Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

The best course of action that Zegal-sa had mentioned was to bring in Cheon Woo-jin to subjugate the Vermilion Bird.

'Well, it's impressive that he figured it out even without Manggyang Seonsa saying anything.'

My original plan had been to explain it to Manggyang Seonsa. But it seemed Manggyang Seonsa already knew everything. It was as if he had read my mind. Zegal-sa spoke as if he found it awkward.

[ Manggyang Seonsa is truly an extraordinary being. Don't mess with him recklessly, you idiot. ]

[ He's just a foul-tempered cat. ]

[ You madman... You're probably the only one who treats Manggyang Seonsa like that. ]

Even the insolent Zegal-sa seemed to show a trace of respect toward Manggyang Seonsa.

I decided to head to Mount Tai with the irritated Cheon Woo-jin. Before departing, Cheon Woo-jin grumbled curtly.

"Hmm, you're right."

I explained the full situation to Cheon Woo-jin. He appeared to have only received brief instructions from Manggyang Seonsa, as he listened intently to my words. After hearing everything, Cheon Woo-jin muttered in a bitter voice.

"So you're saying there are two top-tier sorcerers who can use talismans. And we're going to strike their base directly."

"That's the idea..."

I subtly provoked him.

"If it seems too tough, it might be better to gather more allies."

Cheon Woo-jin scoffed dismissively.

"Forget it. Let's just go."

"You sure?"

"I have no intention of being dragged around by your schedule for long. Let's wrap this up quickly so I can get back to my own business."

With that bold declaration, Cheon Woo-jin arrogantly nodded his head. He seemed eager to get going, leaving me baffled.

'Did this guy not hear about the power of Zegal Yu-ryong and Zegal Bu?'

There wasn't even a hint of fear.

Zegal-sa had insisted it was the best course, so I'd brought Cheon Woo-jin along as he said. But whether Cheon Woo-jin could truly take them down was anyone's guess. As I eyed Cheon Woo-jin suspiciously, Zegal-sa spoke up.

[ It's understandable. ]

[ What? How strong is this guy? ]

[ At least far stronger than you. ]

Zegal-sa continued.

[ No doubt to doubt it. If the current Cheon Woo-jin can't handle the Vermilion Bird, then bringing in the Cult Leader is the only option. There's a reason the Heavenly Realm only sent Cheon Woo-jin. ]

That significant, huh?

Half-believing and half-doubting, I boarded the Four Buddhas Statue with Cheon Woo-jin. We flew via the Four Buddhas Statue toward the barrier in front of Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar.

Flash!

As soon as Cheon Woo-jin saw the barrier, he muttered knowingly.

"Eight Arrays Diagram."

"Can you break it?"

"First, one thing to confirm. You're certain they're inside?"

"As far as I know..."

"Then that's that."

Cheon Woo-jin extended his left hand and shouted curtly.

"Urgent Command like!!"

Boom!

The Eight Arrays Diagram warped in space and shattered instantly. It felt like he had broken it more easily and simply than the last time he did so in the past. Previously, he had formed hand seals and concentrated intensely, but this time it looked as casual as pushing open a door.

'Last time, he said completely breaking the Eight Arrays Diagram wasn't possible.'

I still remembered Cheon Woo-jin's explanation from back then.

[ This formation is linked to the caster's life force. It's proof of the resolve of the one who set it up. ]

[ The one who installed this Eight Arrays Diagram is a formidable sorcerer. Even I can't destroy a formation set up at the cost of their life so easily. I'd need at least a full day of rituals to dismantle it. ]

[ If you want time to scout the interior, I can buy up to half a shichen. ]

In other words, last time he hadn't broken the formation. He'd merely disabled it temporarily for half a shichen. But now, Cheon Woo-jin had permanently dismantled it without any preamble. There was no doubt he had grown stronger since then.

With the Eight Arrays Diagram broken, Cheon Woo-jin strode forward confidently. Then he bellowed.

"Five Thunders Command!"

Flash!!

With his shout, five bolts of lightning struck from the sky out of nowhere. As they hit, thick black smoke billowed in the distance, but Cheon Woo-jin seemed dissatisfied and shouted again.

"Total Summon of Ten Thousand Spirits!"

Rumble!

This time, the earth and sky shook violently as if the world itself was overturning. It felt like an earthquake across all of Mount Tai. I realized what Cheon Woo-jin was invoking and was horrified.

'Word Spirit?!'

