Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

I stealthily grasped the Telepathy Pearl while traveling with the Twelve Rites Lord's group.

And I attempted to communicate with Mang-ryang.

The Telepathy Pearl allowed conversation even through the mind.

[Mang-ryang.]

[I hear you clearly.]

[The current situation is...]

I explained everything that had happened so far to Mang-ryang.

Mang-ryang, who had been silent for a moment, seemed to consult with Zhuge Sa beside him before speaking to me through the Telepathy Pearl.

[...]

I felt a pang of guilt.

[But it's not a dangerous situation yet, in my judgment. For now, follow the Rite Lord's lead in performing the seal, and if it gets dangerous, use the Return Talisman to escape at any time.]

[Understood.]

[One more thing, a message from Zhuge Sa...]

I nodded after hearing Zhuge Sa's advice.

[Understood.]

Flash!

While we conversed, the elites of the Twelve Rites, including myself, had already arrived at Pirate Island via the wind tunnel created by Feng Baek.

This place, once dominated by the Blood Tide Group, was now devoid of life due to my complete annihilation of it, littered only with rotten corpses and skeletons.

The Twelve Rites Lord commanded the Three Sages.

"Charge right in. Clear the path."

Then, the Cloud Sage stepped forward, extended both hands, and chanted some incantation.

As the Cloud Sage's chant ended, the sea before Pirate Island slowly parted, revealing the ocean floor.

The sea, which continued splitting all the way to the horizon, soon formed a complete pathway.

An astonishing sorcery!

Clatter clatter!

The Twelve Rites elites began dashing along the path.

I followed behind them, but suddenly, eerie shadows leaped from the parted seawater on both sides, attacking us.

[Kieeak!]

Swish!

The response was immediate.

The lord of the Twelve Rites' Wind Plain Style flung an invisible hidden weapon, dispatching the assailant in one strike.

He frowned at the spurting azure blood.

"Damn!"

The azure blood was clearly poisonous, as the ground where the monster's blood splattered hissed and emitted acrid smoke.

The fallen corpse was a heter, one of the fishmen I had seen before.

The Twelve Rites Lord glanced at it and said.

hissed and emitted acrid smoke.

The fallen corpse was a heter族, one of the fishmen I had seen before.

The Twelve Rites Lord glanced at it and said.

"Among the Sea God's kin, the warrior class lives with venomous blood in their bodies. Kill them without letting their blood splash."

"Understood!"

Splash!

Sure enough, fishmen armed with tridents, spears, axes, and swords began charging from both sides of the path the Twelve Rites elites were running.

The sight of dozens leaping at us in an instant was spectacular, and more fishmen ahead blocked the path, filling it completely.

Their numbers seemed at least a thousand.

I said in disgust at the sight.

"What, there are so many?"

I severed five necks at once with a sword gang infused with the Heavenly Thunder Pearl, but it was a drop in the bucket compared to their numbers.

It felt like being on a battlefield where hundreds of thousands clashed.

The Twelve Rites Lord calmly replied to my words.

"Pure-blooded fishmen reach combat-ready adulthood after just two years. There must be at least ten thousand troops here."

Thud!

Along with the sound, fishmen exploded into pulp.

It seemed he had cast a defensive spell around himself.

Clang!

Swish!

[Kraaaack.]

"Die, you monsters!"

The Twelve Rites lords and the elites of the Myriad Harmony Spirit Gate were all peak experts or above.

They overwhelmed the fishmen, outnumbering them dozens to one, showcasing their martial prowess.

But the numerical disadvantage remained, so I shouted.

"Can't we just use the Three Sages' sorcery to go straight to the distant city?"

"I'd like that, but the city is protected by the Sea God's magic, so we have to go right up front to dispel the barrier."

With that, the Twelve Rites Lord suddenly drew his Galaxy Frost Fan.

Whirrr!

"In the name of King Haebaek, freeze them all!"

The Galaxy Frost Fan emitted a bluish-silver light and activated

With that, the Twelve Rites Lord suddenly drew his Galaxy Frost Fan.

Whirrr!

"In the name of King Haebaek, freeze them all!"

The Galaxy Frost Fan emitted a bluish-silver light and activated.

Fully charged with divine energy, the Galaxy Frost Fan writhed like a living thing, then swung in a grand spiral.

