Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Heavenly Realm

I first stored Zhuge YuLong's clone, which had been kept in the White Lotus Church, in my helm. Then, together with the Cult Leader, I rode the Four Divine Beasts Statue to Mount Hua's Heavenly Altar. The Prophet waiting at the Heavenly Altar looked at the Cult Leader, and the Cult Leader did the same. The Prophet spoke.

[Shall we begin the Heavenly Summoning Rite now...]

The Cult Leader looked troubled as he replied to the Prophet.

[One of the Great Race, are you.]

For some reason, the Cult Leader had instantly recognized that he was of the Winged Race, even seeing the Prophet in his human form.

[Cult Leader. To persuade the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, we will need sufficient compensation.]

[Don't worry. I've brought plenty.]

The Cult Leader spoke confidently. A moment later, I showed the offerings we had brought to the Prophet. As he examined each one, the Prophet spoke with a troubled expression.

After saying that, the Prophet glanced at me and continued.

[If two people recklessly shout their own arguments, things will get tangled... Have just one speak, or at least synchronize your arguments perfectly.]

"Got it."

[The Bracelet of Demonic Beasts is mine, but I'll offer it up.]

Every word from the Prophet made sense. I said to the Cult Leader,

"Cult Leader. How about you promise to completely withdraw from Luoyang?"

[.........]

"Cult Leader?"

[Very well. But first, can you tell which of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors will be summoned?]

"Uh... that's..."

It was impossible to know for sure. Previously, when using Emperor Jeon Wook's statue as the medium, Jeon Wook had naturally been summoned. And when using Wol Yo as the medium, Nwa—its creator—had descended. But now, there was no clue who would appear.

As I pondered, the Prophet said,

[One thing is certain: Emperor Gonggong Wonwon will not be summoned... Based on the mediums you have, that is...]

[Why are you so sure?]

[Over the eons, the Emperor has been the one among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors who least revealed himself... That's all...]

Mumbling vaguely, the Prophet waved his hand dismissively.

[Given the current setup, I believe Nwa or Shao Hao Golden Heaven has the highest chance of being summoned...]

[Why?]

[It's too bothersome and difficult to explain... Just accept it...]

[Hmm...]

The Cult Leader seemed dissatisfied with the Prophet's words. But I realized the Prophet was glossing over the truth at that moment.

'I have the Imperial Seal of the Realm! That's why!'

The creator of the Imperial Seal of the Realm was Shao Hao Golden Heaven among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Thus, even without offering the seal directly, my participation in the rite as its owner increased the likelihood of Shao Hao being summoned. Of course, since I also had Wol Yo, Nwa could be summoned too, but Nwa currently viewed the mortal world unfavorably and might refuse.

However, if the Prophet revealed that, the Cult Leader would interrogate me about why I possessed the Imperial Seal. Knowing this, the Prophet had brushed it off vaguely. I felt grateful toward him, but soon Zhuge Sa sneered from within me.

[He didn't just protect you out of kindness. He's merely fulfilling the value of the holy relic you gave him. Forget—everything is calculated precisely.]

[Damn it. Who doesn't know that?]

I grumbled inwardly.

After thinking, the Cult Leader said,

[Nwa would be ideal. If Shao Hao Golden Heaven is summoned, would persuading him alone likely gain the agreement of all Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?]

The Prophet replied,

[You're asking about Shao Hao's status among them...]

[Exactly. If we persuade him only for him to be low-ranking among them, making it meaningless, what a waste of effort.]

[Shao Hao was the Western Supreme Deity... Also the king of birds... Higher in stature than Yao or Shun, but he could never surpass the Three Sovereigns in authority...]

[This is a headache...]

Pondering further, the Cult Leader said,

[Then, is it impossible to aim specifically for one of the Three Sovereigns? Nwa, Taego Fuxi, Emperor Shennong—any of them...]

The Prophet replied with a mocking tone.

[With the Seven Essentials, you could summon one for certain... Though what meaning would that have... Especially now—it's questionable if Fuxi even has a personality capable of conversation... And Nwa is quite angry at the mortal world these days, so if summoned, she might kill us all.]

