Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 5 – Dark Heaven Village

“Boom!”

As the words finished, the door to the Dark Heaven Village slammed shut. I attempted to push it open again, but this time it felt as if a mountain of iron was pressing against my fingertips. I could boost my internal power, but even ten tons couldn’t budge it; clearly, this was a sign from the gatekeeper that any effort would be futile.

“Well, there’s no choice. I suppose I should retreat for now.”

Deciding to leave Mount Penglai, I contemplated whether I could use the Golden Lamp technique, but alas, it was also unavailable. So, I leveraged my authority to exit the peak.

“Whoosh!”

Upon arriving at the Seven Stars Altar, I addressed Cheon Woo-jin, who was sitting in front of the altar.

“Cheon Woo-jin! Have you gotten any stronger?”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me as if I were speaking nonsense.

“What in the world are you going on about?”

“……”

Guess not.

I proceeded to explain what had happened on Mount Penglai. After hearing my tale, Cheon Woo-jin remarked, “If it wasn’t me, then another must have received Jeon Wook’s blessing.”

“Who could it be?”

“Let’s return first.”

“Zoom!”

I returned to Jangryeong Valley with Cheon Woo-jin. However, upon our return, I noticed a strange silver light flickering in the center. It was as if a shimmering silver aura danced in the air, almost ethereal in nature.

“Squeak!”

As I approached, I saw a massive Nine-Tailed Fox radiating light like a clear silver spirit, floating in the air. Beside it stood Mangnyang, Jin So-cheong, and the Sword Demon, observing the scene.

“Miho!”

It was clear that this was Miho. Instead of a human form, it had returned to its true essence. As I rushed forward, shouting, Mangnyang stopped me.

“Baek Woong. Can’t you feel it?”

I glanced at Mangnyang, and he continued, “Miho’s spirit energy is spiking dangerously high. It’s unpredictable what might happen if we disturb it, so let’s just observe for now.”

“It suddenly changed like this?”

“Indeed. But Miho’s energy seems stable, so I don’t interpret this as a negative phenomenon. I’ve been keeping watch.”

At this point, Cheon Woo-jin chuckled lightly.

“Ha, looks like that Nine-Tailed Fox received Jeon Wook’s blessing.”

“What do you mean, priest?”

“For more details, ask this guy.”

I shared my memories of Mount Penglai with my companions through the Obsidian. Mangnyang seemed astonished.

“Goodness… I never expected the Three Sovereigns to directly bestow their blessing.”

The Sword Demon, who had been quietly listening, suddenly interjected, “But why on earth Miho?”

“……”

That was beyond my understanding. Clearly, Jeon Wook thought I would need strength for my expedition at Changqie, strengthening my comrades in the process. But why grant that power to Miho? I couldn’t find a valid reason for it.

After a moment of contemplation, Mangnyang spoke. “Here’s my guess.”

Everyone turned their eyes to Mangnyang as he explained, “Perhaps Jeon Wook didn’t give power directly to Baek Woong because you are an apostle.”

“What do you mean, Mangnyang?”

“You’re currently the one leading the liberation of the Seven Luminaries. That’s why the Three Sovereigns agreed to keep an eye on you. Thus, regardless of Jeon Wook’s true feelings, he couldn’t endow you directly with formidable power, as it would be obvious you would aggressively pursue the liberation of the Seven Luminaries.”

“Ah!”

“However, Jeon Wook isn’t a fool. He likely knows that as things stand, finding Changqie would lead you to be killed by a divine being. So, he chose to empower your comrade to ensure they could meet the necessary level for the mission.”

That made sense.

As I processed Mangnyang’s thoughts, I said, “You still haven’t mentioned why that comrade is Miho.”

“It’s probably because she hails from the Celestial Realm.”

“……?”

“Miho’s origins are from the Celestial Realm, originally one of the tails of the apostle Dalgi. Though she was exiled, she garnered significant affection and attention from the Queen Mother of the West. Hence, among all present, she would feel the closest proximity from the viewpoint of the Three Sovereigns.”

Listening to Mangnyang’s words, I looked around. Certainly, while Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon were extraordinary, they were still human. Yet, something felt off, so I asked, “Then what about you, Mangnyang, and Cheon Woo-jin? You have close ties to the Celestial Realm as well.”

“Neither I nor the priest would want to receive our powers from someone as formidable as Master Mangnyang. The Three Sovereigns wouldn’t want to endow someone closely connected to a powerful divine being.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Anyway, if that’s the case, then what’s swirling around Miho’s body is the Yin Spirit Power bestowed by Jeon Wook.”

