Reincarnation Sword God

---

Zhuge Sa hesitated for a moment, then chuckled as he said,

“I am Zhuge Sa, the Lord of Jangryeong Valley. May I ask who you are?”

[Jangryeong Valley? I’ve never heard of it.]

“Well, it’s a backwater, so I can’t blame you for that…”

While muttering to himself, the Leader of the White Lotus Sect stared at Zhuge Sa and said,

[If you dared to covet my life, then you must be prepared for the consequences.]

Zhuge Sa quickly waved his hands, saying,

“No, no! Let me explain! Just hold on for a moment…”

Kaboom!

“……!!”

Before Zhuge Sa could say anything, his left arm suddenly flew off with a thunderous bang. It seemed that the Leader unleashed a devastating strike, but it happened so quickly that I couldn’t fully comprehend what had just happened.

Even as meat and blood splattered everywhere, Zhuge Sa was forcing himself to suppress the agony. With a pale face, he said,

“You seem quite angry. But are you really going to kill me without knowing the truth?”

Hearing this, the Leader of the White Lotus Sect replied with intrigue,

[You certainly have a sturdy build. You’re no ordinary man.]

It appeared he had severed Zhuge Sa’s arm out of sheer rage as a warning. However, with Zhuge Sa remaining calm, the Leader seemed to regain some of his composure as well.

“Hehe. That’s what I wanted to say… It seems you’ve brought along quite the powerful ally.”

Zhuge Sa cast a glance my way, and I couldn’t help but snicker at his expression. He obviously wanted to bait Zhuge Sa into a trap.

‘What will you do now, Zhuge Sa? One way or another, you’re going to die.’

The Leader of the White Lotus Sect was not someone who would allow a person attempting to threaten his life to remain unharmed. Especially not someone as dubious as Zhuge Sa, who he would definitely not allow to live. The only reason Zhuge Sa was still alive was that the Leader was curious about what he had to say; once that curiosity was satisfied, it would be over. I had witnessed just how cold and cruel the Leader could be in his past battles with the Imperial Palace.

Zhuge Sa added,

“I am Zhuge Sa, the current leader of the Heretical Sect. Just a moment ago, I subdued a man named Baek Woong but unintentionally caused a predicament due to the Soul Transition Technique.”

[Betrayal? You meant the Soul Transition Sect, right?]

“Yes, that’s correct.”

[…So he’s a toy of yours.]

A toy?

I had no idea what the Leader was getting at. But Zhuge Sa turned pale at those words and replied in a subdued tone,

“You certainly know a lot. Are you perhaps the Leader of the White Lotus Sect?”

[Why do you think that?]

“That man, Baek Woong, is skilled enough to temporarily repel the Vermilion Army. Only a limited number of people could subdue someone like him in just a second. And you look far too strong to be merely a guardian.”

The Leader of the White Lotus Sect paused to think for a moment, then responded,

[That’s not all, is it? You must have heard from him about me.]

“I won’t deny that.”

[What did he say about me?]

“He said you are someone who must never be made an enemy.”

Stagger

At that point, Zhuge Sa staggered. I could tell the loss of his arm was leading to severe blood loss, and he was struggling to cope with the pain. The Leader of the White Lotus Sect watched him with a blank expression before saying,

[Betrayal is of no concern to me. However, now that you have dragged me into this, you must face the consequences.]

“Ugh… Hehe. To think I’d die at the hands of the Leader of the White Lotus Sect, it’s a true honor.”

[State your terms. If there’s a condition under which I would spare your life, I might consider it.]

I was taken aback by that. That meant the Leader was actually contemplating sparing Zhuge Sa! In a hurry, I interjected,

“Leader! Just kill us both. This guy is dangerous; he uses the Soul Transition Technique to control others.”

Upon hearing my words, the Leader turned to look at me and said,

[Killing you two is something I can do anytime. If you keep talking back, I’ll tear your limbs apart and take you to my sect.]

“……”

[Answer me, Zhuge Sa.]

After a moment of contemplation, Zhuge Sa responded,

“I have no attachments to death. But that man, Baek Woong, is far too interesting to just die like this.”

[Interesting? What’s interesting about him?]

“Um… cough cough!”

Zhuge Sa, unable to endure the blood loss any longer, dropped to his knees. It was a miracle he was still standing after such severe injuries. The Leader of the White Lotus Sect subtly reached out his hand, and something astonishing occurred.

Swish

Zhuge Sa’s severed arm flew back and began to glow. After a moment, it slowly reattached itself in mid-air, and before long, his arm was back to normal and the bleeding had stopped completely.

“……!!”

Zhuge Sa stared in astonishment at his own arm and said,

“Your martial arts are truly at a divine level.”

[Enough of this nonsense. Answer my question.]

“Baek Woong remains aware even under the effect of my Soul Transition Technique, and my technique failed to work on him. Since the Soul Transition Technique pulls the spirit from the body, as the Leader of the White Lotus Sect, you must understand how absurd this situation is.”

