Reincarnation Sword God

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Heavenly Realm

Bam!

I first headed to Henan Province. Asking nearby locals for directions, I began my journey towards Songshan, feeling a sense of wonder as I pushed through the brush.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve had many reincarnations, yet this is my first time going to Songshan.’

At Songshan, there’s the Shaolin Temple, famous as the leader of the Nine Great Sects. Its history stretches well over a thousand years, comparable to that of the White Lotus Sect. While there was an existing martial world before the Shaolin Temple, it remains the only one still standing, highlighting its greatness.

Suddenly, I had a thought: a tragedy similar to what occurred with the Huashan Sect might have happened at Shaolin Temple too. Therefore, I reasoned that sneaking in would be better than approaching directly. If I had confronted the Huashan Sect head-on, it was highly likely that those flies would have manipulated humans to pretend everything was normal.

Before long, I could see the peaks of Songshan in the distance. Staring blankly at the landscape, I headed toward a nearby village, handing out a few coins to gather information.

“Mysterious activities? None of that around here…”

The farmer said, puzzled.

“Monks sometimes come down to the village. Otherwise, those from family homes come to buy food supplies…”

“So, no unusual phenomena?”

“Um… not really…”

“Thank you.”

I left the farmer’s house and entered Songshan, now heading into the remote mountain trails. I had already identified a few peaks, including Small Loss Peak, which served as the base for Shaolin Temple, so I decided to check out some other peaks first. Perhaps the Old Sage of Mount Tai could be hiding in a place unnoticed by Shaolin Temple.

Whoosh!

It took about a day to scour sixteen out of the seventy-two peaks of Songshan. I heightened my awareness, employing all my senses to search for any suspicious activity, but as expected, nothing special stood out. I decided to take a break and entered a cave to think.

‘Shouldn’t I learn some sorcery?’

I realized while dealing with the flies from the Huashan Sect that sorcerers were much better at countering Otherworldly Beings than martial artists. The special ability of Spiritual Transformation was like a nightmare for martial artists, but as Yeodong-bin mentioned, sorcerers could handle it in over ten different ways. Considering that only a handful of martial artists can reach the level of Mental Domain mastery, it seemed vital for my future to equip myself with sorcery as well.

I needed defensive abilities against evil!

Of course, I could learn sorcery anytime now. Thanks to the Law Book I received from Miho years ago and having held onto it for over a decade, my potential for magic increased. Having carried around that talisman for decades, it felt as if I had awakened my Spirit Communication. Since I had reached my limits in martial arts, learning sorcery wouldn’t be a bad idea.

I finished my musings and started moving again. My incredibly high internal power meant that even a short rest fully restored my stamina, and I was always filled with energy even without eating or drinking.

For about three days, I wandered around Songshan searching for traces of the Old Sage of Mount Tai. I stumbled upon marks of Otherworldly Beings but found nothing. I felt I had checked about 70% of the Songshan area.

… Now, let’s check the Shaolin Temple.

Considering the possibility of encountering Otherworldly Beings like during the Huashan Sect incident, I cautiously approached the area where the buildings of Shaolin Temple stood. Climbing up a rugged cliff that no one usually traversed, I went unnoticed. From a high peak, I began scanning the interior of Shaolin Temple with my eyes.

‘The monks seem to be moving about fine…’

So far, they appeared fine on the surface. However, I couldn’t jump to conclusions, so I tried to use the Soul-Destruction Technique to sneak into Shaolin Temple’s inner chambers—thinking that something might reveal itself deeper inside.

Just as I was about to slip in…

[ Young Hero. Please hold for a moment.]

Snag!

I abruptly halted my movement, startled by the unexpected call from somewhere. Balancing carefully on a branch over the cliff, I stood still, wanting to pinpoint the sender of that message but failing to sense them.

The mysterious master sent another message.

[ I sensed your presence surveying Songshan for several days. Though you seem lacking in Evil Intent, I must intervene if you wish to infiltrate the main temple.]

I felt I somewhat understood their location—it was around three hundred meters from me, taking precautions against my presence. So, I decided to shoot a message back in their direction.

