Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 5 – The Dark Heaven Village

“Are you really planning to save the White Lotus Sect?”

I stood there dumbfounded for a moment, trying to wrap my head around it, but then I finally realized what it meant.

“It means the Sea God’s contract has been nullified.”

“That’s right.”

The Sea God’s contract – that was the contract between the Primordial Spirit and the Heavenly Spirit Pill!

I recalled a story I had heard from a prophet in the past.

[It’s a slave contract.]

[I don’t need to see the detailed contract to know that. After all, I possess knowledge of both the Sea God and the Path of Demons. Without a doubt, that contract involves the Water God facilitating the way to the Throne of Chaos, binding half of the soul to the Throne and claiming the other half as his own. Typically, one uses it to make offerings for valuable treasures, but it seems he substituted it with infinite internal power…]

[The soul consumed by the Water God ends with only a fleeting moment of pain, but… the essence absorbed into the Throne of the Great One, ‘Father,’ must endure an eternity of despair, living to the end of the universe, a fate that even the Old Ruler would pity. It’s a foolish and stupid contract that not even any demon sorcerer would engage in.]

Back then, I had sacrificed to the prophet to obtain information about the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s secret. The prophet had concluded that the contract was a slave registration made under the leadership of the Heavenly Spirit Pill and Primordial Spirit. Despite dismissing it as foolish and stupid, this contract had undeniably allowed the White Lotus Sect to showcase the strongest power in the martial arts world.

But in this life, I had thrust the Sea God into the cauldron of death. Because of that, all Dharma Protectors, including Yong Bi-cheon, had been gradually losing their infinite internal power. It was clear evidence that the contract had been rendered void.

And now, even after slaying Yong Bi-cheon, his soul did not head toward the Throne or the Sea God. The Soul Exchange Technique of Zhuge Sha had effortlessly absorbed Yong Bi-cheon’s soul, which meant the souls of the Dharma Protectors, who had been entangled in the slave contract, had been freed. I gazed at Yong Bi-cheon’s corpse with suspicion.

“Zhuge Sha. But you can’t be certain yet, right? Some remnants of the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s effect still linger in that guy…”

That’s why despite the pure martial arts realm, the Sword Demon and Jin So-cheong had subdued Yong Bi-cheon only after considerable effort. After all, even with my current internal power, Yong Bi-cheon could be regarded as a first-rate martial artist.

“True. There’s no certainty. Even though you beheaded the Sea God, he’s ‘dying’ rather than completely dead.”

Zhuge Sha chuckled softly.

“However, the fact that the Sea God cannot even use coercive power with his soul indicates he is attempting to live as long as possible by nullifying all contracts made with him.”

“Ah!”

“To conserve the power needed for survival, he would be retrieving the lost powers consumed by all the contracts. Hence, the validity of the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s contract is indeed confirmed as void.”

“Then why was there still lingering effect from the Heavenly Spirit Pill on that guy?”

“The Heavenly Spirit Pill can be simply described as pulling the infinite power floating near the God’s Throne via a conduit. Even if that conduit is broken, the powers drawn in would remain. Thus, it appeared that the Dharma Protectors were slowly losing the Heavenly Spirit Pill’s effects.”

“I see…”

Suddenly, a thought struck me.

“So, what happened to the soul of the Master of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Normally, he would’ve been saved. Since his death occurred after you eliminated the Sea God, he should have either moved to the afterlife or become a restless spirit.”

Zhuge Sha continued nonchalantly.

“… But now, the ‘Eternal Fetus’ that currently rules the White Lotus Sect told you, didn’t he? He has appropriated the fate of destruction that belonged to the Master of the White Lotus Sect for himself.”

“Are you saying that he made the Master of the White Lotus Sect’s soul his own?”

“That seems likely. A soul with the strong will and magical power like that of the Master of the White Lotus Sect is quite useful…”

I frowned.

