Reincarnation Sword God

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Chapter 15: The True Martial Home

I immediately moved back to Luoyang with Zhuge Bu from Sichuan. As soon as we returned, I was momentarily speechless at the surreal sight before me.

“This is….”

Woo woo woo woo

In the center of Luoyang stood a massive black tower, erected irregularly. It was as if all laws were ignored, with bizarre tentacles swaying in the air from the tower’s windows. Among the towering forms that reminded one of ‘trees,’ I could see strange demon beasts wriggling inside. These beasts, as one would expect, looked horrifying enough to belong in a nightmare. It was a scene that looked entirely out of place, like the darkness of dreams had been transferred into reality.

Zhuge Bu climbed a nearby hill with me and gazed at Luoyang as he spoke.

“I suspect it’s a type of magic. Perhaps parts of Dark Heaven Village were summoned and inserted into this space.”

“Was it the demon sorcerers who attacked Luoyang?”

“To be precise, it was Peng Zuo. He unleashed that magic, referring to it as a ‘seed,’ and with that alone, 30% of central Luoyang was eroded.”

“…….”

Many people must have died. Frowning at the thought of that tragedy, Zhuge Bu continued.

“It seems that magic had the nature to expand infinitely, but for some reason, it stopped right there. Perhaps it’s thanks to Master Mangnyang.”

“That’s ambiguous. He could have prevented Peng Zuo from the start; why didn’t he…?”

“The ‘Luoyang’ that Master Mangnyang wishes to protect is on a conceptually different level for us. As long as the Battle Ground isn’t destroyed, it’s not his nature to interfere. Just managing with that is quite a lot of grace.”

I turned to Zhuge Bu.

“Zhuge Bu. You mentioned you have a way to contact the Bancheon Alliance. Now, tell me that method.”

“I was just about to mention it. It’s possible to make contact with them immediately.”

I headed to Dragon Cloud Palace with Zhuge Bu. I was puzzled by the fact that Dragon Cloud Palace was an old, unused imperial palace. I knew about it because I had been here before.

‘This is the secret base of the Eight Demons of the Demon Path from Shura Sect.’

In my past life, I had infiltrated this Dragon Cloud Palace with the Sword Demon to hunt Tuma. At that time, the Sword Demon had used the Mind Control Technique to defeat Tuma, who transformed into a dragon person.

As I looked at Zhuge Bu, demanding an explanation, he spoke.

“Tuma and all forces of the Eight Demons of Martial Daos have submitted to the Leader of Bancheon Alliance. The current leader, I can say, is the supreme ruler of the Heretical Sect.”

“Um.”

“The Orthodox Sect as well, mostly supportive of Master of Zen, so the Imperial Palace has been fighting the entire Martial Arts World. I had wondered about the source of the Leader’s tremendous power, but now that I’ve received the obsidian, I understand why….”

It seems the Leader of Bancheon Alliance had shown immense capability as the Sword Demon. After a while, Zhuge Bu entered the Heart of the Imperial Palace of Dragon Cloud Palace, and in the dilapidated garden of the old building, he slowly spoke.

“Jin So-cheong. As promised, I brought Bai Woong.”

Swish!

At that moment, the space trembled, and Jin So-cheong appeared at the location. Remarkably, Jin So-cheong looked almost unchanged with age. Overjoyed to see him, I shouted.

“Jin So-cheong!!”

“Bai Woong. Did you give Zhuge Bu the obsidian?”

“Yes. Have you been well?”

“…Hmm, as expected…. It seems the Zhuge Clan didn’t want to disrupt your training, and so they didn’t contact you.”

Jin So-cheong, letting out a low voice, said.

“Bai Woong. We have a lot to discuss. I don’t know how far Zhuge Bu has informed you, but let’s hurry and convey the details.”

Jin So-cheong led us into Dragon Cloud Palace’s interior, and as we walked deeper, the eerie sight of the abandoned palace vanished, revealing a clean, organized interior. In that room, there were other familiar faces waiting as well.

“Let me introduce you. They are currently leading the Bancheon Alliance as its senior officials.”

Yeon Jong-hwi, Bai Li Jeong-woon, Sa Ma-gyeong, Dokgo Seong, Deung Gwak, Master of Shadowless Sword.

“……!!”

Yeon Jong-hwi would soon be known as one of the Ten Great Masters, and Bai Li Jeong-woon was a scion of a prestigious family I had encountered in Sichuan. Additionally, Sa Ma-gyeong was an outstanding strategist and barrier master, Dokgo Seong was the Peak Master of the Thunder God Lineage, and Deung Gwak was the leader of scholars. Master of Shadowless Sword, Namgung Jo, was a former grandmaster from the Namgung Clan, once recognized as the Greatest Sword under Heaven.