Cracklecraaack!

"......!!"

It happened in an instant.

An ice dragon froze the air solid, encasing the outer walls of the path all the way to the horizon in ice!

The fishmen leaping from the sea walls froze mid-jump and fell to the ground, and the same went for the fishmen army blocking our front.

They all turned into fishmen statues.

Whoooosh!

The ground, with all monsters frozen, was bizarre.

What was amazing was that amid the chaos, the Twelve Rites Lord hadn't attacked allies with the ice at all.

Even in the melee of friend and foe, he selectively struck only the enemies.

'Incredible power...'

I shuddered at the might of the Galaxy Frost Fan.

Mang Tyung replied, sounding quite shocked.

[That's a power even hard to see with treasures. The Galaxy Frost Fan seems a special divine artifact.]

[Can Ha Eun-cheon unleash such power repeatedly?]

[I doubt it unless you ask him, but since he chanted the incantation, it probably has a usage limit.]

Along the way, I spotted the altar for human sacrifices mentioned by the Blood Tide Lord.

Human bones were buried around it, showing signs that fishmen had gruesomely eaten humans alive.

The Twelve Rites Lord coldly said upon seeing the altar.

"Destroy it."

"Yes."

Boom!

The Twelve Rites lords pulverized the massive altar with qi reinforcement.

Then, black smoke flowed from the altar toward somewhere, and the Twelve Rites Lord followed it, creating another sea path as an entry route.

Soon, we reached the fishmen city described by the Blood Tide Lord.

Due to the deep sea, pitch-black darkness spread, so the sorcerers summoned lights to illuminate the view.

Among the following Twelve Rites lords, the Spear Dragon Lord slung his blade over his shoulder and muttered in disgust.

"The walls on both sides are insanely high... How deep is this abyss exactly?"

illuminate the view.

Among the following Twelve Rites lords, the Spear Dragon Lord slung his blade over his shoulder and muttered in disgust.

"The walls on both sides are insanely high... How deep is this abyss exactly?"

The neighboring Protectorate Alliance Lord glanced up and said.

"Roughly, over fifteen li deep."

The Spear Dragon Lord was appalled.

"Good lord... How can these monsters build and live in a city at the bottom of such depths?"

"That's why they're monsters."

As the Twelve Rites lords chattered about the bizarre scenery they'd never seen before, the Twelve Rites Lord said to the Three Sages.

"I'll break the barrier. You weave a new one to ensure not a single one escapes."

"Understood."

"And listen, Twelve Rites lords and Myriad Harmony Spirit Gate elites."

As gazes focused on the Twelve Rites Lord, he scanned the group and said.

"Today, kill every monster inside without leaving a single one. Eggs, young—wipe them all out. Remember, one surviving monster means ten innocents die to it!"

The Twelve Rites lords bowed and roared in thunderous unison.

"Understood!!"

"Understood!!"

"Understood!!"

Boom!

The Twelve Rites Lord swung the Galaxy Frost Fan with immense force, shattering the barrier enveloping the massive otherworldly city.

Then, the Twelve Rites lords and Myriad Harmony Spirit Gate elites surged into the city like they'd been waiting, beginning the massacre.

[Kweeek!]

[Kwek!]

The fishmen screeched eerily as they charged or fled, but everyone here was a supreme expert of great prowess.

No matter how strong the fishmen's basic physical abilities, they couldn't resist a horde of peak experts.

Moreover, the Myriad Harmony Spirit Gate sorcerers supported with superior spells from all sides, leaving no gaps.

I watched the slaughter where azure blood splattered and fishmen heads and limbs flew.

The Twelve Rites Lord approached and spoke to me.

"Don't like the massacre?"

"Killing monsters isn't a massacre. It's cleaning."

"We think alike."

"I see..."

I thought the Twelve Rites Lord's words made sense.

As heter, fishmen had an intangible aura that drove humans mad with fear, and even strong experts could develop mental issues from prolonged exposure.

Thus, he planned to counter the evil aura's mental harm with the frenzy of slaughter.

Having felt the heter's evil aura many times, I could only agree.

"Still, maybe it's time to pursue efficiency..."

With over a thousand corpses strewn about, the Twelve Rites Lord raised his hand to the sky and shouted.

"Phoenix! Purify this land's darkness!"

The sky parted.