‘So the Master of the White Lotus Sect cannot be saved even in death…’

Though he avoided the fate of being pulled to the Throne, becoming the possession of the [Old Ruler] isn’t any different. I couldn’t shake off my bittersweet feelings for the Master, to whom I had held admiration and attachment. While I pondered, Mangnyang, who had been listening beside me, spoke up.

“The White Lotus Sect has been doomed to suffer an eternal fate due to the Master’s unilateral contracts. However, now that eliminating the Sea God has become feasible, the cruel eternity binding them will be lifted, making it easier to recruit the White Lotus Sect as allies in the future.”

“Hmm!”

“Especially when it comes to recruiting the Dharma Protectors, it should be very easy…”

That’s right.

Although someone like Dokgo Jun, who is loyal to the Master of the White Lotus Sect, would be an exception, both Yong Bi-cheon and Han Baek-ryeong harbored significant doubt and distrust towards him. Making them privy to this information would undoubtedly make it much easier to win them over.

At that moment, Cheon Woo-jin interjected, a look of disbelief on his face.

“What good does that do? If you eliminate the Sea God, it means the immense power that the Master and the Dharma Protectors enjoy in this world will vanish.”

“Eh?”

“It doesn’t matter what happens in the afterlife; could you relinquish your infinite internal power and unparalleled martial arts just like that?”

“……”

“Ultimately, the White Lotus Sect has already begun to decline because you killed the Sea God.”

I hadn’t considered that. But, true to Cheon Woo-jin’s words, if I had possessed the Heavenly Spirit Pill, I would be intoxicated by that overwhelming power and would never let it go. Power has a tendency to be hard to relinquish once grasped.

Then Mangnyang countered.

“That answer is also now revealed, Priest. It’s the seal of the Master of the Twelve Joules.”

Mangnyang’s eyes sparkled.

“In this life’s mission to eliminate the Sea God, we were unfortunately hindered mid-way and engaged directly with the main body, but if we get lucky, we might seal the Six Great Seals around the Goryeo Peninsula before the Sea God makes a move, significantly weakening his powers. If we can trap the Sea God within those, we can diminish his malice while allowing the White Lotus Sect to retain their powers. It would be merely a state halfway to death, not complete death.”

“Hmm.”

“If you think about it the other way, you can also manipulate the White Lotus Sect with just this fact. Information is useful depending on how it’s wielded.”

After the conversation ended, Zhuge Sha cast the Soul Exchange Technique on the Elder of the Wind Spirit Sect, making them direct subordinates of the Sword Demon. Once they realized they were under the effects of the Soul Exchange Technique, they were frustrated but had no choice but to obey. The Soul Exchange Technique was that terrifying of a technique.

The Sword Demon then said to me, “Leave the ground to me. I will do my utmost to prevent the books from leaking.”

“No.”

I shook my head and replied, “Just drop the control order and come to the base.”

“Eh?”

“It’s too risky from this point onward. The [Old Ruler] might come at us directly…”

I trailed off, hinting at the truth of the matter. “After all, we can’t stop the [Old Ruler]’s plans completely with our own strength.”

“I understand now. I will be careful.”

Pa-at!

The Sword Demon moved with the Elders of the Wind Spirit Sect, traveling via the Golden Lamp technique. However, Jin So-cheong was not following the Sword Demon and was instead gazing at me intently. Since only Jin So-cheong and I were present in this location, I looked back at her with a perplexed expression.

“Is there something you want to say?”

“Baek Woong, I have a favor to ask.”

She earnestly implored me with an earnest look in her eyes.

“Please rescue Cheongwol the Dharma Protector.”

“……!!”

“He is trapped in Aokigahara’s Life Sea, and we must save him.”

What she said was accurate. Until now, I hadn’t found it necessary to rescue him, but since Jin So-cheong was personally requesting it, I had to comply. However, I was baffled and asked her in return.

“Why now? Even if we rescue Cheongwol, the Heavenly Sovereign is still only a month away. What good does rescuing him do us right now?”

“It’s beneficial for both you and me.”

“……?”

“Martial Soul.”

