Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

I returned to Gonggong immediately after bearing Zhuge Sa's plan. Gonggong was still sitting on the seal of Huayao, waiting, and as I looked around, I saw the corpses of tentacle monsters scattered everywhere. Gonggong spoke with light bursting from his eyes.

[You've come. Quite fast.]

"Yes. But..."

I questioned him while eyeing the monster corpses around us.

"What are these monsters?"

[Offspring of the baleful gods.]

"Ah!"

[They come charging in whenever they please to seize Huayao. They seem to be sent from the territory of the slumbering baleful god.]

I was inwardly impressed. Considering the power I'd seen from the Nine Heavens Cult Leader, who was an offspring of the baleful gods, these were among the top-tier powerhouses of their kind. Yet Gonggong had fought them without showing any signs of injury, dispatching them leisurely. Gonggong replied.

[These are half-breeds. It'd be strange if I couldn't handle them.]

"Half-breeds?"

[The baleful god is sending hordes of half-demons, conceived through humans, to search for the Seven Yao. He doesn't send the true offspring of baleful gods, which are higher-grade, all that often.]

"Conceived..."

[It's the baleful god's twisted hobby, but it barely consumes any karma. He's probably thinking of whittling away at my power like this.]

"......"

Hearing Gonggong's words, I could imagine the living hell unfolding right now. The baleful god was sending his kin across the world to find the Seven Yao, but he rarely dispatched his direct descendants, who possessed immense power. That was likely because even though he'd gained karma, there were limits, so he needed to conserve them.

Instead, he was clearly forcing humans kidnapped from the Central Plains or various parts of the world to conceive his kin, searching for the Seven Yao with almost no expenditure of his influence. Needless to say, humans conceiving offspring of baleful gods was hell in itself, and it was undoubtedly happening indiscriminately everywhere at this very moment.

'What a cunning bastard...'

But rather than rage, I felt a profound sense of bewilderment at his actions. It might seem brutally cruel at first glance, but the baleful god wasn't arrogantly relying on his overwhelming power. He was coldly and cunningly orchestrating the board to his will. If he steadily accomplished his goals like this and even toppled the Heavenly Realm, in the end, even the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors would fall helplessly.

[Enough chatter. Did you bring what I want?]

When Gonggong asked me, I nodded and raised the Fire Dragon Divine Sword.

"I think this is the only way."

[What nonsense is this?]

"Absorb the flames of chaos into the Fire Dragon Divine Sword."

[......]

Gonggong stood there dumbfounded for a moment, as if it were absurd, then crossed his arms.

[What drivel... What makes you think that sword can absorb Zhurong's flames?]

"The one slumbering within this Fire Dragon Divine Sword is the Great Immortal Fire Dragon."

[So what?]

"She is the incarnation of the Responsive Dragon that resides in the Pantheon."

[......?! The Responsive Dragon?]

"Yes."

Sensing Gonggong's shock, I pressed on.

"She is a being of far higher stature than ordinary great immortal gods. And as the incarnation of a dragon, she must be far more adept at subduing fire. Even if it's the flames of the ancient god Zhurong."

[Hmm... Responsive Dragon...]

Gonggong murmured with a groan.

[He was an extraordinary being. Even the Emperor trusted the Responsive Dragon, so if this is his incarnation... indeed...]

After a long silence in contemplation, Gonggong spoke.

[I need proof that sword is truly the Fire Dragon Divine Sword. Show me the evidence.]

I'd anticipated this much. Recalling Zhuge Sa's plan, I replied.

"No."

[What... did you say?!]

"I've presented what I believe is the most reliable method. There's no reason for me to indulge your whims when I hold the surefire solution. And there's little reason to release you from your current bonds right now."

[You little...]

I stared straight at Gonggong.

"I'm not the desperate one here. I ask that you rein in your arrogance a bit. Only then can we have a proper transaction."

Gonggong seemed angered, slowly moving as if to raise his great sword. But after a moment's thought, he suppressed his rage and said.

[You want something more from me.]

"That's right. This deal is too one-sided in your favor."

[What do you want?]

"In exchange for freeing you from your bonds, search for the Seven Yao with us. And in future battles against enemies, aid us sincerely. Needless to say, no betrayal."

[Me, an ancient god, fighting alongside you humans?]

"Human lives might mean nothing to you, Lord Gonggong, but they're a big deal to us."

[......]

"Even if we find the Seven Yao, there's nothing we can do with it right away, is there? Your goal is to grow your power and get revenge on the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, isn't it? If you join hands with us, I'm willing to share all the information we've gathered until then."

Gonggong seemed to ponder deeply. After a moment, he spoke.

[Fine. So be it.]

[The pact is sealed.]

[If you're deceiving me, I'll hunt you and your companions to the ends of the earth and tear you apart.]

Gonggong unleashed killing intent so fierce it prickled my skin, but I ignored it, gripped the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, and assumed position.

"Do as you like."

[......]

I'd spoken my mind even to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors or the [Ancient Rulers]. Now, with nothing left to fear, why would I cower at a threat like that from Gonggong? I casually shrugged off his pressure and focused my mind.

'Aim without unnecessary movements.'

All-Seeing Eye activated.

Jade Seal of the Realm, show me the most vulnerable point in the seal binding Gonggong!

Whirrr.

As I invoked the power of the Jade Seal of the Realm's All-Seeing Eye, I could clearly see Zhurong's flames piercing Gonggong's body like black thorny vines. Such curses were invisible to the naked eye, but the All-Seeing Eye visualized even conceptual curses. I located the thickest cluster of chaotic thorns and thrust straight in.

