Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

Heavenly Realm

I spent some time at the Azure Dragon Martial Hall discussing with Jin So-cheong ways to counter the Vermilion Bird's Phoenix Perch Swordsmanship. Drawing from his own experience, Jin So-cheong inferred the flow of the Phoenix Perch Swordsmanship and pointed out the seemingly dangerous techniques to me. Then he said,

"Baek Woong. When facing that man, I recommend actively using the Turtle Shell Sword and Heavenly Pivot Sword."

"Why is that?"

"If you control the spacing, it will create a flaw in the perfection of the Phoenix Perch Swordsmanship. It's a favorable matchup."

Something suddenly occurred to me, and I asked,

"During that battle on Mount Tai, perhaps..."

"That's right. I applied the insights from Jang Sam-bong that you passed on to me. You should be able to lead the fight against him to your advantage just like I did."

I let out a sigh of relief. If what he said was true, then facing the Vermilion Bird wasn't a hopeless endeavor. Jin So-cheong stared at me intently before speaking.

"What will you do now?"

"I'm planning to make a quick stop in Dongyeong before returning to the Incarnation Flow. I need to arrange a meeting with the White Lotus Leader as soon as possible."

"Good thinking."

Shortly after, Jin So-cheong and I used Flying Immortal to head to Dongyeong. Upon arriving at the obsidian mine in Dongyeong, I began mining high-quality obsidian while avoiding the eyes of the laborers. In an empty tunnel, Jin So-cheong picked up a small piece of obsidian ore and examined it with wonder.

"It doesn't seem all that special, yet in your hands, it becomes a treasure of the world."

"It's not that convenient. The capacity for storing memories varies by size, which is a bit unsatisfactory."

Obsidian sorcery seemed omnipotent, but it had clear limitations. If I wanted to transmit all the knowledge, experiences, and martial arts I'd accumulated over my lifetimes at once, I'd need an enormous obsidian at least twenty chapters in size. Finding such obsidian in the human world was nearly impossible. The larger the memory capacity and the longer the temporal traces, the greater the required size.

"Now, let's go find Miho."

After mining enough obsidian, we headed to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto where Miho was supposed to be. Upon arrival at the Imperial Palace, I scanned for Miho's presence and searched for traces of suspicious sorcery. Unexpectedly, however, we couldn't find any sign of her at all.

"What?"

Miho was gone!

The emperor, who should have been under Miho's control and in a dazed state, was perfectly compos mentis as he attended to state affairs, and no shikigami were wandering about. I couldn't sense Miho's sorcery at all. Finding this strange, I appeared before the emperor using Soul Vanishing Step.

*Gasp.*

"Sorry for the sudden visit."

I clasped my hands in greeting to the emperor and said,

"Do you have no memory of living up to now under the enchantment of a nine-tailed fox yokai? We were pursuing that yokai and happened to come here after sensing her traces."

"Hmm..."

The emperor let out a groan and glanced around at those nearby. Then he said,

"Are you her subordinates?"

"Why would subordinates chase her? We absolutely must meet that yokai."

"That yokai broke my enchantment a while ago and left. So now I'm just doing my duties as the emperor. That's all I know."

"Where did she go?"

The emperor made a troubled expression and said,

"I'd like to tell you, but I don't know. If I had to say, I heard her mention heading to Goryeo."

"Goryeo... What was she looking for?"

He waved his hand dismissively.

"I don't know. Stop tormenting me. I'd rather things stayed this way."

"Understood."

Jin So-cheong and I left the Imperial Palace. Being in Dongyeong for the first time, Jin So-cheong seemed fascinated by the architecture and the people's clothing. Standing atop a palace building, I pondered deeply before saying to Jin So-cheong,

"Jin So-cheong. Come with me to Goryeo."

"Going there isn't the issue, but do we have time at this point to scour Goryeo searching for Miho?"

"We just need to check two places."

"Two places?"

I nodded.

"If she's not at those two spots, then there's nothing we can do."

Flash!

