Reincarnated Swordmaster

Chapter 236

Heavenly Realm

Startled, Cheon Woo-jin suddenly waved his hand.

Rumble!

In an instant, a thunderstorm raged, and moments later, he vanished without a trace. Around me, the Illusory Mist began to swirl again, but this time, it bore no aggressive intent.

From afar, Cheon Woo-jin’s echoing voice reached me.

[Master of the Seven Talents! You cannot leave this village until my master makes a decision!]

Skreeeeech!

“Ugh…”

I could see the Eight Trigrams gathering around me. Specifically, black lines swirled together, forming the distinct shape of the trigrams. Concluding that it was an innate sorcery attack, I swung my Moya forcefully once more.

In an instant, the Eight Trigrams vanished, opening a path. I quickly scanned the area for Cheon Woo-jin, but he reappeared, merging back into the Illusory Mist.

“……”

Is it infinitely regenerating?

‘Then I have no choice but to keep swinging!!’

Thunder God Lineage

Secret Technique

Thousand Kills Slash

I unleashed countless sword auras using my Moya while channeling the Thunder God Lineage’s secret technique, Thousand Kills Slash. This technique contained the most sword trajectories I knew. My body spun like a whirlwind, releasing sword energy and flames indiscriminately.

Whoooosh!

The illusion flickered, oscillating between existence and disappearance. Concerned that if this continued, Cheon Woo-jin would never run out of sorcery energy, I launched my sword energy with all my might.

However, after about a minute, I realized my efforts were futile and stopped.

“Hmm…”

Something feels off. While the Illusory Mist faded, it showed no signs of dispersing. As I stood axis-aligned with my Moya, maintaining vigilance against the Mist, I heard Cheon Woo-jin’s shout.

[Even if you break my Illusory Mist with the Seven Talents, it is closed off by the Illusory Heaven, making it pointless!]

I couldn’t comprehend the details, but it seemed that even momentarily breaking Cheon Woo-jin‘s illusion didn’t stop its infinite regeneration. Still, judging by how I wasn’t receiving Fatal Injuries like before, it seemed Cheon Woo-jin wasn’t daring enough to attack me recklessly because of the Moya.

As the stalemate dragged on, Cheon Woo-jin spoke up.

[…What is your name?]

“I’m Baek Woong.”

[My master wishes to see you. Would you accept?]

“Are you referring to Master Mangnyang?”

[Indeed.]

After a brief moment of thought, I replied,

“I’ll meet him if you promise to reveal Mangnyang’s whereabouts.”

[Understood.]

Whoosh!

As he finished speaking, the Illusory Mist around me dissipated, returning to an ordinary village scene. About ten strides away, I spotted Cheon Woo-jin nervously tending to his bleeding arm. He glanced at me and said,

“If you go to the shrine over there and pay your respects, you’ll be able to talk with my master.”

“… Must I really go through this hassle?”

“……”

Cheon Woo-jin didn’t respond and turned away. Feeling the heightened alertness radiating from him, I shrugged and made my way to the shrine. Since I had visited this place several times with Mangnyang, it felt oddly familiar.

Moments later, as I bowed my head and began to pray at the shrine, a sudden wave of drowsiness hit me.

‘Ugh… so sleepy…’

This was just like old times—another attempt to drag me into a dream. I wasn’t entirely sure what Cheon Woo-jin would do if I fell asleep here, but I had enough faith that he wasn’t the kind of treacherous person who’d ambush me while I was dreaming. So, I fought off the desire to sleep for a moment before slowly collapsing right there.

……

I found myself dreaming.

Master Mangnyang appeared walking towards me in the form of a black cat. Just like before, he was an inscrutable being, devoid of any emotion. Standing before me, Mangnyang addressed me.

[You’ve released the seal of the Seven Talents, the Moya.]

“Did you recognize it upon seeing it? How?”

As I asked, Mangnyang leaped up onto a nearby roof.

[When the power of the Seven Talents is unleashed, the authority infused by the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors spreads around. And as for the Water Aura, of course, it would be the Moya. No one of the upper-class sorcerers could fail to notice that.]

“……”

[You wear a face that’s full of questions.]

Master Mangnyang lazily sprawled across the roof. The sight of the black cat flicking its tail and watching me was both adorable and slightly irritating. I glared at Mangnyang and said,

“Do you know who I am? Aren’t you surprised that I’m the master of the Seven Talents?”

Master Mangnyang replied nonchalantly,

[I’ve already heard in the Heavenly Realm about a human who released the Moya. It’s curious how you’ve walked straight into the tiger’s den.

“What?”