[ Who are you?]

[ I am Master Myungjeong of Shaolin Temple.]

Master Myungjeong!

I was a bit flustered, having never heard that name before. Of course, I had expected someone of such martial stature to be Master Myung-ho, the Saint of Shaolin Temple, but that wasn’t the case. The energy I felt from this person indicated at least a superlative mastery, which only added to my astonishment.

‘Although they are a monk of the same level as Master Myung-ho, to think such a master would be hidden away in Shaolin Temple without any renown?’

I sensed the depths of Shaolin Temple’s foundation—without a doubt, there were other eminent masters like Master Myungjeong scattered around. As expected, if such superlative masters were to confront me, I would stand no chance with my current ability.

Thinking I should avoid a fight, I leaped up the cliff and politely answered him.

[ The Huashan Sect was destroyed not long ago. It seems there are wicked beings connected to this incident, and I was checking around the Shaolin Temple to see if anything happened.]

Then, Master Myungjeong fell silent for a moment before replying.

[ Seeing the celestial principles in disarray, I was curious if anything would happen… So the Huashan Sect had fallen! But our Shaolin Temple is currently unharmed.]

[ Really?]

[ Young Hero, your concern for the righteous world is admirable, but the affairs of our temple must be resolved by us.]

A chill ran down my spine at the next spoken word.

[ And we must speak with you to understand the full context of this situation.]

Swish, swish, swish!!

Suddenly, a presence approached from all directions. All of them wielded powerful energies, and it didn’t take long for them to reach the cliff where I stood.

There were three in total. All of them shared one attribute: aged, long-bearded masters adorned in monk robes. They also possessed remarkably high levels of internal power. The monk standing in the middle looked at me with sharp eyes.

“I am Master Myungjeong. Beside me are Masters Myungwoo and Myungjin.”

“……!!”

“Young Hero, please reveal your true nature.”

I felt sweat trickle down my spine.

These were the highest-ranking monks of the current Shaolin Temple! Three of the legendary figures stood before me. It felt unbelievable, yet I could tell each of them had superlative martial prowess. Considering that they had all spent over fifty years honing their skills, it would be fair to compare their presence to the three leaders of the Nine Great Sects right in front of me.

‘Trying to win through martial might would surely put me on the verge of death!’

Even if I employed all my wisdom, it would be challenging to survive their combined efforts.

What stood before me were the true masters supporting the illustrious Shaolin Temple, the cornerstone of righteousness. If I hadn’t built up my strength through countless reincarnations, I wouldn’t even dare to look at them. After a brief moment of contemplation, I spoke to them.

“The destruction of the Huashan Sect is indeed true. It seems the news hasn’t reached here due to the distance, but they were attacked by Otherworldly Beings, resulting in the deaths of their leader and elders. I was on my way to help them.”

“You’ve omitted something crucial. Who are you, and why have you visited the Huashan Sect and the temple in succession?”

“……”

“Your level of martial prowess exceeds what one would expect at your age; we suspect you might be a prodigy of the White Lotus Sect.”

Certainly, they could think that. Given their perspective, it’s reasonable to assume that someone of my talent could either be a practitioner of Kayang or a member of the White Lotus Sect. However, I firmly denied it.

“That is not true. To clarify my situation, I am currently seeking the Old Sage of Mount Tai among the Five Great Mountains. That is why I visited the Huashan Sect and now Shaolin Temple.”

Surprise flickered in Master Myungjeong’s eyes.

“The Old Sage of Mount Tai?”

“That’s right.”

“Why are you searching for him?”

Since this was happening, I thought it might be wise to share some information with Shaolin Temple. It wouldn’t hurt for them to be aware of the suspicious nature of the Old Sage, and I believed it would be beneficial for Shaolin Temple to gather intel and remain vigilant. Taking a deep breath, I began.

“I received information indicating that the Old Sage is in close contact with the Imperial Palace. Moreover, he is incredibly mysterious, with no one aware of his whereabouts, yet he seems to be wandering the Five Great Mountains and showing great interest in sacrificial rites. Connecting that with the Imperial Palace, I find his actions troubling, which is why I sought to learn more about him.”

