Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

After capturing Red Moon and Green Moon, Lee Cheong-un made them kneel before him and said, “From now on, you will tell me everything about your precious secret techniques.”

“Master!”

“I won’t say it twice.”

At that, Red Moon shook his hands and tightly shut his eyes. It didn’t take long for him to show a resigned expression as though he had realized he had no choice. However, unlike Red Moon, Green Moon stared at Lee Cheong-un with a suspicious look and said, “Why would someone of the Master’s caliber need our trivial martial arts…”

Thwack!!

“Ugh.”

Without warning, Lee Cheong-un struck Green Moon’s arm, causing it to dangle uselessly. He delivered a hit strong enough to make Green Moon look like he was about to give in without a fight. Lee Cheong-un gazed at him calmly and said, “Is there any reason the Master of the Thunder God Lineage should share that with you?”

“… No, there isn’t.”

“This is a warning. If you ever utter such nonsense again…”

Sssshhh

As thunder energy began to ooze from Lee Cheong-un’s hands, Green Moon finally bowed his head.

“I understand.”

“Good.”

Lee Cheong-un sent a secret transmission to me.
[It seems like it will take about a month to extract the techniques from these guys. You’ll have to wait a bit until then.]
[Understood.]

Having some time left, I decided to visit Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Woo-jin, who was farming behind Jangryeong Valley, had a blatant frown on his face as he held a pickaxe.

“Why? Why are you bothering me again?”

“I need you to teach me some sorcery for a month.”

“It’s impossible to master it even with two years of hard work, so what can you achieve in a month?”

“That’s not the point. I just need you to teach me a technique I can wield with just [power], without having to elevate my rank.”

His tone softened as he understood what I meant. “So you want to learn how to release the spiritual energy like a monster releasing its demon power?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s something that fox over there would know better than me. I prefer not to swing power around mindlessly. A monster who has been controlling its powers as naturally as breathing would certainly have tips to share.”

It was true. Monsters would be more suited for it. After all, they were half-demon and likely better acquainted with the powers derived from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.

Bang!

I immediately moved to Dongyoung and sought out Miho. I explained everything that had transpired so far, and Miho, folding her arms, replied, “Hmmm. I’ve never taught a human how to wield demon power before.”

After a moment of contemplation, Miho continued, “Could you share some of that spiritual energy you have with me?”

“Huh?”

“It would be nonsensical not to feel the nature of the power directly.”

“Alright.”

I took Miho’s hand and transferred a portion of the spiritual energy I obtained from Jeon Wook’s statue.

Whirrr

Did I just send her around three years’ worth of power? Suddenly, Miho screamed.

“Ahhh!!”

“Mi-Miho?”

But Miho didn’t let go of my hand. Her expression was more ecstatic than ever, with a strange flush rising to her cheeks as she spoke in a fervent tone, “Keep… keep going. Give me more!”

This felt dangerous.

I quickly severed the connection between our powers. Miho stumbled back and sat down. I was worried and tried to help her up, but she waved me off and moved away.

After a moment of catching her breath, Miho stood up and said, “Amazing… I feel like I’ve become so much stronger.”

“Really?”

“Indeed, the power of the gods is phenomenal. I was overwhelmed by the sudden surge of strength.”

Was she saying she almost became addicted to the spiritual energy?

“Hmm…”

Indeed, Miho’s tails glowed brighter and emanated a powerful aura compared to before. Considering that what I shared was roughly half of Jeon Wook’s spiritual energy left in the statue, it was incredibly efficient. Miho looked at me with gluttonous eyes and said, “If I can gain more spiritual energy, I’ll surely understand.”

Then, as she started to touch my upper body, I panicked and backed away, shouting, “Wait, wait, wait! This isn’t the time!”

Her eyes sparkled like those of a fox spirit. She almost looked like an overly curious cat.

“Just give me what you gave earlier.”

“No!! Snap out of it!”

At that, Miho stepped back, her expression suddenly clear. Then, as if to justify herself, she said, “I’m sorry, Baek Woong. I guess demons are more sensitive to power than humans… It felt like drinking heavenly wine, and I couldn’t help myself. After all, it’s been hundreds of years since I came to this world with such thin spiritual energy.”

“Phew. So do you understand how to wield power?”

“Sure. I’ll teach you how to use your strength directly.”

Whirrrr

Miho transformed into her half-fox form and raised her nine tails. In an instant, a faint fox flame flickered around her tails, and Miho gathered the flame into a glowing orb before presenting it to me.

“Demon power is different from martial arts or sorcery. Martial arts or sorcery draw power using specific techniques, but demon power is akin to stamina.”

“Stamina?”

“Touch this glow orb.”

As I reached for the orb, it felt as though the energy seeped directly into my veins. I instinctively realized that the power contained within this orb was structured simply. As my expression revealed my understanding, Miho retracted the orb and said, “Got it? To cultivate internal energy, you need to build up power along the Eight Extraordinary Vessels and use your breathing, and to grow sorcery, you must comprehend the Eight Trigrams and Yin-Yang. But demon power doesn’t require tedious techniques.”