Creak

The six seated figures stood up almost simultaneously and bowed toward me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bai Woong!”

It seemed that the Leader of Bancheon Alliance, the Sword Demon, had gathered useful people from my past life by any means necessary. Furthermore, from their greetings, it appeared they knew something about my past life.

‘If that weren’t the case, they wouldn’t have grouped such unique individuals…’

As I reciprocated the greeting, everyone eventually sat down. Jin So-cheong, sitting across from me, said:

“Bai Woong. You’ll recognize everyone here.”

“…….”

Noticing my expression of surprise, Jin So-cheong sent a secret transmission.

[Miho and Cheon Woo-jin are currently outside on a secret mission. Bright Dragon and Master of Zen are moving the True Heaven Alliance to assist us from their respective sects.]

I see.

As I comprehended this, Jin So-cheong spoke.

“Bai Woong, how much do you understand of the situation?”

“I heard during the talks between Bancheon Alliance and the Imperial Palace that the Western demon sorcerers and their leader Peng Zuo attacked the conference site, that Zhuge Sa was captured, and that the Leader of Bancheon Alliance, the Sword Demon, went missing. Also, the rumors say that Zhuge Sa is within the Western fleet of Namhaeseong. This hideous black tower that has risen in Luoyang is also the work of Peng Zuo….”

“It appears you’ve grasped most of it.”

“Jin So-cheong, how powerful is Peng Zuo? Just how strong can he be…?”

At my question, Jin So-cheong sighed.

“…To be honest, if only Peng Zuo had utilized his own strength, we could have managed it among ourselves. However, once he began to wield the power of the Golden Crow, it became utterly unsurmountable. Facing annihilation, Zhuge Sa resorted to negotiations with Peng Zuo as a last resort, and as a result, we barely avoided total destruction, forcing Peng Zuo to retreat.”

“That can’t be! You and Cheon Woo-jin were also there!”

I exclaimed in shock, to which Jin So-cheong replied.

“It’s the power of the Seven Luminaries. If a strong being like him obtains even one of the Seven Luminaries, the power becomes beyond imagination. Of course, if we had all attacked Peng Zuo together, we might have had a chance. However, every Western sorcerer who followed him was also a formidable demon sorcerer; thus we were utterly outmatched.”

Suddenly, Jin So-cheong bowed deeply to me.

“I’m sorry! If I had been a bit stronger, this negligence wouldn’t have happened.”

“No. What right do I have to say anything? I’m just glad to see you alive again.”

I waved my hand and said.

“Well, what’s done is done; we need to rush to rescue Zhuge Sa. It’s clear he’s in great danger since even the suspicious fishhook can’t reach him. Let’s head south together.”

“…….”

However, Jin So-cheong didn’t respond to my words, nor did the others. As a strange silence lingered, I glanced around, and finally, Deung Gwak, sitting next to me, spoke up.

“…We can’t engage in a fight with no chance of winning.”

“What?”

“The power of Peng Zuo that day surpassed imagination. While the reincarnated you and your companions have seen the strengths of transcendent beings, for us ordinary humans, it was a complete shock. To be frank, I can’t even imagine winning in a fight against him.”

Deung Gwak looked at me calmly and said.

“Reincarnated Bai Woong! You have liberated the Golden Crow and are equipped with more than ten treasures on your body as the Great Immortal and the current descendant of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, and you say you have the confidence to fight against him? Unless you show that hope, we can’t move.”

“……!!”

I realized that not just Deung Gwak, but everyone in the room seemed to agree with his opinion. All of them had witnessed the overwhelming power that Peng Zuo displayed when he liberated the Golden Crow, and it was evident they had lost their fighting spirit.

As their gazes turned toward me, I briefly pondered and then said.

“I can win.”

“Hah! I’ve heard from the Leader that you haven’t even reached the Absolute Realm, yet Peng Zuo is a transcendent who can suppress even masters of the Absolute Realm outright. Do you still think of taking such a suicidal action?”

Deung Gwak cynically muttered, but I held my ground and stared directly at the crowd.

“Regardless of how you see me, I am who I am. Of course, if I fought head-on, I’d probably lose to Peng Zuo, but I’m a reincarnator, and you are not. When it comes to saving my brother and my strategist, the disparity in power is a trivial issue.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying a reincarnator can overcome the difference in power?”

“Certainly.”

“That’s absurd… Huh!”

Suddenly, Deung Gwak stood up and shouted.

“If that’s the case, how about you prove your skills right now?”

“How do you mean?”

Deung Gwak’s subsequent proposal was rather surprising to me.

“All the officials here will unite against you. If you can withstand our combined assault for more than three hundred seconds, we’ll listen to what you say!”