Word Spirit was the power inherent in words themselves, activated like a spell to imbue spoken commands with force. However, Word Spirit was merely a secondary element of sorcery, requiring hand seals, rituals, and more to function properly. Those who could wield powerful sorcery solely through Word Spirit were called Word Spirit Adepts—a rarity even among sorcerers.

But Cheon Woo-jin's Word Spirit was on another level. Even a true Word Spirit Adept couldn't command the spirits of heaven and earth with words alone. His every utterance seemed capable of manipulating and even destroying the elements of all creation. Having studied sorcery myself, I could truly grasp just how terrifying his power was.

Moreover, Five Thunders Command and Total Summon of Ten Thousand Spirits were, like Urgent Command like!!, mere incantations from the Taoist Five Thunders Tablets with no special ritual significance. I'd never seen or heard of anyone using such rote phrases to upheave heaven and earth through Word Spirit.

As the Word Spirit rang out, an echoing shout came from afar.

[ Who are you? Who dares break the Eight Arrays Diagram and attack me? ]

Most likely the Vermilion Bird. Cheon Woo-jin sneered coldly and retorted.

[ I have come to eliminate the wicked one who steals glimpses of Heaven's Secrets. ]

Whoosh.

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly vanished before my eyes. He must have gone straight to attack the Vermilion Bird. I sensed qi and chased the faint trail forward.

'Space is distorting.'

I noticed it after dashing about fifty zhang. Even though the Eight Arrays Diagram was gone, the air around us pressed down heavily, warping. The farther I went, the more thunderflame and storm clouds surged, whipping up a terrifying tornado.

Rumble...

[ Strike! ]

Massive divine generals plummeting from the sky, swinging spears and swords—these had to be summoned by Cheon Woo-jin's arts. As the divine generals charged en masse amid the chaos, it seemed the mountain itself might collapse.

At the same time, wind and thunder raged from the distant sky. It looked like Zegal Yu-ryong was countering Cheon Woo-jin's sorcery. The storm engulfed the divine generals, triggering massive landslides, with mud and earth exploding amid deafening blasts.

Rumble.

Simultaneously, white feathers fluttered in the air as talismans appeared amid holy light. A barrage of talismans poured down like rain, weaving the five elements through the sky. Fire dragons and water dragons intertwined, flying about to adorn an infernal prison.

'Incredible sorcery...!!'

I swallowed hard watching the sorcery battle unfold between Cheon Woo-jin and Zegal Yu-ryong. Sorcery beyond the imagination of ordinary sorcerers! Normally, deploying even one such spell would drain one's life force, yet they showed no signs of strain.

Cheon Woo-jin irritably thrust his hand forward and shouted.

[ The Three Thousand Realms of Heaven and Earth invert! ]

At that moment, Zegal Yu-ryong's five elements sorcery and talisman arts suddenly lost form and scattered away. The temporary barrier protecting Zegal Yu-ryong shattered too, revealing his true form clearly about thirty zhang away.

Was this the end?

Then Zegal Yu-ryong pulled something from his bosom and began chanting. At once, the Eight Trigrams floated etherically throughout the heavens and earth. Even around me, the Qian and Kan trigrams flickered past hazily—it seemed he had summoned the Eight Trigrams over an enormous area.

I instinctively realized what Zegal Yu-ryong had done, and my hair stood on end.

'Earthly Trigrams Eight Trigrams Chart!'

Nullification of sorcery via the Earthly Trigrams!

This ability could even seal the power of the Seven Luminaries. In the past, when I had teleported to the Heavenly Altar with Mihu, Zegal Yu-ryong had used this very technique on us. It appeared he had borrowed the Earthly Trigram in advance this time, just like before, to wield its power once again.

Without sorcery, wasn't Cheon Woo-jin just an ordinary youth?!

Feeling the crisis, I moved quickly to protect Cheon Woo-jin. If he fell here, it would all be over. But Cheon Woo-jin, whether aware of the Earthly Trigrams Eight Trigrams Chart's sorcery nullification or not, calmly addressed Zegal Yu-ryong.

"A power beyond your station."

"What?"

"Even borrowing a god's power, a human cannot become a god."

Muttering that, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly reached into the air and clenched his fist.

Crack!

"Ugh!"

A person appeared out of nowhere in the sky, writhing in the grip of an invisible force. It was Zegal Bu, screaming in agony. Zegal Yu-ryong flinched at the sudden turn, and Cheon Woo-jin glanced at him, his face as cold as ice.

"You've played right into my hands. I was wondering how to deal with him."

"......!!"

"You were lurking nearby for a sneak attack, it seems. A foolish move."

Zegal Yu-ryong hesitated to act rashly with his son held hostage. I hurried to Cheon Woo-jin's side and asked.

