Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

The Three Pure Ones have been assassinated!

The Three Pure Ones were the highest beings in the Heavenly Realm, entities to whom even the Jade Emperor had to defer. In the hierarchy of Daoism, they stood unequivocally at the pinnacle—not so much as tangible existences, but as profound symbols. Among the common folk, their status was so exalted that rather than worshipping them directly, people equated them with Daoist ideals and studied them as such.

Given that, I had always assumed—along with most immortals and Daoists—that the Heavenly Realm was led by the Jade Emperor at the forefront, with the Three Pure Ones serving as grand elders.

But they had been assassinated?!

I was so shocked that I blurted out a question in disbelief.

"The Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the Supreme Elder Lord, and the Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable—all extinguished by the Queen Mother of the West...?"

"That is correct."

"Impossible. That can't..."

"Are you certain? This is an outrageous tale."

"......"

The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden let out a sigh before continuing.

"I only realized the truth recently myself. It came to light by sheer chance."

"By chance?"

"You must remember the day Xiang Yu ascended to the Heavenly Realm after dying, bearing the power of twelve constellations, Fire Dragon True Person."

At her words, the Fire Dragon True Person gave a faint nod.

"Indeed, a monumental event. His constellation power was so overwhelming that he tore apart even the envoys of the Underworld with his bare hands, refusing death itself."

"......"

As I listened, a ridiculous feeling washed over me.

How on earth had Liu Bang, the founding emperor of Han, managed to kill a monster like that?

"No one knew what intentions Xiang Yu harbored upon arriving in the Heavenly Realm. Fearing a great crisis, I rushed to report directly to the Jade Emperor and the Three Pure Ones, skipping the usual protocol of informing the Queen Mother first due to the urgency."

"Quite right. You normally report only to her, and she handles matters beyond that. I hear she's the sole one granted direct audience with them."

"Exactly. But in that moment, all I could think was that I had to inform them personally."

The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden continued slowly.

"When I entered the Jade Emperor's palace, the Celestial Throne Hall, I sensed something amiss. All four imperial seats were vacant."

The Four Sovereigns referred to the Three Pure Ones and the Jade Emperor collectively. Though the Jade Emperor ranked slightly below, they were generally regarded as equals. The Fire Dragon True Person's expression darkened at the revelation.

"Impossible! Vacant seats of the Four Sovereigns mean the Heavenly Realm's doom."

"Precisely. The vast world of the Heavenly Realm endures solely through their divine authority. Yet on that day, every one of those seats stood empty."

"Unbelievable..."

"Sensing grave peril, I immediately cast a divination spell to trace their whereabouts. That's when I learned the Three Pure Ones had been slain by the Queen Mother. I couldn't pinpoint when it happened... but I could read the karmic threads of their murders."

The Fire Dragon True Person wore an expression of utter incredulity—one I could swear was a first and last in all my reincarnations. He worked his lips for a moment before speaking.

"Does that mean the Jade Emperor has also been extinguished?"

"I cannot say."

"Cannot say?"

"As you know, the Jade Emperor has appeared in the Heavenly Realm periodically since then, proving his vitality. I've not returned to the Celestial Throne Hall since, but regardless of his state, he undoubtedly still exists here."

"......"

The Fire Dragon True Person pondered deeply before replying.

"So, either the Jade Emperor was assassinated and replaced by an imposter... or he is complicit with the Queen Mother?"

"Nothing is certain. That's why I'm stepping forward to expose it."

Drawing a firm line, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden pressed on.

"When I shared this with the Great Sage Equal to Heaven and Ye Dongbin, both pledged their cooperation. Now, we must unite our strength, shatter Pangu's incantation, and save the Heavenly Realm."

"Very well... I shall gladly join forces."

With a resolute expression, the Fire Dragon True Person turned to Ye Dongbin.

"Ye Dongbin. Have you sensed the gaze of any Earth Immortal monitoring you?"

At the question, Ye Dongbin nodded.

"Yes, Master. Ever since I received the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden's secret directive in the past, that entity has shadowed me relentlessly."

"Do you know who it is?"

"Their concealment arts are too exquisite; I could not identify them."

"We suspected an Earth Immortal, but how formidable did this mysterious assassin seem?"

"......"

Ye Dongbin fell silent for a time before answering.

"I sensed an alien aura about them."

"An alien aura—perhaps demonic qi?"

"No, nothing of the sort. It was a power rarely felt in Kunlun or the mortal realm."

The Fire Dragon True Person crossed his arms at Ye Dongbin's words.

"You seem to have a hunch."

"Yes."

"When we encounter that fiend later, eradicate it without mercy."

"Understood."

With the master-disciple exchange concluded, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven spoke up.

"Alright, situation's clear enough. Let's discuss the concrete plan. Truth is, we don't have the luxury of time right now."

All eyes turned to him. The Great Sage continued.

"My estimate: Pangu's incantation will complete within seven days and nights at most. Not today or tomorrow, but no longer than that. We must shatter the barrier forming it by then, no matter what."

"A barrier? What kind?"

When I asked, the Great Sage glanced at me and replied.

"The foremost is the Burning Lamp Daoist's treasure, the Thirty-Three Heavens Linglong Pagoda. Second layer: Cloud Middle Child's Tongtian Divine Fire Pearl. Third: Earth Immortals gathered for direct guardianship. I was originally stationed at the third line, so it's likely the strongest defense in Heavenly Realm history."

"......"

