Reincarnation Sword God

Chapter 720: Dark Heaven Village

The standoff with Cheon Gong-pyo felt both brief and drawn-out. Cheon Gong-pyo blinked in disbelief, seemingly shaken by Jin So-cheong’s threat, then drew his spear using telekinesis. He then charged it back toward Jin So-cheong.

It came flying at tremendous speed, aimed straight for Jin So-cheong’s forehead, but she effortlessly caught it. Cheon Gong-pyo looked at us and spoke.
[What’s wrong? You’re not actually the owners of this treasure, are you?]
As he delivered this shameless argument, the Heavenly Mysterious Woman sighed.
[It’s not yours either. What are you acting like a child for?]
[It’s mine anyway. Back off.]
[……]
Even the usually composed Heavenly Mysterious Woman seemed momentarily at a loss for words. She hadn’t expected him to be so brazen. Beside me, Cheon Woo-jin pulled me aside and said,
“Baek Woong, what are you going to do?”
“Hmm…”
This was indeed a predicament. Cheon Gong-pyo’s behavior was ridiculously unreasonable, but given his overwhelming power, I couldn’t simply ignore it, and fighting him wasn’t a wise option either.
‘If we fight… with the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s help, we might win, but… the damage would be too great.’
Without the Heavenly Mysterious Woman’s assistance, I wouldn’t dare confront someone at Cheon Gong-pyo’s level. Besides, with so many tasks ahead of me in this lifetime, I couldn’t afford to make an enemy out of her. After thinking it over, I stepped forward decisively and addressed Cheon Gong-pyo.
“Fine, take it all.”
[Hehe.]
I glared as my killing intent ignited.
“But let it be known: I won’t help you attack Golden Crow Island in return. If you meddle in our affairs or confront us again, I will treat you as a true enemy, and I will make it my mission to kill you by any means necessary.”
He flinched slightly.
[What? Where does that come from? You will help me.]
“Not a chance! Why should I fight for a guy who steals from others? Just go rot with those treasures!”
[…Fine. Then I’ll give you half.]
Are you out of your mind?
Why are you bargaining with us like it’s charity?
‘This jerk…’
I barely suppressed my urge to curse at him. My desire to retaliate was immense, but the balance of power tilted in his favor due to his overwhelming strength. If Cheon Gong-pyo got angry and unleashed his powers, the results would be disastrous. If it weren’t for my countless past lives, I would have exploded with rage and plunged into destruction.
I calmed my emotions and replied,
“Since I’ve been nice, you seem to think you can just take advantage of us, but that won’t do. If you really want those treasures, fine, but you’ve already shattered any trust we had with your behavior. We’re not so easy to be manipulated or fooled!”
[……]
“Take that and go, or say whatever you want.”
Cheon Gong-pyo glanced at our group. As he looked back and forth between the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Cheon Woo-jin, I could see his expression darken, signaling that he was finally realizing how big of a blunder he’d made by turning potential strong allies into enemies.
Sneaking hesitance in his voice, Cheon Gong-pyo muttered,
[…I was just trying to lend a hand since you might misuse the treasures.]
“……”
Is that your excuse…?
I was so angry that I wanted to unleash all my means and settle this once and for all. Just then, Cheon Woo-jin shot Cheon Gong-pyo a fierce glare and said,
“Speak properly. Is the once-great leader of the Central Plains unable to admit a single mistake? Where has all the honor and righteousness you professed for thousands of years gone?”
[Ugh. Y-yeah. I messed up.]
“Hand over the treasures.”
[Here.]
Swish!
In an instant, all the treasures that Cheon Gong-pyo had dropped came flying towards us. I quickly stashed them all in my wooden armor. It was better to hurry before that temperamental Cheon Gong-pyo changed his mind again.
The Heavenly Mysterious Woman spoke.
[Cheon Gong-pyo, let’s clarify this now.]
[What do you mean?]
