Reincarnation Sword God

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00435 Dark Heaven Village ————————————————————————=

The 20th life has begun.

“Huff… huff…”

Sweat and tears flow.

‘It would have been better if it hadn’t started at all…’

At that moment, a feeling of wishing to be erased along with my soul by the [Ancient Ruler] dominated my heart. Rage against the despair that couldn’t be resisted consumed me, while simultaneously, a sense of helplessness accelerated that anger, degrading my life into something trivial.

But I opened my eyes. The pain of burning in the chaotic jade flame ended quicker than I expected, and I lost consciousness as if fainting. I slowly rose from the barn and bitterly murmured.

“… It’s become certain.”

What had become certain?

It was the fact that the reincarnation of the Heavenly Secret wouldn’t be interfered with by the power of the [Ancient Ruler]. Under normal circumstances, I should have become the ruler’s slave at the end of my 19th life, suffering eternally. However, I died right away and came to the next life. That can only be seen as the power of the Heavenly Secret.

I would have normally felt frustrated and given up here. The 19th reincarnation was the one where I realized the gap between gods and humans like never before. The power of the Master of the White Lotus Sect had become stronger than ever, but ultimately it was still far from surpassing a god, and I merely reflected on the fact that no matter how hard humans tried, they were subordinate to divine authority.

But I couldn’t suppress the simmering anger within.

‘I will never… give up!’

Up until now, it was true that my motivation to oppose the [Ancient Ruler] had been weak. In fact, during my past lives, I lived for the fun of clearing threats from my path while uncovering new divine treasures and secrets. If I happened to die midway, I thought it was just a bit unfortunate, and I reincarnated again, harboring little hatred for the [Ancient Ruler] itself.

But this time, my thoughts had changed significantly. Following the footsteps of the Master of the White Lotus Sect, I realized that the leaders of each faction were striving for the salvation of humanity, and through Zhuge Sa, I felt keenly that I had lived too indulgently until now. I also deeply felt how insane this world was, and that the existence known as the [Ancient Ruler] truly treated humans like livestock or toys.

An intense hatred made me rise.

There was no way forward, but I didn’t despair. Because I possessed reincarnation abilities that even the [Ancient Ruler] couldn’t stop. I gazed at the walls of the barn and thought.

What would be the most efficient way to move from here?

“……”

After thinking for a while, I came up with a plan with a “What does it matter?” mindset.

“Four Great Spirits.”

I called upon the Four Great Spirits with my mind like before, but nothing appeared.

‘ I see. If I don’t perform the ritual offering, the ability to ride the Four Great Spirits is lost.’

Calmly, I confirmed one fact. If I wanted to ride the Four Great Spirits, I had no choice but to perform a separate ritual offering to receive the blessing from Tai Gong-mang. I then immediately moved to gather the Heavenly Secret and, after acquiring it, dashed directly to Shandong.

Upon entering the hidden cargo warehouse where the Golden Lamp was, I quickly activated it.

Boom!

Sssss…

“Hmm.”

I stood in the dark, blood-red valley where nothing was visible, letting out a murmur. This was not the real world but rather the Otherworld adjacent to illusion. I felt no aura of living beings.

‘ This must be the Blood Realm.’

While learning the Soul Exchange Technique and Evil Arts from Zhuge Sa, I had heard explanations about territories like the Phantom Realm or Blood Realm. From those descriptions, it was highly likely that this place was the Blood Realm. A fog thick as blood covered everything, and strange blood shadows drifted in this realm.

‘ Then it wouldn’t be possible to strike at the Wind Spirit Sect Slave Market and rescue the slaves directly.’

The place I had just thought of moving to via the Golden Lamp was the “slave market held by the Wind Spirit Sect.” I had visited it at the command of the Sect Leader in my previous life, so this time I was also looking to see if I could directly rescue the slaves there.

However, this place appeared meaningless unless connected to the real world through special sorcery. Perhaps the sorcerer known as the [Ancient Existence] who ran the slave market had used special sorcery to link the Blood Realm only when opening the market.

Since I had nothing to gain from the Blood Realm, I quickly returned to the real world and headed for the Great Thunder Valley, where General Hwang Yeon and his companions were trapped. As I faced the giant Tentacle Toad in the Great Thunder Valley, I thought.

‘ This guy is called the [Beast of the Moon].’

That was the formal name I had heard from Zhuge Sa. It inhabits the far side of the moon, invisible from Earth, and the Beast of the Moon supposedly wields slaves even in Dark Heaven Village. In any case, since that creature also belonged to a high-level otherworldly race, it possessed mental abilities and assassination capabilities that were difficult for humans to confront. It was no wonder that Peak Master Lee Kwang and Jin So-cheong fell into a state of incapacity with just one ghastly hit from its ability.

According to Zhuge Sa, the standard way to defeat the Beast of the Moon was not to recklessly engage it head-on, but rather for a sorcerer to prepare opposing sorceries or spells that reflected its assassination abilities and then eliminate it. The fact that I had been able to kill it by recklessly beating it to death until now was possible because martial artists also possessed one of the strongest abilities.

