Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 264

Celestial Realm

The seventeenth life has begun.

The familiar smell of the stable wafted into my nose. At the same time, I felt the reality that I had lost all my connections from the last time and realized that I had returned to a young body from a grown one. Of course, the achievements I gained in my previous life were fully passed down to me. I calmly assessed my state and stood up.

“I need to think things through.”

Was my sixteenth life satisfactory? Not at all. I had too many regrets. While it was great to have destroyed the Imperial Palace, the Demand Blockade had ultimately gone berserk, almost resulting in my sealing from battling against the Celestial Realm. Moreover, my mind was flooded with the knowledge and experiences of the spells that Jiseon Mangnyang had imparted to me.

Jiseon Mangnyang had ventured into Mount Kunlun recklessly and struggled for about two years to master his magical arts. Through his rigorous training, he managed to surpass his limits and became the direct disciple of the Great Divine Immortal Nine Heavens Mysterious Woman. He improved his spells and abilities by acquiring treasures from the Celestial Realm. Jiseon reached the level of being able to use divine relics entirely due to his own luck, effort, and talent.

As I pondered this, a question arose in my mind.

‘Why did Itaka, which was imbued in Maqya, go berserk?’

The seer of Astana had told me:

[That wouldn’t happen… because the Itaka there is not the original but a manifestation… It would never break the contract…]

[Manifestation?]

[Most of the Ancient Rulers never recklessly reveal their true forms… Well… since it’s a contract, Itaka’s powers would definitely be present to some extent.]

I had already asked the seer about the possibility of Itaka possessing my body. Since the seer, who possessed the highest wisdom, categorically denied that, I had unhesitatingly done my best to nurture Maqya. However, the results of amplifying Maqya’s powers led to the physical possession and rampage of Itaka.

Had the seer deceived me?

A surge of anger welled up for a moment, but I calmed myself with another thought.

‘No, there could be a different possibility.’

I mused over it. This time, I decided to question the seer about this issue for clarification.

I began to seriously think about what I needed to do from now on.

Until now, my main objective had been the “downfall of the Imperial Palace.” In fact, just toppling the palace had presented enormous difficulties, leaving no room to consider anything else. However, after defeating the palace in my last life, the Celestial Realm came forth as a significant obstacle. Furthermore, the memories of Jiseon Mangnyang hinted at a formidable darkness lurking within the Celestial Realm.

Therefore, moving forward, I would need to perceive the Celestial Realm as a virtual enemy and prepare for battle. I couldn’t ignore the possibility that the Celestial Realm might be the source of all evil.

“I need to meet Mangnyang.”

I concluded that, regardless of how things turned out, he held the key to all my problems. He was the connection between the present, past, and future. Whatever wisdom or conclusion he reached would likely be the most correct.

I was just about to move to obtain the Heavenly Secret when I hesitated.

‘Should I use the Isolation Command to chase Yeodongbin away right away?’

Yeodongbin, the Celestial Realm’s Sword Immortal, was not constantly in a state of possession over me. Rather, he would descend when he sensed the presence of a Demon. So at the moment, he wasn’t closely observing my condition.

Reflecting on what happened with Yeodongbin, it would be insufficient to simply use Isolation Command to banish him immediately. In my past life, the situation had gotten tangled, and while I had fallen out with Yeodongbin and the Celestial Realm, he was a crucial power. If I happened to face a demon without Yeodongbin, I might have to deal with inconveniences.

‘I’ll leave him be until I can liberate Maqya.’

There was no harm in letting Yeodongbin accompany me until I fully experienced his Heavenly Escape Sword Technique. With that decision made, I began to move.

The process of obtaining the Heavenly Secret and then acquiring the Golden Eagle progressed as expected. Next, I found myself just before a battle with the giant toad, the Moon Beast, in the Thunder Jade.

Frrroooosh

Upon encountering the Moon Beast, the Sword Immortal Yeodongbin began to descend upon me.

[I’ve come to vanquish the Demon!!]

