Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

As I activated the Palace Examination Technique, I felt my senses expand like searching for a beam of light in the endless sea of darkness. The spirit of the National Seal resonated with me, shifting my awareness to distant lands, and soon, it felt as if I were gazing down upon all of Luoyang from hundreds of miles above.

Then, I sensed a bizarre shadow casting a dark cloud over the entirety of Luoyang.

Something incredibly massive.

Like an amalgamation of an octopus, a dragon, and a human—something.

I realized that the presence of darkness, previously reflected in the remnants of the clouds, had reached right above Luoyang. I wanted to share this sensation, so I briefly maintained the Palace Examination Technique and reached for the obsidian, but Zhuge Sa, standing beside me, slapped my hand away in panic.

“Stop it.”

“Why? I’m trying to relay what I see with the obsidian…”

“Hahaha! Are you trying to drive all our companions mad?”

Zhuge Sa’s fierce expression contorted with astonishment.

‘Ah!’

At that moment, I immediately realized something.

Zhuge Sa knew precisely what the [Old Ruler] appearing above Luoyang was. And he was convinced that any ordinary human witnessing that being would lose their sanity and go mad. Thanks to my bizarrely high mental defense, I could look directly during the Palace Examination without issue, but regular humans couldn’t.

But does that mean even the absolute masters of the Absolute Realm or Illusory Realm could be driven to madness simply by looking at it?

“… What is that?”

“I don’t know what you’re seeing right now, but… that may be the destination of your journey.”

Zhuge Sa continued, his eyes trembling with fear and madness.

“Please… be cautious.”

Is it possible to suffer misfortune just by peeking through the Palace Examination Technique?

While I pondered this, the situation in Luoyang began shifting moment by moment.

The dark clouds briefly turned red, and an unidentifiable entity descended.

‘A language…?’

From those clouds, a mysterious language slowly descended like a spore cloud. It might sound absurd to describe an intangible existence like language in this way, but on a metaphysical level, I felt the will of the [Old Ruler] manifesting and being conveyed to me.

This might be the effect of the National Seal’s Palace Examination Technique.

It interprets the language of the [Old Ruler] and other great beings—entities that could never be understood by mortals or the realm of mortals! Perhaps Shao Hao Jin Tian, who created the National Seal, was also connected to them, enhancing the translation ability of the Palace Examination Technique to a divine level.

Kurruuuuu—

When I heard it directly, it was just an unsettling sound emanating from the dark clouds. For this reason, the ordinary people living in Luoyang were merely screaming or terrified as they gazed at the clouds. It appeared that no one understood this language.

However— to me, the language descending from the dark clouds was translated as clear as day.

[Mine is here.]

Rough as it may be, a definite will resonated within me. At the same time, flames suddenly erupted in the streets of Luoyang.

Those flames were ignited by humans. Chaos, destruction, and massacre began to unfold everywhere. The halls went up in flames, staining the streets with blood as a gust of dark wind blew through. The sound of screams and horrific murders erupted in dozens or hundreds. Human relations collapsed, and order disintegrated.

It was a horrific scene, yet I found myself thinking something else.

‘Is it because I couldn’t understand that language…?’

The will of a higher existence was merely transmitted, yet human brains could not process it, resulting in madness as a self-protective mechanism. While the [Old Ruler] hadn’t exerted power or commanded, millions were swept into insanity in an instant, giving rise to a massacre.

Flash!

The dark clouds collided with something, sending out a flash of light. After several bursts of illumination, the dark clouds fell silent, apparently having failed to penetrate deeper into Luoyang. Upon witnessing that scene, I could glean the situation.

‘The Battle Ground!’

There had been a Battle Ground in Luoyang since ancient times, likely a creation of Master Mangnyang. Because of the immense dark menace sealed within Luoyang, it was the only unique barrier that even the [Old Ruler] could not breach.

Then, shortly after, the entire Imperial Palace of Luoyang collapsed, and the ground sank beneath it.

Kugugugu—

From where the Imperial Palace used to be, a hand resembling a frog’s emerged from underground. That enormous hand, like that of a giant, slowly stretched towards the surface, dragging its torso up. Soon, the entire form made its appearance.

It was a monster with a thick, fuzzy body and a head resembling that of a toad.

