Reincarnation Sword God

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00440 암천향(暗天鄕) ————————————————————————=

My 22nd life has begun.

I stood up, forcing myself through the agonizing pain of my spirit being shattered. It was a fleeting agony, much like the time I was hit by all nine of those arrows before, but this hurt less overall.

‘Unexpected…’

I had anticipated that I might die while trying to break the barrier, but I never imagined that the existence of the Transcendent would suddenly intervene. This death was not merely due to my blunder but rather the unexpected emergence of an ambush.

Transcendent, the winning Buddha in any fight.

With a monkey-like appearance.

He rides the clouds and wields a massive staff.

‘Is he from the monster sage line?’

One thing’s for sure, a new enemy has emerged. And I’ve realized it’s impossible to destroy the barrier of the Seven Luminaries even with the assistance of the Heavenly Immortals. If I try to destroy it, other Transcendents or spirits will rush over and obstruct me!

Even if I borrow the power of Yeodong-bin, the same phenomenon would occur. There could be a scenario where Yeodong-bin unleashes the Invincible Sword and ends up harming himself.

I contemplated the power of the Red Bow and White Arrow that Ye had once fired. And I arrived at a conclusion.

“If the Sect Leader could unleash chaos and channel the full power of the Primordial Spirit, perhaps he could break through…?”

But it’s uncertain. The Red Bow and White Arrow’s power grows exponentially with each shot fired. The Sect Leader’s pulling force and Heart of Heaven’s Abundance power are both superhuman, but compared to the true combat power of a Transcendent, they might fall short. Thus, I feel that it would need to be in a transformed state to evoke chaos.

Above all, I lacked the confidence to approach the Sect Leader again and ally with the White Lotus Sect. Though the Master of the White Lotus has his own sense of justice, the real issue lies in the balance of the world.

Currently, the Martial World is in a state of balance with three major powers!

The White Lotus Sect watches over the Imperial Palace, the Imperial Palace watches the White Lotus Sect, and the Twelve Joules keeps an eye on both.

If any one of them crumbles, the entire structure would topple over, resulting in a great tragedy. Especially because the White Lotus Sect and the Imperial Palace monitor each other from the shadows, it would be reckless of me to reach out to the Sect Leader. Even offering the Black and White Lotus presents would unshackle the chains binding the Sect Leader, and that should absolutely not be attempted. I didn’t even need to strike at a seemingly passive White Lotus Sect, so for now, it was best to leave them be.

‘This time… I should seek some advice.’

Faced with a practical wall, it’s only after exhausting my efforts that I could seek advice from my strategist. I completely understood Zhuge Sa’s intentions. If I keep struggling clumsily like this, I might chances upon a solution, but I didn’t need to endure suffering to that extent.

First, I planned to obtain the Heavenly Secret and the Golden Lamp, then head to Dongyoung to mine the Obsidian. Immediately after that, I would go to Zhuge Sa. The sooner I hear advice, the better.

Pa-at!

I arrived at the village near Jangryeong Valley. As I slowly walked toward the valley, I noticed a formation set up.

‘Oh right!’

Zhuge Sa, the Lord of Jangryeong Valley and Guangsheng, also had another alias in the Martial World: Gui Guo Zi. Because of that, he had profound knowledge of formation techniques, and when he came with Mangnyang, they had to put in a lot of effort to break it. I recalled memories of when I sought Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa in the past.

[If you take a single step forward, the formation will activate.]

[What kind of formation is this?]

[This is the formation of the Heavenly Soul Unification. Truly human nature…]

[Human nature? It’s such an evil formation?]

[Rather than evil, it’s a malicious formation. If caught properly, you won’t die, but you’ll suffer enough to cry and escape. It’s a formation made to humiliate.]

At any rate, back then, Mangnyang had used only his movement technique to break Zhuge Sa’s Heavenly Soul Unification formation; when I couldn’t follow Mangnyang’s method, I was able to decipher and break down the core of the formation. As I desperately recalled those memories, I began to remember the characteristics of the Heavenly Soul Unification formation that Mangnyang had mentioned.

[This formation of the Heavenly Soul Unification is made from the purest essence of formation techniques. Even a master attempting to rush through it in light body technique will inevitably get caught, but if one follows the correct order to dismantle it, even a girl or a child can traverse through it. Even so, it’s tightly wound, and it can’t be attacked with any ordinary skill in formation techniques.]

“……”

In other words, what that means is it’s a sophisticated formation that requires an expert in formation techniques to crack it with advanced mystical techniques. I knew a little about formations, but it clearly wasn’t at a level where I could challenge it. I thought about flinging it away with sheer force but shook my head.

‘There’s no choice. I’ll have to use the Golden Lamp, even if it raises some suspicions.’

If I used the Golden Lamp to teleport directly inside the Lord of Jangryeong Valley’s structure, the formation would be useless. This is because Zhuge Sa wouldn’t cast a formation over his own living space.