Simultaneously, from the sky filled with dark clouds, a divine 'something' emitting rainbow lights slowly revealed itself.

But its form differed greatly from the phoenix I imagined—more like a bird-shaped mass of light.

Soon, the phoenix descended from the heavens, crashing into the center of the fishmen city.

Fwoooosh!

[Kreeeeek!]

[Kiaaaak!!]

From the impact, a massive wave of light spread, sweeping away the fishmen everywhere.

Fishmen touched by the light wave exploded or turned to ash.

Even their evil structures crumbled.

Amazingly, the light wave had no effect on humans—in fact, being enveloped in it restored stamina and spirit.

"......!!"

I hurriedly drew Hwaryo and the Fire Dragon Divine Sword.

The phoenix's light wave strongly infused the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, and I clearly felt it gradually regaining power.

As fellow heavenly divine beasts, their energies meshed well.

'It'll open its eyes soon...'

In this battle, the Fire Dragon True Man hadn't awakened—less recovered—but it seemed certain next time.

I focused on the Fire Dragon Divine Sword's recovery while cutting down enemies.

How long did we fight?

After about half a shichen, the battle ended.

The Twelve Rites experts roamed, mercilessly finishing off fishmen younglings and hatchlings.

Once done, the Twelve Rites Lord looked at me.

"We need to seal it."

I nodded at his gaze and raised the Fire Dragon Divine Sword high.

I drew power from the National Jade Seal, focusing it on the Fire Dragon Divine Sword to awaken it.

Soon, immense fire energy surged from the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, its power amplifying.

The Twelve Rites Lord received its spirit energy and began the sealing with the Three Sages.

The seal completed after another half shichen.

The Twelve Rites Lord muttered as if catching his breath.

"One down. No more fishmen in this area now."

"We have to do this five more times?"

"Yes. This first one was just tougher."

After sealing the first fishmen city, we headed straight to the next target.

The next was near Geomla Island, a Goryeo isle swarming with fishmen.

I repeated receiving the phoenix's power to restore the Fire Dragon Divine Sword and aid the seals.

After sealing five sites, the sun was nearly setting.

We'd fought nonstop fishmen for a full six shichen, so everyone was exhausted.

Slaughtering tens of thousands without rest was natural.

'We'll rest tonight...'

I thought we'd rest and continue the subjugation.

But the Twelve Rites Lord noticed the group's poor state and said.

"Need to recover."

"Pardon?"

Without a word, the Twelve Rites Lord extended his hand to the ground.

Craaack!

His body emitted green light in all directions, and soon a green light source rose, enveloping everyone.

As the green light faded, amazingly, the fatigued Twelve Rites lords and Myriad Harmony Spirit Gate experts were fully restored.

Dumbfounded, I asked—my own stamina and qi had recovered instantly too.

"Wh-what did you do?"

I knew much sorcery, but not this mass recovery spell.

It wasn't in Supreme Mang-ryang's knowledge or the Great Peace Arts either.

The Twelve Rites Lord stood, dusting off, and said.

"The Divine Altar Tree connects to the world's ley lines, so I located this land's ley line and

I knew much sorcery, but not this mass recovery spell.

It wasn't in Supreme Mang-ryang's knowledge or the Great Peace Arts either.

The Twelve Rites Lord stood, dusting off, and said.

"The Divine Altar Tree connects to the world's ley lines, so I located this land's ley line and temporarily linked it to the Divine Altar Tree. That lets me draw its power even from afar."

"......"

"Of course, weaker than using it near the Divine Altar Tree."

Easy words, but drawing ley line power required a grand sorcerer.

Normal sorcerers were grateful just to cultivate over a ley line.

Using it as a medium for the Divine Altar Tree was an immense realm.

'No way the phoenix summons till now were...'

I realized something incredible.

As he said, as long as he fought on land, he was nearly invincible!

With land, he could draw Divine Altar Tree power anywhere for miraculous spells, and even recover at will.

A being rivaling the White Lotus Cult Lord's Primordial Infant.

I realized another fact.

'Never fight the Twelve Rites Lord near a divine site!'

Near one, his power would peak—even without the Three Sages, invincible.

As I memorized this, the Twelve Rites Lord said.

"Once started, we strike hard and end it. Give time, and the Sea God will fully intervene."