“Hmmm.”

“It’s just about moving your essence alongside your body. Just as simply as you breathe. That in itself is the demon and the force. This is why demon power is like stamina.”

“I think I understand.”

To manage internal energy, I concentrate power through my vital energy, but demon power requires no such process. In a similar vein, while sorcery also involves interaction with techniques and spiritual energy based on principles, demon power does not. It’s used as effortlessly and mindlessly as breathing. As I conveyed my comprehension, Miho burst into laughter.

“Hahaha. You find martial arts or sorcery so complicated, yet you seem to have a remarkable sense for demon power.”

“Wait? Am I talented?”

“Yeah. I can tell you have an aptitude just by how easily you grasp what I explained. Maybe it’s because you apply your body to it?”

“Hehe.”

I grinned.

‘What? Turns out I have a talent in something!’

While I felt all warm and fuzzy at Miho’s praise, she continued speaking.

“Now that I’ve felt the spiritual energy, it’s several levels above ordinary demon power… this is genuine divine power. However, it also leans toward the demonic side and possesses characteristics of a dark force, making it appear as if it can be controlled like demon power. Once you get used to handling it, you’ll be able to use it immediately.”

“Wow! How do I do that?”

“Let’s start with [Release].”

Miho clasped her hands together in a posture reminiscent of unleashing a palm wind attack. She then let out a powerful shout.

“Haah!!”

Boom!

Her hands burst with wind, smashing the pillar in front of her. I was flabbergasted by the spectacle.

“Huh? Are you telling me to shoot a palm wind?”

“No, you’re a master of the martial arts; you may gather your energy to shoot a wind attack, but this is simply collecting pure demon power and releasing it alongside your shout. Draw out the latent spiritual energy within you, focus it in your palm, and unleash it.”

“Hmmm…”

With a furrowed brow, I followed Miho’s instructions.

Boom!

“It works!”

“You really have a good sense.”

“Hahaha.”

It had been ages since I received a genuine compliment! I was quickly getting the hang of manipulating the spiritual energy. Though there were still parts I didn’t fully grasp, after just half a day of learning from Miho, I felt I could use it adequately.

“You can also manifest it into shapes like shields or spears using [Materialization].”

Chiri-ring!

Doing as Miho taught, I was able to effortlessly draw out the spiritual energy and materialize it into intangible spears or shields. However, crafting this wouldn’t increase my overall power; it merely diversified my tactical options.

As Miho took a brief break from teaching, she said, “Truthfully, demons wielding demon power is as easy as fish swimming in water, so there’s nothing complicated about it. However, it’s a bit strange for a human like you to use it this effortlessly…”

“……”

“Moreover, while demon power is easy and simple to wield, it lacks the deep potential that martial arts or sorcery possess.”

“What do you mean?”

“Martial arts are not just about the internal energy; they’re profound techniques that can surpass the differences in power. Sorcery is similar. But demon power is simply that base strength, so it doesn’t overcome inherent disparities through technique.”

“Oh.”

“That’s why demons, instead of honing fighting skills like humans do, aim to increase the strength of their demon power. They might devour humans, hide away to build spiritual energy, commit evil deeds, or seek ancient relics…”

I could understand Miho’s point. The straightforwardness of power meant clear limitations. I felt somewhat disappointed and said, “So, I can’t develop my control over demon power for growth?”

“Not entirely. I said there’s ‘almost’ no way to overcome power disparity through technique, not that it’s impossible.”

“Huh?”

“There are methods unique to demons for enhancing combat. At least among mid-tier demons, there are ways to utilize them.”

Suddenly, Miho’s gaze changed. When I met her eyes, my head spun, and my heart raced unexpectedly. My lower body began to twitch instinctively, and as I sensed this change in my body, I quickly gathered my energy to calm myself, breaking free from the cold sweat of Miho’s spell.

Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I shouted, “Miho! Why did you suddenly charm me?”

“That’s the upper-tier combat technique.”

“What?”

“Simply honing demon power to enhance offensive and defensive capabilities will lead to diminishing returns at some point. Unless you’re a mindless monster residing in Aokigahara’s life sea, everyone has a plateau in raw combat power. Therefore, after collecting demon power, the approach to enhancing special abilities tailored to one’s essence as a demon is the way of upper-tier demons.”

Special abilities!!

Something about the term sounded epic. As I concentrated on Miho’s words, she continued.

“I’ve developed my charm special ability that I possessed since the Celestial Realm. Other demons also leverage their unique characteristics to utilize special abilities. Unique beings like the Snow Woman, Tengu, Nurarihyon, Gashadokuro, Satori, or Yosuzume are truly one of a kind. You must have sensed it when taking down the formidable demons in Aokigahara.”

“Hmm… I think I recall.”

