Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter Title: Dark Heaven Village

Buwoong!!!

As I clung to the demon-beast, a trembling sound rang out, and my vision completely transformed into a storm of light streaks flying everywhere. Soon enough, even those faded, turning into a space of pure light. I had heard from Master Zhuge that this phenomenon occurs when one surpasses the speed of light. And since I had used this creature before, it felt familiar.

A moment later, the demon-beast's movement stopped, and I set foot on a vast plain where starlight crystals floated thickly in the air. I stayed on guard, wary that it might be inside another barrier like before, but no demonic auras were detectable nearby.

I summoned the spirit of the Imperial Seal of All Nations and ordered it to scout the terrain around us.

[Scanning... Current location: Bronze Star Region, northern part of Dark Heaven Village.]

"Bronze Star?"

I asked in bewilderment.

"You wouldn't happen to know the layout of Dark Heaven Village, would you?"

Lesser Tyrant Golden Heaven!

He was one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the very being who created the treasured Imperial Seal of All Nations. Hearing his name again after so long filled me with a strange sense of familiarity. Wandering through this otherworldly realm had nearly stripped me of any sense of reality.

"If you have any information or maps, show me everything."

[I will display the map.]

Whiiing!

A moment later, a massive map resembling ancient parchment materialized in the air as a holographic screen. It depicted a colossal continent unified as one, dotted with lakes and plateaus here and there. Surprisingly, the cardinal directions were clearly marked, and signs of considerable civilization were evident. I was particularly startled by the markings for major cities and asked the spirit.

"Cities? Do heteromorphs live in those places?"

[The Dream City ruled by the Reverent Sovereign of Wonders exists there. Its inhabitants are dream denizens and can be called neither fully human nor heteromorph.]

"Like immortals?"

[No detailed records exist. They are noted as non-hostile to humans.]

"Show me what they look like."

I flinched when I saw the data the Imperial Seal displayed. While heteromorphs were mixed in among the city dwellers, the vast majority resembled 'humans.' In Dark Heaven Village, where even Grand Immortal Scholars went mad and died, it was extraordinarily unusual for human-like beings to form flourishing cities.

‘This place really is beyond comprehension...’

I muttered to myself before addressing the Imperial Seal.

"Got it. Go back inside for now."

I had more questions, but first, I needed to settle things with someone. After dismissing the spirit, I called out Shin Gong-pyo from the Ruyi Staff. He appeared as a spirit body and spoke arrogantly.

[Why did you summon me?]

"Don't play dumb. You're just waiting for me to find Toyo here in Dark Heaven Village."

[What makes you think that?]

"You had a huge reaction when I mentioned Toyo, and now that you've regained tremendous power, you're staying awfully quiet. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

As I growled, Shin Gong-pyo flashed a peculiar smile.

[Not quite that much of an idiot, then.]

"If I find Toyo, are you planning some scheme?"

[Heh. Even if I was, why would I tell you?]

"....Let's make this clear."

I sighed and said to Shin Gong-pyo.

"This is a place where neither of us can survive alone. Even with your seal broken, you're still bound to the Ruyi Staff, same as me. We won't make it without cooperating."

It was a guess, but even unsealed, Shin Gong-pyo likely couldn't easily escape the staff. Otherwise, he could've shattered the barrier with the Main Selection Sword and fled alone, but my proposal visibly shook him. Plus, his lack of a physical body meant his power wasn't fully restored.

[What are you getting at?]

"Let's share information and form an alliance. I'll give you what I know, so tell me what you know. Without that, dodging the [Ancient Rulers] wandering here and reaching Toyo's palace is impossible."

[...]

Shin Gong-pyo crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought.

Then, abruptly, he spoke.

[First, I want to hear why a human like you is gathering the Seven Wants.]

"You're accepting my proposal?"

[I'll listen and decide.]

It seemed we were at a fifty-fifty point. Realizing this was crucial, I began persuading Shin Gong-pyo.

"I initially sought the Seven Wants because I believed collecting them would let me defeat the evil god. There's a legend that gathering and liberating them grants power equal to the gods."

[Believed? Not anymore?]

I nodded and continued.

