had a fierce duel with Lee Kwang in the past.

*Pa-at!*

As Jin So-cheong and I walked near the lake, Lee Cheong-un appeared before me with a flash of lightning, using his Thunder Spirit Technique. His speed was terrifyingly invisible.

He spoke to me, “Welcome, Baek Woong!”

“Lee Cheong-un! What brings you here? Why did you stop the White Lotus Sect…?”

When I protested to Lee Cheong-un, he chuckled softly.

“As you might have guessed, it’s to see you again. I received word that the signs in Luoyang are troubling, and they’re planning to bring down the Heavenly Ladder from the Celestial Realm.”

“……”

Do you know about that too?

I questioned him warily, “How did you find that out?”

“I’ve gained basic information about Jianghu through Geol-seon and obtained additional news from the Celestial Realm through my personal techniques. With the Celestial Realm suddenly getting involved, it surely complicates things for the White Lotus Sect.”

I was shocked. “Geol-seon? Are you referring to the former leader?”

“That’s right. He’s my friend.”

“……!!”

Geol-seon!

He was one of the Three Great Masters of the Orthodox Sect and the master of the current leader, Cheonryonggae Gu Ik-hwan. While he rarely showed himself to the world like the Old Sage of Mount Tai or the Master of Zen, back in the day, Geol-seon’s name was renowned in the Martial Arts World. He was known for his hot-headed temperament and incredible martial arts prowess.

But the fact that the Three Great Masters’ Geol-seon was a friend of the Thunder God lineage’s Dharma Guardian, Lee Cheong-un? While their ages lined up, it was still an unexpected relationship, and I couldn’t help but be astonished.

Lee Cheong-un continued, “You want to know what you came here to tell me.”

I composed myself and spoke to him, “When the Heavenly Sovereign descends, disasters will come not only to the White Lotus Sect but to the entire world. And with less than forty days left until then, I would like Lee Cheong-un and the Thunder God experts to assist us.”

“Just as I thought.”

Lee Cheong-un murmured as if he expected this, gazing up at the sky. “The sect leader has always been like that. Hiding a thousand schemes within his heart, he’s only ever made practical choices without distinguishing friend from foe. And now he’s asking for help from the Thunder God lineage…”

“……”

“Baek Woong. Let me say one thing: my intentional blocking of the White Lotus Sect at the Nine Great Sects was to call you for the same purpose.”

“Huh?”

“I also wanted to propose an alliance with the White Lotus Sect.”

That was shocking!

‘What… what did you just say?’

I found myself doubting that Lee Cheong-un was just talking nonsense. So, I couldn’t readily believe it and simply stared at him blankly. After all, the White Lotus Sect had been the enemy that overthrew and expelled the Thunder God lineage.

Lee Cheong-un smiled wryly, “I’m not a fool. No matter how deep the resentment of the Thunder God lineage may be, it becomes meaningless if the world is destroyed. Besides, I realized that even that resentment isn’t actually important…”

“……?”

He stared at me intently and said, “Baek Woong. May I ask you for a favor?”

“Please speak.”

“Let me meet the sect leader.”

The conversation was advancing so rapidly that I felt overwhelmed. I couldn’t grasp how the current situation was flowing, and it confused my mind. After a moment, I calmed myself and said, “Please tell me the reason.”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled, “I want to see for myself how much the sect leader has grasped the Seven Great Techniques.”

“And what will you do with that confirmation?”

“Simply put, it’s to assess qualifications. If the sect leader isn’t up to par, we’ll refuse the alliance.”

“……”

I was left speechless.

Are you kidding me? Questioning the qualifications of the White Lotus Sect leader?!

Where in the world does this absurd confidence stem from? Among all the martial artists I had encountered, Lee Cheong-un was undoubtedly the boldest. Of course, I knew his power exceeded that of the Dharma Guardian and that he was an absolute transcendent who battled the White Lotus Sect leader decades ago. However, having witnessed the White Lotus Sect leader’s capabilities firsthand, I couldn’t comprehend Lee Cheong-un’s confidence.

‘This… this is the Thunder God lineage and its Grand Master.’

I had no choice but to respond to Lee Cheong-un’s words. “… Ah, I understand.”

“Having Jin So-cheong follow is enough.”