Master Mangnyang spoke threateningly,

[Human, I am the Master of the Borderlands, the protector of the Central Plains. Do you think I would allow someone who has released the Seven Talents to roam freely in the Heavenly Realm?]

“……”

I stared blankly at Master Mangnyang. Then, I said,

“Perhaps, but I doubt it.”

[Oh?]

“I simply felt that way.”

And indeed,

Normally, even leaving the Heavenly Secret behind and walking into the residence of the Master of the Borderlands would be akin to rushing headlong into death. However, having interacted with Mangnyang enough times, my intuition from previous lives screamed that he wasn’t the kind of one who’d be earnest enough to nip visitors in the bud.

Master Mangnyang yawned and said,

[It seems your hunch was correct. I have no intention of bothering you.]

“Why? Didn’t the Heavenly Realm consider the Seven Talents dangerous?”

Master Mangnyang replied with indifference,

[The danger of the Seven Talents primarily lies in the possibility of the Ancient Rulers being unleashed. However, even so, they won’t surpass the anomalies of causality. Rather, it is more dangerous for me to act rashly and give justification to those lurking in the world’s shadows.]

“……?”

[While the fools of the Heavenly Realm may not understand, I shall not partake in such foolishness. I am too busy with my own affairs.]

What does this mean?

To me, without knowledge of sorcery, his answer was practically unintelligible. The only term I could grasp was “causality,” so I mulled over it and spoke.

“What is causality?”

[Hmm?]

“What is it that even mythic beings are bound to?”

[To think you released the Moya of the Seven Talents without even knowing what causality is? You’re quite the laughable fellow.]

Sighing in exasperation, Master Mangnyang continued,

[Causality is a colossal law from which no being can escape. Not even the Great Celestial Immortals, Celestial Beings, or the Ancient Rulers can escape the influence of causality. This law regulates outcomes without causes.]

“Outcomes without causes?”

[Simply put, it’s about maintaining balance. It’s a rule to prevent the indiscriminate abuse of transcendent powers.]

“I still don’t quite understand. Could you explain it more simply?”

[You little pup.]

“……”

That felt oddly like being insulted. Master Mangnyang licked his paw and said,

[For example, if there exists a spell that can destroy the world with just a chant, could you cast it?]

“Uh… Wouldn’t crafting it be impossible in the first place?”

[That’s not true. Those who surpass the power of Great Celestial Immortals could create such spells. Their inherent abilities are terrifyingly strong, which is why they can manage it. They typically either govern the Heavenly Realm as celestial beings or reside as Ancient Rulers in slumber.]

Master Mangnyang fixed his unique cat eyes on me and continued,

[However, even with that, the world will never face annihilation. Because due to causality, casting such a spell becomes impossible.]

“Huh?”

[This world is fixed within a powerful dominion established through numerous contracts between higher beings. If one were to try to chant a world-annihilating spell, that existence would face backlash from causality and be instantly obliterated. No matter how Ancient Rulers they may be, they lack the strength to overpower all other beings.]

“……”

[It seems you’ve grasped what I’m saying.]

Despite my intellect, Master Mangnyang’s words about sorcery were something I had studied for nearly a decade. I quickly understood him and said,

“So you mean even the strongest beings can’t wield their power without justification?”

[Exactly. That’s the shackle of causality, and it can be considered the minimum safeguard protecting the human realm.]

Finally, I was beginning to understand why Yeong-bin and Dal-gi had mentioned causality in my fourteenth reincarnation. Perhaps Dal-gi, the great demon king, had existed since the beginning but for some reason, he opted for retirement and faded from history. If he began to recklessly exert power, he would be wiped out due to causality. It meant even a demon of his caliber had to stay still without justification.

I said,

“Regardless, that’s not why I’m here. I came looking for Mangnyang. If you have knowledge of his whereabouts, please tell me.”

[ ……]

Master Mangnyang fell into silence for a moment. Then he spoke,

[Why should I tell you?]

Of course, that was Master Mangnyang for you. He wouldn’t easily give away the information I truly needed. Internally frustrated, I calmly responded,

“I intend to fight against the Imperial Palace. And this is something I cannot do alone. I desperately need Mangnyang‘s power, which is why I’m searching for him.”

[The Imperial Palace… Why are you fighting it?]

“Because a certain alchemist within the Imperial Palace plans to achieve sinister objectives by developing Demon Beasts and Dragon Beasts, including Supernatural Beings. If he isn’t stopped, innocent lives might be sacrificed.”

[ ……]

Master Mangnyang looked down at me with an expression of surprise.

[You’re quite an odd fellow. It’s one thing to know such classified information, but you still plan to confront the Imperial Palace with your current abilities? That’s like throwing eggs at a rock.]