"Once you collect a certain number of the Seven Wants, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors interfere and obstruct you. Even with Grand Immortal Scholar-level power, it's unstoppable. It was pretty despairing, but my comrades came up with another idea."

[What idea?]

"Use them as bait to draw in Emperor Huangdi Gongsun Yuan."

Flinch!

Shin Gong-pyo's face showed clear shock at my words, as if he couldn't mask his surprise. Then he said.

[What? What does that mean?]

"I no longer think just gathering the Seven Wants will let me defeat the god. I've confirmed that the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' attitude toward the apocalypse and their strange unity can't be broken by human power alone. Heaven seems to be under their control too, from what I can tell."

[True enough.]

I calmly recounted what Master Zhuge and Manggyang had told me.

"The only option is to gain the aid of Emperor Huangdi Gongsun Yuan, who might shatter the other Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' authority while being potentially favorable to humans. He's undoubtedly a being on a whole different level from ordinary [Ancient Rulers]."

[...]

"If we're lucky, he might delay the apocalypse further or spare humanity. To do that, I need to gather the Seven Wants first to meet him."

[Too optimistic.]

"I've heard that if you collect up to six without fully liberating them, the path to the seventh opens. That's my goal now, while also searching for a way to the Pantheon of Myriad Gods. That's why I'm here in Dark Heaven Village looking for Toyo."

This covered pretty much all the core information. In truth, this strategy was the conclusion Manggyang and Master Zhuge reached after days of debate once I recovered my memories. I planned to keep pursuing the optimal and shortest reincarnation path to gather all six without rashly liberating any.

[Plausible...]

Shin Gong-pyo looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes before speaking.

[Heh, hard to believe. After the Enfeoffment War, humans lost their authorities and became mere vermin, yet such lowly creatures unraveled the gods' secrets to this extent?]

"Huh? Authorities?"

[...Fine. I acknowledge you, Baek Woong, have the qualifications to negotiate with me, the Heavenly Communion Church Lord.]

Shin Gong-pyo continued slowly.

[Let me reintroduce myself. I am Shin Gong-pyo, Lord of the Heavenly Communion Church, master of the Four Treasures Swords and the Absolute Sect. Before becoming an immortal, I was human, named Heo Yo.]

Shin Gong-pyo!

His renown in Taoism was nothing short of legendary. During the ancient Yin-Zhou dynastic transition, two colossal immortal realms clashed: the Absolute Sect of yokai immortals versus the Heavenly Sect of human immortals. In the end, the Heavenly Sect triumphed, establishing human immortals as the dominant force in the immortal realms, while yokai immortals were sealed away to Golden Duck Island—that's the famous legend of the Investiture of the Gods.

Moreover, Shin Gong-pyo was the disciple of Grand Preceptor Lü, the legendary prime minister who orchestrated the Investiture, and also a disciple of Primordial Heavenly Venerable. He was said to have received immense grace and teachings especially from Supreme Elder Lord, earning reverence from other immortals. Shin Gong-pyo had opposed the Enfeoffment Plan from start to finish, ultimately leading to his own sealing.

Puzzled, I said.

"I've never heard you called the Heavenly Communion Church Lord before? The legends say..."

[I told you, the Investiture of the Gods tale is distorted.]

Shin Gong-pyo replied in an unpleasant tone.

[Before that, is this place safe?]

"The Imperial Seal spirit just said the Bronze Star Region is full of zebras and free of savage heteromorphs—it's safe."

[I see. Then, shall I tell an old tale...]

Shin Gong-pyo whistled and landed atop a floating amethyst rock nearby. With golden eyes fixed on me, her blue hair flowing, she began.

[In ancient times, when I was the human Heo Yo, Emperor Yao offered me the throne, but I refused. Afterward, I ascended to become a disciple of Primordial Heavenly Venerable and received the spells of Supreme Elder Lord, earning the name Shin Gong-pyo.]

"......?!"

I exclaimed in shock.

"No way—you're the legendary scholar Heo Yo who washed his ears after Emperor Yao offered him the throne..."

[They didn't distort that part, huh. Hmph.]

"Then, you actually met the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors..."