"You alright?"

Cheon Woo-jin stared at me blankly, as if wondering what I was on about, then said.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"Subdue that one. He can only use martial arts now."

"Ok---"

"I need to hold this one hostage, so you handle the work."

I understood the situation. Despite the Earthly Trigrams Eight Trigrams Chart sealing sorcery, Cheon Woo-jin had used one move to capture Zegal Bu as a hostage. But the Earthly Trigram's seal was no joke—even Cheon Woo-jin couldn't do more. Thus, I had to step up and subdue Zegal Yu-ryong here.

"Got it."

Swish.

As I drew my sword and advanced, Zegal Yu-ryong groaned.

"Strange. You're the Demonic Cult's Leader, so why seek aid from the Heavenly Realm?"

It felt like a question directed at me. I met his gaze and grimaced.

"You've got quite the imagination. Then prepare yourself!"

Channeling my inner energy strongly, thunder qi gathered on my blade. The sword I now held was a famed blade from the White Lotus Cult, incredibly durable and unscathed by ordinary combat. I surged forward with surging killing intent. At the same time, I caught sight of Zegal Yu-ryong drawing his own sword.

Clang!

Our first clash was Thunder God Sword Dance against Gongsun Sword Arts. In the brief exchange of three moves following the initial collision, I detected twelve intricate variations in his swordplay and hurriedly disengaged.

'Hmm.'

A swordsmanship of endless depth! I had aimed to gauge his skill with the opening move, but the subtle changes in his sword form were too irregular and free-form. It felt utterly alien compared to any sword art I'd faced before, drawing an involuntary gasp.

[ It's the Asura Heavenly Light Great Law and Gongsun Sword Arts. The Asura Heavenly Light Great Law governs the inner arts and weighted hand techniques, while Gongsun Sword Arts is a swordsmanship passed down from ancient times. ]

[ A word of advice: be cautious of his swordsmanship when facing the Mount Tai Old Man. It's absurdly powerful. ]

[ It's the signature supreme technique that elevated him to one of the Three Great Eccentrics of the Central Plains, after all. ]

According to So Seung-rin and the Divine Victory, Gongsun Sword Arts was a fearsome supreme art. Until now, I hadn't fully grasped what that meant, but facing it firsthand, I understood. Its variations, weightiness, sharpness—every aspect reached first-class heights, perfectly balanced. Yet it also harbored an eerie ability to infiltrate and cleave an opponent's force. Having reached the pinnacle of sword arts, I could truly comprehend its might.

Moreover, the Divine Victory's inner energy wasn't much inferior to mine. For him, with such profound power, to warn caution against Gongsun Sword Arts meant I couldn't underestimate this foe. This was my first time clashing directly with its practitioner, adding to the pressure.

But during my past lives, I had learned ways to counter Gongsun Sword Arts.

[ Gongsun Swordsmanship is based on the principles of the five elements and eight trigrams. It embodies the essence of martial arts origins and exceptional ultimate techniques. Thus, engaging it draws you into its flow, forcing a defensive posture. To counter, you must ignore its rhythm with equally profound martial principles. ]

[ Baek Woong, when facing him, I recommend actively employing Turtle Shell Sword and Tianzhu Sword. ]

[ Adjust your spacing, and you won't dent the awesomeness of Gongsun Swordsmanship. It's a favorable matchup. ]

Lee Gwang's annoying face flashed in my mind, wrinkling my nose. But recalling Jin So-cheong's advice, I calmly began wielding Turtle Shell Sword and Tianzhu Sword. Zegal Yu-ryong's inner energy was extraordinarily high, so I couldn't overwhelm him with mine alone.

Hum.

After about twenty exchanges, I felt Zegal Yu-ryong's wildly varying Gongsun Sword Arts falter in spacing, devolving into ordinary strikes. Zegal Yu-ryong pulled back in surprise.

"No!"

He hadn't yet been pushed to a great disadvantage, but instinctively, he realized his sword art's weakness had been exposed. He knew that continuing would allow me to inflict a fatal wound. That was because Turtle Shell Sword disrupted his perfection, and Tianzhu Sword pried it open.

This wasn't because Turtle Shell Sword and Tianzhu Sword were natural counters to Gongsun Sword Arts. It stemmed from the outrageously overpowered nature of these space-manipulating swords. Gaining confidence, I pressed Zegal Yu-ryong head-on even harder.

Boom!

An explosion rang out as my Straight Path Yellow Dragon rigid sword struck downward. Zegal Yu-ryong's blade shattered under the impact. Pursuing the staggering man, I drove a knee strike into his solar plexus.

