Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

'What should I do?'

I'd heard the tales before—that Golden Crow Island once clashed with the Heavenly Realm, only to suffer defeat in a massive war during a silver week cycle and end up sealed away somewhere. Being stuck in this bizarre, dreamlike land, forced to endure a full day because of the Four Non-Images Statue, cast a heavy gloom over my heart.

I pondered my options, then suddenly sensed a presence. I called out.

"Four Non-Images Statue! Can you hide yourself?"

[Of course.]

Whoosh.

The Four Non-Images Statue melted away from its original form, transforming into a cloud-like mass. It spread low over a nearby thicket of bushes, vanishing into hiding. Its transformation technique was so flawless that I realized there was no need to worry about it at all.

'Guess I should worry about myself.'

'As expected, not human...'

What approached was a yokai in the truest sense. It resembled the goblins commonly called dokkaebi—massive build, rippling muscles, and four arms. Each arm gripped an iron club, fully armed. The four-armed yokai glanced around before moving on.

Even after the goblin left, I couldn't descend from the tree. More yokai of shapes I'd never seen before came and went. They didn't swarm in groups, but the intermittent presences made it clear this place was far from deserted.

Knowing my concealment art wasn't infinite, I grew anxious. I sent a transmission to the Four Non-Images Statue.

[I'm escaping from here. Follow as best you can!]

[Understood.]

With its reply in my mind, I dropped from the tree before the art wore off. I fled swiftly toward a direction with fewer presences.

If it came to a fight, I wouldn't go down easy—but this was Golden Crow Island, stronghold of the yokai immortals. Any battle would summon the Golden Crow Ten Heavenly Lords, overlords of the island. Each one rivaled the Eight Sages of the Central Florescence in power—terrifying foes on par with great immortals. I doubted I could beat even one.

This place was a demon's lair.

'Damn it. Better to fight the guardian lions...'

I grumbled inwardly while catching my breath in the underbrush. At least it wasn't as deadly as the Dark Heaven Fragrance.

Concealment arts were tough to reuse for at least an hour after activation, so I'd have to rely on other spells from here on. As I racked my brain, an idea struck.

'Right! Illusion art it is.'

My mind brimmed with the spell knowledge of the Earth Immortal Wang Ryang, though most required proper training to wield. While searching for hiding spells, it hit me—better to cloak myself in an illusion.

I pictured one of the yokai I'd seen earlier and focused my mind. Soon, an artificial aura enveloped me, morphing my appearance to match. I let out a sigh of relief.

'Perfect.'

A one-horned, one-eyed yokai. It looked ordinary enough here. I tested it by heading toward a presence—two or three yokai spotted me and passed by without a care. The disguise worked.

Success didn't mean safety, though. Like concealment, the illusion wouldn't last long—maybe fifteen minutes at best before reverting me. I had to find a secure shelter before then, something to protect me for the full day.

Where could be safe?

I wandered aimlessly until a strange sound caught my ear.

Groooar—

A muffled cry, like a stifled scream. It wasn't loud, more like a baby's wail. Anyone else might dismiss it as a bird.

"...!!"

But my hands trembled at that instant.

Overwhelming yokai power!

Just one unearthly wail had my inner energy surging instinctively to shield body and soul—a terrifying force! The sheer might in that cry shook me to my core. Scanning around, the minor yokai presences had vanished, leaving only a eerie forest.

Wrong turn.

Petty yokai wouldn't spot me, but this wail was unnatural. It meant a colossal evil lurked nearby, one so potent that lesser yokai feared approaching. Sure enough, the Four Non-Images Statue, trailing as a cloud, transmitted.

[A massive great yokai is close. Flee.]

[Flee? To where from here?]

I muttered in despair.

I could slip away, but the illusion was fading fast. Wandering aimlessly through yokai-patrolled areas without a plan would lead to clashes. Any commotion, and I'd be dead for sure.

I replied firmly.

[A big shot nearby means no small fry will come. I'll find shelter here.]

Ignoring its response, I strode deeper into the forest. Golden Crow Island's ecology differed utterly from the human world—cannibal trees and demon grasses infested the area. The cannibal trees masqueraded as normal until I neared, then lashed out with tendrils.

Slash!

I swung my sword, felling five in one go. They lacked true intelligence, so trimming a few wouldn't matter. My familiarity with yokai came from hacking them down in Aokigahara's food and feeding them to the Twelve Night Demons during training.

'Lower difficulty than the Vitality Disaster. I can hold out here.'

This cannibal tree forest felt slightly easier than Aokigahara's first disaster, Vitality Disaster. No overwhelmingly powerful demons nearby. With care, finding a cave or shelter to last a day was feasible.

Odd that Golden Crow Island, yokai immortal turf, was easier than a mortal forest—but Aokigahara was an infernal demonic landscape. Shaking off stray thoughts, I pushed deeper, climbing a hill until the view opened up.