His voice contained an awe-inspiring conviction. I could feel the enormous soul cloaking my body. As I sensed his presence, a thought struck me.

‘Hold on. Is there a chance I could learn the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique?’

The Heavenly Escape Sword Technique wasn’t human swordplay but rather that of an immortal. Therefore, it lacked regular sword forms and instead employed key principles. Thus, it started with the first key, Xin (信), and progressed to the second key, Jie (解), which referenced the concept of resonance. So I could say I had acquired up to the second key of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique thus far.

Without giving my body up to the Sword Immortal Yeodongbin, I asked his spirit,

[Yeodongbin, I have a question.]

[Go ahead, what is it?]

[What are the keys of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique, and how far can I advance?]

Grrrrrrrrr

Before my eyes, the enormous toad had begun to take battle stances, twitching its body. It seemed ready to strike at any moment, which had me on edge, but I believed I could handle it with my current skills. Yeodongbin soon replied.

[It starts with Xin (信) and then evolves to Jie (解). Entering the Nirvana (入滅) leads you to comprehend the Void (空) and eventually attain the Heavenly Escape (天遁).]

[So there are a total of five stages?]

[Correct. If you don’t trust me and let go, you won’t be able to enter the first stage.]

In other words, starting from the divine stage of accepting the spirit and having the powerful Great Divine Immortal Yeodongbin awaken my mind would allow me to master the essence of the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique. I began to grasp how the structure for acquiring the Heavenly Escape Sword Technique was laid out.

Suddenly, I had another thought.

[Yeodongbin, could you evaluate my fighting skills?]

To my surprise, an astonished response from Yeodongbin echoed.

[What do you mean?]

[I always have my own sword skills. I want to hear the evaluation from someone known as the Sword Immortal within the Great Divine Immortal.]

[Do as you wish.]

I nodded and charged at the Moon Beast. The Moon Beast, the master of the Thunder Jade, was an enormous creature, having withstood attacks from Jin So-cheong and Lee Kwang simultaneously and survived, showcasing remarkable resilience. Thus, I had generally been hesitant to fight it alone, relying heavily on Yeodongbin.

But today was different. Over my last life, I had developed a certain level of martial prowess, and I wanted to fight the beast properly. I also wanted to be evaluated by an immortal-level entity during this process.

Thud

With the Hell Breaker, I lunged, endeavoring to smash its head to pieces. I remembered having easily defeated it with Miho’s help before.

[Graaaah!!]

However, in stark contrast to before, the Moon Beast emitted a sound and suddenly released spikes like spears from its skin all over its body. It seemed to be an automatic defense mechanism triggered by its instinct to protect itself. I hastily evaded the spikes and retreated.

‘What the…? This reaction wasn’t present before…’

That’s when I recalled last time, I had used a teleportation technique with Miho’s assistance to ambush it. If the attack is unresponsive, then it doesn’t activate its spike attack. In other words, it meant I wouldn’t be able to take it down with a single close range hit easily.

Gritting my teeth, I dove back into battle against the Moon Beast.

Ka-boom!

[Hahhh!!]

Kabang!

How long had I been fighting, utilizing the energy of Heaven and Thunder God lineage until I caught it off guard and eventually found myself victorious?

I was so out of breath that I thought I’d nearly choked on my own air. I panted and thought.

‘Did I use around four hundred breaths?’

A short duration in that regard, yet since I engaged in this battle by channeling the Thunder God, my energy and internal power had depleted considerably. As I sat to regain my strength, Yeodongbin spoke up.

[You hold considerable martial prowess at such a young age.]

[Were there many deficiencies?]

[Excessive movements were present, and the energy expenditure during the determination phase was high. Also, you did not utilize the internal power you possessed efficiently. Gaining more experience would do you good.]

Energy expenditure?

I tilted my head, surprised. Yeodongbin’s guidance touched on aspects I had not previously considered.

[What do you mean by energy expenditure?]

