Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I blinked in disbelief at the fact that I had become the master of the Lunar Relic. Convincing Nuwa just moments ago had been as perilous as walking a sword's edge, draining every ounce of my mental strength in an instant. Only when the Lunar Relic's three divine artifacts resonated around me, humming with energy, did I finally snap back to reality.

“Good.”

Becoming the master of the freed Lunar Relic meant my power had surged far beyond its previous limits. I had already liberated the Solar Relic once before and savored its strength. Compared to that time, my current power wouldn't fall short at all.

I toyed with the Lunar Relic at will before turning to Cheon Woo-jin.

“Cheon Woo-jin. Do you happen to know what its special ability is?”

“That's beyond my knowledge as well. This is the first time I've even laid eyes on the Lunar Relic…”

Cheon Woo-jin stared at my Lunar Relic with wonder. Then he spoke.

“Considering its creator is the Ancestral Goddess Nuwa, it's likely tied to lunar yin energy. I'd guess it possesses abilities aligned with the yin aspect.”

“The details can wait—ask the gods through a ritual offering later. That would be best.”

I nodded. Performing the ritual myself was awkward, but grasping the Lunar Relic's powers wasn't a bad idea. In hindsight, I should have asked Nuwa when she granted it to me earlier, but her overwhelming presence had scattered my thoughts.

[Hey, Zhuge. Speaking of which, why'd you clam up at the start when Nuwa appeared?]

When I voiced my curiosity, Zhuge replied curtly.

[You madman. You call that a question? I'm just a parasitic spirit clinging to your body. No matter how skilled I am, that doesn't change. What do you think happens when I encounter the terrifying divine aura of Nuwa, one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, descending directly to the mortal world?]

[Ah.]

[Ah, my ass… Consider it a miracle I didn't ascend right then and there. Any ordinary human or sorcerer in that spot would have gone mad and died on contact.]

[That serious?]

[Check around if you want. Most of the soldiers garrisoned in this Mount Tai fortress have probably lost their minds.]

It seemed my meandertale summoning of Nuwa had brought calamity to the surroundings. Of course, I felt little pity for those soldiers. They had kidnapped innocent civilians on Zhuque's orders to offer as human sacrifices, after all.

In that moment, a strange thought struck me. Zhuge, with his foul temper, had admitted his own limits—Nuwa's divine power was overwhelmingly formidable. She was the pinnacle among the Three Sovereigns, the highest of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. So why had I, facing her head-on, emerged unscathed?

‘Hmm… Must be thanks to my spirit forged through martial prowess.’

I brushed it off lightly. Zhuge continued.

[Let's move to the next step.]

[Got it.]

I nodded and said to Cheon Woo-jin,

“Cheon Woo-jin! Let's go lift the seal on the Imperial Seal together.”

“… …”

“Cheon Woo-jin?”

“I've given it some thought, and I've changed my mind.”

What the hell is this guy saying all of a sudden?

Cheon Woo-jin crossed his arms and said,

“As I mentioned earlier, there needs to be something in it for me.”

“Ugh…”

“Liberating the Lunar Relic via the seal-breaking rite is essential as a heavenly emissary. But the Imperial Seal? That's purely your greed. I won't do it without extra compensation.”

“We can't let the White Lotus Cult Leader claim the Imperial Seal. That's unfair.”

“Hmph. Enough—pay up.”

I glared at the demanding Cheon Woo-jin before saying,

“Be honest. You're just pissed off, aren't you?”

Cheon Woo-jin grinned.

“Of course. Why should you get all the benefits? I'm doing all the work.”

“Um.”

“I'm not your servant—figure it out.”

With that, Cheon Woo-jin plopped down on the ground.

I scratched my head. He had a twisted personality, but his point was valid. Both subduing Zhuque and unsealing the Imperial Seal required him; I couldn't ignore him. Honestly, I'd planned to weasel out without paying, but now I had to offer something.

Zhuge spoke from within.

[No choice. Give him the obsidian containing Zhixian Mangryang's knowledge.]

[What? That?]

I possessed Zhixian Mangryang's sorcery knowledge, experiences, and the Heavenly Scripture sorcery from the Three Sovereigns' inner scrolls that Mangryang had acquired. Zhuge was suggesting I hand it over.

[It's treasure-grade value—he'll accept.]

[Tch… Fine.]

I smacked my lips. Then I said,

“Fine, I'll pass on the Three Sovereigns' inner scroll sorcery to you.”

