Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Boom

As soon as Yeol's words ended, the Ogre Celestial Gate closed. I tried pushing it again, but unlike before, it felt like an iron wall weighing a hundred thousand jin pressing against my fingertips. Even with my internal energy, I could probably move something that heavy, but I couldn't move pointblank—the gate's guardian was rejecting me.

"No helping it. I'll withdraw for now."

I decided to leave Mount Penglai. I tested if Return was usable, but it wasn't, so I used my divine power to exit the mountain.

Whoosh

Arriving at the Seven Stars Altar, I spoke to Cheon Woo-jin, who was sitting in front of the altar.

"Cheon Woo-jin! Have you gotten stronger by any chance?"

He gave me a look of utter disbelief.

"..."

Guess not.

I explained to Cheon Woo-jin what had happened on Mount Penglai. After hearing the story, he said,

"It wasn't me, so one of the others must have received Jeon Wook's blessing."

"Who do you think?"

"Let's head back first."

Flash

I returned to Jangyeong Valley with Cheon Woo-jin. But as soon as we arrived, I saw a strange silver light swirling in the center. It was a shimmering silver glow, almost ethereal and divine.

Kiiiiing

Up close, there floated in the air a massive nine-tailed fox radiating a pure silver spirit light. Beside it stood Mangyang, Jin So-cheong, and the Sword Demon, watching intently.

"Miho!"

It had to be Miho. She had reverted from her human form to her true essence. As I shouted and approached, Mangyang held me back.

"Baek Woong. Can't you feel it?"

I glanced at Mangyang, and he explained,

"Miho's spirit energy is surging dramatically. We don't know what might happen if we interfere, so let's observe for now."

"Did this just happen out of nowhere?"

"Yes. But her energy is stable, so I judged it wasn't anything harmful and kept watching."

Cheon Woo-jin, standing nearby, let out a hollow chuckle.

"Ha, so this nine-tailed fox received Jeon Wook's blessing."

"What do you mean, Brother?"

"Ask this guy for the details."

I shared the memories from Mount Penglai with my comrades via the obsidian. Mangyang exclaimed in shock,

"Good heavens... To think the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns would personally grant a blessing."

The Sword Demon, listening from the side, interjected bluntly,

"But why her of all people?"

"..."

No one could say. Clearly, Jeon Wook had strengthened one of my comrades, thinking I'd need help for the Changhil search mission. But why Miho? There was no obvious reason.

Mangyang pondered deeply before speaking.

"My guess is this."

All eyes turned to him, and he continued,

"Jeon Wook probably didn't give you the power directly because you're a Herald."

"What do you mean, Mangyang?"

"You're the one seeking and leading the Liberation of the Seven Yos right now. That's why the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns gathered to check you. Regardless of his true feelings, Jeon Wook has to watch his step with Nüwa and the others, so he couldn't grant strong power directly to you, the center of it all. You'd just push even harder to free the Seven Yos first."

"Ah!"

"But Jeon Wook isn't a fool. He knows you can't even find Changhil's tracks like this—you'd just get killed by divine beings. So he empowered your comrade to get you up to the level needed for the mission."

That made sense.

I organized Mangyang's thoughts in my head and pointed out,

"You haven't explained why it's Miho yet."

"That's probably because she's from the Heavenly Realm."

"..."

"Miho was born in the Heavenly Realm, originally one of Herald Dalgi's tails. Even though she was exiled, she was still an object of great interest and affection from the Queen Mother of the West. Among us here, she'd feel the closest to the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns."

I looked around at everyone after hearing Mangyang.

Jin So-cheong and the Sword Demon were indeed geniuses, but ultimately human. Still, high-level, but human all right, so I said,

"What about you or Cheon Woo-jin? You both have deep ties to the Heavenly Realm."

"We're disciples of Master Mangyang. The Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns wouldn't want to empower anyone connected to a powerful divinity like him."

"Ah, I see."

"Anyway, that means the power swirling around Miho now is Jeon Wook's Yin Divine Power."

Mangyang gazed enviously at the silver-glowing Miho.

"I can't even imagine how strong she'll become."

I watched Miho. Her yokai energy, which I'd thought was just that of a strong great yokai, was surging to an incomparable level. The pressure was palpable—she was definitely growing stronger.

"How long will she stay like that?"

"If she's absorbing the Yin Divine Power, it'll take quite a while longer, I'd estimate."

"Hmm..."

"In the meantime, let's do what we need to."

We began discussing our next steps in front of Miho. The Sword Demon spoke first.

"Baek Woong. If that's the will of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns, we have no choice but to follow for now. Put the Seven Yos aside and focus everything on finding Changhil's incarnation."

"You're saying leave Blood Shadow Valley and White Lotus Cult alone?"

"What can you do about it? We don't have the power to subjugate them anyway."

"..."

"Fortunately, the Twelve Lords set up a defensive barrier here before leaving. It can prevent [Ancient Ruler] from invading directly. Might as well watch the world's situation unfold while we search for Changhil."

