Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

The process of learning the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts under the Cult Leader's guidance was markedly different from studying under Jin So-cheong. Unlike Jin So-cheong, the Cult Leader meticulously explained each key principle and laid out the training process for me in detail, making it exceptionally clear. The only issue was that, unlike Jin So-cheong's teachings, it had become an enormously long and complex regimen—but that actually put my mind at ease.

'I can feel my skills improving.'

Jin So-cheong often gave vague benchmarks. Things like "this should be enough," based on gut instinct. Most of the time, I couldn't comprehend them, which was why I hadn't been able to practice the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts at all. In contrast, the Cult Leader's method lowered the bar for the technique's limits but explained it step by step, like teaching a child to walk.

Thanks to that, about three months into training, I began to faintly grasp what the Heaven, Earth, and Man of the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts entailed. Of course, knowing and truly internalizing it through practice were worlds apart, so I was still essentially a beginner—but I had at least made entry-level progress. Part of that was due to doubling my training gains with the Yang's Divine Art, adapted from the Separation of Soul Great Law.

Zhuge Sa said,

[The Cult Leader seems to have plenty of experience teaching others. That's why his method differs so greatly from Jin So-cheong's.]

[What do you mean?]

[Teaching and disciplining someone requires talent and experience. Jin So-cheong is a genius who comprehends things on his own, so he's not accustomed to instructing others. But the Cult Leader understands the mindset of a dullard like you. That's how he can teach only what's necessary, considering your perspective.]

[But at this rate, it'll take at least ten years to use the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts in real combat! It's ridiculously slow. You muddle-headed fool.]

[Damn it. Quit nitpicking. I'm exhausted.]

Wooong

Grumbling inwardly, I sat cross-legged on the bed and began practicing the Separation of Soul Great Law. During the day, while receiving the Cult Leader's instruction, I devoted myself fully to the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts, and at night, I trained the Separation of Soul Great Law. That had been my routine for the past two months.

This left me with less than an hour of sleep per day, but with my immense inner energy, sleep deprivation was no issue. I could run at full lightspeed skill for seven days and nights straight, thanks to my recovery ability.

Zhuge Sa explained,

[The basics for extracting the po seem complete now. Next comes the advanced stage: strengthening and resonating your own po.]

[What? Why do that?]

[Your po needs attractive force to draw the extracted po toward you, doesn't it? What an idiotic question!]

[...]

[Shut up and do as I say. This training will also make handling spells easier. It's drawn from goblin scriptures, so it incorporates yin energy.]

I began practicing the key principle as Zhuge Sa instructed. I started to vaguely understand the Separation of Soul Great Law's principle: sensing and resonating with the po—the driving force surrounding the soul—to draw in the opponent's soul. What I knew intellectually was finally becoming visceral.

During practice, curiosity struck, and I asked,

[Zhuge Sa. You said that if the ominous god, the [Old Ruler], resurfaces, the world ends?]

[Yeah, pretty much. It's an unavoidable future.]

[Then couldn't we just flee to the??] 井 or Golden Turtle Island? If only the human world perishes...]

At my words, Zhuge Sa chuckled mockingly.

[Kekeke... Not in front of the Blind Fool, so no pretending to be righteous. You just want to know if there's a way for you to escape alone if the world ends.]

I flinched at Zhuge Sa's words but soon retorted.

[Yeah, honestly. If there's a way to evade it, I need to know.]

[Sorry to disappoint, but it's impossible. If it were, I would've have made a pact with the Wall Ground Ocean.]

[What do you mean? If the undersea city resurfaces, does it affect other worlds too?]

Zhuge Sa sighed at my question.

[Haa... You really have no clue what dimensions are.]

[I know, thanks to Blind Fool's knowledge.]

[Even low-grade knowledge is beyond that thick skull of yours. Look at the nonsense you're asking—you're clueless.]

Grumbling, Zhuge Sa continued.

[Realms like the Blood Realm, Illusion Realm, Asura Realm, and Hungry Ghost Realm are tightly bound to this world by karmic ties. They seem independent at a glance, but they can't exist without the human realm. Because those realms were ultimately created by the will of the living.]

[I don't get it.]

[For example, the Illusion Realm was created after the Enshrinement War at Kunlun Mountain to separately manage illusory beings. The Supreme Old Lord holds fundamental control over it. If the human realm perishes due to Ryu Rye's resurgence, the Supreme Old Lord would nearly vanish too, collapsing the Illusion Realm.]

[......!!]

[The same goes for the others. They pretend independence, but all are influenced by the human realm's rise and fall. Worlds are bound by causality.]

I couldn't help but be shocked by Zhuge Sa's words. So I asked back,

[What about Golden Turtle Island or Kunlun Mountain?]

[Those are special cases. They'd probably persist even if the human realm falls. But they'd inevitably become slaves to the [Old Ruler].]

[...]

[The Heavenly Realm is just middle management—it can't stop the rampage of colossal beings.]

I pondered deeply. Then I said,

[So you made a pact with the Wall Ground Ocean to survive by serving under him?]

[He's a demigod, so I'll join his ranks. At least I won't suffer utter despair from the constellations' demonic qi.]

[... Isn't that slavery too?]

Zhuge Sa let out a mad laugh.

[Kekekeke... You don't grasp what it means for the constellations to return as the [Old Ruler] awakens simultaneously. Just knowing that truth gave me suicidal urges dozens of times. It's the true end of the world.]

[Hmm... The Heavenly Realm seems to have their own countermeasures and plans.]

[I wouldn't know. Who cares? I'm busy just surviving.]

Zhuge Sa replied curtly.

[Now shut up and focus on training.]

[Got it.]