“… …!!”

Cheon Woo-jin looked genuinely shocked.

“For real?”

“I'll seal the memories in obsidian, so no complaints.”

With that, I rode the Four Buddha Statue with Cheon Woo-jin to Dongyoung's obsidian mine. It was time to mine more anyway. After about an hour, I mined a large chunk, imprinted Zhixian Mangryang's sorcery into it, and handed it over.

Cheon Woo-jin took the obsidian skeptically but widened his eyes as the memory transfer began.

“Urgh!”

After absorbing the memories for a while, he sighed as it finished.

“Well… You're more remarkable than I thought.”

“That settle it?”

“Of course. No more objections—I'll break the Imperial Seal's barrier.”

Cheon Woo-jin spoke energetically. The sorcery knowledge from Zhixian Mangryang must have held greater value than expected. To me, it was nearly useless due to my lack of doctrinal understanding, but not for him.

Zhuge advised me.

[Naturally. From now on, avoid making an enemy of Cheon Woo-jin at all costs.]

[What happens if I do?]

[With that sorcery knowledge, if he cultivates it, he'll soon reach the realm of a great earthly immortal. The Lunar Relic alone won't even scratch him.]

[……]

Bitter taste in my mouth.

Pfft!

Soon after, Cheon Woo-jin and I arrived at the barrier hiding the Imperial Seal in the imperial palace underground. The cult leader had returned to headquarters, so we could proceed without worry. Cheon Woo-jin glanced at the barrier's intensity before thrusting out a single palm.

Yap!

Kwang!

The barrier crumbled instantly. I felt absurd watching it.

Before, I'd summoned the trigram banners in both hands and chanted the Urgent Yield Command spell to destroy it. Now, he shattered it effortlessly without even manifesting it? Dumbfounded, I asked Cheon Woo-jin,

“Wasn't this a barrier made by a god?”

Cheon Woo-jin walked forward casually as he replied,

“This barrier was created in the Mandala era by human sorcerers who petitioned the ascended Emperor Wu of Liang. It's not truly divine, so of course I can break it.”

“But… it collapsed too easily…”

“What's it matter? It's broken, isn't it?”

Cheon Woo-jin's indifferent tone held no emotion—no pride, no arrogance. He genuinely saw it as trivial. In that moment, I truly grasped how absurdly profound his sorcery had become.

‘This is what happens when the Central Plains' top sorcery prodigy stacks fortuitous encounters?’

Even if not directly made by a god, a barrier petitioned from one would be a grand formation by the era's greatest sorcerers pooling their power. That's why no one had touched it despite knowing. Cheon Woo-jin's sorcery, shattering it with a single shout, transcended the mortal realm.

We entered and reached the chamber sealing the Imperial Seal. In one corner, a rectangular object gleamed radiantly. Emitting a sacred light with a dragon relief carved on it—this was the Imperial Seal I'd obtained before.

Before approaching, I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin. He spoke curtly,

“Sharp eyes. Got it.”

With a wave of his hand, the energies around the Imperial Seal dispersed. He'd previously warned of possible traps or sub-barriers and sealed them with trigrams. Recalling that, I'd silently asked him to do it again.

I walked to the Imperial Seal and picked it up with trembling hands.

Hwaaak!

Suddenly, my soul was hurled into darkness, drawn into a vast illusory space. Amid the cosmic blackness, galaxies twinkled with light; I'd been here before. Reaching for the orb of light at the universe's center, a voice echoed.

[I am the relic left by the Fifth Emperor, Little Jade Emperor of the Golden Sky. Do you possess the qualifications to become master of the Imperial Seal, relic of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?]

I replied confidently at once.

[Of course! I am Baek Woong! Master of the Lunar Relic among the Seven Relics, acknowledged by the Heavenly Realm and Nuwa.]

[No...!!]

The relic's will sounded shocked. It scanned my soul briefly before speaking in admiration.

[Indeed... You are more than worthy to be the Imperial Seal's master—excessively so. Truly the manifestation of the Primordial Night... I sense a colossal presence...]

The relic's will, now deferential, continued.

[I now recognize you as master of the Imperial Seal. I grant you the All-Seeing Eye of Earth and Ocean. May it serve you well.]

[Wait!]

I halted it before it bestowed the power. Then I asked,

[One question: What's the All-Seeing Eye? At least explain it before granting.]

[Ah... Of course.]