“Because the worst Demon lies dormant in Nakyang and might awaken.”

[… Oh?]

“Look at it positively. In the end, what I’m doing is also helping you.”

This time, Master Mangnyang showed a considerably different reaction. Until now, he had merely been distant and indifferent, watching me, but now he appeared genuinely curious. For a while, Master Mangnyang stared at me intently before saying,

[If you could fully bring out the power of the Moya, perhaps you really could defeat the Imperial Palace.]

“Eh?!”

I was taken aback by his unexpected statement.

‘Is that really possible?!’

Honestly, I had half-given up on stopping the Imperial Palace this reincarnation. I figured that before he could produce any Supernatural Beings or Demon Beasts, I’d have to act with haste, but due to my personal training time, I’d wasted a whole seven years. Yet here was the Master of the Borderlands, one of the Heavenly Realm’s greatest celestial immortals, speaking of possibilities!

Master Mangnyang asked,

[Do you know how to nurture the Moya?]

“I know I can kill something with it.”

[There is another method.]

“Eh?!”

As I focused on Master Mangnyang, he continued,

[You must locate and liberate Gan Jiang from the Fire Tuesday.]

“……!!”

[Gan Jiang and the Moya were said to be a matching pair of the Seven Talents. When used together, it is rumored one can attain a power so immense that it could even slay deities.]

Liberating Gan Jiang!

This was the very best way to amplify the power of the Water Tuesday’s Moya! Hearing this unexpected piece of information made me smile widely. If that were true, it meant that the more Seven Talents I gathered, the stronger I’d become!

‘Awesome!’

As far as I knew, Gan Jiang resided on the distant southern continent. It was said to be an uncharted land even the southern tribes had never visited, but I wasn’t particularly worried. After all, hadn’t I already gone to the northernmost point, the North Pole? If I set my mind to it, I could find Gan Jiang one day!

Master Mangnyang, who had shared this unexpected information, leaped down from the roof and leisurely began to walk along the path.

[My disciple has gone to Mount Kunlun to study sorcery. When the time comes, I’ll send word to you.]

“Mount Kunlun? Is that the one where the Kunlun Sect resides?”

Master Mangnyang glanced back at me and said,

[You little pup, figure it out yourself.]

“……”

[Then, goodbye.]

Swish!

As I watched Master Mangnyang vanish, I gradually began to awaken from my dream.

“……”

I stood up to find that Cheon Woo-jin had already set the sunset, and a considerable amount of time had passed while I had my brief nap.

“Awake?”

Cheon Woo-jin perched some distance away. He appeared to have relaxed his hostility toward me, addressing me now in a somewhat respectful tone. Chewing on a freshly picked cucumber, he stated while munching,

“Though my master would have mentioned it, don’t bother looking for your brother. He’s currently going through the most crucial phase of his life.”

“I heard he went to Mount Kunlun. Is that really the Mount Kunlun in the Kunlun Mountain Range?”

“Well… not exactly.”

“……?”

Cheon Woo-jin suddenly tossed a cucumber at me. It was crisp and fresh, as if just plucked from the field. Holding it and staring blankly, Cheon Woo-jin remarked,

“My brother is a celestial genius, but he has not been born with talent for sorcery. He has suffered greatly until now. However, amid the hardships of life, he gained enlightenment and qualified to enter Mount Kunlun, so he will surely grow into a remarkable sorcerer.”

“……!!”

“It would only hinder my brother’s path if you followed him too closely.”

I was bewildered.

Mangnyang had apparently attained enlightenment and qualified to enter Mount Kunlun after seven years?

Thus far, he hadn’t even mentioned anything like that to me.

“Enlightenment? What do you mean?”

“In the realm of immortal beings, there are Immortal Disciples and Human Disciples. The former are those who were born as immortals, while the latter are those who have gained outstanding enlightenment amid humanity. My brother has just embarked on the path of a Human Disciple.”

Cheon Woo-jin continued, expressing a feeling of pride I couldn’t quite place.

“……”

From what I had seen of Mangnyang, he liked to have fun, lay back, and only study when he was bored. Simply studying during moments of boredom was enough to reveal wisdom that surpassed ordinary people. He also engaged with girls and occasionally drank with the folks of Jinrang Valley. Yet, I didn’t feel the need to share that with Cheon Woo-jin.

“Well, I’ll take my leave now.”

“Go on.”

As I stepped out of Jinrang Valley, I pondered.

‘Hmmm… I guess I’ll have to leave Mangnyang be for now.’

Master Mangnyang had said he would send word when the time came, so Mangnyang would join me when he was ready. Until then, I resolved to train in martial arts as much as possible to grow the Moya.