"We've already razed five cities and slain tens of thousands—enough provocation?"

"No. Those cities are but a fraction of their ocean-spanning ones. Not a big blow."

"......"

"Finish before it wakes and takes interest."

I said to the Twelve Rites Lord.

"Where's the Sea God?"

"Don't know. It randomly moves between cities, sleeping deeply there—that's all."

"Hmm..."

In Bi-eung's vision before, I'd seen the Sea God sleeping in a city near Blood Tide.

But not in the ones we hit this time.

I'd held back since the Twelve Rites Lord would fight it, but per him, it stayed varying periods per city.

We went to the final fishmen city.

As before, we assaulted, massacred, and sealed it—then the Fire Dragon Divine Sword rang.

Riiiing!

[...My contractor!]

The Fire Dragon True Man awoke and spoke to me.

I hurriedly replied.

[You've awakened?]

[I gradually regained consciousness and watched your deeds. Full recovery soon.]

[Good.]

[Truly a great hero. Subjugating the Sea God's kin for humanity!]

Admiringly, the Fire Dragon True Man continued.

[But now, time to take responsibility for that choice.]

[What do you mean?]

Rumble...

Groooar...

Suddenly, massive vibrations shook the ruined fishmen city.

The vibrations writhed like a living thing, filling the void with an unknowable pressure.

Sorcerers had lit the darkness, but suddenly, even those lights extinguished instantly.

As if a greater power blanketed the area.

Darkness seemed to walk slowly toward us.

Overwhelmed, people stood speechless.

"......"

The Twelve Rites Lord said.

"It's here..."

What had come?

As I tilted my head, the Fire Dragon True Man said.

[Contractor. Today's battle will be a great war etched in heavenly history. I'm proud you're my contractor.]

[Yes?]

[Yeo Dong-bin!!]

Swish!

Suddenly, Sword Immortal Yeo Dong-bin's apparition appeared before me.

Yeo Dong-bin's face was rigidly tense—uncharacteristically nervous.

He'd never tensed before the White Lotus Cult Lord or guardians?

I sensed an ill omen approaching.

[My master. Must we fight that being? You know better how immense it is.]

Yeo Dong-bin hesitated, then said.

The Fire Dragon True Man's apparition appeared before him, smiling.

[Haha! Didn't we slay the world-ending giant dragon together?]

[But this... will upend heaven and earth's balance.]

[I called you, my disciple, because I trust you. Won't you aid your master?]

[......]

Yeo Dong-bin sighed deeply and said.

[I will.]

I urgently asked Yeo Dong-bin.

[Yeo Dong-bin! What do you mean? What exactly...]

Swish swish swish!

Yeo Dong-bin and the Fire Dragon True Man's spirits descended on me simultaneously.

I gripped Hwaryo and the Fire Dragon Divine Sword in each hand, unleashing maximum power.

In my mind, I heard the Fire Dragon True Man tell Yeo Dong-bin.

[I'll handle the divine killer moves and magic. Yeo Dong-bin, slay it with Heavenly Hidden Swordsmanship.]

power.

In my mind, I heard the Fire Dragon True Man tell Yeo Dong-bin.

[I'll handle the divine killer moves and magic. Yeo Dong-bin, slay it with Heavenly Hidden Swordsmanship.]

[First in a millennium.]

[Heh!]

Thud...

Thud...

The footsteps of darkness approached slowly.

When they halted, I realized the world's edge filled with darkness, an colossal giant spanning dozens of li capturing our vision at once.

So vast—even the alchemist's incarnation I'd seen in the spirit world paled.

The giant quietly gazed down at us from the darkness, scales writhing.

Just its gaze overwhelmed most here, silencing them.

Even the reversal experts among the Twelve Rites lords gawked like floundering fish.

The giant's presence paralyzed human reason.

The abyss devours man.

Yes.

That was—an existence mortals cannot bear.

Born a god since primordial times.

Thus, ordinary humans cannot oppose it.

Here, only the Twelve Rites Lord, Three Sages, and I remained composed.

One Sage used spatial sorcery to whisk the rest away suddenly.

Ha Eun-cheon drew the Galaxy Frost Fan.

In a tense voice, Ha Eun-cheon said.

"Didn't expect the Sea God to come so soon."

The first battle with the [former ruler] Sea God began.

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