Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 15: The Dark Heaven Village

After Changhil vanished, I escaped Luoyang and headed for Master Mangnyang’s village. Maybe because it was the village personally blessed by Mangnyang, even though everywhere else lay in ruins, this place looked untouched. Before entering the village, I temporarily stored the Heavenly Secret and moved inside.

“You’ve arrived.”

Cheon Woo-jin seemed to not cast a protective illusion barrier. No wonder, given that his master was directly exerting power, there was no need for him to do anything. Nearby, his companions were gathered, and thankfully, Jin So-cheong, Tang San, and Seo Mun-hye were all safe.

Suddenly, I realized something odd and spoke up.

“What about Yong Junil and Sagong Lin?”

“They’re missing. I have no idea where they are.”

Well, there’s nothing we can do about that.

“Hmm… What about Celestial Sage and Gong Gong?”

“…They went to the Celestial Realm.”

“What?”

“When the war between Changhil and the Three Sovereigns was reaching its peak, the soul of Dalgi trapped in your body went on a rampage. We three tried to stop it, but it was too intense. Just then, the Queen Mother of the West suggested using a technique.”

I could guess what Cheon Woo-jin was implying.

“She must have asked to return Dalgi to her.”

“Since the soul of Dalgi is still within your body, keeping it there would be counterproductive, and we couldn’t even contact you to know when to return… It was turning your body into a high-level existence aligned with Dalgi’s soul. So, we temporarily sealed the soul and went to take it to the Celestial Realm.”

The Seal of the Supreme King doesn’t care where the opponent’s soul is located. It focuses on the desired “body” to seize, swapping out the soul, so it doesn’t matter where Dalgi’s soul is located.

“Will that be okay? What if the Queen Mother attacks them…?”

As I worried, Cheon Woo-jin chuckled.

“What are you worried about? You’ve blocked that thought.”

“What?”

“As long as the Primordial Void Ruler has placed a command on the Queen Mother, she won’t attack our group carelessly.”

“I see…”

So now we just have to wait for Celestial Sage and Gong Gong to return?

At that moment, Zhuge Sa’s voice rang out.

“Baek Woong. Everything’s fine, but can you tell us what happened in the Imperial Palace? With such a massive war going on, our information is limited.”

“Got it. Gather around.”

Using the magic of the Obsidian, I told everyone what had happened after I switched Dalgi’s body. After a while of reflecting on it, Zhuge Sa spoke up.

“Changhil managed to break a major constraint…? Interesting. But that means… my and Mangnyang’s choice was indeed correct.”

Zhuge Sa continued muttering something.

“Now the two most important things are…”

“What are they?”

“First. We need to find out how Jin, the Divine Portrait, betrayed Changhil, what he was aiming for when he did it. There must be a reason for the betrayal, and it seems he felt the need to appear before Changhil. Also, since Jin’s heart is the spirit of Tydaht, we have to fight him whether we like it or not to gather the Seven Luminaries.”

“That makes sense. But Changhil didn’t inform me of the full story before he died.”

“Well… what can you do? It’s unfortunate that your mind isn’t clear, but we should be thankful that Changhil is gone.”

Zhuge Sa sighed while holding up his index finger.

“Second. We need to find Zhuge Yulong.”

“……?”

I was startled by the unexpected talk and stared at him.

“Why? Do we really need to do that now?”

Zhuge Yulong had a seal placed on him for at least ten years by Zhuge Sa. The reason I say at least is that the curse from the dagger Zhuge Sa implanted is so malicious that he should have naturally fallen, but due to Zhuge Yulong’s abilities, he merely remained sealed. Without further confirmation, Zhuge Yulong wouldn’t be in a position to be rescued by anyone, so he was probably still buried under the ruins of the Sacred Altar Tree.

“There are still years before his seal is released.”

It had been quite a while since he exited the current reincarnation. Moreover, with the formidable Qin Shi Huang facing us, we had little time to waste. Why would we go looking for someone like that?

Zhuge Sa said.

“Baek Woong, think carefully about why the Divine Portrait Jin has appeared only in this reincarnation.”

“Hmm…”

“Isn’t it evident that one of the variables related to the Divine Portrait in this reincarnation has changed significantly?”

As I pondered, it suddenly clicked.

“There was no Zhuge Yulong in the Imperial Palace…?”

“That’s right.”

“But that’s not just this time. In the past, whenever the Imperial Palace was ravaged, Zhuge Yulong’s whereabouts have always been uncertain. Couldn’t we say ‘there was none’ at that time as well?”

When I questioned with confusion, Zhuge Sa shook his head.