Despite knowing this, the reason I hadn’t immediately used the Golden Lamp was to avoid raising Zhuge Sa’s suspicions as much as possible. I knew all too well that once he began to doubt, it would be an endless spiral. But since it seemed impossible to pass through the Heavenly Soul Unification formation properly, I’d have to prompt a bit of suspicion. I could bring Mangnyang, but I was uncertain whether it was necessary, so I decided to push on alone.

Upon entering the Lord’s room, there was Zhuge Sa with a sword, beheading someone.

Whoosh…

With the sound of the slicing air, the silver sword light splattered with crimson. The victim’s head thudded to the floor.

“……”

Zhuge Sa, despite being caught in the act of murder, didn’t seem flustered at all; instead, he greeted me as if pleased. In his hand was a blood-dripping long sword.

“Oh? Who are you? Do you want to try solving my riddle?”

The headless victim seemed to have attempted to solve Zhuge Sa’s riddle in hopes of receiving gold bars, but it looked like he had failed. I noticed the body standing still, the head cleanly severed, and in that instant, I realized Zhuge Sa’s swordsmanship was quite formidable.

‘As expected, this guy is training in martial arts.’

There’s no law preventing sorcerers or demon sorcerers from learning martial arts. Especially since Zhuge Sa had previously demonstrated enough power to send Zhuge Bu’s head flying with a single kick, he was most likely training in martial arts. And not in any underwhelming third-rate martial arts, but most definitely in top-tier skills.

I cleared my throat and spoke.

“Are you Zhuge Sa, Lord of Jangryeong Valley?”

“Did you not come to find that out? Who are you, then?”

This guy didn’t ask how I got in. This meant he was already suspicious of me. Whichever you look at it, it seemed I was equally suspicious, so he seemed to be asking for an introduction. I, now tense, opened my mouth.

“I am Baek Woong.”

“I see… Baek Woong… Then what do you want?”

“……”

As I looked into Zhuge Sa’s blank, thoughtless eyes, chills ran down my spine. Though he seemed innocent at first glance, having spent enough time with him, I knew that look was the state just before his madness would explode. Zhuge Sa was rational, but at times, uncontrollable evil and cruelty could emerge.

I looked directly at Zhuge Sa and said,

“Lord of Jangryeong Valley, present me a riddle. But I don’t require gold bars!”

I could easily give him the Obsidian and transmit Zhuge Sa’s memories, but doing so would mean I wouldn’t know the answers to the riddles he poses. Since this was my first attempt, it would be beneficial to grasp the questions and answers first.

“Hoho, the little kid has some spine, huh? Hehe…”

Zhuge Sa chuckled happily, seemingly amused.

“Well then, what do you want in exchange for your riddle?”

“I want you to accept this Obsidian.”

I held out the Obsidian tightly in my palm and displayed it to him. Upon seeing the Obsidian, Zhuge Sa’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“That’s a gem processed by ancient techniques. Are you a demon sorcerer? Or a sorcerer?”

Saying no would be meaningless to this guy. So, I replied bluntly.

“Neither. Just so you know, this Obsidian has the ability to transmit memories.”

“You’re a demon sorcerer, aren’t you? That’s also something that’s processed through magic, right?”

“Feel free to imagine.”

I had learned from long experience that trying to outsmart Zhuge Sa was akin to a monkey showing off in front of a human. So, I decided to push straight forward.

“Zhuge Sa, will you accept this gamble?”

Zhuge Sa laughed heartily.

“Haha… Of course! You don’t seem sane either, so let’s have some fun.”

“Sounds good.”

“If you lose, your life is mine.”

“Understood.”

Of course, I couldn’t truly feel that laugh was sincere. It was because I could vividly sense his madness reaching an extreme. I said with my arms crossed,

“Now, present your riddle.”

“Hmm… Let’s see… What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?”

“……

“What is this?

I was momentarily taken aback by Zhuge Sa’s riddle. It was a stranger problem than I’d anticipated.

‘Oh no… this… I feel like I’ve heard the answer from Mangnyang before…’

I vaguely recalled it. However, being overwhelmed with the amount of memory, I couldn’t remember clearly.

Ah, what was it? If I had known this would happen, I would’ve paid a visit to Mangnyang!

But I promptly concealed my confusion and replied,

“It’s you, Zhuge Sa!”

“Oh? You’re close, but… why?”

I clenched my fist.

“If I were to fight you, by morning you’d have to crawl on four legs, in the afternoon you wouldn’t die, so you’d be standing on two, and by evening, one limb would be incapacitated, hence three!”

What do you think?

“……”

“……”

“Are you a fool?”

Zhuge Sa responded incredulously, as if all air had been let out of him.

“Hey, get lost. Kids don’t usually die.”

“Did I get it right or not?”

“It’s fifty-fifty, but you’re really stupid. So I can’t acknowledge it.”

With that, Zhuge Sa jerked his head and tried to walk away. However, I chased after him as he attempted to ignore me and said,

“Zhuge Sa, aren’t you curious about who I am?”

“I’m a bit curious, but seeing as you broke through my formation, I assume you’re no ordinary figure, right? I don’t know your martial affiliation, but it’d be best to leave while I’m still calm.”

