Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

After the story wrapped up, we decided to immediately join the Sword Demon's group. Nothing was more important than gathering experts together.

Above all else.

I used Bi Deung and Mok Gap to bring the Thunder God Style experts to the Shadowless Gate, where Dokgo Seong and the Sword Demon came face-to-face for the first time.

"It is a pleasure to meet the supreme lord of the Evil Faction."

"The pleasure is mine, to meet the greatest master of the Thunder God Style."

They exchanged light pleasantries before beginning their discussion.

"Sword Demon, have you heard the full story from Baek Woong?"

"I have."

"Remarkable... To think the White Lotus Cult would truly assault the Imperial Palace."

"They've always been mortal enemies. They'll strike now that the opportunity has arisen."

The Sword Demon rested his chin on his hand.

"Hmm... It's not that simple. The White Lotus Cult has always had the power to sweep away the Imperial Palace at any time, hasn't it? It's strange that they choose to attack only after the Emperor has gained such formidable strength."

"Isn't it because if they don't check him now, the Emperor's power will become too much to handle?"

"That may be so, but something still feels off..."

The Sword Demon pondered deeply before speaking to Dokgo Seong.

"In this assault on the Imperial Palace, do you think Water God Style experts will participate?"

"Probably not."

Dokgo Seong replied softly.

"The Cult Leader is extremely reluctant to reveal the Water God Style's power. He likely believes that even just the Elders and Dharma Protectors are sufficient. He might deploy them if he holds the Emperor in high regard, but that's unlikely..."

"The nuance is odd. Does that mean the Water God Style holds greater weight than the Elders or Dharma Protectors?"

"Most likely."

"......!!"

Dokgo Seong continued with a sigh.

"Even when I was in the Cult, the Water God Style's power was the strongest in history. I can't even imagine what level it's reached after half a century."

"I see... The White Lotus Cult is truly unprecedented."

After discussing that far, the Sword Demon turned to me.

"Baek Woong, have you made a plan for how to attack?"

I answered calmly.

"It seems best to let the White Lotus Cult make the first move and follow them in."

"With Bi Deung and Mok Gap, we could disrupt the enemy's heart in an instant."

"Defeating the Emperor isn't everything. I'd prefer to keep Bi Deung's power hidden from the White Lotus Cult if possible."

"That's a fair point. Wise thinking."

Dokgo Seong, who had been listening from the side, spoke up.

"What are your plans for Mang Liang?"

"The Zhuge Division or the Vermilion Bird likely knows Mang Liang's location. I'll make an additional deal with the Seer to obtain the information on Mang Liang through the Zhuge Division."

"Will you make it in time?"

"Plenty of time."

The Sword Demon said,

"Very well. Then we'll assemble at the Shadowless Gate first and depart following your lead."

"Yes."

Paat!

Having finalized the initial battle plan, I moved to the Seer.

"I've come to trade!"

The Seer initially showed no sign of wanting to deal with me, lurking silently in the darkness, but after I waited motionlessly for over an hour, he had no choice but to emerge. The Seer spoke openly with displeasure.

[What is it this time?]

"I handed over the Landscape Chart of Mountains and Rivers to you, along with the Zhuge Division trapped inside it. There's information I want from him, so I'll pay the price for that information."

The Seer paused for a moment before replying.

[That's not difficult... But why should I agree to this deal?]

"Because I can offer you compensation you can't refuse."

[Ho... And what is that...?]

I took a deep breath and said,

"I'll return the operational rights to the [Tower of No Windows] that you gave me as a wager."

[......!!]

"Upon reflection, it's a power I don't really need. And it must be uncomfortable for you to have granted such authority to a human, so I'll give it back."

The Seer fell silent in shock for a while. Then he spoke.

[Fool... Do you even know what that authority signifies? It's a power that only royalty among my kind can wield. Even the [Ancient Overlords] would covet it.]

"That's not my concern. The point is, I have nothing else worthwhile to offer you right now, so returning what I received is the only option. I think that's more than fair for a trade."

[Um...]

The Seer waved his tentacles as he went through verification.

[I ask again... Will you return the rights to use the Tower of No Windows to me?]

"Of course."

[Huhu... Understood.]

The Seer could barely hide his joy. It seemed granting me that authority had truly bothered him. Soon, he opened a dimensional rift, pulled out the Landscape Chart of Mountains and Rivers, and extracted the Zhuge Division from its painting.

The Zhuge Division's body was visibly regenerating. It appeared his horrifying regenerative ability was why the sword wounds I inflicted had healed so quickly. The Seer extended a tentacle to the unconscious Zhuge Division's head.