I first used Flying Immortal to go to Mani Mountain on Ganghwa Island, the seal for Wolyo. Seosan the Great had always maintained the Eternal Smile Barrier there, living with his disciple Yujeong. But what I wanted to inspect wasn't the outwardly disguised Mani Mountain—it was Wolyo's altar itself—so Seosan the Great couldn't detect our intrusion. His barrier was limited to the exterior.

Upon reaching Wolyo's ancient altar, I surveyed the surroundings. Then I slipped inside using Flying Immortal and confirmed that Wolyo was still intact.

"It's here."

I verified that Wolyo's Three Divine Artifacts were safely in place. As long as I didn't touch and take them, Wolyo's guardian wouldn't be summoned, so I left Wolyo alone and exited. Jin So-cheong asked,

"Is Wolyo there?"

"Yes. It seems Miho hasn't reached here yet."

"That's fortunate. Where to next?"

"I'm thinking of going to Geochang."

"Geochang?"

I cracked my neck and replied,

"The emperor we just met once mentioned that there's a passage to what he suspects is the divine realm of Takamagahara in Geochang, Goryeo. If so, Miho will surely search that location to find Wolyo."

"I'm not following. Explain in more detail."

"If Takamagahara is a passage to the divine realm, doesn't that place resemble somewhere we know?"

Jin So-cheong pondered my words before exclaiming with realization,

"The Heavenly Altar!"

"I didn't catch on before, but it's certain now. There must be a place in Geochang connected to the heavens, just like the Heavenly Altars of the Central Plains' Five Sacred Mountains. If Miho is looking for the nearest divine sanctuary from Dongyeong, she'll stop there."

Of course, circumstances suggested it could be somewhere other than the Heavenly Altar. But it was best to search optimistically first.

"Indeed, that makes sense."

Convinced, Jin So-cheong looked at me with newfound respect.

"You're impossible to pin down. Sometimes you seem utterly ordinary, but that insight you just showed is on another level. It's proof you're growing amid these adventures."

I chuckled and replied,

"I'm just piecing together the information I've gathered and thinking it through. It's like everything was one from the start—each new fact connects to the old stories. I'm not smart, so I have no choice but to organize it."

"No. That's impressive enough in itself. Perhaps your greatest talent lies there."

"Enough with the flattery. Let's hurry."

Embarrassed by Jin So-cheong's praise, I brushed it off. In truth, this logical reasoning ability was something I'd picked up over countless years with Mangyang.

Since I'd never been to Geochang, I first went to nearby Hapcheon. I'd been near there before when searching for Haeinsa Temple. Upon arriving in Hapcheon, I immediately headed toward Geochang.

Entering the Geochang region, I felt troubled. There seemed to be a place suspected to be Takamagahara somewhere here, but pinpointing it was difficult. As I pondered, Jin So-cheong suggested,

"The Heavenly Altars of the Five Sacred Mountains were all on mountains. Let's climb a tall one nearby."

"Good idea."

But there weren't any particularly high or rugged peaks in sight. Unlike the continent, Goryeo's mountains were low and gentle, leaving a bland impression. Blindly searching was tedious, so we decided to go to nearby Haeinsa Temple for information.

Haeinsa Temple's abbot, Daejeong Beopsa, was a sorcerer of the Twelve Laws who had retired from the front lines to become an elder. He was also a monk of the Jogye Order. Meeting us, Daejeong Beopsa said,

"The Geochang area was once called Jeotguk, Gotara, and such in ancient times. It was the site of the Gaya Kingdom and a fierce battlefield during the Three Kingdoms era. But it's not a place with any remarkable peculiarities as you describe."

"Is that so..."

"I don't know where you heard such strange rumors, but the Twelve Laws won't look kindly on Ming people wandering about."

Daejeong Beopsa spoke politely and ended the meeting. His attitude was somewhat cold, but I was grateful he'd even listened. He could have suspected us greatly and attacked with sorcery.

"No. There's definitely something in Geochang."

Pondering how to find the peculiar location, another thought struck me.

"Wait. Takamagahara is a high plateau, right? Let's start with the high plateaus."

