Reincarnation Sword God

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602——————==
Dark Heaven Village
Is the Mourning Mother in the Underworld?
I felt somewhat incredulous at Jeon Si-an’s words. So I asked back,
“What do you mean? What does it mean that she’s in the Underworld?”
[She is indeed there.]
“…Fine, if she is, then what’s her exact location?”
After a brief pause, Jeon Si-an completed the search and replied.
[It does not exist anywhere at the Gate of the Ten Kings of Hell. The location is unknown.]
“What nonsense is that? Where exactly are we talking about?”
[This location is not the Underworld, hence further exploration is impossible. We need to enter the boundary of the Underworld for a detailed search.]
“…..”
The Ten Kings of Hell represented ten entities responsible for overseeing the Underworld. It’s known that they judge and punish the souls that pass into the afterlife, but according to Ji-seon Mang-nyang’s knowledge, they were slightly different from what the world believed. And since the Gate of the Ten Kings is nearly everything related to the Underworld, I couldn’t help but be flabbergasted by Jeon Si-an’s answer.
When I relayed the conversation with Jeon Si-an to Zhuge Sa, he said,
“It seems like the work of the Master of the Twelve Joules.”
“…That’s impossible! No matter how skilled he is in sorcery, he can’t transport the Seven Luminaries to the Underworld!”
I shook my head in disbelief. I had enough knowledge of sorcery by now to understand just how ridiculous that statement was. Going to the Underworld meant a soul flying to another realm. The sheer idea of enchanting a soul with gravity and tethering it was unimaginable. Even maintaining enough power to reach the Underworld is difficult enough; how could one even consider taking the Seven Luminaries?
Then Zhuge Sa said,
“We don’t know anything detailed about the Master of the Twelve Joules. By that rationale, it’s impossible to explain how he has achieved mastery in both martial arts and sorcery to a level of the Absolute Being at such a young age. No human talent can accomplish that.”
“……”
“He has secrets. I actually think he is much closer to a divine being, so it might be possible. That’s why I’ve thought for a long time that we should capture him and torture him.”
Calmly responding, Zhuge Sa continued,
“Anyway, given the situation, we must abandon our search for the Mourning Mother. It’s a pity.”
“Damn it.”
I felt a surge of frustration. But as Zhuge Sa said, searching for the Mourning Mother now would be futile; reaching the Underworld was already a stretch. The sorcery needed to maintain corporeal existence while traveling to the Underworld was immensely challenging, and it was uncertain I could find her in time to return. I looked around and said,
“So, where did the clan members of Dan residing in the Divine City go?”
“Who knows? The village remains intact, so they probably moved somewhere.”
“Where would they go, leaving the Sacred Altar Tree behind…”
“They must have lost the need to protect the Sacred Altar Tree. I have no time to search for people who have vanished without a trace. It’s pure conjecture at this point, let’s head back.”
“…Understood.”
Zhuge Sa seemed to think further digging was a waste of time. Knowing he had already considered all possibilities with his quick thinking, I refrained from pressing further. Staying around here would only bring us harm.
With a whoosh,
We returned to our base. Zhuge Sa told me,
“Simply put, unleashing the Water Element of Seven Luminaries and running wild is the easiest way to cause chaos.”
“Right. Wasn’t that the plan?”
“Hehe. If it were against the White Lotus Sect or the Master of the Twelve Joules, it might work, but our opponent this time is the Queen Mother of the West. A monster who has been a dark force in the Celestial Realm for thousands of years and single-handedly annihilated the Three Pure Ones. She might be even stronger than the Sea God. The Water Element alone won’t work; you’d just end up losing your body.”
“……”
“I’d say she’s the worst match since Jeon Wook. Plus, before that, you have to fight dozens of Great Immortals and Master Sorcerers.”
Listening to Zhuge Sa’s words made me realize just how far up the ladder I was fighting. When I had taken down the Sea God, the power gap was astronomical, and I barely managed it by chance; now the Queen Mother could easily be stronger. Silent, Zhuge Sa said,
“Listen carefully, Baek Woong. Summoning a massive entity to go wild may only work a couple of times. It’s easy to talk about going wild, but if the power of what you summon is weaker than your opponent, it’s merely the spectacle of a mad dog running amok. A wild dog without strategy will just get beaten down with a club.”
“……”
“It’s uncertain whether the Old Ruler linked to the Water Element of Seven Luminaries in the North could defeat the Queen Mother. If I’m right, she might end up defeating him instead if he becomes a ‘serious’ opponent.”
That made sense.
But feeling a sense of impatience as Zhuge Sa shifted the topic, I asked back,

“So what do we do then?”
