Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Apostle?

I'd considered every possible scenario, but this proposal was the last thing I expected. The moment I heard "god's apostle," the image of Dagger flashed through my mind. Hiding my unease, I replied.

"An apostle stands between humans and gods. I need power, but the instant I gain an apostle's strength, wouldn't all my soul and body become subservient to the divine?"

Jeon Wook responded as if it were obvious.

[That would indeed be the case. It's the natural price for granting such immense power.]

"That's... a bit troubling..."

As I trailed off, the lower deities of the Myriad Ghosts Hall—Do-ol and Mang-ryang-gei—flew about Jeon Wook, bellowing in rage.

[What an insolent wretch!]

Keeee!

[Tear that bastard apart!!]

At the same time, the Myriad Ghosts Hall shuddered massively, unleashing a terrifying wail that reverberated dynamically. It carried an overwhelming divine aura, making me flinch. Those beings looked like grotesque yokai on the surface, but in truth, they were minor deities rivaling the Great Heavenly Immortals! If the Myriad Ghosts Hall, which had preserved its power since ancient times, came crashing down on me, I'd be utterly helpless and die without question. This proved why the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors overshadowed even the Heavenly Realm.

Jeon Wook waved his distorted, chaotic hand.

[Quiet down.]

The Myriad Ghosts Hall's fury subsided instantly. Having casually demonstrated the Sovereign Emperor's majesty, Jeon Wook crossed his arms and said:

[If you don't want it, then forget it. Simple as that.]

"......"

It was bizarre. His initial offer had felt utterly distasteful, yet now that he was shrugging it off, I felt like I was the one losing out. This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slipping away!

Should I accept Jeon Wook's offer to become his apostle right now? At that thought, Zhuge Sa quickly signaled me from the side, and I hurriedly said to Jeon Wook.

"Jeon Wook! It's such a monumental proposal—I need a moment to think it over. May I discuss it with my companions?"

[Do as you wish.]

I immediately huddled with Zhuge Sa and Cheon Woo-jin. Cheon Woo-jin spoke first.

"No need to even think about it. If it were me, I'd accept without hesitation."

I glanced at Cheon Woo-jin.

"Didn't you say you wanted to become a god? Becoming an apostle contradicts that, doesn't it?"

"Damn it... how's that the same? That's my issue—this is yours. Becoming an apostle of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors guarantees immortality and grants divine power beyond any human's wildest dreams. I've never heard of them personally inviting a mortal to be their apostle—not even the Three Pure Ones dare ignore them."

"......"

"Any ordinary human would sell their soul to accept this right now."

Zhuge Sa then spoke with an ambiguous expression.

"Would they, though?"

Cheon Woo-jin and I turned to him. Zhuge Sa pondered deeply before continuing.

"Logically, that fool Cheon Woo-jin is right... but what matters is how you feel about it, Baek Woong. Because this could very well be a trap."

"A trap?"

"Well, with Jeon Wook overhearing everything, I can't say it outright, but you know what I mean and why I'm saying this."

"......"

I nodded silently. Zhuge Sa had skirted around it because of Cheon Woo-jin, but thanks to our shared black obsidian, I understood immediately.

Heavenly Spirit Pill!

Across my past lives, I'd relentlessly pursued the infinite internal energy of the Heavenly Spirit Pill, only to discover in some cases that obtaining it was a trap in itself. Jeon Wook's apostle offer could be the same—no law said it wasn't. If anything, subjugating oneself to a god made it even riskier.

'Causality... Causality...'

I sat quietly, deep in thought. Not knowing much about apostles, the first word that came to mind was causality—the one unbreakable law even absolute divine beings had to obey. Becoming an apostle meant being bound by that causality, and I knew it well.

But as Cheon Woo-jin said, opportunities to become an apostle of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors weren't commonplace. Jeon Wook seemed genuinely taken with me, wanting me as his apostle. Who knew if such a chance would arise in future lives? If I offered myself later, they'd likely refuse outright.

Wouldn't my intuition guide me somehow?

I hoped for a flash of insight, but soon realized it was futile—such hunches didn't come on command. Still, I couldn't keep Jeon Wook waiting forever, and impatience was setting in.

'...Ah, right! First, clarify this life's goals!'

My baseline plan had been to survive the Apotheosis Ritual as long as possible, securing gains, and if all else failed, use Grand Leak Overlay at the end for maximum profit before suicide. If I chose the apostle path, I needed to weigh how much more beneficial it would be.

What good came from being an apostle?

After agonizing over it, I said.

"I'll accept."

"You're serious?"

"I think this gamble will reveal something worthwhile."

Cheon Woo-jin gave me a look like I was spouting nonsense, but Zhuge Sa caught on immediately, inferring my intent from the word "gamble." He smirked.

"Heh heh. A gamble it is. Makes sense at this point, though I wonder if it's necessary..."

"We have to try it eventually, right?"

"Do what you want. It's your call."