“That’s different from then. Up to now, whenever Zhuge Yulong lost his influence over the Imperial Palace, there was never a time when the Divine Portrait exerted its power, right? It was usually in an incomplete state, or Zhuge Yulong had drifted too far from the completeness of the Divine Portrait.”

“Hmm… That seems accurate.”

“To put it another way, the critical point where Zhuge Yulong and the completion of the Divine Portrait coincided was just before the previous reincarnation. That was when the Divine Portrait Yushin appeared.”

After that insight, Zhuge Sa paused momentarily before continuing.

“The fact that Zhuge Yulong wasn’t in the Imperial Palace, nor was Zhuge Bu who followed his commands, yet the Divine Portrait ultimately became complete is a first.”

“Umm… hold on…”

Listening to Zhuge Sa’s words, I racked my brain and spoke.

“Are you saying that if Zhuge Yulong is in the Imperial Palace, he becomes Yushin, and if not, he becomes Qin Shi Huang… is that it?”

“You could see it that way. Or rather, based on the circumstances, that’s the only explanation for Qin Shi Huang’s existence.”

“……!!”

Both I and the other nearby companions clearly showed signs of disbelief.

What kind of causal relationship could possibly lead to that?

Jin So-cheong, who had been listening, suddenly spoke up.

“Zhuge Sa, if that’s the case, then it means Qin Shi Huang is a being that cannot appear in the ‘original history.'”

“Exactly. That’s how I see it.”

Zhuge Sa clasped his hands together.

“However, despite that, looking at his actions, it seems he made extensive preparations while keeping the descent of the Divine Portrait in mind. This suggests that Qin Shi Huang intended to interfere from the beginning but was constrained by some reason.”

“Is that reason Zhuge Yulong?”

“Most likely.”

Zhuge Sa shot a glance at me.

“Baek Woong, since the topic came up, ask Zhuge Bu and see if he knows anything. It would be better to check that before meeting Zhuge Yulong.”

“Got it.”

After receiving the Wooden Armor from Cheon Woo-jin, I opened it and took out Zhuge Bu. I asked Zhuge Bu as much as I could about the Divine Portrait, Zhuge Yulong, and so on. The doll form made it impossible for him to perjure or lie.

After about half a moment of interrogation, Zhuge Sa sighed.

“This guy is fixated on needing to create the Divine Portrait. He doesn’t know the whole picture. Just like my older brother, he hides a lot from his offspring.”

“Wait, so what good will come from meeting Zhuge Yulong and asking him about the Divine Portrait?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Zhuge Sa took a sip of water and continued.

“With Changhil and the Eight Parts of the Divine gone, our prime adversary is Qin Shi Huang, yet we know nothing about him. The only one who can provide details about Qin Shi Huang’s identity and weaknesses is Zhuge Yulong, the being who controls the variable. We need to gain information from him to have the upper hand when we face him later.”

“That makes sense.”

“And while we’re at it, we should ascertain the current status of the Twelve Joules and the location of the Extreme Tiger.”

Zhuge Sa’s words were spot on.

I nodded but then recalled something.

“Wait! Jin had to deal with numerous curses from the Old Rulers when he recklessly turned the ‘Little Constraint’ while Changhil was descending. If he can’t use the ability to turn the constraints anymore, can’t we simply win in a straightforward battle without needing to find weaknesses?”

However, Zhuge Sa merely smiled wryly.

“That’s a curse targeting the ‘essence.’ It only applies to Changhil. Now that Changhil has perished in your hands, that curse must have vanished as well, and Jin, having denied being Changhil’s apostle, is less likely to face those restrictions.”

“Ugh, damn it!! This is so annoying!”

“The most intriguing part is how Qin Shi Huang managed to keep his physical form intact while hitting Changhil in that battle where the Three Sovereigns went down… But to find that out, we need to meet Zhuge Yulong.”

Zhuge Sa then looked at Jin So-cheong.

“Jin So-cheong. Before we proceed, I have something I want to confirm…”

“What is it?”

“Can you, like the Sword Demon, awaken the Primordial Void within the restraints and resist?”

“……”

It was a crucial question. If Jin launched a surprise attack on us right now, given his ability to manipulate time freely, we could all be annihilated before we even had a chance to respond. To counter that, we would need to have achieved a supreme level as martial artists with the ability to resist the constraints. And currently, among our group, only Jin So-cheong could potentially have that capability, not including divine statuses.

Jin So-cheong replied.

“If I activate my potential like the Sword Demon and direct all my focus, it might be possible. However, I think it would be impossible to react fluidly to the enemy’s attacks while continuously sensing the flow.”

