Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

Miyamoto Musashi!

Special Agent of the Twelve Rites!

"What... what is this?"

I was so shocked that my vision turned completely white.

The man I'd been searching for so desperately!

I'd heard plenty about the figure standing before me, who was undoubtedly the one from the Eastern Videos. Or more precisely, every time I'd ventured into the Aokigahara Sea of Trees or the Eastern Videos across my past lives, I'd inevitably uncovered some clue about him. That was because his influence on the world was overwhelming, tied to a single word that symbolized him.

The absolute strongest expert in Eastern Video history!

"Hahaha... Of course, the martial arts of the Eastern Videos may fall short of the mainland's prestigious schools. But this land harbors three styles that no one should underestimate lightly."

"He is a genius of unparalleled brilliance."

The evaluation from the Eastern Video's Sword Sage, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, came to mind first. Though it had been quite some time, it was etched deeply in my memory. Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, an Eastern Video native, was a transcendent expert rivaling the leaders of the Nine Great Sects of the Central Plains, yet he openly admitted he fell far short of Miyamoto Musashi.

"The martial art described in this Book of Five Rings uses two swords—dual wielding. Not orthodox dual wielding, but reverse dual wielding."

"It is an ultimate supreme art that even entry is forbidden without exceptional talent in swordsmanship. In all the heavens and earth, fewer than two or three could master it."

"This is a profoundly ungodly martial manual, one that only permits challenges from once-in-a-millennium prodigies. Likely a flaw born from its creator being an unrivaled genius under heaven."

The Sword Demon's assessment of the Book of Five Rings, authored by Miyamoto Musashi, also surfaced. He was the creator of a supreme ultimate art, reverse dual wielding martial prowess, graspable only by peerless geniuses. The Sword Demon had said that mastering its techniques would forge one into an expert capable of dominating the world.

"First off, I am not Miyamoto Musashi. I am Sasaki Kojiro of the Ganryu style."

"It's said that I emerged from Ganryu Island to duel Musashi in a legendary clash, but in truth, I couldn't even withstand a single exchange. I steeled myself for death on the spot... but Musashi pitied my talent and handed me this Book of Five Rings."

"Yes... Miyamoto Musashi, who had been called one of the Eastern Video's great sword heroes, seemed disillusioned with the martial world after crossing blades with me. He ordered me to live on as Miyamoto Musashi while he pursued his own path."

"He said he was heading to the mainland in search of worthy opponents. That's all I know."

Back when I'd gone to the Eastern Videos hunting for Miyamoto Musashi's whereabouts, I'd met Sasaki Kojiro, the fake Musashi. After losing to the real Musashi, he'd been commanded to train in the Book of Five Rings and impersonate him.

'No way... no way...'

Too many other events had piled up afterward for me to dwell on it, but who could have imagined I'd find him here? And that the Special Agent—directly under the Rite Lord, on par with the Three Sages—of the Twelve Rites was Miyamoto Musashi? The thought had never crossed my mind!

While I trembled in shock, the Cult Leader addressed Miyamoto Musashi.

"You're a Special Agent of the Twelve Rites, so you were lurking nearby to monitor me."

"Indeed."

After a brief silence, the Cult Leader let out a sigh of admiration.

"Hmm... My enlightenment in the Great Void has deepened, allowing me to sense your presence through the seven senses. The infinite power of the Primordial Spirit ebbed like a receding tide, sharpening my senses boundlessly, and amid that ecstasy, I detected a faint rift."

"......"

"You synchronized with the origin of qi to conceal even your intent. That realm is truly astonishing."

Concealed his intent?

'It makes no sense.'

I couldn't comprehend the Cult Leader's explanation of Miyamoto Musashi's stealth abilities. Intent was the domain where a martial expert's supreme will extended to influence the world. Hiding intent—was that even possible? It implied a realm transcending human free will, something utterly unacceptable under normal circumstances. For it lay beyond the scope of human perception.

One thing was certain.

The superhuman before me had surpassed the realm of intent and advanced to the absolute realm!

And that realm was an unfathomably profound one beyond my current understanding.

Miyamoto Musashi stared straight at the Cult Leader and said curtly,

"Shall we fight?"

Huh?

Why say that now? True, the Cult Leader viewed the Twelve Rites as a potential great foe to topple, but on the surface, they still held a non-aggression pact. Moreover, by sensing Musashi, the Cult Leader could claim a leap in power to another dimension. With me, master of the Seven Essentials, at his side, challenging him to fight now was an incomprehensible provocation.

But from the Cult Leader's perspective, it seemed different. He stared piercingly at the dual swords at Musashi's waist and replied,

"No need for mutual destruction right now."

"......!!"

I clamped my hand over my mouth to stifle my gasp of shock.

No way... For the Cult Leader to speak of mutual destruction in response to the opponent's preemptive provocation?!

Even when I'd gathered the power of the Moon Essential to unleash my aura in threat, he'd brushed it off and countered with his own pressure. Only after mentioning the Great Destruction Formation had he acknowledged it properly. Yet here he was, believing a clash with Miyamoto Musashi carried a high risk of mutual annihilation.

Unbelievable.

No matter that he was the strongest in the Eastern Videos, how could he reach such heights...

It was then.

"Sching"

'Ah.'

A razor-sharp flash streaked past, and my head cleanly severed. Not even a trickle of blood.

That was my nineteenth death, I thought.

......

...

Ah, no. I'm not dead.

I fumbled at my throat. The scene of my head flying off had been nothing more than an illusion I'd perceived. Yet no matter how I thought about it, the hallucination carried an excessive realism, enough to convince me I'd died and revived.

'This illusion... it's not hypnosis. It's just my instincts...'

