Reincarnation Sword God

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00427 천계(天界) ————————————————————————=

“I don’t really know. Whether it’s Lee Cheong-un, Jin So-cheong, or Mangnyang, they’re all much smarter and more talented than I am, and the top experts of humanity, including the Sect Leader, are not lagging behind at all. In this situation, where even they can’t come up with a solution despite brainstorming, is there any answer I could possibly provide?”

What they want from me is not a logical and rational solution. It’s that unique intuition that only I possess, repeating through my rebirth as the Heavenly Secret.

‘Then, does it make any sense to think deeply about it…?’

As I pondered intensely, I soon realized that I was just going in circles with only shabby conclusions and began to clear my mind. I felt like an idiot, descending into the abyss of my empty self, as if blind. Honestly, I doubted this method would be effective, but I figured it was better to clear my head for now.

Then I absentmindedly said, “What if I get incredibly lucky and somehow figure it out?”

“……”

“……”

Uh… what did I just say?

Even I scratched my head, finding it absurd. However, the people around me were looking at me with serious expressions, not disappointment. Particularly, Mangnyang was gazing at me with a look of utter shock.

“Baek Woong! That could indeed be an alternative. I’ve thought about it too. And it’s something only you can do… But… will that really work?”

“Uh?”

“That’s… a gamble with low odds.”

I tilted my head, unsure of what Mangnyang was saying. I was just saying to leave it up to luck because I simply couldn’t think of any wisdom or strategy—how did Mangnyang interpret it? Lee Cheong-un, who had been watching my expression, sighed and spoke.

“Baek Woong. We’re talking about the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu.”

“The Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu? Why does that—”

“There was a time when something like this happened, right? A stroke of luck that was hard to believe…”

“Ah!!”

In that moment, I realized what they were saying. I smacked my hand down and exclaimed, “The stacking of luck!!”

“That’s exactly it.”

I felt a bit dumbfounded.

In the past, while offering to the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu, I had forcibly stacked luck twice out of curiosity. At that time, both Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin were stunned and sent me off to the Imperial Palace, and out of nowhere, I arrived at the Imperial Palace only for a meteor to crash down and obliterate everything due to my incredible luck.

The great power of the Great Immortal twisted my fate and rampaged, bringing immense blessings while simultaneously unleashing a monstrous backlash! That unique quality was a result of my contract with the Heavenly Spirit.

Lee Cheong-un and Mangnyang were aware of my past life experience through the obsidian in front of them, which is why they pointed it out. I scratched my head, recalling that moment.

“Hah… but that was just a useless act. I died right after that brief moment of luck when the meteor hit me. Even if the Celestial Realm prevented the Heavenly Ladder from descending through luck, it would be meaningless if I die, wouldn’t it?”

“Normally, yes. But that method holds endless possibilities. Because you’ve grasped what the blessing of Tai Gong-mang is in this life.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain, Baek Woong.”

Standing next to me, Mangnyang crossed his arms and elaborated.

“Tai Gong-mang said after being summoned through offering that he would grant you a chance to choose again.”

“Hmm?”

“Think well about it…”

I paused, turning Mangnyang’s words over in my mind and recalling Tai Gong-mang’s words from when he was summoned through the offering of the ancient Zhou Dynasty.

[I wish to bestow blessings upon you… but since you are an exceptional being, I want to give you a choice.]

[I will grant you the chance to receive either my blessing or the blessing of another. What will you choose?]

That’s right!

Tai Gong-mang indeed allowed for such a choice. I had no intention of reselecting the blessing, though, so I took the Four Great Spirits from Tai Gong-mang. I hadn’t thought deeply about that matter since I had been utilizing the Four Great Spirits as my mode of transport afterward. While I was deep in thought, Mangnyang continued speaking.

“He will use his power to fend off the destruction from stacking and ensure it ends with just one effect. This may seem simple, but it is crucial. Because depending on how it’s used, it could dramatically change the situation.”

“Apologies, but I don’t quite understand… could you explain a bit more?”

Mangnyang spoke calmly.

“Baek Woong. You don’t necessarily have to directly summon giants like the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors through an Offering Ceremony; you can still summon the Great Immortal to perform the ceremony with him. Because there’s a 49-day grace period, the Great Immortals can still act autonomously for a while. So, if we gather enough offerings, we can conduct a ritual akin to the offering again and call upon Great Immortals, including Tai Gong-mang.”

“Hmm!!”

“I can guarantee this from my recent calculations in the Celestial Realm.”

I felt a jolt. Until now, it had seemed that once you received a blessing in an offering, that was it, and I never considered the possibility of conducting it again. However, according to Mangnyang, I could call on the Great Immortal once more.

