Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I couldn't just stand by and watch as the Taiping Dao marched forward. If I was going to gather intel, I at least needed to figure out who was controlling them and get a concrete sense of their power.

From atop the hill, I carefully observed their wave-like advance, but I still couldn't make out who the commander was.

‘It’s like a pack of wild dogs… no command structure in sight.’

In a normal army, there would be at least some insignia to distinguish commanders from regular soldiers. That way, orders and control could be maintained even in the chaos of melee. But this mob of lunatics just charged like rabid dogs, with no colors or distinctions. Most were ordinary peasants, mixed with a few soldiers, but nothing resembling a chain of command.

Still, I didn't give up and kept watching. Then, I noticed something.

‘That…?’

Amid the advancing maniacs, a massive yellow banner fluttered into view.

I glanced at Dokgo Jun beside me, and he responded.

‘Then…’

BOOM!

No sooner had I spoken than Dokgo Jun shot forward, unleashing a colossal water dragon straight ahead. The dragon flew like a cannonball, sweeping across a fan-shaped swath in an instant. As it struck, the enemy's advance seemed to halt for a moment.

The terrifying silence that followed was instantaneous!

I could feel the transparent killing intent of hundreds of thousands surging toward us like pins and needles. But Dokgo Jun paid it no mind and summoned nine more water dragons, hurling them forward.

KABOOM!

This explosion was even fiercer than the last, as if a corner of the plain had collapsed entirely.

Dokgo Jun said to me,

[I’ll draw their attention. Go.]

“You sure you’ll be okay?”

[Worrying about a Water Spirit Dragon Dharma Protector? How absurd.]

Fair enough.

“If things go south, run!”

I tossed out the warning and charged ahead. Using Soul Extinguishing Step, I raced toward the devastation Dokgo Jun’s water dragon had wrought. The ground was littered with mangled corpses. But right in the center, that massive yellow banner still fluttered defiantly.

Holding it was a bizarre entity. It had a humanoid form, but unlike the other maniacs, its eyes burned with fierce light, and its body shimmered like pale smoke. The smoky flag-bearer had weathered the water dragon’s assault unscathed and stood tall.

The smoky standard-bearer turned to me. In that instant, a chill ran down my spine.

A skull!

‘What the hell?’

Up close, it was a gaunt skeleton. The flesh had rotted away long ago, leaving only bare bones shrouded in a faint ghostly aura like mist. The skeleton rose with a clatter, as if alive, and swung its banner while shouting,

[The Blue Heaven is dead! The Yellow Heaven shall stand!]

What happened next left me utterly baffled once more.

Rustle.

Rustle rustle.

“…!!!”

The corpses of the maniacs, twisted and torn by the water dragon, began staggering to their feet. Those missing limbs emitted ghostly energy like the skull before me and somehow rose. The eerie phenomenon of the dead reviving as skeletons unfolded right before my eyes.

That’s when Zhuge Sa spoke.

[No doubt about it—Taiping sorcery.]

[What?!]

I shot back at him.

[That’s impossible! Mangyang said the Taiping Sorcery Scripture is nothing but a fraud!]

[That’s true. But Taiping sorcery does exist as a genuine art. It just wasn’t passed down in that convenient scripture form.]

Zhuge Sa cackled.

[The forbidden art of reversing life and death. Like the spells in the Heavenly Scripture you possess, Taiping sorcery is an art reserved for Great Law Immortals.]

Rumble rumble rumble.

The revived ones rolled their eyes, as if reacquainting themselves with their bodies. I realized hundreds of enemies had sprung up around me in an instant and let out a groan.

“Hmm…”

What now?

Zhuge Sa replied,

[What do you mean ‘what now’? You gonna save the Soul Separation Great Law for making stew?]

[Will that work?]

[Idiot. No one in the Central Plains knows the Soul Separation Great Law better than I do. You doubting me?]

A moment later, I unleashed the Soul Separation Great Law, creating a swirling vortex of po souls around me. My mastery over po souls was pushed to the extreme, amplified further by the bracelet and the Imperial Seal of All Nations, enabling this feat. As my body formed a massive wheel-like barrier circulating the po souls, the revived corpses around me began collapsing once more.

Rustle!

Within twenty paces of me, every one of them unraveled without exception. I walked forward, marveling at the sight.

[How is this possible?]

[You blockhead. Taiping sorcery reanimates corpses by attaching false souls to the po. That makes the soul-body link weaker than in living beings, so shattering it with the Soul Separation Great Law is child’s play.]

[Couldn’t you do this to living people?]

[Separating souls from living bodies over an area would take dozens of times more spiritual power.]

Chatting with Zhuge Sa, I pressed on. The skull standard-bearer that had raised those corpses paced anxiously. Soon, my Soul Separation Great Law reached it, and with a crumbling sound, it disintegrated into a pile of white bones. I approached and picked up the massive yellow banner it had held.

That’s when it happened.

[Who are you? A minion of the heretics?]

Swoosh!

With a blade-like whoosh, someone appeared. I scowled at the figure.

“No way…”

And sure enough, he recognized me first. We’d met once before—countless times if you included my past lives.

[You’re the human who made offerings to the Water Essence’s emissary, aren’t you? Why use heretical spells to obstruct the Heavenly Realm’s affairs?]

Indeed.

The figure standing there in a hazy ethereal form—it was Nanhua Old Immortal, whom I’d encountered once while making offerings to the Water Emissary and over a dozen times across my lifetimes! Clad in an immortal’s robes, his sharp gaze brimmed with clear hostility.

Why was a Great Law Immortal here? My mind raced, but he was a Great Law Immortal nonetheless, leagues beyond mortals, so I cupped my fists respectfully.

