Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 1 – Dark Heaven Village

“I would have rescued survivors from Luoyang over the span of three days ideally.”

But the current situation had flipped so rapidly that there was no room to concern ourselves with that. Eventually, we had no choice but to leave Luoyang quickly, leaving all rescue activities and post-event adjustments to Yeon Jong-hwi.

‘Master Mangnyang is completely uninvolved…’

Despite the large-scale human sacrifice and the destruction ceremony happening in Luoyang, Master Mangnyang exerted no influence whatsoever. He seemed to exist outside all of this chaos, showing no presence except to maintain the battle ground.

With a divine status like Master Mangnyang, he could have dealt with the Nine Lotus Sect beforehand—it’s strange.

One of the evidences of his indifference was that Mangnyang desperately called for Master Mangnyang but received no answer. Not even appeared to me through a dream. Zhuge Sa, witnessing Master Mangnyang’s lack of response, succinctly summarized the situation.

“Simply put, he’s reached his limit.”

“Limit?”

“He has been exerting most of his strength to maintain the battle ground from the beginning. In other words, given the monstrous chaos right now, he can do nothing but keep the battle ground stable.”

“…”

“Currently, Master Mangnyang is barely present.”

That could very well be the case.

We returned to the Kingdom of Duke Du. To examine Seo Mun-hye’s condition in detail, we summoned the Five Great Physicians, who were already residing in the Kingdom. The companions who inherited my memories believed that exceptional physicians would be essential for the battles ahead, so they had personally sought out and brought them to safety in the Kingdom fifty years ago. As a result, all Five Great Physicians, except for the mystic Sangwan Hyuk, were currently staying in the Kingdom of Duke Du.

The masked Heavenly Doctor, Dongbang Mu-gyeol, examined Seo Mun-hye, who lay unconscious, and stated, “She is perfectly fine. She’s merely fainted. There are no issues with the organs or the brain.”

“Really?”

“I can assure you on my name. And where are the wounds? There are none.”

“Um…”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol was the most objective among the Five Great Physicians. If he could confidently assure me, then Seo Mun-hye must certainly be safe. Suddenly, I found it strange that he was wearing a mask and asked, “Why are you wearing a mask?”

“Why should I tell you that?”

As Dongbang Mu-gyeol responded with a twisted voice, Zhuge Sa, who was standing beside me, chuckled softly and said, “It would be wise to speak if you don’t want to be exiled from this island. This fool is essentially our master.”

“Ugh.”

“If you want to continue fighting monsters in the hellish Central Plains, I won’t stop you.”

“Got it. Damn it!”

At the mention of ‘exile’, Dongbang Mu-gyeol flinched slightly and, seemingly without choice, slowly removed his mask.

Swish

“……!!”

I was stunned by what lay beneath his mask.

“Uh… A Merfolk?”

Indeed. His face still retained about 30% of its human form, but he was a quintessential Merfolk, strikingly similar to the Sea God Clan, whom I had fought against in my past life! By any standard of human aesthetics, anyone would consider him a monster. He had originally been a cunning-looking, rather handsome middle-aged man, but this was a severe change in appearance.

Then, Dongbang Mu-gyeol replied gruffly, “What’s wrong with that now? Outside the Kingdom of Duke Du in the Central Plains, there are plenty of half-breeds or those fused with Merfolk… I’ve accepted their blood stably by following the teachings of the Su Shin Sect, so I have no issues. It means I won’t lose my human traits.”

“Teachings of the Su Shin Sect? What do you mean?”

“… Well, with neither the Sect Master nor the Dharma Guardian, I guess it doesn’t really matter if I say this.”

As Dongbang Mu-gyeol scratched at the small gills on the back of his cheek, he continued, “Not just me, but everyone who has inherited the Su Shin Sect’s teachings gradually changes into the appearance of a Merfolk. By regularly infusing diluted Merfolk blood while maintaining the soul and spirit with sorcery, we only accept their powers. This way, one gains the Merfolk’s extraordinary vitality and vessel, further allowing the stable operation of the Heavenly Spirit Pill and a lifespan close to immortality.”