Whether Burning Lamp Daoist or Cloud Middle Child, these were grand immortals active since the Silver Age—seniors far eclipsing Ye Dongbin or Zhang Sanfeng. Their spells were undoubtedly on another plane from mortal sorcery, and barriers from their personal treasures? Terrifying in themselves.

I recall the barrier from the Four Saints of Guryong Island, where Island Lord Li Xingba of Penglai wielded the Anti-Wasteland Pearl... it was immense.

Li Xingba had held off the Sea God's invasion of Penglai for thousands of years with that barrier. Not a single minion of the Sea God breached it while he staked his life. Even I couldn't have broken it without him withdrawing voluntarily.

Awestruck, I said.

"Can we even breach something like that?"

"No chance. Not even I could solo it. That's why we need a solid strategy."

Resting his Ruyi Jingu Bang on his shoulder, the Great Sage said.

"Once we pierce the barrier, you all handle the Earth Immortals somehow. I'll assist, but if you exhaust yourselves there, we're done—so pull your weight."

"Hmm..."

With allies like the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, Fire Dragon True Person, and Ye Dongbin, could we manage a site swarming with the Heavenly Realm's elite immortals and Earth Immortals? It felt dubious no matter how I sliced it, but having come this far, retreat was impossible.

A sudden thought struck me, and I turned to the Great Sage.

"Couldn't we enlist True Person Zhang Sanfeng to our side?"

Zhang Sanfeng would surely be a massive boon. But Ye Dongbin looked troubled as he replied.

"No, my friend."

"Why not? If we explain to True Person Zhang Sanfeng, he'd—"

"The reason I borrowed the form of Immortal Sword Arts to exit the Heavenly Realm was precisely because the entire realm lies under the Queen Mother's surveillance—save isolated spots like this White Mausoleum Mountain. Involving Zhang Sanfeng would expose our entire ambush plan."

"......"

"If the ambush leaks, the Queen Mother hails Pangu's incantation and moves personally to eliminate us. Thus, no one beyond this gathering can aid us from the Heavenly Realm."

"How could..."

"That's why I couldn't involve even my cherished comrades among the Eight Immortals, whom I trust like brothers."

The situation was more hopeless than I'd imagined. Plenty of grand immortals would cooperate if told, but revealing it dooms the surprise. Dazed, I stammered.

"Then what's the point of ambushing? Even if we disrupt now, with the Queen Mother around, it's futile. She'll just resume Pangu's incantation anytime..."

"The reason this absurd mega incantation called Pangu's is possible is entirely thanks to the Queen Mother. She's shouldering the karmic backlash herself, so to speak. During its recitation, she's all but defenseless."

The Great Sage grinned.

"In other words, she's weakest right now."

"Ah!"

"Not even I expect to slay the Queen Mother. But succeeding in this ambush to wreck the formation alone will cost her dearly in power. Of course, a wounded tiger's still deadly, so best to flee after smashing it."

"We have no choice, then."

The Great Sage nodded.

"How about we go now? The sooner, the better."

"......"

Everyone pondered. Sooner was ideal, but could we truly pull off something this massive? With the mood undecided, I mulled it over.

Should we strike now...?

We still had time. But could any preparation in that window sway the tide? Hesitating as time ticks against us might be the worse blunder.

Then, it hit me— the Seven Luminaries.

"Right, there's still power to gather."

Higher odds of success are better. Cautiously, I asked the Great Sage.

"Will you fight using the Moon Luminary you took last time, by chance?"

"Huh? Why would I?"

He laughed heartily.

"My Ruyi Jingu Bang's several times stronger than an unsealed Moon Luminary!"

"I see."

True, gathering the Seven Luminaries now in unsealed state wouldn't match top treasures. Even the restored Fire Dragon Divine Sword paled against the Great Sage's staff. Yet something about charging in immediately felt off, so I steeled myself and addressed the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden.

"Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden. Could you wait a day or two?"

"What for?"

"I have matters to attend."

"Very well."

She consented readily, though the Great Sage looked displeased. He grumbled.

"Look, if you're thinking of gathering Luminaries, drop it. As I said, unsealed means pointless right now."

"Not that. I have another way."

"Hmph... Fine. You're the one Jin So-cheong entrusted his final will to, so I'll trust you once."

Flash!

Soon after, I returned to Mount Tai on a cloud with Ye Dongbin and the Fire Dragon True Person. After dropping us off, the Great Sage vanished back. Ye Dongbin turned to me.

"My friend. What's your plan?"

"Don't you need to become the Immortal Sword anymore?"

"The Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden infused her power into the Immortal Sword Arts, so I can transform freely when needed."

"I see."

After some thought, I said.

"I'll discuss with my comrades first."

Whoosh!

Returning to base via flight, I briefed Mangnyang and Zhuge Shi on Heavenly Realm events. Zhuge Shi remarked.

"The Queen Mother seizing the Heavenly Realm... intriguing."

"What's our best move?"

"What else? Prepare for battle, obviously."

He eyed me steadily.

"Baek Woong. Mark my words—you're definitely dying this time."

"Huh?!"

I flinched in shock.

"You're pitting yourself against the Heavenly Realm itself. Does that sink in?"

"Uh..."

"The power gap's overwhelming, but not fighting means death anyway, so no choice. Even your ace, the baleful spirit's oracle, won't flip the board. You're doomed, right? Soon you'll be staring at the stable ceiling in Seoul Village like always."

"......"

What vicious curse was this?

"Makes it liberating, then."

"What?"

Zhuge Shi flashed a sinister smile.

"If you're dying anyway, no need to overthink—just do what prep we can."

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