Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

It was at that moment when the Zhuge elder was about to explain his stratagem to me.

“She has awakened.”

Kang Jeon-gil came to deliver the news to me and the Zhuge elder. I exchanged a glance with the Zhuge elder and immediately followed Kang Jeon-gil to her quarters without delay. When I arrived at the bedside where she lay, I saw Seomunhye sitting up with a distraught expression.

Unlike before, Seomunhye no longer had white hair. Instead, it was glossy and pitch-black, and her entire body maintained perfect balance as if she had undergone a complete transformation. Even though her hair color had changed, her beauty had not faded in the slightest—in fact, she looked even more stunning than before. Despite the fifty years that had passed, she showed no signs of aging.

However, her current expression was far from good. She sat there in a daze, as if in deep shock, while Hwa Seomyeong stood before her with a somewhat frustrated look. It seemed he was trying to diagnose her condition by asking questions, but she wasn't responding.

“Seomunhye.”

When I called her name, she finally turned her gaze toward me. Tears then streamed down her cheeks.

“Baek Woong…”

“Calm yourself.”

“Sob…”

I embraced the weeping Seomunhye and gently stroked her back. It took her quite some time to finally compose herself. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she said,

“I remember everything… Something that wasn’t me controlled my body all that time, and I could only watch helplessly from a corner of my consciousness…”

“It wasn't your fault.”

I already knew that the descendant of the baleful spirit had seized her body and committed those atrocities. Having experienced something similar through my past lives, I fully understood her sense of powerlessness and continued to comfort her. Once she had fully calmed down, Seomunhye began recounting the past events.

“Fifty years ago, after you vanished and our base moved to the Kingdom of Tatou, I started training in the Seven Great Absolute Arts under my father. Then one day, a being called the ‘High Priest’ appeared from the mainland. Father fought him fiercely and ultimately perished together with him.”

“I’ve heard that story.”

Everyone regarded it as an extraordinary feat. Up until then, the High Priest had been seen as an immortal monster impossible to defeat, so no one had imagined the Sword Demon could take him down in mutual destruction.

“At that time, I tried to help Father but sustained severe injuries and lost consciousness. I vaguely recall the enemies kidnapping me then. When I awoke, it was at the Nine Yin Cult’s headquarters. The High Priests surrounded me there and prepared some kind of ritual… They imprisoned me for decades and only recently brought me out.”

“A ritual?”

Seomunhye nodded.

“During that ritual, I felt a superior being beyond humans take over my body. But I had no way to resist. And so I became the ‘Nine Yin Cult Leader,’ and I remember every single atrocity she committed from start to finish…”

She bowed her head.

“I want to kill myself right now. Those acts can never be forgiven. Horrific and cruel deeds that no human tongue could utter… demonic acts… How could that happen…?”

I could well imagine it. The ‘spirit’ of the Nine Yin Cult Leader was a descendant of the baleful spirit—a top-tier heteromorph of utmost cruelty. It was obvious such a creature, viewing humans as insects, would revel in human sacrifices, murders, impalements, and other brutal tortures.

“…I told you, it wasn’t you. You were merely trapped inside your own mind after your body was taken.”

“Can I ever atone?”

As Seomunhye’s voice trembled with tears, I sighed and said,

“No matter who it was, they couldn’t have done anything in that situation. You were a victim too.”

“… …”

“But there’s something I’m curious about. That heteromorph possessing you as the Nine Yin Cult Leader surely wanted to erase your mind. Yet your mind remained intact. That’s not supposed to be possible…”

The mental powers of a top-tier heteromorph must be immense. Normally, Seomunhye should have had her soul outright killed the moment her mind was overtaken. But as soon as that heteromorph suffered a fatal wound and was sealed by the Great Sage Equaling Heaven, she regained her original body. In response to my question, Seomunhye said,

“Come to think of it, the Nine Yin Cult Leader kept talking to me incessantly. It was mostly one-sided questions.”

“She spoke to you?”

“She asked where Chiyou was, if I could sense Chiyou’s presence, if I’d ever seen someone like you… She repeated those three questions hundreds of times, tormenting me.”

“… …?”

“I kept saying I didn’t know, and eventually she stopped.”

Chiyou?

Why was Chiyou mentioned here?

