Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 574 – Dark Heaven Village

“Is it just me, or are you all acting like it’s just a show of bravado?” Master of the White Lotus Sect replied, his demeanor unreadable. He seemed intent on listening to me, despite the shocked faces of those around.

“Don’t you think it’s a bit self-delusional?” I continued, pushing through the stunned silence.

“Oh? You find it amusing that I would show off?”

“Because you’re not attacking me right now,” I remarked calmly.

“Master of the White Lotus, as you say, there’s no reason for you not to attack us. If you really thought I was the shadowy figure you claim, it would be simpler to eliminate or capture me right away. Instead, you’re giving me choices and acting all relaxed.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You’re on high alert and trying to absorb everything without expending energy, cautious because you’re unsure of my next move.”

Silence weighed heavily in the air.

Everyone looked at me with mixed expressions, including even the warrior Mangnyang. The boldness of my words was a huge gamble, provoking the Master of the White Lotus. Amidst it all, Jin So-cheong remained expressionless, seemingly indifferent to life or death.

“But there’s more! I have evidence that you are the one displaying bravado.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

Although my heart raced, I forced a relaxed smile. After all, I had learned that keeping a brave face can yield benefits even in dire situations.

“You have no real clue what’s happening right now. You might have brought down the Vermilion Bird, but it wasn’t the real one, and you have no idea what schemes are afoot, nor can you accurately gauge whether you’ve even kept control over the Imperial Palace. The one in the direst situation—lacking information—is you, Master of the White Lotus, not us.”

“…Hmm…”

“You’re simply craving a fight with us to wipe us out. I’m willing to oblige. Let’s see who survives!”

I stared him down deliberately.

“But as the puppet master of the world, let me warn you, you will regret leading the Bancheon Alliance into assault. Because your true goals lie elsewhere!”

The Master of the White Lotus fell silent, but beside him, the Dharma Guardian of the Wind Spirit Lineage, Dokgo Jun, stepped forward in fury, his Golden Dragon mask flickering menacingly.

“How dare a clueless child speak such nonsense to our lord! For that crime, you shall pay with your life!”

Boom!

Suddenly, the ground erupted as Dokgo Jun unleashed his attack on me. With the power of the second-in-command of the White Lotus sect, fueled by the Infinite Internal Power of Heavenly Spirit Pill, he was deadly serious. In that split second, I felt his presence surpassing halfway into my space.

Too slow.

Despite the fact that it was a speed that could annihilate a Peak Expert in one blow, I still perceived it that way. I could easily counterattack with my martial arts skills.

‘Is it because I’ve faced this Thunder Spirit Technique user so many times?’

Without a hint of panic, I executed the Three Treasure Technique just as Dokgo Jun’s attack aimed to carve into my ribs. As the technique gracefully flowed with the changes in Heaven, Earth, and People, I redirected his assault.

Dokgo Jun seemed to have anticipated this and countered with the Seven Great Techniques.

Swish!

It appeared he had indeed learned the intricacies of the Seven Great Techniques from the Master. He unleashed a barrage of water spears towards me. Each of his refined strikes bore immense potential, aiming directly to pierce my body. Each blow from Dokgo Jun, wielding the Heavenly Spirit Pill, would literally shred my protective energy apart like paper. Objectively speaking, the disparity in pure offense between me and Dokgo Jun was immense.

Right now, my mouth tasted bitter.

It was glaringly obvious he was attacking carelessly.

‘Is that why you’re looking down on me? Then again, with skills like yours, it’s not surprising.’

But – that was irrelevant the moment the blows landed.

Wudang Five Great Divine Arts.

Four Forms Harmony Art.

Earth Overcoming Water.

In the past, I had learned the essence of the Wudang Five Great Divine Arts directly from Jang Sam-bong. Moreover, having received detailed teachings from him, I understood the subtleties of the Earth Overcoming Water technique. Coupled with the fact that I had perfected the Hyun Cheon Divine Art over the decades and that my internal power and intent had reached their peak, executing the Four Forms Harmony Art to yield the Earth Overcoming Water effect was hardly a challenge.

Tai Chi.

