Reincarnation Sword God

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00472 암천향(暗天鄕) ————————————————————————=

We headed towards the spacious square of the Imperial Palace where Han Baek-ryeong was waiting. The chaotic echoes of battle were still dissipating, and the temperature began to drop.

Just moments ago, the Sword Demon was fighting with the support of Mangnyang, but now the experts of the Fire Spirit Techniques had gathered to overwhelm the Imperial Guards. It was a force so formidable that it could be described as one against a hundred. To make matters worse, Han Baek-ryeong had demonstrated her immense power with the Heavenly Spirit Pill, causing the Imperial troops to scatter like ants, stripped of their morale. Ultimately, the officials and generals commandeering the Imperial Guards ordered a retreat, and I could see their backs disappearing from view.

The overwhelming power of the Fire Spirit techniques!

No matter how elite the forces were, defeating the Imperial Guard was no small feat. However, I couldn’t focus on that right now and turned to Han Baek-ryeong.

“How do we defeat that monster?”

“……”

Grrr, grrr.

Han Baek-ryeong, arms crossed, gazed intently at the enormous demon that was continuously extending its tentacle-like branches from a distance. The creature had grown larger, now more massive than a small hill. Han Baek-ryeong spoke up.

“Deung Gwak. Did you expect this situation?”

Swoosh.

Deung Gwak, covered in blood, swiftly approached using a light body technique. It appeared he had already inflicted considerable damage while ‘organizing’ the situation. With a low voice, he remarked,

“I never imagined such a thing could exist.”

“Hmph. That was their plan, to drag us into this mess.”

“This isn’t the time for such discussions. Do you have any idea what that monster is?”

“I don’t know either!”

Han Baek-ryeong responded firmly, turning her gaze towards me.

“Baek Woong. I know you brought a sorcerer ally. Where is he?”

Thud.

Mangnyang stepped forward from behind me and bowed to Han Baek-ryeong.

“I, Mangnyang, pay my respects to the Fire Spirit Guardian.”

“It’s you.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know what that monster is either. All I know is that it’s a sinister summoning creature derived from the demon path.”

“What about a way to defeat it?”

Mangnyang pondered for a moment before replying.

“We can either reverse-summon it with an appropriate sorcery, eliminate its core, destroy it with physical force that exceeds its regeneration capabilities, or seal the area and let it starve. By the way, the first option isn’t feasible with my current power.”

Han Baek-ryeong scoffed.

“We have four options, yet none are usable.”

“But we need to make a decision quickly. If it continues like this, that creature will expand its power outside the palace and start devouring humans. If it consumes nutrients, it will only grow stronger. The chance to take it down is now, while it is still sprouting.”

“I know that.”

Han Baek-ryeong appeared to be hesitating about something. Then, as if making a decision, she asked,

“Mangnyang. Can you find its core?”

“I can’t tell due to its thick hide right now, but if we can sufficiently damage it, I might be able to locate it through sorcery.”

“Understood.”

She quickly commanded the Fire Spirit troops to retreat outside. At the same time, she instructed Deung Gwak to lead the scholars out of the palace. Deung Gwak seemed to have grasped what Han Baek-ryeong was trying to do, as he wasted no time in following orders. Soon, only Han Baek-ryeong and the three of us remained.

“Yongbi-cheon.”

Swoosh!

As Han Baek-ryeong whispered, the form of the Dharma Protector wearing the Black Tiger mask, Yongbi-cheon, appeared in the air. Until now, he had been hiding his great aura from the heavens in order to achieve remarkable feats against the Imperial Guards. The ally sent by the White Lotus Sect was none other than the Fire Spirit Yongbi-cheon. As soon as he appeared, he spoke with an arrogant tone to Han Baek-ryeong.

“I know what you want to say. You wish to work together, right?”

“That’s the only answer.”

“Hehe… I’ve never seen such a monster in my lifetime.”

Even Yongbi-cheon, a seasoned Dharma Protector, gazed at the tentacled horror with a look of disbelief. No matter how much he had experienced, facing a demon this massive was beyond the norm. He glanced at us and issued orders.

“Demon Sword, Baek Woong. You are to protect Mangnyang. Ensure he can use his sorcery to find the core without getting involved.”

“Understood.”

“I’ll do my best to avoid damage on your side. Regardless, protect Mangnyang.”

Boom!

In the next moment, Han Baek-ryeong and Yongbi-cheon unleashed their martial arts techniques, soaring into the sky. This was no ordinary jump; they shot up in an instant, reaching an altitude above a dozen yards, heading towards the tentacle monster. Then the two Dharma Protectors combined their strength, wielding their twin swords, and unleashed a beam of frightening power like a ray of light.

Whirr!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“……!!”

It wasn’t even a basic technique; they had merely harnessed the power of the Heavenly Spirit Pill recklessly. However, the beam, carrying light, converged upon a single point on the tentacle monster, erupting in a blinding white light that unleashed a shockwave across a radius of over a hundred yards. In the midst of the ensuing storm, the Demon Sword and I channeled our internal power to protect Mangnyang, the backlash nearly overwhelming us.