Chiyou undoubtedly referred to the ancient demon king of the giant gods, defeated in his war against the Yellow Emperor. Before his defeat, he had beaten the Yellow Emperor multiple times, cornering him, and records stated the Yellow Emperor barely won. I knew the Zhu Rong Clan had imprisoned and sealed Chiyou—but why was his name coming up now?

‘What is this? What’s the connection between Chiyou and Seomunhye?’

I had no idea what was going on. But one thing was certain: the information Seomunhye had just provided was incredibly valuable. Unless coincidences upon coincidences piled up, it was something I could never obtain, no matter how many times I died.

I cautiously asked her,

“It seems that entity has completely retreated now?”

“Yes.”

“Can you use martial arts?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but unlike before, my body is overflowing with power. My skills must have improved too.”

“That’s a relief.”

I spoke with Seomunhye a bit more about what had happened during that time, for about the length of a meal, before excusing myself. As I stepped outside, the Zhuge elder was waiting steadfastly and pushed my chest, as if urging me back inside.

“Where do you think you’re going alone, you fool?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t waste time. Bring Seomunhye out. I need to test something.”

Following the Zhuge elder’s instructions, I brought Seomunhye to a nearby scenic spot. We arrived at a natural wonder with cascading waterfalls and bizarre rock formations. The Zhuge elder glanced at Seomunhye and said,

“Seomunhye. How strong do you think your internal energy is right now?”

After pondering his question for a moment, Seomunhye replied,

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re an expert—how can you not know?”

“I just circulated my qi to adjust my breathing, but the boundaries of my vessel vanished…”

I flinched in surprise at her words and looked at her.

“The boundaries of her vessel?”

But the Zhuge elder smirked as if he had expected it and said,

“I knew it. You don’t even know the extent of your own power. The original human meridians and qi-blood limits you once had are gone. Even the Eight Extraordinary Meridians have disappeared, right?”

“Yes…”

“Then let’s test it.”

The Zhuge elder nodded toward a cliff.

“Strike that cliff with all your power.”

“…Understood.”

A moment later, Seomunhye launched herself with lightness skill, executing the Heavenly Ascension Technique, and swiftly demonstrated her martial arts as she charged toward the cliff. Then, the moment her arm and sword swung, something astonishing happened.

KABOOM!

Dozens of zhang of the cliff shattered and vanished in a single blow, and the shockwave from her single thrust sliced deeply into the earth, surging forward. The strike, which devastated hundreds of zhang, seemed to stretch endlessly before finally halting near the horizon.

Rumble…

A mild earthquake rippled through the area.

“… …!!”

What kind of absurd destructive power was that?!

It was a force no human should possess!

I stood there dumbfounded, never expecting to see power comparable to a Great Arhat Immortal’s full-force ultimate technique from Seomunhye. The Zhuge elder said,

“It’s just as I predicted. Jin So-cheong sacrificed himself and left behind so much. If we’d lost to the Nine Yin Cult Leader, we’d never have learned about this.”

“What do you mean?”

“Seomunhye isn’t just some unique constitution. She might be a massive clue to unraveling the secrets of this world’s myths. Naturally, she’s connected to the omens of calamity too.”

Muttering that, the Zhuge elder turned to me.

“You’ve got more to do in your next reincarnation. I’ll explain later.”

When Seomunhye returned shortly after, she wore a dazed expression, as if she couldn’t believe it herself.

“How… What is this power?”

The Zhuge elder replied to her,

“To put it simply, the current you, Seomunhye, has physical abilities that could rival a Dharma Protector King purely on bodily strength. Even without internal energy, a punch or kick from you could shatter a Dharma Protector King’s qi barrier. Your body looks human, but it’s hundreds or thousands of times stronger than an ordinary one. It’s probably thanks to the Nine Yin Cult Leader’s possession awakening your latent potential.”

“… …!!”

“And this might not even be your full power yet. You’ve only just started using it, so you’ll grow even stronger as you get accustomed.”

That’s not her full power?

Dumbfounded, I listened as the Zhuge elder continued,

“You said earlier you wanted to atone, right?”

Seomunhye stared at him silently, and he said,

“A big battle is coming soon, so fight alongside Baek Woong. Then all will be forgiven.”