Retreat.

Wave Manipulation.

With a graceful spin of the basic technique, the earthly energy concentrated in my palms, and I smoothly enveloped Dokgo Jun’s water spear with my intent. The flow of power shifted seamlessly downwards, and the water energy was subdued and buried into the ground by the presence of Earth, causing his offensive momentum to falter momentarily.

“No!”

No matter how powerful an attack, if one were to lose control, it would all be for naught.

That was why the Wudang’s superior techniques are highly regarded in the Martial Arts World.

“My turn now!”

As Dokgo Jun stood flabbergasted by the unexpected application of Earth Overcoming Water, I summoned a Thunderclap, counterattacking with the Three Treasure Technique. He attempted to repel me using the force of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, but at that moment, I further accelerated the Thunderclap, gathering thunder energy into my index finger.

‘So many openings!’

Eight Immortal Divine Art.

Seven Stars Explosive Finger.

Absolute Slash.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, boom!

“One!”

As my battle cry rang out, the first strike of my finger technique collided with Dokgo Jun’s protective energy, creating ripples the size of a palm.

“Two! Three!”

The second ripple expanded to the size of two palms, the third thickening to that of a chest.

Thud!

“Four! Five! Six!”

By the fourth strike, his protective energy trembled; by the fifth, I saw a look of shock on his face; by the sixth, as I thrust my arm out, his defenses splintered into a massive cross. The latent power of the Seven Stars Explosive Finger had surpassed his defensive capability instantaneously.

Crack!

“Seven!”

In a final display of absolute will with the Seven Thunder Fingers, he finally abandoned his reliance on his protective energy and protected his vital points as he retreated.

“Uagh!”

Boom!

Crackle!

Dokgo Jun managed to fend off the Seven Stars Explosive Finger but was pushed a considerable distance back from his original position. Imprints from my strikes marked his forearm, signifying I had effectively interrupted the flow of his internal energy. Trails of flames snaked across the ground from where he had moved, leaving a visible path.

Dokgo Jun shouted in disbelief.

“This… this is impossible…”

I simply shook my hand nonchalantly.

“With my sword, I’d be twice as powerful. Want to test that?”

Of course, that was just bluster. While it was true that I grew stronger using the sword, it wasn’t enough to surpass the Heavenly Spirit Pill yet. In a direct confrontation, I would certainly be at a disadvantage, and I knew I still couldn’t face a Dharma Guardian armed only with sheer skill.

“……!!”

Yet, my bravado seemed to have had an impact, as Dokgo Jun hesitated, his prior aggression diminished. Unlike before, he regarded me with unease. Then, the watching leader interjected.

“Impressive, to hold your ground against Jun… Baek Woong, you truly are a peerless master in this world.”

“No need to lift me up. I’ve got nothing to gain from it.”

As I replied, he crossed his arms.

“But tell me one thing. Baek Woong, do you grasp the situation at hand?”

“I do. And excluding Zhuge Yulong, everyone is caught in a pickle. You, me, even the Twelve Joules over there.”

“Hmm…”

“And the only solution to this chaos is something I alone know.”

“Baek, Baek Woong!”

Mangnyang exclaimed in alarm, realizing I’d just divulged major information that could serve as negotiation material. Still, I resolved to push forward without hesitation, seizing the initiative.

I boldly locked eyes with him.

“Master of the White Lotus! The purpose of our alliance against the Vermilion Bird is to annihilate the Imperial Palace and ensure it’s forever buried! Yet you, despite suspecting its escape, pretend to be fearless while avoiding the core of the problem. That way, we’re all simply puppets for the Vermilion Bird.”

“…”

“I’ll say it again. It’s your choice whether to maintain our alliance or fight. May you make a wise decision.”

That was my last move.

‘Please let it work…’

I grit my teeth internally.

If the Master of the White Lotus disregards my words and attacks us, I’ll use my overwhelming skills to flee with my comrades. However, I might only manage to rescue one or two of them at best. Should that happen, my current life would be utterly ruined. This was a significant gamble.

The silence prolonged.

Finally, after a considerable time, the Master of the White Lotus spoke.