[You know how to raise the determination phase and are familiar with using the energy of your sword. However, once you enter a deeper state of the determination phase, you can reduce both your mental and physical energy consumption. You haven’t reached that stage yet, it appears.]

[Ah…!!]

I suddenly recalled what the Sword Demon had said when transferring martial arts to me. While the Sword Demon never explicitly stated it, he hinted that I could more easily utilize the determination phase. The Sword Demon must have intended to pass down those insights when my achievements reached proficiency.

‘Could it be that Lee Kwang used the determination phase more freely due to his higher proficiency?’

I felt a sense of understanding dawning on me. Curious, I asked further.

[If one possessed infinite internal power, would they be able to use the determination phase indefinitely?]

[Not quite. However, one could effectively reduce mental energy consumption by expending internal power instead.]

[Hmm.]

[Anyway, infinite internal power isn’t achievable for humans, so forget about it.]

Ssss

I sensed Yeodongbin withdraw now that the Demon had been expelled. He likely felt there was no longer a reason to remain. Yet his advice held more value than a golden bar, so I contemplated the meaning behind those words earnestly.

‘That explains why the Divine Guardians hold an absolute advantage in duels against pinnacle masters.’

The determination phase consumes an incredible amount of mental power, so it wouldn’t be used frequently in battles. It needs to be allocated properly for decisive moments. However, if a Divine Guardian possessed infinite internal power, they could, much like I did when I forcibly employed energy in my sword, substitute internal power for fading energy. Thus, while minimizing their own expenditure, they could unleash a flurry of finishing moves, making the Divine Guardians feared.

Afterward, I gathered my gear, including the Nine Dragon Sacred Cloak and the Twin Sword, and rescued the prisoners, including Hwang Yeon. Before releasing them, I had a conversation with General Hwang Yeon.

“General, may I ask you something?”

“Speak.”

“Do you happen to know General Jin Cheon-hwi?”

At my question, General Hwang Yeon showed a brief look of surprise. Then he replied.

“The Boy Hero. What’s your relation to him?”

“I believe that his son is my senior disciple.”

“Gah… then you are Lee Kwang’s disciple?”

“You know Jin So-cheong?”

General Hwang Yeon nodded vigorously.

“Of course. I received news of his well-being through a letter from Lee Kwang.”

“Are you aware that Lee Kwang has inherited the Thunder God lineage?”

“Certainly.”

It seemed General Hwang had known many details about Lee Kwang and the Thunder God lineage even at early stages. Until now, I had shown little interest in General Hwang. However, in this life, I intended to learn about Jin Cheon-hwi, Jin So-cheong’s father. I had a feeling his existence could be a significant key for my future endeavors.

I quickly followed up with another question.

“I heard that the Divine Monk Shin Seung also knows General Jin Cheon-hwi. Do you understand the circumstances behind that?”

“Shin Seung… Well, it’s only natural since Jin Cheon-hwi’s senior is the Shaolin Temple.”

“Excuse me? The Shaolin Temple?”

General Hwang, seemingly in pain from standing too long, sat down on a nearby rock and continued speaking.

“He trained in the Shaolin Temple during his childhood before entering the military. With his outstanding talent, he was even mentioned as a candidate for the leader of the Shaolin sect.”

“Hmm…”

“You seem quite curious about Jin Cheon-hwi.”

“I heard he was renowned as the greatest general of the Central Plains, yet not much is known about him.”

“Didn’t Lee Kwang tell you?”

“It seemed he was reluctant to mention it.”

Then General Hwang chuckled bitterly.

“Well… that’s also understandable. It was Jin Cheon-hwi who helped the rookie Lee Kwang adapt to his surroundings in the Imperial Palace.”

“Is he still alive?”

“He has passed away.”

“Do you know why?”

I was struck with shock at the next words.

“He was the rightful heir to the throne, surpassing the current emperor!”

“……!!”

What did he mean? I stumbled over my words.

“The throne… you mean Jin Cheon-hwi was of royal blood?”