Mangnyang gazed at Miho bathed in silver light with envy. “I can’t even fathom how strong she might become.”

I watched Miho, and certainly, the strength I had considered merely that of a great demon now seemed incomparably heightened. I could even feel an overwhelming presence emanating from her, so it was undeniable she was becoming more powerful.

“How long will this last?”

“If she’s absorbing the power of the Yin Spirit, it’s likely she has a long way to go.”

“Hmm…”

“During this time, let’s focus on our own tasks.”

Thus, we began discussing our next steps in front of Miho. The first to voice an opinion was the Sword Demon.

“Baek Woong. If that’s what the Three Sovereigns wish, we have no choice but to comply. Let’s put the Seven Luminaries aside and concentrate fully on locating the avatar of Changqie.”

“Are you suggesting we disregard Blood Moon Valley and White Lotus Sect?”

“What will you do if we don’t? We lack the strength to subdue them anyway.”

“……”

“Luckily, the Master of the Twelve Joules has set up a barrier at this base. We can prevent the Old Ruler from arriving directly. Perhaps we can observe the unfolding events while keeping an eye on Changqie.”

That made sense. In fact, there were no alternatives at this point. Observing the situation, Mangnyang then proposed:

“Baek Woong. First, let’s see if the Master of the Twelve Joules has liberated the Moon Sovereign.”

“Zip!”

Following Mangnyang’s suggestion, I went with Miyamoto Musashi to Mount Muni. The island looked completely overturned and in ruins, with two monks rummaging through the debris.

“Great Monk Seo San! Yu Jeong!”

I knew them well. They had been appointed by the Master of the Twelve Joules to safeguard the seal of the Moon Sovereign. I approached them and said, “Greetings. I am the Master of the Twelve Joules, Baek Woong.”

Upon hearing my introduction, Great Monk Seo San naturally greeted me. “As heard. It’s a pleasure. Mr. Bin, I am Seo San.”

It seemed the existence of a joint Master of the Twelve Joules—and specifically my role—was well known. I asked Great Monk Seo San, “Did Ha Eun-cheon take the Moon Sovereign from here?”

“……”

Great Monk Seo San looked somewhat displeased and replied.

“Honestly, I’d rather not discuss it.”

“Monk, as the Master of the Twelve Joules, I have the right to know what transpired here.”

“Hmm! It’s not about rights or authority…”

He seemed frustrated but couldn’t find the words. Then, Yu Jeong, the disciple beside him, spoke up.

“Ha Eun-cheon had entrusted this altar to us for some time but never once mentioned the seal of the Moon Sovereign. He suddenly appeared, fought the guardian, and defeated him, seizing the Moon Sovereign. My master feels profoundly betrayed by this.”

“Yu Jeong, don’t speak nonsense.”

“New Master of the Twelve Joules, be cautious of Ha Eun-cheon; he’s a schemer who could cause unforeseen problems.”

Yu Jeong, appearing mild-mannered, exhibited striking firmness.

‘After all, Ha Eun-cheon had deceived him, so betrayal is understandable.’

Although it was essential to protect the secret of the Seven Luminaries, keeping cultivators in isolation in such a remote area without a word was indeed harsh. I looked at them with a bittersweet expression and said, “If you don’t mind, could you explain how he fought the guardian of the Moon Sovereign?”

“Alright.”

Great Monk Seo San gathered his thoughts briefly before continuing.

“He shed blood on the altar of the Moon Sovereign to summon the guardian, then fought fiercely with the Cosmic Fragment. After a while, he summoned the Self-Controlled Moon Blade to unravel the threads of the battle, and in that moment, the guardian’s powers dramatically weakened, leading to his forced return to the other side of time and space.”

“Self-Controlled Moon Blade…”

“The fight didn’t last long. Even if it dragged, it would barely have been half a moment…”

Suddenly, a realization struck me.

‘Of course, it was the Self-Controlled Moon Blade!’

The prize of the Luoyang Martial Arts Tournament, now owned by the Master of the Twelve Joules! In my nineteenth reincarnation, the Master of the White Lotus Sect had utilized its abilities to send the formidable apostle Dalgi back! With a Master of the Twelve Joules who knew how to wield the Self-Controlled Moon Blade, it would be impossible not to exorcise the guardian.

But there was still uncertainty.

What exactly was the true nature of the Self-Controlled Moon Blade?

Even if it was a demon artifact, can it really hide enough power to send back beings like apostles or guardians?

What was its precise ability?

