Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

“That’s impossible! The Three Pure Ones have been killed!”

The Three Pure Ones were the highest beings in the Celestial Realm, even surpassing the Jade Emperor in stature. They were more symbolic than real, and in the civilian world, they were so far removed from everyday life that people avoided direct worship, instead researching their ideologies as a distant legend.

Still, I had believed all this time that the Celestial Realm was governed by the Jade Emperor and the Three Pure Ones as elder statesmen. Not just me, but almost all immortals and Taoist masters thought that way. But to hear they had been killed?!

I couldn’t help but question, “You mean the Primordial Lord, Taishang Laojun, and the Spirit Treasure Heaven Master have perished at the hands of the Queen Mother of the West?!”

“Yes.”

“That makes no sense! How can such a thing…?”

It wasn’t just me who was shocked; even the Fire Dragon Incarnate paled a bit and spoke up.

“Are you sure? This is too incredible to believe.”

“……”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman sighed and said, “I didn’t realize it for long. I found out by chance.”

“By chance?”

“You remember the day Xiang Yu, wielding the power of twelve constellations, died and ascended to the Celestial Realm?”

The Fire Dragon Incarnate nodded slightly.

“That was truly a significant event. He was so powerful that he could tear apart even a Celestial Realm messenger with his bare hands; he refused death itself.”

“……”

As I listened, a sense of absurdity washed over me. How could Liu Bang have possibly defeated such a monster?

“Nobody knew what Xiang Yu was thinking when he came to the Celestial Realm. So, I thought a great crisis loomed and rushed to report it to the Jade Emperor and the Three Pure Ones. It was so urgent that I skipped informing the Queen Mother of the West first.”

“That’s right. You were supposed to report only to her; everything beyond that was her responsibility. I’ve heard she’s the only one you can directly meet.”

“Indeed. But at that moment, I felt I had no choice but to tell them directly.”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman continued slowly. “When I entered the Jade Emperor’s Heavenly Hall, something felt off. All the thrones of the Four Lords were empty.”

The Four Lords referred to the three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor, who, while slightly weaker, was generally considered equal. Upon hearing this, the Fire Dragon Incarnate’s expression darkened.

“No way! If the Four Lords’ thrones are vacant, then the Celestial Realm is doomed!”

“Yes. The reason the vast Celestial Realm can sustain itself is thanks to the powers of the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor. But indeed, all Four Thrones were completely vacant at that time.”

“This is unbelievable…”

“I sensed something was wrong and initiated the Corpse Dissolution Technique to track their movements. It became clear that the Three Pure Ones had been killed by the Queen Mother of the West. While I don’t know when the incident occurred, I was able to decipher the causal relationship of their deaths.”

The Fire Dragon Incarnate wore a shocked expression. I could confidently say that in my past life, this might be the first and last time I saw him look so astonished. He paused for a moment, his lips twitching, then asked, “So, does that mean the Jade Emperor has been destroyed as well?”

“I can’t say for certain.”

“You can’t?!”

“As you know, since then, the Jade Emperor has occasionally appeared in the Celestial Realm, revealing himself to be alive. I haven’t visited the Heavenly Hall since that day, but he undeniably exists in the Celestial Realm regardless of his condition.”

“……”

The Fire Dragon Incarnate thought carefully before speaking again.

“Is it possible that the Jade Emperor was also killed and a fake took his place… or could he be in cahoots with the Queen Mother of the West?”

“There’s no certainty. That’s why I’m stepping forward to uncover the truth.”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman firmly declared. “When I shared this with the Celestial Sage and Yeodong-bin, they said they would cooperate. Now, we must join forces to break the command of the Demon King and save the Celestial Realm.”

“Hmm… Understood. I will gladly cooperate.”

The Fire Dragon Incarnate nodded resolutely, then turned to Yeodong-bin.

“Yeodong-bin. Have you sensed the presence of a being at the level of an overlay technique watching you?”

At his question, Yeodong-bin nodded.