“Hmm…!!”

Master Myungjeong muttered thoughtfully.

“Why do you care about such matters? We cannot help but consider you a covert operative for the White Lotus Sect.”

I calmly countered.

“Let me say this: if I were indeed a member of the White Lotus Sect, I would not be fumbling around like this. I would have come with a bodyguard or something to confront you. Right?”

“……”

“I apologize for causing concern. If you just inform me of the Old Sage’s whereabouts, I vow to leave Songshan and never return.”

Master Myungjeong exchanged furtive glances with Masters Myungwoo and Myungjin, falling into silence. It seemed they were silently discussing their opinions through mental messages. I leisurely crossed my arms and waited patiently. After a moment, Master Myungjeong spoke.

“Can you share your name or alias?”

“I am called Little Bear (소웅).”

“Little Bear, Young Hero. You need not worry; no misfortunes have come upon Shaolin Temple. The Old Sage visited the main temple a year ago but has not come to Songshan since.”

It seemed they were more inclined to let me go while presenting minimal information. I considered this a partial success.

“A year ago? Did he engage in any unusual activities during that time?”

The answer that followed had my eyes widening.

“He performed a ceremony at the Heavenly Altar.”

“……!!”

The Heavenly Altar!

Hadn’t I heard about that at Mount Huang too? I hid my panic and asked.

“As far as I know, the Heavenly Altar is located at Mount Huang; can there be one at Songshan as well?”

“Young Hero, there’s a Heavenly Altar at each of the Five Great Mountains. It is a remnant of an ancient faith worshipping the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, found everywhere.”

What a surprise! Although I hadn’t explored all of Hengshan or Huashan due to time constraints, I never expected there to be a Heavenly Altar at each of the Five Great Mountains! Considering that the Heavenly Altar symbolizes a spot where the Heavenly Ladder was erected to connect the heavens and the earth, this was indeed significant.

‘This is something I must inform Mang-ryang about!’

So, was the reason the Old Sage wandered the Five Great Mountains to perform rites at the Heavenly Altars? What was the meaning behind the Old Sage offering sacrifices? I pondered for a moment before addressing Master Myungjeong.

“… I would like to visit the Heavenly Altar. Is there any way I could?”

“Absolutely not.”

Master Myungjeong replied firmly.

“It seems you aren’t willing to clarify your true identity. While I appreciate the information regarding the Old Sage, I cannot be certain of its credibility. As guardians of Shaolin Temple, we cannot allow you to roam freely around Songshan.”

Master Myungjeong’s intentions were clear; he wanted me to leave immediately after providing minimal information. Here, he might think that such a concession was more than enough. Feeling I had no choice, I nodded.

“Well then… my apologies for imposing.”

Just then, a commanding voice echoed.

[ Please wait a moment!]

The tremendous resonance of the message overwhelmed us, causing the three Shaolin masters, including myself, to stagger. The pressure was so immense that it felt like the sky was collapsing. Feeling it, I was filled with an absurd sense of bewilderment.

‘What on earth is this extraordinary internal power?!’

In terms of internal potential, we might be on the same level. The only difference was that one side unleashed it all at once while I was concealing mine. Nonetheless, it made no sense that a mere martial artist could possess that level of internal prowess!

Whoosh!

A mighty wind rushed in, and a monk descended from the heavens, heading directly toward me. Seeing him, I gasped.

“The Divine Monk…!!”

The greatest master of Shaolin Temple and one of the three Great Righteous Protectors! Master Myung-ho, the Divine Monk!

I recalled his face clearly from when I visited the Wudang Sect with Jin So-cheong, so there was no mistaking it. The Divine Monk was standing before me, having flown down from the sky. He quietly observed me before speaking.

“I’ve heard your tale from Master Mang-ryang. It seems you arrived as expected today.”

“Pardon?”

The Divine Monk turned gracefully.

“Follow me. I will show you the Heavenly Altar.”