Reincarnation Sword God

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**Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village**

“Wow, this place is more chaotic than I thought!”

I had always believed that being a Count meant living in luxury and respect. It turns out, I was quite mistaken!

“I don’t want to eat this!”

“Aida, there are plenty of people outside who are starving, and they’d be thrilled to have even this! Stop whining.”

Aida, my little sister, tossed the bread aside and burst into tears. Meanwhile, our father, Count Bradley Somerset, reprimanded her with a stern expression.

I glanced down at the meager meal set before me. This dining scene in a noble household felt more like a poor family’s dinner.

There lay a thin, unrecognizable soup and bread that felt harder than rocks.

Not exactly kid-approved food.

Determined to eat, I tried dipping the bread into the soup. But just as I broke it—

*Crack!*

Was that… the sound of wood splintering?

—

After bringing Cheon Woo-jin to Dark Heaven Village, I handed him an obsidian stone infused with memories. He raised an eyebrow in outright skepticism, but after Mangnyang assured him it was alright, he reluctantly accepted it. Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have accepted it, but since he’d be my companion due to Master Mangnyang for the next two years, he grudgingly went along with it.

Cheon Woo-jin stared wide-eyed at the memories he received, then shot me a glare.

“You little… How many times do you plan to use me?”

“Come on, understand, priest. Baek Woong is…”

“I know, I know. He might just be the one to save humanity against the gods.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued with an irritated tone.

“Damn it! What are the stakes of humanity in the hands of such a guy? It’s unbelievable.”

“……”

“I’m not saying I acknowledge you yet. But you’d better deliver over the next two years.”

Though Cheon Woo-jin muttered resentfully, his anger didn’t seem like it would explode. He clearly understood the situation he was in, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“Cheon Woo-jin. Can I ask you something?”

“What is it?”

“If you raise your sorcery to the extreme, can it even affect a god?”

This was a question only Cheon Woo-jin, one of the best sorcerers in the Central Plains and also an Illusory God, could answer. If anyone could reach the pinnacle of sorcery, it would be him, making it possible to challenge a god.

“Hmm, that question, huh…”

Cheon Woo-jin leaned back in his chair, replying.

“It does.”

“It does?!”

“Understand this: Sorcery is, in fact, a divine power. The sorcery originates from the Eight Trigrams bestowed by Fuxi, making it one of the powers of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. In essence, sorcerers can also be seen as a different form of divine priest.”

Cheon Woo-jin shared a fresh perspective.

“There are even known cases of capturing a god. The Great Immortal used sorcery, and in ancient times, the Great Immortals banded together to seal a powerful deity.”

“Really? Who was that?”

“It’s just a rumor circulating in the Celestial Realm, so I can’t say for sure. But when sorcery reaches its peak, it’s definite that a needle can penetrate a god.”

Then, Mangnyang spoke up.

“Priest. Do you think you can cast sorcery that can reach the gods?”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin fell into silence, pondering. It seemed like a significant issue even for him. After a while of contemplation, he spoke.

“My power has increased significantly thanks to Divine Fever, so I can defend myself, but I lack sorcery capable of delivering a fatal blow to a god. I could artificially develop such a technique, but it would require decades, even centuries of research on divine slaying sorcery.”

“I see…”

Cheon Woo-jin drew a clear line.

“Just so you know, if this was like last time, where the stakes grew large enough to fight a Demon King or Apostle, I wouldn’t be much help either. At that point, I’d be prioritizing my own survival.”

That sounded selfish, but it was a realistic limitation. No matter how strong Cheon Woo-jin was, he couldn’t guarantee victory against a Demon King or Apostle-level being. Mangnyang interjected.

“Priest. During your stay here, make sure to pass down your sorcery to me.”

“Understood.”

“And when the meeting of the three powers takes place soon, you’ll need to sense it using the clairvoyance sorcery.”

“Just as I expected. That’s something I can manage.”