“I told you. There’s a way to use a method without considering the aftermath if you’re reckless. That is…”
At that moment, Zhuge Sa’s plan began to unfold from his lips. But as I listened, it seemed absurd, and I felt my strength drain away. In a dazed state, I said,
“Uh… will that really work? Even if it does, what benefit is it to me? It’s just complete chaos.”
Zhuge Sa grinned.
“You’re going to die anyway, right? What does it matter whether it works or not? If it doesn’t, go ahead and stab yourself in the neck.”
“…Stop talking nonsense.”
I muttered, yet I had no choice but to acknowledge that Zhuge Sa’s plan was my only option. I could only think of the initial plan of unleashing the Water Element, while Zhuge Sa had come up with a far more outrageous method. Zhuge Sa continued,
“Listen. Although the Law of Cause and Effect might persist since you were reborn, you still don’t know why the Divine Status linked to you was established.”
“Hmm…”
“That’s right, you don’t know. If you did, the current situation where the Sovereign of the Three Sovereigns, Jeon Wook, can’t touch you wouldn’t make sense.”
Zhuge Sa pointed at me with a finger, his eyes sparkling with intensity.
“And carelessly meddling with unexpected Cause and Effect is the most foolish act, so no one can recklessly lay a hand on you. The mere act of trying to understand is already touching the Cause and Effect, making it impossible to attempt. The higher the level, the more so! That’s why even though the Apostle’s powers are linked to you, Jeon Wook hasn’t been able to touch you thus far. That being said, the premise is that you haven’t used the Apostle’s powers.”
“Hmm…”
“The plan you’ve established based on the information gleaned from your rebirth and adventures shouldn’t have many side effects. It’s just the results we can’t predict.”
As Zhuge Sa explained, he muttered,
“… In fact, at this point, that could be considered the strongest Demon Book ever.”
“……?”
“Anyway, now all that’s left is to wait for the Special Investigative Team to arrive.”
I continued to talk with Zhuge Sa. Most of the discussion centered around our plans for the future and what to do after death. However, as the conversation progressed, I realized it was deeply exhausting to speak under the premise of dying.
‘I’m gradually losing my mind…’
The fact that I have to adopt a positive attitude that I must get something done after I die is absurd. Was there another human who had become this accustomed to death through history besides me?
About two half moments later,
Kuuung!
Suddenly, something enormous fell from the sky, revealing a bright light. We hurried to the location where the light had landed, and there stood Gong Gong, just as expected. Seeing us, Gong Gong smiled broadly, holding something aloft in one hand.
[Hehehe. I have obtained the Golden Eagle Guards.]
I had secretly hoped, and it seemed he accomplished it. I asked Gong Gong,
“Weren’t there numerous Archmages and Peng Zuo there? Did you defeat them all?”
In response, Gong Gong questioned back as if puzzled.
[Those insignificant beings all turned into blood tears for me, you know? Peng Zuo dared to oppose me, and I smashed his limbs and killed him. The time it took to obtain the Golden Eagle Guards was because of the powerful barrier set by the Guardian of the Western Regions.]
“……”
[After breaking the barrier, everything went smoothly.]
It seemed Peng Zuo was dead. His death was far too anticlimactic for a dark force of the Western Regions. Contrary to what I had thought, it appeared that the Mage of the Western Regions was no match for the now rejuvenated Gong Gong. Free from the Guardian’s shackles, Gong Gong clearly transcended the Great Immortals. Stunned by Gong Gong’s power, he then opened his hand to show me the Golden Eagle Guards.
[Here, take a look. This is the Golden Eagle Guards.]
The Golden Eagle Guards I saw for the first time.
Paaaah!
‘It radiates incredible light…!!’
I thought I had seen many divine lights before, but now as I approached the Golden Eagle Guards, its overwhelming radiance made it impossible to even look at. Even looking at the sunlight up close wouldn’t hurt my eyes this much, and even with my internal power shielding my gaze, it was still difficult to see the light of the Golden Eagle Guards. At this intensity, an ordinary human would surely lose their sight the instant they gazed upon it. Sure enough, Zhuge Sa nearby closed his eyes as soon as he recognized the Golden Eagle Guards and seemed to have chanted a protective incantation to shield his vision.
As I struggled to keep my eyes open, Gong Gong chuckled to himself and then drew the Golden Eagle Guards back into his hand. It seemed the radiance faded when Gong Gong used his power.
[Kha-ha-ha… This is a divine artifact containing the light of the Primordial and is also called the Morning Star. It is the Seven Luminaries forged with the power of Shao Hao Jin Tian. It is the very Morning Star.]
