Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – The Unveiling of Darkness

I found myself dumbfounded at the moment, wondering if I had misheard.

“The reason, as I mentioned before, is that the Heretical Demon King is on the rampage. If that guy acts without being bound by the Law of Cause and Effect in the Central Plains Martial World, it will only be a matter of time before the Central Plains is conquered by the Heretics. After all, he is a Demon King and an Apostle-level being. His power surpasses that of the Great Immortal.”

“That’s certainly the case…”

“The Demon King, Evil Qi, will surely touch the Battle Ground of Luoyang. The Celestial Realm has already grasped that situation, leading to the immediate decision for the Heavenly Sovereign to descend.”

The Heavenly Sovereign!

That was the process of directly sending the Heavenly Sovereign down from the Celestial Realm to the Heavenly Altar of the Five Great Mountains, deploying the celestial forces to wipe out the evil factions. Attempting to obstruct that would only lead to the Celestial Realm overlaying this world, potentially resulting in an even greater catastrophe. Moreover, being ‘cleansed’ by the Heavenly Sovereign wouldn’t just eliminate the wicked but could engulf civilization itself, foreshadowing a massacre of at least millions.

I shouted vehemently.

“Why, of all times, is that guy causing chaos right now!!!”

I couldn’t understand. Why was the Heretical Demon King, who had been quietly watching the world burn until now, suddenly active? It was particularly strange that he would change his actions after giving Zhuge Sa a grace period for the contract!

Calmly, Mangnyang spoke.

“That’s why the three of us are discussing this. And we have concluded that the Demon King’s actions are certainly not a coincidence.”

“Not a coincidence?”

“Something external is definitely at play. Furthermore, that external force is likely the result of the actions we’ve taken thus far. There must be a reason for his rampage.”

“Cause and Effect…”

“We should think carefully. What has been different in our actions compared to previous reincarnations…?”

“……”

I fell silent, lost in thought. Zhuge Sa, who had been sitting beside me, spoke in a voice barely containing his pain.

“I can’t ask that guy to find out. If I go to Blood Resonance Valley right now, he’ll attempt to completely dominate my soul. He’ll strengthen his control and try to turn me into a puppet. By that time, I would become your enemy.”

“Kugh.”

It seemed Zhuge Sa was bound to continue resisting the summon of the Demon King. Though he was currently resisting with the heightened magical power from the Nameless Ritual Book, it wouldn’t hold out indefinitely.

“The opportunity to think is now or never.”

“Curse it… even if you say that…”

I couldn’t find a tangible clue. Each lifetime had resulted in different actions, making it impossible to pinpoint the causal differences. I desperately mulled over my thoughts until a sudden idea struck me.

“In this lifetime, I defeated the Sea God. Perhaps the other ‘Old Rulers’ are enticing the Demon King Evil Qi to invade the Central Plains because of that?”

“We’ve considered that possibility too. However, that does not explain the context in which a Demon-level being can act while disregarding the Law of Cause and Effect. There are numerous beings among the ‘Old Rulers’ stronger than the Demon King, and if that were the case, they wouldn’t leave it to others but would directly invade the Central Plains themselves.”

“Then what is it?”

A heavy silence enveloped the room. Without a sharp answer, everyone became restless. No one could explain why the Demon King had appeared so suddenly.

Then, Cheon Woo-jin said, “There’s another possible explanation.”

“And what might that be?”

“It concerns your investigation of the Dimensional Sound Temple.”

As I looked at Cheon Woo-jin, he continued, “You uncovered information about Emperor Changqie and his Incarnate during your investigation. That action is undoubtedly a threat to Changqie. As a result, he’s likely maneuvering his Incarnate behind the scenes to challenge you.”

I gasped in disbelief. “Challenge me? Are you saying Changqie moved the Heretical Demon King?”

“That is a possibility. We’ve been discussing that potential since earlier, even if the information is scarce.”

“Hmm…”

That could certainly be the case. Yet, I realized that I knew too little about Changqie and his forces. The extent of my knowledge was limited to knowing he had eight Incarnates, making it no more than speculative guesswork. While I was deep in thought, Cheon Woo-jin interjected.