‘Damn, if I had known this was going to play out, I would have asked the Master about the Self-Controlled Moon Blade in more detail during my nineteenth lifetime…’

Though I regretted it inwardly, there was nothing to be done. Instead, I pressed Great Monk Seo San for more details.

“That is the demonic artifact known as the Self-Controlled Moon Blade. He must have unleashed its power by unraveling the threads; how many did he manage to unravel?”

“Hmm… I can’t quite recall…”

As Great Monk Seo San wore a puzzled expression, Yu Jeong chimed in.

“I saw it. Four threads.”

“Four threads…”

Previously, when the Master of the White Lotus Sect had repelled Dalgi, he used five out of nine threads. This time, against the guardian of the Moon Sovereign, four threads had been used. This indicated the difference in power between Dalgi and the Moon Sovereign’s guardian, but it also raised questions in my mind.

‘What is it? How could the Master of the Twelve Joules gauge the power of a king-level existence?’

The principles of the Self-Controlled Moon Blade appeared simple. With a total of nine threads, the desired number could be unraveled, proportionally increasing its power. However, this principle was rather intricate; if too few threads were unraveled, the power would be insufficient to seal, but unraveling too many was a waste.

[With four threads remaining, binding the remaining five would take immense time and effort. But it’s a good deal for defeating an apostle.]

That’s right; the Master of the White Lotus Sect had indeed said something along those lines when he defeated Dalgi with the Self-Controlled Moon Blade. Once the threads of the Self-Controlled Moon Blade were unraveled, it would take an enormous amount of time and effort to rebind them. So it would be wasteful, so how did he correctly estimate the opponent’s power to achieve the necessary sealing?

The reason I puzzled over this was that the Master of the Twelve Joules had used the Self-Controlled Moon Blade in perfect correlation with the strength and rank of the opponent. At this point, Ha Eun-cheon couldn’t give up on obtaining the Moon Sovereign and couldn’t afford to fail. So ordinarily, to pursue safety, one would unravel more threads, yet it appeared he had calculated precisely enough to execute a fitting seal.

Could it be… Was I misunderstanding something about the Master of the Twelve Joules?

As I mulled over this, Great Monk Seo San spoke.

“Ha Eun-cheon mentioned to me that if you were to come here, he wants you to go to the Divine City…”

“Monk, are you planning to leave this reinforced island behind?”

“Yes, that’s my intent. The heavens and earth are chaotic and fearful, and I need to save many sentient beings on the mainland.”

“Please take care…”

“Boom!”

After parting with Great Monk Seo San, I headed straight to the Divine City. Upon crossing the bridge, I entered Ha Eun-cheon’s base, where he awaited us, seated on a massive chair.

“Hello, Baek Woong.”

“Did you liberate the Moon Sovereign?”

I asked directly, and Ha Eun-cheon seemed to smirk slightly.

“No. I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not?”

“It doesn’t seem like you liberated the Water Element either, does it?”

“……”

“That’s how it is. Recently, I heard that the Three Sovereigns are beginning to take action in the mortal realm. So it wouldn’t be wise to hastily request a liberation. Even I must be cautious, so for the time being, I plan to keep the Moon Sovereign.”

His tone suggested he knew everything. I was left confused over how much he was aware of. While nothing seemed immediately dangerous, I felt instinctively that if I got too entangled with him, it could lead to considerable loss.

I decided to broach the main subject.

“Master of the Twelve Joules, how do you know of the Celestial Realm’s information? Without such knowledge, one cannot act with precision like you do.”

“Well, I wonder~ Is there any reason I should tell you that?”

“I too am a joint Master of the Twelve Joules.”

“Hehe, that won’t work. Because I can gather information about the Celestial Realm not because I’m a Master of the Twelve Joules, but due to my personal abilities.”

His refusal made me growl in frustration.

“Are you pulling back after promising full cooperation?”

“Haha! Sorry, but that’s not happening. This involves my very life. Would you share secrets with an apostle of the Three Sovereigns if you were in my place?”

With a hearty laugh, Ha Eun-cheon continued, “If you don’t have business, I’d like you to leave. I have much to prepare for regarding the chaos of the Celestial Realm.”

“Don’t you worry about the Demon King and Blood Moon Valley?”

“Ha ha ha! You’re amusing. Why would I worry about that?”

“If they break the battle ground in Luoyang…”

Then, Ha Eun-cheon exaggeratedly gasped.

“Whoa! That would be a calamity indeed. How terrifying. But perhaps an apostle from the Three Sovereigns will pop up and handle it before anything major happens?”

“……”

Is he messing with me?!

