Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

"That bastard!"

Even though I was just watching through the Thousand Li Eyes, I could feel my hands itching to kill him. As I glared at the screen with murderous intent, White Tiger slowly opened his mouth.

"White Lotus Cult Leader. Our Four Divine Guards will use every ounce of our power to stop you from achieving your goal."

Rather than getting angry, the White Lotus Cult Leader replied in a hollow tone.

[It's meaningless. Do you think that matter will end on a human level? The emperor's power and the imperial palace are worthless trifles in the world behind the scenes. Your loyalty will ultimately be mocked and rendered utterly pointless.]

"......"

White Tiger suddenly bared his white teeth in a grin.

"Heh heh heh heh! You think we joined this side without knowing that?"

"Kahahahaha!"

White Tiger burst into mad laughter.

"Loyalty... We're not fighting for something like that. I've already obtained an immortal body and tremendous dark power. And once we win this battle, we'll enjoy glory in an eternal kingdom that lasts a thousand years. Who wouldn't choose this easy path?"

[You're trash.]

The White Lotus Cult Leader spoke to Yong Bi-cheon as if even conversing with him filled her with disgust.

[Send that one to the Yellow Springs.]

"Your command!"

Kukukwaang!

As soon as the words ended, Yong Bi-cheon unleashed a palm strike, firing a wind cannon with a terrifying diameter of six feet. It was an overwhelming force impossible to dodge or block in this narrow passage—even steel would be shredded by the rotating wind pressure.

Sure enough, bloodied shreds of White Tiger sprayed out from where the wind cannon tore through. Yong Bi-cheon sneered mockingly.

"For a mere Golden Guard captain to dare..."

And at the moment Yong Bi-cheon confidently stepped forward,

Shuriririk

Shuririk

"Ahh!"

Suddenly, dark tentacles erupted from White Tiger's bloodied remains. They shot up with tremendous force and attacked Yong Bi-cheon. He scoffed at the tentacles and countered with another wind cannon, but then something strange happened.

Puuung!

Shururuk

The tentacles burst, unable to withstand the wind's power, but the scattered black slime-like substance branched out in midair like living creatures. It was so grotesque that Yong Bi-cheon cried out in horror.

"Wh-what is this?!"

Kung

Yong Bi-cheon hurriedly erected a massive wind barrier to block the tentacles' assault, but the situation was turning bizarre. The tentacles outside the wind barrier began wriggling and multiplying endlessly.

Kikkikikjik

With each multiplication, it felt like madness was swirling. The chamber filled with ferocious demonic energy. A crimson flash revealed a hell where souls wailed in torment.

Staring at the horrifying sight, the White Lotus Cult Leader stroked her mask and murmured.

[It's multiplying.]

"Cult Leader! What is that monster..."

[The descendant of the baleful god has fully fused with that body. What an absurd thing to do...]

After pondering deeply, the White Lotus Cult Leader issued an unbelievable order.

[Everyone except me and the Dharma Protectors, withdraw.]

"......!!"

Most in the chamber were stunned.

The White Lotus Cult Leader's current combat prowess undoubtedly surpassed the Great Heavenly Immortals, making her the strongest in the world in terms of martial arts. For her to choose evasion over confrontation was unthinkable. But Mang Ryang seemed to understand and shouted to his Reverse Heaven Alliance comrades.

"Withdraw swiftly! Don't look back."

Tadadot

Kukukwang

The three Dharma Protectors simultaneously unleashed boundless inner energy to halt the tentacles' growth, allowing the rest to fall back. The White Lotus Cult Leader did not join them immediately, as if observing the situation. Watching through the Thousand Li Eyes, I said puzzledly.

"Isn't that bastard White Tiger... dead?"

"He's become a creature of darkness."

"He was a weakling to begin with..."

Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me and said.

"True, you could probably beat him head-on without much trouble now. But he's fused with a demon, so human combat standards don't apply. He's essentially become one of those vicious ancient demon races himself."

"So the Cult Leader ordered the retreat factoring that in...?"

"Most likely. Though whether she'll confront it directly or fully avoid it, I can't say."

"......"

Hwiririk! Hwiririk!

Kroooo

The endlessly multiplying tentacle mass showed no signs of stopping. Even as the Dharma Protectors poured out boundless inner energy to annihilate them, they regenerated as if by magic. Watching from behind with arms crossed, the White Lotus Cult Leader commanded the Dharma Protectors.

[Step aside. I can handle it.]

Kugugung

"......!!"

Suddenly, the White Lotus Cult Leader's aura shifted.

A terrifying power of chaos flowed from her clasped hands, gray light crawling up her skin like piercing needles. The white light soon blazed like a star, then transformed into a massive vortex. Her human form remained, but the light boiling from her body thrashed like a living thing.

