Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Penglai Mountain!

It was one of the legendary Daoist Three Great Spiritual Mountains and was known as a fantastical existence alongside Yingzhou Mountain and Fangzhang Mountain. There were many places in the world named after Penglai Mountain, but according to Mang Liang's knowledge, the true Penglai Mountain did not exist in the human realm and was located in another dimension. Mang Liang explained calmly.

"Baek Woong. As you know, the human world is a concept derived from the ancient notion of a round heaven and square earth—that is, the sky is round and the land is square. You're aware that the vertical axis of sub-meridian and the horizontal axis of mao-you define the human world."

"I know."

Mang Liang nodded.

"Moreover, the four directions are the threads that fix the round heaven and square earth, symbolizing the four cardinal points in models like the celestial plate or the timekeeping plate. Therefore, the convergence of the human world and the four directions at chen signifies the place where the energy of chen, symbolizing the east, is strongest."

Mang Liang, who had explained without even taking a breath, stated firmly.

"Furthermore, at the center of the timekeeping plate lies the heavenly realm, and to the east of the heavenly realm is Penglai Mountain, one of the Three Great Spiritual Mountains. There's no other place that could serve as the gateway to the Ogeocheonmun."

I made a troubled face.

"That's why we can't go there by flight or by my powers. Flight can't cross the boundaries of sealed dimensions, and since I've never been to Penglai Mountain, I can't use my powers to go there either."

Then, Cheon Woo-jin, who had been listening from the side, spoke curtly.

"There is a way to get there. More than enough."

"What is it?"

Cheon Woo-jin glanced at Zhuge Sa.

"You've probably guessed it too, Zhuge Sa. Now..."

Zhuge Sa replied irritably to Cheon Woo-jin's words.

"I know without you saying it. I'm giving up the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture."

"Good thinking."

Crack, Crack.

"Urgh..."

A large chunk of flesh bulged out near Zhuge Sa's heart. Veins protruded sharply across his entire body in agony, and soon his chest flesh tore open as if ripping apart, protruding in the shape of a book. I was startled by the sight.

"Gasp!"

What?! No way!

Sure enough, with a pop, a dark energy in the shape of the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture burst through his chest flesh. Zhuge Sa's chest had essentially exploded in an instant, causing massive bleeding as he staggered in place. His organs spilled out profusely. A normal person would die in less than a quarter of an hour from such a wound.

"No!"

I quickly reached out to Zhuge Sa and used my power.

[O Time, revert Zhuge Sa's body to the past!]

Wooong.

His fatal wound restored itself as if time had rewound. Since it was a restoration of time rather than healing, Zhuge Sa's pained expression vanished in moments. Zhuge Sa picked up the energy of the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture and held it out to me.

"Here."

Whoooosh.

The dark energy soon manifested into the book form of the Nameless Sacrificial Scripture and fell to the ground. The Nameless Sacrificial Scripture, which had been absorbed into Zhuge Sa as a spiritual body, had been expelled.

"You mad bastard. If you're gonna rip it out of your body like that, at least say something first! If I didn't have these powers, even if all the world's greatest doctors were here, you'd be dead right now!"

As I yelled in panic and shock, Zhuge Sa replied nonchalantly.

"Shut up and take it. I'm going to take a nap in the Mountains and Rivers Societal Chart."

"..."

"And as advice, whatever you do, don't confront the Blood Demon People in Blood Shadow Valley head-on. If you do, you'll all die, so avoid clashing with them as much as possible."

"What? Are they that strong?"

"They're humans enhanced far beyond their original state by the Demon King's evil arts, and they even self-destruct. If you fight them rashly, whether it's Jin So-cheong or the Sword Demon, they'll all get hit by the blood shards and drop dead. The curse of the blood shards can't be lifted by ordinary spirits—the struck area rots away completely."

"..."

"The Demon King's forces are no joke. Avoid them if at all possible."

Shuruk.

With that, Zhuge Sa entered the Mountains and Rivers Societal Chart. Cheon Woo-jin, who had resealed Zhuge Sa into it, let out a sigh.

"We've bought some time. In this state, with his magic power low, we can keep him sealed for ten or twenty years."

"Is this the right thing to do?"

"No time to worry about that. Hurry up and make a plan and move."