After recruiting Cheon Woo-jin, I went to Zhuge Sa. Upon my arrival, Zhuge Sa’s face revealed displeasure.

“Two years? That’s all you can manage?”

“I tried to stretch it as much as possible, but Master Mangnyang made the decision…”

“Damn it! That guy should have worked hard for at least ten years! Otherwise, it’ll be too tough to keep the White Lotus Sect and Twelve Joules in check!”

Zhuge Sa mumbled.

“Well, there’s no helping it. From today onward, stop your alchemy studies and learn sorcery alongside Mangnyang and Cheon Woo-jin.”

“Huh?! That’s too sudden!”

“You’ve already accumulated the basics of alchemy over a year. You’ll find it useful in the next life. I was just having you study to hone your skills, but I think now is the time to delve into sorcery.”

“Hmm…”

“You’ve never properly studied sorcery. During the two years Cheon Woo-jin stays in Jangryeong Valley, you should gather as much knowledge as possible.”

I felt a sense of excitement.

‘Finally! Alchemy studies bored me to death!’

Stuck in a room studying minerals and herbs can be exhausting. The thought of learning something new made my heart race. However, the fact that my teacher would be Cheon Woo-jin did give me slight hesitation. Learning under someone who constantly shows discomfort would be nothing short of torture.

That day, I began learning sorcery from Cheon Woo-jin. Mangnyang was too busy preparing for a conference to join us, so it was one-on-one training. Cheon Woo-jin sported a clear look of disdain as he said.

“When learning sorcery, you need a goal. What’s your objective for learning it?”

“I want to use sorcery to defeat the [Old Ruler] one day!”

I answered confidently, but Cheon Woo-jin sneered coldly.

“Damn it. Quit talking nonsense and give me a realistic goal you can achieve in a century. Based on that, I’ll tailor your training.”

“……”

As I was abruptly dismissed as a fool, I felt annoyed, but it was true my words were a bit too much. I thought for a moment and then responded.

“I want to maximize the power of the Yin Spirit I currently possess while mastering the Taiping Sorcery.”

“Are you sure you still have the Yin Spirit you received from Jeon Wook within you?”

“Of course.”

“You’re more aware of your situation than I expected. So, what’s your current achievement?”

“Uh… I haven’t really trained much.”

I replied honestly. I had been struggling to elevate even one martial art to the Absolute Realm, let alone dealing with my limitations in sorcery. Cheon Woo-jin pondered for a moment before saying.

“You’ve amassed quite a bit of spirit power during your numerous lives. You’ve built up sorcery while cherishing the Nine-Tailed Fox’s gift for ten years, and your spirit power increases each time you offer water. Plus, you’ve acquired the Yin Spirit—at your current juncture, your raw spirit power exceeds that of a typical upper-tier sorcerer.”

“Oooh!”

“Your basic potential in sorcery is quite high.”

What’s with this sudden praise? My heart fluttered, but Cheon Woo-jin’s words continued.

“However, it’s clear you’ll struggle to learn complex techniques requiring refined inspiration. Even after training for fifty years, it would be normal if you can’t implement advanced techniques. You’re not suited to be a sorcerer. Your intellect is sharp, yet you lack innate spirit power compared to your older brother.”

“……”

“That’s why the Taiping Sorcery doesn’t quite fit you. It requires a brilliant mind and talent to succeed.”

“So what do you suggest I do?”

Cheon Woo-jin crossed his arms.

“There have been cases throughout sorcery history of someone like you achieving greatness. You’re an innate sorcerer who can wield only acquired power. You can think of yourself as a half-demon sorcerer inheriting bloodlines from divine and demonic beings. So, it’s best to expand your path with the Yin Spirit, attain mastery in that area first, and then use that proficiency to learn Taiping Sorcery afterward.”

“So you’re saying I can’t learn Taiping Sorcery right now?”

I grasped Cheon Woo-jin’s intention and asked.

“How exactly can I widen my path with the Yin Spirit?”

