Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 598 – Dark Heaven Village

After returning to my base, I checked how much strength the Fire Dragon Sword had returned to me. As I drew out the power stored within the sword, I held it firmly in both hands, and it felt as though a storm of Qi was rising just from a slight exertion of spirit.

*Whooosh!*

Then, as I swung the sword, I executed a series of Thunder God techniques. Once the process concluded, the Poison King Tang San, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, crossed his arms and spoke.

“Well, it’s not the Absolute Realm, is it? Just a step before one.”

Currently, our team’s elite from the Absolute Realm were nearly wiped out, but only Tang San had joined our side. He had suffered fatal injuries in a battle against the Nine Lotus Bishop and had only barely survived with the help of the Five Great Physicians.

Since Tang San was an expert from the Absolute Realm, I assumed he could give me a more objective view of my current state, thus I demonstrated my martial arts skills for him. With a cold, serpentine gleam in his green eyes, he continued speaking.

“Just as Jin So-cheong said. I have nothing more to add, really.”

“Don’t brush it off like that. Don’t you have any advice to offer?”

“Seriously, you whine too much…”

“Call it whining if you like. I just want to gain whatever I can.”

Shame? Not a chance.

As I spoke resolutely, Tang San chuckled softly.

“Are you afraid you’ll die when you meet the Celestial Sage tomorrow?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I can relate. You see, from your perspective, my existence is one of the ultimate masters of poison—something that waits fifty years to be seen. It’s only right you’d want to gain as much as possible.”

Tang San downed a flask of sohongju that was hanging from his finger and continued.

“However, even if I give you all my advice now, I doubt it’ll shorten your journey remarkably.”

“What do you mean?”

“Suppose my advice enlightens you and you reach the Absolute Realm. So what changes? At best, you’d only be a mere challenger in the initial stages of the Absolute Realm, easily toppled by an expert in overlay techniques. You saw what happened when I faced Jin So-cheong.”

“… True.”

“But the remaining enemies are nothing but absolute beings that crush even those experts, while even the same absolute beings can eliminate them with a flick of a finger…”

“……”

He chuckled softly.

“How utterly meaningless. And you, Baek Woong, truly aren’t right in the head. No matter how many times you reincarnate, thinking you can defeat those Demon Gods who govern the world is quite the challenge.”

I calmly replied.

“If I had thought about such things too much, I would have given up long ago. Such worries are not for you to have.”

“Hehe… I guess having the blood of the Tang clan made me a little mad, so I don’t actually dislike you.”

Suddenly, Tang San slumped back into his seat and spoke.

“Well then, if you should die tomorrow, let me share a few crucial secrets and pieces of advice as the strongest master of the Four Talents Sect.”

“… Isn’t calling yourself the strongest a bit arrogant?”

“Arrogant, you say? The Four Talents Sect has never produced an absolute master before me, and I am the only one known to have achieved the Formless Poison in all of history. I’d say I rank among the top twenty in five thousand years of martial history. No one has surpassed me in poison techniques.”

“……”

It wasn’t wrong. Although Tang San often seemed weak, the fact that both Jin So-cheong and the Nine Lotus Bishop easily defeated him only spoke to how monstrous they truly were. Tang San could very well be considered the strongest poison master in the history of martial arts.

Tang San continued to speak.

“My ultimate technique, the Formless Poison, is not a poison that exists in reality, so it cannot be created through physical means.”

I nodded.

“I remember. All the poison masters in the Central Plains failed to create the Formless Poison because they attempted to make something that doesn’t exist…”

“The Formless Poison is the ultimate poison formed from will. Therefore, it can even poison concepts and abstractions. And since it’s not a material, it can’t be antidoted. The only way an absolute master in the same realm could withstand it is by relying on their firm will.”

“Uh-huh!”

“Of course, creating a firm will, what I call the Heavenly Pillar, requires immense training in poison essence. Regardless, one must form the Poison Spirit Pill within one’s dantian as well.”