Gurgle...

The tentacle slithered into the Zhuge Division's ear. As if rummaging through his brain, the Seer muttered,

[Brainwashing complete... Ask him whatever you want to know.]

"Thank you."

[Keko... Truly... Trading a stone for a jewel...]

The Seer chuckled oddly. Ignoring him, I asked the Zhuge Division,

"Tell me everything you know about Mang Liang."

"Yes..."

With a dazed, vacant gaze, the Zhuge Division began spilling information. It seemed the Seer had damaged his mind by tampering with his brain.

Over about half an hour, I extracted information from the Zhuge Division. Satisfied that I had learned all there was about Mang Liang, I said to the Seer,

"Can you give me this Zhuge Division?"

[No... That's too greedy...]

Greedy, my foot. He had called it a stone-for-jewel trade himself, yet here he was being petty. Still, I was determined to close the deal even at a loss, so I asked indifferently,

"What do you plan to do with him?"

[Pet... It's been a while since I've kept a human...]

A pet?

A chill ran through me for a moment, but I decided it was none of my business. With Mang Liang's information secured, the Zhuge Division was useless to me anyway. As I turned to return to base, the Seer called out.

[Baek Woong... If you find any more grimoires in the future, bring them... I'm open to trading...]

Having reclaimed his authority, the Seer seemed in a much better mood. Relieved inwardly, I asked,

"Oh, by the way, how many grimoires are there? I've only found two so far..."

[The grimoires you found were originals, not copies... Meaning... They weren't authored by humans... They were inscribed directly by the transcendent beings called [Ancient Overlords] using their own powers... Grimoires of that caliber are exceedingly rare... Truly... Immensely rare...]

After that explanation, the Seer continued,

[Across the entire world... There are fewer than ten such grimoires... Near the Central Plains, there might be the Water God Chart or Al-Azif...]

"Hmm. So what's the difference between originals and copies?"

[Copies merely contain ancient knowledge sealed within... But originals, in the hands of a proper user... Can provide power enough to alter the balance of heaven and earth...]

"Power, huh..."

[Keko... Of course, for a human to wield magic of that level is nearly impossible...]

"Got it. See you next time."

Paat!

Since it was a field I knew nothing about, I ignored it for now and returned via Bi Deung. My head was already pounding just from the task of rescuing Mang Liang; I had no time to worry about grimoires or magic.

Instead, I had learned one hopeful fact, which filled me with excitement.

"Mang Liang is alive!"

According to the Zhuge Division, Mang Liang was currently mentally suppressed by the Vermilion Bird and confined in a secret location. That place was somewhere in the deepest part of the Imperial Palace, hidden by the Vermilion Bird's barrier—even the Zhuge Division didn't know the exact spot. But since Mang Liang's mind was merely subdued and he wasn't dead or injured, we could definitely save him.

The prerequisite was subduing the Vermilion Bird!

While participating in the White Lotus Cult's attack, I needed to take down the Vermilion Bird before they did and secure him. With the goal clear, my actions for the decisive battle naturally came to mind.

Back at the Shadowless Gate, I shared the information obtained with Dokgo Seong and the Sword Demon. The Sword Demon then said,

"First, request the White Lotus Cult Leader to capture the Vermilion Bird alive. If they accidentally kill him, we'll never find Mang Liang."

"Right."

"Also, contact came from Shaolin Temple's Venerable Master Myeongho, who wishes to see you. Stop by Shaolin on your way."

"Pardon? The Venerable Master?"

"I'm not sure of the details, but he said it's important."

"Understood."

Using Bi Deung, I headed straight to Shaolin Temple.

"You've arrived well, benefactor."

As if expecting me, several monks from Shaolin Temple emerged and guided me to Venerable Master Myeongho. He lived not in the grand Mahavira Hall but in a humble thatched hut in a secluded area. Upon seeing me, the Venerable Master spoke.

"You've come well, benefactor Baek Woong."

"What is this sudden matter? I'm busy preparing for a major event."

"Haha. Master Mang Liang suddenly conveyed a message."

"...?"

As I looked puzzled, the Venerable Master said,

"He asked me to tell you that the seal on Moon Yao has been broken."

"What did you say?!"

What was this?!

Stunned, I shouted, and the Venerable Master calmly continued.

"It seems the Twelve Precepts are reacting strongly to this. They warn you to be cautious in your actions, as the Twelve Precepts may soon interfere in your karma. Be careful—extremely careful."