That...!!

Kruuuu

Black and white swirled chaotically, forming her veins and skin. Her eyes bore writhing taijitu symbols. Amid the raging darkness, her body fully shifted into combat form, becoming sleek.

'The fusion of chaos and the primordial void!'

This was the second time seeing it directly! In the past, she had taken this form to annihilate three Great Heavenly Immortals at once. Remembering that overwhelming might, I couldn't help swallowing hard.

The transformed White Lotus Cult Leader bellowed.

"Sabaha!"

As the Esoteric incantation erupted, a straight path cleared open ahead. The tentacles, which had only multiplied endlessly despite the Dharma Protectors' attacks, halted their regeneration and wrished in agony as if burned.

Kikiiik

Kikigii!

The Cult Leader didn't stop there. With hands still clasped, she summoned thousands of hand seals in midair. Each transparent seal rippled with taijitu, merging into space, then surged with her chaos and unleashed.

"Heavenly Limitless"

"Near-Supreme Mantra"

Ooooo

The seals flew forward, transforming into waves of Brahma script. It was hard to describe, but it felt like warping space itself through the power of words, as if altering dimensions. Realizing the might of the Near-Supreme Mantra absolute art, I swallowed hard.

'Has she fully converted the power of the Primordial Spirit into sorcery?'

If so, she could deploy supreme great spells at will without separate rituals. As the mantra's contextual waves resonated in dozens of layers and spread, the space-filling tentacles began vanishing like weeds in a scorched plain.

[As expected of the Cult Leader!]

As Dokgo Jun, the Water Spirit Dharma Protector beside her, exclaimed in admiration.

Pajjjikit!

[Urk.]

[Ahh, Cult Leader!!]

Black lightning crackled, and the Cult Leader's body reverted to normal, staggering greatly. Dokgo Jun supported her as she panted.

[...I can't maintain it for long, after all.]

[Are you alright?]

[I didn't fully eradicate its essence. It'll revive with a physical form soon. Prepare for ambushes.]

The atmosphere grew tense. Even after pushing it that far, White Tiger still had revival potential? Han Baek-ryeong, silent until now, said to Yong Bi-cheon.

"Don't just stand there. Send out illusions. You plan to let the Twelve Rites lead the task?"

"Urk... Don't order me around."

Yong Bi-cheon grithed his teeth but had no choice. He summoned a phantom clone and sent it ahead. The reason was that even if the main body was pinned here, the clone could scout other areas' situations—and among them, Yong Bi-cheon of the Wind God Style excelled in illusions and clones.

Paat

As the phantom clone vanished into the distant darkness, White Tiger reformed from the shadows, wriggling into human shape. He grinned unpleasantly.

"Heh heh heh... By rights, I'd be less than a mouthful for you in martial arts, yet here I am holding off the White Lotus Cult Leader and Dharma Protectors alone. Isn't the power of darkness impressive?"

The White Lotus Cult Leader, supported by Dokgo Jun, stared at him and said.

[Impressive power. Did that one called Zhuque even contract with a baleful god?]

"Kek... Why would I tell my enemy? Hahaha!!"

[The Twelve Rites are likely facing one like you right now.]

White Tiger smirked at the Cult Leader's words.

"Black Tortoise is blocking them. He received the same procedure as me, so you lot won't pass easily."

[......]

After thinking, the White Lotus Cult Leader said.

[You're delighted without realizing you're being used.///]

"Say what you want. You'll all be food for my tentacles soon. Kahaha."

Chururuk!

White Tiger's human form melted again, beginning to multiply into tentacles. It seemed the exhausted White Lotus Cult executives would fail to him, but then the Cult Leader swung her hand widely.

Pububuk

[Kuhahaha!!]

Shockingly, White Tiger was engulfed in flames tentacles and all, screaming! The Cult Leader, as if satisfied, shook off Dokgo Jun's support and gazed at the tentacle mass.

[Foolishly accepting a baleful god's blessing without knowing its nature or constraints... It's undoubtedly powerful, but it has clear weaknesses.]

[Huaak! Aaaah!!]

White Tiger stretched upward like a massive tree, burning fiercely while screaming. He seemed to have lost his human essence, becoming the tentacles themselves. The White Lotus Cult Leader continued, watching him burn like he was in hellfire.

[I wove the curse of the Illusionary Elemental Spirit into the Near-Supreme Mantra. If you'd had proper demon knowledge, you'd have noticed instantly, escaped, and dispelled the curse. But you accepted an undeserved blessing without a demon sorcerer's abilities.]

[Kuaaak! Sp-spare... spare me... too hot...]

The Cult Leader murmured.

[Alive or dead, it's hell... You're burning in the karma of the demonic path too.]