“……”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you feeling sorry for me?”

I struggled to respond, looking at him.

“Your voice sounds strange. Won’t your voice eventually change to sound like a Merfolk’s too?”

“That will probably happen. For now, I’m suppressing that transformation because I don’t want to change so much yet.”

If that happened, Dongbang Mu-gyeol would eventually communicate like Dokgo Jun or the experts of the Su Shin Sect, rarely speaking in a human voice, relying instead on Six Harmonies Assembly or Secret Transmission to converse. The thought of the figures from the Su Shin Sect I had faced in the past sent shivers down my spine.

“Although you claim to preserve some human traits, at the end of the day, you have essentially rejected your humanity.”

As I spoke to him in a flustered voice, Dongbang Mu-gyeol let out a nonchalant chuckle.

“What’s so good about staying human?”

“What…?”

“The human body is fragile, uncomfortable, and dies quickly. In contrast, this body is bursting with vitality and can live semi-permanently in water, has a significantly longer lifespan, and most importantly, allows for the operation of the Heavenly Spirit Pill easily. Why should I remain human? Ha!”

“……”

He bellowed, “Don’t meddle in the lives of those who are doing fine and mind your own!”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol abruptly stood and left, seeming somewhat angry. A brief silence ensued, and the other Great Physicians beside me had expressions that indicated they expected such a reaction. Guangming Divine Doctor Hwa Seong-myeong finally spoke up.

“Sure enough, you’ve touched a nerve with him.”

“A nerve?”

“Though he tries to act nonchalant, he often laments and regrets changing into a Merfolk. He has gotten angry during drinking sessions quite a few times. Even though he has obtained what he desired, it seems he always yearns for what he has lost.”

“Mm.”

“Regardless, according to our diagnosis, Seo Mun-hye’s body shows no abnormalities. Only…”

“Only…?”

Unlike fifty years ago, Hwa Seong-myeong’s hair was now completely white and aged.

“Her body is human, but not human.”

“What do you mean?”

“In appearance, she looks human, but she’s incredibly robust and perfect to an absurd level. To put it simply, she possesses astonishing resistance and recovery capabilities to all shocks and has a circulatory system that is hundreds of times more complex and intense than an ordinary individual.”

“Are you implying she’s of Merfolk descent?”

“Not exactly…”

Hwa Seong-myeong seemed somewhat exasperated, fumbling for words before continuing, “An enhanced human, if I must express it… you could say it’s an evolution of humanity compared to the current humans.”

“……!!”

“Isn’t she of Merfolk descent? Of course, we’ve dissected plenty of Merfolk corpses over the last fifty years, so we know their samples and strengths well. However, her body is much sturdier and powerful than those Merfolk. It appears to be far stronger than the realm of a martial artist who has trained for decades.”

He gazed enviously at Seo Mun-hye, who lay fainted.

“She could walk barefoot over lava and still be unscathed, and she could smash cliffs with her bare fists without using martial techniques.”

“Is that even possible?”

“Of course, it was originally impossible.”

Dongbang Mu-gyeol, who was beside Hwa Seong-myeong, pulled out several distorted needles and said, “Look here. We attempted to perform pulse diagnosis, but the needles wouldn’t penetrate her skin. They all shattered. So, the Dongbang Mu-gyeol who just stormed out barely managed to use his peak power to successfully insert a needle.”

“Ugh…”

Is it really that extreme?

After a moment of thought, I asked, “When do you think her consciousness will return?”

“Not sure. However, considering the blood flow is calmly stable even though her breath has stopped, she might awaken shortly. In any case, there’s no issue with her life.”

“Understood.”

For now, it seemed we had no choice but to keep an eye on her.

I stepped outside to discuss plans with Zhuge Sa and Mangnyang.

“What should we do now?”

“First, we need to go to Mount Tai when the Celestial Sage summons us in three days. And before that, there’s something we must do,” Zhuge Sa continued.

“Baek Woong, are you certain you have reached the realm of Absolute Domain or Overlay Technique?”