“I felt it, Master. That person has been shadowing me ever since I received a secret mission from the Heavenly Mysterious Woman.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“I couldn’t tell; their stealth technique was too advanced.”

“Presumed to be an overlay technique; how strong do you think that mysterious assassin is?”

“……”

Yeodong-bin remained silent for a moment before replying.

“I sensed a strange energy.”

“A strange energy—was it possibly Demon Ki?”

“It wasn’t that. It was simply a kind of power I could hardly feel back in Kunlun or the Mortal Realm.”

Hearing Yeodong-bin’s words, the Fire Dragon Incarnate crossed his arms.

“Seems like you have some guesses.”

“Yes.”

“When you meet that person, make sure to eradicate them.”

“Understood.”

The conversation between the master and disciple came to an end as the Celestial Sage spoke up.

“Alright then, it seems the situation is summarized, so let’s discuss the specifics of our plan. The current situation isn’t exactly leisurely.”

All eyes turned to the Celestial Sage as he continued.

“I suspect that within seven days, the command of the Demon King will surely be completed. It’s not a matter of finishing today or tomorrow, but a maximum of seven days. Therefore, we must destroy the barriers comprising the command before that time.”

“What kind of barrier?”

I asked, and the Celestial Sage glanced at me and replied.

“The first barrier is the Spirit Treasure of the Burning Lantern Taoist, the Thirty-Three Gemlike Treasure Tower, and the second is the Spirit Treasure of Yunzhongzi, the Heavenly Fire Pearl. The third layer is guarded directly by the overlay technique. I should normally be operating from the third defense, which is likely the strongest barrier in Celestial Realm history.”

“……”

Whether it’s Burning Lantern or Yunzhongzi, they were both Great Immortals active since the Silver Age, far surpassing Yeodong-bin or Jang Sam-bong in seniority. Their magical powers were undoubtedly on a completely different level than those of mortal sorcerers, especially with a barrier created with their exclusive spiritual treasures—it would be absolutely terrifying.

“I still remember how impressive the barrier activated by the Half Yellow Pearl, Li Heung-pae, was in the Sea God’s invasion…”

Li Heung-pae had erected that barrier with the Half Yellow Pearl while the Sea God attacked, managing to withstand for thousands of years. No one among the Sea God’s subordinates could break through the barrier Li Heung-pae had desperately constructed. I doubt I could have breached it without his cooperation, either.

I said in a daze, “Is there really a way to break through that?”

“It’s impossible. Even I can’t do it alone. That’s why we need to carefully plan our operation.”

The Celestial Sage said, resting his Ruyi Staff on his shoulder.

“First, once we penetrate the barrier, you must handle the overlay techniques. I’ll help, but if you expend too much energy there, it will only become difficult for you, so you have to manage well.”

“Hmm…”

Even though the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, the Fire Dragon Incarnate, and Yeodong-bin are on our side, could we truly handle a gathering of prominent figures and overlay techniques within the Celestial Realm? No matter how much I thought about it, I found myself skeptical, but having come this far, there was no turning back.

Suddenly, a thought struck me, and I turned to the Celestial Sage.

“Is there any way to bring Jang Sam-bong to our side?”

Surely Jang Sam-bong would be a great asset. However, Yeodong-bin voiced his concerns.

“That’s not possible, Yeon-ja.”

“Why not? If we explain, Jang Sam-bong could surely cooperate…”

“The reason I deliberately left the Celestial Realm using the Divine Sword Technique was that the entire Celestial Realm is under the Queen Mother of the West’s surveillance. Other than this minuscule place like White Silk Mountain, everything is being monitored. The moment you involve Jang Sam-bong, our surprise plan will be exposed.”

“……!!”

“If our surprise plan is exposed, the Queen Mother will likely pause the command of the Demon King and move against us directly. Thus, no one outside of us here can become an ally in the Celestial Realm.”

“That can’t be…”

“Because of this, I couldn’t involve even my trusted companions among the Eight Immortals.”