Hwaruruk...

No further reply came. The karmic fire from the Illusionary Elemental Spirit's power had incinerated White Tiger soul and all. Though not fully recovered, the Cult Leader spoke calmly.

[We've dealt with the gatekeeper, but hold position here. Jun-ah, contact the Reverse Heaven Alliance. We can surely take down Zhuque uniting with them.]

[Understood.]

[Yong Bi-cheon, report the forward situation scouted by your phantom clone...]

Yong Bi-cheon prostrated silently. He showed no signs of defying the Cult Leader's dignity.

"Understood."

Watching, I realized the current White Lotus Cult Leader was her complete form. Her calm judgment and potential to counter the bizarre super-regeneration of a demon lifeform surpassed Great Heavenly Immortals, reaching Apostle-level power.

Moreover, she possessed vast demon knowledge. Knowing the curse from the [Ancient Ruler], the Illusionary Elemental Spirit, required more than average reading—it was likely decades of devouring demon tomes.

Then Cheon Woo-jin spoke.

"Found the standoff with the Twelve Rites side too."

"Show me!"

Paat

The Thousand Li Eyes displayed the Twelve Rites Leader facing Black Tortoise.

An unexpected sight appeared.

"The descendant of a baleful god? That startled me."

The Twelve Rites Leader grumbled. A member of the Dan Clan beside him chuckled.

"You caught it all nicely, but why the sour face?"

"Well, Masashi did all the work, I just finished it off, so it feels off."

"That thing could destroy a nation. You're too greedy."

"I'm greedy by nature."

Puhahaha

The Dan Clan laughed. Cloaked in black robes, their faces weren't clear, but laughing in that situation meant each was an extraordinary expert. Moreover, facing the gatekeeper Black Tortoise meant they'd breached Zhuque's formation through some method!

'Those Dan Clan are the true elites under Twelve Rites Leader Ha Eun-cheon.'

I might clash with them later.

The Twelve Rites Leader scratched his dog mask head.

"Without Galaxy Sewing Elder, even I'd have struggled."

Black Tortoise, once the Eastern Depot Admiral, was completely frozen.

His entire tentacle mass had turned into a massive ice block, seemingly capable of sealing chaos itself, not made by natural forces. A Dan Clan member said upon hearing the Twelve Rites Leader.

"So that's why you panicked and pulled out the Demon Moon Night Armor?"

Indeed, the Twelve Rites Leader's dog mask differed from usual, wearing armor. The gleaming silver armor especially covered his hands, something I'd never seen. Irritated by the words, the Twelve Rites Leader snapped.

"Quit yapping, Hong Gil-dong. Just because you're strong..."

The one called Hong Gil-dong replied nonchalantly.

"You panicked."

"...Yeah, I did."

"Hehe."

"What're you grinning about?"

Grumbling, the Twelve Rites Leader continued.

"A baleful god's descendant? It's absurd. An out-of-spec ancient race fused with a human—why aren't the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors saying anything to those bastards?"

Then, one of the Three Envoys spoke.

"Rites Leader. Someone's spying on us with Thousand Li Eyes. It faintly triggered our detection barrier."

The Twelve Rites Leader flinched.

"Really? I was too focused on fighting to notice. Thanks."

"Shall we block it?"

"Hmm. If they got through that far, their sorcerer must be top-tier. Let's see... Wandering God Cheon Woo-jin, Abe no Seimei, or the Wandering Jew?"

Muttering, the Twelve Rites Leader suddenly shouted into the air.

"Don't just watch—help out! No help, no soup for you."

Of course, neither I nor Cheon Woo-jin had reason to respond. Moments later, the Three Envoys strengthened their barrier, and the Thousand Li Eyes toward them cut off.

Pajik!

As the Thousand Li Eyes disconnected, Cheon Woo-jin caught his breath and withdrew, saying,

"As expected of the human world's two greatest powers. The Three Envoys' barrier isn't to be trifled with."

"......"

I sat stunned, awed.

Both the White Lotus Cult Leader and Twelve Rites Leader were monsters. The enhanced White Tiger and Black Tortoise wielded near-catastrophic power, yet they'd dispatched them on the spot. If our Reverse Heaven Alliance had gone alone, we'd have been caught by White Tiger or Black Tortoise and faced annihilation—clearly a massive power gap.

Cheon Woo-jin glanced at me.

"Think you'll ever fight those monsters on equal terms?"

"Damn it. What's the point of thinking about it now."

I shook my head and said,

"Reconnect the Thousand Li Eyes. I need to watch for our entry point."

"Got it."

Now wasn't the time to dwell on the gap with them.

Instead of rash despair, I'd live this life giving my all to what I could do!

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