Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

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The Nine Heavens Maiden looked at the sight and said.

"A total of thirty-three pagodas, each one a treasure. It won't be easy to break through with ordinary methods."

"Do you have a way?"

"..."

The Nine Heavens Maiden gazed ahead with somewhat sorrowful eyes.

"For great immortals of the Heavenly Realm to clash like this... How could such a thing happen..."

Rustle...

Corpse Liberation Art

[By my command, return that power to nothingness.]

Crack...

As soon as the Nine Heavens Maiden chanted the spell, the Thirty-Three Thousand Petal Pagodas suddenly began to shatter and crumble, some even burning away. The pagodas' master hastily withdrew the Thirty-Three Thousand Petal Pagodas, and beyond the barrier, someone could be seen waiting.

"Cough! Cough..."

Inside the barrier stood the Lotus Lantern Immortal. He had already suffered severe internal injuries, blood streaming from his mouth, and in one hand, he held a golden pagoda emitting a faint bell-like chime. In his other hand, he gripped his personal treasures, the Universe Ruler and the Purple-Gold Alms Bowl, but he looked utterly drained.

"Kehehe... Indeed, the Nine Heavens Maiden's Corpse Liberation Art is formidable. To shatter my pagoda barrier with a single incantation... You've nearly lost the power of the War God, yet you still wield such strength."

"Lotus Lantern Immortal. Step aside. The Queen Mother of the West is the criminal who stole the Three Pure Ones. She must be punished."

"...Impossible."

The Lotus Lantern Immortal sighed and said.

"I sensed something amiss not long ago myself, but what can be done now? If the Queen Mother reveals her true power, the innocent and powerless lesser immortals will be massacred, and the Heavenly Realm itself will perish."

"That's why we must correct it now. I won't ask for your help—just clear the path."

"Very well. Fighting your Corpse Liberation Art would only lead to my miserable end anyway..."

The Lotus Lantern Immortal collapsed to the ground. Closing his eyes, he said.

"Nine Heavens Maiden! Flee before the Queen Mother lets out three cries to the west..."

What was he saying?

"I know."

But the Nine Heavens Maiden replied indifferently and passed by. As I walked past the Lotus Lantern Immortal, I muttered irritably.

"Why not just help us? What's with the pride..."

Then, the Fire Dragon True Person running beside me said.

"It's not pride, Baek Woong."

"Huh?"

"The Lotus Lantern Immortal believes we'll lose to the Queen Mother whether he helps or not. And if we do, he plans to evacuate the lesser immortals from her. He's a benevolent great arhat immortal."

"What kind of nonsense... Helping us would be far better!"

"He thinks even joining us would be pointless against her overwhelming strength."

"..."

The Lotus Lantern Immortal was a great arhat immortal of antiquity, rivaling the Kunlun Twelve Great Immortals in power. If even he had given up on opposing her, just how strong was the Queen Mother of the West? As a chill ran through me, a massive sphere of flame came into view ahead, floating in the air.

Roar...

The Fire Dragon True Person glared at the sphere.

"It's Yun Zhongzi's Heaven-Penetrating Divine Flame Orb."

Yun Zhongzi was, by all accounts, an unparalleled master of barrier arts. The Heaven-Penetrating Divine Flame Orb endlessly spewed dragon flames to incinerate intruders—a terrifying barrier impossible for mortals to breach.

The Fire Dragon True Person raised her Fire Dragon Sword and said.

"I'll break through here. Conserve your strength."

Rumble...

She raised her sword into a perfect stance. Moments later, she synchronized with the Fire Dragon, surging her flame power, and shouted.

[Fire Dragon, Incarnation of the Responding Dragon, I command you—unleash your true power!]

Snap.

Divine flames transformed into an orb, circling near the Fire Dragon True Person's body. She then charged the Fire Dragon forward, sweeping her Fire Dragon Sword horizontally as she cried out.

[Heavenly Flame!]

As the Fire Dragon Heavenly Flame unfolded, her body too turned into a streak of fire, shooting ahead. The moment the Fire Dragon Heavenly Flame collided with the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Flame Orb, a deafening roar erupted, spiritual power rippling outward like waves, shaking heaven and earth.

Boom...

But no matter how powerful the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Flame Orb was, it could not withstand the seven-colored flames led by the Responding Dragon's incarnation. Soon, its flames were wholly consumed by the Fire Dragon Heavenly Flame and began to fade, the blazing barrier slowly lifting.

At the center of the Heaven-Penetrating Divine Flame Orb's barrier lay Yun Zhongzi, unconscious. He had clearly fainted from the shock of the barrier's destruction.

Whoosh.

Returning to her original form after unleashing the Fire Dragon Heavenly Flame, the Fire Dragon True Person looked down at Yun Zhongzi with cold eyes and said.

"Much weaker than the Lotus Lantern Immortal. Then again, among the Kunlun Twelve Great Immortals, his spiritual power is on the lower end..."

"Will you kill him?"

"Pointless. Let's go. He's no help anyway."