Though I was internally fuming, Ha Eun-cheon quickly resumed jesting.

“Well, it’s a joke. I wouldn’t worry too much about the Demon King.”

“The martial factions of the Central Plains will be massacred. Blood Moon Valley is currently attacking indiscriminately…”

As I relayed the intelligence I had gathered about Blood Moon Valley, Ha Eun-cheon crossed his arms.

“Thaaat’s why it’s your issue. Why should I worry about some sword-wielding ruffians dying far away? Do I seem like the kind of person who would care that much?”

“Ugh…”

“Even if civilians get hurt or die, it doesn’t concern me. In any case, as long as your kind is blessed by the Three Sovereigns, you will never face annihilation, and since your population is so large, losing a mere million won’t even make a dent, right? The food issue will resolve itself.”

“… Are you serious?”

“Hahaha, I’m just kidding ~ Just kidding.”

He laughed right away, but it didn’t sound like a joke at all.

The Master of the Twelve Joules said, “I can fully cooperate with you. But are you truly planning on clashing head-on with them? You don’t seem to be acting as if you want to fight them at all, do you?”

“……”

Realizing that trying to probe the Master of the Twelve Joules was futile, I sighed.

“That’s right. Currently, I don’t have the power to tackle them.”

“Neither do I. Charging into them would be like throwing eggs against a rock—foolishness. Contact me only when you’re ready to prepare for a proper seizure. I’d prefer to avoid acting independently. Got it?”

“……”

“The only ones capable of preemptively suppressing an incident are those with overwhelming power. We are not that strong, so how about we observe the situation for a bit? Perhaps the two of them will destroy each other, or if not…”

“If not?”

The Master of the Twelve Joules appeared to be grinning behind a mask. Rising from his seat, he said, “Let me give you a piece of advice. Whether it’s the Demon King or the Old Ruler, what they desire may be far more specific than we think… It seems they are searching for something on this land.”

“Whoosh!”

The figure of the Master of the Twelve Joules vanished. His stance showed he wished to end the conversation. Therefore, I had no choice but to leave the Divine City and return to Jangryeong Valley.

‘Well, we’ve reached a consensus on being discreet for now.’

Initially, I thought I’d either defeat the Demon King or attempt to turn the tables, but facing realistic limitations led Ha Eun-cheon and me to conserve our strength and bide our time. At present, this was the most pragmatic choice.

After returning to Jangryeong Valley, nearly two full days passed before there was a change in Miho’s condition.

“Boom!”

With a brilliant eruption of silver light, a Nine-Tailed Fox, three times larger than its original form, raised its head. Miho seemed to concentrate her spirit energy into her tails, and eventually, three of her tails transformed into fiery, ethereal forms. That wasn’t enough; she transformed two more tails into spirit forms, making the sight of the Five-Tailed Fox breathtaking.

“Grrrr…”

A resounding pulse of power echoed as yet another tail emerged. This marked the Six-Tailed Fox.

“…!!”

I was taken aback as Miho’s form grew hazy, and it felt like a bubble was hovering. I couldn’t properly perceive Miho anymore. Though she was right in front of me, it was challenging to clearly observe her form.

To put it one way, it was like the Golden Fur Jade Mask!

‘W-What is this phenomenon?’

Indeed, it was unmistakably that sensation I felt when confronting Dalgi.

[What on earth is that white bubble?]

[It’s not a bubble. Its boundless spirit energy is so potent that lower beings are permitted no sight of its form.]

This was the phenomenon that Yu Dong-bin had once explained.

It meant that when an existence with overwhelming spirit power appeared in this world, those incapable of comprehending its strength would be unable to see the essence of that great demon. Though Miho wasn’t quite at that level yet, the haze swirling around her body was growing thicker.

Could it be that Miho’s spirit energy is nearing Dalgi’s strength?

“Boom!”

Miho gradually returned to a human form. From a half-human half-demon appearance, she seemed to now resemble a human-like figure, far sharper and more beautiful, with silver hair flowing gracefully. Moreover, Miho had six tails now.

She greeted me with delight, “Baek Woong! I have grown stronger!”

“M-Miho, what happened? What kind of transformation…?”

As I asked her, Miho grinned and replied, “I don’t know. But it felt like a dream, and during that dream, the Queen Mother of the West spoke to me. She said we would meet again soon.”

“The Queen Mother of the West?”

“Ah ha ha.”

Miho seemed overly joyful, bouncing around before suddenly hugging me. As I looked down, startled, she burst into laughter.

“Baek Woong, from now on, I will protect you!”