[We will soon be facing the guardian sealed away in Golden Crow. When that time comes, competing for ownership of Golden Crow will be much more serious than this petty matter.]
[……]
[We cannot abandon ownership of Golden Crow. Do not try and stir up trouble later.]
[I got it. Do as you wish.]
Cheon Gong-pyo seemed to have given up the idea of clashing with us for now. Somehow, our negotiation seemed to have worked, leaving me with a sense of relief. Yet, a strange feeling washed over me.
‘Why do I feel it’s harder to argue with these slippery characters from the human world…?’
Zzz!
“Let’s go.”
Not wanting to waste any more time, I took out the crystal orb I received from Merlin and infused it with power. The orb reacted, twisting this chaos-filled void space, and soon a passage opened up, leading somewhere. I believed the guardian of Golden Crow would be beyond this passage.
Step, step.
We passed through the dark corridor and emerged into a brightly lit area. A vast plain opened before us, filled with spirits of light dancing through the air, and a refreshing breeze caressed our faces. The sunlight was incredibly pleasant and there was not a single trace of negativity.
Moreover, the landscape resembled a heavenly realm. Majestic cliffs merged beautifully with the Manjangan Cliff, and a giant waterfall formed an incredible scene. I couldn’t help but admire the grandeur, as I had rarely seen such beauty even in the Central Plains.
“Is this Parias?”
The Prophet had mentioned that the Golden Crow was sealed deep within the sacred place of Parias, alongside the ancient divine race. Merlin’s words echoed similarly, so it was clear that this was indeed Sacred Land Parias.
In the meantime, the Western sorcerers led by Paeng Jo had surrounded Parias, attacking and trapping traditional spellcasters who borrowed the power of spirits. Amid this chaos, while the magic users of Parias were trapped, the sorcerers rapidly expanded their influence in the West through wicked techniques and civilizations.
Thus, Parias had become the final fortress for humanity resisting the Old Ruler in the West.
Cheon Woo-jin remarked quietly,
“There are traces of magical power scattered all around. Though it appears peaceful, it seems to have faced continuous attacks from sorcerers. Many magicians likely perished.”
“Hmm… If left untouched, this place would have been occupied by sorcerers as well?”
“Most likely. You can estimate it based on your past experiences.”
“……”
That was probably the case.
In my ninth life, there was a time when the forces of the Imperial Palace secured the new Seven Luminaries, putting the Bancheon Alliance of Mangnyang in jeopardy. I died while futilely battling monsters back then, so I didn’t know the exact details, but my current assumption was that the new Seven Luminaries the Imperial Palace acquired were likely the Golden Crow.
The Moon Sovereign and Wood Essence were under the management of the Master of the Twelve Joules, while breaking through the Fire Sovereign’s seal was out of the question, and the Water Element of the Seven Luminaries was in the hands of the Golden Eagle Guard. Furthermore, the Earth Star had already fallen under the Demon Subduing Hall’s control, and it required acquiring all the Seven Luminaries to reach the Sun Sovereign, leaving only the Golden Crow available.
The Imperial Palace was closely allied with Changhil’s Eight Parts of the Divine and had a significant relationship with them. Additionally, Changhil and the Western Paeng Jo were almost like comrades. Reflecting on that causal relationship—
‘In my previous life, as time passed, sorcerers broke through Parias’s barrier and seized the Golden Crow from the guardian. And due to the alliance between Changhil and Paeng Jo, the Golden Crow surely returned to the East.’
This assumption connected all the dots.
Yet still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing.
As if some crucial causal relationship had slipped through the cracks…?
There was something unnatural about it, but I couldn’t pinpoint what that was.
The overall context seemed correct, but I felt I had overlooked something very significant…
I shook my head; it wasn’t the time to dwell on it now.
“That temple over there should hold the guardian.”
Beyond the fantastic scenery of Parias stood a modest white temple that wasn’t grand in size.
