Reincarnation Sword God

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Celestial Realm

I figured that Cheongwol and Dokgo Seong would manage to find Mount Tai on their own later, so there wasn’t much point in me worrying about it. With a month to spare, I thought it might be best to check out the remaining Four Great Mountains.

‘Let’s start with Hengshan.’

As I pondered which one to visit first, I decided to head to Hengshan. It’s not like Huashan, Hengshan, and Songshan didn’t have the Huashan Sect, Hengshan Sect, and Shaolin Temple, respectively. Hengshan, on the other hand, lacked any special martial sects, which meant it would be a safer and more straightforward choice to start with.

Hengshan was located in Shanxi Province, and it was the northernmost of the Five Great Mountains. Usually, the Nine Great Sects would set up their bases on the renowned mountains, so there might be a Taoist sect on Hengshan too, but there was a reason why they didn’t.

Ku-ggu-ggu-ggu…

After half a day’s journey, I finally reached the base of Hengshan and looked up at the towering mountain. Among the mountains I had seen so far, it was quite high and steep, with cliffs that were brutally steep. Moreover, the presence of various gates told me that there couldn’t possibly be a civilian martial sect here. This was because Hengshan, along with Mount Tai, was notorious for being steep and perilous among the Five Great Mountains and had historically been a significant military position.

Of course, because Hengshan is considered one of the sacred sites of Taoism, there were a few Taoist temples scattered about. However, it seemed that there wasn’t any prominent sect like the Nine Great Sects keeping a watchful eye over the area. As I rummaged around Hengshan, I stumbled upon a temple known as Hyun Gong Temple.

Upon entering Hyun Gong Temple, I met with the Abbot and made a donation. After paying my respects to the Buddha Statue, I was granted an audience. Of course, I was eager to ask if he had seen the Old Sage of Mount Tai around this area. The Abbot, surprised that a mere child found his way to a temple several hundred feet high, responded,

“Haha… You’re a martial artist, I see. The Old Sage of Mount Tai frequently visits this temple or the nearby Taoist temples.”

“Is he currently residing in Hengshan?”

“Well… He wanders around like a divine dragon, so I’m not quite sure. However, he doesn’t often appear here at Hengshan.”

“I see.”

It seemed I might need to search the entirety of Hengshan after all.

Suddenly, I noticed another bizarre giant image beside the Buddha Statue in the Great Hero Hall. It was an odd-looking statue that seemed out of place as a guardian deity in Buddhism. Since I had never seen anything like it, I became intrigued and asked,

“What is that giant?”

“Haha… That’s Pangu.”

“Pangu!!”

I jumped a bit.

You see, Pangu is a legendary figure in creation myths, the being who established order in the world from the chaos of the universe. However, he’s such an ancient and symbolic existence that he hasn’t really been worshiped by either Buddhism or Taoism until now. So, this was my first time seeing a statue of him directly. The Abbot smiled warmly and explained,

“Pangu was conceived within an egg-like universe, containing the essence of heaven and earth. When he broke open the egg, he sent the light and pure essence upwards to create the heavens and the heavy, turbid essence downwards to form the earth. We enshrine him here at the temple to honor Pangu’s great contributions.”

“Hmm…”

There really didn’t seem to be any problem with that. Pangu isn’t a Buddhist deity but is still a revered figure in folk beliefs. It’s only natural for Buddhism to be influenced here, especially in Hengshan, which is one of the origins of Taoism.

Feeling a bit curious, I asked the Abbot,

“There are also tales that say Pangu died to create this world, while others say Fuxi and Nüwa were the ones who created it. Why do multiple creation myths coexist?”

“Haha… Looks like you have a keen interest in myths.”

“I have many questions.”

“Alright. Since this is fate, I will share my thoughts on this matter with you.”

The Abbot chuckled, appearing quite pleased as he spoke.

“To be precise, they’re a bit different.”

“How are they different?”

“Pangu created the world, while Fuxi and Nüwa created humanity… It’s only natural that the origins of the world would predate human existence, wouldn’t you say?”

“……”

“When heaven and earth were dark and yellow (天地玄黃), and the universe vast and coarse (宇宙洪荒), it is not the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, but rather the truth created by the creation deity Pangu.”

After hearing the Abbot’s analogy, I nodded.

“It’s a phrase from the Thousand-Character Classic.”

“You seem quite interested in myths. If you have the time, you should visit the Heavenly Ladder Altar nearby.”

“The Heavenly Ladder?”