“……”

With such a direct question, I couldn’t help but hesitate. It wasn’t as though I was confused like before, but it wasn’t easy to answer either. After a long moment of contemplation, I finally spoke.

“I don’t think so.”

“But you could sense the movements of Absolute Domain when you battled Jin So-cheong and Tang San?”

“That was only when I initiated the Divine Sword Technique. Once I withdrew it, the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique’s abilities disappeared as well.”

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Sa rested his chin on his hand, clearly intrigued. Then Mangnyang, who was standing beside him, spoke up.

“That Divine Sword Technique seems to hold some secret. Baek Woong, do you have any insight?”

It seemed Mangnyang was hoping for something from my intuition. After all, my instincts played a significant role during the Exalted Portrait’s revival ceremony. However, given how much time had passed, I wasn’t sure if my intuition would be as clear now.

‘The reason… why Yeodong-bin became the Divine Sword…’

I recalled what Yeodong-bin had said back then.

[I don’t have enough evidence yet, but since you have a greater issue at hand than I do, I’ve left it be for now. But once the Heavenly Altar descends, those who will hunt you down will arrive.]

[However, if you are confident in your own righteousness, you need not confront the Celestial Realm.]

[If I can awaken my master, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, before the Heavenly Altar descends, there may be a way.]

[First, if I wake my master and explain the situation, he will guide me on what to do next.]

That’s right.

As Yeodong-bin sensed the atmosphere turning against me, he trusted me, as the Dharma Protector, to become the Divine Sword and assist him. Simultaneously, he asked me to awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate, though he didn’t elaborate on the details.

Perhaps Yeodong-bin thought that once he became the Celestial Sage of the Heavenly Realm, he would have no choice but to hunt me down, leading him to become the Divine Sword to help me, even at the expense of forsaking his position. Yet, there was a nagging feeling deep down that it was not just that, which prompted Mangnyang to raise doubts.

What was Yeodong-bin thinking?

After a moment of thought, I spoke, “What’s certain is that, as Yeodong-bin mentioned, awakening the Fire Dragon Incarnate, who is resting within the Flame Elemental Sword, should be our priority. The Fire Dragon Incarnate would know how to navigate the unfolding situation.”

“To awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate, we need the strongest flames in the world, but I can’t even begin to guess how the situation of the Flame Spirit is right now. At this point, we have no way of breaking through the Flame Spirit’s barrier. Furthermore, the backup, the Dharma Guardian of the Fire Spirit Lineage, Han Baek-ryeong, was slain not long ago.”

“Damn it!”

Things had truly become complicated.

At that moment, Zhuge Sa, who had been listening, chuckled wryly.

“Well… while we can’t ensure we can gather the Flame Spirit now, it wouldn’t hurt to investigate the Seven Luminaries. Once we obtain it, we can offer it to the Celestial Sage.”

“What? Are you saying we should give the Seven Luminaries to the Celestial Sage?”

Zhuge Sa nodded.

“Indeed. He always seems to keep a close watch on the Seven Luminaries, trying to seize it. However, we don’t really understand why he covets the Seven Luminaries.”

I caught onto Zhuge Sa’s line of thought.

“Are you suggesting we figure out why he seeks the Seven Luminaries?”

“If we clearly understand the reasons and the background, it would greatly benefit us going forward. Additionally, he doesn’t feel a strong loyalty to the Celestial Realm and is quite a loyal individual. If we present the Seven Luminaries first, we could easily earn his goodwill. He tends to assist those who show loyalty even beyond what is offered.”

“Hmm…”

“After all, with this situation, there’s only so much we can do with the Seven Luminaries that are ultimately unattainable. Cooperation with the Celestial Sage, who is the only helper left that Jin So-cheong has left behind, is unavoidable. Moreover, if he begins to explore us through the Golden Lamp of Heaven, hiding the Seven Luminaries would just be a matter of time.”

“Ugh.”

I gritted my teeth.

