Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

I inwardly regretted not receiving the blessing of great fortune before arriving in this world. Even if it wasn't the stacked great fortune, just having ordinary great fortune would have made exploring this place far easier, no doubt. But Zhuge Bu had forbidden that method.

[At least for exploring Dark Heaven Village, you shouldn't use it. Stacked great fortune might be worth considering, but...]

[Why?! Having great fortune would make things so much more convenient...]

[...There's a risk of small greed leading to great loss. It's because of the one who gives it.]

Zhuge Bu seemed reluctant to explain in detail, but he had firmly drawn the line against the blessing of great fortune. It felt like he wouldn't answer even if I asked, and suspecting Zhuge Bu one by one was pointless anyway. With no choice but to trust my comrades, I had come to this otherworld like leaping into the fray bare-handed.

I began pondering ways to escape this place. But with no immediate idea how to fly eight thousand li, I commanded Zhuge Bu.

"Help me sweep away the demonic beasts around here. And if you spot a good hiding spot, let me know."

Zhuge Bu nodded dryly. Having been perfectly brainwashed by Zhuge Sa, he was little more than a combat puppet obeying my orders. Soon, I started roaming the surroundings, fighting demonic beasts—each one grotesquely hideous and bizarre to ordinary eyes.

While battling a bird-like demonic beast that screeched and extended dozens of tentacles, I realized every beast here possessed tentacles. Slicing through the beast's tentacles with sword aura, I shouted irritably.

"Damn monster bastards! You like those tentacles so much?!"

Pwoosh!

My eyes activated Flame Eye Golden Insight, bursting into flame. In an instant, it revealed the beast's weakness: the location of its core.

Crunch

I pierced the bird-like beast's core, killing it. These creatures, regardless of appearance, harbored chaos cores—immortal bodies impervious to wounds elsewhere, destroyable only by shattering the core. Fortunately, my experience fighting them in the Aokigahara floodwaters allowed seasoned combat. The Flame Eye Golden Insight had indeed made battles much easier.

With Zhuge Bu restraining the beasts with sorcery while I finished them off, we took down dozens with relative ease. I thought it straightforward, but considering their physical prowess and bizarre abilities, even peak experts of the martial world would struggle to survive here. Without Zhuge Bu, I might have sustained minor injuries by now.

'This place is truly vicious...'

In terms of difficulty, slightly weaker than the Sea of Death's monsters. But that didn't change it being a hellish realm apart from the human world. If I had come here right after obtaining Bi Deung, I would've been beaten even one-beat and would have been brutally slaughtered. It was wise not to rashly answer Bi Deung's call and instead build my strength first.

After culling quite a few beasts, I finally had a safe radius to operate in. Securing about fifty jang around me as a safety zone, I calmly recovered my stamina and pondered my next moves.

'I've scouted the internal beasts roughly. No point wandering more... How do I escape?'

Seated in lotus position, I thought. Then, something occurred to me, and I raised the Pure Language Pearl to transmit my will.

[Zhuge Sa. Zhuge Sa. Can you hear me?]

Just in case, I'd brought the Pure Language Pearl for long-range communication. After trying for a while with no response, I frowned.

'Can't communicate via Pure Language Pearl...'

That meant I was completely cut off from allies on the surface. Pondering other methods, I muttered.

"Should I call those guys?"

Humm

Soon, I drew a demonic formation and activated the summoning ritual. After a long wait following the incantation, nothing appeared.

"......"

Even summoning beasts faster than light couldn't reach this place?

This floating otherworld seemed extraordinarily sealed off. Makes sense if it's assumed to be inside a living being's stomach. I'd brought a calf in my neck pouch as backup, but now it was useless, leaving me smacking my lips in regret.

For places like this, coming next time contracted with the Four Divine Beasts and their dimensional breakthrough ability would be best. Their power could easily breach this realm, I figured. Musing if there were other ways, I suddenly flinched at an enormous roar.

Rooooaaar—

...Urk!!

