Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

As the enormous concept of humanity came up, I couldn't help but make a bizarre expression.

"Hu... humanity?"

Distinctions like humans, Central Plains folk, or Westerners were common enough. But the word "humanity" felt like it was defining humans as a distinct category, even implying that humans weren't the only beings around.

Soon enough, I figured out where that sense of incongruity came from. It was a difference in the scale of the worldview.

The black cat in front of me dismissed the human race as mere "dust" in this world, which was why it separately referred to humanity, including two-legged folk and four-legged beasts.

Of course, it wasn't incomprehensible. In fact, based on the "truth" of the world I'd grasped so far, it made sense for someone like the Mangnyang Immortal to lump all human-like races together as the "human species" without dividing them by sea or land. But that perception was something only someone like me, who'd long been exposed to the darkness lurking behind this world, could accept. It was a term that could never be understood within the conventional concept of the Central Plains.

The Mangnyang Immortal spoke.

[From the start, you don't even know what the Blessing of Heaven-Breaker is capable of. You're just treating it like some convenient tool you might as well take since it's there, right?]

"Then explain it. What does it do?"

[No.]

"Damn it!"

The Mangnyang Immortal scratched its head with a front paw before speaking.

[I'm using most of my power to seal the Outer Gods. The Blessing of Heaven-Breaker I can share with you is just a minuscule speck of power—a faint residual flow from my essence. But even that feels wasteful to me, like a massive hemorrhage, a real strain. Even now, while maintaining the seal, I'm expending tremendous power every moment.]

It wagged its tail.

[So unless I get at least three times what you just offered as compensation, it won't balance out.]

"Th-three... times?"

[That should do it nicely. Though I did inflate it a bit out of spite.]

"......"

I was at a loss for words. What I'd offered already was a huge amount. Three times that meant stripping myself bare—armor, Flying Sword, everything. I'd even have to steal the Anonymous Offering Scroll from the imperial palace.

No, would that even be enough? Was gaining the Blessing of Heaven-Breaker worth going that far?

I snapped.

"No, don't change the subject! Why charge me such an exorbitant price while handing it out for free to humans everywhere?!"

[What a foolish thing to say. You still don't get it?]

"Get what?"

[Giving treatment to humanity on the brink of death is only natural. But you're trying to get the Blessing of Heaven-Breaker from me for your personal gain. That's the difference between charity and a transaction.]

"Urk. I'm part of humanity too!"

[Are 17?]

"What?"

In response to my retort, the Mangnyang Immortal didn't answer and just rolled around on the ground. After tumbling about until it was covered in dirt, it flopped down and said.

[Use what you have wisely. You probably don't even need my blessing in your current state anyway.]

"No, fuck, just tell me what the Blessing of Heaven-Breaker is! I need to know to decide whether to gather the compensation or not!!"

[Oh? So you think you can gather three times that treasure?]

"Yeah!!"

I bellowed. The Mangnyang Immortal stared at me for a long while before saying.

[The Blessing of Heaven-Breaker is the power to shatter the heavens. It creates changes through observation in things where even life and death don't exist, allowing entry into individual worlds with duality.]

"......"

[Eh, it depends on how you use it.]

I wondered if I'd just heard some nonsense. All the blessings from the Great Ones so far had been powerful and straightforward, but this thing was spouting what? The explanation was so abstract I couldn't grasp what ability it was.

"So... what kind of blessing is it?"

[You're too dumb to understand.]

"This damn cat..."

As I ground my teeth, I felt the Mangnyang Immortal slowly backing away. I heard the annoying black cat's voice.

[You're still far from being able to talk with me.]

So all this wasn't even real conversation?!

[Accumulate more karma.]

I wanted to protest, but soon my vision went black.

When I came to, I was lying in front of Yeo Dongbin's shrine. Shaking off the dust as I got up, Mangnyang beside me said.

"You back with us?"

"Urgh... How long was I out?"

"How long? Not even half an incense stick since you collapsed."