Cheon Woo-jin replied coldly and continued.

"The way to Penglai Island is simple. Find the traces of Xu Fu."

"Xu Fu?"

"In ancient times, Qin Shi Huang sent ships eastward with boys and girls to find the herb of immortality. The goal was to locate at least one of the Three Divine Mountains and learn the secret of eternal life from the immortals. The man in charge of that plan was Xu Fu."

So there was a guy like that.

While I committed Xu Fu's information to memory, Mang Liang spoke.

"Baek Woong. Whether Xu Fu succeeded or failed is unknown, but we already know Qin Shi Huang's full story. Impatient, Qin Shi Huang accepted the demon through the Fengxian Ritual and went to Dark Heaven Village. In other words, Xu Fu never returned to Qin."

"Did Xu Fu find the Three Divine Mountains and the herb of immortality?"

"We can't know for sure, but Xu Fu was human, and it's said he headed toward Shandong. So the method to find him is set."

Hearing Mang Liang's words, it hit me, and I shouted.

"The Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual!"

"Exactly. It's common knowledge that the gateway to the Three Divine Mountains overlaps with the material world, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

By using the Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual to summon his soul and trace his path, we could definitely find Xu Fu.

"Baek Woong. You probably don't have many uses left now."

"That's right."

"Use it wisely."

It was a ritual I rarely used before, but in this life, I'd used it often while wandering and gaining wisdom. I'd used it a whopping six times already, and four more would max it out. The Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual was powerful, but once the ten uses were spent, there was no way to recharge it—a highly useful ritual that needed to be conserved.

Flash.

I first went to the edge of Shandong. Then, searching for strong spirits near the sea, I summoned a large, powerful-looking one. He carried a great sword, had a stern impression, and felt like someone from ancient times.

[My name is Zilu Zhongyu. Why have you summoned me?]

"Zilu? Are you perhaps a disciple of Confucius?"

[Indeed.]

Zilu!

He was famous as one of Confucius's disciples in life, renowned for his outstanding valor. Though his later years weren't great, he was strict with himself, upholding loyalty and courage, so many Confucian scholars respected him. As a very famous spirit, I felt a sense of awe inwardly as I asked Zilu.

"I'm searching around this Shandong sea area for any sign of the Three Divine Mountains or Xu Fu. Have you seen or heard anything?"

Zilu lived far before Xu Fu. If he'd been stuck around here like a fixture, he might have seen or heard things over centuries. As I looked at him expectantly, Zilu pondered and then said.

[For such matters, you should ask Guangde Wang, the Dragon King of the East Sea, Ao Guang. I don't know much about that.]

"Ugh..."

I frowned.

'Who doesn't know that? That's why I'm using the Heavenly Divine Scripture!'

The Four Seas Dragon Kings!

They were divine beings said to have ruled China's four seas since ancient times, of the dragon race. They were also classified among the heavenly realm's great immortals, possessing powerful divine abilities befitting dragons.

But according to Cheon Woo-jin, the Four Seas Dragon Kings' influence had waned greatly after the sea gods grew stronger, and they were hiding their activities, making them harder to find than even Xu Fu. Moreover, beings like the Four Seas Dragon Kings could likely refuse the Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual, and summoning them would leak information to the heavenly realm, so I hadn't even tried. That's why I'd deliberately summoned a human spirit to save on sacrifices and power, but Zilu outright said he didn't know.

"Please don't brush it off. Any spiritual places nearby or dimensional gateways..."

[Hmm... I don't know about that.]

Zilu, seeming troubled, then spoke as if something occurred to him.

[Right. There's this Heavenly Mender Equalizing Great General or something who was very interested in events around here. Ask him.]

"Who's that?"

[I don't know well. But he's famous among spirits for closely observing history.]

"Please summon him."

[Got it.]

Flash.

Soon after, Zilu summoned some spirit and left. The new spirit seemed weak in spiritual energy and unremarkable, but he wore a white turban and had an air of dignity. I cautiously asked him.

"Who are you?"

[I am the Heavenly Mender Equalizing Great General.]

"Aside from that, your name in life."

[... Wang Xianzhi.]

"I see."

Only then did I realize who he was.

'A rebel leader active in the early stages of the Huang Chao Rebellion during the Tang Dynasty.'

