Reincarnation Sword God

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Dark Heaven Village

After we regrouped, we set off for Goryeo, heading towards the ruins of the Sacred Altar Tree. Although it would take a substantial journey from Luoyang, Cheon Woo-jin activated a large-scale teleportation technique, enabling us to arrive at Jin’an in no time. In truth, it would’ve been fastest for the Celestial Sage to give us a ride on his cloud, but he seemed less inclined to do so for anyone but me.

“Great. We could arrive in less than a day.”

Our plan was to head straight to the coastal region since Cheon Woo-jin said he could use a technique to cross the seabed faster.

It was then that the Sorcerer appeared.

Swish!!

Cheon Woo-jin, who was continuously casting teleportation, suddenly halted, startled. This was due to the presence that interrupted his magic. The Sorcerer then materialized, floating in the air, glancing at our group before speaking.

“The Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Gong Gong have vanished.”

“Sorcerer! Where have you been?”

“I’d already dealt with the lackeys of the Imperial Palace, but I was outside Luoyang sensing something was off—the situation looked dangerous. But what on earth happened all of a sudden?”

It seemed the Sorcerer was unaware of the circumstances. I hesitated about how to approach him with the situation of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Gong Gong missing, relying only on the Celestial Sage. However, I decided to summarize the events to the Sorcerer, conveniently leaving out the part about Changhil’s sudden disappearance.

Upon hearing my story, the Sorcerer responded.

“Are you saying you’re trying to gather information from Zhuge Yulong to confront the completed Divine Portrait?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… If it’s an artificial deity using Tydaht as its heart, then it certainly poses a threat. In that case, I’ll accompany you.”

“……”

Though the Sorcerer was speaking kindly, I couldn’t say I was thrilled. Even though we agreed to be allies previously, he was too unpredictable for me to trust fully. The Sorcerer glanced at Cheon Woo-jin and proposed.

“Hey, let’s combine our techniques at once.”

“Sure.”

Wham!!

A moment later, as the Sorcerer and Cheon Woo-jin unleashed their magic at the same time, we instantly arrived at the ruins where the Sacred Altar Tree used to stand. It seemed that when sorcerers of the Grand Master level collaborated, they could achieve great effects with less magical power. Arriving faster than expected, we decided to search for Zhuge Yulong in the ruins.

Zhuge Sa concentrated as he uttered a command.

“This way.”

The dagger that Zhuge Sa had stabbed into Zhuge Yulong’s heart was his possession, making it easier to track his magical power. Following Zhuge Sa’s lead, we began to search through the underground of the ruins and after walking for a while in the cavern, we saw that a massive root was constricting the nearby ground. I murmured in curiosity.

“The Sacred Altar Tree must have already died, but it seems to still have some life force left.”

“The Divine Being as a spirit is indeed dead. However, even a remnant life force can sustain existence for thousands of years.”

Zhuge Sa, responding to that, suddenly cast a spell to conjure flames, revealing the silhouette of someone embedded in the wall of the cave.

It was Zhuge Yulong.

He was stuck to the wall with a dagger thrust into his heart, hanging limp as if dead. After some time, he slowly raised his head to look at us.

“……”

Zhuge Yulong remained silent, sealing his lips tight. With a mocking tone, Zhuge Sa spoke.

“Brother. You won’t be able to overcome that cursed dagger within ten years, will you?”

“…That seems to be true. What is this dagger?”

“It’s the masterpiece crafted at the end of his life by the alchemist Jabir ibn Hayyan from Horasan. I was lucky enough to acquire it in an auction back in the day, and it’s quite useful. Though it’s not at the level of a divine treasure, it is certainly quite poisonous.”

Having replied, Zhuge Sa continued.

“That dagger placed you in a forced bondage, turning you into a pseudo-immortal, so you probably haven’t needed any physiological necessities; you must have had plenty of time to contemplate. And while you were lost in thought, the world outside rapidly changed.”

“……”

“Don’t you want to know what happened?”

Zhuge Yulong didn’t respond. Zhuge Sa shot me a sideways glance, likely thinking it better for me to persuade him directly. I stepped a bit closer to Zhuge Yulong and spoke.

“Zhuge Yulong, I am Baek Woong. I’ve come here because I need your help.”

“If you need my help, then remove that dagger first. Otherwise, I won’t say a word.”

“I can’t do that. The moment that dagger is removed, you’ll commit suicide and transfer to another body.”