Gaaah!

The might of the Heavenly Spirit Pill was truly formidable. That single strike caused the tentacle monster to writhe, creating holes and gashes all over its body. The Demon Sword observed the scene and muttered,

“Do we really not need to help?”

“No.”

“Hmm?”

Mangnyang’s complexion turned visibly pale.

“… Baek Woong, what on earth has that alchemist summoned? That thing… it has its own internal barrier!”

No sooner had Mangnyang finished speaking when the tentacle monster suddenly began to regrow its tentacles from the wounded area. As black liquid, dripping like blood, flowed to the ground, it began transforming into unknown vicious creatures. I couldn’t help but think that their appearance resembled those summoned by the Moon Sovereign’s protector.

Creee!

The smaller demons let out eerie sounds, stretching their wings and scattering in all directions. The Dharma Protectors seemed unconcerned, floating high up, but Mangnyang was not. He clasped his hands together, forming a seal, and shouted,

“Form the Formation of the Divine Wind!”

Boom Boom!

With a thundering noise, a huge door was suddenly summoned and embedded into the ground within a radius of five li. The door seemed to serve as a barrier, preventing the small demons from advancing any further. The Demon Sword and I began felling the small demons that charged at us one by one, realizing the gloves were unusually thick and that we needed to use sword energy to take them down. After clearing most of the creatures surrounding us, I inquired of Mangnyang.

“Internal barrier? What do you mean?”

“When that creature’s body was severely damaged, I looked inside, and it possesses two different bodies in the material realm and spiritual realm. If one is destroyed, the other compensates for it. That’s possible because it has an internal barrier connecting both realms within its body. That’s an incredibly advanced technique…”

Boom!

As I struck down the small demons with the Seven Stars Fury, I shouted,

“I’m not that smart; can you explain it simply?”

“In simpler terms, its body consists of two! We must destroy both the material body and the spiritual body simultaneously; otherwise, it can’t be eliminated.”

“What!?”

“The core is also on the spiritual side. So…”

Crackle!

As Mangnyang yelled, Han Baek-ryeong and Yongbi-cheon unleashed another wave of terrifying flames and wind bullets. This time, their attack was even stronger; the tentacle monster let out a scream, its body appearing to burn away and tear as a significant portion was consumed by the inferno. Anyone could see it was a dominant sight, but witnessing the monster’s relentless regeneration left a bitter taste in my heart.

As the Demon Sword slices the body of a small demon into six pieces, he calmly stated,

“Even if the Dharma Protectors turn it to ashes with physical force, will it continue to resurrect?”

“Exactly.”

“Is there no way?”

“Not right now. The creatures produced from the creature’s spilled blood are likely to attack surrounding lifeforms to sustain its vitality. For now, we can only block that with my barrier. Otherwise, it will gain regeneration and power that surpasses the Dharma Protectors’ destruction rate.”

Indeed, it seemed wise to have called Mangnyang. If he hadn’t been here, we would have failed to stop the small demons from spreading, leading to countless casualties while the tentacles grew out of control. Moreover, Mangnyang had provided us with crucial strategy!

The Demon Sword pondered before inquiring,

“How long can that formation last?”

“It’s a battle formation, so it won’t last long under my power. At most half a moment…”

“We must resolve this within half a moment.”

While the Demon Sword and I might possess more power in direct combat than Mangnyang, we couldn’t deploy a barrier like him on such a wide scale. We needed a way to bring down this monster before Mangnyang’s formation failed.

I found it hard to comprehend.

“That thing is less directly destructive than the Moon Sovereign’s protector, but it seems far more intricate and powerful. How could this be?”

“My guess is that it has been preparing for this moment since Zhuge Yulong and Zhuge Bu went missing. Having lost the Crystal Stele and the Nameless Ritual Book, it likely chose to enhance itself into a demon to enjoy immortality before being killed.”

“Really?”

Upon hearing that, I realized the absurd truth.

“Could it be that the creature isn’t the alchemist’s summoned beast but actually the alchemist himself?”

“Exactly. The great demon sorcerer Saint Germain must have spent months painstakingly modifying himself, resulting in this ultimate level demon.”

“Insane…!! Why would he make such a choice?”

“……”

Mangnyang shook his head.

“This isn’t the time to ponder such things. I’ll think about how to break its spiritual body, so hold on as long as you can.”

“Understood.”

Boom!

Crackle!

And so, amidst the empty sounds of destruction and beams of light pouring on the battlefield, the Demon Sword and I desperately swung our swords. If Mangnyang were to fall or get injured, the formation of the Divine Wind would collapse, making it imperative to protect him at all costs. Mangnyang, while maintaining the formation, was frantically brainstorming ways to counter the monster.

The Dharma Protectors, who were pouring down attacks from the sky with their immense internal power to shrink the tentacle monster, seemed to notice something odd too. Han Baek-ryeong quickly flew towards us and asked,

“Why doesn’t that thing seem to want to die?”