That meant I'd just fainted and woken up suddenly. I swallowed dryly, and Mangnyang said.

"Then let's get going."

I glanced at Yeo Dongbin's shrine and felt a sudden doubt.

"Mangnyang. Why is there a Yeo Dongbin shrine here?"

"Hm?"

"This is the village where the Mangnyang Immortal, guardian of Taoism, resides. Shouldn't there be a shrine dedicated to the Mangnyang Immortal? So why use this one when offering tribute to the Mangnyang Immortal?"

I'd never wondered about it through all my past lives, but now it bugged me. Logically, it didn't make sense. Mangnyang replied nonchalantly.

"My master doesn't need worship or offerings."

"What...?"

"When you offer to Yeo Dongbin, the Yeo Dongbin in the heavenly realm receives it. Immortals and spiritual beings in the heavenly realm gain greater power and vitality the more earthly humans recognize, revere, and yearn for them. It's not directly tied to their strength, but recognition is more important to immortals than you might think."

Mangnyang stared at the shrine and continued.

"But my master is special. Whether worshipped or not, his power doesn't wane or wax. Besides, since there's no entity in the heavenly realm worthy of his worship, a shrine would just be a nuisance. But leaving an empty space in the village felt off, so they just put the most popular folk shrine—Yeo Dongbin's—there."

"......"

I pondered his words deeply.

"Why is that? No waxing or waning... Human faith has no effect on him?"

"That's right. My master doesn't need humans."

"Hmm..."

It's contradictory.

I'd thought the Mangnyang Immortal was handing out the Blessing of Heaven-Breaker to humans to bolster his own power, but it had nothing to do with that! Then I recalled what the Mangnyang Immortal had just said.

[The difference between charity and a transaction.]

Charity.

Was the Mangnyang Immortal helping humans out of pure charity, not for his own benefit? That was a good deed, sure, but it felt off somehow. Because in this world, everything interacts. Why give charity without reason to weak humans who couldn't affect him, like mere bugs?

I asked Mangnyang.

"Surely the Mangnyang Immortal doesn't help humans just because he likes them?"

Mangnyang shrugged.

"No idea. How could a mere mortal like me know a god's thoughts?"

"If he doesn't like them, there's no reason to help, right?"

"Not true. There are plenty of counterexamples. I just hope that's not the case."

Muttering, Mangnyang added.

"Baek Woong. This is coming late, but I never trained under my master in person either."

"What?"

"From the first time I served him until now, both I and my disciples have received teachings through dream manifestations. It's different from the black cat form you saw, but the truth is, we've only met him in dreams."

My curiosity piqued.

"What form did he take for you?"

"Hmm..."

Mangnyang thought for a moment before saying.

"Whatever I thought of, he manifested in that form."

"So if you think of a beauty, he appears as one?"

"Something like that. But since I hold my master in reverence, I imagine a dignified form. Quite solemn."

Mangnyang gave a wry smile, as if admitting his own flaw. Well, if he appeared as whatever you imagined, wasn't it just projecting yourself? It'd inevitably bring some self-loathing.

A moment later, Mangnyang said.

"First, summon the Sabaul Beast."

"Got it."

I shouted into the air.

"Sabaul Beast!!"

Whoosh—

Suddenly, multicolored clouds gathered in the air before me, and in their center, something flowed out as if twisting and tearing reality. Dots and lines tangled like clay, eventually forming the shape of a bizarre beast.

Neck of a camel, horns of a deer, tail of a donkey, hooves like an ox's. It matched the description of the Sabaul Beast I'd read in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, leaving me astonished. That book really did record strange monsters.

But this Sabaul Beast was covered in dragon scales and gazed at me with eyes brimming with divine energy. Its size was about that of a warhorse, but the pressure it exuded was no joke. As I kept staring into its eyes, Mangnyang warned me.

"The Divine Beast Sabaul is far above Earth Immortals. Don't be rude to it."

"Huh?"

I looked at Mangnyang in bewilderment.