[…Is that true?]

“If you’re doubtful, you can just kill me. The truth will emerge.”

The Leader of the White Lotus Sect turned to me and walked closer. After staring at my face for what seemed like an eternity, he said,

[If Zhuge Sa’s words are true, it means your spirit is different from that of a living being. To my knowledge, such beings exist only among aberrant races.]

Aberrant races?!

I was struck with disbelief and forgot my impending doom for a brief moment as I shouted,

“I’m insane… I’m human!”

[We’ll see about that.]

Muttering those words, the Leader suddenly grabbed my head. His rough palm felt strange, as if it wasn’t something I would associate with an ordinary human. He then said,

[I happen to have business with the Thunder God Lineage. If you swear allegiance to the White Lotus Sect, I will spare your life.]

“No thanks. Just kill me.”

[You’re quite the audacious one. Even when begging for your life, you’re asking for death?]

I retorted while my head was still being held,

“I won’t survive under the Soul Transition Technique. Besides, how could I trust you not to keep me as a puppet? If I were in your shoes, I’d just eliminate me in one go.”

[Oh… You have some guts.]

The Leader’s eyes were flickering with what seemed like amusement behind his mask.

[You’re not afraid of dying?]

“I am… but…”

[No, you’re not. I can see it in your eyes; you’re not afraid at all. You’re merely annoyed.]

The Leader’s expression turned joyful all of a sudden.

[What an interesting guy…]

Whoosh

He tossed me towards Zhuge Sa and said,

[Zhuge Sa, lift the Soul Transition Technique on this fellow. We’ll see if he is under your control, so no funny business.]

“Will you spare me if I do?”

[Do it quickly.]

“Understood.”

Wooosh

Zhuge Sa initiated the same technique to return the control of my spirit. However, I felt uneasy since I had just seen Zhuge Sa deceiving Mangnyang with his Soul Transition Technique. It was possible that he would act as if he released it but keep me under control.

“All done.”

After a while, the Leader looked me over and said,

[Very well. Now, die, Zhuge Sa.]

Boom!

The next moment, Zhuge Sa was turned into minced meat, his body torn apart. Shocked, I stared at the scene, and the Leader of the White Lotus Sect said flatly,

[To think you’d think you could deceive me and remain unscathed. Did you believe I wouldn’t notice the thread connecting the spirits?]

I asked the Leader with a trembling voice,

“L-Leader. You can really see spirits?”

[That’s correct. Especially since I heard about the principles of the Soul Transition Technique, I can predict your tricks.]

“……”

[By killing the caster, I can safely lift the Soul Transition Technique, so it’s a win-win situation.]

As I absorbed what had just occurred, chills ran down my spine. Zhuge Sa had pretended to have removed the Soul Transition Technique while actually creating a line that could connect him to me at any moment. And the Leader had sensed that thin line and killed Zhuge Sa, who thought he had outsmarted him.

However, that meant— the Leader could see not just the physical form of a person but also the original essence of the spirit, transcending human capabilities. It was a level far beyond what an ordinary sorcerer could achieve through their sight, indicating he was truly a being above humanity. It was likely that he had gained this additional power through the divine blessings of the Heavenly Spirit.

‘Just how far does this monster’s limits reach…?!’

The Leader said quietly,

[Baek Woong. I need you to tell me everything you know.]

I swallowed hard. In response, I firmly stated,

“I’m sorry. I’d rather die.”

Thud!

The next moment, I shattered all the energy points in my body. I felt an overwhelming surge of energy cascading from my body while blood poured from every orifice. This was the most efficient method of suicide I knew: it would hurt, but it would spare me from greater torment.

The Leader, watching intently, remarked,

[A reckless lunatic, I see. But I actually find that appealing.]

Swipe

Suddenly, the Leader reached out to my pulse and unleashed an immense amount of energy into me. The quantity was so overwhelming that I felt as if every energy conduit in my body was on the verge of bursting from the pressure.

“AAAHH!!”

The pain felt like every inch of my skin was being sliced off by razor blades, and I couldn’t help but scream. Despite my thrashing around in agony, the Leader’s overpowering energy forced my vitality to recover, and soon I felt myself healing.

‘This… is insane!’

The notion that I had shattered all my energy points usually meant that not even a god could save me. In other words, I had broken the vessel that contained all my cultivated energy, rendering my survival impossible. However, the Leader was tossing my shattered vessel into the sea, effectively negating the damage done—it was nothing short of miraculous!

Whoosh—

As my ruptured meridians began to connect again and my blood circulation returned to normal, a significant amount of time seemed to have passed. The sheer pain had left me dazed, and my vision blurred. The Leader, using his ability to influence the surroundings, lifted me into the air and said,

[Jangryeong Valley, you said? It seems I’ll be residing there for a while.]