Tang San, who had been explaining quietly, said,

“Nonetheless, I believe the essence of this Formless Poison will be beneficial for you currently, Baek Woong.”

“Beneficial for me?”

Tang San shot me a cold glance.

“Will is the power of imagination that can do anything, a human will standing against the world. The Absolute Realm you seek is about creating the strongest form you envision with that belief. But as Jin So-cheong mentioned, your body and spirit are currently out of sync, preventing you from obtaining that ultimate belief. Even though your training has surpassed most absolute masters…”

“……”

“So the method is simple: form a body that corresponds with your spirit.”

“Making the transformation is exactly the issue. That’s why the disharmony exists in the first place…”

At my words, Tang San grinned slyly.

“As a poison master, I see that transforming the body doesn’t only rely on the Rebirth of Flesh technique. For instance…”

As he explained the ‘method,’ I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me. I stood there dazed for a moment before snapping back.

“You want me to go about it in such an extreme way? That’s madness!”

“Isn’t death just a notion for you? If it were me, I’d gladly do it even if it meant dying ten times.”

“Ugh.”

“Honestly, if there weren’t side effects, I would have tried this method myself. I simply became a top-tier expert before I could ever put it into action due to my natural talent.”

“……”

This guy is truly out of his mind.

Still, since it seemed noteworthy, I committed Tang San’s advice to memory. Honestly, it seemed like a crazy method, but it might be worth a try.

Tang San continued.

“And Baek Woong, I’d prefer if you stopped using that façade about saving humanity this life.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve lived in the Central Plains for fifty years, and it’s pretty much like humanity has already been destroyed. All ethics, righteousness, morals, and civilized systems that allow humans to remain human have crumbled long ago. Trying to save them now would only mean starting from scratch. Most survivors have succumbed to madness and ruin.”

“……”

“In any case, if you win in the end, doesn’t that mean everyone wins? If necessary, feel free to abandon the human race as a whole for the sake of the larger scheme.”

Normally, I would never entertain such a thought.

But I hesitated, then replied.

“I’ll think about it.”

Thinking of Jin So-cheong’s death made me question whether my idealistic notion of saving all humanity wasn’t just a façade.

‘… Ultimately, the only ones I can truly protect are my comrades within reach.’

After spending fifty years with all my life invested in supporting me, how could I claim to save ‘everyone’?

Even as I felt a sense of growing resignation towards reality, I shook off that lingering discomfort. No matter what thoughts I entertained, my only task was to move forward. If I faltered any further, it would only dishonor the memory of my companions’ deaths.

A little later, after gathering more information from Tang San, I went in search of Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa. It was then that I noticed a deep sadness etched on Mangnyang’s expression.

“Mangnyang, what’s wrong?”

“Huh…”

After a moment of silence, Mangnyang finally spoke.

“I’ve heard news from the Immortal in the Celestial Realm about the monk.”

“About Cheon Woo-jin?”

“The monk…”

With tears streaming down his wrinkled eyes, Mangnyang continued.

“He has been sentenced to death for the crime of treason against the Celestial Realm…”

“……?!”

What is this?!

Startled by Mangnyang’s words, I looked over to Zhuge Sa, who coldly interjected.

“That’s actually all the information. And it’s more akin to a tossed-off declaration than anything heartfelt, as Hyun was beseeching the Celestial Realm with offerings.”

I sensed a connection in Zhuge Sa’s statement.

“You mean there wasn’t a detailed explanation provided about the nature of his treason sentence?”

“Correct. And given the way it sounds, it’s quite fishy.”

Zhuge Sa smirked.

“Whether Cheon Woo-jin is alive or dead, it’s almost certain he’s tangled up in a major incident in the Celestial Realm.”

“……”

I turned to Mangnyang and asked, “Have you heard anything about Miho?”

“I’ve got nothing on Miss Miho. Unlike the monk, she didn’t even make it to the Celestial Realm.”

“But didn’t Miho head to the Celestial Realm halfway through?”

“If the Celestial Realm wants to deny it, there’s no way to find out.”