“Nanhua Old Immortal. I could ask you the same. Why intervene in the mortal world with such a massive spell?”

[As I said, this is the Heavenly Realm’s affair. By heaven’s decree, we purge humans tainted by evil. Not a single White Lotus Cult minion will be spared!]

Nanhua’s words were firm. I gritted my teeth as my premonition became reality.

‘This is going straight to hell!’

The Heavenly Realm’s goal was to crush the White Lotus Cult!

That meant facing off against this divine powerhouse before even dealing with the Twelve Laws. Having just witnessed a Great Law Immortal’s terrifying sorcery firsthand, I had no reckless urge to strike at Nanhua. One wrong move, and I could be crushed here. I couldn’t act rashly.

So I said carefully,

“The White Lotus Cult is in Xinjiang. Why target Luoyang? Have you got the wrong direction?”

[Luoyang hides a powerful treasure. Securing it ensures we can eliminate the White Lotus Lord.]

“A treasure? What treasure?”

[I have no reason to tell you.]

Nanhua shot back, then fixed me with a killing glare.

[Now explain why you’re blocking us with heretical spells. State your intentions clearly!]

“… …”

[I hear you’ve become the new master of the Seven Essentials. The Heavenly Realm granted them, so you must obey our will.]

He even knew I was the Seven Essentials’ master. Of course—the outcome of the seal ritual would have been reported to the heavens. He hadn't attacked on sight because he figured I might not be an enemy and opened with dialogue.

As I pondered, Zhuge Sa chimed in.

[What are you mulling over? Bluff your way through.]

[What if I can’t handle the fallout?]

[The Heavenly Realm’s mind-controlling hundreds of thousands and rampaging. Fallout? It’s already a mess—do whatever you want.]

He had a point. After some thought, I spoke.

“Nanhua Old Immortal. Truth is, I’m infiltrating the White Lotus Cult on Mangyang Zen Master’s orders.”

[What?]

“I’m here gathering intel on the surface by the White Lotus Lord’s command, but really, I’m digging into his secrets. Sorry for the misunderstanding.”

[Urgh…]

Nanhua’s face twisted in discomfort.

[Where’s your proof?]

“Just ask Mangyang Zen Master yourself.”

[……]

Seeing Nanhua at a loss filled me with petty satisfaction. He’d nearly been torn apart by Je Mangyang once, so he wouldn’t dare inquire lightly. His pride was surely at play too. This locked him out of labeling me an enemy and attacking on the spot.

I subtly pressed him.

“But even for the Heavenly Realm, meddling so heavily in mortal affairs—how do you plan to handle the karmic backlash? Turning hundreds of thousands into maniacs is a bit much, no?”

Infuriated at being questioned by a mere mortal, Nanhua bellowed,

[That’s not for you to worry about! The Jade Emperor takes responsibility for it all.]

“… …!”

The Jade Emperor?!

Hearing the true mastermind behind this, I groaned inwardly.

‘Not the Queen Mother of the West?’

It was the Jade Emperor, one of Daoism’s supreme deities! I’d pegged the Queen Mother as the hardliner, so this was unexpected. Nanhua, unable to contain his boiling rage, continued.

[If you’re truly the Seven Essentials’ master, aid our cause obediently! Refuse, and you’ll be branded a heavenly traitor and destroyed alongside them.]

“Fine. Of course I’ll help. You can tell from why I’m here, right?”

[Hmm.]

“But first, mind telling me what you plan to do once you seize Luoyang?”

My compliant tone softened Nanhua considerably. He answered,

[We’ve assessed the White Lotus Lord’s power as surpassing ordinary immortals. Even I have no guarantee of victory. Thus, I’ll summon a mighty Battle Immortal capable of slaying him.]

“Why not have the Queen Mother descend like when we got the Seven Essentials?”

[Don’t speak her name lightly. That matter is heavenly top secret!]

“My apologies.”

[The Queen Mother cannot casually intervene in earthly affairs. Ask no more.]

“… …”

I thought it over.

‘So the treasure in Luoyang is a medium to summon a powerful Battle Immortal?’

One treasure to topple the mighty White Lotus Lord?

All this—hundreds of thousands mobilized—just for that?

It didn’t add up. I asked cautiously,

“Tell me the treasure’s name, and I’ll scout Luoyang and retrieve it.”

[No need. Seizing Luoyang will unseal it immediately.]

“Hmm… What if the White Lotus Lord attacks suddenly?”

[My disciples Yu Ji and Zhang Jiao are with me. He won’t escape unscathed.]

Nanhua replied, then demanded,

[Now, hand over the White Lotus intel.]

I smiled and said,

“I’ll scout Luoyang first to confirm if the treasure’s there.”

Nanhua’s face contorted.

[What?!]

“See you later, Nanhua Old Immortal.”

I mounted the Four Not Images and vanished. I returned to where Dokgo Jun was still summoning water dragons and smashing away. Facing an endless horde, he looked fed up but brightened at my arrival.

[Baek Woong, you’re back.]

“Let’s go.”

Soon, I rode the Four Not Images back to the White Lotus Cult. I sought out the White Lotus Lord and relayed everything I’d learned. He fell silent, then said,

[I see… Well done, Vice Lord.]

“Thank you.”

He crossed his arms, looking troubled.

[So… an army of hundreds of thousands of undead… one Great Law Immortal, and at least two immortal-class beings.]

“… …”

Silence blanketed the room.

The enemy’s power was even more immense than expected. After much deliberation, the Lord said to me,

[Baek Woong. We have a day or two before they reach Luoyang.]

“Yes.”

[Go there beforehand and learn everything you can about the treasure they’re after.]

“And if I can’t?”

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

[Then I’ll have to eliminate Nanhua Old Immortal myself!]

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