The Fire Dragon True Person tried to ignore Yun Zhongzi and pass, but Yeo Dongbin shouted.

"Wait!"

The group, passing with backs turned to Yun Zhongzi, all turned to look at Yeo Dongbin. With a grim, hardened face, he said.

"We've fallen into a trap. I'll follow soon—don't worry, Master."

"What do you mean?"

"That one designated me as his opponent..."

Rustle...

"...!!"

In the next instant, Yeo Dongbin's form was swallowed by darkness, sucked into somewhere. It looked as if he were being devoured, startling me, when he transformed into the Immortal Sword and appeared on my right arm. Then, the mysterious darkness began to engulf me as well.

Rustle!

I tried to shake off the darkness, testing various ways, but it relentlessly tried to swallow me. As I panicked, Yeo Dongbin said to me.

[My wielder, I ask you this. If I fight straightforwardly, it might be hard to win—so use the Immortal Sword well and fight in my stead.]

{What's happening?}

{This isn't an attack spell but a space-time transfer art. The one who assassinated the Nine Heavens Maiden's disciples wants a duel with me.}

Flash.

In the next moment, I found myself in an unknown subspace. Thousands upon thousands of talismans scattered through it, with no ground—just empty void. But thanks to Heavenly Ascent Step and Void Hovering Step, I could hold my position.

Moments later, something slowly revealed itself in the talisman-filled Eight Trigrams subspace.

Rustle...

The being had a bizarre appearance. Symbols of yin-yang and the Eight Trigrams were plastered grotesquely over its body. It had two arms and legs like a human, but each seemed pieced from different creatures. White wings like a bird's floated behind it, keeping it aloft. A pitch-black mask covered what seemed its face.

Most striking were the cyan and crimson orbs swirling its body, spiraling and pulsing in size.

It was clearly no human.

'Is that the one who dragged Yeo Dongbin and me here?'

As I glared at it, it spoke in spirit words.

[Sword Immortal Yeo Dongbin, leader of the famed Eight Immortals... Kehehe... Fifty years ago, I wanted a one-on-one with you, but you vanished unexpectedly—such disappointment.]

"Who are you?"

[Hehehe. You've already guessed my identity. Hiding shallowly by turning into an Immortal Sword out of fear?]

"I asked who you are."

Rustle...

"..."

[Sword Immortal's wielder, I'll take it you accept the duel in his stead.]

Terrifying killing intent crashed over me. Had I not surpassed the peak realm, my body might have frozen solid from that alone. Sensing the opponent's immense skill, I sharpened my senses further, and soon it spoke.

[I am Yao Heavenly Lord, one of the Ten Heavenly Lords of Golden Turtle Island! I'll kill you and trample the pride of Kunlun Heavenly Realm under Golden Turtle Island.]

"...!!"

Golden Turtle Island's Ten Heavenly Lords?!

That was the name for the top figures of Golden Turtle Island, another immortal realm opposing the Heavenly Realm, teeming with yokai immortals. I had clashed with the Ten Heavenly Lords twice before—once summoned by the Moon Hare, and once fighting Sun Heavenly Lord's Blood Transformation on Golden Turtle Island.

From past experience, each of the Golden Turtle Island's Ten Heavenly Lords rivaled the Eight Immortals in ability—opponents I couldn't face head-on with my former power.

'Yeo Dongbin! Why dump this fight on me...'

Moreover, Yao Heavenly Lord was said to be near the top of the Ten Heavenly Lords, a master of yin-yang arts. Fighting a top martial yokai immortal among them, I had no chance of winning.

Feeling despair, I questioned Yao Heavenly Lord anyway.

"Yao Heavenly Lord! Why did you assassinate the Nine Heavens Maiden's disciples at the Queen Mother of the West's behest? Golden Turtle Island and the Heavenly Realm aren't enemies!"

[Kehehehe... Why should I tell you?]

Irritated, I bellowed.

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill you!"

[...What?]

Yao Heavenly Lord seemed dumbfounded, but I wasn't bluffing. That thing could be obliterated with one Fierce God's Utterance. I just hadn't used it out of pity—not that I could kill it. Judging my words as bravado, Yao Heavenly Lord laughed heartily.

[Kahaha... Such spirit. If you win this duel, I'll tell you.]

"Keep that promise."

No choice now. I had to trust Yeo Dongbin's Immortal Sword power, defeat it, and escape this space.

Flash!

At the battle's start, I charged Yao Heavenly Lord and thrust. Naturally, wielding the Immortal Sword let me fully access Yeo Dongbin's combat experience and arts, so my odds weren't bad. Against my ferocious thrust, Yao Heavenly Lord instantly summoned an Eight Trigrams barrier in the subspace to block.

Clang.

[Hahaha... With layered subspaces, can a mere sword technique pierce it?]

Yao Heavenly Lord laughed arrogantly seeing me fail to breach, but I frowned.

'That barrier just now—even I could've pierced it, but if I were Yeo Dongbin, he definitely would have...'