Though it may sound absurd to merely call it a frog or toad, it felt as if multiple bizarre animal traits were represented in one being. Having seen countless grotesque otherworldly races, I didn’t find it particularly terrifying at that point, but shortly after, I felt a sharp pain in my eyes.

“Ugh.”

“Baek Woong. Are you alright?”

Mangnyang asked worriedly, but I was too dizzy to respond.

It felt like my eyes were being stabbed with a needle!

Why does it hurt so much?!

Then Zhuge Sa, who was observing from the side, spoke.

“Don’t look directly at the Divine Being. No matter how strong the Palace Examination Technique is, it can still evoke rage.”

“I got it.”

It seems that merely gazing directly at the [Old Ruler] with the Palace Examination Technique causes harm due to the curse surrounding it. Yet even from this distance, viewing it with a divine treasure still results in tangible harm—the power of the [Old Ruler] appears to surpass imagination.

Simultaneously, I quickly started deducing the identity of that ‘toad.’

‘Enkai’s Sleeper!!’

The hidden puppet master of the Imperial Palace, a powerful individual among the [Old Ruler], and simultaneously, an intermediary of the Demon Subduing Hall, a force that has existed since ancient times! There had only been one occasion when that overwhelming being revealed itself to the world, and its majesty at that time was unforgettable.

The toad’s gaze slowly turned to the celestial dark clouds and shot a ‘word’ toward it.

[Return with your spirit. Is there chaos trying to descend here?]

Kiiiii—

It was a bizarre occurrence. Upon unleashing its words, the madness rampant on the ground temporarily subsided, and the humans seemed to regain their senses. Believing the horrific acts they had committed, they were caught in a pandemonium, but for the two divine beings, such events seemed insignificant.

Yes, from the distant perspective of the Palace Examination Technique, I began to understand the [Old Ruler]’s gaze.

For them, humans were indeed less than bugs.

Oooooooo—

Then, the dark clouds began to undulate and spread out in all directions.

The prophetic dragon reached out into the sky.

Eternity danced around its fingers. In the abyss of darkness, the constellations shone regally, and the daytime sky began to turn pitch black. Day was transforming into night.

Whoosh!

“Ah, no?!”

The darkness suddenly swept over Jangryeong Valley as well. It seemed that the being within the dark clouds was reversing day and night starting from Luoyang’s epicenter. Staring at that incomprehensible spectacle, I quickly asked Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin! This resembles the pinnacle of the Heaven-Sent Art…”

“Ugh… ugh…”

Cheon Woo-jin’s usual confident and arrogant demeanor had completely vanished. His face was a mashup of fear and despair, and thick droplets of sweat cascaded down his forehead. As he knelt, crying out in despair, he began to scream uncontrollably.

“I was wrong…!! To think something like that would appear… This world is finished…!!”

Cheon Woo-jin desperately knelt down, bursting into tears.

“Cough!”

Then, as if his spirit had reached its limit, he began to spit blood! Perhaps having reached the pinnacle of sorcery, he could easily comprehend the gap between himself and the [Old Ruler] appearing before him? Even a sorcerer regarded as among the best on this continent seemed to have been completely broken at that moment.

Mangnyang hurriedly grasped Cheon Woo-jin’s hand to calm him.

“Priest! Compose yourself! That existence has not attacked us yet…”

“It’s all meaningless! It’s all meaningless…!! Waaaaah… do you know what’s happening right now, older brother?”

“I can’t say I do. All I can tell is that day and night have been reversed.”

The words that followed Cheon Woo-jin shocked everyone present.

“That being… has altered the physical laws of this world using the power of the constellations! The axis of the world has already turned upside down, and darkness has consumed the light. I never imagined something like this was possible!! To fight against such a being? Really?!”

“……!!”

“The Heaven-Sent Art? Don’t be ridiculous!! How could it even be compared to that… damned… damned…”

With tears streaming down his face, Cheon Woo-jin couldn’t rise. It was an unexpected scenario; no one anticipated that the most powerful force among our group would falter first, and thus everyone fell silent. At that moment, it seemed the calmest observer had been Lee Cheong-un, who, looking up at the sky’s darkness, spoke calmly.

“… If a god has altered the laws, there must be a reason. Baek Woong, what do you think that reason is?”

“Hmm…”

I racked my brain.

From our earlier discussions, it seemed the dragon-like [Old Ruler] desired something existing within Luoyang and had made a request, only to have that request denied by the Sleeper. Consequently, as Cheon Woo-jin stated, it responded by rewriting the world’s laws and reversing the axis of Yin and Yang.

