Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

The Celestial Sage Mi-hu King stared at us with a sullen face, his Ruyi Staff tucked behind his back. On the surface, there was no sign of aggression, but Jin So-cheong maintained a stiff expression, keeping a wary eye on the Mi-hu King.

“Surely the Celestial Sage has a reason for sneaking all the way here. Rather than explaining it now since we’re out of time, how about we join forces to deal with this demon beast?”

This was something Mangnyang, the strategist, would usually say, and Jin So-cheong wasn’t the type to make suggestions easily. Yet, the only one who could summon the courage to speak up against the oppressive aura of the Mi-hu King was Jin So-cheong.

The Mi-hu King twitched his eyebrows at Jin So-cheong’s suggestion.

“Fine! I suppose it’s best I get to work!”

Suddenly, the Mi-hu King raised his Ruyi Staff and transformed it into a colossal size. What was once as small as a candle now towered like a palace pillar, and he thrust it into the ground, chanting an incantation.

“Grow larger!”

With a thunderous crash, the staff expanded rapidly, shattering the ground as it burrowed down, while the giant demon tree trembled, as if pierced through the crown, starting to thrash wildly.

The uppermost level we stood on twisted and wriggled as if a great earthquake had struck, and blood splattered from all directions. Ignoring the demon tree’s agony, the Ruyi Staff mercilessly grew larger and penetrated deeper.

Round and round it went!

The Ruyi Staff pierced to the roots, hesitated, then expanded even further. The speed of its growth was so swift that we were all flung into the air.

“Whoa!”

Blood and splinters rained down in a never-ending cascade. The once-mighty demon tree, enormous enough to cover the sky, was laid waste in an instant by a single blow of the Ruyi Staff! The destructive power was beyond any martial arts we had ever encountered, leaving us in shock as we hovered in mid-air, stunned by the spectacle.

‘The power of the Ruyi Staff…!!’

It was as if it had been created specifically to capture a giant beast. The height of the massive tree had exceeded several miles, and now, it lay shattered. Given that even Jin So-cheong’s most powerful attack had only managed to cut through a tenth of it, the Ruyi Staff’s might was indeed incredible.

Jin So-cheong transmitted to me, [We can’t stay in the air forever. Let’s all land together.]

[Understood.]

After exchanging glances, we began our descent. High in the air, hurtling towards the ground, but amongst us were only peerless masters. I calmly assessed the landing spots and timing before quickly dispersing the impact using the Mind Control Technique and my own technique, directing the force towards the ground.

Boom!

We landed with a great thud, unharmed. Gwang Ho wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“Wow… I’ve never fallen from this height before.”

Just then, Jin So-cheong darted toward us like lightning. He checked to ensure we were okay and said,

“What happened? Suddenly the demon tree burst!”

“The Celestial Sage used the Ruyi Staff to slay the demon tree.”

“… A beast indeed. To take it down with one hit.”

Jin So-cheong’s expression turned serious as he watched the swirling blood cloud in the air.

“If we’re dealing with the Celestial Sage, we can’t possibly face him alone. Baek Woong, you must definitely seek Yeodong-bin’s help.”

“There’s no guarantee Yeodong-bin can defeat him…”

“But we must try.”

“……”

I understood what Jin So-cheong meant. While we couldn’t defeat the Celestial Sage, a minimum level of deterrence was needed to prevent him from recklessly slaughtering us. Since Jin So-cheong couldn’t provide that support alone, he meant to combine forces with Yeodong-bin. However, I felt a twinge of concern.

‘Yeodong-bin… Is he really going to refuse to help?’

No matter how much I called out, there was no response. The link was established, yet he was not responding to my request. Yeodong-bin’s earlier words of “I’ll just watch” meant he was cutting all ties to help or expectations to observe us! Clenching my teeth, I finally spoke up.

“Yeodong-bin is currently rejecting me.”

“What?”

“He isn’t listening to what I have to say…”

Just then, a huge cloud of darkness began to swirl, devouring the blood cloud. A frightening amount of Demon Ki pulsated, creating what seemed like a living form of a human. This shape crafted a ‘hand’ and scattered some sort of spore cloud all around.

‘[The Spirit] has arrived.’

I felt relieved to have averted the worst situation, but dread consumed me at the thought that an enemy still remained.

Sssss

‘And that is…’

I realized through my Palace Examination Technique that the identity of the spore cloud was a message from the [Old Ruler]. Similar to the one the Evil Spirit had been deploying in Luoyang. I was aware that normal humans exposed to that spore cloud were immediately engulfed in madness, so I hastily warned everyone.

“That’s the speech of the Old Ruler! It’s going to cause mental disturbances—focus your intent!”