"Got it."

I then shouted to the waiting Jeon Wook.

"Jeon Wook! I will become your apostle!"

Jeon Wook replied as if he'd been expecting it.

[Good. I, Jeon Wook, take you, Baek Woong, as my apostle.]

Jeon Wook extended his hand, and dark energy shot forth, striking my chest. Moments later, it spread to my heart and throughout my body. An indescribable clarity swept over me—no pain, just like icy water flowing through my veins instead of blood, stimulating every peripheral nerve with pure comfort.

"......!!"

Once the dark energy settled within me, Jeon Wook spoke.

[You are now my apostle, so no need for a separate Apotheosis Ritual to release the Seven Desires. I grant you ownership of one via my authority.]

What a windfall!

I prostrated myself and bowed to Jeon Wook.

"Thank you!"

[In exchange, there is a condition.]

"What is it?"

[I give you ten years...]

A flicker of displeasure seemed to cross Jeon Wook's face. His body was pure chaos, so I shouldn't have been able to read expressions, yet our apostle bond let me sense it.

[Find Changhil himself or his incarnation and bring him to my Myriad Ghosts Hall.]

"Changhil... You mean the Four Emperors' Changhil?"

[Indeed. You know much of ancient history and have wide connections—you can find him.]

"......"

An unexpected mission.

'Find Changhil?'

I'd have to track him down eventually anyway, but receiving the order directly from one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors felt oddly ambivalent.

The Four Emperors' Changhil—direct subordinate of the Sovereign Emperor, wielder of immense power in the Yin Dynasty era!

Inventor of characters and designer of the current Apotheosis Ritual—finding him sounded daunting just from the description. It might be so difficult I'd accomplish nothing else.

But I'd steeled myself for this. I nodded.

"Yes. I will succeed."

[With that, the Apotheosis Ritual concludes...]

Whoooong

The Five Emperors' Jeon Wook vanished with the Myriad Ghosts Hall after those words. Zhuge Sa approached.

"Things just got interesting."

"Can we find Four Emperors' Changhil?"

"Who knows. Seems Jeon Wook values how you spilled every detail on the Apotheosis Ritual and the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' secrets. Love showing off that knowledge unnecessarily."

"......"

This guy was subtly mocking me!

As Cheon Woo-jin retrieved the banners from the Heavenly Emperor Altar, he added.

"One thing's certain: what you're about to do is something no one in history has ever accomplished."

"Hmm..."

"Finding Four Emperors' Changhil... Pfft. Might be easier finding a needle in a desert."

Cheon Woo-jin's scoff meant even he saw it as laughably impossible. Staring blankly, I asked Zhuge Sa.

"If I fail, do I die?"

Zhuge Sa cackled.

"Heh heh. Dying would be lucky. Being bound as god and apostle means Jeon Wook could torture you eternally on grounds of mission failure, and you'd have no recourse."

"Urgh... True."

"But that's all part of the gamble. You knew and chose it—don't dwell on it now."

"Got it."

Exactly.

This was the gamble!

Its essence: 'Can a god prevent my soul from reincarnating?'

I'd reincarnated even after challenging the Lord of the Jungle, so I had strong suspicions. But without proof, I had to test it this way.

If I failed the mission yet still reincarnated, it would mean everything. If I ended up eternally tortured in the Myriad Ghosts Hall, that'd suck—but I had enough conviction to roll the dice.

Seeing Jeon Wook vanish, Sword Demon and Shadowless Sword Emperor—who'd been guarding outside—approached. Sword Demon shouted.

"Baek Woong! You alright?"

"Yes!"

I soon explained everything to them. Sword Demon, knowing via black obsidian, nodded easily, but Shadowless Sword Emperor remained dazed and out of it.

Finally, Shadowless Sword Emperor blurted in disbelief.

"What nonsense is this?! Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? God's apostles? Have you all lost your minds?!"

"......"

His reaction struck me as absurd, yet understandable. Most Central Plains folk dismissed immortals, let alone the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, as myths. Given their extreme pragmatism and selfishness, it was natural.

Zhuge Sa chuckled mockingly.

"Heh heh heh. Shadowless Sword Emperor, if you can't believe it, why not test the power Baek Woong gained as god's apostle?"

"What?"

"You've already gauged his skill roughly. Seeing how much stronger he's become firsthand might convince you."

"......"

Shadowless Sword Emperor glared fiercely at me before replying.

"Fine! Let's spar."

Soon, I faced him three zhang apart, while the others watched from afar. I was puzzled why spar him specifically, but Zhuge Sa's transmission cleared it up.

[The perfect opponent to measure your new apostle strength. He'd have been a tough matchup before, right? Sparring him lets you gauge the apostle power gained.]

Spot on.

"I'm ready."

Resolving to give my all, I tilted my sword toward him. Shadowless Sword Emperor eyed my stance and twitched an eyebrow.

"What is it? A mixed martial lineage?"

"Yes..."