Shin Gong-pyo gave a wry smile and said.

[I did.]

"......!!"

The very man who had been offered the throne by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors in life and witnessed them firsthand!

My heart pounded—this was the first time I'd encountered such a case. The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors I'd seen were all tremendous divinities. What had truly happened? Noticing the anticipation on my face, Shin Gong-pyo spoke.

[It wasn't the beautiful tale you imagine. Because Emperor Yao didn't offer me the throne out of humility's virtue.]

"What?"

[Emperor Yao was the avatar of Yao-Shun. But ruling the human realm grew boring, so he needed a fresh body to possess.]

What was Shin Gong-pyo saying?

The old me, ignorant back then, would've scoffed at such nonsense. But having delved into mythic beings and the truths of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, I grasped the implication, and my face stiffened.

“...So the human Heo Yo was selected as the new avatar and vessel for the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors' Yao-Shun.”

Shin Gong-pyo nodded and continued.

[The reason was my innate authorities and superhuman abilities. Naturally, I refused, but their persistent demands weren't easily rejected. Fearing torment in the underworld after death, I entered Heaven and resolved to seek protection from the highest beings: Primordial Heavenly Venerable, Supreme Elder Lord, and the Three Pure Ones.]

"......"

Lost in thought, I said.

"Don't tell me even Emperor Shun of the human world was..."

[Exactly as you think. Once I became untouchable as a high immortal, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors simply created a new puppet called Shun. History records it as abdication, but it was merely an avatar swap.]

Shin Gong-pyo sneered mockingly.

[Yao and Shun were both avatars of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors—the same entity. Their true body is a demon god whose name can't even be pronounced; ordinary humans go mad the instant they learn it. All humans are eternally ruled by puppets bearing altered divine names.]

"But even so, wasn't that era the Great Unity?"

[It was. But it was also the time when human sacrifices reached their historical peak in scale, variety, and acceptance. Thousands buried alive or massacred daily was commonplace.]

"......!!"

[The so-called Great Unity simply meant humans flourished most under divine blessings while harboring the least resistance to the most heinous sacrifices. We were mere livestock basking in that peace.]

A shocking truth.

An era of livestock slaughtered without resistance!

To think the Yao-Shun era, vaguely idealized by all in the Central Plains as the ultimate paradise and often cited by Confucian scholars, was the zenith of human sacrifice! But after chasing ancient secrets and confronting the evil gods' malice countless times, I could empathize.

As I fell silent, Shin Gong-pyo spoke.

[The Three Pure Ones accepted me as disciple and successor for two reasons. One was to check the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Even they couldn't match their authorities, but out of consideration for humanity, they strove to curb their tyranny.]

"And the other?"

[My exceptional talent... my innate 'authority.' If I became their disciple, I could become the strongest Grand Immortal Scholar ever. They planned to ally with my future power against the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.]

I tilted my head. Her self-praise didn't bother me.

"You keep mentioning 'authority'—what exactly is it? Like Xiang Yu wielding constellation qi?"

[Hardly. That fool's power is fundamentally the [Ancient Rulers'] strength. Mine is entirely different.]

Swoosh.

Shin Gong-pyo drew the Four Treasures Swords and suddenly separated them. The four swords floated in the air as she spoke arrogantly.

[As you see, the Four Treasures Swords are four treasures. But ordinary Grand Immortal Scholars can't deploy four at once. Not just drawing power briefly—only someone like me or the renowned Nine Heavens Profound Lady can wield them all simultaneously. Thus, I alone in history truly mastered the Four Treasures Swords as Heavenly Communion Church Lord.]

"What, showing off your strength?"

[This is my innate ability. I possess near-infinite mental endurance, zero energy consumption for any spell or treasure, and the power to comprehend any spell at a glance.]

"...……?!"

What?!

Dumbfounded, my jaw dropped as Shin Gong-pyo continued.

[Now sealed in Heaven—but the chaotic talent humans possessed from the primordial era. The driving force behind wild humans surpassing even Grand Immortal Scholars. In the Yin-Zhou era, I, Shin Gong-pyo, embodied it most powerfully.]

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