Immediately, their expressions changed. Reinforcing their mental strength with intent, they braced against the descending spore clouds. Soon, Gwang Ho and the Sword Demon wore twisted expressions. Jin So-cheong, though less affected, had his face hardened like stone, clearly suffering a severe impact.

The Sword Demon coughed up blood and said,

“Cough… This mind attack… What the heck is this?”

The Sword Demon, who had just stepped into the Absolute Realm, was suddenly facing a reckoning! The level of the mental attack was surely stronger than the sonic attack unleashed by the thunderous toad. A typical human would go insane and die just by standing here.

“If we stay exposed for too long, we’ll go mad. We need to locate the Sorcerers and group up.”

“Let’s hurry.”

Tydaht!

We swiftly moved towards the spot where the Sorcerers had gathered earlier, near the ruins of the Moon Sovereign, around Seo San’s Residence, where we soon spotted them generating a translucent blue barrier amid the wreckage. I saw Mangnyang and called out loudly.

“Mangnyang!”

“Baek Woong, quickly get inside!”

Once inside the extensive barrier—about the size of a small room—the madness that had been twisting through our minds seemed to evaporate, and people relaxed. Mangnyang turned to me.

“Baek Woong. Interpret what that [speech] means to me.”

I activated the Palace Examination Technique to interpret the message emanating from the dark entity floating in the heavens.

[Where is my body?]

A message steeped in intense rage! I could definitely sense that this entity was spreading its will through the same means as the [Old Ruler]. As I felt the frustration bubble inside me, I spoke.

“It seems that creature is the ‘Moon’s [Old Ruler]’ sealed by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

“Hmm… That would make sense.”

Mangnyang nodded as if he suddenly grasped the situation.

“Baek Woong, the being known as Izanagi no Mikoto was sealed as the protector of the Moon, and that dark fog floating in the sky is his consciousness. The fact that the Ruyi Staff caused such a colossal destruction before his body fused with his consciousness indicates that the Celestial Sage must have destroyed the body first.”

“Exactly.”

“Then, the real name of this [Spirit] is… um…”

Mangnyang hesitated as if he couldn’t believe his speculation.

“Ijinashi, or perhaps Izanagi no Mikoto… He was the source of divinity, having once ruled Dongyoung, and created the great divine beings called the Three Divine Characters… Furthermore, he was the [Old Ruler] who had been sealed for thousands of years after being defeated by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.”

“……”

A hush fell over the room. Mangnyang’s deductions were highly probable, and if true, we were suddenly facing a staggeringly powerful foe.

The [Old Ruler]!

Even the mere power of this sealed body could rival the Demon King, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before such a creature surfaced. Reduced to a guardian level, weakened drastically, yet still a calamity feared by heaven and earth. Such a being of that caliber was uniquely the [Old Ruler].

‘Surely the original power of Ijinashi surpassed even that of the Sea God…’

Considering the power he had displayed thus far, it was no surprise. The ability to emit his will in spore form suggested he resided in a higher realm, far beyond mere mortals. I clenched my fist.

“… But his body has been destroyed by the Celestial Sage. Now, we may have a fighting chance.”

“Hmm…”

After a moment of contemplation, Mangnyang spoke.

“Baek Woong, we must approach this matter cautiously. Now that we’ve secured the Moon Sovereign, I can’t say for sure whether we should face further risk.”

“Are you suggesting we flee?”

Mangnyang’s gaze drifted to the murky sky.

“Even though he’s only half-formed, sealed for thousands of years, the spirit up there is still the [Old Ruler]. I’ve never encountered a situation like this, so I can’t confidently say we should engage. It might be wise to escape while his attention is on the Celestial Sage.”

“……”

There was reason in Mangnyang’s words. To clarify my plan, I used the Suspicious Fishhook to communicate with Zhuge Sa. After briefly explaining the current situation, Zhuge Sa replied through the connection.

[Mangnyang’s advice is sound, but I recommend you hold your ground and observe.]

[Why?]

[There’s something suspicious about the reason the Celestial Sage came after you so deliberately. If you run away now, he’ll chase you down again. Perhaps it’d be better to negotiate right where you are.]

[… You might be right.]

The moment I heard Zhuge Sa’s words, I felt certain of what I should do next. While I organized my thoughts, something suddenly occurred.

Bam!

Gigantic clouds rose high into the sky, and atop them rode the magnificent figure of the Celestial Sage. It was important to note that when I say magnificent, I mean that Mi-hu King now appeared like a giant, towering as though he was five meters tall. Transforming his size with the technique, the Celestial Sage bellowed down from his cloud.

[You think you can escape this?]

The shocking roar of his Lion’s Roar reached us like a jolt. I was left speechless at the sight.