"The Twelve Precepts..."

I shook my head vigorously and said,

"No, the Twelve Precepts are none of my concern. Who exactly broke Moon Yao's seal?"

"He didn't say. Just that it was broken."

"......"

"You've probably undone Water Yao's seal as well. That would mean three of the Seven Yao seals have been released into the world..."

Muttering that, Venerable Master Myeongho looked to the sky and said,

"The will of heaven is in turmoil. It's an omen of tremendous events soon to unfold."

"I'm grateful for the warning to be careful, but without specifics on what's coming, what good is it...?"

As I grumbled, he smiled faintly.

"Who knows. But remember this: The deeds planned and executed by the heavenly gods always surpass the scale humans imagine. Approaching with preconditions will only lead to loss."

It felt like important advice. Reluctantly, I accepted it.

"Understood."

I considered briefly telling Venerable Master Myeongho about the current situation. But too many complications arose from that, so I let it pass. As one of the Three Great Elders of the Righteous Faction and Shaolin's de facto leader, his knowledge of the White Lotus Cult's clash with the Imperial Palace could trigger unpredictable ripples.

Then I returned to the Shadowless Gate for final coordination before heading to the Han Family. Upon arrival, Han Jinseong guided me to Han Baskyeong.

Han Baskyeong spoke sharply.

"The Imperial Palace will be a real pain! They've no easy opponents."

"What happened?"

"We began seriously scouting the Imperial Palace's forces, and it seems they've acquired some strange power. Unidentifiable powerful soldiers and sorcerers are patrolling the palace grounds. Even the Elders are talking about postponing the attack."

"Hmm..."

I had an idea what it was.

Superhuman Soldiers!

The demon soldiers or dragonkin created with the Yi Clan's power possessed immense strength. Moreover, according to the Zhuge Division's intel, the alchemists had summoned bizarre sorcerers from another realm as their personal guard. In terms of military might, the Imperial Palace's current forces rivaled an army of a hundred thousand.

Han Baskyeong said,

"That's why the usually reluctant Water God Style has agreed to join this attack."

"The Water God Style?"

"They'll likely lead the vanguard."

"Hmm..."

As things unfolded just as Dokgo Seong predicted, I felt a twinge of curiosity. If the White Lotus Cult truly regarded the opponent seriously, as Dokgo Seong thought, they would deploy the Water God Style. In other words, the Imperial Palace had become stronger than ever.

"There's something I need to tell you."

To minimize White Lotus Cult casualties and build trust, I shared the Imperial Palace intel from the Zhuge Division with Han Baskyeong. After hearing it all, she said,

"That will be very helpful."

After finishing talks with the Incarnation Style, I gathered my assembled allies to prepare for the assault. For the attack, I would separately bring the Thunder God Style, Sword Demon, Cheon Woojin, Zhuge Scholar, and others to join.

Thus, the day of the decisive battle dawned.

Paat!

"Is this the Imperial Palace?"

Near the Imperial Palace, I released everyone using Mok Gap. I surveyed the group I had brought.

On the Thunder God Style side—Dokgo Seong, Jin So-cheong, Lee Gwang, and others—three more experts had joined: the Thunderclap Three Venerables of the Thunder God Style, Crimson Moon, Lush Moon, and Azure Moon, the Three Great Dharma Protectors. Dokgo Seong had somehow tracked down and brought Crimson Moon and Lush Moon in that short time.

On the Sword Demon's side were Sasaki Kojiro and a host of Shadowless Gate experts. Sasaki Kojiro looked thoroughly fed up, having been worked hard by the Sword Demon lately. On the other side stood Cheon Woojin and the Zhuge Scholar.

"Today is the day we settle things with the Imperial Palace."

Silence fell over the group.

Arms crossed, I quietly awaited the signal.

'Probably within the next incense stick...'

Kwaang!!

Moments later, a massive explosion rocked somewhere along the Imperial Palace's outer walls, followed by plumes of smoke and screams echoing out. Black shadowy figures could be seen charging from all directions, scaling the outer walls.

The White Lotus Cult experts had begun their assault on the Imperial Palace.

I said to Cheon Woojin,

"I leave it to you."

Paat!

Cheon Woojin waved his hand and chanted a spell, visibly weakening the barrier enveloping the Imperial Palace. Once the Eight Trigrams Formation inside was broken, it would be no exaggeration to say the palace's barriers were fully dismantled.

Gripping Water Yao Demon Night firmly, I shouted,

"Let's go!"

The decisive battle with the Imperial Palace had begun.

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