This made me realize anew the nature of my relationship with Zhuge Sa. We shared a soul, so we could read each other's memories and share some thoughts to a degree. But fundamentally, we could hide things from one another. That's why I still couldn't fully trust Zhuge Sa and deliberately acted skeptical and prickly.

As dawn broke after an all-nighter, a maid entered and said,

"Protector Lion, the Cult Leader urgently summons you. Hurry to the audience chamber..."

"What's the matter?"

"I wouldn't know."

If it's an urgent summons, it's probably not training-related.

'Another mission for me?'

Tilting my head, I headed to the audience chamber, where the Cult Leader awaited at the back. He stared at me for a long while before speaking.

[Baek Woong. Have you investigated the effects of the Heavenly Dark Secret Book?]

The form of address felt arbitrarily changed. The Cult Leader probably calls me Protector Lion or just Baek Woong on a whim.

I felt a pang of guilt inside. Why bring up the Heavenly Dark Secret Book now? Anxiously, I replied,

"I've been so focused on cultivating the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts that I haven't looked into it. My apologies."

[Hmm... That could happen. But it's a mission I assigned, so don't neglect it.]

"Understood."

[And I need you to do something.]

"Please command me."

The Cult Leader fell silent for a moment before speaking. This time, it was telepathy, not the Six Harmonies Battle Voice, so it didn't echo around.

[Go immediately to Kaifeng in Henan Province and monitor the slave market. Confirm if the Wind God Clan is there and report back to me. The more detailed the intel, the better.]

[......!!]

I jolted in surprise.

'What kind of order is this?'

Flustered, not grasping the Cult Leader's intent, a memory from a past life surfaced.

The Sword Demon's Shadowless Sect had investigated the pirate Blood Path Group, reaching the Henan slave market but being overwhelmed!

The Nangong Family was involved in the slave market and had sought help from the Wind God Clan!

Putting it together, the Wind God Clan was clearly deeply tied to the Henan slave market. I'd just been too busy with bigger events to pay attention. Only then did I realize the Cult Leader's true aim.

The Cult Leader already suspects the Wind God Clan has allied with the imperial palace!

He's sending me to the slave market to turn suspicion into proof through reconnaissance. And if they're traitors, he's ready to eliminate them.

Cautiously, I sent telepathy back.

[Apologies, but if the Wind God Clan's top experts are involved, I might not have enough power alone. And investigating without leaving traces is impossible solo.]

The Cult Leader replied,

[That's why I had you train in the Three Treasures Ultimate Arts, isn't it? Your skills should be somewhat improved now. I've also dispatched an expert to assist you covertly.]

[What? Who is it?]

[You'll know when you get there. Depart now. The slave market opens tomorrow.]

With that, the Cult Leader tossed me the neck pouch.

[You'll need this. Use it to collect evidence.]

[...]

It was originally mine, but receiving it like charity felt humiliating. Still, I should be grateful he returned a treasure now in his possession. Reluctantly, I replied,

"Th... thank you."

Leaving the Cult Leader, I returned to my quarters and sighed deeply.

"Haa, Kaifeng..."

Kaifeng in Henan Province was a place I'd never visited. I'd heard that during the Jin invasion and the Zheng Gang Incident, it temporarily became barbarian territory, and with subsequent dynastic turmoil, it had become quite desolate. Of course, it was now a massive city, but that was about all I knew of it.

Zhuge Sa spoke to me.

[You'll need money for a slave market. Check inside the neck pouch.]

[Eh?]

[The Cult Leader isn't a fool—he'd provide supplies.]

Makes sense.

As Zhuge Sa said, I cracked open the neck pouch and peered inside. I gasped in shock.

"Huh!"

Ingots, gold coins, and silver coins piled like mountains!

There were even dozens of thunderbolt bombs. High-official identity tokens and seals only nobles could use, plus multiple disguises. Most astonishing: three oddballs crammed inside.

Too stunned, I pulled them out. All wore water-embroidered robes, bamboo hats, and ghost masks.

"Wh-who are you?"

At my question, one stepped forward.

"Baek Woong, Protector Lion. We're your support force."

"Support force?"

"We're the Water God Squad's elite. Worry not—perform your mission. We'll aid you whenever you need force."

[...]

Water God Squad!

They were the most enigmatic of the Four Great Martial Clans' armed groups. Formed by Water God Clan warriors, but living apart from White Lotus Cultists, they rarely appeared publicly. Yet no White Lotus follower disputed that the Water God Squad was likely the cult's strongest force.

'These guys... insanely strong...'

I swallowed hard inwardly. Each was at the Half-Return to Truth realm, none weaker than Lee Guang. They might even crush someone of his caliber. Unbelievable that even Four Great Martial Clans' groups could surpass Central Plains top experts. Against their combined assault, my odds wouldn't exceed twenty percent.

Did the Water God Clan have dozens of such monsters?

As I inwardly quailed, the Water God Squad experts said,

"Hurry and go. The slave market opens tomorrow—you must prepare posthaste."

"Prepare? You mean for me to attend the auction?"

"Why else would the Cult Leader give you ingots and disguises? He said to infiltrate naturally and gather intel."

"Umm."

Participate in the slave auction!

A novel experience for me. Nodding, determined to uncover the Wind God Clan's corruption, I said,

"Got it. I'll call you when needed."

"Please do."

I stowed the three back in the neck pouch, summoned my mount, and prepared for Kaifeng. Zhuge Sa snickered.

[Slave market... Baek Woong, you're in for quite the entertaining experience.]

[Have you been to one?]

Zhuge Sa replied with ecstatic glee.

[Aah, of course. It'll be a blast...]

What was this guy getting at?

An ominous feeling crept over me. I'd only heard of slaves—never seen an actual auction or trade. Was there some horrifically gruesome scene beyond imagination?

'Who knows.'

I'd find out once I got there.

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