Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

After that, events unfolded remarkably smoothly. The power ministers agreed to make Jaehu the new emperor, including even the Clear Stream Faction. The public was told that the emperor had died suddenly of illness, and Luoyang was in turmoil for a time. But with the situation already settled from above, it only took three days for the political unrest to subside.

The Cult Leader then ordered Han Baekyeong to fully absorb the Twin Gate Clan. Using Luoyang's martial forces as a starting point, the full conquest of the martial world began. I was assigned to assist Han Baekyeong.

"What...?"

In the grand assembly where the Twin Gate Clans' clan leaders had gathered. Han Baekyeong called the meeting and her first proposal was submission to the White Lotus Cult. Naturally, everyone except Han Baekyeong was stunned by her words.

Han Baekyeong said calmly.

"Did you not hear me clearly? The Twin Gate Clans will join the White Lotus Cult as of today."

"Wha... what..."

The clan leaders were all visibly troubled. Surprisingly, the calmest among them was the Great Sword Sect Leader. The Great Sword Sect Leader sighed while seated at the table.

"What rumor?"

"That the head of the Han Clan is actually the White Lotus Cult's Dharma Protector. A rumor hard to believe."

Murmurs rose.

The others were shocked. The Iron Blood Sect Leader said in a trembling voice.

"It can't be..."

All eyes turned to Han Baekyeong, but she neither confirmed nor denied it, merely gazing at the Great Sword Sect Leader with an enigmatic look. The Great Sword Sect Leader said to her with a hardened expression.

"Could the change of emperor be connected to the White Lotus Cult?"

Only then did Han Baekyeong speak.

"You seem unaware of what it means for me to have called this meeting."

"......"

"You have no right to negotiate or bargain with me. This is a declaration. Decide now."

Rumble...

"Ugh..."

"Guk!!"

The terrifying infinite internal energy of the Heavenly Spirit Pill gradually intensified, pressing down on the sect leaders with formless energy. The three clan leaders all turned pale, barely holding on, while the Iron Blood Sect Leader fared slightly better. The Great Sword Sect Leader appeared the most normal, but even his stern face remained tense. Considering that all the Twin Gate Clans' sect leaders gathered here were peak experts, Han Baekyeong's ability to suppress them with sheer presence was absurd.

A red aura began to ripple around Han Baekyeong's body. As she summoned her Flame Spirit, illusory flames flickered around her, and soon the sect leaders' faces were on the verge of fainting. The Iron Blood Sect Leader cried out in shock.

"Th... this... is human?!"

......

A human wielding divine power.

I muttered inwardly. Once the Twin Gate Clans' leaders were thoroughly cowed by her prowess, Han Baekyeong finally ceased emitting her pressure. With a cold expression, she said.

"I won't ask twice. Will you pledge loyalty to the White Lotus Cult?"

The Great Sword Sect Leader then said through his pained expression.

"If we submit, you might steal our secret arts. How can we accept so lightly?"

"Hmph!"

Han Baekyeong snorted.

"Your martial arts hold no interest for me. You may have strutted as the pinnacle of the Jianghu, but in truth, your skills don't even match an ordinary mid-level White Lotus Cult executive."

"Unbelievable!"

"Then I'll show you."

Han Baekyeong glanced at me.

"Baek Woong. Defeat that man within a hundred breaths."

Why was the arrow suddenly aimed at me? I frowned, but I knew this was Han Baekyeong's ploy to utterly break the Twin Gate Clans' leaders. With no real grounds to refuse, I had no choice but to step forward.

The Great Sword Sect Leader was dumbfounded by the sudden matchup with me. Then, wearing an angry expression, he said.

"Even if you're a Dharma Protector, to look down on me like this...!!"

Han Baekyeong mocked him.

"Enough talk. Fight him. If Baek Woong can't defeat you within a hundred breaths, today's proposal is void."

"Guk!! Keep your word."

The confrontation was set in an instant. About ten paces apart, with roughly five steps between us, the Great Sword Sect Leader and I faced off. His eyes blazed fiercely, intent on finishing me quickly, and it was the most intense and murderous demeanor I'd ever seen from him.

'Come to think of it, this is only my second real fight with the Great Sword Sect Leader...'

After half-destroying the Iron Blood Sect in the past, I'd immediately gone to spar with him at Han Baekyeong's request to subdue the Twin Gate Clan. Back then, I'd defeated all the Twin Gate Clans' leaders, fighting the Great Sword Sect Leader midway.

At that time, I'd matched him evenly in swordsmanship, then won by decision after over a thousand breaths due to my superior internal energy. Considering how vastly my own skill had grown since then, the current Great Sword Sect Leader was no match for me. Still, as a peak expert, I couldn't afford to underestimate him.

Whoosh—

Clang!