However, I thought I would stick with the ignorant method going forward. I glared at the Beast of the Moon residing in the Great Thunder Valley and charged straight at it.

Boom!

‘ Three Treasure Technique… Three Treasure Technique…!!’

Just like in my past life, I engaged in a fierce battle with the Beast of the Moon while engrossed in practicing the Three Treasure Technique. The hell training with Lee Cheong-un had proven effective, as I now considered the Three Treasure Technique usable. But since I still felt it was lacking in some parts, I sought to grow through fighting against powerful opponents.

Kruung!

I managed to take down the Beast of the Moon relatively easily. Unlike last time, the waste of motion had decreased, and it felt like I was landing hits with every strike I made. Thinking back on the days when I had to risk my life alongside the Thunder God Lineage experts to catch this one, it was quite a contrast.

Afterward, I acquired the Wooden Armor, the Nine Stars Main Capital, and the Twin Swords before heading to the Great Thunder Valley and unceremoniously tossed all the prisoners into the Wooden Armor.

“Ugh?!”

Usually, I would have at least explained the situation, but I was in a hurry. After stuffing them all into the Wooden Armor, I moved directly to the base of the Blood Sabre Group. I rampaged, unleashing Sword Strength, massacring pirates crazily while rescuing pirate prisoners and obtaining treasures.

I took a look at what treasures were available on the pirate island one by one.

‘ Wado Muramasa, the valuables and treasures hidden by the Pirate Chief, gunpowder, and explosives.’

While negligible compared to divine treasures like the Seven Luminaries, they were still tremendously valuable treasures in the eyes of an ordinary martial artist. I thought about how to utilize these treasures while scooping all the pirate prisoners into the Wooden Armor.

Afterward, I went to Dongyoung and extracted Obsidian. After collecting it, I used the Golden Lamp to travel to the residence of Sasaki Kojiro, who was posing as Miyamoto Musashi.

Kojiro glared at me fiercely as I appeared out of nowhere.

“Who the hell are you?”

“I’m Sasaki Kojiro. Did you know that Miyamoto Musashi became the special investigator of the Twelve Joules?”

“……!!”

In an instant, he not only penetrated my identity but was also taken aback by the unexpected revelation. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, perhaps trying to come up with an excuse, but soon appeared to have made up his mind and eased his killing intent as he spoke.

“I don’t know who you are, but thanks for the information. How did you find out about that?”

As he subtly inquired while emitting killing intent, it seemed he was planning to ambush and subdue me. I looked at Kojiro and coldly scoffed.

“Put down the sword. Killing you is no trouble at all.”

“What…?”

“Can’t you listen when someone talks to you?”

Kugugugung!

In the next moment, the internal energy I unleashed with all my power pressed down on Kojiro’s whole body. He seemed to freeze upon facing my amplified internal energy compared to before and staggered. And realizing he couldn’t win against me, he trembled and said,

“Wh-who are you…”

“That’s none of your business. Just tell me everything you know about the Lunar Kill Technique. Then your life shouldn’t be at risk.”

“The Lunar Kill Technique!”

Kojiro flinched. He looked at me with a more guarded expression.

“How do you know that name…”

“Don’t worry, I’m not after the Book of Five Relationships. I’m just chasing after Miyamoto Musashi.”

And then I lied, saying that I was an elder of the Thunder God Lineage, a Half-Transition Master, and was currently pursuing Miyamoto Musashi. Kojiro seemed to believe all of it without a hint of doubt. Realistically, my fist was quite close, leading to a forced sense of belief, but in any case, he appeared to have decided to cooperate with me.

Kojiro cautiously said,

“That was the technique Musashi longed for the most. Although it was his, it was as if it wasn’t…”

“He longed for it the most?”

Something felt off. Hadn’t Musashi bragged about being the Two Heavens One Style and having learned the Lunar Kill Technique right in front of the Master of the White Lotus Sect? But as Kojiro continued speaking, I sensed that there were complex matters involved here.

“One of his goals in heading to the continent was to confirm the power of the Lunar Kill Technique, which he restored through the Book of Five Relationships.”

“What do you mean? He restored it?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but it seems Musashi’s martial arts has a separate origin. When I asked what the name was, he said it was the Lunar Kill Technique.”

“……”

This was an unexpected revelation.

‘ If that’s the case… does that mean Musashi’s sword style, known as the Two Heavens One Style, was a derivative based on the Book of Five Relationships and Lunar Kill Technique?’

That would be absurd. I could readily sense how astonishing Musashi’s genius had reached. The Two Heavens One Style wasn’t distinct; instead, it was derived from the Lunar Kill Technique!

‘ Right… Musashi must have seen the genuine lunar kill technique somewhere. That means he may not be the legitimate successor.’

As I felt like I had solved another enigma, I sighed and said,

“I understand. Then hand over the Book of Five Relationships.”