“Understood.”

Seomunhye agreed without the slightest hesitation. She even seemed relieved, which left me baffled. For someone who had just emerged from a coma-like state after four cycles of torment, throwing her back into battle so readily was unexpected.

The Zhuge elder said,

“Shall we move out right away? No time to waste.”

“Where to?”

“Divine City.”

His expression sharpened.

“For nearly fifty years, the Twelve Laws have only defended their territory with barely any news or activity. We’ve been too busy surviving to care until now, but with the end of your current life approaching, it’s different. We should scout their base directly and assess the Twelve Laws’ situation.”

“Got it.”

Flash!

We used Dimensional Sight to relocate near Divine City. I confirmed the barrier around Divine City was still intact, but something felt off about the atmosphere.

Shrieeeek!

Screeeech!!

“Demonic beasts?”

Soon, demonic beasts emerged from the bushes everywhere, howling as they swarmed. I checked them out—they weren’t particularly strong. Then Seomunhye charged at the surrounding beasts and began attacking.

BOOM! Boom!

“… …”

Seomunhye moved at incredible speeds, slaughtering the beasts in an instant. Disliking the massacre, the beasts fled in panic, leaving the area splattered in blood and eerily quiet. Even I shuddered at her feat of killing hundreds of beasts in such a short time, week as they were.

‘Demonic beast omen powers don’t work on her at all…?’

When facing demonic beasts, their innate abilities are more troublesome than raw physical prowess. Yet Seomunhye had just crushed them all without interference from any powers. Once the area was cleared, the Zhuge elder said,

“There’s a barrier, but this place isn’t normal either. Demonic beast packs shouldn’t appear near Divine City under normal circumstances.”

“Shall we go in?”

“It’s worth the risk. Let’s go.”

Tap-tap.

We soon reached the barrier around Divine City and used Dimensional Sight to twist its foundational structure, creating an opening. Entering the barrier, we saw the cloud bridge leading to Divine City. But beyond it lay a shocking sight.

“…The World Tree has withered!!!”

Indeed.

The World Tree, Divine Ginseng—which once soared majestically toward the heavens—had lost its former glory, reduced to less than half its size. It still dwarfed ordinary mountains, but overall, its trunk sagged limp, drained of vitality. The Zhuge elder said, as if he had anticipated it,

“Even a World Tree can’t withstand a baleful spirit directly acquiring the Law of Causality and rampaging. It’s a miracle it hasn’t died completely.”

“What now?”

“What do you mean? Why do you think we’re here?”

The Zhuge elder chuckled slyly.

“The Lord of the Twelve Laws died long ago, and the World Tree has been steadily withering for fifty years. With the Twelve Laws this weakened, no need to tiptoe. Find the Wood Edict he held and let’s grab it and go.”

Tadak-tadak.

We crossed the cloud bridge and entered, but oddly, there were no signs of life inside. It felt like an abandoned village devoid of people. Relying on my old memories, I headed to the Lord of the Twelve Laws’ residence, but still, no one came to intercept us.

‘Why is it deserted?’

Suspicious, but I sensed no demonic qi or ghostly energy. Divine City was truly an empty ghost town. I turned to the Zhuge elder.

“Did you predict it’d be like this?”

“Of course. How much did the Twelve Laws pester demons in the past? Yet when the baleful spirit rose, these busybodies went dead silent. Naturally, their base wouldn’t remain intact.”

“Hmm.”

Soon, we arrived at the Lord of the Twelve Laws’ house. Entering, we found it completely empty. It was so hollow that I almost wished some Three Corpses or Unit clan members would pop out as opponents.

“Did they all flee?”

“… …”

The Zhuge elder pondered deeply before ordering me,

“Baek Woong. Now that we’re here, no choice. Use Dimensional Sight to locate the Wood Edict.”

“Got it.”

“Finding the Seven Edicts from outside the barrier with Dimensional Sight is impossible, but from inside, it should work.”

Hummm.

As I invoked Dimensional Sight to search for the Wood Edict’s location, it soon revealed it to me.

[Wood Edict’s location found.]

“Where is it? Don’t tell me it’s in that World Tree over there?”

I asked excitedly, but soon felt baffled.

[Wood Edict is currently in the Underworld.]

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