The first exchange was a clash of rigid swords. The Great Sword Sect Leader swung with the momentum of Straight Blade Yellow Dragon, aiming to cleave me in two, but I countered his forceful strike with equal force. A spark flashed between our blades, and the Great Sword Sect Leader flipped backward through the air.

Landing on the ground, he said with a troubled look.

"No... this internal energy..."

If I'd used full power in that rigid sword strike, his blade would have shattered, and he'd be rolling on the ground with internal injuries. The gap in our internal energies was immense; pure power would guarantee my victory. But I didn't want him humiliated in just one exchange, so I'd held back appropriately. The Great Sword Sect Leader seemed to realize I'd gone easy on him.

'I don't want to show off brute strength.'

I'd shared drinks with the Great Sword Sect Leader in the past and knew he wasn't a villain. Overall, he wasn't someone I disliked, so I sighed and said to him.

"Pitting raw power isn't the true way of the sword. Let's exchange sword arts properly."

Simply overwhelming with internal energy would ensure my win, of course. But this was a chance for me to hone my skills, so I planned to match his internal energy and win through technique.

"Hmm... Very well."

Hummm

Regaining his composure, the Great Sword Sect Leader poured his full spirit into the stance of man-sword unity. Achieving that state instantly, where self and sword become one, proved he was among the Jianghu's top sword experts. Moments later, his eyes gleamed, exploding forth like a single blade.

I sensed the Great Sword Sect Leader's signature feints extending like threads in his strike. Sword shadows unraveled visibly like threads. It felt uncanny.

'What is this?'

A technique extending qi finely?

Just in case, I didn't block directly but deflected with Coiling Dragon Sword and Heavenly Pivot Sword. In a fleeting instant, sword auras swirled chaotically over three paces, and our flashy sword lights assaulted without respite.

After gauging for about twenty breaths, I suddenly realized.

'These threads... they're the sword path's trajectory!'

The thread-like sword shadows weren't intentional attacks or techniques. To me, they revealed the predicted direction of the Great Sword Sect Leader's upcoming strikes. I naturally defended and evaded along those paths, occasionally slipping strikes through openings.

Slash

"Urk."

Around the seventeenth breath, he showed a major gap, and my thrust into it sliced his forearm. It wasn't deep, but the Great Sword Sect Leader looked shocked that his sword had been pierced by skill, not power.

"......"

Standing dazed, the Great Sword Sect Leader bowed his head and cupped his fists to me.

"I failed to recognize a master of rejuvenated youth. I concede defeat."

He hadn't taken a fatal wound yet, but continuing when the outcome was clear was the act of an amateur. His expert intuition had foreseen defeat before a hundred breaths, so he acknowledged it early.

"Well fought."

I felt we'd wrapped up the duel respectfully. The Twin Gate Clans' sect leaders watching were beyond shocked—their faces drained of color.

"No... how can this be..."

"Can such a supreme expert exist..."

They had every reason to be stunned. Objectively, the Great Sword Sect Leader was the top expert among the Twin Gate Clans excluding Han Baekyeong, with swordsmanship rivaling the Jianghu's best. For him to lose an exchange of techniques in just twenty breaths—to a young boy, no less—was the real shocker.

After that, things proceeded swiftly. The Twin Gate Clans' leaders declared submission to Han Baekyeong and thus the White Lotus Cult, agreeing to join. With the Twin Gate Clans under the White Lotus Cult, Luoyang, Shaanxi, and Gansu's martial world effectively became White Lotus Cult territory all at once.

'Moreover, Han Baekyeong already controls the Five Great Families... the Evil Faction submitted to the Incarnation Ryu. All that's left are the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools under the Righteous Heaven Alliance.'

Not even worth discussing. The Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools could be swept away by the Incarnation Ryu's subordinate forces alone, without a single Dharma Protector stepping in. Even without deploying the main unit's experts, the Five Great Families could be used as cannon fodder for a war of attrition.

Zhuge Sa cackled.

[ Kahahaha... Unification of the martial world is just around the corner. ]

[ Indeed. ]

If the Nine Great Sects and Eight Schools had any sense, they wouldn't confront the White Lotus Cult head-on. They couldn't anyway, and opposing a cult that had seized the imperial palace was impossible no matter the method. Seeing the unification of the martial world—something I'd only read in novels—approach so closely left me feeling absurd.

Martial Lord of the World!

Was the White Lotus Cult Leader about to achieve what no one had in thousands of years of martial history?

'Well... the Cult Leader deserves it...'

Who among humans could face a being equal to the Great Thunder Immortal? If anyone could, it was only the Twelve Rulers, supreme lords of the Eastern martial world. It was only natural for the Cult Leader to fight the Twelve Rulers after conquering the Central Plains.

Lost in thought, Han Baekyeong called me.

"Baek Woong. One last task before returning to the cult."

"What is it?"