The moment I heard those two words, my eyes widened. As a martial artist who had trained in the Thunder God Lineage for over a hundred years, it made sense.

Martial Soul!

The incomplete ultimate technique of the Thunder God Lineage – a legendary art that no one in history had mastered!

The Martial Soul, which I had heard of from Lee Kwang and Lee Cheong-un, had such tricky conditions for mastery that even a peak expert would doubt attaining it in a thousand years. I looked at Jin So-cheong with suspicion.

“Cheongwol is a skilled martial artist of the Thunder God Lineage, but… isn’t he unnecessary for the conditions of mastering the Martial Soul?”

Cheongwol was proficient in both spear and sword techniques, but his specialized talent lay in divine techniques. In spear techniques, he couldn’t be said to surpass Lee Kwang, and in swordsmanship, he lagged behind Dokgo Seong. He was indeed far from being the Master across all three domains of the disciplines. This was also why I hadn’t rescued Cheongwol until now.

Then Jin So-cheong shook her head.

“No. Recently, while training with the insights I gained from you, I realized something. The method of acquiring the Martial Soul isn’t absolutely correct.”

“……”

I gasped, “Could it be… Jin So-cheong, do you have an inkling of what the Martial Soul truly is?”

“I believe I sensed it, albeit for just a moment.”

“……!!”

That’s impossible!

Someone who hadn’t even reached the peak would gain a perception of the Martial Soul, which surpassed the peak, just like that?!

No matter how talented Jin So-cheong was, his words sounded like empty bravado at that moment. So, with suspicion-filled eyes, I replied, “I can’t believe that.”

“I expected as much,” Jin So-cheong said with a wry smile, continuing, “I will explain everything after we rescue him. For now, please take my request at face value.”

“……”

Since in any case, I had nothing better to do than to train and wait for a month, I eventually nodded my head.

“Understood.”

Pa-at!

I, together with Jin So-cheong, used our power to venture into the Aokigahara Life Sea’s Third Sea, the Entry Sea. Unlike the First and Second Seas, this place was literally a monstrous locale where Great Demons swam about like small fries in an abyssal ocean. Even a demon of considerable size could be seen roaming around. So even for me now, winning here without the aid of the Great Immortal was nearly impossible.

I arrived at the very spot where I had previously rescued Cheongwol. Cheongwol was hiding under a fragment of our ruined environment, barely hanging onto life. I sensed my energy as I thought, ‘Hmm, there he is.’

I could feel Cheongwol crouching between the wreckage of the broken building. I sent him a secret transmission.

[Cheongwol the Dharma Protector. We are from the Thunder God Lineage. Please meet us.]

Cheongwol hesitated at first, perhaps out of doubt, before cautiously emerging from the ruins after a while. He appeared pitiful and beat up as if he had been hiding for a very long time. In a stuttering voice, he said, “Th-Th-Thunder God Lineage?”

“Yes. I have come to rescue you, Cheongwol the Dharma Protector, who seeks the Lunar Kill Technique.”

“Oh my… How did you end up in this infernal realm of the human world…”

Cheongwol stared blankly before wiping away his tears.

“Thank you so much! If I survive this place, I will surely repay you!”

“Yes… but…”

Just as I was about to ask Cheongwol something, suddenly—

*Crraack!!!*

The abyssal sea split in a straight line, and light burst forth from it. A flash occurred, followed by the roar of a monster.

*Grrrrr!*

In the far distance, flashes and the sound of destruction erupted, indicating a tremendous battle was being waged. Although I couldn’t see it well due to the red abyss obstructing my view, I was astounded and asked Cheongwol.

“Cheongwol the Dharma Protector, what is that?!”

“Oh… that… It’s something that has suddenly appeared recently…”

Cheongwol frowned and said, “Someone is constantly fighting the monsters of this Entry Sea. Apparently, they seem determined to defeat the demons of the Entry Sea, but they’re always fleeing due to being outclassed.”

“… Is that an incredible martial artist?”