“I’ll use my techniques to assist and prevent Zhuge Sa from being summoned for as long as possible. Meanwhile, Baek Woong, you should find the best way to stop the Heavenly Sovereign with Mangnyang.”

“That’s akin to asking for a way to persuade the Celestial Realm.”

“You should understand from your memories of past lives that my Master could only provide observations in the Celestial Realm—they could hardly influence the upper echelon’s decisions. You have to take action yourself.”

“Hmm…”

Finding a way to persuade the Celestial Realm to halt the descent of the Heavenly Sovereign means convincing them there’s no reason for the descent at all.

In that case, there was only one solution. “Defeating the Demon King Evil Qi before the 49 days of the Heavenly Sovereign’s descent would be the best course of action.”

“That’s the best option. Just exclude the fact that the probability of success is extremely low…”

Zhuge Sa, listening from the side, chimed in with a cynical tone, “The existence of a Demon King is no joke. While not as tough as the Sea God, he is certainly a being that surpasses the Great Immortal.”

“There are such beings among humans too. If we can lure the Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules, we might have a chance.”

“Really? That could indeed work. But can their abilities grow sufficiently in 49 days to be able to take the Demon King’s head? Remember, the Master of the White Lotus Sect has been greatly empowered thanks to your assistance.”

“Hmm…”

“Moreover, the leader of the Heretical Sect has been amassing substantial power through countless human sacrifices for thousands of years. Such an adversary can wield formidable Forbidden Laws, making it impossible for ordinary humans to triumph. Unless we devise a way to counter those Forbidden Laws, even the extraordinary martial arts of the Master of the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules won’t be able to stand before the Demon King.”

“Curse it! Just saying it won’t help us solve anything! We have to try!”

I shouted irritably, causing Zhuge Sa to chuckle softly.

“Exactly. That’s how it should be. A fool like you has to maintain that naive optimism without a plan. To think you’d challenge a being who defeated the Sea God…”

Suddenly, an idea struck me. “What if we used the power of reversal to eliminate Evil Qi? That would solve everything in one fell swoop!”

Cheon Woo-jin then retorted, almost mockingly, “With three intelligent individuals gathered here, you think we wouldn’t have thought of that?”

“……”

Embarrassed, I scratched my head as Zhuge Sa said, “That may be true, but… didn’t you miss hearing the second potential?”

“Changqie moving the Demon King?”

In response to my question, Mangnyang nodded.

“Correct, Baek Woong. That’s why we can’t recklessly use the power of reversal.”

“And what’s the problem with that?”

“The power of reversal or just informing the ‘Old Ruler’ about the Demon King’s positioning would take care of it. However, if that happens, we’ll survive this crisis, yet remain clueless as to ‘why’ the Demon King acted.”

“Ah…!!”

“Right now, we do not know why the Demon King is acting. Even if we manage to deal with the current crisis, if the same threat erupts in the next reincarnation, it would be pointless. We must understand the reason to counter it.”

“That makes sense.”

“To find the optimal solution and gain experience from past lives, we must avoid that kind of solution.”

It was a valid point. The power of reversal was a cheat-level ability that allowed one to dispatch enemies by invoking a deity, yet doing so would leave us ignorant of why the Demon King had acted inevitably. Not learning from the experience was a huge loss.

Zhuge Sa continued, “Additionally, even if we handle the Demon King via the power of reversal, it won’t eliminate Changqie, who masterminded those actions from behind the scenes. Ultimately, we would have to confront him, so how do you plan to deal with that?”

“Ugh… true…”

“Recall the words of the Abbot of the Dimensional Sound Temple. Changqie does not confront with sheer might; he favors strategies and tricks. Thus, if you use your trump card against him, you’re making a hasty decision. Changqie has spread his roots across the human world using his Incarnate.”

“Hmm.”

“And even if the Demon King were to fall for such a trick, Changqie would never directly challenge you. Instead, he’d use his strategies to confuse and play with you. There’s a chance you won’t even meet one of Changqie’s Incarnates before you fall prey to their tricks.”

“……”

It was an extreme supposition, but Zhuge Sa’s argument held merit. After all, the most formidable foe in this life was likely to be Changqie. It would be a waste to hastily use a power that could be beneficial against him prematurely. As I continued to ponder, I finally asked Zhuge Sa.

