Reincarnated Swordmaster

I understood his point and replied.

"You're saying we should raise our levels before jumping in."

"That's right. Until now, Baek Woong, you've handled various matters, but you haven't directly provoked the Imperial Palace yet. However, contacting Han Baekryeong, the Dharma Protector of the White Lotus Cult, would touch a major force, drawing us rapidly into the center of events. That's why I think it's better to make contact with her after some preparation time."

Mangnyang seemed extremely cautious now.

Jin So-cheong, sitting beside him, spoke firmly.

"I disagree."

"What do you mean?"

"Even at this moment, pitiful women are being sexually abused in the Nangong Family's Thunder Prison. To rescue them, we must negotiate with Han Baekryong as soon as possible."

He was right, just as Jin So-cheong said. According to Nangong Hwan, he would toss women he grew tired of playing with to his underlings. The longer the delay in rescue, the more suffering they would endure.

"That's a valid point. But I don't want to taste failure again."

As Jin So-cheong stared at him silently, Mangnyang continued.

"There have already been many failures. Each time, I devised the best plan I could. Yet we still failed. The root cause of those failures was always a lack of power. No matter how sound the plan, without sufficient strength, it becomes the worst option."

"I understand what you mean."

Not only Jin So-cheong but I, listening, could feel it in my bones. Everyone here shared memories, knowing the desperate failures up to the 17th cycle. Mangnyang's words rang true, so even though Jin So-cheong's view was correct, we couldn't refute it.

A sudden idea struck me, and I said.

"Then how about this? I sneak into the Nangong Family's Thunder Prison and rescue them myself."

Mangnyang sighed.

"That would be ideal if possible. But it's not."

"Why?"

"The Nangong Family is one of the Five Great Families, rivaling the top in martial strength. Their elders are all Peak Experts, and the family head, Nangong Myeong, is said to have attained Sword Heaven—a grand swordmaster of tremendous skill. Slipping past their eyes to reach the Thunder Prison is nearly impossible."

Jin So-cheong chimed in from the side.

"Indeed. My master said Nangong Myeong is the strongest among the Five Great Family heads. He's one of the top super Peak Experts in the righteous faction."

"That formidable?"

I let out a groan.

Sword Heaven!

I had heard of that realm back when training sword aura under Myeongnyongja and the Sword Demon.

[Myeongnyongja's words are correct. Don't even think of Wusangpae until you achieve Sword Heaven.]

[What is Sword Heaven?]

[I explained the stage where you infuse your intent into techniques, turning them into Intent Severing Skills.]

[Yes.]

[The next stage is beyond that—manifesting abstract imagination into reality. It means acquiring genuine killing techniques worthy of the name.]

I could now claim to have mastered the Sword Heaven stage. Having fully internalized the Coiling Dragon Sword and Tianzhu Sword, while integrating sword styles to elevate my understanding, I could freely wield killing techniques with intent. But reaching this level took nearly a century of grueling training and fortuitous encounters stacked atop one another. By ordinary martial artists' standards, Sword Heaven was an astonishing realm.

And if Nangong Myeong, the current Nangong Family head, had attained it, even I had no guarantee of easily defeating him.

'Not stronger than Lee Gwang, but likely on par.'

if someone managed to survive until the 5th Realm, Sword Heaven was an astonishing realm.

And if Nangong Myeong, the current Nangong Family head, had attained it, even I had no guarantee of easily defeating him.

'Not stronger than Lee Gwang, but likely on par.'

To be called the strongest among the Five Great Family heads, he would be at that level. I might overpower him with internal energy and Thunder Command, but he wasn't an opponent I could beat in a short clash regardless. The difficulty of infiltrating the Nangong Family's Thunder Prison was greater than imagined.

'If I infiltrate once, I could extract them freely afterward.'

As I pondered, Jin So-cheong spoke.

"Baek Woong. This matter was brought up by me. So let me resolve it myself."

Mangnyang and I glanced at him, and Jin So-Cheong said with a serious face.