I ground my teeth in frustration.

My comrades went missing after heading to the Celestial Realm, and this situation was infuriating!

I steeled myself and declared, “Don’t worry. I’ll find a way.”

And the next day, as promised, I headed towards Mount Tai. Naturally, bringing my comrades would pose far too much risk, so I could only make the journey alone.

*Whoosh!*

I had only heard the words to come to Mount Tai but didn’t know where specifically to go. However, thinking logically, the most important location on Mount Tai would undoubtedly be the Heavenly Altar, so I calmly walked in that direction.

‘No demon beasts around.’

Though demon beasts and monsters roamed rampantly across the Central Plains, this place seemed devoid of them. As an essential location, it was likely protected by a powerful barrier from the Celestial Realm. So, I was concerned I might clash with any immortals or divine beings from the Celestial Realm on my way.

Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any Celestial beings up to the Heavenly Altar. As I stood before the Heavenly Altar, gazing blankly, a familiar voice reached my ears.

“Hey there. Nice to see you.”

Glancing to the side, I saw a creature resembling a monkey emerge slowly from the forest.

“Celestial Sage.”

The Celestial Sage Mi-hu King appeared significantly more human-like than before. He casually perched on the Heavenly Altar, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at me.

“You look too simple to be the one to carry on Jin So-cheong’s will.”

“What business do you have with someone like me, the great Celestial Sage?”

“Naturally, I summoned you because there’s something to discuss.”

The Celestial Sage stared blankly at me for a moment before continuing.

“Ah, you definitely give me pause. Can I truly trust you?”

I coldly replied to the Celestial Sage, “My strength is no more than a bug compared to yours, so what use would I be?”

“Ha ha ha, you’re really worked up. It was shocking to me too that Jin So-cheong died.”

The somewhat slippery Celestial Sage seemed to take my response positively. His expression softened as he continued.

“Don’t worry. Today’s topic is significant, but you can also choose not to involve yourself if you don’t wish to. After all, if you lack the strength, there’s no discussion to be had anyway.”

“What is it about?”

“Well… In brief, let’s cut to the chase.”

At his following words, I gasped in shock.

“The world is about to perish.”

The world is going to perish?

I was momentarily thrown off by the sudden enormity of the situation but soon regained my composure. For an ordinary person, this would cause quite a flurry, but having endured numerous calamities, it didn’t evoke much emotional tumult within me.

“Why is it going to perish?”

“Oh? You’re not surprised at all.”

“Humanity’s world was already partially ruined, so hearing about imminent destruction isn’t much of a surprise…”

The Celestial Sage forced a wry smile at my words.

“I suppose that makes sense from a human perspective. But the issue here is that the Celestial Realm aims to sweep away everything on the surface of the Earth—all humans, essentially.”

“What?”

What is he talking about?

As I pondered over the Celestial Sage’s words, I replied,

“You’re saying the Celestial Realm is deploying a massive army to exterminate the survivors one by one?”

“What’s so problematic about that? If it came to that, I would eliminate every immortal one by one in response. It’s not that simple.”

Though opposed to gathering the Seven Luminaries, the Celestial Sage seemed to genuinely like humans.

“So, the catalyst…”

“The incident began when the Nine Lotus Bishop defeated the Celestial Army in Luoyang and took control of it. At that moment, the Celestial Realm felt the greatest crisis in its history, leading to an emergency meeting of the higher-ups. That’s when the decision was made.”

The Celestial Sage spat the words out.

“To cast Pan Gu’s Curse.”

“The Curse of Pan Gu?”

“It’s a spell to invoke the creation god Pan Gu’s power to annihilate the world. Using this spell, wicked beings, humans, and even all plants and animals would be exterminated within a single day. Everything would be flipped upside down.”

“……!!”

“The Celestial Realm plans to annihilate humanity to eliminate the wicked strategies of the Nine Lotus Sect and its Bishop. As soon as they seized Luoyang, the wheels were put in motion.”

The Celestial Realm is attempting to wipe out the world by invoking the creation god’s power!