Thunder God Sword Dance

Single Annihilation!

Slash!

With one mighty slash, I severed a large portion of the curse, and I felt the thorns' pressure on Gonggong weaken. Gonggong, directly sensing the effect, looked noticeably relieved and cried out in astonishment.

[Oh...!!]

Not yet. To dispel the curse of flames, I had to absorb that power!

As the thorns' momentum weakened, I stabbed the main vine with the Fire Dragon Divine Sword.

Roooar.

The curse, which had appeared as thorny vines, suddenly transformed into massive flames that surged wildly, engulfing me as if to incinerate my entire body.

"Urk..."

Was this Zhurong's defensive mechanism? But while holding the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, I was resistant to all flames in this world, so even chaotic flames only stung my skin without external injury. Pouring power into the Fire Dragon Divine Sword, I shouted.

"Awaken, Fire Dragon Immortal!!"

The next instant, the blade of the Fire Dragon Divine Sword glowed blinding white, beginning to voraciously suck in the chaotic flames engulfing my body. In exchange, my body began to burn—but not with actual fire; it was the Fire Dragon Divine Sword's divine flames purifying the chaos within me.

Rumble!

A tremendous power exploded from within the greatly weakened Fire Dragon Divine Sword until now, and I felt something awakening. The Fire Dragon Immortal, who should have awakened slowly over a long time, began regaining consciousness by devouring the immense flame power.

Moments later, the Fire Dragon Immortal manifested as an illusion and cried out.

[I shall dispel this wicked curse!]

As she clasped her hands and concentrated, I felt the power being drawn even more fiercely into the sword's tip. Her own power surged dramatically, but soon she murmured as if struggling.

[This amount is...]

[Fire Dragon Immortal! Is it too much?]

[No. Wait just a moment!]

Rumble!

Whoooosh.

[I have subdued it!]

Had about an incense stick's time passed? The Fire Dragon Immortal, having absorbed all of Zhurong's flames, seemed fully revived through the Fire Dragon Divine Sword. At the same time, Gonggong began to change form.

[Kahahaha... Finally, this damned curse is lifted...!!]

Boom.

Gonggong's body rapidly expanded. Until now, he'd been human-sized, but he suddenly returned to his original colossal form. Not only that, though originally a flame giant, he now resembled a yin spirit exuding a chilling aura. Flame orbs swirled around his yin spirit body, revealing he commanded all attributes of yin and yang.

Huayao was drawn into Gonggong's hand like it was being sucked in. The seal, originally human-hand-sized, suddenly grew enormous, transforming into a weapon fit for giants. It seemed the Seven Yao had the latent ability to freely alter their size.

Gonggong raised Huayao high and bellowed.

[I have regained my true form! Kahahaha!]

Crackle.

His single shout made the ground shatter beneath me, sinking my body deep. Clearly, the moment the seal broke, Gonggong was at least ten times stronger than before. Looking up at him, I said.

"Lord Gonggong! Now, the promise..."

[Promise... Yes, I will keep it! But I have business first, so I'll take my leave.]

"What?!"

[I must pay respects to one I absolutely must meet.]

Boom!

Gonggong kicked off the ground and shot away, his mad laughter echoing through heaven and earth.

[My king! Wait for me!]

Splatter...

"......"

Left alone in the empty space, I stood there dumbfounded. And I thought.

'Did it go according to Zhuge Sa's plan?'

Using the Fire Dragon Divine Sword to absorb Zhurong's flames—and restoring the Fire Dragon Immortal as a bonus—was a two-birds-with-one-stone strategy. But I'd doubted Zhuge Sa's plan because there was no guarantee it'd work, and I might just burn to death in Zhurong's flames. There was even a chance the Fire Dragon Immortal wouldn't awaken, leaving me in fiery hell. Plus, as I'd just seen, Gonggong had suspected me.

And Zhuge Sa's addendum had left a bad taste.

['Well, if it fails, just pretend to release the seal and kill him. You'll absorb Gonggong's soul into the Fire Dragon Divine Sword and profit anyway.']

['That'd be betrayal.']

['Who cares?']

[......]

But in the end, it had succeeded. Relieved that my life-risking gamble paid off, I thought.

'If Jin So-cheong hadn't instilled this resolve in me, I never would've attempted it...'

Having witnessed Jin So-cheong's sacrifice and determination, I couldn't live half-heartedly in this life. I had to wring out gains, grow as much as possible, and create the best outcomes—and to do that, I had to grit my teeth through every gamble and adventure.

At that moment, the Fire Dragon Immortal appeared as an illusion from the Fire Dragon Divine Sword and said.

[You awakened me. Who are you?]

"I am Baek Woong. And..."

I roughly explained the circumstances to her. The Fire Dragon Immortal replied curiously.

[Immortal Sword Technique? Yeo Dongbin is a great immortal god, yet he can transform into an immortal sword?]

I was startled by her words.

"You don't know?"

[Indeed. As his master, I taught him the Heavenly Concealment Swordsmanship and various ultimate arts, but I never taught him such a spell.]

[......!!]

What was going on? As I panicked, the Fire Dragon Immortal said.

[First, summon that so-called immortal sword.]

"Yes."

Swoosh.

I focused my mind and summoned the immortal sword to my left hand. The Fire Dragon Immortal reached out, caressed the blade, and soon wore a shocked expression.

[This can't be...]

Looking to the heavens, she murmured.

[This is the spell of the War God, Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.]

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