"One month! In that time, I'll raise my martial prowess. Then I'll breach the Nangong Family's Thunder Prison and rescue those women."

Stunned by the abrupt proposal, I waved my hands frantically.

"Wait, wait. Isn't that too rash? In that case, we should all go rescue them together. With Mangnyang's sorcery to help..."

"No. I believe I can do it. Trust me just this once."

"Hmm."

I looked at Mangnyang, but he seemed to want me to decide. That made sense, as I was effectively leading the group. With no choice, I sank into thought, deeply considering Jin So-cheong's proposal.

'Why is Jin So-cheong so eager?'

Perhaps because the Sword Demon didn't think highly of him, he was trying to earn recognition quickly. There must be such a reason.

'But that's not all.'

Having observed Jin So-cheong for so long, I knew he wasn't that shallow. He never acted without confidence in success. That meant Jin So-cheong truly believed he could elevate his martial arts enough in one month to breach the Nangong Family's Thunder Prison.

But was it really possible?

'If it is, we catch two rabbits in the shortest time...'

I had once poured all my martial knowledge into Jin So-cheong over one or two months. He must be basing his assertion on those memories. Even so, I couldn't predict how much he would grow in a month.

After much deliberation, I replied.

"...Fine! I'll trust you this once, Jin So-cheong."

"Thank you."

Mangnyang burst into hearty laughter.

"Haha! Following your reincarnation is entertaining. It always heads in unpredictable directions."

"I just want to wrap it up quickly..."

"No helping it. Then we'll postpone the plan to approach Han Baekryeong and negotiate until a month from now..."

Mangnyang, revising the strategy in his mind, muttered before speaking.

"Hmm. In that case, I'll take Cheon Woo-jin and go meet the Zhuge family. See you in a month."

"Got it."

Whoosh!

Mangnyang bid us farewell and vanished with shrinking earth technique. His sorcery had truly surged after acquiring the Three Emperors Inner Gate.

'Mangnyang will handle himself.'

Now, only training Jin So-cheong in martial arts remained, so I stared at him and said.

"I've avoided it due to inefficiency, but I'll mine some obsidian."

"Hmm! Understood."

"First, take the Black White Lotus and Millennium Snow Ginseng."

As I casually offered the elixirs, Jin So-cheong said in bewilderment.

"...I knew, but still impressive. The world has many eccentrics, but you're the only one carrying this many elixirs."

"Is that so? No other use for them."

"I'll partake gratefully."

"Train until I return."

Flash!

I used Return to the Capital to reach the Dongyoung obsidian mine. I searched for the largest obsidian possible, mined it, and stuffed it into my spatial pouch. Extracting and storing obsidian several times the size of a human body was grueling, leaving me feeling coated in black soot. Obsidian didn't smudge soot, but the surrounding ores made it acrid.

"Cough!"

Coughing from the choking dust, I grimaced.

'That's why I hate this. Using such huge ones won't fit all my reincarnation memories anyway. Too inefficient.'

If I could contain all memories and training from my 17 cycles into obsidian, nothing would be more convenient. But that would require an absurdly massive piece. Even selectively inputting only martial memories demanded at least four-to-five tatami-sized ones—terribly inefficient.

That's why I hadn't done it for others until now. Teaching directly was simpler.

But this time, per Jin So-cheong's request, I decided to maximize his growth in one month. Thus, I endured the hassle and mined obsidian. I found a colossal five-tatami-sized piece, but extracting it whole risked collapsing the mine, so I hesitated.

'Hmm. I'll slowly chip away the surroundings, inserting supports...'

I could rip it out at once, but that would bring down the entire mine. I felled trees nearby to make temporary supports. While mining the giant obsidian, I shored up collapse risks. It was my first time, sweaty and annoying, but I committed.

"Hey?! Who are you..."

The noisy work alerted the laborers. I charged the five miners who spotted me, subduing them at once, then divided a gold ingot into five parts and gave it to them. Even with their pressure points sealed, their eyes bulged, and I said quietly.