I nodded. I indeed remember seeing those mindless big demons exhibiting bizarre powers during our confrontations. I managed to overcome them by gathering my energies, but it was perilous at times.

“But those guys mostly rely on strength and don’t frequently use bizarre skills.”

“That life sea is an unusual place. The overwhelming dark energy thriving there means that even big, powerful demons don’t really need to develop special abilities.” If their strength is overwhelming, techniques become useless.”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

“Anyway, back to the main point.”

Miho took a sip from a cup brought over by the rebooting ambushers and continued.

“If you become accustomed to wielding spiritual energy, I think you could develop a [special ability].”

“Me, with a special ability?”

“That could be seen as bloodline abilities. You possess tremendous spiritual energy, so you might as well be a descendant of Jeon Wook or a divine grandson! In terms of status, you could even be considered one of the highest-tier demons.”

“……”

“That’s entirely possible.”

As I listened to Miho, a strange expression took hold of my face.

“Why the weird face?”

“I’m just a human… Besides, if I develop a special ability, doesn’t that seem bad? I’d drift further from being human.”

Miho chuckled quietly.

“Who cares if you abandon humanity? The spiritual energy you possess is a treasure that even all demons, dark forces, and sorcerers would covet at the cost of their lives. There’s no need to cling to being human.”

“I don’t want to become a demon or ghost!”

“Do as you please. After all, you’ll do whatever you want anyway.”

While Miho popped a small confectionery into her mouth, she added, “One last thing: when you master spiritual energy, you could develop a special ability beyond anyone’s imagination. If you’re planning to fight gods, you won’t want to forgo a power like that.”

“Ugh…”

I hesitated. Miho’s words seemed sweet at first but were laden with implications that I caught onto.

If I fully master the spiritual energy, there’s a high chance I may no longer be human!

Instead, I could become a great demon god like the Great Immortal, or I might even mutate into a powerful monster. Sure, gaining immense power would be incredible, but could I ever return to being human? The very notion of changing species was something I couldn’t easily accept.

I spent another month learning from Miho about mastering the development of special abilities before returning to the Central Plains. Before heading to Lee Cheong-un, I stopped by to speak with Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin, is there a high chance that if I master spiritual energy, I won’t remain human?”

Cheon Woo-jin looked at me with an expression of utter annoyance.

“Can’t you tell that even now?”

“Huh?”

“Dammit… You always bring the most ridiculous questions.”

He grumbled and then spoke, “Don’t worry. No matter how strong your spiritual energy gets, you shouldn’t change from who you are now.”

“Why are you so sure about that?”

“Spiritual energy is powers derived from Jeon Wook. But can Jeon Wook’s powers control your essence? Even the greatest divine being could descend, and your soul wouldn’t vanish.”

After saying that, Cheon Woo-jin turned away and added, “There’s a reason everyone places their hopes on a blockheaded person like you.”

“……”

Though I didn’t fully accept his reasoning, I chose to step back and head over to Lee Cheong-un.

As soon as I arrived, Lee Cheong-un said, “Baek Woong. I’ve gathered sufficient secret techniques from Red Moon and Green Moon. From now on, hone your skills in the Thunder God Lineage’s techniques and miscellaneous tricks.”

“Understood.”

I glanced over at Red Moon and Green Moon. They appeared ghastly, having suffered for a whole month. However, no sympathy surged within me, as they were humans who had abandoned all desires of Thunder God Lineage and pursued a solitary life of luxury.

For the next half a year, I focused intensely on the Thunder God Lineage’s techniques and random skills under Lee Cheong-un’s guidance. Since I had already learned the basic skills from the Thunder Spirit Seal and Ghostly Spirit Sect, mastering the rest of the techniques was more manageable than I expected.

One day, I found myself at the entrance of Jangryeong Valley. Most of my companions, including myself, found ourselves facing a phantom.

No, to be more precise, the phantom had unilaterally approached Jangryeong Valley, and our detection barrier near the vicinity had revealed its presence. Despite this, the phantom calmly walked up to the entrance.

However, we had no intention of recklessly attacking and subduing him.

That figure, wearing a puppy mask, was none other than the Master of the Bancheon Alliance himself. Mangnyang walked forward and declared, “I, Mangnyang, Master of the Bancheon Alliance, meet the Master of the Twelve Joules. What brings you here?”

Indeed, the master of the Twelve Joules had appeared unaccompanied at Jangryeong Valley. He scanned the surroundings silently for a while before speaking.

“I have no particular business. I just came to say one thing.”

“And what might that be?”

Mangnyang didn’t inquire how he knew of this place. It was clear he didn’t come here alone, and considering the current situation, several schemes and plots were swirling around. Our side had no choice but to speculate on his intentions.

The atmosphere in the hall froze as the Master of the Twelve Joules continued speaking.

“I plan to destroy the Imperial Palace with the Master of the White Lotus Sect. You, Bancheon Alliance, will have to lend your assistance as well.”