Heaven and earth shook. The blood-flame-filled cloud sea roiled entirely.

The roar's source appeared to be a mysterious colossal demonic beast extending hands toward the mountain range. It hadn't noticed me, but the dark power in the cry was so overwhelming it shook me to my core.

'Damn... If even I feel this with my internal energy... Ordinary martial artists would die instantly from the roar alone.'

The National Jade Seal's advice was right: even if not a deity, never fight that colossal monster. Beyond size, its latent power was immense. If stuck here long-term, avoiding it would be key.

I grew anxious.

How the hell do I escape?

I racked my brain, but no solutions came. Meanwhile, beasts began slinking out from everywhere, nipping at us—likely aiming to claim territory from the slain.

Swish

Dodging a tentacle spear, I muttered irritably.

"Damn... Give me time to think. Gotta clear more first!!"

With things as they were, I'd cull a thousand beasts before thinking. To deliberate comfortably, I needed a stable base, and constant fighting left no time for that.

How much time passed?

After toppling hundreds alongside Zhuge Bu, I panted, feeling stamina and energy bottoming out. It was my first time culling this many since Aokigahara. Sighing heavily,

"Hoo... Now I have some leeway..."

New beasts might spawn over time, but at least I'd bought breathing room. In a quiet spot, I unpacked treasures from my neck pouch and sorted my thoughts.

"Hmm... Using the summons now... Better save Dragon God Sword's power... What to do?"

Surveying the treasures, my gaze suddenly fixed on the Ruyi Staff.

"......!!"

Right!

I hastily stowed the others, drew the Ruyi Staff, and called the spirit Heo Yu from within.

[Heo Yu!! Heo Yu!!]

[Why call me, ugly?]

[This Ruyi Staff is made of Heavenly River Bed-Fixing Divine Treasure Iron, right? Could it extend to eight thousand li?]

At my question, Heo Yu glanced around, then said unexpectedly.

[Possible, but does this space even span eight thousand li?]

[Yeah. Make the Ruyi Staff extend.]

[......]

[Heo Yu?]

She replied somewhat troubled.

[The Ruyi Staff has the capacity, but do you?]

[What do you mean?]

[The staff's extension ability depends on the user's prowess. It's a treasure personally crafted by the Supreme Elder Lord, demanding high sorcery; but as its spirit, I mediate to ease that.]

[What are you getting at?]

[Your latent sorcery is high, but insufficient to extend it eight thousand li. Only that monkey at sorcery's pinnacle could.]

[......!!]

[Only one mastering all Seventy-Two Transformations could fully wield the Ruyi Staff.]

Can't fully utilize the Ruyi Staff's power!

My mind went blank for a moment.

'Well, yeah... The Great Sage is the one who perfected transformation arts... My sorcery pales in comparison.'

Then only Cheon Woo-jin or Mang-ryang, training years after gaining Three Emperors Inner Gate to pinnacle, could wield it properly. I asked Heo Yu just in case.

[Heo Yu. With my current ability, how far can I max extend the Ruyi Staff?]

[Let's see... Maybe three thousand li? More would strain.]

[Ugh... No way to raise the Ruyi Staff's limit? Can't boost sorcery instantly.]

Heo Yu snapped irritably.

[Why should I solve your problems? Figure it out yourself.]

Her form began fading abruptly. Realizing she'd be hard to summon again once gone, I grabbed hold.

[Wait, wait! This is inside a monster's stomach. Want to dissolve pointlessly here?]

[......?]

[If I die, you're trapped forever. Melting into chaos for eons.]

[Chaos?]

Heo Yu looked baffled. I hurriedly added.

[Arrived via Bi Deung—inside a living being's gut. Chaos floating otherworld. But since targeting Dark Heaven Village, probably nearby dimension.]

[Ah, Dark Heaven Village...?]

Heo Yu gasped in disbelief, then shouted fiercely.

[Crazy bastard! Why head to the forbidden chaos kingdom even heaven's realm can't touch?!]

[To find Toyo.]

[What?! This is...]