“……”

“They say you endure any torture to accomplish your desires. That’s why Zhuge Sa gave up on torturing you—it’s a waste of time.”

“You certainly know well.”

“But… if Changhil and the Eight Parts are annihilated now? Will you still keep your silence to achieve your desire?”

Zhuge Yulong flinched slightly, apparently startled by what I said. However, he quickly regained his composure and sneered casually.

“That’s a lie. Don’t make up ridiculous stories.”

“Why do you think it’s a lie? Just because they’re Changhil and the Eight Parts doesn’t mean they’re immortal.”

“Changhil is exceedingly cautious and would never reveal himself until the very end. In fact, I was exhausted just trying to draw him out! Even if he were to reveal himself, it would be when he felt confident enough to confront the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. You want me to believe that something so absurd has occurred?”

“I’m serious.”

Seeing Zhuge Yulong’s complete disbelief, I couldn’t help but scratch my head. Certainly, Zhuge Yulong had a good grasp of Changhil’s tendencies, and his judgment would originally be correct.

No matter how hard you pulled him out, Changhil would likely not show himself easily. This is because the maximum gain for awakening the Changhil clan occurs just before the end—when humanity’s numbers peak at around 10 billion. Hence, there’s no reason for him to show himself now when the human population isn’t much over five hundred years ago and the Chinese characters haven’t spread worldwide. I knew Changhil’s full form, so I could understand Zhuge Yulong’s point.

“Believe it or not, Changhil’s faction has been annihilated. And the Seven Luminaries have nearly gathered, facing their final moments.”

Swish

I pulled out the five fragments of the Seven Luminaries from my wooden armor. I showed each one to Zhuge Yulong, whose eyes widened in disbelief.

“……!!”

“All that’s left is the Earth Star Eight Trigrams Diagram. With that, the path to the Sun Star will be open. And as you can see, we also know how to achieve liberation.”

“What on earth… How did you gather so many Seven Luminaries?”

“If you cooperate with us, well, no, if you agree to exchange information, I’ll let you know. Otherwise, you can stay locked away until the end of days, stewing in your own rage.”

Whoosh

After putting the Seven Luminaries back into my wooden armor, I said sternly.

“Make a choice. Will you help us, or shall we continue as we are?”

“Please give me a moment to think.”

“Alright.”

Silence filled the air. After a while, Zhuge Yulong finally spoke.

“Just one thing. Where are my sons?”

“……”

I felt a sudden pang of discomfort. Could it be that this guy, who seemed as tight-lipped as a clam, would be the one to inquire after his sons? I replied slowly.

“Mangnyang is dead. And Zhuge Bu is in our custody.”

“I see…”

Did I just imagine it, or was there a glimmer of sorrow in Zhuge Yulong’s eyes? For some reason, he seemed to react significantly to the news of Mangnyang’s death. Zhuge Yulong pondered for a moment before saying.

“Alright. If you promise on my name to release me, then I will trust you and agree to exchange information.”

“What? I can’t release you. I know exactly what kind of sorcery you can perform.”

“Then I won’t comply.”

“You’ve got guts. Are you saying it’s fine to disappear and lose your dreams like this?”

I looked at Zhuge Yulong with cold eyes and said.

“But let it be known, I know where several of your hidden bases are located and what they contain. Should I start revealing them one by one?”

Once I disclosed the locations of the bases, Zhuge Yulong’s expression hardened considerably. I smirked and spoke.

“Do you think we came this far without destroying those dolls? Or do you think we didn’t?”

“You didn’t destroy them. If you had, I would have received a signal.”

“That’s right. But I could start destroying them now.”

“……”

“You’re already backed into a corner. It’d be bothersome, but I could head back, destroy all the dolls at your base, and while I’m at it, kill you here—no chance of resurrection. An eternal death. Is that the kind of ending you desire?”

“Why didn’t you destroy them on your way here?”

“For no real need. It would just be a waste of time. Gathering the Seven Luminaries is the goal, and with Changhil, the Eight Parts, and the Imperial Palace wiped out, what kind of threat do you even pose now? Before you can break the curse of that dagger, everything will conclude, and who knows? We might even be able to enforce additional seals. If you refuse this information exchange, you’ll be the only one to suffer.”

Upon my words, Zhuge Yulong fell silent for a moment. Then he spoke.

“What is it you desire? You seem to want something else from me.”