Leaving Haeinsa Temple, I searched the plateaus around Geochang. After about two hours, sure enough, a special plateau sealed by sorcery appeared. It was heavily warded with perception-obscuring spells to keep ordinary humans out, and a barrier was in place. Jin So-cheong noticed it too and said,

"This ahead seems like a separate space."

"This is probably Takamagahara."

"Shall we break the barrier? Unlike the Eight Trigrams Path, it seems we can shatter it with Intent Severing Technique."

"Of course!"

Boom rumble crash

We gathered our intent and shattered the barrier blocking the plateau. Intent concentrated with full power had the ability to pierce Left Path sorcery or barriers. Besides, Jin So-cheong and I were among the top experts in the entire Central Plains, so breaking a barrier like this was no issue. Unveiled was an absolute barrier like the Eight Trigrams Path, which was on the level of a treasure itself.

Whoooosh

Entering the barrier, a dense otherworldly aura flowed out. It hadn't yet affected reality enough to distort the present world, but if the demonic qi thickened further here, the physical laws of reality would twist like in the Blood Realm or Illusion Realm. No matter how I looked at it, this was no ordinary place—Takamagahara's likelihood was very high.

Jin So-cheong muttered,

"Baek Woong. After leaving here, we should avoid contact with the Twelve Laws. There's no way that Daejeong Beopsa from Haeinsa Temple we just met didn't know about this place."

"I think the same. This is like Mani Mountain on Ganghwa Island—a location secretly hidden by the Twelve Laws."

Venturing a bit further inside, a stone stele came into view.

[ Domain of Emperor Ijina-gi (?)

I tilted my head.

"The territory of someone named Ijina-gi?"

It was then, as we climbed deeper into the valley and reached the basin.

Fwoooosh

Suddenly, darkness and black winds surged as 異形-like giggling echoes came from all directions. I knew exactly what phenomenon this was from Mangyang's sorcery knowledge. Grabbing Jin So-cheong's arm urgently, I shouted,

"Fall back!"

Flash

We hastily retreated from the boundary where the otherworldly was encroaching. The view ahead looked like a normal plateau, but in truth, it was so different from an entrance to another world. A few more steps forward, and we'd be distilled into some unknown place. From the density of the demonic qi that had assailed us, that place was undoubtedly the one I knew well.

I muttered bitterly,

"Damn it... This place is directly connected to Dark Heaven Village."

"Dark Heaven Village—the abode of the otherworldly demon gods, right?"

"Yes. This Takamagahara seems to be a dimensional gate."

Dimensional gate!

A door leading straight to Dark Heaven Village!

It was a place where great celestial immortals or Taoist divine beings risked their lives to seal. A dimensional gate was tantamount to punching a hole in the real world; the more that opened, the easier it became for the [Ancient Overlords] in Dark Heaven Village to exert power. Disasters befalling the world often involved these dimensional gates.

So, contrary to our expectations, this Takamagahara wasn't a Heavenly Altar linking heaven and earth. No, perhaps it once was, but now it was merely a dimensional gate eroded by the otherworldly. It was unbelievable that a dimensional gate emitting such immense demonic power was sealed here.

I recalled the information the emperor had given me.

[ From overhearing her mutterings, it seems this world has things called 靈神器. Thinking about it, I realized I knew the base of these 靈神器 on this land. Going there might yield clues to the Seven Essentials you're seeking. ]

[ That place is called Takamagahara—what you might think of as a divine realm. But upon reflection, that very place seems to be the 異形's base. ]

[ It's a secret passed only to emperors: Takamagahara isn't land where gods descended, but a site sealing ominous beings and a passage. Those who came from there wielded great power and ruled as gods in this Dongyeong land. I believe that's the dwelling of these 異形 beings. ]

I........

He wasn't wrong.

This Takamagahara—and Geochang—was where the 異形 originating from Dark Heaven Village revealed themselves in reality. And those 異形 with divine power soon arrived in Dongyeong to reign as gods. The speculation that Takamagahara might be a dimensional gate had already existed. I'd hoped it might be like a Heavenly Altar, but it wasn't.

"Hmm... Then, per that stele we saw on the way up, Ijina-gi (?) must be the first sovereign who became Dongyeong's god."