The situation escalated rapidly, but I managed to quell my shock and asked the lingering questions.

“Such a world-destroying spell… is it true the Celestial Realm can wield it? I thought countless laws of cause and effect bind this world, making such arbitrary tyranny impossible.”

“That’s right. Only higher beings can wield such destructive spells, but typically, it’s impossible due to the laws of cause and effect. However…”

The Celestial Sage’s gaze sharpened.

“Unexpectedly, when the Sancai reached a consensus and the Queen Mother of the West put forth the suggestion, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors immediately permitted it without a single day’s delay, and now the Celestial Realm has begun chanting the spell of Pan Gu, one that I’ve never seen or heard of in my life. It’s as if the Gods and the Celestial Realm have conspired together to decide the world’s fate.”

“……”

“Common sense would dictate that such an outrageous major incantation should implode from the backlash of the laws. However, as it turned out, everything was proceeding smoothly without a hitch, as I observed from the Celestial Realm.”

“How could that be?”

“I believe the reason this is happening is that the Queen Mother of the West is orchestrating it from the center of the chanting.”

The Queen Mother of the West!

One of the foremost figures among the Celestial Sages, even equated to or regarded above the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors! She had continuously operated behind the scenes throughout my past life and was now appearing in the open. As I listened intently with a tense expression, the Celestial Sage continued slowly.

“If this carries on, Pan Gu’s spell will activate, destroying everything. We have to stop it beforehand.”

“You’re hoping to seek Jin So-cheong’s help because you think you can’t handle it alone?”

“Exactly. If Jin So-cheong could assist, I felt we could get through it somehow… but he’s dead now. That kid was much like a combat deity, evolving as he fought.”

The Celestial Sage crossed his arms.

“Ultimately, Pan Gu’s incantation is a grotesquely massive spell, taking over ten millennia for an average human sorcerer to master. Even if the Celestial Immortals all participated, it would take at least ten more days to activate, if not longer, without knowing exactly when it would be completed.”

“I see.”

“However, since I have no confidence in defeating the Queen Mother of the West alone, I’ve allowed you three days’ worth of time until you all finish your preparations.”

“……”

“Would you care to join me in stopping Pan Gu’s spell?”

There was no choice but to accept the proposal.

Because once Pan Gu’s spell activated, I’d be powerless to do anything, my companions would all perish, and I alone would just keep reincarnating. Moreover, with the help of the Celestial Sage, I couldn’t afford to let this opportunity slip.

Still, I felt the hesitance creeping in.

“The fact that even you find it difficult indicates that the guardians of Pan Gu’s spell won’t be easy to deal with.”

“That’s manageable. The overlay masters guard it, but I believe there are few stronger than I. However…”

“However?”

The Celestial Sage shrugged.

“I don’t really have the confidence to face the Queen Mother of the West. Once, when I barged into the Celestial Realm on my own and angered her, I received a beating that still leaves scars on me.”

“……”

“The Queen Mother of the West is a different entity altogether. Even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors hold her in high regard and respect. Therefore, our focus should be on disrupting the spell rather than defeating her.”

The fact that the Celestial Sage’s power defies imagination, yet the Queen Mother of the West seems stronger, sent a shiver down my spine.

I felt dizzy but shook my head.

‘No, there were signs…’

The Queen Mother of the West had descended in my previous life and effortlessly defeated Izanagi no Mikoto. Such a feat was no simple task, even for an overlay master. Furthermore, I had heard on numerous occasions that the Queen Mother of the West was distinct from other Celestial Sages.

After a moment’s thought, I asked him, “Is there any chance you could help me meet the Heavenly Mysterious Woman of Nine Heavens first?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I must meet her. If you grant me this favor, I will help you with everything I have.”

The Celestial Sage tilted his head in curiosity but nodded in understanding.

“Sure. Just get ready right away.”

“Now?”

The Celestial Sage grinned.

“Of course! I’ll make sure you meet the Heavenly Mysterious Woman right now. She’s on my side too.”