Zhuge Sa seemed to threaten me in his own way, but I pressed on, ignoring his warning. I tossed him the Obsidian.

“Take it!”

“No way.”

Zhuge Sa didn’t accept it, and the Obsidian rolled across the ground.

Kiri-ling…

As the Obsidian rolled on the ground, Zhuge Sa looked at me with a chilling gaze.

“Are you really this foolish? You’re obviously a demon sorcerer, and I’m supposed to accept that magically processed gem? You think I won’t suspect there’s some magic laid on it?”

That was a natural reaction. It’s just that the people who’ve accepted the Obsidian before had less wariness of magic. Zhuge Sa, dealing with the strength of the demons, knew well both the risks and power, so he would never accept my offering.

I ultimately had no choice but to use my last resort. I shelved the pretense and shouted out a piece of information he couldn’t overlook.

“Zhuge Sa, the Heretical Sect Leader! How much time is left on your contract with the Fengshen War? You need to find her soon and gain recognition as the Heretical Sect Leader to assist in establishing the Demon King’s shrine, so can you afford to play around like this?”

He paused.

At that moment, it felt like time stood still as Zhuge Sa froze, and then he looked at me with a harrowed light in his eyes.

“Who are you?”

This was different from before. Both his icy reason cloaked in madness and the intent to kill seeped out simultaneously. I smirked as I answered.

“I am Baek Woong! I, like you, am the Heretical Sect Leader.”

“Ku-ku… ku-ku-ku…”

Zhuge Sa cackled madly. I felt that he might soon unleash his forbidden techniques to attack, but I still maintained my gaze and said,

“If you want to know the full story, pick up that Obsidian! Then we can discuss it.”

“……”

Zhuge Sa, who had been silent, sported an evil grin.

“Should I let you trick me once?”

Moments later, Zhuge Sa bent over and picked up the Obsidian. As soon as the transmission of memories began through the Obsidian, his expression turned shocked. As the transmission concluded, he stood there, oddly dazed, in a manner unbecoming of him.

Then, his expression shifted to one of disbelief and soon morphed into utter astonishment. Zhuge Sa, whose expression had changed from moment to moment without uttering a word, finally spoke.

“Are you some kind of moron? Even when given it, you’re still acting weird?”

“……”

“… Ha, this is funny.”

Zhuge Sa wore a complicated expression before entering his own room without saying a word. I stood silently, waiting for him to come out.

After a while, Zhuge Sa emerged from his room and said,

“Baek Woong, I think I should go see Hyun. Guide me to Hyun.”

“Wait a minute!”

As Zhuge Sa approached, I blocked his way and said,

“If you use the Soul Exchange Technique, I won’t just stand there! Having reached the power of the Great Master, I can resist your techniques.”

“Sure, whatever~ Hurry and use the Golden Lamp, you fool!”

“Understood.”

Zhuge Sa spoke bluntly, but I needed to warn him adequately. If Zhuge Sa tried to use the Soul Exchange Technique again, things would get very troublesome. I had painfully learned just how powerful the Great Master level Soul Exchange Technique is from my last encounter with Zhuge Sa.

Pa-at

Eventually, I arrived at Mangnyang in Jinrang Valley with Zhuge Sa. I also passed the Obsidian to Mangnyang to transmit the memories.

“……”

Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang’s eyes met after receiving the memories. Zhuge Sa sighed, exasperated.

“Hyun Ah! How on earth did you get tangled with such a fool? We…”

“Hm… I’m also feeling somewhat conflicted right now…”

Mangnyang, too, seemed bewildered after allying with the received memories. After reviewing his thoughts, he said,

“We have no choice but to follow him, Uncle.”

Upon hearing Mangnyang, Zhuge Sa’s eyes lit up.

“Why are you here?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You wouldn’t admit it even if you died.”

“Given that we’ll be together in the same faction moving forward, it’s better to get along.”

“Ku-ku-ku…”

Mangnyang stuttered, but Zhuge Sa laughed as if Mangnyang was cute. It seemed that Mangnyang had somewhat acknowledged Zhuge Sa after reading his past life.

At that moment, I felt something shifting in Zhuge Sa’s heart. He spoke to me as if he had shown a little camaraderie.

“Alright, alright~ I’m not the kind of idiot who pledges my life in loyalty to someone like you, but Baek Woong, you should feel tremendously indebted to me from now on. An emotionally weak fool like you is bound to be squeezed dry.”

“……”

I felt as if the gratitude I had towards this guy for helping me in my 19th past life had turned into a loss. No matter how I looked at it, there was no reason to express that out loud. I seemed to complain internally, and Zhuge Sa bestowed me power.

“Well then, let’s move on, my lord.”

“Uh? Ah, got it.”

I was momentarily stunned. Did that guy just call me “my lord”?

But before I could even be amazed, Zhuge Sa promptly instructed me.

“Then let’s move now and gather all the treasures!”

“Gather them all?”

“Hehehe. I’m sure your past life’s Hyun knows the answer. And while I was thinking earlier, I figured out what it is.”

“What?”

Zhuge Sa chuckled.

“There’s only one method.”