As a martial artist, I intuited it. The death illusion I'd felt was Miyamoto Musashi detecting my killing intent and reflecting it back at me! In other words, even the faintest trace of my hostility, agitation, and the slightest twitch of a muscle were perfectly read by him.

I knew this sensation well. If I fought Miyamoto Musashi like this, no matter what technique I used, my body would be shredded within three exchanges.

My strength drained from me.

I'd relentlessly honed my power, believing I'd reached the forefront, enough to dominate the world, yet such a monster still existed? And he had emerged out of nowhere, beyond even the White Lotus Cult's Four Great Styles—the shock was all the greater.

What had been the point of all my efforts over the past century?

But the two monsters ignored me entirely, glaring at each other. That space was already roiling with a terrifying clash of auras no living being could survive. Even I, a transcendent expert, struggled to discern the thousands of intricate, eerie qi flows writhing and breathing there.

Musashi withdrew his aura first. With sunken eyes, he looked at the Cult Leader and said,

"Say what you want."

It was an arrogantly blunt tone for addressing the current ruler of the Central Plains, who had felled even the Great Rakshasa Immortal. Yet his qualifications were proven in the exchange just now. For some reason, it felt like he could tear apart the Cult Leader's Present Karma space wholesale.

The Cult Leader chuckled and said,

"Relay this to the Rite Lord of the Twelve Rites: I wish to form an alliance."

Miyamoto Musashi fell silent for a moment before replying,

"An alliance for what?"

"To form a coalition to repel the Heavenly Realm."

"How presumptuous."

He continued coldly,

"If you can withstand a strike from my sword, I'll pass on the message."

The Cult Leader responded haughtily.

"Come."

"Flash"

He vanished. I sensed the Cult Leader instantly deploying Present Karma to counter at terrifying speed, but even more instantaneous... down to the thread, instant, and subtle—nothing registered. Normally, at this level of sensory acuity, even extreme speed would yield at least a glimpse. Yet even surpassing subtle into the finest thread, still nothing.

However, in that ultra-subtle Asura field beyond my senses, the two absolutes had exchanged a single strike.

"Spurt!!"

Blood sprayed from the Cult Leader's left shoulder. The wound wasn't large by the blood flow, but it was fact—he'd failed to fully block Musashi's blow and taken a slash. Even in his battle with the Great Rakshasa Immortal, he'd used barriers to avoid injury!

Miyamoto Musashi wasn't unscathed either. He staggered back two steps, blood trickling from his mouth.

He wiped the blood from his lips with a finger and grinned.

"Impressive. First time since the Rite Lord..."

"Satisfied now?"

"Good enough."

"Come to the White Lotus Cult headquarters."

"Understood."

With that, Miyamoto Musashi vanished. His disappearance differed from any flying ascent, Four Not Images teleportation, or sorcerer's shrinking earth technique I'd seen. It felt like a void that threatened my perceptual world the instant my senses were severed—as if he'd already gone. An absolute speed leaving not even an afterimage.

I hurriedly turned to the Cult Leader.

"Cult Leader! Are you alright?"

"Of course. Quite entertaining."

He replied with some leisure. But then, in a slightly weary murmur,

"Without the Seven Great Ultimates and my enlightenment in the Great Void, it wouldn't have ended as mere entertainment."

"......"

"Baek Woong, I lingered in the imperial palace to encounter that man."

"I see."

Now I understood the Cult Leader's choice. The Special Agent of the Twelve Rites, Miyamoto Musashi, who hid himself in an ultimate martial realm—imperceptible to anyone. The Cult Leader had vaguely sensed him and, consolidating his insights from the Great Rakshasa Immortal battle, tracked him down properly. No amount of Zhuge Clan wisdom could predict such a thing.

The Cult Leader said,

"Indeed, the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method. The power described in the ancient texts was no lie..."

His words jolted my mind.

'Come to think of it...'

It was the Cult Leader who had informed the Eastern Video Sword Sage, Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, of the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method's existence—a full century ago.

"It is the ultimate swift blade art, masterable only by the blind. I know not the successor, but legend holds that its perfect practitioner will drench the world in blood."

"When I visited the White Lotus Cult in Ming to meet their leader, said to have reached the pinnacle of martial arts, I had a private audience and a grand discourse on the martial way. There, the White Lotus Cult Leader told me: 'If you wish to grow strong as an Eastern Video native, master the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method. It is the world's most dangerous art.' Of course, I rejected that and returned to the Eastern Videos to refine the Way of No Sword. I believed victory without drawing the blade was swordsmanship's pinnacle—and I still do. In any case, the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method is undoubtedly a vicious swift blade art."

The Cult Leader had clearly stated it: the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method was the world's most dangerous martial art. That meant he knew its true nature and might for a century. Piecing together all the information I'd gathered, a question arose, and I asked,

"Ancient texts? Does that mean the Round Moon Heaven-Slaying Method is an ancient martial art?"

"Yes. I'll explain the details later."

The Cult Leader turned his head sharply.

"I must gather more strength before our next meeting with the Rite Lord soon."

"Flash"

With that, the Cult Leader used flying ascent and departed somewhere. Likely back to the White Lotus Cult, I thought. It was the best place for martial cultivation. He'd devote himself to consolidating the Seven Great Ultimates and his enlightenment until Musashi came calling.

Zhuge Sa cackled from within.

"Normally, the Twelve Rites would never accept an alliance proposal. They could just watch the Heavenly Realm attack the Cult Leader and reap the benefits lying down. Why accept?"

"So the Cult Leader misstepped?"

"No! He read the Rite Lord perfectly. The guy's got guts."

Replying thus, Zhuge Sa muttered ominously.

"Things are getting urgent now. Time for me to prepare too..."

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