Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Celestial Realm

Celestial Realm

At the command to summon Yeo Dongbin, I was momentarily taken aback.

After pondering what he might intend by it, I slowly shook my head.

"Yeo Dongbin does not appear unless confronting demons. He does not descend to face humans."

"Demons? What are those?"

"That's..."

I gave a brief explanation of demonic beasts and the Yi Clan.

"I recall seeing such creatures in the remote wilderness of the Shin River."

"You mean the Yi Clan?"

Dokgo Seong nodded.

"In the barren mountains and sheer cliffs of the Shin River, there were occasional attacks by things that could hardly be called natural creatures. Subjugating those fiends had become a regular annual event for the White Lotus Cult's experts."

"Definitely demonic beasts?"

"Yeah, they looked like toads, about a zhang in size. They were called 'Gak.' There were all sorts of others too."

As Dokgo Seong sketched them on the ground to illustrate, I immediately realized they were the ones I had encountered before.

They closely resembled the tentacle toad guarding the Great Thunder Jade.

The difference was merely one of scale—a single Gak was only a zhang across, while the tentacle toad was ten times that size.

"So the Yi Clan must be scattered all throughout the world."

That would explain why the White Lotus Cultists had considerable experience battling them.

In Dongyeong, the influence of the [Ancient Ruler] was so overwhelming that demonic qi and beasts rampaged everywhere, prompting the creation of the Aokiagahara Flood to corral the demonic beasts there.

The Central Plains seemed no different—there were apparently places where demonic qi boiled over, and the Shin River was one such spot.

A sudden oddity struck me.

Why were demons so scarce in the Central Plains?

The people of Goryeo and Dongyeong were familiar with yokai, and some even knew well of the Yi Clan.

That was because such monsters occasionally revealed themselves in both Dongyeong and Goryeo.

Yet in the Central Plains, one rarely even sighted a yokai, let alone a demonic beast.

Of course, those in the know were aware of them, but given the vastness of the Central Plains, their numbers could be considered effectively zero.

Logically speaking, an area that size should seem several times over with demonic beasts.

"Why?"

I resolved to look into this puzzle later.

As I sank deep into thought, Dokgo Seong spoke up.

"If we could summon the one called the Sword Immortal, he would surely be a tremendous asset. What a pity."

"Why do you wish to spar with him?"

"What a foolish question. Is there any martial artist who would turn down the chance to cross swords with the Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin?"

"......"

I could understand his answer, yet at the same time, it struck me as absurd.

Based on the skill of the Yeo Dongbin I had witnessed, he could slay the current Dokgo Seong in a mere ten breaths.

The memory was still vivid of tens of thousands of sword qi filling the heavens, hurtling forth with unimaginable momentum.

He could say such things only because he had no grasp of a Great Luo Immortal's prowess.

'Hmm... no. Perhaps I can turn this martial artist's temperament to my advantage.'

A plan occurred to me, and I spoke.

"Master. If you're so insistent, there is one method."

"What is it?"

"Please follow me."

Paat!

Moments later, I arrived at the mouth of Dongyeong's Aokiagahara Flood—the Living Sea—hand in hand with Dokgo Seong.

A forward base of sorts still stood there, bearing signs that two of Dongyeong's great sword experts had been quartered in it.

Kaminumi Nobutsuna, who had been roasting meat at the time, spotted us and wore a startled expression.

"Appearing out of nowhere like that—who are you people?"

"Ah... no."

Dokgo Seong appeared just as flustered.

We had come on a whim, after all, and there was an elderly stranger grilling meat while speaking the tongue of barbarians—and he looked like a transcendent peak expert, no less.

To settle the pair's confusion, I first addressed Dokgo Seong.

"I'll explain, so please refrain from attacking them."

"Understood."

I then summoned the two Dongyeong great sword experts and began interpreting for them in Dokgo Seong's presence.

By now, I had reached a realm where I could wield the Central Plains tongue, Dongyeong speech, and Goryeo language with complete freedom.

Once I had laid out the full circumstances for everyone, I walked over to the building's wall and said to Dokgo Seong,

"This writing is in Han script..."

"Hmm!"

Dokgo Seong let out a groan upon confirming the contents, written in Hanja: [I will find the Full Moon Thousand Slaying Method and kill the Cult Leader].

"Cheongwol's handwriting. So Cheongwol made it all the way here."

"......"

"One stone, three birds. Let's track down Cheongwol too and head back to the Central Plains."

"I'd love to if it's possible."

I was already aware that entering the Flood's second stage, the Dead Sea, required a party of eight.

Otherwise, the onmyoji clan guarding the Flood would not open the gate.