“It seems it wants to exert its influence…”

The darkness grew increasingly contorted, and the ground of Luoyang cracked, tremors signaling impending earthquakes. This seismic activity wasn’t confined to Luoyang; the ground was visibly deforming, lifting and sinking to a degree visible from the heavens.

Kugugugu—

As Luoyang Castle faced physical destruction, numerous lines of lightning sporadically descended from the dark clouds. Each strike carried a ‘word’ within it, seemingly forcing the Sleeper. The entity cloaking the world in darkness asserted its claim over this realm as the dark being began to unfurl bat-like wings.

Turning its back to the moon, the entity within the dark clouds revealed its colossal form.

I murmured as I gazed upon it.

“That’s the Evil Spirit.”

A being destined to annihilate humans five hundred years in the future, bringing back the [Old Ruler]!

As the Evil Spirit unleashed tremendous power, it pressed against the Battle Ground, which began to crack increasingly, splintering. The toad sitting in the Imperial Palace seemed to notice this, gazing up at the sky with its sunken eyes before suddenly shouting.

[The seal is linked! Do not break it with force; great wounds will be inflicted upon him!]

Then, the Evil Spirit, seeming to mock, unleashed even greater power, and the Palace Examination Technique sensed volcanic eruptions across Central Plains and surging dragon veins. The idea that the axis of Yin and Yang had indeed reversed didn’t seem like a lie as great demons suddenly began to appear, and dark beings crawled out from various places.

The Evil Spirit flashed its cruel eye, responding threateningly.

[Once the seal is broken, I will erase you forever along with him.]

Seeing that spectacle, I could grasp the Evil Spirit’s intent.

‘Madness…’

The Evil Spirit had come here with two purposes. One was to eliminate Enkai’s Sleeper, who held the divine will of the Divine Portrait. The other was to destroy the Battle Ground in Luoyang and eliminate the dark forces sealed therein!

Such actions could only be taken by one possessing an absolute confidence in their prowess—a truly domineering entity. However, simultaneously, questions began to arise in my mind.

‘What is going on? If the Sleeper of Enkai holds the divine will, how can the Evil Spirit act so freely?’

I quickly turned to Zhuge Sa.

“Zhuge Sa!”

“Ah. Hurry and send the memory.”

I felt a pang of guilt towards him. But given that this entire memory was one of chaotic madness, only Zhuge Sa, already enshrouded in madness could accept it. Even so, I felt sorry for him, as an ordinary human might sense overwhelming despair leading them to suicide.

Paat—

Zhuge Sa contemplated the visions I had witnessed with the obsidian and said, “It was split in two…”

“Split in two?”

“Two [Old Rulers] divided the Divine Portrait in half. It’s likely that the contract was set up that way from the very beginning. That was what the Vermilion Bird intended.”

“So, both of them possess half of the divine will right now?”

Zhuge Sa nodded, adding, “Both of them are greedy. But the Evil Spirit seems to be the more avaricious one, intent on destroying Enkai’s Sleeper and claiming the remaining half. Plus, it aims to dismantle the Battle Ground…”

“Is that even possible? Aren’t they both [Old Rulers], thus on equal footing?”

I questioned, puzzled, to which Zhuge Sa shook his head.

“There is a disparity. I believe such an act is quite feasible for the present Evil Spirit. Furthermore, it’s not uncommon for [Old Rulers] to eliminate each other through slaughter.”

“Those beings are of a bloodline tied to chaos, making them relatives, after all.”

“What good is blood relation to a god? It’s merely a human perspective; those beings are the embodiment of ultimate selfhood and egoism, thus harboring no guilt whatsoever.”

“……”

Now, the situation was clear. I urgently turned to Zhuge Sa, saying, “Alright. To prevent the Evil Spirit from winning, we must summon the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Is that possible?”

“… We’ll only know once we try.”

Zhuge Sa sighed.

“Yet it seems a conclusion may come before then.”

“Hey!”

Just then, sensing rapid changes in information flowing through the Palace Examination Technique, I exclaimed in alarm.

