Reincarnation Sword God

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Heavenly Realm

Jin So-cheong headed toward the front gate of the Namgung Clan. He was wielding his spear, naturally drawing everyone’s attention. A few Guard Warriors flinched and drew their weapons.

The leader of the gatekeepers, sporting fierce tiger-like eyes, glared at Jin So-cheong.

“What are you doing here? Do you even know this is the Namgung Clan?”

“I know very well.”

“From your stance, you seem like a martial artist. Get lost! This isn’t a place just anyone can enter.”

As the gatekeeper issued his warning, other warriors nearby snickered. They probably thought that with a threat like that, most would back down. Indeed, it was common to think that a madman wouldn’t attempt to start a fight at the Namgung Clan‘s gate.

But luck was not on their side. Jin So-cheong and I had come here without any intention of holding back. Jin So-cheong took a deep breath and then spoke.

“I have a question. Is Namgung Myung inside?”

At that, the gazes of the Guard Warriors changed. Up until now, they’d treated this as a joke, but now a cold killing intent flowed forth.

“How dare you mention the master’s name!”

“Seize him…!”

Kuh-HAM!

In the next instant, Jin So-cheong unleashed the Thunder Spirit Seal from his left hand, sweeping through the area. Five of the six Guard Warriors were swept away, flying three paces back and fainting as they hit the ground. Originally, the power could incinerate their upper bodies, but Jin So-cheong had controlled his strength.

The leader of the guard was left dumbfounded, his face a picture of shock. He stumbled backward, trying to grasp the situation.

“Y-you… who are you?”

“I asked if Namgung Myung is inside.”

“W-we… the lord…”

He nervously darted his eyes around, but the next moment, Jin So-cheong charged him and kicked him.

BAM!

“Gaaaah!”

The guard leader was sent flying and passed out from a single kick. Jin So-cheong muttered coldly,

“Eventually, he’ll come out!”

With that, Jin So-cheong sheathed his spear. It seemed he thought that using a spear against this level of warriors was like using an ox slaughtering knife to catch a chicken.

“……”

I followed him, feeling utterly baffled by his words. So I spoke up,

“Wait a minute, is this really what you mean by a frontal assault?! Are you actually going in like this?”

Even if it was a frontal assault, this was not the way I had in mind. I thought there would be some negotiation with the masters of the Namgung Clan involved. I had planned to use Namgung Hwan in the middle of that, but this felt far too reckless.

“Trust me.”

“This is madness.”

I grumbled, yet I walked alongside Jin So-cheong toward the front gate of the Namgung Clan. Glancing ahead, I observed the scene unfolding.

“It’s begun.”

SWISH SWISH SWISH!

Arrows started to rain down from all sides. It seemed news of the earlier incident had spread inside, prompting the archers to spring into action. I had expected swordsmen to rush out, given the Namgung Clan‘s reputation as a sword house, but they had apparently deployed archers for outer guards, as arrows were far more effective against miscreants.

Yet, without even looking, Jin So-cheong deftly avoided the hundreds of incoming arrows. He performed a Ground-impact Technique, lifting stones into the air, and then flicked them lightly with his fingers, channeling his internal energy.

PING!

“Oof.”

“Ugh.”

The stones struck the archers’ foreheads, causing concussions. It was surprising that he could hit such distant targets so accurately. Jin So-cheong casually deployed the Soul-Removing Technique, sweeping through the archers and decimating them in less than ten seconds.

“YOU!”

“Die!”

From somewhere, Namgung Clan swordsmen rushed out, charging at Jin So-cheong, and they appeared to be superior combatants compared to the guards and archers he had faced earlier—close to the top tier in martial arts.

But Jin So-cheong had previously mowed down first-rate masters with ease. He infused his sleeve with internal energy and landed a slap on the faces of the three approaching combatants, not pausing at all as he swung his fists forward.

WHAM BAM BANG!

“Just you alone…”

“Bring it on!”

WHAM WHAM WHAM!

“Theyh?! W-wait a second…”

Nothing could stop Jin So-cheong. The warriors screamed as they got flung into the air.

In the brief time spent traveling the mere fifty paces, dozens of warriors had attacked, yet they couldn’t endure even a second against the barrage of punches. Their sword strikes failed to even graze Jin So-cheong. Occasionally, there were those who attempted to use martial techniques against him, only to be met with harsher blows that left them knocked out.

THUD!

By the time the last warrior fell, Jin So-cheong had reached the massive iron gate. He quietly spoke to me as I arrived behind him,

“This is the outer gate of the Namgung Clan—from here, it’s the inner gate.”

I didn’t need to help Jin So-cheong; the overwhelming power displayed left no room for my involvement. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed in the Namgung Clan’s level.

“Will a proper one show up?”

“You should ask the one on the other side of the door.”

Jin So-cheong placed his hand on the firmly shut iron gate. Moments later, he channeled his energy and executed a Forceful Ejection.

BOOM!

“Whoa!”

In the next instant, the gigantic iron doors, around a story high, flew open, and the warriors of the Namgung Clan, who had been waiting to ambush from behind, screamed. It was hard to believe that the sheer weight of the doors would be difficult for dozens of strong men to budge, let alone be sent flying with a single kick!