[......?]

What did he mean about Fuxi?

While the Cult Leader and I were baffled, the Prophet continued.

[No need for such worries... The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors generally respect each other's will... They are all mighty ministers of heaven... If you can persuade even one with reasonable arguments, consider it a success...]

[Understood.]

The Cult Leader seemed convinced and turned to me.

[Vice Cult Leader Baek Woong. Let's begin. But I have a request...]

"Yes?"

[Can you offer Wol Yo?]

There it was—the expected question.

From the Cult Leader's perspective, to maximize success by summoning a Sovereign, offering Wol Yo to guarantee Nwa made sense. But for me, it was unacceptable, so I replied calmly,

"I'm sorry. As the Prophet said, if Nwa is summoned and attacks us all, wiping us out, that would be the worst outcome. And if we offer Wol Yo only to come away empty-handed, we'd have no future. I can't risk that."

[Not as an offering—as a mere medium.]

I responded even more firmly.

"The one trying to destroy the human world right now is Nwa herself. No matter how I think about it, I can't gamble by shoving my head into a tiger's jaws."

[... Understood.]

The Cult Leader sighed and continued.

[Then I'll handle the remaining variables smoothly.]

This would be the third Heavenly Summoning Rite—and the one staking the fate of the mortal world!

I steeled my resolve, glaring at the Heavenly Altar, while the Cult Leader focused his mind. As the atmosphere grew profound, the Prophet interjected.

[I'm the one performing it—why are you two acting so solemn...]

"......"

[.........]

Woooooong

How long had it been since the Prophet placed the offerings on the altar?

Soon, blue spiritual energy flowed from the Heavenly Altar, and a sphere of darkness slowly began to form. The dark sphere floated in the air, tracing the Eight Trigrams.

As the Eight Trigrams slowly descended onto the Heavenly Altar, the dark clouds in the sky intensified. The thick clouds, blanketing heaven and earth, swallowed every ray of sunlight. When the world was completely shrouded in darkness—

Saaaaah

Suddenly, the sky was enfolded in a riot of iridescent colors. The description of "seven colors" fit perfectly—brilliant, pure light pierced the clouds, illuminating the ground. The sun seemed to shine with far greater grandeur, but grotesquely. The chills came from the sense of

Amid this magnificent spectacle, something exploded from various points in the sky. Upon closer look, they were birds with wings—not earthly birds, but bizarre entities that could never exist in the mortal ecosystem. They were called birds only because they had wings; up close, they seemed entirely different.

Piii—

When their number exceeded a hundred, the birds scattered in the air, forming geometric patterns. From the clouds within those aligned shapes, a rainbow slowly descended.

Watching the process, I felt an uncanny dissonance.

This sacred scene resembled a page from mythology! Yet amid the frenzy of seven colors, I felt an unexplainable pressure. Deep within me, the chill came from the sense of contradiction—as if something that should never exist in this world was writhing and crawling forth.

Why did I feel this way?

Soon, beyond the rainbow, something white coalesced, gradually taking human form. Like Jeon Wook before, it wore ancient imperial robes and crown, but only birds surrounded it. Lacking human flesh, it resembled clouds draped in clothing—an inhuman appearance that seized the eye.

Its robes fluttered as if alive, with spiritual feathers waving. Around it, the hundred birds split, emitting iridescent light, birthing even more birds in explosive flashes.

Once the sky was painted in a paradise of colorful birds, the emperor projected his will to the ground.

[I am Shao Hao.]

Shao Hao Golden Heaven—one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—continued in a profoundly bored tone.

[What business do mortals have, summoning me from so far away?]

From far away?

The phrasing felt odd. Of course, the Heavenly Realm could be considered dimensionally distant from the human world, but that was mere metaphor. Deities of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' caliber could traverse it as easily as breathing. After all, even low-level sorcerers or magicians could navigate dimensions with basic knowledge, as Zhuge Sa had told me.