“It is said that there was a ladder connecting heaven and earth there. Nowadays, it has become a place where Taoists from various regions hold rituals every three years. The scenery is quite picturesque.”

“Thank you.”

“Amitabha…”

The Heavenly Ladder.

As I left the temple, I recalled a story I had heard from Hyun Cheon-doin a short while ago.

[Fuxi, who created the Eight Trigrams, was said to have transmitted ‘fire’ to humanity at the beginning. This fire was conveyed to humans through a heavenly ladder made of the Divine Tree, meaning it originally came from the heavens.]

It seems that the Heavenly Ladder had been a means of connecting the heavens and the earth since ancient times. It also seemed that there were traditional accounts regarding the Heavenly Ladder here in Hengshan. After piecing together the information I had gathered so far, I arrived at a hypothesis.

‘Wait a second. If the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, particularly Zhuanxu, severed the connection between heaven and earth, doesn’t that mean they removed the Heavenly Ladder?’

That was the only conclusion I could draw. To confirm my hypothesis, I decided to head over to the Heavenly Ladder Altar, as the Abbot had suggested.

This place looked like it was often frequented by Taoists, featuring various huts and facilities. Even though it was called the Heavenly Ladder Altar, it was essentially a standard altar made of flat ground, only about three chi in size. I approached the altar to check if there was anything unusual.

“Hmm, this is…”

Curiously, there was indeed a statue of Pangu enshrined at the altar, just like the one I had seen at Hyun Gong Temple. It appeared that Pangu’s worship was quite widespread in the Hengshan area, regardless of the sect. I pondered that for a moment before backing away from the Heavenly Ladder Altar.

For the next two days, I thoroughly searched Hengshan, but there were no signs of the Old Sage of Mount Tai. I wrapped up my exploration of Hengshan and needed to decide where to head next among the Five Great Mountains.

“Hmmm. Since it’s not Hengshan, I’ll have to choose between Huashan, Hengshan, and Songshan now…”

I found myself in quite a dilemma. Each of those places was home to the strongholds of the Nine Great Sects. Searching for the Old Sage of Mount Tai in such places would be exceedingly awkward and dangerous. A small mistake could spark conflict with the Nine Great Sects.

After much deliberation, I finally decided to head to Hengshan first. It seemed the Hengshan Sect was more manageable than the Huashan Sect, which was the dominant power in the region of Hunan, or the Shaolin Temple, considered the strongest among the Nine Great Sects.

Hengshan, also known as the Southern Mountain, was located in Hunan Province. It took me an entire day to travel there from the Shanxi Province, and I entered the Hengshan area, keeping a low profile to avoid attracting attention.

‘Hengshan Sect masters are really hard to spot.’

Even though they’re called the Nine Great Sects, they don’t hold dominance over the entire Five Great Mountains. The extensive Shaolin Temple only controls about four to five of the Seventy-Two Peaks. But martial experts have a wider perception and range, so I needed to be careful.

To my surprise, there were many temples scattered around Hengshan. As I roamed the area, I suddenly sensed a powerful aura and hid in the brush.

Sasa!

‘There’s a formidable master nearby.’

Even while holding my breath and hiding my aura, I could still clearly sense the immense power! There was definitely a powerful martial artist nearby, within a hundred feet! The moment I thought that, it seemed the other party sensed my presence as well, and their aura vanished. I sat cross-legged in the grass, feeling a little nervous.

That opponent must be a peak expert. As I contemplated my options, I resolved to stay hidden and observe the situation.

So I endured for about an hour. The other party, seeming to be losing patience, finally erupted with a colossal lion’s roar.

[Whoever you are, reveal yourself! I, Jo Jin-ung, the Sect Leader of Hengshan, shall face you!]

“……!!”

As I recognized that the figure leaping onto the rock was Jo Jin-ung, the Sect Leader of Hengshan, I was taken aback.

Eight-Armed Sword Immortal, Jo Jin-ung!

He was the leader of the Hengshan Sect and a widely known master of swordsmanship, particularly recognized as a peak expert representing the Hunan Province. Known as the Eight-Armed due to his diverse swordplay abilities, he was indeed a supreme master in the martial world. There was no doubt that he could surpass all but the top tier of practitioners.

‘What to do?’

It was nearly impossible to avoid Jo Jin-ung’s gaze. Fighting him was a different matter altogether, but dodging the perception range of someone like Jo Jin-ung was virtually impossible. It seemed I had unwantedly stumbled upon Jo Jin-ung during his solitary training in the depths of Hengshan.

