Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Racang navigated the terrain at an astonishing speed, clearly well-versed in the shortcuts. The way he threaded through mountain paths no ordinary person could even imagine was downright impressive. As they raced along, Racang cried out in amazement.

"This can't be! For the weather to aid us this much... It's making travel so much easier."

"The weather?"

"The weather around here is notoriously fickle, making it hard to move quickly. But for it to be this clear and pleasant..."

It was probably thanks to the great fortune as well.

Before long, I arrived at Yurarara alongside Racang. The place called Yurarara was a vast, empty plain shrouded in thick, hazy fog that obscured everything. No matter where I looked, there was no sign of Uhuru, the crimson giant rock.

Racang spoke as if he'd expected this.

"The gate of Yurarara only reveals Uhuru during a total solar eclipse. It's not the right time now..."

But that's not what I'm waiting for. If it were by the book, I wouldn't have even attempted stacking great fortune!

I crossed my arms and began waiting for something.

It was right then.

Rumble rumble roooar!!

Suddenly, the fog before my eyes cleared with a deafening roar. In the middle of the plain, the crimson giant rock—Uhuru—emerged into view. Racang looked up at the sky in shock, his face turning pale as he shouted.

"Th-this can't be happening! The stars are aligning, and Venus has appeared, sending stellar energy straight down! That's why the barrier, which only opens during a total eclipse, reacted by chance and opened! What an absurd, impossible coincidence!"

To Racang, a sage of this continent, it seemed like an utterly improbable event.

"Ha!"

But I grinned, feeling like I'd won a big gamble. I'd been a bit unsure, but the power of stacked great fortune could even twist the odds of solar eclipses and celestial events!

"Th-the barrier has opened, Divine One... Please, enter."

Racang said in bewilderment. I dashed straight toward the crimson giant rock, but no matter how I circled it, I couldn't spot any entrance.

"Hmm. Should I climb to the top?"

"It's dangerous. This is a sacred place; you might be cursed..."

"I probably won't be!"

For me to be cursed now would mean the end of the stacked great fortune. Trusting my luck, I used Annihilation Step to leap to the top of Uhuru. Without much thought, I placed my hand on one section of the rocky surface.

Whirr

Then, a bizarre dimensional gate opened inside what had seemed like solid rock. Somehow, on this massive rock spanning dozens of li, I'd beaten the insane odds and found the entrance with a mere human palm.

"Yes!"

As I entered the passage, I recognized the familiar spiral staircase. After descending the endless spiral into the abyss for quite some time, I spotted a red altar glowing brilliantly.

A stele stood before the altar. I began reading it calmly.

"The descendant of giants... who summoned the deluge. The one favored by the Flame Emperor... atones here for eternal sins... Defeating him is the flow of causality... Challenger of the Seven Luminaries' trials... Quell your breath before the karma of flames..."

I could read this stele too, without any hitches.

It differed from the steles in the other seals. Anticipating a giant, I dripped blood onto the altar to signal my challenge to the trial.

Rumble rumble rumble...

Moments later, a giant over two zhang tall appeared atop the altar. Divine flames flickered around its body. The guardian of the Fire Luminaries had manifested.

The giant stared straight at me, holding a massive greatsword in one hand. It was so enormous that it was baffling why it hadn't been visible from below. As I met its gaze directly, the giant spoke.

[You who are entwined in chaotic fate and have come to the Seven Luminaries' seal... I must test if you are worthy of the Fire Luminaries' essence.]

"Who are you?"

[I am Gonggong, guardian of the Fire Luminaries... Descendant of the progenitor Flame Emperor...]

Gonggong!

I'd seen that name in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It was the being from the mythic era who, in conflict with Nüwa, headbutted Mount Buzhou, flooding the world.

'It looks incredibly strong... But.'

I let out a groan. It evoked the overwhelming tension I'd felt facing Izanagi no Mikoto in the past. In terms of raw power, it was comparable, so that made sense. Yet, unlike the legends of clashing with Nüwa, it lacked the terrifying divine authority I'd sensed from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' Nüwa. It was no being on their level.

Had the myths been distorted somehow?

'Hmm... Still, it'd be tough for me to handle.'

Even decayed, it was a divine being. A head-on fight would be foolish!

I pondered deeply, then shouted to Gonggong.

"Gonggong! I have a question!"

Gonggong, poised to fight, paused. A tremendous energy gathered on its greatsword; battling him would be a grueling ordeal for me.

"What exactly are you guardians of the Seven Luminaries? Why guard them until the era of the end of the Dharma? Who assigned you this duty?"

[......]

I pressed harder.

"Why are the Moon Luminaries' guardian Izanagi no Mikoto or you here? You can't be used without permission from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors anyway!"

Gonggong looked at me with clear surprise. Then he spoke.

[You know... the secrets of the myths... the secrets of the Seven Luminaries... even their release! What in the world are you? Even the highest immortals of the heavens don't grasp such things...]

"Answer my question."

[Ugh... Truly an unfathomable chaotic being...]

Gonggong, flustered, finally spoke. He fell silent for a moment.

[......]

"......"

[......]

An absurdly long silence followed. Then, as if through some insane stroke of luck, the Fire Luminaries' guardian Gonggong whimsically decided to speak.