'Did Shao Hao Golden Heaven come from a distant world?'

As I tilted my head, the Prophet stepped forward and responded.

[It's been a while... How fares Lady Huang E...]

Then, the cloud-like skin of Shao Hao Golden Heaven twitched, and his entire body expanded several times over.

Whirrrr.

Shao Hao cast a massive gaze as if scanning us, and I felt a hideous sensation of my body being scraped everywhere. Using divine power, he peered through us all, then replied knowingly.

[The king of Zhurong... You are guarding Chiyou's seal well, I trust?]

What?!

What was this?

Shao Hao Golden Heaven of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors was acting as if he knew the Prophet! Did that mean he had truly lived in the same era? And mentioning Chiyou's seal—what did that imply?

The Prophet answered nonchalantly.

[That's a matter for my race—don't concern yourself... We're handling it well...]

A highly impertinent tone for addressing one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!

[So be it.]

But Shao Hao brushed it off indifferently. From his words, I realized the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors recognized the Prophet as one of the kings—and accorded him due respect. The Prophet was a far greater figure than imagined.

Composing himself, the Prophet said,

[I've been commissioned by the human owner of Wol Yo to witness today's Heavenly Summoning Rite, requesting that you halt the descent of the Heavenly Ladder... I beseech your wise judgment...]

[The Heavenly Ladder...]

Hearing the Prophet, Shao Hao's body returned to normal size. He conjured a jade throne-like cloud in the air, sat upon it, and stroked the head of a nearby bird. Gazing down at the ground with a bored expression, he spoke.

[Tell that to Jeon Wook... What does it matter to me? It wasn't a ladder I severed...]

His annoyance was blatant. Watching him, I recalled Jeon Wook from before.

'They're alike.'

Utterly indifferent to mortal affairs!

Even the Heavenly Ladder—directly tied to the rise and fall of human civilization—barely registered; he seemed lazy, disinterested. Seeing this, I had a premonition: the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors might truly care nothing for humanity's fate. But with that attitude, persuasion would be futile, no matter what?

As I grew anxious, the Cult Leader stepped forward boldly and shouted.

[Emperor Shao Hao! I am Daogun Uncheon, Cult Leader of the White Lotus Church.]

Shao Hao seemed to gaze impassively at the Cult Leader. Continuing rapidly, he said,

[The Heavenly Realm descends—the Heavenly Ladder descending my presence in Luoyang a risk to shattering the Great Boundary. Thus, I swear to withdraw all White Lotus Church forces from Luoyang and never approach again. We offer these tributes and our sincerity—please consider it.]

Shao Hao gave no reply. Not even a movement.

It wasn't the silence of contemplation. It felt more like stunned bewilderment.

'Damn it. Time to work...'

Puk

"I present the offerings!"

As the awkward silence dragged, I swiftly pulled out the Portrait Ghost's heart and offered it, passing the remaining treasures to the Prophet one by one. He then used his magic to present them to Shao Hao.

Wooooo—

As the precious treasures vanished, light briefly emanated from Shao Hao's body. It seemed he had enjoyed the offerings. Lounging on his jade throne, he spoke in a nonchalant, flippant tone.

[I accepted them since you gave them, but everything is such a hassle...]

Aaaaaaaah

[Do your best, you mortals!]

Flash!

Suddenly, iridescent light poured from the sky again, flashing brilliantly and bursting into hundreds of rays.

Chirring—

[Keep at it!]

The sky sparkled without a trace of darkness, painful to the eyes. The dazzling display continued for a while, leaving us mortals staring dumbfounded from the ground, wondering what this was.

Was this the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' style of cheerleading?

A gift from the heart?

As the flashes subsided, the Prophet said incredulously,

[Will you not help...]

Directing his cloud hand toward the ground, Shao Hao replied,

[Nwa has grown disillusioned with humanity. Why should I defy her will for mere mortals? But since I received offerings, I shall consider humanity's plight to the extent possible.]

In other words, it wasn't entirely ineffective, but Shao Hao saw no reason to exert himself for humans. He claimed consideration, but his lazy demeanor suggested he'd do nothing.