He saw through it instantly—truly a supreme master.

I muttered inwardly. My arts were built on the Thunder God Style foundation, but incorporating Shadowless Sect techniques and Seven Great Supremes had turned it into a mishmash. Sword Lineage chaos had arisen, but Yu Dongbin's Heavenly Hidden Swordsmanship patched it, letting me advance.

Still, discerning my style from a single stance wasn't for ordinary experts. Shadowless Sword Emperor, who could point the entire Nangong family alone, was a generational supreme master through and through.

"Full power should reveal the apostle's abilities."

We glared for a moment, then unleashed swift swords simultaneously without signal.

Kclang!

"Urk!"

Swords clashed with a clear ring. Shadowless Sword Emperor spun two and a half turns backward. From that single exchange, he'd gauged my internal energy gap—even the former world's greatest swordsman couldn't handle mine. That he endured with sword aura and intent without breaking his blade deserved praise for his profound skill.

Realizing it, Shadowless Sword Emperor groaned.

"Ugh... Indeed, terrifying internal energy..."

But I wasn't satisfied. This was achievable with my original power alone—not apostle ability. Roaring fiercely, I attacked.

"Let's clash!"

"Come on!"

Kakang!

Kang!

Shadowless Sword Emperor unleashed Shadowless Sword Qi, deadly without the blade itself. Facing his perfectly harmonious offense-defense sword veil, I chained Thunder God Sword Dance ultimate techniques. Sword auras spewing thunderbolts tore through dozens of sword paths, shredding the will from outside in.

Normally, I'd suffer against his stealthy Shadowless Sword Qi. But having learned Shadowless Soul-Stealing Swordsmanship from Sword Demon and trained with him long-term, I pierced its flaws easily. After fifty exchanges with me, Shadowless Sword Emperor's expression soured as he realized.

"You... You know Shadowless Sect arts?"

"I know them, but no counters. That enough?"

"Talk's cheap!"

Shwiing

Sword light scattered as our bodies blurred across the three-zhang space at tremendous speed. Ordinary eyes couldn't follow. Another fifty exchanges passed in a deadlock—not because our swordsmanship matched, but...

Three Protections Sword Arts!

Pure Thunder God Sword Dance couldn't overcome Shadowless Soul-Stealing Sword Qi—elite sect supreme swordsmanship outclassed my auxiliary style. My realm wasn't deep enough to elevate its strengths, nor could I use sword thunder, so I chose minimal counters while deflecting his attacks with Three Protections Sword Arts.

Thus, I landed no clean hits, but neither did he. Normally, this defensive stance would disadvantage me more, but my superior energy balanced it into equilibrium. Noticing, Shadowless Sword Emperor calmly varied his techniques from all angles.

Then, his eyes flashed.

"Take this too!"

Grumbling, he suddenly released his sword. Instinct screamed his intent ultimate was incoming—I focused wholly on defense. In that razor-thin gap, I sensed a telekinetic sword flying at me.

Kclang!

I parried the flying sword with sword aura, but simultaneously felt the hidden Soul-Stealing Sword Qi slice my waist stealthily. So insidious and potent, it choked me momentarily. I hastily used Soul Extinguishing Step to retreat.

"Ugh, no... too late!"

I'd been had!

Slash

Impossible to fully evade—a deep gash scarred my abdomen. A thin line appeared, then blood gushed noisily. I sensed my inwards would soon spill, shredding my body in agony.

Shadowless Sword Emperor, shocked by his own ultimate, yelled.

"Wha... You okay?! I went all out..."

"Urk..."

"I spotted a flaw in your evasion—couldn't hold back."

His excuse let me pinpoint why the flying sword fooled me.

'He exploited the gap in my breathing...!!'

Even if I could use Three Protections Sword Arts in real combat, it wasn't perfect. As a sword sage, he'd detected the flaw in my footwork ultimate and struck the breathing lapse I hadn't noticed with his killer move.

'I'll die like this!'

Anticipating spilling inwards, I clutched my abdomen and dropped to one knee. This mortal wound wouldn't heal easily, but I might survive. As I gritted my teeth against the pain...

"......"

No inwards spilling?

His Soul-Stealing Sword Qi carried sword aura and intent—my protective aura couldn't withstand it. Normally, my guts would burst and shred, spilling out messily. But only a cut remained, with minimal impact.

Doubting, I prodded my abdomen and shed my upper garment.

Shadowless Sword Emperor gasped.

"Huh?! What?!"

Simple reason for his shock.

The long abdominal gash was just a red line now—barely bleeding! Meaning his Soul-Stealing Sword Qi inflicted only superficial skin damage—a result incomprehensible to a peerless master like him.

From behind, watching Sword Demon cried out.

"No way... That's...!!"

Standing, I shouted to Sword Demon.

"Do you know what this is?"

Finally, Sword Demon explained my apostle power in utter disbelief.

"You've... attained the Vajra Indestructible Body..."

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