Kugugugu—

Luoyang Castle had already been completely destroyed, and it seemed that less than one-tenth of the living humans remained. With the waves of madness continuing, compounded by earthquakes and fires, in that brief period, nearly ninety percent of the human population had met a gruesome end. Yet amidst that chaos, Enkai’s Sleeper remained stubbornly seated at the Imperial Palace, chanting spells to attack the being in the dark.

Paan!

Yet the intangible barrier enveloping the Evil Spirit effortlessly thwarted that attack. The Evil Spirit, adopting a gripping posture with its hand, swung down heavily.

Pukwak!

[Oooooo…]

The Divine Being’s scream!

Like a corpse frog quivering, the Sleeper, having sustained a significant blow, now had its left arm torn off. It was unclear what transpired, but the power of the Evil Spirit had injured a being even whilst disregarding the confines of the Battle Ground. Momentarily, the Evil Spirit flapped its bat-like wings and unleashed a command into the air.

[To the King of All Kings, I’ve been granted permission.]

[Nonsense…]

[The ancient commands lie within my grasp, thus you cannot become my foe.]

The King of All Kings?

The ancient commands?

While it sounded bizarre, those commands harbored enormous power, as suddenly, the Battle Ground in the air began shaking, and fractures appeared. As the Evil Spirit unleashed its might, the Battle Ground, preserved for millennia, faced destruction.

If the Battle Ground breaks— the most catastrophic demons will be unleashed.

Could the Evil Spirit even erase that existence?

As I observed the unfolding events, it happened.

Suuuu—

Silver light suddenly enveloped near the Battle Ground, beginning to glow brightly. The clash between the [Old Ruler] was interrupted by the silver light, which, in a sudden burst, triggered a remarkable phenomenon.

Whiriririk,

Whiriririk,

Whiririk!

Completely obliterated, the millions of humans residing in Luoyang. The tragic land began to restore itself, almost as if time would rewind. I realized that this effect was reminiscent of the ‘time recovery’ ability I had witnessed earlier through the prophecy and was left in shock.

But to think that it could restore an entire city, rather than just an individual?!

It seemed all life, all matter, was subjected to that existence’s will! Yet it seemed the being could not reverse the damage inflicted by a god, as Enkai’s Sleeper still appeared delirious.

As I was left aghast, a dark mist emerged beyond the silver, taking on a visage resembling a face. It had no eyes, and that ashen face gazed at the Evil Spirit as it spoke.

[Now is not the time for revelation.]

Who could that being be?

Upon hearing that command, the Evil Spirit ceased its attacks and faced the dark being.

[Do not interfere, you trembled existence.]

[I shall restrain you.]

[Who commanded you to lay a path of obstacles?]

The Evil Spirit replied inquisitively but seemed somewhat anxious. The dark being then fell silent and gave no response. After a momentary standoff, the Evil Spirit began to recite a spell.

[Die.]

Puwak!

Simultaneously, the [Old Ruler], Enkai’s Sleeper, suffering from immense anguish, was torn apart helplessly. It seemed to be an attack that even the power of a god could not impede, and it rapidly began to vanish. Absorbed at a metaphysical level, the Evil Spirit gained the divine will held by the Sleeper and spoke to the luminous being standing in its way.

[We shall meet again, at the time of revelation.]

Sssssssss—

The Evil Spirit opened a doorway to chaos and vanished as if washed away. The dark clouds also dissipated, and the silver presence swiftly disappeared, but the power of the constellations remained unrelieved. The Evil Spirit had indeed upended the balance of heaven and earth, and as night continued, humanity within Luoyang was either driven mad or plunged into despair and frustration.

As Zhuge Sa had foretold.

Without the chance for the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to intervene, the duel among divine beings concluded in an instant.

In an overwhelming form, no less!

As I realized that the situation had finally reached a conclusion, I once again shared my memories with Zhuge Sa.

“Central Plains is doomed. Volcanic eruptions will occur, and monsters and otherworldly races will overthrow it. We must flee to the Kingdom of Duke Du. Soon, the Demon King sealed away will resurrect; it is indeed the worst case.”

“Can’t we help the people?”

“Well, if we could reverse the Yin and Yang and the earth’s axis, it might be possible. Give it a try.”

“……”

Of course, no one could possibly achieve such a feat.

As I began packing my things, I thought, ‘I have to go.’

Before heading to the Kingdom of Duke Du, I must meet Master Mangnyang.

Because that silver being that had just opposed the Evil Spirit— it must undoubtedly be Master Mangnyang!