“And if we call upon him again, we’ll have two choices. The first is to simply stack the blessing of the Heavenly Ruler of Tai Xu to wildly boost luck before performing the Offering Ceremony. It may be somewhat risky due to the Prophet, but that stroke of luck could get us through that obstacle as well. The second method is to persuade the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to stop the Heavenly Sovereign. This is the most certain and effective way.”

My expression twisted.

“If I do that, I’m bound to die.”

“Thus, this will be set aside as a last resort.”

Following that, Mangnyang elaborated.

“The latter method involves passing until it’s Tai Gong-mang’s turn and receiving the chance to choose again through Tai Gong-mang to select the blessing of the Heavenly Ruler. While the success rate is lower than that of the former, we can significantly increase the odds of the Offering Ceremony succeeding.”

“In conclusion, it all leads to the Offering Ceremony.”

“The Sect Leader says he will confront directly, but that’s absurd… whether we live or die, we must focus solely on persuasion. If we fight, we’ll perish.”

Hearing this, I cocked my head.

“Wait a moment. From what I’m hearing, the latter method sounds safe and good, right? Moreover, it seems like you’ve already thought it through even before I arrived; why are you asking me again?”

Mangnyang hesitated before replying.

“Even if you know, it’s a gamble that’s hard to execute. Because while the former method might save the world, it would render your own sacrifice meaningless, and while the latter increases the chances of success, it still can’t be guaranteed. This is, at the end of the day, a gamble.”

“A gamble?”

“The reason I hesitated was for that… will the luck of the Heavenly Ruler’s power really work on beings of equal status as the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?”

I came to a significant realization and lamented.

“Aah…!!”

“It’s a common occurrence in the technique world that a blessing granted by a lower existence won’t work on a higher being. There’s a risk you could get killed by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors on account of being impudent. That’s why I couldn’t recklessly offer a gamble that could lead to your death.”

I nodded.

“It’s something I can only bring up myself to discuss.”

“That’s about the gist of it.”

At that point, Lee Cheong-un, munching on an apple next to us, spoke up.

“However, for now, that method does seem the best. If you, Baek Woong, are willing, we will trust and follow you entirely.”

“Um.”

I felt a tug of worry.

Should I really trust the luck of the Heavenly Ruler and implement the last resort?

After some thought, I finally replied, “I will.”

There’s nothing to lose. Plus, I started to get curious about how much that luck I hadn’t used in a long time could change this situation. Hearing my answer, Mangnyang seemed relieved yet wore a somewhat sad expression as he spoke.

“I can’t believe I have to entrust everything to a reborn person like you!”

“Well, if I die, I die.”

Mangnyang gave a bitter smile.

“If someone else had said that, I’d have laughed at it as nothing but empty bravado… but with you saying it, I truly have no words.”

“……”

A little while later, I left the hut with Mangnyang to take a walk in the nearby woods. As we briefly exchanged conversations about how we had been during that time, Mangnyang suddenly asked, “Baek Woong, by any chance, it seems that you’ve integrated the soul of Zhuge Sa, what do you plan to do?”

I was startled and responded, “You can tell that?”

“I didn’t waste sixty years on my training. Right now, I can sense another soul flitting around yours. If what you say is true, that must be my uncle, Zhuge Sa.”

Having mumbled that, Mangnyang continued, “What is Zhuge Sa saying right now?”

Then, from within, Zhuge Sa replied gruffly.

[Tell that prominent Baek Woong that I’m observing his actions.]

[What’s this dissatisfaction now?]

[Are you really planning to imprison me in your head for a thousand years? I’m currently holding back a lot, but if I focus, I can drive you mad within a few years.]

[……]

I swallowed hard. Zhuge Sa’s threats had often been playful, but what he said now felt different. There was a significant anger and frustration underlying his words, making me genuinely consider the possibility that he might really stir craziness in my mind. If he went on rambling and letting out the madness of a Demon Sorcerer, I could indeed go insane.

However, I steadied myself and replied, “… So without giving me a body, you’re saying you’ll make me lose my mind?”

“That’s what I’ll do. But how do you plan to give me a body?”

“I’ve learned the Soul Exchange Technique.”

I explained to Mangnyang how I had gained the right from the heretical Sect Leader and how I’d been tirelessly training the Soul Exchange Technique while enhancing my capabilities. Upon hearing my story, Mangnyang contemplated and then spoke.

“Baek Woong, I would like to talk to Zhuge Sa for a moment. Can you provide him with a body?”

“Sure.”