"Sanggwan Hyeok of the Sanggwan Clan has a favor to ask you."

"......"

"Why that look?"

I stared at Han Baekyeong before using Telepathic Six Harmonies to ask secretly.

[ What are you thinking? I pondered the reverse scene from last time, but I can't fathom your intent. ]

[ You don't need to know my intent. ]

[ Are you planning to betray the Cult Leader like Yong Bitian? I don't know what the Cult Leader is thinking... ]

Han Baekyeong laughed coldly.

[ Don't talk nonsense. ]

[ But... ]

[ I'll just say it's not for the same reason as Yong Bitian. ]

[ What? ]

Whoosh

As if unwilling to speak further, Han Baekyeong vanished in flames. My current power was beyond what even a Dharma Protector could casually suppress, so she refrained from roughing me up. Besides, to her, I was a key piece on the board.

Zhuge Sa grumbled.

[ What a nuisance. If it were anyone else, I'd assassinate them and use the Heavenly Divine Scripture's spells to uncover the truth, but I can't because she's the Heavenly Spirit Pill's owner. ]

[ Assassinate? ]

[ Just saying it's an option. Possible only because you have the Heavenly Divine Scripture's spells. ]

I was stunned by Zhuge Sa's mindset. As he implied, kill first, then summon the soul to interrogate—utterly ruthless!

Soon, I arrived at the Sanggwan Clan. Yi-seong Sanggwan Hyeok, sitting in his study, greeted me warmly.

"You've come."

"......"

Sanggwan Hyeok.

Truly a suspicious figure.

Undoubtedly a demonic sorcerer wielding demons, with exceptionally high personal martial prowess. Yet also the Cult Leader's spy planted in Luoyang. What made him even more dubious was his unknown true motives—he seemed to be using the White Lotus Cult for his own ends.

'If I hadn't extracted info from my past life, I wouldn't have learned about this guy...'

As I mused inwardly, Sanggwan Hyeok sipped his tea and spoke.

"You possess a heavenly realm spirit beast. It seems capable of traveling anywhere in the world freely. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"Then grant me one favor."

I replied curtly.

"Why should I? You're under the Cult Leader, but so am I—a Thunder God Ryu Dharma Protector. If you were under my command, fine, but I have no reason to obey yours."

Sanggwan Hyeok smiled faintly.

"Fair enough. How about this? Not a favor, but a trade."

"What do you mean?"

"If you do this for me, I'll teach you how to unseal the Seven Luminaries."

"......?!"

What was this guy saying?!

Why bring up the Seven Luminaries to me out of nowhere? As I eyed him warily, Sanggwan Hyeok continued.

"I heard from the Cult Leader. You had demonic artifacts and treasures, including the Water Luminary among them. You knew it was one of the Seven Luminaries. So you understand their power well."

Glaring at him, I said.

"The Cult Leader told you even that?"

Unbelievable. What was Yi-seong Sanggwan Hyeok to warrant this? I knew he was one of the Five Great Families and a demonic sorcerer, but I'd never imagined the White Lotus Cult Leader sharing such secrets. He hadn't even detailed my story to the Dharma Protectors, so his trust in Sanggwan Hyeok ran deep.

"Also, the Cult Leader said to me: Baek Woong still covets the Seven Luminaries."

"......"

"With the imperial palace secured, a great war will soon engulf the land. The Seven Luminaries will gather then. My offer isn't bad, is it? Sealed, they're meaningless."

To think Sanggwan Hyeok would make such a proposal.

Of course, I could ignore it outright.

'He knows that much, huh.'

I knew there were two ways to unseal the Seven Luminaries and their respective outcomes. I was confident I knew more about their secrets than Sanggwan Hyeok. But he couldn't know that, so I could respond as I wished.

Zhuge Sa said to me.

[ Accept it. ]

[ This suspicious offer? ]

[ No harm in it. If that demonic sorcerer hides and bunkers down, capturing and interrogating him later will be a huge pain. Better to draw out his intentions now and extract maximum info for later use. ]

[ Hm, got it. ]

Pretending reluctance, I sighed.

"Hoo... If the Cult Leader knows everything, no choice. Fine, a deal."

"Good choice."

Sanggwan Hyeok beamed.

"Oh, and I already reported to the Cult Leader. Don't worry about the delay in returning to base."

I replied curtly.

"When do I get the info?"

"After you do my favor."

"Depending on the favor, I suppose."

"Agreed."

Sanggwan Hyeok then continued.

"Whatever it takes, I need a powerful trump card. Bring me one mighty trump card, and I'll tell you everything—how to unseal the Seven Luminaries and the sealing ritual."

"Trump card...?"

Mentioning the sealing ritual suggested Sanggwan Hyeok knew most about unsealing them. But puzzled by his need for a trump card, I tilted my head, and he laughed.

"Heh heh... Then I leave it to you."

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!