‘Does he know that he’s facing the [Old Ruler] of the past?’

To think the Mi-hu King would brazenly provoke a being of divine status!

Moments later, Ijinashi extended his remarks.

[We shall meet again.]

Whoa!

The black mist that had engulfed us suddenly dissolved. Like the overwhelming light of the full moon in the midnight sky, it was drawing everything in. Gwang Ho murmured as he watched in disbelief.

“Is the moon absorbing the mist?”

“No.”

Mangnyang’s face hardened like lead as he declared.

“The mist is going to the moon.”

Boom!

As the dark mist completely vanished from the heavens, the earth and sea trembled violently, with a bluish energy bursting forth everywhere. Astonishingly, the white full moon hanging in the sky surged, expanding its size dramatically—tenfold!

The moon was still growing, bewildering us all. Jin So-cheong, eyes wide, spoke in a voice tinged with mania.

“Ha ha… Ha ha… This is pointless… to think we would fight a god, ha ha…”

“Do you understand what’s happening, Cheon Woo-jin?”

“The moon orbits around this world. The fact that it’s getting larger means it’s drawing closer to this realm, ha ha…”

Cheon Woo-jin appeared to have lost his will to fight, gazing vacantly into the void. It seemed the moment he felt the power of the Evil Spirit, he’d lost his sanity. Yet, the essence of his words was clear.

‘Is it possible for an [Old Ruler] to draw the moon closer just by mental power alone?’

From far away, waves crashed against the shores. We were situated inland on Ganghwa Island, so waves were far from what we expected. Yet, the sound of the thundering surf grew louder as the land began to submerge in moments. Mangnyang said,

“Though tide fluctuations can affect the sea level and waves here, this is extreme. It’s raised several times higher than peak high tide…”

“Could it be…?”

“Most likely, all regions affected by the moon are experiencing the same catastrophe.”

Mangnyang’s voice grew somber.

“By now, countless cities in the Central Plains, Goryeo, and Dongyoung must be flooding. Coastal areas are likely underwater, and at least thousands of lives will be swept away.”

A great calamity.

Even knowing it was inevitable, the disaster unfolding before our eyes left us feeling desperate.

We had prevented the horrific catastrophe of merging body and spirit, but to think this Ijinashi could inflict a world-class disaster with only his consciousness!

Boom!

Hovering upon his cloud, the Celestial Sage regarded the devastation below in silence before elongating the Ruyi Staff to connect the sky and earth. It resembled a gigantic iron tower reaching towards the heavens as the Mi-hu King called out.

[You dare treat me like a fool? Taste my wrath…]

With his hands extended toward the sky, he proclaimed.

[Come forth!]

Instantly, I felt as if a black dot appeared against the radiant white moon. It lingered for a moment before vanishing, as darkness-like mist simultaneously reappeared over Ganghwa Island. Ijinashi’s spirit was being forcibly drawn to the earth!

Ku-gugu-gugu…

[I am the strongest of the celestial realms! Even those on the opposite side of the world cannot escape my Ruyi Staff!]

With a booming laugh, the Celestial Sage swung his staff suddenly.

Bam!

[Oh oh oh oh…]

With a blow strong enough to split heaven and earth, the enlarged Ruyi Staff struck Ijinashi directly, causing the entity to tremble as though it were corporeal. The staff appeared capable of directly striking even apparitions.

[Ha ha, foolish spirit!]

The Mi-hu King roared joyfully.

Bam!

Suddenly, an army of clones filled the skies from the Celestial Sage. Each one was the size of an average human, yet there were thousands of them. Countless Mi-hu Kings swung their staffs, casting spells, launching beams from their hands, enlarging their size, and spontaneously exploding!

The sight of hundreds of clones simultaneously enlarging their staffs and tearing through the mist was truly terrifying.

Crash!

Bang!

The relentless sound of explosions painted the sky with blinding light.

‘This is insane.’

To face such a master of cloning head-on was a recipe for suicide. Each of those thousands of clones possessed immense power!

Moreover, they could execute an array of diverse tactics, switching seamlessly between attack and defense. I watched the scene in despair when suddenly, the radiant flashes ceased, and the black mist washed away, revealing the Celestial Sage grasping onto a black soul with his hand. With relentless strikes, even the soul of the [Old Ruler] could not withstand and lost its strength.

Poof!

The Celestial Sage clenched his fist, obliterating Ijinashi and declared triumphantly.

“If we just fought normally, it wouldn’t have been so tedious like this! Now look where we ended up! Ha ha ha!”

I couldn’t believe it.

“… A monster.”

I found myself saying unknowingly.

Even though Ijinashi existed only as a spirit, the Celestial Sage had single-handedly hunted the half-awakened [Old Ruler].