*Pa-at*

At last, I arrived at the location where the Sect Leader was, with both Jin So-cheong and Lee Cheong-un. The sect leader, who had been floating in meditation, sensed our sudden visit, and as I felt his piercing gaze, Lee Cheong-un stepped down from the Four Great Spirits.

“Long time no see, sect leader.”

[ ……]

The sect leader was silent for a while, then spoke slowly, as if quite startled.

[ … I see… I had speculated about the resurgence of the Thunder God lineage, but it was too absurd to believe… Is this really the truth?]

“Hehe.”

[ It’s been a while, Lee Cheong-un.]

The sect leader’s sword form slowly descended. He remained silent for a moment, then spoke.

[ I had known that the Heavenly Spirit Pill had broken and that all bloodlines were irrecoverable. How did you recover? And have you been alive until now?]

Lee Cheong-un chuckled slightly and replied, “You should know that best, right? The link that had vanished has been reestablished.”

[ ……]

“Really, it’s as suspicious now as it was then.”

The sect leader remained silent, but I sensed a hint of embarrassment in his silence. Lee Cheong-un’s previous words seemingly struck at the heart of the matter. I tried to decipher the meaning behind Lee Cheong-un’s words, but by then, the conversation had already resumed.

[ So, did you come here to face me?]

“No. I’m not foolish enough to face you directly. There’s no way I’d do that.”

As he replied, Lee Cheong-un pointed with his index finger at the sect leader. “I came to check if you learned well. Since it’s so easy and simple, shouldn’t I as your master confirm it?”

Learned well?

Master?

Lee Cheong-un’s words were filled with incomprehensible terms. I was curious about what he was hiding, but the atmosphere between the two made it impossible for me to interrupt. After pondering, the sect leader seemed to grasp Lee Cheong-un’s intentions and said,

[ Are you saying you’ll decide whether to ally based on my comprehension?]

“Your intuition is still sharp.”

The sect leader growled slightly, looking annoyed.

[ How arrogant… Fifty years ago, you, Lee Cheong-un, lost to me. You’ve been dead since then, and now you dare speak nonsense to someone who has improved since that time.]

“Ha ha ha!!”

Lee Cheong-un suddenly burst into laughter. Then he stated. “Hey, sect leader. Do you know what I thought about every day after being reborn in this world? It’s about that day, and why I lost. And I found the reason.”

[ What?]

Lee Cheong-un’s words were shocking. “There were no traitors in the Thunder God lineage; you were my disciple. So it was impossible for me to win. You were constantly observing me, finding my weaknesses through rigorous training, while I knew nothing of you. On that day, didn’t you meticulously prepare before summoning me?”

[ ……]

“But that was just a temporary measure. I now know what you’re pursuing, and I understand what the Primordial Spirit is, so I have nothing to fear.”

*Swish*

Lee Cheong-un took a step forward. The atmosphere around us grew cold, filled with palpable tension. The intense aura as Lee Cheong-un and the White Lotus Sect leader stared at each other revealed itself in nature’s changes, evidenced by the Heavenly Cloud Sea scattering and the space contorting with murderous intent.

*Kaboom…*

While I was observing their standoff, I still couldn’t comprehend the previous conversation.

‘ Lee Cheong-un as a master? The sect leader as a disciple? Was the sect leader of the Thunder God lineage?’

But that was impossible. The relationship of master and disciple couldn’t exist between two individuals who were essentially enemies. Lee Cheong-un must have alluded to some hidden secret, and undoubtedly, the sect leader recognized the truth of this secret, leaving him speechless.

Zhuge Sa snickered within me.

[ Hehe… I see. The Primordial Spirit… What a ridiculous ability.]

[ What is it?]

[ If you promise to give your body, I’ll teach you.]

[ Damn. Get lost.]

[ Hehe.]

Zhuge Sa didn’t seem to be speaking nonsense. What kind of relationship could possibly exist between these two?

“I’m leaving, sect leader.”

[ Hm.]

After a while, Lee Cheong-un slowly drew his spear. As far as I could remember, this was the first time he had used a spear.

*Swish*

Lee Cheong-un’s spear was quiet.

To classify it simply as stillness wouldn’t do it justice. The basics of martial arts emphasize maintaining a calm heart and posture. But what I was seeing was a perfect blend of stillness and movement.