“Ugh… Ack…”

[Consider this a favor. But if you try that again, I will hunt you down to the very ends of the earth and make you die a painful death.]

With those parting words, I fainted.

“……”

My throat felt parched.

When I awoke, I was lying on a bed, and the sunset was streaming through the window. Looking around, a scribe approached me, fear evident in her eyes as she said,

“The Lord has ordered me to bring you to him upon your awakening. Please, follow me.”

“Lord? You mean the person who brought me here is now the Lord?”

The scribe nodded in response to my question.

“Yes.”

“How long have I been here?”

“Ten days have passed.”

Ten days!

That was a short amount of time but also felt quite long. As I rubbed my head and forced myself to sit up, I said,

“I had books and wooden armor on me; where are they now?”

“The Lord has taken those.”

“Ugh… Damn…!!”

I felt darkness overtaking me. Just as I feared, the Leader of the White Lotus Sect had taken both the Heavenly Seal and the wooden armor!

‘What should I do? Should I just commit suicide now?’

At this moment, it was indeed possible for me to take my own life. I could even summon the Three Spirits and make my escape. A part of me just wanted to give it all up and start afresh, for I could not endure the thought of living a painful existence completely stripped of everything by the Leader of the White Lotus Sect.

Yet, if I didn’t figure out what was happening, I’d be losing that chance even in my next life. I gritted my teeth, preparing myself to endure the excruciating pain just to gather information from the Leader.

“Understood. Lead the way.”

And there was another significant reason I couldn’t just die now.

“Y-yes…”

I gathered my clothes and walked alongside the scribe to the grand hall of Jangryeong Valley. However, as we walked, an odd sight caught my eye.

“Who are those people?”

I saw martial artists kneeling before the building, bowing their heads. To my astonishment, their Qi presence indicated they were formidable fighters, some quite strong as well. The scribe shot them a glance and said,

“They are martial artists who have submitted to the Lord. They are pleading for mercy through a grand apology for their respective sects.”

“You don’t mean to say that the Lord has rampaged through the martial world?”

“Indeed.”

I realized then that the Leader of the White Lotus Sect had mercilessly crushed the martial forces in the area for sheer amusement. No one dared to resist.

A short while later, when I reached the Lord’s throne, just as I had anticipated, the Leader of the White Lotus Sect was seated there, lounging as if he were utterly bored. He looked at me and said,

[The wooden armor… the Heavenly Seal… the spirit flower that resembles the Soul Flower of our sect… and the demonic tome with its treasures. Those are intriguing artifacts, Baek Woong.]

I gritted my teeth.

“It appears those treasures now belong to you. Congratulations. What will you do next?”

Feeling a surge of obstinacy, I asked, and the Leader spoke in a tone that seemed half-pleased,

[While observing the traits of those who wear the wooden armor, I’ve noticed you are quite the righteous warrior.]

The captives I rescued from the pirate island and the tormented women from the Namgung Clan had been entrusted to the Shadowless Gate. So the Leader was referring to the captives whom I hadn’t yet decided what to do with. One of them was General Hwang-ryeon, and he was the most important figure.

“What will you do with them?”

[Since they serve as a weakness to the Imperial Palace, I’ve taken them in under my command. General Hwang-ryeon will receive my support moving forward.]

“……”

[I’ve become interested in you as an individual. Would you mind explaining how you managed to acquire those treasures?]

I replied dismissively,

“How does it matter if I tell you?”

[Hmm… Indeed. The fact that you’ve come all this way without fear of death suggests that you have something you wish for. So how about this?]

At the Leader’s continued words, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.

[How about I grant you the Heaven Spirit Pill and appoint you as a Guardian of the Sect? Moreover, if you swear loyalty to the Sect, I may even consider making you my successor.]

What an outrageous proposition!

I took a moment to think, then said,

“I’ll decline the position of Guardian.”

[Why’s that?]

“Somehow, I feel like you’d order me to gather the Thunder God Lineage. While I happened to learn about it accidentally, I’d rather not get too involved with them.”

The Leader placed his chin on his hand thoughtfully.

[You find that entertaining, do you? You seem to have read my mind. Yet you don’t appear that clever…]

“……”

[Alright. I’ll accept you as a Guardian, but I won’t assign that mission to anyone else. Will you accept that?]

“I will accept.”

For now, it was the best option.

I never expected to lose all my treasures to the Leader of the White Lotus Sect, but as long as I could obtain the Heaven Spirit Pill, that would suffice. If I could obtain the Heaven Spirit Pill, I would technologically come out ahead in the end.

However, the following statement left a heavy weight on my heart.

[In any case, the world shall soon belong to our Sect. So relax.]

Indeed.

Now that all my treasures had been taken away by the Leader, it was inevitable that would be the case. Each of those treasures possessed unmatched power. The biggest problem was separate.

‘What should I do?’

Without the Heavenly Seal, I couldn’t be reborn.

Thus, recovering the Heavenly Seal from the Leader had become my unalterable mission!