“Indeed. He was raised in the Shaolin Temple as a child and later entered the military, but he was originally of royal lineage, being an elder brother of the current emperor.”

“……”

“The moment the emperor ascended the throne, he found a reason to take him down and executed him.”

It felt as if pieces of a puzzle finally clicked into place for me.

‘Could it be that Jin So-cheong…’

The reason both General Hwang and Lee Kwang cherished Jin So-cheong so dearly. Why Lee Kwang, a cold-hearted man focused solely on the revival of the Thunder God lineage, raised Jin So-cheong like a child. All of it was connected, and mattered deeply.

General Hwang said,

“I share this great secret with you because I sense that you might do something significant.”

“Something significant?”

“We have been harboring this secret for so long while struggling against the limits of reality, unable to take action. Yet somehow, I feel you might be able to do something. You have the potential.”

General Hwang’s praise put a great burden on my shoulders. I never considered myself an exceptional person. Afterward, I placed General Hwang and the prisoners into the Nine Dragons Sacred Cloak and headed straight to Mount Hwang, where I harvested the Black and White Lotus and the Heavenly Snow Ginseng, also acquiring Maqya and the Golden Bar.

As I prepared to use the Golden Bar to head to Pirate Island, a thought crossed my mind.

‘Oh right. The Sword Demon Lord had a request.’

In case I reincarnated again, the Sword Demon had asked me to change the order.

Until now, I had been hesitant to frequently meet the Sword Demon, purposely delaying visits to Muyeongmun. However, having realized that the Sword Demon was a trustworthy figure, I felt it would be better to see him sooner.

So, I headed to the Dongyoung Mine to collect Obsidian before dropping by Muyeongmun. I quickly passed through the gatekeeper of Muyeongmun and wasn’t long before I met the Sword Demon, Seo Mun-dae-ryong.

“Hmmm. So, you are the one who knows the whereabouts of my daughter?”

Seo Mun-dae-ryong spoke to me calmly, appearing much as I had remembered. However, he held no recollection of our master-disciple relationship, and at this point, he felt like a complete stranger. That pained my heart, but I had to broach the topic.

“Yes. If you follow me, I can guide you to her.”

“I can’t place my trust in you.”

“Then you will miss the opportunity to rescue your daughter.”

“If a boy like you suddenly appears and claims to know where my daughter is, anyone would be suspicious.”

“That’s fair enough.”

I nodded and pulled a sizable piece of Obsidian from my robe. I then said,

“I possess a mystical technique for memory transmission. If you read my memories through this, you will understand.”

“Ha ha ha… This is becoming a mountain of improbabilities! How can I trust that this isn’t a trap?”

“But, my lord, you would want to clutch at anything just to know the whereabouts of Seo Mun-hye, wouldn’t you? Naturally, you’ve been hunting down Tuma from the Eight Demons of Martial Daos, suspecting that he holds the information.”

“……”

“I dare say, please place your hand on this Obsidian.”

Seo Mun-dae-ryong appeared hesitant. Then, making his decision, he slowly placed his hand on the Obsidian.

Fwoooosh!!

In the next moment, the memories I had tightly stored burst forth through the Obsidian into Seo Mun-dae-ryong. He stood there, absorbing the torrent of memories with a dazed expression.

When he finally regained his senses, he spoke,

“… So that’s what happened. I can hardly believe this, but… I have no choice but to accept it.”

Once again, I bowed respectfully as his disciple.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sword Demon Lord.”

With his acquisition of my memories up to the sixteenth cycle, he began to collect his thoughts and said,

“First, let’s go vanquish those pirates. We should be able to fit our Muyeongmun companions into that cloak, right?”

“Of course.”

Seo Mun-dae-ryong couldn’t suppress his emotions, grinding his teeth in anger. After all, it was about his precious and only daughter.

“I’ll tear those bastards apart.”

So it was. In my sixteenth life, the Sword Demon had asked me to resurrect his memories in advance so he could take direct revenge on the pirates.