The world felt like it had sunk.

As leaves fell, an infinite stillness swept over us. That fleeting moment felt like an eternity for everyone present, even though it was merely the time it took to blink.

The stillness was broken by the sect leader’s white palm.

His hand spun for an instant, revealing thousands of illusions to me. When speed reaches its peak, it transcends mere afterimages, appearing as a heart technique designed to imprint his will onto his opponent.

The sect leader had activated his Heart of Heaven’s Abundance. It was at a level indistinguishable from when he battled Yeodong-bin.

Thousands of hands descended softly as if to envelop me. Though their movements felt infinitely gentle and slow, when a palm touched my skin, I could feel the pressure of pushing against steel. The subtle tenacity was stifling.

It was almost unbelievable that this phenomenon was born solely from human thought; those Thousand Hands possessed an overwhelming sense of reality. Before I knew it, the tangible reality before me was distorted with imprints of his palms.

In that moment, Lee Cheong-un transformed into lightning, unleashing a surge of aura.

*Thunder God’s Soul*

That form appeared rugged enough to neither break nor slice anything, yet it perfectly nullified the pressure of the Thousand Hands, allowing the onlookers to escape the illusion of heart techniques.

That was the form of the Ineffable.

Confusing, yet that was the only way I could describe it.

*Ding!*

As the scattered Thousand Hands whirled together with the Heavenly Spirit, the spear of the Thunder God cut through space and time.

The White Lotus Sect leader placed one hand on his chest, taking a prayer-like stance. At that moment, Lee Cheong-un’s spear halted just a hair’s distance away from the leader’s hand, as if the world was settling down along with them.

With my limited understanding, I couldn’t fathom what exchange had just occurred. However, it seemed the sect leader had sensed a lot from that exchange.

[ … The thought of martial intent is indeed ferocious. You cannot pause until you reach it. That is the curse left to me by the Martial God…]

“……”

[ However… Can you, Lee Cheong-un, reach it without the madness of martial intent? Is this the gap of talent?]

With each word from the sect leader, I could feel the weight of hidden emotions. Though that previous exchange seemed equal, it appeared to have left the sect leader with a hint of defeat. Lee Cheong-un sheathed his spear, and in that moment, the spear hallucinations vanished like dust.

*Fsssh…*

“Well, if we fight seriously, we’d definitely win. You speak well.”

As he responded, Lee Cheong-un remarked casually, “Alliance established. Let’s take down the Heavenly Realm first and then settle everything.”

[ Agreed.]

Unbelievably, an alliance between the White Lotus Sect and the Thunder God lineage was now forthcoming.

‘ Amazing.’

I realized this life was showing unprecedented progress, exciting me.

How many times had I witnessed and experienced the fierce conflicts of such transcendent masters?!

If I kept this inspiration alive and continued honing my skills, I could also reach their level someday.

Just then, Lee Cheong-un spoke up. “How about you, hiding there? Care to say something?”

*Swish*

As Lee Cheong-un’s words fell, Miyamoto Musashi appeared, seemingly rising from the shadows like a specter. It seemed he had once again cut the space to hide and wait completely.

‘ Did the sect leader not notice?’

But seeing the sect leader’s lack of reaction, it seemed that was not the case. He must have sensed Musashi’s arrival but pretended to meditate, waiting for the right moment to converse. I likely arrived with Lee Cheong-un just when the two absolute masters were evaluating when to broach the topic.

Miyamoto Musashi spoke, “White Lotus Sect leader. The Twelve Joules rejected the alliance.”

The sect leader responded, somewhat disappointed. [ Is that so…]

“Instead, I’ve been temporarily dispatched.”

Musashi’s statement could be interpreted in several ways, leading the sect leader to ask. [ Are you saying you will fight alongside us against the Heavenly Realm?]

Musashi nodded. “I want to see what it’s like to slay an immortal.”

[ Good. Welcome.]

Thus, the answer from the Twelve Joules was solidified at that moment. While the Twelve Joules themselves weren’t forming an alliance with the White Lotus Sect, it meant that the special envoy Miyamoto Musashi would join our forces.

‘ Amazing.’

I trembled at the thought of our overwhelming allies.

Three absolute masters!

This was undoubtedly the strongest force ever formed in the history of the Martial Arts World!