"Keep my work secret, and bring what I need to the mine. I'll give you another ingot each."

Releasing their points, the bribed laborers shouted excitedly.

"Of course!"

With their help, I spent two days and nights extracting the giant obsidian. Once over ten large tree supports were in place, I barely fit it into my spatial pouch. Finishing, I worried about collapse, but the secured supports held.

"Hey. We can't remove the supports, and they won't hold forever. Any good ideas?"

"Ugh... We don't know either. What to do..."

"Hmm. Evacuate all laborers from the mine first. I'll talk to the mine overseer."

"Yes, sir."

Guided by the laborers, I went to the estate of the Dongyoung mine owner. He was a high-status warrior in martial robes.

"What... an intruder? A vagrant dares enter the Tokugawa house? Kill him!"

Upon arrival, numerous warriors beside the owner drew swords and charged.

"Kyaa!"

But to me, who had fought countless Central Plains experts, their skills seemed child's play. Naturally, I sliced down over 170 warriors in three steps. None could even muster sword aura.

Slash slash

"Aaack."

If they attacked, I killed. No matter the numbers, no guilt stirred. Over a century in the cold-blooded martial world had numbed me.

In an instant, blood sprayed amid sword aura glow, corpses piling high. The mine owner paled and faltered.

"Eeek! W-Who are you... to threaten Tokugawa Iemitsu, heir to the Shogun..."

I had no interest in his introduction. I replied curtly.

"Aren't you asking too late? I was about to kill first and think later."

"W-What..."

As he panicked, I continued.

"I mined a huge obsidian from your mine. It's on the verge of collapse, so I came to talk."

"What?!"

"I already evacuated the laborers."

I roughly explained the situation to the owner. His face drained white as he said.

"N-No! That's my property."

"I told you. Farewell."

"Wait!!"

Flash!

Ignoring him, I used Return to the Capital to the Central Plains. Had he talked civilly, I'd have helped devise a solution, but sending warriors to kill outright left no room. It was my fault, but he was human scum anyway—deserved it.

'Tokugawa Iemitsu? Be grateful I spared you.'

Back in the Central Plains, I washed off the soot and handed the giant obsidian to Jin So-cheong. Seeing its immense size, he looked dazed.

"Good heavens... This big is necessary?"

"Yes. Memories take huge capacity—inefficient."

"No metal more efficient than obsidian?"

I stroked my chin.

"There is, but... it's a special metal only other races can obtain. Beyond my means."

The Prophet's race had memory-forming metal 100 times obsidian's efficiency. But unavailable in our Central Plains or earthly lands—somewhere among the starlight where constellations dwell.

Thus, human sorcery with obsidian was ridiculously inefficient. Other-race spells peaked with their own kind.

"Understood."

Jin So-cheong nodded and placed his hand on the obsidian.

Flash!!

Light flared, and the obsidian vanished entirely. The massive data transfer consumed its material form. Jin So-cheong savored the vast memories briefly before saying.

"Indeed... I see. Now I understand."

"If insufficient, I'll help refine it."

He shook his head.

"No. I'll use these memories to restore what your past reincarnations missed regarding me."

What did that mean?

Bewildered, I stared at Jin So-cheong. He explained.

"In your reincarnations, you helped me raise my martial arts multiple times. Mine advanced leaps and bounds, but you rarely benefited."

"True."

Indeed. When I devoted myself to reviving the Thunder God Style by training Jang Sambong's arts, Jin So-cheong's probably peaked, but I only knew of its greatness without partaking. Later cycles just exploded my inferiority complex toward his talent.

"This time, I'll repay that debt with my life."

Taking a deep breath, Jin So-cheong gripped his spear with a grave expression.

"I now hold all your martial memories—including records of observing past 'Jin So-cheongs.' With them, I can restore the realms achieved by Jin So-cheong or Lee Gwang."

"Gasp... Then..."

He affirmed confidently.

"Within a month, I'll maximally restore Heavenly Duke Annihilation and Reverse Scale Annihilation."

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