“That’s…”

I explained the situation to Han Baek-ryeong. She then replied incredulously,

“This truly is an absurd fight.”

“But this is reality.”

“Hmm…”

Han Baek-ryeong frowned, then spoke,

“I’ll hold on until the barrier is lifted as I said. But beyond that, fighting would be foolish. We need to devise another plan from that point.”

“What do you mean…”

“You think I have the leisure to battle an immortal monster for eternity? Consider the option of abandoning Luoyang.”

“……!!”

Before I could respond, Han Baek-ryeong again soared into the sky and began attacking the monster. I began to think that her suggestion might be the more practical one. While Mangnyang was currently devising a way to eliminate the creature, what if he ultimately found no method? In that case, it would be best to abandon the fight and start considering ways to seal or confine the monster.

‘Damn it, if that’s the case, I might have to turn to Zhuge Sa… But…’

A demon sorcerer like Zhuge Sa might come up with some ideas. However, Zhuge Sa was currently conducting the ritual of the Nameless Ritual Book, and I couldn’t afford contact. One misstep could lead to the worst possible outcome, so I couldn’t take that gamble.

While I mulled over my thoughts, I said to Mangnyang,

“Mangnyang. I will cast the Evil Spirit’s incantation on that thing.”

I had already confirmed that summoning in the power of the Evil Spirit would break through the opponent’s spell defenses, successfully working against the Apostle Dalgi. Chances were high that the creature’s spiritual form would also be shattered.

“No! You can’t!”

Mangnyang’s face turned pale with shock.

“That incantation can only be used once in your lifetime, and it’s an effective attack against Apostle-level beings. Using it here is a waste! Such a sorcery is rarer than treasures in the entire world.”

“But if we have no other option…”

“Wait! There must be another way! Let’s consider that as a last resort.”

“Fine…”

As I felt frustration rising, I took out both the Fire Spirit and the Fire Dragon Sword from my vault for a stronger basic technique.

Thud!

“Huh!”

Suddenly, my heart raced violently. A feeling of scorching, lava-like blood coursed through my body, and I sensed extreme yang energy surging within me. Just as I was bewildered by the sudden change, my vision shifted abruptly, and I found myself in an unusual mental realm.

A hellish land filled with hot springs and flowing lava!

I could see a figure standing at the opposite end of that land. This being wore ancient garments and held the Fire Dragon Sword in one hand. Moreover, their breathtaking beauty was depicted like a painting, watching me with cold eyes.

[Chosen one of the Apostle. I have observed you for a long time.]

The entity pointed the Fire Dragon Sword towards me and spoke.

[I must make a decision. I need to judge whether you are a being who fights for justice. However, no matter how I think about it, you are neither good nor evil, but rather a being closer to chaos… I could not hastily grant you power till now.]

I had a thought and cautiously asked,

[Are you the Fire Dragon Incarnate?]

[Indeed.]

She replied, her eyes shining brightly.

[I am the incarnation of the Blue Dragon of the Celestial Realm, the Great Immortal of the Heavenly Deity, Fire Dragon Incarnate!]

[……!!]

Boom! Boom!

In the next moment, the human form vanished like water and a massive Fire Dragon composed of dozens of pieces appeared before me. The dragon scales gleamed as it showcased immense power. It was my first time witnessing a true dragon, and I found myself captivated by its presence. After exhaling flames for a moment, the Fire Dragon spoke.

[That demon is a crisis to humanity. Thus, I, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, recognize you as my destined counterpart and will forge a connection with you. I shall remain with you for eternity. Apostle Baek Woong, wield my power to overcome this crisis!]

Phew!

The Fire Dragon transformed into a powder of light and disappeared, leaving the Fire Dragon Sword in my hand. And then the vision shattered.

‘This is…’

As I returned from the mental realm, I felt a significant change in the Fire Dragon Sword and the Fire Spirit I held in both hands. Until now, I had been barely able to grip them, feeling only a slight warmth, yet now, I sensed only a chilling grip. The connection between the Fire Dragon Sword and the Fire Spirit faded, and the tremendous heat that had been circulating through my body converged into the sword.

The Fire Dragon Incarnate spoke from within my mind.

[Apostle Baek Woong, relinquish your body to me! I shall show you how to wield the Fire Dragon Sword.]

I thought that it made sense. This was also an opportunity to witness the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s power. However, something made me hesitate, and I stammered.

[Uh… but…]

[What is it?]

[Well, since I’m the Apostle of Jeon Wook… shouldn’t I be superior to the Fire Dragon Incarnate? So why do you keep…]

[Are you saying I should take orders?]

As I nodded, the Fire Dragon Incarnate said proudly,

[I am the incarnation of the Blue Dragon of the Three Sovereigns, blessed by the Emperor. Though you may be the Apostle, you are merely human, and I have no reason to bow down to you!]

[……]

I was left speechless, and I handed my body over to the Fire Dragon Incarnate.

What on earth was I expecting…