That was when I pinpointed the wail's source.

"Gasp...!!"

Before me, iron chains coiled around a mountain.

No—that wasn't right. Countless massive chains bound something mountain-sized, squeezing tight. It writhed, emitting that low rumble—the same eerie sound from afar.

The "mountain" was a fox with blood-red eyes!

Roooar—

The chains binding the fox squirmed like living things, pulsing with incantations. Myriad talismans sealed it, and beneath loomed a colossal Eight Trigrams Array.

The sheer majesty left my jaw agape. I knew that monstrous giant fox all too well.

'Dalgi!'

Indeed.

In my past life, it had descended twice as an apostle to the mortal world—each time, I'd barely repelled it at the cost of my life. I'd succeeded both times, but never through my own power alone. Once, I borrowed Xiang Yu's immense authority; the other, I resonated two Seven Desires with malign god spells, plus aid from the White Lotus Leader and guardian lions. Dalgi was a cataclysm no human could face—a apocalyptic disaster.

Dalgi, sealed on Golden Crow Island?

Confusion froze me, but I pieced it together.

'No... This was Dalgi's original body! When karma summoned it as [Ancient Ruler], it broke free to the mortal world!'

Those massive chains, the Eight Trigrams Array, the talismans—likely set by Heavenly Realm great immortals during the sealing war. Dalgi had festered here for millennia, nursing grudge against the mortal world.

It seemed weaker than before, but only because of the seals. Unbound, it'd be an unstoppable great yokai—I couldn't gawk leisurely. Sensing it hadn't detected me, I hastily concealed my presence and descended to the forest below.

That was when it happened.

Wooong.

Deeper in, space warped suddenly. I realized a sub-space spell had eroded my surroundings—I was already in attack range.

'Damn!'

No warning—I'd let my guard down!

Someone had laid a trap. The space brimmed with bizarre orbs, water droplets, toys, and shape-shifting shadows. As I drew my sword warily, something appeared opposite.

A yokai immortal resembling a haetae with a grotesquely twisted tail. Its three eyes rolled cutely, but I groaned at the sight.

"Sun Heavenly Lord..."

Wang Ryang's knowledge and my past encounters let me recognize the Golden Crow Ten Heavenly Lords' forms and specialties. This was one: wielder of the treasure Blood Transformation Array. Among yokai immortals, it had attained wisdom and great immortal prowess.

Sun Heavenly Lord pointed a hook-like finger at me.

[A human. And spirit beast Four Non-Images Statue... Why have you come to Dalgi's seal?]

"......"

[Not here to break Golden Crow Island's seals on Heaven's orders, I bet. Just checking them. Heh heh heh.]

It guessed wildly, tail twitching.

[Become blood!]

Splash!!

Blood surged from nowhere like waves, swelling to a tsunami blotting my vision. Too vast for human footwork to evade, the crimson deluge plummeted from above.

"Think I'll die that easy!"

Crackle.

Thunder God Sword Dance unfolded, heavenly thunder filling me as I unleashed Thunder Roar.

Swords normally couldn't cut water—foolish.

But I could.

Even this diamond-shattering bloodwater from Blood Transformation Array. Because I could sever its root.

That was intent!

Thunder God Sword Dance

Ocean Splitter Slash

Lightning cleaved ahead, bisecting the blood tsunami perfectly.

[What?!]

I grinned.

"It's really Waterfall Slash!"

As Sun Heavenly Lord cried out in shock, I burst through the parted waves with Annihilation Soul Step, slamming sword aura into the Blood Transformation Array.

Boom!!

The space-eroding barrier shattered; I emerged in the normal forest.

[Graaah... A mere human...]

Freed from its array, Sun Heavenly Lord staggered, disoriented. But I didn't press—instead, I fled with Annihilation Soul Step.

'Can't win.'

I'd broken the array due to its carelessness. The Ten Heavenly Lords matched the Eight Sages, so fighting Sun Heavenly Lord was like facing Yeo Dongbin. As a human, I'd lose against its treasure inevitably.

Racing forward, despair hit me.

Could I really survive a day on Golden Crow Island like this?

Right then.

"What the—fighting a Ten Heavenly Lord on Golden Crow Island? A lunatic's here?"

"......"

A human voice echoed from a nearby cliff. I glanced up mid-flight to see a man and woman. The man peered down with amused eyes and chuckled.

"Won't be boring now. Need help, kid?"

Staring at their faces, I was speechless.

For a moment, I forgot Sun Heavenly Lord might catch up. I nearly yelled, "Why the hell are you here?"

'Crazy... Why are you really here?'

The man was Mad Scholar Zhuge Sa.

The woman, Gambling King Wall Mistress.

People I knew well, encountered on Golden Crow Island.

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