“Wait a minute. What if we just let the Demon King be and handle Changqie with the reversal power instead…?”

“Why think only of one when you can consider both?”

Zhuge Sa responded as if incredulous. “While that might be a good approach, it’s highly unlikely to work.”

“Why?”

“As you know, the power of reversal does not work on ‘Old Rulers.’ It’s because they exist beyond life and death.”

“… No way.”

“If Changqie has indeed reached the plane of immortality, then the power of reversal would become meaningless. We might have spared him last time as a fluke, but it’s unlikely it would play out the same way again…”

Only after hearing Zhuge Sa did I realize how heavily I had relied on the power of reversal, and how astonishingly formidable my adversaries, Changqie and the Demon King, were. Indeed, the foes I was about to face were beings on a mythic level.

“Therefore, we shouldn’t rush to strike at the enemy leader and instead gather information…”

Cough!

Abruptly, Zhuge Sa spat blood. Startled, Mangnyang rushed to support him as Zhuge Sa waved his hand dismissively.

“… The backlash from the contract with that guy is intensifying. I can’t hold out much longer.”

“You…”

Zhuge Sa’s complexion had gone pale.

“But dying is not an option either. I’m bound to him by my soul, so it will only hasten my use as a tool…”

At Zhuge Sa’s continued words, I stiffened.

“Baek Woong, offer me as a human sacrifice to the ‘Old Ruler.’ It would be killing two birds with one stone.”

“What?”

Is he joking?

But given his demeanor, I had no choice but to listen in silence.

“I currently possess 40% of the magical power from the Nameless Ritual Book. If you kill me and offer me to the deity, you would surely receive considerable blessings or treasures in return. That would undoubtedly aid future battles.”

While he spoke the truth, I found Zhuge Sa’s proposal utterly nonsensical and snapped.

“You crazy fool! Just be quiet before I trap you in the Land and Earth Diagram!”

If the issue was the summoning of the Demon King, it would be simple enough to seal him away with Cheon Woo-jin’s treasures. Zhuge Sa, however, continued nonchalantly.

“That wouldn’t work. Has the Fire Dragon Incarnate recovered yet? Even after drawing upon the power of the Flame Elemental Sword, they still haven’t awakened due to the Sea God’s power. And chances are, a significant amount of energy from the Fire Dragon and the National Seal was consumed during the fight with the Sea God, right?”

“……”

“With the current state, it’s impossible to defeat Demon King Evil Qi. We must resort to some unorthodox way to have even a chance of winning.”

“We can still win without sacrificing your life. Time is still on our side; just cool your head and stay still.”

“Hey, Baek Woong. Didn’t I tell you last time? Our lives are resources to be consumed.”

Zhuge Sa looked at me with an impassive expression.

“If I keep struggling like this, I’ll either be dragged off by the Demon King or trapped in the Land and Earth Diagram. Right now, I’m worthless. Therefore, dying now and being beneficial to you would be better.”

“Why?”

Frustration and indignation surged through me.

“Zhuge Sa, why are you keening to die? Human sacrifice is being alive when your heart is ripped from your body and being devoured by a deity! Do you actually want that? You’ve truly lost your mind!”

“Now you understand.”

As Zhuge Sa chuckled like a madman, Cheon Woo-jin sighed.

“Enough.”

With a swift motion, Cheon Woo-jin deployed the Land and Earth Diagram, sealing Zhuge Sa inside. As a crackling black lightning shot up from Cheon Woo-jin’s arm, he grimaced.

“Damn it. The magical power of the Nameless Ritual Book is astounding. I won’t be able to keep him sealed for long…”

“Did you manage to contain Zhuge Sa?”

In an extremely calm tone, Cheon Woo-jin replied, “From my perspective, both of you seemed heated-headed and foolish. Cool your heads and think things through. While 49 days isn’t an eternity, it’s not exactly short either.”

“Right…”

Again, I felt relieved that Cheon Woo-jin had joined us. Otherwise, I would have been forced into a maddening choice.

“Baek Woong. We must seek out the Prophet.”

Mangnyang stated resolutely.

“His information will be pivotal in unraveling this situation.”