He was a notable figure, but to think even a bandit like him gets summoned by the Heavenly Divine Scripture? Being generous, he was just a salt-smuggling gang leader. Anyway, I questioned him about what I wanted to know. Wang Xianzhi replied as if he understood.

[I don't know much about that, but there's someone in Silla who does.]

"Who?"

[It was a guy named Goun. He learned shamanic arts in life and had exceptional Daoist powers, so he probably knows the locations of Penglai Island and Xu Fu well. Plus, I personally saw him inquiring and investigating about Penglai Island around this Shandong area.]

"Please summon Goun."

[He's in an eastern country. I heard he's in the southern region, so go look for him.]

Silla.

Eastern country.

"Hmm... It means the kingdom established before Goryeo."

Having learned a bit of Goryeo history while there, I knew of Silla's existence. Roughly guessing, I sent Wang Xianzhi back.

"Got it. Go back."

After gathering the information, I returned to the valley and reported. Then, Miho, who had been listening nearby, spoke.

"If it's Goun, that must mean Choi Chi-won."

"Miho. You know him?"

Miho nodded.

"He was one of Silla's foremost great shaman, Daoist, and Confucian scholar. He's quite famous on the peninsula. It's said he ascended or became a god after death, but apparently he remained on earth."

"Someone with such great shamanic power stayed on earth instead of ascending to the heavenly realm?"

"That happens often. If they have strong lingering attachments to unfinished business from life..."

It felt like we'd almost found him. Stroking my chin, I muttered.

"Hmm. Southern region... where could it be?"

"I have a hunch. Want to come with me and check?"

"Sure."

Miho, who had lived on the peninsula and in Dongyeong for a long time, seemed to have an idea of Choi Chi-won's whereabouts. I moved with Miho to Goryeo, then further south. Of course, it was the southernmost area I'd passed through when crossing from the peninsula to Dongyeong. Miho came to a quiet coastal area and said.

"Haeundae. This is around the last known whereabouts of Choi Chi-won that I know of."

"There's a pavilion."

"If you use the Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual here, he might appear..."

Flaaash!!

As Miho suggested, I performed the Heavenly Divine Scripture's ritual. Searching for strong spirits nearby, I located and summoned Choi Chi-won right before my eyes. A refined, handsome middle-aged scholar in scholar's robes appeared neatly before me.

[What business do you have summoning me?]

"Are you Goun Choi Chi-won?"

[Yes.]

He was definitely a spirit with great power. It was no lie that he'd possessed strong shamanic arts in life—his potential was tremendous. He'd likely mastered arts equivalent to an earthly immortal.

'With this level, it's weird he didn't ascend...'

I questioned Choi Chi-won.

"I'm looking for the gateway to Penglai Mountain. And while at it, I'd like to know the place where Xu Fu found the herb of immortality."

[......]

"I heard from Wang Xianzhi that you researched those matters closely in life."

Choi Chi-won sighed and spoke.

[Hah... You've wasted your time on vain illusions too.]

"What do you mean?"

[In my later years, I sought the legendary Three Divine Mountains, employing all my arts and wisdom. I traced Xu Fu's footsteps and learned about the herb of immortality. But it was all an illusion...]

"You're saying Penglai Mountain doesn't exist?"

Choi Chi-won shook his head.

[The herb of immortality and Penglai Mountain do exist. But they are vastly different from what people imagine.]

"How so?"

I was stunned by Choi Chi-won's following words.

[The herb of immortality is a monstrous plant that transforms the body into that of a仙奴. And Penglai Mountain was invaded long ago by sea gods and demons; all the immortals became slaves to the sea gods, and it has long since become a hell overrun by evil beings.]

"......!!"

[Xu Fu learned this and returned to report the truth of immortality to Qin Shi Huang, who then fully allied with the demons, dreaming of godhood through the Fengxian Ritual.]

Shocking words.

To think the background of Qin Shi Huang performing the Fengxian Ritual connected here?

But there was no time to just be shocked, so I said calmly.

"...In any case, I need to go to Penglai Island right now. Tell me the location of the gateway."

[Very well. I shall tell you.]

Choi Chi-won spoke to me in a heavy voice.

[But take care. That place is the hell of the present world.]

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