As I contemplated my course of action, I forwent any confrontation and decided to leave Hengshan. Even though I was curious about the Hengshan Sect’s sword techniques, now wasn’t the time to stir up trouble. I took out a smoke bomb from my pocket and quickly vanished from the spot.

Paa!

Next, I arrived at Huashan. I had been nearby in my previous life, so it was easy enough to get there. This time, I promised myself I wouldn’t get caught up with any of the Huashan Sect’s masters.

‘Uh-oh. What’s going on?’

After rummaging around Huashan for a day, I began to feel something odd.

“What’s going on?”

Even while evading people in the rugged mountains, I realized with increasing strangeness that there were way too few auras present. There were even fewer people than when I was wandering around Hengshan! Given how much stronger the Huashan Sect is compared to the Hengshan Sect, this was indeed bizarre.

My curiosity piqued, I began moving toward what seemed to be the main hall of the Huashan Sect. Eventually, I discovered a large Taoist building that appeared to belong to the Huashan Sect, but something felt off.

“……”

There were no people.

No signs of Huashan Sect members anywhere.

The building was intact, yet there wasn’t a single martial artist to be found, despite it being the Huashan Sect’s stronghold where their members were supposed to be training and defending!

There was no way all the disciples of the Huashan Sect could have gone out on an expedition all at once. Regardless of how significant the event, there should be at least ten individuals remaining to safeguard the sect. I pondered what to do and decided to risk it and infiltrate the main hall of the Huashan Sect.

‘If there’s something unusual, I need to find out why.’

To efficiently gather useful information for my next life, I swiftly penetrated through the sect and entered what seemed to be a grand chamber meant for high-ranking members. Judging by the inscription marked “Treasure Hall,” this was certainly a critical stronghold of the Huashan Sect.

However, even upon entering the Treasure Hall, I sensed absolutely no presence of anyone. Not even a hint! I felt a shiver go down my spine as I uncovered something even stranger.

“……!!”

Indeed.

I couldn’t even sense the presence of small creatures like mice or insects!

From the outside, this place seemed fine, but it had transformed into a desolate land completely devoid of life. It felt as though every living thing had vanished from the area. Even the common pests that should have scurried about were conspicuously absent.

What on earth was going on?

‘There are no signs of battle.’

If external enemies had invaded and wiped out the Huashan Sect, there would surely be some remnants of battle! No matter how strong an enemy might be, eliminating all human presence from the Huashan Sect without leaving a trace of destruction would be impossible. There were none of the red stains or destruction left behind. Furthermore, the absence of animal and plant auras was inexplicable.

While I wandered around, filled with questions, I stumbled upon the sleeping quarters where the disciples of the Huashan Sect lived. Even the swords and weapons were neatly stored away. I resolved to delve deeper and locate a space where the Sect Leader or the elders of the Huashan Sect might be residing.

‘There’s something here.’

In the deepest part of the Treasure Hall, the wooden floor was pervaded with an aromatic scent, but that mystical scent was overshadowed by an intense and ominous aura seeping out. I conjured a glowing orb to brighten my surroundings and ventured even further in.

Finally, I managed to spot something unusual.

“A… egg?”

Grrumble…

Grrr…

What emerged was an egg that emitted a strange life force. It was an egg, but not like the hard-shelled eggs of common birds—it resembled something made of leather. The problem was its size; it looked like it was about twice the height of an average adult male.

Whatever that egg was, it was undoubtedly closely linked to the mass disappearance of the Huashan Sect’s masters. Just as I was stepping closer to examine the egg…

Kiaaak!

Krraaaah!

With strange sounds echoing around the dim space, figures began to stagger toward me from different corners. As I took in their attire, it looked like they were the Huashan Sect’s martial artists, who might have all been gathered in this spot. I attempted to step forward and talk to them, but I quickly widened my eyes in horror.

“……!!”

Tentacles were writhing from their mouths. Their scalps were peeled back, exposing their brains, and their eyes rolled around aimlessly. There was no doubt—these were no longer ‘humans.’ Recognizing that they were what the Huashan Sect prided itself on as the Plum Blossom Sword Masters, I was completely dumbfounded.

‘So the Plum Blossom Sword Masters ended up like this and couldn’t even escape?’

Sssss

Amidst this chaos, the Plum Blossom Sword Masters slowly began to surround me. Judging by their stances, it seemed they still knew how to fight. Furthermore, given the shape of their encirclement, they were undoubtedly the legendary Plum Blossom Sword Formation from the martial world.

In that moment, I was absolutely certain.

The Huashan Sect had been destroyed by an alien race!