Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I figured Mount Tai would be handled by Cheongwol and Dugoseong anyway, and we'd naturally find it when we linked up later. That left me with about a month, so I decided to search the remaining four of the Five Great Mountains.

'Start with Mount Heng in the north.'

After some thought on where to go first, I chose Mount Heng. Huashan, Hengshan, and Songshan naturally hosted Mount Hua Sect, Mount Heng Sect, and Shaolin Temple among the Nine Great Righteous Sects. Mount Heng had no major martial arts faction, making it the easiest place to start.

Mount Heng lay in Shaanxi Province, the northernmost of the Five Great Mountains. The Nine Great Righteous Sects typically claimed the famous peaks, so one might expect a Daoist sect there, but there was a reason it lacked one.

Rumble...

It took half a day to reach the base, where I gazed up at the towering peak. Among the mountains I'd seen, it was exceptionally high and rugged, with sheer cliffs that offered no mercy. The numerous passes scattered about made it impossible for any civilian martial faction to settle. Mount Heng, like Mount Tai, was renowned as one of the tallest and most treacherous of the Five Great Mountains, historically a key military stronghold.

As one of Daoism's sacred sites, small Daoist temples dotted the area. But the absence of a major power like the Nine Great Righteous Sects suggested the terrain forced them to heed the government's watchful eye. While searching Mount Heng, I stopped at a temple called Hyeon-gong Temple.

I entered, met the abbot, made a donation, and paid respects to the Buddha statue before requesting a private audience. Naturally, it was about whether he'd seen the Mount Tai Old Man nearby. The abbot found it odd that a child like me had climbed to this temple hundreds of zhang high but answered anyway.

"Is he residing on Mount Heng now?"

"Well... He's like a divine dragon, wandering freely, so this old monk wouldn't know. But he's not seen here often."

"I see."

I might have to comb the entire mountain.

My eyes then caught a strange giant statue beside the Buddha in the main hall. It didn't look like a typical Buddhist guardian deity. Having never seen anything like it, I asked curiously.

"What is that giant?"

"Hoho... That's Pangu."

"Pangu?!"

I flinched.

Pangu was the creation god from the creation myth, the being who brought order to the primordial chaos. Too ancient for worship in Buddhism or Daoism, and more symbolic than anything, this was my first time seeing a statue of him. The abbot smiled warmly.

"Pangu was conceived in the primordial chaos of heaven and earth, within an egg-shaped universe. He cracked it open, sending the light, pure qi upward to form the sky, and the heavy, turbid qi downward to form the earth. We honor his merit by enshrining him alongside the Buddha."

"Hmm..."

No issue there. Though not a Buddhist god, Pangu was revered in folk faith as a great being. On Mount Heng, one of Daoism's origins, it made sense for Buddhism to be influenced.

Curiosity struck, and I asked the abbot.

"Isn't there a myth that Pangu died to create the world, and another that Fuxi and Nüwa created it? Why do multiple creation myths coexist?"

"Hoho... Young hero, you seem quite interested in myths."

"I have many questions."

"Very well. Since it's fate, this old monk will share his thoughts."

Pleased, the abbot chuckled and explained.

"Strictly speaking, they're slightly different."

"How so?"

"Pangu created the world, while Fuxi and Nüwa created humanity... The origin of the world predates humanity itself, doesn't it?"

"......"

"Heaven and earth are black and yellow, the cosmos vast and wild—that truth was forged not by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, but by the creation god Pangu."

I nodded at the abbot's analogy.

"A line from the Thousand Character Classic."

"Since you're fond of myths, young hero, visit the Heavenly Ladder Altar nearby if you have time."

"Heavenly Ladder Altar?"

"It's said a ladder to the heavens once stood there. Now, Daoists from everywhere hold ceremonies every three years. The scenery is quite poetic."

"Thank you."

"Amitabha..."

Heavenly Ladder.

Leaving the temple, I recalled what the Hyeoncheon Daoist had told me recently.

[The Fu Xi who created the Eight Trigrams can be said to have passed 'fire' to humanity in ancient times. That fire was delivered via the Jianmu tree, a heavenly ladder built for humans—meaning fire originated from the heavens.]

The Heavenly Ladder had long connected heaven and earth in ancient lore. Mount Heng seemed to preserve such legends directly. Piecing together what I'd learned, I formed a hypothesis.

'Wait. If the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' Zhuanxu severed exchanges between heaven and earth, does that mean he destroyed the Heavenly Ladder?'

It was the only explanation. To verify, I headed to the Heavenly Ladder Altar the abbot mentioned.

Daoists frequented the site, leaving huts and facilities. The altar was a simple three-zhang-wide platform. I approached, inspecting for anything unusual.

"Hmm, this is..."

Oddly, a Pangu statue stood there too, identical to the one at Hyeon-gong Temple. Pangu worship seemed widespread across Buddhism and Daoism on Mount Heng. After pondering, I left the altar.

For the next two days, I scoured Mount Heng but sensed no trace of the Mount Tai Old Man. Finishing my search, I pondered the next mountain.

"Hmm. Not Mount Heng, so now choose between Mount Hua, Mount Heng South, or Mount Song..."