And so we departed the forward base and ventured into the mouth of the Flood.

Wooo—

'They're coming.'

As the demonic beasts' presence grew stronger and the demonic qi began to seethe, I sensed the onset of Yeo Dongbin's descent.

Having passed the Belief stage of the Heavenly Escape Sword Art's essentials and attained Release, my seal was unshackled, and I felt my eight extraordinary meridians slowly opening.

I smoothly summoned divine qi up to that point, guided Yeo Dongbin's soul, and accepted his descent.

[I shall eradicate the demons!]

The Yeo Dongbin who manifested in an instant unleashed my internal energy.

Even with only three of the eight gates open, the human body's potential under his control seemed boundless—like a blazing corona exploding across the heavens.

Kwarurung!

Heavenly Escape Sword Art

Six Intentions Sacred Heaven Diagram

Heavenly Verdict

Sword qi erupted in all directions like a torrent of lightning and thunderbolts.

The Heavenly Verdict, brimming with devastating destructive power, began instantly sweeping away the Avici Flames and great yokai-grade demonic beasts filling the area.

Spotting some demonic beasts enduring thanks to their durability, Yeo Dongbin soon executed sword flight and unleashed palm strikes to dispatch them.

Intent Spirit Hand

A hand forged of intent flicked into being in midair.

Yet for all its transparency, it was vast enough to smother a mountain—and when it slammed down upon the earth, it was as if an earthquake had struck.

Kwagwagwang!

Keeeeek—

Unable to withstand the pressure, the demonic beasts burst apart, spewing black blood.

Yeo Dongbin followed up with a barrage of Intent Spirit Claw and Intent Spirit Fist, reducing the area to a wasteland.

His form multiplying into dozens like phantoms to unleash thousands of consecutive strikes was pure terror incarnate.

[Now to finish it!!]

Heavenly Escape Sword Art

Six Intentions Sacred Heaven Diagram

Rain Verdict

Pipipipiping—

Yeo Dongbin hurled his sword toward the sky, where it pierced the clouds and soared beyond sight.

Once it had risen to the point of invisibility to the naked eye, it began plummeting back to earth as a storm of rain.

What was astonishing was that each individual raindrop contained a terrifying gravitational force—demonic beasts with regenerative powers or diamond-hard bodies alike began bursting as though melting away.

It was tantamount to millions of sword qi perforating the ground.

Hududuk...

After a single vortex of sword winds passed, the area was a barren expanse.

The Flood, so choked with demonic beasts there had been no room to step before, was now utterly devoid of so much as a trace of them.

A few survivors seemed to remain, but those had fled in abject terror.

Shuuhuk.

[Receptacle, it's been ages since I mass-subjugated demons like this!]

Yeo Dongbin seemed content and made to depart.

But I could not simply let him go like that, so I called out to him mentally.

[Yeo Dongbin! Hold on a moment.]

[What is it? I've exterminated all the demons.]

[This is the Aokiagahara Flood, and far more powerful demonic beasts lie ahead. I can't merely borrow your power—I need you to impart some teachings.]

[Teachings?]

Yeo Dongbin seemed somewhat troubled.

I persuaded him desperately.

[I've reached the second stage of the Heavenly Escape Sword Art you described—Release. Teach me the stages beyond, or at least demonstrate your swordsmanship for my acquaintance. It's the only way I'll survive what's coming.]

[Receptacle. The Heavenly Escape Sword Art is an immortal sword art and thus formless... You still wish to learn it?]

[You say it's formless, yet you wield the Six Intentions Sacred Heaven Diagram and Fire Dragon Swordsmanship! Teach me a little, at least.]

As I pressed him, Yeo Dongbin replied.

[The Fire Dragon Swordsmanship is a technique I mastered in my human days, so I merely default to a familiar form. As for the Six Intentions Sacred Heaven Diagram, it is a transcendent technique beyond the human level.]

Transcendent technique?

What did that mean?

As I voiced my doubt, Yeo Dongbin continued his explanation.

[You seem able to wield intent, receptacle, so I shall explain at a level suited to you. The typical limit for humans is gathering intent to unleash killing arts or applying intent techniques. Enlightenment gaps arise even beyond that.]

[Hmm...]

[Past that stage lies communion between one's will and the heavens and earth—heaven-earth fusion—and ascension to the Absolute Earth Realm. In this realm, one transcends human imagination to manipulate the heavens and earth, becoming a Natural Sword.]

[......]

I was awestruck by this supremely exalted immortal martial realm.

'So that was it—the sword qi Yeo Dongbin infused into those raindrops was a Natural Sword.'

Small wonder battle with a Great Luo Immortal was inconceivable.