He was right. More like, there were no other options in this situation. Sensing the mood, Mangyang said,

"Baek Woong. First, let's check if the Twelve Lords liberated Wol Yo."

Flash

As Mangyang suggested, I took Musashi and went to Mani Mountain on Ganghwa Island. The island was utterly devastated, reduced to ruins, and amid the debris, two monks were rummaging around.

Master Seosan! Yujeong!

No mistaking them. They were appointed by the Twelve Lords to guard Wol Yo's seal. I approached and said,

"Greetings. I am Baek Woong, Joint Twelve Lord."

Master Seosan greeted me naturally.

"As I've heard. Pleased to meet you. This poor monk is Seosan."

Word of the Joint Twelve Lord—and that it was me—had spread widely. I asked Master Seosan,

"Did Ha Eun-cheon take Wol Yo from here?"

"..."

Master Seosan replied with evident displeasure.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Master. As a Twelve Lord, I have the right to hear what happened here."

"Sigh! It's not about rights or authority..."

He seemed frustrated but couldn't continue. Then his disciple Yujeong spoke up.

"Ha Eun-cheon left this Cheomseong Altar in our care all this time without ever mentioning it was Wol Yo's seal. Then he suddenly appeared, fought the guardian and won, and took Wol Yo. My master feels deeply betrayed."

"Yujeong. Don't say unnecessary things."

"New Twelve Lord. Ha Eun-cheon is a cunning man—be wary he doesn't cause needless trouble."

Yujeong seemed innocent but had backbone.

No wonder. Being deceived by Ha Eun-cheon would sting.

Even if it was to protect the Seven Yos' secret, locking cultivators in this remote place without a word was harsh. I looked at them with bitter eyes and asked,

"If it's all right, could you tell me how he fought Wol Yo's guardian?"

"Very well."

Master Seosan gathered his thoughts and said,

"He spilled blood on Wol Yo's altar to summon the guardian, then clashed fiercely with the Galaxy Scissor Blade for a short time. Then he summoned some crescent blade and unraveled the threads. The moment the knot loosened, the guardian's power weakened dramatically and it was forcibly summoned back beyond space-time."

"Crescent blade..."

"The fight ended quickly. No more than half a shichen..."

Something clicked in my mind.

Right, the Commanding Spirit Crescent Blade!

The prize from the Luoyang Dark Scripture Martial Tournament, now owned by the Twelve Lords... a weapon artifact! In my 19th reincarnation, the White Lotus Cult Leader had used its power to send back the mighty Herald Dalgi. A Twelve Lord who knew how to use it properly couldn't fail against the guardian.

But there was uncertainty.

What exactly was the Commanding Spirit Crescent Blade?

Even as a demonic artifact, did it have power to repel king-level demons like Heralds or guardians?

What were its precise abilities?

"Damn, if I'd known, I would've asked the Cult Leader more thoroughly about it in my 19th life..."

I regretted it inwardly but had no choice. Instead, I pressed Master Seosan for details.

"It's a demonic artifact called the Commanding Spirit Crescent Blade. It probably unleashed its power by unraveling threads—how many did he undo?"

"Hmm... I can't quite recall..."

As Master Seosan looked vague, Yujeong said,

"I saw it. Four threads."

"Four threads..."

In the past, the White Lotus Cult Leader used five out of nine against Dalgi. This time, four threads were used. It spoke to the power difference between Dalgi and the guardian, but it raised suspicions.

What is it? How did the Twelve Lord gauge a king-level demon's power so precisely?

The blade's principle seemed simple: unravel the desired number of its nine threads, and the power scaled accordingly. But it was profoundly subtle—if too few, the power was weak and couldn't seal; too many, and it was wasteful.

[Four threads left means filling the remaining five will take immense time and effort. But as a price for repelling a Herald, it's a bargain.]

Yes, the Cult Leader had said that exactly after using it on Dalgi. Once unraveled, retying the threads took enormous time and effort. So why waste them? Wol Yo wasn't quite the foe's power for a perfect seal?

My concern was that the Twelve Lord had used it exactly matched to the opponent's power and status. Ha Eun-cheon couldn't afford to fail or give up on Wol Yo. Normally, one would err on the safe side and use more threads, even if wasteful. But he hit it exactly, as if he'd anticipated it.

Could it be... I was misunderstanding something about the Twelve Lords?

As I pondered, Master Seosan said,

"Ha Eun-cheon said if you came here, to go to Shinishi at the hour of shin..."

"Master. Will you abandon this Ganghwa Island now?"

"That's the plan. With the world in chaos and peril, I must save many sentient beings on the mainland."

"I wish you health and victory..."

Flash

I parted with Master Seosan and headed straight to Shinishi. Crossing the cloud bridge into Ha Eun-cheon's stronghold, he sat waiting in a large chair.

"Hello, Baek Woong."

"Did you liberate Wol Yo?"

I cut straight to it, and Ha Eun-cheon seemed to smirk.

"Nope. Couldn't."