Things clicked into place in my mind. As I rested my chin, lost in thought, Jin So-cheong beside me said,

"Baek Woong. What now?"

"Let's withdraw for now. I don't know if there are clues to the Seven Essentials here, but at least Miho isn't in a place like this."

A bitter feeling washed over me. I'd wanted to confront Miho and talk, but now I had no way to track her movements. The only gain was confirming Takamagahara's location.

"I can't stop Miho from gathering Wolyo right now."

Flash!

We returned to the Central Plains. We planned to make contact with the Incarnation Flow in the capital Luoyang. Parting ways with me, Jin So-cheong said,

"If I go with you, it'll only arouse unnecessary suspicion in the White Lotus Cult. I wish you the best."

"Leave it to me."

After escorting Jin So-cheong back to the Azure Dragon Martial Hall, I went to the Han Family Clan in Luoyang. Upon arrival, Han Jinseong greeted me.

"Did everything go well on your errand?"

I nodded at Han Jinseong's smiling question.

"No issues."

"Good."

"That said, I'd like to become the Leader's disciple right away, but..."

As I subtly shifted the topic, Han Jinseong said,

"The family head has something to say about that."

"The family head?"

"Please follow me for a moment."

"Understood."

I followed Han Jinseong to the family head's reception room. There, Han Baekryeong lay with her jet-black hair splayed out, her pipe staff dropped on the floor. Spotting me, she stared silently before speaking.

"Why are you trying to fight the imperial palace? What's your goal?"

Straight to the point. I hadn't even properly shared information with the Incarnation Flow yet, but she'd instantly grasped the purpose and core of my actions. Managing my expression, I replied,

"What do you mean?"

"Jinseong. You explain."

At Han Baekryeong's curt words, Han Jinseong, seated beside her, turned to me and said,

"Currently, every organization and intelligence group in the imperial palace is hunting three people. One of their sketches matches you exactly, Lord Baek Woong. Another was confirmed as Jin So-cheong of the Thunder God Flow, and the third is unidentified."

"......!!"

"It hasn't spread to the martial world yet, but soon the imperial palace will pressure the Nine Great Sects, Five Great Clans, Eight Demonic Sects, and more. We Han Family Clan obtained the info beforehand."

I could easily imagine the situation. No doubt the Imperial Guard's Vermilion Bird had put out wanted posters with our sketches. We who tried to disrupt the emperor's rite on Mount Tai were prime targets for the palace. As I fell silent, Han Jinseong said,

"Don't lie to the family head here. We can't guarantee your life."

It sounded like a threat, but felt like advice from Han Jinseong. Being in the same boat as me, he didn't want me recklessly touching Han Baekryeong's reverse scale and falling. In this situation, telling the truth seemed absolutely necessary.

"What to do?"

If I revealed everything, there was no guarantee Han Baekryeong would cooperate. She might hand me over to the palace to wrap things up neatly after causing such a huge incident. I couldn't handle the aftermath of full disclosure, nor did I trust her that much. Our relationship was more mutual exploitation.

I made my choice.

"I had to fight the emperor on Mount Tai."

Deciding to say everything I could.

Over the next half hour or so, I recounted all that had happened and the full story. Hiding only that I was a reincarnator, I covered the rite of ascension, joining with the Thunder God Flow, Mangyang's disappearance, and everything about the emperor gaining Changhi's authority.

As the tale unfolded, Han Jinseong and Han Baekryeong's faces grew rigid. Even Han Jinseong couldn't hide his expression amid the barrage of staggering facts. Han Baekryeong fiddling with her pipe more frequently suggested inner turmoil.

"...That's how it is."

When I finished, Han Baekryeong abruptly said,

"If what you say is true, the emperor has become an immortal superhuman?"

"Without a doubt."

"And the divine oracle... Is it real?"

"Yes."

Silence hung heavy for a time.

Then Han Baekryeong spoke.

"Prepare to leave right now."

"What do you mean?"

Her next words made me realize the situation would grow even more urgent.

"I'll take you to the White Lotus Cult's main altar. And tell the Leader everything you just told me."

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