“The Yin Spirit is the embodiment of the Moon, a special spirit power that even ordinary humans can rarely gain through training. It’s a property that transcends ordinary Yin and Yang. Thus, your priority should be to gradually enhance the potential of your Yin Spirit with consistent training.”

Cheon Woo-jin pointed toward a distant cliff near Jangryeong Valley.

“Starting today, sit at the edge of that cliff and meditate every night. But don’t just sit around all day; you’ll practice the breathing technique I teach you during the hours when the Yin energy is strongest, from the Hour of the Rat to the Hour of the Tiger.”

“Understood.”

“And in your spare time, you should also review your pathetic basic sorcery.”

“Must you criticize me like that?”

“Isn’t it just pathetic?”

“……”

It didn’t seem like he was merely joking; he genuinely viewed my skill level as pitiful. I clenched my teeth inwardly.

‘Damn it! What am I supposed to do about my lack of talent?’

Can’t I just work hard and get strong from now on?

Grumbling, I climbed up the mountain to practice the breathing techniques Cheon Woo-jin had taught. On the first day, Cheon Woo-jin accompanied me to check on my Yin Spirit strength and supervise my training.

Wooouuuuu –

As the power of the Moon and the Yin Spirit surged within me, a silvery aura enveloped my body. Cheon Woo-jin, who was watching from behind, instructed.

“Take your time refining your inner power.”

Smack!

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly struck my head with a palm. I could have dodged, but I had to take it since it was training time and I couldn’t move recklessly. Cheon Woo-jin openly expressed his irritation.

“I told you to refine your inner power—why are you channeling energy?”

“Ugh… the channels for both powers seem similar…”

“If you intend to master both martial arts and sorcery, you need to differentiate them. Try that breathing technique again.”

Smack!

Smack!

After numerous palm strikes from Cheon Woo-jin, I finally managed to refine the breathing technique properly. He informed me:

“This training will progress faster when the moon is strong. It’s best during a full moon.”

“Shouldn’t I avoid training when there’s a new moon or no moon?”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as you train at night, there’ll be some effect.”

“How long will it take to enhance my Yin Spirit to the point of mastery?”

Upon my query, Cheon Woo-jin seemed to examine my spirit power before stating.

“If you maintain this pace every day, it’ll take about 250 years… After that, you can materialize your Yin Spirit for practical use, and you’ll naturally acquire the Taiping Sorcery too.”

“… Are you kidding?”

“Does it look like I’m joking?”

Cheon Woo-jin’s expression said otherwise.

“……”

Meditating every night for three hours on that cliff, it would take 250 years to reach mastery of the Yin Spirit! I was left dumbfounded and at a loss for words as Cheon Woo-jin added.

“Still, you’re quite fortunate. Any ordinary human aiming to cultivate the level of Yin Spirit that you possess would have to train for two hundred years at Holy Mountains. You’re already at a point where you’ve halved the required training time.”

“Sigh…”

“Indeed, you’ve hit the jackpot just by having a single meal in the god’s banquet. Even demonic beings who cultivate would envy you.”

“Is there no way to cut that time down?”

I asked in a voice filled with despair.

“Even so, I can’t just spend 250 years training!”

Whether it’s half a year or a year, a human can’t bear to be cooped up. Some have gone mad after a decade’s worth of solitary training. And 250 years sounds incredibly daunting! Demonic beings might have all the time in the world, but I certainly did not.

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me as if I were a fool.

“Why should I care? Figure it out yourself.”

“Ugh…”

Right, that’s just how he was. I spent the next fifteen days training my Yin Spirit and practicing basic sorcery, all while dealing with Cheon Woo-jin’s awkward stares.

Then, just a bit over the fifteen days, Mangnyang called for a meeting.

“It’s finally time,” he declared forcefully.

“Tomorrow! A triangular meeting will be held in the capital, Luoyang. The Master of the White Lotus Sect, the Vermilion Bird, and the Master of the Twelve Joules are all sure to participate.”