“That’s disappointing. I can’t believe the strongest warrior among humans is limited to that kind of ability.”

“Don’t say something so strange. It’s nearly impossible for a human to endure the sheer force of manipulating time and space. The Sword Demon is an extraordinary being that will be remembered in martial arts history. Such concepts and legends didn’t even exist before him. It’s a divine technique that can only be attempted after reaching an absolute realm.”

Jin So-cheong, who firmly countered, glanced at me slyly.

“However, since Baek Woong has inherited the memories of the Sword Demon, things will be different from now on. It’s certain that the level of our companions will continue to rise.”

“Well, that’s true. It’s just that I’m anxious about the present. Anyway, while we’re with humans, we could easily end up caught in Jin’s time-stop, leading to mass annihilation, right?”

“……”

Zhuge Sa, licking his lips, spoke to me.

“Baek Woong. We must be closely guarded by Celestial Sage and Gong Gong. And the top priority should be to reach Zhuge Yulong while avoiding Jin’s attention.”

“Understood.”

We decided to wait for Celestial Sage and Gong Gong as Zhuge Sa suggested and then head toward the ruins of the Sacred Altar Tree where Zhuge Yulong was located. After about three days of waiting in the village, Celestial Sage returned.

“Well, look who it is. You’re alive.”

“Celestial Sage.”

I began narrating to Celestial Sage everything I had experienced. I also intended to share the Obsidian, but Zhuge Sa subtly stopped me, seemingly thinking it wasn’t the right moment to share it with Celestial Sage yet.

Upon hearing about Changhil’s demise, Celestial Sage pondered deeply and said.

“Actually, I just talked with the Queen Mother and passed on Dalgi’s soul in the Celestial Realm.”

“What? Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen Gong Gong.”

“That ties into what I’m about to say.”

Celestial Sage sighed and continued.

“The Queen Mother admitted that she is Nüwa. And despite receiving Dalgi’s soul, she has decided not to involve herself with earthly matters anymore. It seems Primordial Void Ruler applied strong pressure on her.”

“I see.”

“If I put it in the context of your martial arts world, it means that going forward, the Celestial Realm will lock its gates. Since Changhil has vanished, the world should be quiet for a while. The immortals suffered many losses in the battle. However…”

“But…?”

“She expressed a desire to meet you.”

Me?

I couldn’t quite grasp why the Queen Mother would want to meet me. No, the reasons were too many to pinpoint just one. Regardless of the reason, I didn’t want to meet her, so I made my dislike evident, and Celestial Sage seemed to expect my reaction.

“Oh, and if you don’t wish to meet her, I received a message.”

“A message?”

“If you challenge the trial of the Seven Luminaries, you’ll meet her again, and at that time, she suggests you make a national-level choice. If you make the right choice, she promises to bless you and your followers for life.”

I scoffed at Celestial Sage’s words.

“That’s just ridiculous.”

“I thought so too. From the Queen Mother’s perspective, it means she doesn’t wish for the liberation of the Seven Luminaries.”

“You still haven’t told me why Gong Gong hasn’t come back yet.”

“He went to release Yan Emperor Shennong.”

“…What?”

What kind of nonsense is this?

Suddenly, everyone turned their attention to Celestial Sage. He shrugged.

“From now on, Gong Gong isn’t essentially our ally. He’s going to return as the leader of the Giant Clan and a servant of the resurrected Yan Emperor.”

“W-What do you mean? The seal of Yan Emperor Shennong is in the Shadow World and can’t be undone alone because of Nüwa’s seal.”

“The Queen Mother has agreed to release Yan Emperor’s seal. She proposed it directly to Gong Gong.”

“Huh!”

What?!

Isn’t Nüwa essentially someone who loathes Yan Emperor Shennong for having put her power to seal him?

Hearing this unexpected development, Zhuge Sa’s eyes sparkled with realization.

“It seems… we’re approaching a new phase.”

“Zhuge Sa! Do you have a clue about this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The fact that Nüwa is freeing Yan Emperor Shennong means…”

Eventually, the unbelievable words flowed from Zhuge Sa’s mouth.

“It means that during the battle with Changhil, Jeon Wook and Jeogok suffered near-fatal damage. If so, essentially only three out of the Three Sovereigns are active now, which clearly indicates that once the Seven Luminaries are all liberated, they’ll fall significantly short against the alliance of the Old Rulers. So, either way, it’s likely they want to wake up the sealed Yan Emperor in preparation for that.”

“……!!”

Everyone fell silent at Zhuge Sa’s continuation.

“Soon, the Giant Clan will be resurrected. Then the real war of the gods will begin.”

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