“Baek Woong. What is your true goal? To conquer the world?”

“I’m not interested in that. But my own dreams…”

Suddenly, a strange term I had once heard from the Twelve Joules crossed my mind. Indeed, it seemed like an appropriate phrase for this situation. Hesitantly, I continued.

“… can be summarized as ‘Hongik Ingan.'”

At my words, the Master of the White Lotus trembled involuntarily.

“Hongik Ingan?”

“Who among us wishes for ruin?”

“Ahha…”

The Master let out a low chuckle.

“Very well. I concede. I will comply with the will of your Bancheon Alliance.”

“Y-Your Honor!!”

Dokgo Jun turned to the Master in shock, yet he merely waved his hand to dismiss him.

“I apologize for betraying you. I swear on my soul, at least today, I will not betray you again.”

I coldly replied, “I don’t believe a few words will suffice to make amends.”

“But that is something you will have to endure.”

“… Understood.”

I did it!

The Master of the White Lotus agreed to abandon his assault on the Bancheon Alliance and reform our allied forces. Soon, the Dharma Guardians who had detained our warriors were released and came over here, all looking as though they had escaped death. The Sword Demon approached me, stunned.

“Truly remarkable. To negotiate on equal terms with the Master of the White Lotus…”

“My skills don’t even reach his toes, though.”

“No, that’s not it… Not everyone can achieve such a feat. You’ve grown.”

“Haha.”

Feeling unexpectedly pleased that my casual confidence had worked, I was suddenly struck by a voice from the side.

“Baek Woong. We should retreat quickly. It would be unwise to face the Twelve Joules any further, and we need to regroup with my uncle…”

Of course, that was the best course of action. Although I had pretended to sow discord earlier by mentioning information to the Master of the White Lotus, since they had made a move first, I saw no reason to maintain any loyalty toward them. Just as I prepared to signal for everyone to disperse using my acceleration techniques, an inexplicable feeling washed over me.

“…?”

Was this truly the best option?

A nagging discomfort lingered in my mind. Rationally, it made no sense to hesitate in fleeing the Bancheon Alliance, yet my throat felt parched. The creeping doubt in my mind dulled my movements.

Just then, Mangnyang’s earlier warning echoed in my thoughts.

“I sense danger. Don’t be overconfident, or you might be countered…”

“…”

Could this really be considered ‘overconfidence’?

‘Are we really so conceited to believe the Bancheon Alliance alone can defeat the Vermilion Bird?’

Suddenly, it felt like my thoughts were trapped, closing in on me. While there was logic to my feelings, there was no guarantee my choices were correct. To seize the ultimate Divine Portrait, it would be standard to escape with our own group, leaving the Twelve Joules and the White Lotus behind. The thought I had now seemed utterly absurd.

But… but.

The premise that the Bancheon Alliance could take down the Vermilion Bird, which had already lost most of its strength.

What if that premise was wrong?

What if the Vermilion Bird still had enough power to wipe us out?

“Damn it. I can’t afford to hesitate.”

I shot a glance at Mangnyang but realized there wasn’t enough time for discussion. The Master of the White Lotus was watching me intently, eager for my information, while the Twelve Joules had also been observing closely, ready to pounce.

If I conducted a discussion and deliberated, I would likely be treated as a fool. Moreover, with too little time to exchange thoughts with Zhuge Sa using my suspicious fishhook!

As Zhuge Sa had pointed out before, I had to make my judgment call in an instant!

After wrestling with my thoughts, I finally spoke up.

“Master! Follow us!”

“Where to?”

“Baek Woong!!”

Mangnyang exclaimed, stunned, but I steeled my resolve and continued.

“We’re headed to where the Vermilion Bird is crafting the ultimate Divine Portrait. Let’s make sure to wipe it out.”

This time, I would yield my chance at the ultimate Divine Portrait.

Surrendering such desires felt like an overly greedy impulse; I had to ensure that at least one goal was accomplished before risking it all.

Ultimately, that responsibility would be mine to carry, but I made my decision to focus on gathering the three factions’ power to eliminate the Vermilion Bird!