Gong Gong appeared to be exceedingly pleased with acquiring the Golden Eagle Guards, as he proudly displayed it. I gathered that the Golden Eagle Guards must possess some exceptional power.
‘Could it be that the Seven Luminaries also have a hierarchy?’
Cautiously, I asked,
“Did you manage to unleash the Golden Eagle Guards?”
[Hehe. If I unleash it now, it’ll draw the attention of the Sovereigns of the Three Sovereigns. I’ll hold back until I can gather more.]
“……”
As expected, Zhuge Sa was right. It wasn’t that he couldn’t unleash the Seven Luminaries; it was clear he simply didn’t want to do so. Being a being comparable to the Sovereigns of the Three Sovereigns, it looked easy for Gong Gong to unleash the Seven Luminaries with sheer brute force.
I told Gong Gong,
“O mighty Gong Gong, I have something to say before you head off to fetch the Earth Star.”
[What is it?]
“The thing is, we intend to activate Pangu’s command in the Celestial Realm.”
[……]
I explained everything to Gong Gong. He listened with his arms crossed, then replied.
[I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to assist you.]
“Why not? If Pangu’s command activates, the entire world will be swept away…”
[That would be a sad affair. But I have a duty to resurrect the Giant Clan and ensure the king’s return.]
Gong Gong continued,
[If I assist you in battling the Celestial beings, it would naturally create a Cause and Effect for the Sovereigns of the Three Sovereigns to descend. In a situation where I haven’t even resurrected the king, going head-on against the Three Sovereigns would only distract me from achieving my goal. After all, the promise we made was to cooperate in gathering the Seven Luminaries, right?]
“But…”
[Then farewell. Out of loyalty, I shall collect the Fire Element after you have been destroyed.]
His demeanor was chillingly cold. However, since this was exactly what Zhuge Sa had anticipated, I wasn’t taken aback.
“Then, if there’s a way that wouldn’t violate the Cause and Effect of the Sovereigns of the Three Sovereigns, what would you say?”
[What did you say?]
I quickly grabbed the Fire Element and presented it to Gong Gong, then I said,
“I offer this Fire Element to you. In exchange, make me an Apostle.”
[……]
Gong Gong looked at me with an incredulous expression and said,
[I refuse. I can’t have a weakling like you as my Apostle.]
“I know I’m weak. But do you seriously plan to just watch the world perish?”
[Hmph… I’m no fool. I understand the implications behind your request to become an Apostle.]
Gong Gong smirked.
[But I can’t believe that much loyalty has built up between us. You must know how great the risk is if you become my Apostle and die. I can’t afford that risk.]
Listening to Gong Gong, I felt slightly flabbergasted. It wasn’t because his reasoning was unfounded, but rather due to Zhuge Sa’s intelligence making me predict Gong Gong’s response. Following Zhuge Sa’s strategy, I continued,
“Then I need to provide you with information worth the risk.”
[Oh? What kind of information?]
“That’s…”
When I uttered a few words, Gong Gong appeared surprised and flustered.
[… Is that true?]
“It’s almost certain.”
In reality, it wasn’t completely certain. It was almost just Zhuge Sa’s speculation. However, Gong Gong displayed a highly intense reaction.
[Very well! It’s worth the risk. I, Baek Woong, hereby appoint you as my Apostle.]
Paaaah!!
Moments later, it felt as if a massive beam of light descended upon me. I could see the mark of three lines etched onto my hand as proof of becoming Gong Gong’s Apostle. As soon as Gong Gong appointed me as his Apostle, his body began to gradually become transparent before fading away.
[I will go fetch the Earth Star. See you later.]
Swish…
As Gong Gong disappeared, Zhuge Sa beside me spoke up.
“The foundational preparations are all complete.”
“Do you really think this will work?”
“And what if it doesn’t?”
Zhuge Sa grinned.
“I’d honestly prefer that you die sooner. Do you know how hard it has been for me to endure in this withered body? Life has become nothing but suffering.”
“Zhuge Sa.”
“Haha! It’s because I have contracted with the Demon King that I can extend my lifespan through the Soul Exchange Technique, yet I still have to choose death. I should have died fifty years ago, but due to the Demon King’s insistence, I’ve managed to hold on without even relocating my puppet body till now.”
Zhuge Sa, lamenting, turned and walked away.
“What good is saying such things now? Well, let’s meet again.”
Zhuge Sa’s figure gradually faded into darkness.
“……”
I clenched my hands tightly, reflecting on the meaning of ‘next.’
In this life, I absolutely will not die in vain.