It was a situation more despairing than I had imagined. While there were surely powerful beings among the Great Immortals in the Celestial Realm who would team up if told this, revealing it would mean the surprise would fail. I stood there dazed and said, “Then what’s the point of the surprise attack? Even if we interrupt now, it will all be meaningless if the Queen Mother of the West is present. She will recite the command of the Demon King again at any time…”

“The reason this ridiculous, gigantic command of the Demon King is currently possible is entirely due to the Queen Mother. She can withstand the backlash of causality. Therefore, while that command is being recited, she is practically defenseless.”

The Celestial Sage grinned.

“In other words, now is the time when the Queen Mother is at her weakest.”

“Oh!”

“Even I don’t expect to kill the Queen Mother. However, if we can successfully launch a surprise attack and break her formation, she will lose a significant amount of power. Of course, a wounded tiger is dangerous, so after breaking the formation, it’s best to retreat.”

“So we have no choice but to strike.”

The Celestial Sage nodded.

“How about we go right now? The sooner, the better.”

“……”

Everyone had a troubled look. While the sooner was better, it was hard to judge if we could accomplish such a massive task. Since the atmosphere was still undecided, I pondered thoughtfully.

“Should we go now…?”

There’s still some time to spare. But what could I prepare during that time to greatly influence the broader situation? Given the reality that things would only get worse as time passed, hesitating unproductively might be the worst decision.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered the Seven Luminaries.

“Right, there’s still strength left to gather.”

The more favorable the chance of success, the better. Cautiously, I asked the Celestial Sage, “Are you thinking of using the Moon Sovereign Ruins you took before?”

“Hmm? Why would I do that?”

The Celestial Sage laughed heartily.

“My Ruyi Staff is many times stronger than that Moon Sovereign Ruins!”

“Indeed.”

After all, calling the Seven Luminaries now would be pointless if they’re still in an unreleased state. The sword of the Fire Dragon Incarnate coupled with the Celestial Sage’s Ruyi Staff would surely be stronger. However, for some reason, I still felt reluctant to charge in right away, so I made up my mind and said to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, “Can you wait for just a day or two?”

“What is it?”

“Because there’s something I need to do.”

“Go right ahead.”

The Heavenly Mysterious Woman seemed to willingly grant my request, while the Celestial Sage wore a reluctant expression before saying, “Hey, if you’re thinking of gathering the Seven Luminaries, stop now. Like I said, it’s impossible to release them right now; it’s a meaningless situation.”

“That’s not it. I think there’s another way.”

“Oh? Understood. Since you’re the one Jin So-cheong entrusted his last wishes to, I will give you a chance.”

In a flash!

Before long, I returned with Yeodong-bin and the Fire Dragon Incarnate riding on the Kunlun Cloud to Mount Tai. As the Celestial Sage promptly departed, Yeodong-bin turned to me and asked, “Yeon-ja, what are you planning to do?”

“Does Yeodong-bin no longer need to become the Divine Sword?”

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman has lent her power to the Divine Sword Technique, which allows me to transform freely when needed.”

“I see.”

I thought deeply before saying, “For now, I want to communicate with my companions.”

Crack!

I returned to the base using the Golden Lamp and relayed what had happened in the Celestial Realm to Mangnyang and Zhuge Sa. Zhuge Sa then replied, “So the Queen Mother has taken control of the Celestial Realm… fascinating.”

“What do you think we should do?”

“What else? Naturally, we must prepare for battle.”

Zhuge Sa stared at me intently.

“Baek Woong. I can assure you will definitely die this time.”

“Hmm?!”

I flinched and was startled.

“You are now trying to battle the entire Celestial Realm. Do you realize what that means?”

“Uh…”

“The disparity in power is overwhelming, and if you don’t fight, you’ll die anyway. You can’t not fight. But even the evil method of the Command of the Evil Spirit won’t be enough to turn the tide. You won’t survive, right? Soon, you’ll just be staring at the barn ceiling in Sa-eul Village like usual.”

“……”

What a terrifying curse this is.

“Then it’s rather comforting.”

“What?”

Zhuge Sa flashed an ominous smile.

“If you’re going to die anyway, you can prepare without worrying about the aftermath.”