I fetched an extra body of Zhuge Yulong and placed it before Mangnyang. Then, using the Soul Exchange Technique, as Zhuge Sa inhabited the body, he then opened his eyes. The moment he smoothly rose from his position, he sneered.

“Hyun Ah, your uncle is suffering like this. You have no idea how infuriating it is to be trapped in this idiot’s head.”

“You’re definitely Zhuge Sa.”

Mangnyang muttered and looked at him with calm eyes before saying, “I’ve heard Baek Woong helped eliminate Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu. However, after seeing your subsequent actions or advice, it seems like there’s something I’m not getting.”

“……”

“What goal are you expecting from Baek Woong? Your actions appear to support this notion. It feels like you’re cooperating because you sensed something tremendous.”

Expecting?

This guy, expecting something from me?

I felt utterly astonished at such unexpected words. That troublesome brat, who constantly nitpicked and annoyed me, expected something from me? Given all the resentment I had been harboring toward him, I even wondered if my patience was indeed remarkable.

Zhuge Sa grinned wryly and said, “Hehe, do I look like that?”

Mangnyang resolutely replied, “If that weren’t the case, Baek Woong wouldn’t have made it this far. He would have suddenly died somewhere before he could even make it half the journey.”

“……”

“This could not have occurred without you putting all your intellect and strategies into advising. You’ve dragged Baek Woong all the way here by the collar. I’ve never seen anyone put so much effort into something in my life.”

My expression distorted. Mangnyang’s calm evaluation felt harsh after so long, but Zhuge Sa nodded as if it was only natural.

“Well, that’s true.”

After a short pause, Zhuge Sa suddenly smiled as he said, “But it doesn’t matter, does it? I enjoy both the process and the result, so I have no real regrets.”

“Is that what someone who acts like a child asking for a body would say?”

Zhuge Sa suddenly grumbled, “Ugh, you little jerk… If you were in this idiot’s head, you wouldn’t be saying such things. You can’t begin to imagine just how vexing this Baek Woong is; he could drive me insane!”

“……”

“I don’t have a goal; I just find it frustrating and want to get out.”

Zhuge Sa said brusquely while waving his hands.

“Well, regardless. It seems this brat is trying not to let me go out because he’s afraid of getting backstabbed. You’d better stop worrying about me.”

Then Mangnyang looked at me and said, “Baek Woong, how about giving Zhuge Sa a body?”

“Huh?!”

“Please. His abilities will be very useful.”

I felt my heart sway significantly. It was unimaginable that it was Mangnyang asking me this? This must mean that the benefits from controlling Zhuge Sa outweigh the risks of being backstabbed. But I firmly replied, “I won’t do that.”

I know Zhuge Sa is as capable as I dislike him. Therefore, no matter how foolish and naïve it may seem, I don’t want to force myself into a situation beyond my control just to gain some profit. Mangnyang smiled bitterly.

“Understood.”

A while later, I wrapped up the walk and returned to the hut with Mangnyang. Zhuge Sa appeared to have returned to his own body once the time limit of the Soul Exchange Technique passed.

Lee Cheong-un had gathered all the high-level members of the Thunder God Lineage by now and was calmly explaining the upcoming plan.

“From now on, our Thunder God Lineage will focus solely on the defense of the Five Great Mountains Heavenly Altar until that day approaches. If the Heavenly Altar is destroyed before the 49 days are up, the Celestial Realm could interfere immediately.”

“Yes!”

As the high-level members of the Thunder God Lineage responded robustly, Lee Cheong-un turned to me and continued speaking.

“Baek Woong, prepare a large offering equivalent to an Offering Ceremony. That’s something only you can do.”

“Understood.”

“If you need any help, just let me know anytime. We’ll be here to support you.”

Lee Cheong-un seemed to remember something suddenly, “Just in case, I’ll have you train in martial arts for a few days before that.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been making little progress, including in the Three Treasure Technique, right? You must grow stronger so you can have more options in the future, so I’ll do my best to guide you. I’ll show you a path beyond what you learned from the Sect Leader.”

“……!!”

I realized an unexpected opportunity had come my way.

The unrivaled protector of the Thunder God Lineage, the Superhuman Lee Cheong-un, would personally train me one-on-one. I felt overjoyed, but simultaneously, suspicion arose, prompting me to ask Lee Cheong-un, “Why are you being so kind to me?”

Lee Cheong-un chuckled, “Because you’re the A (甲) in this scenario, and I’m the B (乙).”

“……?”

“Then the training starts after half a moment.”

I was bewildered by Lee Cheong-un’s words.

‘What does A mean?’

Anyway, this life felt like it was full of fortuitous encounters. I resolved to make the most of this opportunity with Lee Cheong-un and responded energetically, “Yes!”