Jin So-cheong surged through and resumed firing punches. Behind the gate stood around a hundred warriors watching. With a single strike, five of them were sent flying into the air.

THUD!

“Ahhh!”

“Mother!”

Having the time of his life, I leaned against the doorfold and quietly watched the fight unfold. I couldn’t help but murmur,

“Quite the spectacle.”

Jin So-cheong had yet to show even a fraction of his true abilities, yet already fifty were out cold. The Namgung Clan, true to its nature, maintained a significant pool of lower and mid-level warriors, but they were no match for Jin So-cheong. If he had pulled out his spear, this place would have been a bloodbath by now.

At that moment, someone shouted,

“Sky Team, Earth Team! Surround them!!”

Over twenty figures clad in blue rushed in from the back gate, positioning themselves to Jin So-cheong’s left, while twenty in red took position on the right. As Jin So-cheong halted amidst the onslaught, he sensed their encirclement.

The warriors issuing the surround commands stepped forward, visible to the naked eye. They were formidable Elder type figures possessing substantial internal energy.

“Whoever you are, you’ve messed with the wrong crowd. I swear on the name of the Eight Swords of Namgung that this will be your grave!”

The Eight Swords of Namgung!

They were the eight greatest masters of the Namgung Clan, renowned throughout the martial world for their profound martial skills, cultivated over decades. In person, they certainly displayed the aura of potent practitioners.

The Sky Team and Earth Team were no joke either. They were a collective of thirty to forty warriors, all brimming with a fierce, sharpened air. Individually, their martial power seemed weaker than that of the Eight Swords, but they were more than enough to threaten top tier warriors. They were an overwhelming force capable of stirring up the martial world.

I found myself encircled alongside Jin So-cheong, but for some reason, I felt no anxiety. Perhaps Jin So-cheong felt the same, for he said to me nonchalantly,

“Baek Woong, if you’re just going to watch, I’ll finish this up.”

“Alright.”

Just then, one of the masters among the Eight Swords growled in disbelief,

“Madmen! Watching from the sidelines? Let’s see your insides instead!”

BAM BAM BAM!

In the next moment, the Sky Team and Earth Team launched themselves towards us simultaneously. Their sword style was likely the Namgung Clan’s techniques, radiating the spirit of highly trained masters. In an instant, the air filled with killing intent and blades, making it seem hopeless for us to survive.

But at that moment, instead of focusing on the enemies, I watched Jin So-cheong. And I made a realization.

‘Huh?’

Surprisingly, Jin So-cheong still hadn’t drawn his spear.

WHOOSH!

His fist shot out like a beam of light, striking the jaws of the three from the Sky Team landing in front of him. In that brief moment they lingered midair, Jin So-cheong moved in tandem with the Thunder Shadow, and dozens of split-second moves surged forth, targeting his attackers. Each of those moves delivered maximum impact with zero waste.

In what seemed like Jin So-cheong had split into dozens of copies, every attack met its target, and in an instant, everything was over as the energy returned to him like a magnet. It felt like witnessing a fantasy unfold before my eyes.

“……!!”

“What, what?!”

Time seemed to freeze. In reality, the seasoned masters of the Sky Team and Earth Team, who had rushed in fully armed, weren’t moving an inch. Moments later, they trembled and began to spit blood.

THUD

The warriors from the Sky Team and Earth Team fell, their weapons clattering to the ground, and many lay unconscious, unable even to scream. Astonishingly, every master within a fifteen-foot radius had been subdued by a single move from Jin So-cheong.

Wait, was I the only one who properly witnessed what just happened?

The Eight Swords were aghast, struggling to understand the situation. However, being top-tier masters from the martial world, they quickly gathered their composure and raised their weapons, forming a defensive formation around Jin So-cheong.

“Uninvited guest. Draw your weapon.”

The elder at the forefront, with a wild white beard, demanded, his gaze burning with determination and unease.

“Didn’t you hear me? Draw your weapon.”

They recognized Jin So-cheong’s weapon was a spear and realized they had underestimated him thoroughly.

“Hmph.”

Instead of responding, Jin So-cheong tightened his right fist, seemingly intent on settling this with only his punches. Standing behind him, I felt baffled and nervous.

‘Isn’t that a bit too reckless?!’

Even I was unsure whether I could sweep them away in one go! Even if I unleashed my full power to unleash a wave of energy like last time against the masters of the Jongnam Faction, it would hardly be a cakewalk. If Jin So-cheong truly faced Namgung Myung, I wasn’t sure even he could win without his spear.

However, Jin So-cheong’s resolve seemed unshakeable. His refusal to draw out his spear enraged the Eight Swords, and moments later, they ignited their swords with flame, rallying their energy.

“Haap!!”

“Kill him!”

Blue flames erupted!

The sight of those individually powerful practitioners rushing in with blazing flames was terrifying. If I had been standing in Jin So-cheong’s shoes, I would’ve panicked and used the Soul-Removing Technique to dodge!