“I can’t say for sure… but their sword techniques seem unusual.”

“……”

Jin So-cheong remarked, “Let’s go check it out.”

*Pa-at!*

I leaped through the abyssal sea alongside Jin So-cheong, heading towards the vicinity of the fierce battle. As we drew closer, the terrifying sword energies, waves, and explosions erupted in droves, sending chills down my spine. A superhuman battle was unfolding before us.

‘Who could it possibly be?’

Then we finally arrived after cutting through about ten li.

*Kuuuuuooo!*

*Boooom!!*

“Graaah!”

The desperate cry echoed. A massive demon hundreds of meters in size flapped its wings, unleashing a breath attack, striking down the invader! With the breath of explosions crossing the horizon of the abyss, it seemed there was no way to escape. The invader screamed as he was flung far away.

“Look out!”

Jin So-cheong and I hastily made our way to the spot where we predicted he would crash.

*Whooooooshhh…*

Smoke was rising from the nearby ground, where the burnt remnants of the invader were sitting in a pit. They appeared to have been scorched to a crisp in an instant, rendered completely charred. At this extent, a human wouldn’t have been able to survive.

“……”

Yet that person still seemed to be alive, crouched there, albeit barely. A peculiar detail was that he wore Dongyoung’s conical hat and held a long knife that belonged to Dongyoung in one hand. The large hat completely obscured his face.

*Heh heh…*

“……?”

For a moment, was it just my illusion, or did he seem to smile at me? I could see his charcoal-colored lips slowly twitching.

‘What’s he saying?’

*Thud.*

In that brief moment, his body turned to ash, completely crumbling away. Leaving only a single knife behind, he turned to dust. It appeared he had failed to defeat the demons of the Entry Sea and perished.

*Grrrroooo!!*

Jin So-cheong glanced at the enormous demon soaring toward us from behind and remarked, “That one is at least a monster of the Overlay Technique level. Given our current condition, we should avoid engaging and focus on extracting Cheongwol instead.”

“Understood.”

Indeed, Jin So-cheong’s supposition was correct. When Yeodong-bin descended to break through the Entry Sea in the past, he, too, had engaged in a great battle with the demons here, indicating that any beasts lurking here possess terrifying powers equivalent to that of the Great Immortal or the Overlay Technique. They were nothing less than grotesque monsters, hard to even categorize as alive.

*Pa-at!*

I used my power to exit the area, bringing Cheongwol back to Jangryeong Valley. After spending a full day replenishing his strength and healing his wounds, I was ready to hear his story. Though I had already heard it before, it brought no fresh insights.

Jin So-cheong asked Cheongwol, “Please teach me the secret technique of the Soul Removal Technique, Heavenly Light.”

“As a benefactor of life, that’s only natural.”

He began to teach us the essence of the Soul Removal Technique, Heavenly Light. Having previously received instruction and with Dokgo Seong’s assistance, I could learn it more easily this time.

‘Back then, I couldn’t master it…’

But due to my lack of talent, I couldn’t use the Heavenly Light. This technique took several years of dedicated training to master. Once Cheongwol completed his instruction, Jin So-cheong sighed in relief.

“Now we’re complete.”

I inquired of Jin So-cheong, “Why learn the Heavenly Light now?”

“The memory of learning the Heavenly Light from your obsidian recollections was uncertain and incomplete. It must have been because I couldn’t grasp the essence, which is why I could grasp the Soul Removal Technique but not the Heavenly Light. Now I’ve fully understood and can achieve harmony.”

“Harmony?”

Jin So-cheong nodded.

“In reality, mastering the Martial Soul doesn’t solely require being extraordinary in the fields of spear, sword, and knife. It necessitates mastery across five fields, including divine techniques and miscellaneous skills.”

“……”

Why would the standards be raised again?!

As I stood in disbelief, Jin So-cheong declared, “Baek Woong. Starting today, we will train together.”

His eyes shone fiercely.

“A month will be enough. I will grant you the foothold needed to ascend to the ultimate realm.”