"You mean it's higher than the old Earth Immortal Mangnyang? Isn't it just a beast?"

"No! Heavenly realm divine beasts are divine creatures and apostles of heaven. Moreover, the Sabaul Beast was personally bestowed upon Grand Preceptor Jiang by the supreme heavenly lord Yuanshi Tianzun. Its status rivals the qilin or phoenix. Don't treat it lightly."

"But even if you say not to treat it lightly..."

I felt troubled. Anyway, the Divine Beast Sabaul was meant for riding. But as things stood, even mounting it would be seen as irreverent.

"What good is a mount you can't ride?"

As I hesitated,

[Human, I permit you to ride upon my back.]

"Huh."

I looked at the Sabaul Beast at the sudden spiritual voice. Confirming it came from the beast, it slowly turned its body, assuming a posture inviting me to mount. I cautiously climbed onto its back, and the Sabaul Beast's voice continued.

[Where do you wish to go?]

"Hmm... Then to the North Pole..."

[Understood.]

I didn't actually want to go to the North Pole. I just wanted to test its speed. But the next instant, the space around the Sabaul Beast was engulfed in white light, emitting a bizarre flash.

Flash—

An immense cold hit me. I easily withstood the freezing with my internal energy, but this wasn't ordinary chill. Seeing the world blanketed in white, I instantly knew. The Sabaul Beast had brought us to the North Pole in the blink of an eye.

"......!!"

[Is that all?]

Did it mean instant teleportation to any desired location? Stunned, I said.

"You can teleport to any place you want?"

[By bending space, I can go anywhere. Even thousands of li away.]

"Ooh...!!!"

I felt awe and wonder. The Sabaul Beast's power was indeed formidable.

But since I already had the Flying Sword with the same capability, it felt a bit underwhelming. The Flying Sword could also take me anywhere in an instant. When I mentioned this to the Sabaul Beast, it replied with a hint of competitive spirit.

[Is that so? I won't lose to some tool. Behold my other ability!]

"What abi—"

Flash!

"Whoaat?!"

I was startled to find myself in a beautiful mountain range blooming with ethereal flowers. The sunlight was warm, life force filled the land, but no matter how I thought about it, this wasn't the mortal world. I could tell because multicolored clouds and fragrances filled the air, bizarre rocks formed towering cliffs, and a river of light flowed in the sky.

"No way, is this..."

[Golden Crow Island.]

The Sabaul Beast spoke boastfully.

[The heart of the Absolute Teachings, stronghold of the yokai immortals. It was sealed with countless barriers after the Investiture War, impossible to enter. But I can come and go freely. Your Flying Sword can't pierce those barriers! This is a unique ability in the heavenly realm, mine alone.]

I looked around.

"I've never seen a place like this in the mortal world."

[Of course. This place, like the Dark Heaven Realm, is an otherworldly.]

I admitted inwardly that the Sabaul Beast was right.

'I see.'

The Flying Sword can't reach the heavenly realm. Because some kind of barrier blocks it; even trying doesn't work.

But the Sabaul Beast could ignore any dimensional spatial barrier and move freely! Truly a divine beast comparable to the qilin or phoenix.

I'd entered Golden Crow Island via the Sabaul Beast now, but in my next reincarnation, I couldn't use the Flying Sword to come here. Even if coordinates were memorized, the barrier prevented it. Only by riding the Sabaul Beast could I reach the otherworldly of Golden Crow Island.

Satisfied that the Sabaul Beast's summoning ability was better than expected, I said.

"Got it. You're superior."

[Heh... Now do you understand.]

"Then let's head back."

[......]

"Sabaul Beast?"

A moment later, the Sabaul Beast said confidently.

[The dimension-ignoring ability can only be used once a day!]

"Wh-what? You mean..."

My expression twisted at its following words.

[I can't go back right now!]

"You fucking—!!"

Indeed.

I was stuck spending a full day on Golden Crow Island—the homeland of yokai immortals, an evil otherworldly severed from the human realm.

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