No matter how much I borrowed Yeo Dongbin's experience and power as the Immortal Sword, there were limits. It could never match the real Yeo Dongbin fighting. Worst, not having reached the Absolute Realm myself, I could only superficially use Absolute Realm arts.

Thud thud.

Soon, thousands upon tens of thousands of talismans rained down like light from all directions, forcing me to use Moonlight Evasion to dodge and deflect them all. Instead, Yao Heavenly Lord grew irritated.

[You dodge well!]

'Is that all?'

Mid-dodge, I spotted an opening and went for its neck. But as I thought I'd slashed, it was an illusion—and another flood of talismans surged at me.

Flash!

Then it happened. Somehow intuiting its true position, I thrust at a point in the void. Inexplicable, but it felt like Yeo Dongbin's transcendent combat experience from tens of thousands of duels guiding me.

Stab.

[Kuh! You bastard...]

Yao Heavenly Lord recoiled greatly, cyan blood spurting from its neck, retreating. Then, with savage fury in its eyes, it shouted.

[No choice now... Receive my curse!]

"What?!"

[Even if it costs me thousands of years of cultivation, I won't lose.]

A curse?

Before I could react, a pitch-black aura spewed from Yao Heavenly Lord's mouth toward me. As a curse, even Yeo Dongbin's movement arts couldn't evade it, and soon it coiled around my body.

Crackle.

"Urgh!"

My body burned from within, staggering me. But Yao Heavenly Lord, after spewing the curse, trembled its body, its body shrunken and shaking. As my mind wavered in agony, Yeo Dongbin's voice rang out.

[Well done, wielder! Now focus your mind on the Heavenly Subtly Sword Canon.]

[Yeo Dongbin... what's going on?]

Yeo Dongbin replied calmly.

[I'd suspected the fiend harming the Nine Heavens Maiden's disciples fifty years ago was one of the Ten Heavenly Lords. For some reason, it harbored a rivalry with me and would eventually challenge me. But fighting a Ten Heavenly Lord bare-handed would mean mutual destruction, so I needed your help.]

[What do you mean?]

[Each Ten Heavenly Lord's power is something I could topple, but as yokai immortals with millennia of cultivation, they can infuse their life force into vicious curses on foes. Even a great arhat immortal would perish if cursed from such a curse.]

[......!!]

[Moreover, I'm no master of spells, so resisting was impossible. Thus, I had to adapt the Immortal Sword Art.]

The Golden Turtle Island Ten Heavenly Lords had such abilities?

Yeo Dongbin shouted firmly.

[Recite the Heavenly Subtly Sword Canon and absorb this curse! Combine our mental forces to overcome it.]

[Yes!]

I recalled the Heavenly Subtly Sword Canon, surging the Immortal Sword's power. The "Faith" formula involved divine energy to purify the curse permeating my body, "Release" unraveled it; "Recollect" strengthened my eight extraordinary meridians.

'Amazing...'

I felt the Heavenly Subtly Sword Canon rapidly absorb the curse, awakening the undigested internal energy in my body. This alone drastically boosted my usable inner power, now several times that of Shin Seung or Deungggak—near Guardian Lion level in the short term.

At the same time, the Immortal Sword's subtleties deepened my understanding of Thunder God Style swordsmanship. Likely Yeo Dongbin's resonating combat experience granting cultivation gains.

'Ugh... but still... something's missing...'

One step forward, yet the Absolute Realm felt out of reach.

Yes.

Something crucial was lacking—everything else fulfilled, yet I couldn't enter—

Whoosh.

Regaining my senses, Yeo Dongbin had infused massive power into the Immortal Sword. A signal to end it in one blow. Opposite, Yao Heavenly Lord panicked greatly.

"Im... Impossible! How can one survive my curse?"

"Yao Heavenly Lord. Keep your promise, and you may leave alive."

[Urgh...]

After spewing the mighty curse, Yao Heavenly Lord was shrunken and feeble, unable even to fight. Resigned, it said.

[The reason we Ten Heavenly Lords cooperated with the Queen Mother... It was for the Moon Hare.]

"What? What do you..."

[The Queen Mother promised to release the barrier binding the Moon Hare. That's all.]

I'd seen those immense chains and barrier binding the Moon Hare. Apparently, the Queen Mother had secretly hired Golden Turtle Island's Ten Heavenly Lords—offering that release—to assassinate her obstacles, the Nine Heavens Maiden's disciples.

[Heh... Then I'll withdraw... Call it my loss today...]

Right then.

Bang!

[Kraaahh.]

Suddenly, Yeo Dongbin's Immortal Sword floated up on its own and pierced Yao Heavenly Lord's forehead. The unforeseen swift strike left no chance to block or dodge. As Yao Heavenly Lord wailed its death cry and dissolved, Yeo Dongbin returned to my hand and said.

[Where did it say 'withdraw'? The Ten Heavenly Lords' Ten Ultimate Formation won't break unless the activator dies.]

"..."

[All demonic heretics must be slain, wielder.]

Come to think of it, only I had made the promise with Yao Heavenly Lord.

Yeo Dongbin could be pretty merciless too, I thought.

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