Instead, Jin So-cheong stood firm, bringing his palms together in a praying position. He took gentle steps forward. I was taken aback as I realized the hidden depth of that step.

‘The Three Steps! The Step of Heaven!’

Having heard about them from Jin So-cheong, I understood now. There was a profound principle of martial arts embedded within those steps.

No apparent change manifested as Jin So-cheong suppressed the Spiritual Energy from the Heaven. But as he landed on the Earth step and released his stance, I suddenly opened my eyes wide.

WHOOSH!

With a strange sound akin to a flute piercing the air, three of the Eight Swords collapsed silently. In an instant, Jin So-cheong struck with unbelievable speed that my eye could barely follow, and the Eight Swords succumbed easily. A lingering distortion in the air flashed briefly.

Incredibly, having felled three already, Jin So-cheong still appeared to have ample energy for more attacks. Time allowed Jin So-cheong to step again onto the Man step, grabbing the wrist of one of the Elders attempting to sneak up from behind and redirecting their sword to clash with another elder’s weapon.

CLANK!

“Gah!”

The two Elders cried out simultaneously, as Jin So-cheong pulled the first to forcefully clash blades. The restrained elder tried to escape, but he didn’t budge, ending up inadvertently smashing blades with his comrade.

Using the Sword as his means of offense, Jin So-cheong retaliated fiercely!

“Ugh.”

“Stop it!”

CLASH!

The Elders of the Namgung Clan yelled in outrage, but Jin So-cheong paid them no mind and kept up the bizarre swordplay.

Before long, Jin So-cheong hurled the Elder’s body towards his comrades and launched another strike, halting the attack. Another Elder was sent flying as well.

With six of the Eight Swords down in an instant, the remaining two stumbled back, falling behind.

At this rate, martial formations didn’t matter. Formations served to cover each other’s weaknesses, but Jin So-cheong’s attack speed far surpassed even that of top-tier masters’ reaction times.

“Ugh… a monster…”

BAM!

The one who yelled “monster” was sent flying after being punched in the gut by Jin So-cheong. Once again, he didn’t even see it coming.

The last two Elders were dropped in just over three seconds. While they launched their desperate attacks with flames, they couldn’t even graze Jin So-cheong’s clothing. Having taken out all eight Elders, Jin So-cheong turned to me and asked,

“Baek Woong, did you see that?”

“Umm…!! Perfect!”

“It was a bit tough, but I pushed it to make sure you grasp the essence of the Three Steps. It’s easier to catch on after seeing it once.”

“……”

Was he really that strained?

When I looked at Jin So-cheong in disbelief, a low voice echoed through the hall.

“A remarkable master has arrived.”

With a husky voice, a middle-aged man soared in with light footsteps. Beside him stood two Guard Warriors, also exuding considerable martial prowess. As Jin So-cheong recognized him, he answered,

“It’s been a while, Namgung Myung.”

At Jin So-cheong’s words, Namgung Myung, the leader of the Namgung Clan, raised his eyebrows in surprise. He appeared as a stern-looking middle-aged man in white. His impressively sculpted physique suggested years of rigorous martial training.

“… Aren’t you Jin So-cheong? What in the world is going on here?”

Indeed, with Jin So-cheong upturning the Namgung Clan, it was no wonder that one of the top-tier masters of the Orthodox Sect, Namgung Myung, showed up. Given their past acquaintance, his expression was likely one of utter disbelief.

But Jin So-cheong’s next words rendered all the onlookers speechless.

“Shut up and come at me.”

“What?!?”

Staring down at him, Jin So-cheong spoke clearly,

“You deserve to be beaten for raising your child like a stray.”

“This… this bastard.”

Namgung Myung turned red in the face, clearly infuriated by Jin So-cheong’s provocation. But Jin So-cheong showed no signs of backing down, releasing a subtle killing intent.

“If you don’t come at me, I’ll come for you.”

WHOOSH!

Jin So-cheong charged at Namgung Myung with nothing but his bare hands!

‘What is he thinking?!’

Sword King Namgung Myung prepared himself in a mindset for a skill of imperial swordplay, known as the Emperor’s Divine Dance! He entered the realm of Mental Authority, using its legendary techniques to unleash his secret skill at full force, proving the world’s belief that he was a top-tier master, equaled with legends like Lee Kwang.

CRACK!

As the Emperor’s Divine Dance unfolded, a blue luminance enveloped Namgung Myung. The sword god transformed into a Blue Dragon, unleashing dozens of split strikes. I couldn’t help but wonder if I could manage to take a blow from the Emperor’s Divine Dance if I were faced with it.

‘Damn it! He’s on the lookout after seeing the Eight Swords get taken down!’

I clenched my teeth, realizing that Namgung Myung, a seasoned expert in the martial world, already felt something was off about Jin So-cheong. Using all his power was these desperate times!

As I prepared to rush in with my own weapon, Jin So-cheong once more executed the Three Steps, and Namgung Myung’s energy coiled back within him for a moment as Jin So-cheong unleashed another strike, making it explode. Namgung Myung found himself caught off guard as the opening left in his defensive stance grew precarious, and then Jin So-cheong dove in once again!