"What... What kind of bastard is this?"

I was appalled.

To devour all the offerings and then act like that! If he refused outright, fine—but he took them silently until everything was given, then played dumb? I was furious, indignant, on the verge of exploding.

To think one of the legendary divinities, a Three Sovereigns and Five Emperor, was such trash!

'With that attitude, offering more is pointless...!!'

I could try offering Wol Yo or the Imperial Seal to sway him further. But given how he disdained mortals and found everything bothersome, he'd likely ignore even greater sincerity. No matter how I thought about it, he wasn't persuadable.

In that instant, my head felt like it would burst. I yelled out.

"Shao Hao!!"

All eyes turned to me. The pressure made me shrink, but my rage overwhelmed it, and I shouted louder.

"...Sir!! Please help us!! Humanity will perish like this!"

Swooo—

Shao Hao's divine gaze seemed to linger on me. He was a bizarre god whose body was formed from clouds and nature itself. The indescribable chaos and darkness brushing my form meant he was observing me.

Shao Hao spoke.

[If it perishes, I'll make more.]

"...Pardon?"

['Tis no great matter—don't make a fuss...]

Far from concerned, he sounded pitying. But his inhuman perspective left me speechless.

'Crazy bastard!'

Remake them after they perish—what nonsense was that? Treating humans as disposable clay dolls, I was at a loss for words.

Then the Cult Leader interjected,

[Having accepted the offerings, could you not grant a small additional request?]

[A request?]

[We hope Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar recovers more swiftly.]

[Understood.]

Whoooong—

That was it. In the blink of an eye, Shao Hao—and the magnificent lights filling the sky—vanished cleanly. The Cult Leader said bitterly,

[No more can be done...]

The Prophet, who had watched from the side, stood and dusted himself off.

[I've fulfilled the requests... The value of the holy relic is nearly exhausted, so I'll take my leave.]

"Wait!"

[Why call...]

"If Cheon Woojin restores Mount Tai's Heavenly Altar faster, we could perform another rite in the remaining time, right?"

It was our last hope now. The Cult Leader had realized early what a bastard Shao Hao was, so he'd squeezed that final request for gain and lingering hope. If Cheon Woojin recovered it quickly, we could attempt the rite again and petition another Sovereign.

But the Prophet shook his head.

[It won't work...]

"Why?!"

[Can't you see how summoning a Sovereign has greatly disrupted the balance of heaven and earth? The rite actually serves to shield reality from the Sovereigns' immense presence using ritual power. Though I presided, my inexperience barely made it succeed—already, the world's balance is slightly crumbling. Calamities and disasters will soon strike the mortal world.]

[......!!]

[To put it simply, it's like eggs stacked top each other. I don't know Cheon Woojin's capabilities... But even if an accident occurs mid-rite, I take no responsibility...]

In that moment, I understood the side effects of having the Prophet perform the rite. He could force it to succeed, but lacking Cheon Woojin's mastery of ritual flows, the rite itself disrupted the world's laws. For a Winged One to proxy it, it was almost inevitable.

"Wait, then..."

I glared at the Prophet and screamed.

"You bastard! You should have said that beforehand!! Because of you, we've wasted the chance for multiple rites!!"

Exactly. We shouldn't have done this one!

From the moment Cheon Woojin wasted a month and was released, we could have held the rite two or three times to persuade the Sovereigns! But the Prophet's forced rite had ruined the balance, squandering those chances!

[Sucker...]

"What?!"

The Prophet seemed to smirk as he said,

[You didn't ask... I did as instructed, so we're done here...]

Paat!

The Prophet vanished. Zhuge Sa sneered from within.

[From the looks of it, he'll hide his tracks even in the Great Temple... Got thoroughly screwed, didn't you?]

"......"

Stunned by the unexpected betrayal, I stood dazed as the Cult Leader said bitterly.

[It's done, Baek Woong. Can't change the past.]

The Cult Leader looked to the sky.

[Now, we have no choice but all-out war...]

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