“Nothing special. I just want you to tell me everything I wish to know and assist in acquiring the last of the Seven Luminaries. While I fulfill my desires, I’ll help you fulfill yours as well.”

“Do you know what my desire is?”

“I’m not sure. So, why not start teaching me right now?”

“…Three things.”

Zhuge Yulong spoke slowly.

“I’ll answer frankly if you ask exactly three questions, but beyond that, I will not speak.”

“How stubborn. Once I gather just one more of the Seven Luminaries, this chaos will finally end, so what on earth…”

“If you want to kill me, then do it. But I will not yield.”

“What…?”

I muttered, astonished, as Zhuge Yulong retorted.

“I will never bend my will. I won’t give in until I fulfill what Jin Cheon-hwi entrusted me!”

Jin Cheon-hwi?

The unexpected name caught more of a reaction from Jin So-cheong than myself. He stepped forward, glaring at Zhuge Yulong with sharp eyes.

“Do you know my father?”

“So, you are Jin So-cheong…”

“Indeed.”

Zhuge Yulong seemed to recognize the relationship between Jin Cheon-hwi and Jin So-cheong. Not surprising, considering he’s the biggest shadow in the Imperial Palace. Zhuge Yulong stared at Jin So-cheong with vacant eyes and said.

“Jin So-cheong. Since you’re Zhuge Sa’s companion, and if you’ve captured my son, you likely know some past events to a degree… However, I did not decide on this massive betrayal solely because of your lady’s death. The legacy that Jin Cheon-hwi entrusted me is what truly propels me forward.”

“Did Jin Cheon-hwi rebel against the Celestial Realm to save humanity?”

“No… It’s more of a fundamental matter than that… I simply wanted to implement it in my own way.”

With that, Zhuge Yulong shot me a fierce glare.

“Gatherer of the Five Luminaries… Baek Woong! If you intend to kill me, do it. If you intend to torture me, go ahead. But I will never, ever yield to you. If it’s not in my way, it’s meaningless, and I can’t trust even a hair of your ideals! However, acknowledging your ambitions, I will sincerely answer two questions with my honor on the line.”

“…Two questions?”

“I just asked one a moment ago.”

“……”

Is he counting Jin So-cheong’s question as one? What a filthy bastard!!

Then, the Sorcerer who had been watching stepped forward as if frustrated.

“You’re such a bother. I’ll brainwash you and force you to reveal everything you know!”

Boom

However, it seemed the ancient brainwashing techniques employed by the Sorcerer did not work on Zhuge Yulong. Seeing this, Zhuge Sa muttered in disdain.

“That’s merely the soul within the doll… Moreover, regardless of how much you pour in things like the Soul Exchange Technique and brainwashing into a doll crafted specially with the Eight Trigrams, it wouldn’t work. Nothing could affect the realm of the mind. Even when I previously used the Soul Exchange Technique with the Demon King’s eye, it only restrained the body, not the mind.”

“Why didn’t you mention that earlier?!”

The Sorcerer threw a tantrum, but Zhuge Sa ignored him and spoke to me.

“Baek Woong. It seems my brother has made up his mind. No matter what measures you might take, he won’t succumb, so think carefully about your two questions.”

“Understood.”

Choosing death rather than yielding when he can’t see the conclusion he desires is a strange choice for someone like Zhuge Yulong, who has resorted to making alliances with demons and Changhil. However, it likely stemmed from an absolute distrust. I could understand his instinct to choose destruction over unexpectedly believing someone like me, who was suddenly seeking the Seven Luminaries.

I pondered deeply before opening my mouth.

“Even speaking without understanding, it could still be the case, so let’s start with explaining the situation first…”

I elaborated on how I gathered the Seven Luminaries, the battles between Changhil and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and how Changhil and the Eight Parts were eradicated. I also mentioned the Divine Portrait Jin. By the time I finished, Zhuge Yulong looked considerably cautious.

“… So the being known as Jin, an artificial deity using Tydaht as its heart, is now the biggest obstacle.”

“……”

“Yet, we predict that Jin is a being you couldn’t possibly have anticipated?”

“Why do you think that?”

“You originally created the Divine Portrait as an offering for the evil entities or the rulers of the Imperial Palace, right? Yet Jin seems to be entirely free from such constraints of cause and effect.”

“…Interesting.”

“Tell me everything you know about Jin, your predictions, and its weaknesses.”

Zhuge Yulong fell silent for a long while.

Then he spoke up.

“Divine Blood.”

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