In truth, even when fighting two-on-one against the Sword Demon and Dokgo Seong, had he not held back to avoid killing them?

I could tell that those who ascended to immortality through martial arts obtained immense power.

A sudden thought occurred to me, and I posed a question.

'[The White Lotus Cult Leader, the strongest in the human world at present, said the Heavenly Spirit Pill is the path to the Primal Spirit. But he clarified it is not the Primal Spirit itself—merely an intermediate step. Ultimately, with the upper, middle, and lower dantian all opened, one attains a mind realm of infinity, transcending humanity—that is the Primal Spirit.]'

[......]

[It clashes so starkly with your words. How should I interpret this?]

Yeo Dongbin then spoke.

[Receptacle. Might you offer up ten years of your lifespan?]

[What do you mean?]

[To explain requires defying the secrets of heaven, for which a price must be paid.]

I gritted my teeth and nodded.

[Take it, by all means.]

I would reincarnate upon death in any case—what did ten more years matter?

Hearing a lecture on martial arts from the Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin was worth that much.

[Very well.]

Sususu...

It was then.

The presence of Yeo Dongbin, who had descended into me and conversed in my mind, vanished utterly—and before my eyes, a hazy phantom like mist took form.

The phantom soon solidified, taking on the full appearance of a man.

A stern-looking middle-aged Daoist with clear, limpid features.

That was evidently Yeo Dongbin's human form.

As Yeo Dongbin manifested in the area, the transcendent peak experts all grew tense.

But Yeo Dongbin paid them no mind, casually perching upon a nearby tree.

He regarded me with calm eyes and spoke.

"The time I can manifest in the present world is a mere half shichen. Ask what you will in that span."

The Ground Immortal Manggyang must have used his sorcery to offer up lifespan as the price for summoning Yeo Dongbin.

I had thus gained the valuable insight that immortals could be summoned into reality depending on the method.

As I mentally sorted through my thoughts, Dokgo Seong spoke cautiously from the side.

"That... are you truly the Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin?"

"Human, the only proof I can offer is my swordsmanship."

"Then behold—I, Dokgo Seong of the Thunder God Style, shall receive the immortal's teachings!"

Paaat!

Dokgo Seong's form shot toward Yeo Dongbin like lightning.

Even to my eyes, it was an unbelievably swift sword—so I could tell his swordsmanship realm far surpassed my own.

In an instant, Dokgo Seong unleashed dozens of sword thunders, seeking to envelop Yeo Dongbin's entire body.

But Yeo Dongbin merely closed his eyes and traced a finger from left to right.

Chiring!

The summoned giant sword chimed like a bell as it deflected Dokgo Seong's sword thunders aside.

With his ultimate killing move blocked, Dokgo Seong righted himself and transitioned straight into his next motion.

But Yeo Dongbin moved with inconceivable speed, shoving Dokgo Seong's body back with a palm strike.

Even as he was repelled, Dokgo Seong endured through his transformation realm and loosed a sword thunder infused with an intent technique as a counterattack.

The sword thunder took the form of a dragon, compressed with immense power.

Yeo Dongbin leisurely tilted his giant sword, slamming the thunder dragon into the ground.

He then swung, carving toward Dokgo Seong's upper body.

Kukung!

In that split second of perfect clarity, Yeo Dongbin chained together three motions at once.

Dokgo Seong managed to defend against the head-height slash and low push.

But he had no answer for the final leg kick to his thigh.

As Dokgo Seong's balance crumbled and he staggered, Yeo Dongbin lightly deployed Intent Spirit Hand to swat his body into the air.

......!!

Dokgo Seong's face was full of defeat as he landed.

He let out a deep sigh and said,

"No room for doubt... Today I have beheld the realm beyond the heavens."

It was astonishing.

Even the White Lotus Cult's Three Great Guardian Lions could never hope to suppress Dokgo Seong in under two hundred breaths.

Yet Yeo Dongbin had subdued him as though toying, without so much as deploying a killing blow.

In that moment, I truly felt the gap between his immortal martial realm and that of humanity.

But Yeo Dongbin seemed little interested in the fact of his victory.

He shifted his gaze to me and spoke.

"Receptacle. I shall now answer your question regarding the Heavenly Spirit Pill and the Primal Spirit."

All eyes turned to him.

Dokgo Seong in particular was all but hanging on his every word.

"That is not martial arts—it is divine power."

"Yes?"

Everyone in the area was stunned by what came next.

"The Heavenly Spirit Pill is no realm permitted to humanity to begin with. Therefore, regard all who have cultivated the Heavenly Spirit Pill and Primal Spirit as apostles of the gods."

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