"Why not?"

"You're not looking like you liberated Su Yo either?"

"..."

"Whatever. I've heard lately the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns are starting to meddle in the mortal world. Can't request liberation rashly then. Even I have to play it safe, so I'll just hold onto Wol Yo for now."

He spoke as if he knew everything. I couldn't tell how much he really knew, leaving me uneasy. He didn't seem immediately dangerous, but getting entangled could mean big losses.

I brought up the main issue.

"Twelve Lord. How do you know heavenly information? Without it, you couldn't act this precisely."

"Who knows~ Why would I tell you?"

"I'm a Joint Twelve Lord too."

"Haha. No can do. Because my access to heavenly info isn't from being a Twelve Lord. It's my personal ability."

Frustrated by his refusal, I growled,

"You promised full cooperation, and now this?"

"Haha! Sorry, but no. This ties directly to my life. If you were me, would you reveal that secret to a Herald of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns?"

Laughing heartily, Ha Eun-cheon continued,

"If that's all, please leave. I have preparations to make against the heavenly incursion."

"Aren't you worried about the Demon King or Blood Shadow Valley?"

"Hahaha! Funny thing to say. Why would I worry?"

"If they break Luoyang's grand barrier..."

He made a fuss.

"Oh no! Terrible! Scary. Won't a Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns Herald pop up and fix it before then?"

"..."

This bastard's mocking me?

I seethed inside, but he quickly joked,

"Kidding. The Demon King isn't much to worry about anyway."

"The Central Plains sects are getting massacred. Blood Shadow Valley is attacking righteous and demonic alike without discrimination..."

As I shared what I knew about Blood Shadow Valley, he crossed his arms.

"Th—a—t's why~ it's your problem. Why should I care about far-off sword-swinging thugs dying? Do I look that nosy?"

"Urk..."

"Even if civilians die, it's not my concern. Your Jina tribe has the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns' protection, so no extinction, and with your huge population, a million deaths won't even show. Solves the food problem too."

"...You mean that seriously?"

"Hahaha, just kidding~ Kidding."

He laughed it off, but it didn't sound like a joke.

The Twelve Lord said,

"I can cooperate fully with you. But are you really planning a head-on clash? Doesn't seem like it. If you're serious about fighting them, sure, I'll help."

"..."

I realized probing him was pointless and sighed.

"Yes. We don't have the power to handle them now."

"Same here. Charging in is suicide, foolish. Contact me when you're ready to subjugate properly. I won't move alone. Got it?"

"..."

"Crushing them before anything happens is for those with overwhelming power. We're not, so how about watching developments? They might mutual-destruct, or if not..."

"Or if not?"

The Twelve Lord seemed to smile behind his mask. Standing, he said,

"One piece of advice. Demon King or [Ancient Ruler], what they want might be far more specific than we think... They seem to be searching for something in this land."

Swoosh

The Twelve Lord's form vanished. He didn't want to talk more, so I had no choice but to leave Shinishi and return to Jangyeong Valley.

'At least we've agreed to bide our time for now.'

I'd planned to take down the Demon King or play them against each other, but facing reality, Ha Eun-cheon and I decided to build strength and observe. That was the practical choice.

It took nearly two full days back in Jangyeong Valley for Miho's condition to change.

Flash!

A terrifying silver light burst forth, and the nine-tailed fox—now three times larger than before—raised its head. Miho seemed to gather her spirit energy into her tails, and soon three tails transformed into ethereal flames flickering like spirits. Not satisfied, two more turned ethereal, making five tails swaying spectacularly.

Rumble...

Hummm

The power resonated, producing yet another tail. Now six tails.

"...!!"

I jolted as Miho's form blurred, like a bubble cluster swirling around. She was right in front of me, yet hard to observe clearly.

If I had to describe it—golden fur, jade face!

'Th—this phenomenon?'

No doubt.

It was the same feeling as facing Dalgi.

'[Sword Immortal]. What is that white bubble mass?'

'[It's not bubbles. Her yokai power is so immense that lesser beings aren't even permitted to observe her true form.]'

The phenomenon Yeo Dong-bin had explained before.

When a being with overwhelmingly vast yokai power manifests in the mortal world, those without matching strength can't perceive its true form. Miho wasn't quite there yet, but the haze around her was thickening.

Did that mean Miho's yokai power was approaching Dalgi's?

Flash

Miho slowly reverted to human form. More human-like than her half-yokai state, but sharper and more beautiful, with flowing silver hair. Her tails had become six.

Miho said to me delightfully,

"Baek Woong! I've become much stronger."

"Mi... Miho. What happened? What kind of transformation..."

When I asked, Miho smiled brightly.

"I don't know. But it felt like a dream, and in the dream, the Queen Mother of the West spoke to me. Said we'd meet again soon."

"The Queen Mother?"

"Ahaha."

Overjoyed, Miho bounced over and hugged me tightly. As I looked down in surprise, she giggled.

"Baek Woong. From now on, I'll protect you!"

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