"Ugh!"

Zegal Yu-ryong vomited blood and dropped to his knees. That single knee had surely broken all his chest ribs and ruptured his organs. I gazed down at him coldly.

'Can't kill him yet.'

Killing him here would just let him escape via a spare body. I swiftly sealed his acupoints, but Zegal Yu-ryong, seeing this, seemed to anticipate my intent and gritted his teeth. In that fleeting instant, he ruptured his heart meridian.

Spurt.

Blood fountained from his seven orifices. His suicide was swift, indicating he had preemptively ingested a poison pill. Frowning, I desperately sealed his points to save him, but it was too late.

Cheon Woo-jin, watching from behind, said.

"Good enough. We can question this one."

Cheon Woo-jin still held Zegal Bu suspended in the air. Though Zegal Bu clutched the White Whisk, he could only writhe helplessly. The invisible force binding him must have been overwhelmingly strong. I asked Cheon Woo-jin.

"Cheon Woo-jin. The Eight Trigrams' power still seals sorcery here, so what is that sorcery suppressing Zegal Bu?"

Cheon Woo-jin replied nonchalantly.

"This isn't sorcery—it's formed by intent. So even with the Eight Trigrams sealed, I can manage this much."

"What?!"

I stared at him in disbelief.

Intent was the ultimate pinnacle of martial arts, arduously awakened after decades by geniuses. No matter Cheon Woo-jin's status as a transcendent sorcerer at the apex, using intent?

"Extremes connect, after all."

Muttering that, Cheon Woo-jin continued.

"First, let's check the state of Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar. We can pursue Zegal Yu-ryong later."

"Understood."

I acupoint-sealed Zegal Bu completely, binding him, and seized the White Whisk he held.

White Whisk.

This legendary talisman was said to have been used by Zegal Yu-ryong himself—not crafted in the Heavenly Realm. Rumors had it that the prodigiously talented Zegal Yu-ryong had purely created it with his own knowledge and ability in the human realm. I didn't know the White Whisk's exact powers, but I was certain it would prove immensely useful.

'I'll give this to Sanggo Hyeok.'

That completes the request: early. Of course, investigating its abilities thoroughly first wouldn't hurt. As Cheon Woo-jin and I ascended Mount Tai's peak to the Heavenly Altar, a 'preparation' ritual was still underway there.

"......!!"

Human corpses and blood littered the ground! Examining them, they wore the garb of ordinary commoners, and horrifically, some had hearts ripped out or skulls smashed. Blood-drawn geometric figures and mystical diagrams indicated a vile sacrificial rite had taken place.

Cheon Woo-jin said impassively.

"As expected, they were performing a wicked ritual to seek aid from the [Ancient Ruler]. Good thing we came quickly."

"You crushed them before they gained power?"

"Indeed. Had the ritual completed, even I might have struggled."

"Hmm..."

I shuddered. The Vermilion Bird Zegal Yu-ryong was, as I'd felt in past lives, an exceedingly troublesome foe. Impossible to one-shot, and given even a little time, he prepared meticulously and returned stronger. Without info and power to crush him in one go, things would remain messy ahead.

"Baek Woong. To learn Zegal Yu-ryong's whereabouts, we'll have to torture this one. But I'm not fond of torture. Will you do it?"

I shook my head firmly.

"No need for such a hassle."

Slash!

I beheaded Zegal Bu on the Heavenly Altar and swiftly decapitated him with my drawn sword. Blue blood spurted from the severed neck, from which crimson tentacles erupted. At the same time, I watched Zegal Bu's body twist into something demonic with a sickly screech. I hacked at the body repeatedly with sword aura until the demon formerly called Zegal Bu lay still.

Once the demon stilled, I gathered intent in my ten fingers. Then I activated the Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery.

Hum!

Soon, my fingers resonated with the spirit, manifesting a massive spirit before my eyes. There, engulfed in chaos and terror, was Zegal Bu's soul. Smiling, I addressed it.

"Hey, long time no see."

[ Ugh... Y-you... bastard... ]

Torturing Zegal Bu bit by bit was too tedious and irritating. So I killed him outright and summoned his soul with the Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery to forcibly extract the information.

"As master of the Heavenly Nerve Scripture, I command you: reveal the location of Zegal Yu-ryong's spare body."

A soul summoned by the Heavenly Nerve Scripture's sorcery had no choice but to obey the caster's request, regardless of its will. No opt or evasion possible. Far better than bickering with the living Zegal Bu.

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