Tough choice. All hosted Nine Great Righteous Sects bases. Searching like on Mount Heng would be awkward and dangerous, risking conflict.

After deliberation, I picked Mount Heng South as the least troublesome. Better than Mount Hua Sect, hegemon of Shaanxi, or Shaolin, leader of the Nine.

Mount Heng South lay in Hunan Province, the southern counterpart to northern Mount Heng, also called South Peak. It took a full day from Hunan to reach the entrance, where I slipped in cautiously, avoiding notice.

'Not many Mount Heng Sect experts visible.'

Even the Nine Great Righteous Sects didn't control entire vast mountains. Even mighty Shaolin claimed only four or five of Songshan's seventy-two peaks. Still, their perception and range demanded caution.

Mount Heng South had surprisingly many temples. While searching, I sensed a powerful aura and hid in the brush.

Rustle!

'A formidable expert.'

Even suppressing my breath and qi in hiding, the power was clear. Undeniably, a rare master lurked within a hundred zhang. In an instant, they sensed me too, and the presence vanished. Sitting half-lotus in the bushes, I grimaced.

Likely a transcendent expert. Deciding to observe from hiding, I waited.

About an hour passed. Their patience broke first, a massive lion's roar echoing.

[Whoever this senior may be, show yourself! I, Mount Heng Sect Leader Jo Jin-woong, shall face you!]

"......!!"

Leaping atop a rock, the figure was Mount Heng Sect Leader Jo Jin-woong—I was stunned.

Eight-Armed Sword Immortal Jo Jin-woong!

Mount Heng Sect Leader and renowned swordmaster, top transcendent expert of Hunan. His "Eight-Arms" moniker reflected his illusory sword mastery, earning him the title Sword Immortal. No doubt a supreme wanderer of the land.

'What now?'

Evading his eyes was near impossible. Winning a fight was another matter, but dodging his detection range was exceedingly hard. I'd unluckily stumbled upon Jo Jin-woong training deep in the mountain alone.

Pondering, I chose to leave Mount Heng South. Curious about their swordsmanship, but now wasn't the time for trouble. I pulled out my flying sword from my bosom and escaped swiftly.

Flash!

Now at Mount Hua. I'd passed nearby in past lives, making it easy to reach. Vowing not to bump into Mount Hua Sect experts, I quickly vanished into the shadows with Shadowless Step.

'Huh. What's this?'

After a day scouring Mount Hua, something felt off.

"What is it?"

Choosing rugged paths to avoid people, the lack of presence was unnatural—more so than Mount Heng South. Odd, given Mount Hua Sect's greater prestige.

Curious, I headed to the Nine Great Righteous Sect's Mount Hua Sect main compound. Soon, I found a massive Daoist building, but something was wrong.

"......"

No people.

No Mount Hua Sect members.

The buildings stood, but not a single martial expert guarded the area or trained inside as expected.

They couldn't all be away on expedition. Even in crisis, some must guard the sect— at least a dozen. Risking it, I infiltrated the main compound.

'If it's an anomaly, I need to uncover why.'

Useful for future lives. I darted in with Shadowless Step, entering a grand building likely for key figures. Marked "Treasure Hua Pavilion," it was surely vital.

But inside Treasure Hua Pavilion, no presence lingered. Not even faint qi senses. Discovering something more eerie, I shuddered.

"......!!!"

Yes.

Not just animals—no insects or tiny presences either!

Outwardly fine, but this place had become a land of death. All life seemed erased from the area. Even rats or vermin were absent.

What had happened?

'No battle traces.'

An invasion wiping out Mount Hua Sect would leave marks. No expert could eliminate only humans without destruction. No blood, damage, or combat signs. Nor could it explain absent flora and fauna qi.

Puzzled, I roamed the buildings. I found dorms where disciples ate and slept, swords neatly racked. Venturing deeper, I sought spaces for the leader or elders.

'Something's here.'

Treasure Hua Pavilion's deepest chamber. Wood floors scented with incense, but overshadowed by intense, ominous qi. Forming a light orb with thunder qi in the darkness, I pressed on.

Finally, I found something strange.

"An egg?"

Gurgle...

Gurrrgle...

An egg emitting bizarre life sounds. Not a bird's hard shell, but leathery. The problem: twice the size of an adult man.

Whatever it was, it tied to the mass disappearance of Mount Hua Sect experts. As I approached to inspect—

Kyaaak!

Kyarak!!

With grotesque cries, staggering human figures emerged from the shadows. Dressed as Mount Hua Sect experts—all gathered here, it seemed. Stepping forward to talk, my eyes widened.

"......!!"

Tentacles writhed from their mouths. Scalps peeled, exposing brain tissue; eyes rolled wildly. No one could call them 'human.' From their attire, I realized they were Mount Hua Sect's famed Plum Blossom Swordsmen—unbelievable.

'The Plum Blossom Swordsmen couldn't even flee and ended up like this?'

Sss...

Madly frenzied, the Plum Blossom Swordsmen slowly encircled me. Proper stances suggested retained martial skill. Their formation was the renowned first-class combined assault, Plum Blossom Sword Array.

In that moment, I was certain.

Mount Hua Sect of the Nine Great Righteous Sects had been annihilated by an alien race.

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