Heo Yu panicked greatly, then her expression shifted as if rethinking. Silent for a while, she said:

[Know where Toyo is? Odds of finding it?]

[Of course. I have the National Jade Seal, know it's in the Sagely Martial Emperor's palace. Once out, head to palace and try.]

[Hmm... Toyo... Toyo. That might work.]

[Yeah?]

Heo Yu said.

[Fine. I'll help. Despite your lacking sorcery, there's a way to extend Ruyi Staff eight thousand li.]

[Really?!]

As I brightened, Heo Yu said.

[Release my seal. While sealed in this treasure, my power's greatly diminished. Restored, I can vastly lower the staff's sorcery limit.]

[......? Release the seal? How?]

[I don't know. You figure out how to break it. Even crudely.]

[Hmm.]

Releasing Heo Yu's seal trapped in the Ruyi Staff.

I pondered, then addressed Zhuge Bu standing blankly nearby.

"Hey. How to unseal the spirit in the Ruyi Staff?"

Honestly, low expectations. Current Zhuge Bu was just a passive combat puppet.

Unexpectedly, hearing my order, focus faintly returned to his glazed eyes, and he replied rationally.

"Use force exceeding the seal or neutralizing sorcery to weaken the ritual."

"Uh?!"

Swish

'Did this guy snap out of it?!'

Startled, I pressed my sword to Zhuge Bu's neck. If he'd regained sanity, my life was at risk. But he just stared blankly ahead, no further reaction. Watching warily, I handed him the Ruyi Staff.

"Hey, unseal this."

"Understood."

Taking the Ruyi Staff, Zhuge Bu examined it thoroughly, then began chanting a sorcery spell.

'If sane, he'd pretend ignorance to the end.'

That cunning nature wouldn't risk suspicion.

Hummm

Pale blue light swirled around the Ruyi Staff, ancient script engraving on it. After rippling for a while, the glow ceased, and Zhuge Bu returned it. I summoned Heo Yu again; she said.

[Someone used neutralizing sorcery to loosen the seal?]

[Releasable now?]

[It nearly broke, but insufficient. Need stronger force to shatter it.]

[Stronger force...]

Even squeezing my sorcery wouldn't suffice.

Thinking, something struck me; I asked Heo Yu.

[Ah, what about Underworld God Power?]

[Underworld God Power? That'd shatter the seal easily, but that's Three Emperors Five Lords' potent authority and divinity—where get it?]

[I have it.]

Crackle

Soon, I poured all my Underworld God Power into the Ruyi Staff. Thanks to Zhuge Bu's prior loosening, I vividly seemed it dismantling the seal—like elastic thread snapping crisply.

Snap snap

Heo Yu seemed utterly shocked watching the Underworld God Power break the seal.

[No way—a human using Underworld God Power... Who the hell are you?!]

[About to release!]

[...Impressive.]

Heo Yu seemed to smile oddly.

[Yes... In a place like this... Even if freed, heaven's realm won't know. Heh heh.]

Boom

Suddenly, the Ruyi Staff blazed like exploding. Traces of expended Underworld God Power left my handprint scorched large on it, the internal seal incinerated. Feeling my whole body's energy drain, I gasped.

"Hahk, hahk..."

Consumed fifteen years' worth of Underworld God Power absolute value. Not naturally recoverable—must rebuild in next reincarnation. Regrettable losing power absorbed from Jeon Wook's statue, but no time for that now.

Whoooosh—

Heo Yu's phantom flowed from the Ruyi Staff. I vividly saw her blue hair become lush long tresses, golden eyes gleaming, skin like white jade—transforming into a stunning beauty. Soon, clad in ethereal Silver Age divine immortal garb reminiscent of Great Thunder Immortal, holding a treasure sword in one hand.

[Baek Woong. You freed my seal, so I'll keep my promise.]

Heo Yu raised the treasure sword high.

[I, master of the Four Treasures Sword and Absolute Teachings, Tongtian Jiaozhu Shen Gongbao, in name command!]

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