[I don't understand my own heart... Is it the chaotic power you wield shaking my essence? Or do I wish to alter the mythic era's defeated conclusion through you...]

"You're going to tell me?"

[One thing is certain... You're extraordinarily lucky...]

Was this the effect of stacked great fortune too? Gonggong spoke after a pause.

[The guardians of the Seven Luminaries... are beings subjugated by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors in the past... Gods... or legendary demonic beasts or demon kings...]

"Yes? What do you mean?"

[I lost to the Sovereigns in war, had my divinity stolen, lost my power, and was assigned as a gatekeeper... But the one you mentioned, Izanagi no Mikoto, was an avatar sent by an [Ancient Ruler] dominating the moon... The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors personally intervened for humanity's survival, weakening and sealing it... Originally, it was called a demon king.]

"......!!"

[We guard the Seven Luminaries... so that your human race may prosper under the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' blessings until the era of the end of the Dharma.]

Gonggong declared.

[Now... come at me. Defeat me to prove the minimal qualification to become the Fire Luminaries' master!]

"Hmm..."

When the moment to fight Gonggong arrived, I felt troubled. Though smaller than Izanagi no Mikoto, he gave off the vibe of being overwhelmingly powerful once engaged. He likely hadn't learned human martial arts, but my expert's intuition screamed it: once Gonggong fought, he'd be no less formidable than Izanagi no Mikoto.

Gonggong urged me threateningly.

[Come on, attack... Or I'll strike...]

It was right then.

Kwaaaaang!!

Kwakwakwang!!

Countless meteor showers began plummeting from the heavens. They rained down madly on my location too, smashing the ground with immense force and speed. It seemed the stacked great fortune was twisting probabilities to create this massive coincidence and defeat the foe before me.

Kwakwang

The ceiling shattered as a meteor hurtled down at unbelievable speed—too fast for even trained dynamic vision to track. With such terrifying velocity and destructive power rivaling thousands of catties of explosives, these were ordinary meteors, which was why I'd died helplessly in the imperial palace before.

[Uwoooo!! What is this...]

Explosions from successive meteors rang out as Gonggong swung his greatsword. No pushover himself, he unleashed tremendous divine power, shattering meteors to protect himself. Seeing this meteor shower, I sensed crisis.

'Damn. Is my luck already running out?'

From past experience, meteor showers symbolized my great fortune but also heralded impending backlash. At this rate, I'd get caught in it and die too.

But I was different now. I called out to Gonggong.

"Sorry, but I have to get something here, so I'll dodge for now!"

[What...]

"I'll be right back!"

Flash

I immediately used Instantaneous Evacuation to a remote mountain in the Central Plains. After waiting about an incense stick's time, I returned to the Fire Luminaries' seal.

Rumble rumble rumble...

The meteor shower had been immense; the earth was scarred, earthquakes rumbling. A distant volcano seemed poised to erupt. Uhuru, ravaged by this natural disaster, lay half-destroyed, with Gonggong sprawled inside the ruin, gravely wounded. For a giant's spirit body to take such damage meant the physical toll was dozens or hundreds of times worse.

[Cough... I guarded... the seal...]

I asked Gonggong.

"So, where's the Fire Luminaries?"

[What... absurd luck...]

Gonggong was utterly baffled. He seemed capable of fighting still, but was too drained to rise. No guardian of the Fire Luminaries could have foreseen being critically wounded by a meteor shower before the battle even started.

"A win's a win."

[Umm...]

Groaning, Gonggong pointed a trembling hand toward the back of the ruin.

[Enter...]

Boom

The wall he indicated flipped, slowly revealing a door to a hidden chamber. Unlike the Water or Moon Luminaries', this space was a vast peach garden paradise.

Gulp

This had to be where the Fire Luminaries essence I'd longed for was! I walked slowly inward and soon spotted a crimson treasured sword sealed on a small altar alongside its scabbard.

"Ooh...!!"

Finally, finally!

I'd obtained the Fire Luminaries essence among the Seven!

This spirit, this potent fiery power!

No doubt about it—this was one of the Seven Luminaries.

The moment I reached out in uncontainable joy and grasped the Fire Luminaries essence:

[Your great fortune has ended.]

Lord Taheo's voice echoed in my mind.

"......"

Suspecting the worst, I tried to release it immediately. But my hand wouldn't let go.

Too late!

Looking down anxiously at the Fire Luminaries essence, I felt an immense heat surging from my hand the next instant. Grotesque pain shot through my brain as my finger bones began melting.

Rorrtttrr

"Uwaaaaaaaah!!"

Pwooooosh

I felt an enormous thermal force incinerating my body, beyond suppression by my internal energy. At this rate, I'd carbonize in a few breaths! Considering my internal energy's profound realm allowed protective aura to keep my skin intact even if engulfed in flames, this heat was absurdly powerful.

In that instant, judgment flashed through my mind.

'Damn!'

I ceased clumsily shielding my body with internal energy. Regretfully, I muttered.

"The Fire Luminaries' fire energy... I have to somehow..."

Unlike the Water Luminaries' water energy, the Fire Luminaries' fire energy was condensed directly into the sword.

After dropping the internal protection, my consciousness faded within three breaths.

When even the pain vanished, I realized.

This was my 20th death.

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