The relic's will began explaining.

[The All-Seeing Eye is the third eye that beholds all.]

[A pupil art?]

[It transcends mere sorcery. The All-Seeing Eye lets you view anywhere in this world at will and read its information. With mastery, you gain knowledge from great beings.]

I tilted my head.

[Great beings? You mean the Fifth Emperor, Little Jade Emperor of the Golden Sky?]

[I do not know. Such knowledge is not granted to a lowly artificial spirit like me. What is certain is that even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors handled the great beings' knowledge with caution.]

[Hmm... Does it boost power?]

[You will know upon using it. It is difficult to explain...]

[Got it.]

Hwaaak!

Soon, my vision shifted back to reality. I noticed the Imperial Seal now bore not just the dragon relief but also a phoenix intaglio—proof of my mastery. Knowing Cheon Woo-jin would flip if I mentioned the All-Seeing Eye, I said calmly,

“All done. Let's head back.”

“… …”

Cheon Woo-jin eyed me suspiciously before saying,

“I figured as much, but it still pisses me off!”

This guy's grudge-holding is legendary!!

Amazed to the point of exasperation, I said,

“Damn it. I did exactly what you asked, and you're still on about that? Enough already…”

“Sheesh… If your sorcery were even halfway decent, I wouldn't feel this way.”

Perhaps because I'd given him something, he held back on calling me a piglet or worse.

Watching from within, Zhuge chuckled.

[To him, it's like pearls around a pig's neck—naturally infuriating.]

[Then what am I supposed to do!!]

[That's why you need to properly cultivate sorcery to reach that realm. Then you could fetch the Imperial Seal yourself.]

[Damn it. Sorcery's insanely hard.]

[Kukuku.]

I grumbled inwardly.

Mangryang the Immortal had said I had even less talent for sorcery than martial arts. And that assessment was objective—I'd undergone multiple spirit offerings to build sorcerous power, carried a Dharma vessel from Miho for ten years, and studied sorcery extensively. Any ordinary person with my level of sorcery fortune would be a grand sorcerer by now.

Yet my sorcery barely scraped beginner level, enough to be useful. My talent was pathetically low. That's why even with 200 years of Zhixian Mangryang's experiences and knowledge, I couldn't comprehend or use them. The Heavenly Scripture and Great Separation Canon were a struggle too. At least in this life, Zhuge's help had boosted my talent as the Demonic Cult Leader, so things might improve.

Soon after, I dropped Cheon Woo-jin off at Mangryang the Immortal's village on the Four Buddha Statue. Before parting, I asked,

“Cheon Woo-jin. One thing I want to ask.”

“What?”

“Any word on Mangryang's whereabouts or activities? Even rumors…”

Cheon Woo-jin lit up and said,

“Senior Brother is in seclusion to build his power. I can't reveal the location.”

“So you do know.”

“Don't worry about it. He said he wants to grow strong enough to help you. He'll appear when the time is right.”

“Hmm…”

“Since we've met like this, it's fate—ask one more. I'll answer what I can.”

Questioning about Mangryang must have earned his favor. After thinking, I said,

“Have you… ever seen a gumiho named Miho?”

“Ah. Of course.”

“… …!!”

He answered immediately!

Shocked, I stared at him. Cheon Woo-jin said,

“That yokai came to the village looking for you. She made offerings to Master to inquire about you, then left. Haven't heard since.”

“She made offerings to Mangryang the Immortal?”

Cheon Woo-jin gave a wry smile.

“Kek. Riding the Four Buddha Statue all over the Central Plains—no gumiho could keep up. Plus, with all the terrifying figures in the White Lotus Cult now, she couldn't approach.”

“… …”

No words. As I stood there, Miho's face lingered in my mind. I'd expected it, but thinking of her struggles stung. I regretted mentioning her to Queen Mother of the West.

“That gumiho trained under Master then left. She can protect herself now, so no need to worry there.”

“Mangryang the Immortal trained Miho…?”

“A gumiho's sorcery talent dwarfs humans'. And Master took a liking to her, so…”

Muttering that, Cheon Woo-jin said,

“Baek Woong. You're at the eye of the storm now. The world will shake with your every move—tread carefully.”

With that, he turned and entered the village.

As I pondered his words, Zhuge spoke.

[Baek Woong. The time has come.]

[Time for what?]

His next words made me realize I had to stake it all once more.

[The time to confront the White Lotus Cult Leader.]

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