At that moment, Kojiro’s expression underwent a drastic change.

“Insolent… I’ve given you all the information I can, but my secret techniques…”

I had no intention of holding back my means here, so I clenched my fist and growled.

“Are you going to give it up or do I have to force it?”

“AAAHHH!!”

In the end, Kojiro lost to me in a fight and fainted after receiving a beating. I swiped the Book of Five Relationships from the unconscious Musashi and stuffed it into the Wooden Armor. Then I used the Golden Lamp to head to the secret space of the Namgung Clan, where the Suspicious Fishhook was located. After putting the Suspicious Fishhook into the Wooden Armor, I muttered.

‘ It’s not time yet.’

Now that I had also obtained the Suspicious Fishhook, I resolved to do some preliminary work before directly punishing the Namgung Clan. I immediately used the Golden Lamp and moved underground to the Imperial Palace, where I promptly took out the Crystal Stele and shoved it into the Wooden Armor.

After acquiring the Crystal Stele, I tried to test if the Golden Lamp could break through the seal of the National Seal, but it was still ineffective. The barrier was spread out, preventing the entrance of the Golden Lamp. I licked my lips in disappointment.

‘ I need to bring Cheon Woo-jin or Mangnyang here…’

It was disappointing, but I couldn’t acquire the National Seal immediately after my reincarnation. I promptly moved to the library of the Inner Imperial Pavilion and quickly swiped the Nameless Ritual Book, then headed straight to the prophet.

[ What’s going on…]

As the prophet stared at me blankly upon my arrival at the Great Temple in Astana, I waved my hand.

“Hello!”

[ ……?]

“I think a strange guy is going to come by shortly, so think a bit about how to deal with it.”

Based on my experiences up till now, using this tactic would be the most convenient.

[ I don’t understand what you mean…]

“I’ll be at the entrance.”

I walked steadily outside the building. Staying inside might make Zhuge Bu suspicious, and he might not come. I then intentionally pulled out the Nameless Ritual Book from the Wooden Armor to entice Zhuge Bu to use his tracking technique and follow me.

Boom!

As expected, Zhuge Bu, furious about the stolen Nameless Ritual Book, used his tracking technique and appeared before me. He glared at me as he spoke. It appeared he had his power fully ready, as a white aura was flowing out of him.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but I’ll kill you right now! Daring to take the Nameless Ritual Book…”

“Sorry, but if you’ve got the guts, then come in here~”

I provoked Zhuge Bu and used the Soul Removal Technique to enter the temple. Zhuge Bu immediately followed me, attacking with talismans, but I realized that even while using the Soul Removal Technique, I couldn’t dodge some of those attacks. Zhuge Bu’s level of sorcery was so eminent that I couldn’t counter it merely with footwork. I had no choice but to apply the Three Treasure Technique to evade the pouring talismans.

Bam Bam Bam!

‘ Look at that move!’

“You!”

Dodging talismans that could blow away my soul with just a graze seemed quite dangerous, but it wasn’t actually that bad. The level of my Soul Removal Technique had been honed through dozens of actual combats, and having seen the terrifying techniques of absolute masters, I could ironically evade a trajectory of Zhuge Bu’s talismans with ease.

How long did the exchanges continue? The prophet, who had been mindlessly watching our confrontation, seemed to become angry and spoke.

[ How dare a mere human make such ruckus in my territory…!!]

Wiiing!

Whether the prophet cast a spell or not, a strange formation appeared around Zhuge Bu’s body.

“Hurk. High-level otherworldly race…”

Trapped in that formation, which was evidently of otherworldly origin, Zhuge Bu appeared bewildered and quickly activated the Falling Separation formation. Moments later, a formidable formation that could blow away souls unfolded, but the prophet extended his tentacles as if it were amusing. I could see tremendous magical energy gathering at the tip of his tentacles.

[ You pest! Do you dare oppose a king of a great race with that level of power?]

Zhuge Bu seemed to realize the prophet’s true identity and screamed momentarily.

“Ugh! You can’t be the Demon Sorcerer of the Mystic Path…”

Boom!

That was the end of Zhuge Bu. Overestimating his konwledge of sorcery strong enough to strike down most otherworldly races, he foolishly chose to confront the prophet directly. The remnants of Zhuge Bu exploded, leaving no trace behind. As the prophet subtly turned his gaze toward me, as if to kill me too, I grinned and said.

“Instead of killing me, how about we make a deal?”

[ A deal… Do you think I would trade with the bug that deliberately lured that pest here…]

“Trust me. I’ll tell you the whereabouts of two Demon Books and, as a bonus, give you the Nameless Ritual Book.”

As I offered the Nameless Ritual Book, the atmosphere changed.

[ Ohh…]

The prophet’s killing intent subsided. Then he spoke.

[ What is it that you seek…]

I replied firmly.

“I want the exact location of the seal of the Fire Element! And I want to know when the solar eclipse will occur.”