Is it really the case that after being cornered this badly, I might end up giving the Seven Luminaries to the Celestial Sage as flattery? But given the circumstances, if it’s going to be taken away anyway, perhaps it would be better to turn it in first.

I ultimately steeled my resolve and said, “Alright. Let’s search for the Flame Spirit.”

I didn’t know how powerful the Flame Elemental Sword’s guardian, Gong Gong, had become, but there was no choice but to take the risk. If we don’t awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate, nothing will work out.

Yet, whether we could breach the barrier surrounding the Flame Spirit was still questionable. The barrier wouldn’t open before the total solar eclipse arrived. Essentially, finding the Flame Spirit was more about figuring out whether it could be reached.

Even if the barrier were to be open, directly challenging the guardian wouldn’t be realistic. Given the current imbalance of Yin and Yang, the power of Gong Gong was likely many times stronger than before.

It was a grim situation in many respects, but I decided to move forward for now. If I didn’t act, nothing would change.

Pa-at!

After taking a moment to rest, I headed toward the Yulala region of the southern continent, Kartukaza, where I had previously visited. First, I needed to understand the surrounding circumstances. Plus, just charging in would likely bounce me off due to the barrier.

Upon locating the battle ground near Uluru, I soon realized something strange.

“There seems to be dense foliage nearby.”

Originally, Uluru was near a barren desert, but it was now overgrown with lush greenery, and numerous vibrant trees thrived. Additionally, many gigantic trees indicated that this land was overflowing with life. Considering how climate determines the environment, it was hard to believe that a desert could quickly transform into a dense forest even after fifty years.

A moment later, I confirmed whether the barrier still existed.

“……!!”

It’s been destroyed!

The barrier that was originally maintained by the will of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and even summoned the Overlay Technique during emergencies, had been smashed. It seemed this wasn’t even a recent destruction; there was hardly any trace of the barrier remaining, suggesting that relentless destructive activities had occurred.

‘Hmm… Rather than retreating, should I try to go in?’

I slowly ascended the massive rocky mountain to search for an entrance. Though I retraced my memories and touched various spots, I couldn’t directly enter.

‘Damn… as I thought.’

The area of Uluru spanned over ten li, and to find a passage, I’d have to touch an entry point within an area not bigger than a swordsman’s reach. I had been lucky to find it previously, but it would undoubtedly take considerably longer to locate it this time.

But there was a way. I had entered the Flame Spirit’s sealing chamber once before, so I could use the Golden Lamp Technique to enter.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself.

‘In the shortest time, I’ll gather the seeds of the Dragon Flower Tree, awaken the Fire Dragon Incarnate using the Flame Spirit’s power, and escape with the Flame Spirit.’

Pa-at!

As the Golden Lamp’s teleportation occurred, I swiftly aimed to absorb thousands of years worth of flame energy into the Fire Dragon Sword. Because there was no guarantee I could defeat Gong Gong in a one-on-one fight, I resolved to avoid combat, only doing what was necessary to escape.

“Ugh…”

But the very next moment, I froze in place.

Something was standing in the sealing chamber of the Flame Spirit.

[Has another underling of the evil spirit come to rob the Seven Luminaries? Are you not tired of this?]

“……”

[Even if you destroy the barrier, it won’t be everything. As long as I exist, you can never take it away.]

The figure was similar in height and build to a human, and its appearance matched. Was it a little taller than me? Its entire body was engulfed in flames, and it held a giant sword. I recognized that presence well.

“Gong Gong!”

I can’t believe he’s openly guarding the sealing chamber of the Flame Spirit!

Isn’t this outright cheating?!

[You, a mere human, know me?]

“Weren’t you originally a giant? Why have you shrunk in size…”

Before I could voice my confusion, Gong Gong interrupted.

[Quit your incessant chattering! Die, intruder!]

Crack!

“Ugh.”

As Gong Gong swung his giant sword, I summoned my sword to block his attack but was forcefully knocked back. With the feeling of my arms going numb, despair washed over me.

‘Can I win?’

Of all places and times, I had to face off against the guardian of the Flame Spirit.