This was an outrageous proposal. Just Deung Gwak alone was among the world’s top-tier Peak Masters, and both the Master of Shadowless Sword and Dokgo Seong had originally aimed toward reaching the Absolute Realm. Moreover, if Yeon Jong-hwi and Bai Li Jeong-woon had been taught by the Sword Demon, their capabilities were likely formidable. Sa Ma-gyeong was also a barrier master, which made fighting him a hassle. Thus, ordinarily, I would never have considered accepting such a challenge.

“Fine.”

However, I accepted the proposal calmly as soon as it was presented. This rather surprised Deung Gwak.

“What…? Are you serious?”

“If we fight at Dragon Cloud Palace, the palace will collapse, so let’s fight somewhere more spacious.”

“…Got it. Just don’t blame me if you die.”

“Of course.”

We soon moved to a desolate mountain twenty miles away from Dragon Cloud Palace. Encircled by the six officials of Bancheon Alliance, they readied their weapons. Glancing at each one briefly, I assessed their capabilities, and the results surprised me.

“…….”

My gaze fixed on Bai Li Jeong-woon and Yeon Jong-hwi. A moment later, Deung Gwak shouted as if declaring.

“Then let’s go!”

Pa-at!

The first to attack was Dokgo Seong. In the fleeting moment shared by the Peak Masters, Dokgo Seong approached with a somewhat angry expression, muttering to himself.

[Reincarnator. I heard you carelessly took all my sword’s visions. Now, let’s see you show that skill!]

It seemed the Sword Demon had already told him everything. I couldn’t help but smirk as I watched the tremendous pressure of Dokgo Seong’s sword thrust. Normally, his sword would be an extraordinarily fast blade, and its unpredictable trajectory made it impossible to dodge. However, I kept a close eye on its changes and slowly assumed the stance of Tai Chi.

And just as I made my move with a half-beat delay, using Tai Chi I countered the incoming attack while simultaneously performing the technique to draw him towards me. The physical sword pressure I couldn’t physically handle seemed to pass by like a thread, and Dokgo Seong lost balance, staggering slightly.

Not wasting the moment of opportunity that opened up, I immediately extended my left palm to attack his shoulder. Dokgo Seong quickly deflected my strike but bounced back, expelling empty air.

“Hah!”

Stumble

Dokgo Seong staggered for a moment, and the reason was that I had somehow drawn my sword and left a small cut on the skin over his heart. My immense internal power had resulted in an internal injury! Even though Dokgo Seong managed to avoid a critical strike due to his incredible reflexes, I had still succeeded in countering.

Following Dokgo Seong, this time Deung Gwak charged in to attack. I confronted Deung Gwak’s vast internal power while breaking into the center of the space. It was something I had learned from the teachings of the great master Jang Sam-bong during my Tai Chi training, where seizing the flank at such angles becomes advantageous.

Shoo shoo

It felt as though my body flowed like liquid. Quickly switching my energy mode, I balanced yin with left and yang with the right, spinning in place. As I whirled, my strong Qi struck Deung Gwak. He calmly defended against my overwhelming energy while striking back, but that counter was something I had anticipated, and I smirked as I took another step forward.

Thud!

“Ugh!!”

Deung Gwak hastily intertwined his hands to block my extended strike, but he couldn’t withstand the force and was sent spiraling through the air. The impact hurled him over twenty meters before he crashed to the ground, rolling even further for ten additional meters; clearly, neutralizing my internal energy was no easy feat for him.

Fwoosh!!!

Next, without a sound, Yeon Jong-hwi loosed five arrows that approached dangerously close to my acupoints. In truth, I was aware that Yeon Jong-hwi was about to shoot, but the combined attack from the other masters came too swiftly for me to react in time. I realized that even with my protection energy technique, I was going to suffer a severe injury with Yeon Jong-hwi’s penchant for trickery.

‘One Arrow, a Hundred Kills!’

It was the title of Yeon Jong-hwi, as well as his specialty. The essence of it came from the secret martial art of his clan; he could manipulate the arrow he shot at will and could even split its Qi to turn a single shot into a hundred. This principle of One Arrow, a Hundred Kills was applicable not only for mass slaughter but could also be used for powerful targeted assassination. Thus, leaving even one arrow unaddressed would mean being shot through with the penetrating force of a hundred arrows.

I quickly activated the Three Treasure Technique while simultaneously swinging my sword to sever the arrowheads. I thought to use Tai Chi to deflect it, but I didn’t have enough confidence at that moment, so I used the later approach instead.

“Ha!”

As I blocked the arrow with my sword, Yeon Jong-hwi flicked his fingers; simultaneously, with the technique of the swirling void, a strike rushed toward the back of my head. This time again, I dodged using the Three Treasure Technique.

Just as I dealt with Yeon Jong-hwi’s attack, the Master of Shadowless Sword rushed at me, shouting in excitement.

“I’ve never seen a master like you before!”

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