According to Merlin, that was the seal of the guardian.
Swish!
We were about to use the Transmission Technique to enter the temple in an instant, but we found ourselves standing at the door. It seemed there was a barrier preventing us from entering so easily. Cheon Woo-jin peered at the barrier and spoke.
“Judging by its nature, the overseer will likely appear before us shortly.”
Just as Cheon Woo-jin said,
Swoosh!
A traditional Western magician, dressed similar to Merlin, suddenly appeared before us. However, unlike Merlin, this one was young and female, as her body shape indicated.
She slightly lifted her wide-brimmed hat and addressed us. It was obviously clear to see she was an incredible beauty.
“I’ve heard from Merlin. It seems you truly eradicated the sorcerers, oh Eastern hero.”
“And you are?”
“My name is Vivian, the Queen of the Lake.”
I wasn’t sure who she was, but I could sense the same powerful energy flowing within her as Merlin. Unlike sorcerers, traditional Western magicians drew upon the power of spirits, rather than the Old Ruler. Although they wielded lesser power than the Old Ruler, who borrowed the strength of primordial spirit beasts, they had established their influence in their own right.
‘She must be a divine being. No… is she a spirit herself?’
While I was gauging her essence using the Fire Eye Golden Spirit ability, Vivian spoke again.
“I sincerely thank you for your achievements. Just by eliminating the sorcerers and defeating their leader, Paeng Jo, the guardian will soon be able to recover. He has been weakened for centuries due to the wicked barriers created by hundreds of dark sorcerers.”
“Glad to hear that.”
“However, it seems you have come here with another purpose.”
Nodding, I cut straight to the chase.
“We need the Golden Crow that resides with him. I ask that you hand it over.”
“……”
Vivian wore an expression that seemed to convey she expected this. In fact, it wasn’t incorrect to say I hadn’t considered any other motives. After a moment of thinking, she said,
“The guardian just told me he wishes to speak only to you, Baek Woong.”
“Just me?”
“Yes. However, to meet him, I’ll need to sever temporarily the connection with those powerful beings dwelling within you.”
“……!! Why?”
“You are too weakened. You no longer have the strength to face such great divine beings.”
To put a halt to the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Fire Dragon Incarnate?
It wasn’t impossible, but doing so would leave me completely vulnerable when confronting the guardians of the West. Naturally, it was a dangerous task, leading me to hesitate. But I steeled my resolve and said,
“Understood.”
“Baek Woong!!”
Cheon Woo-jin interjected anxiously.
“Isn’t that a hasty decision? He might kill you.”
“If I die, then I die. That could be its own gain, right?”
“… Huh. Do as you wish.”
Cheon Woo-jin seemed excited to argue but ultimately held back, turning away. In the past, he would just spill his thoughts candidly without consideration, but it appeared he had cultivated considerable patience during the five years.
‘But it can’t be helped.’
This time, I could easily obtain the Golden Crow with the help of the Heavenly Mysterious Woman, but the actual difficulty of possessing the Golden Crow was incredibly high. Without extraordinary measures, it would be challenging to break through even with my past-life skills and companions. If I missed this chance to meet the guardians of the West, I didn’t know how much more time I would waste.
I temporarily severed the connection, separating the Heavenly Mysterious Woman and Fire Dragon Incarnate from my body. As long as there was mutual agreement, it could be terminated without much effort safely. Following Vivian’s guidance, I stepped inside.
Step.
As I moved deeper inside, I found myself in an expansive square, flanked by enormous statues of giants on either side. As those towering statues led into another room, I could see thirteen statues standing inside. While admiring the surroundings, I turned to Vivian and said,
“There are quite a few statues here.”
Vivian, holding a torch and walking in front, calmly replied,
“They are not merely statues.”
“What?”
“The giant statues you just saw were the ancient divine race that originally inhabited Parias, and those thirteen are the primordial magicians who safeguard the Imperial Capital. All of them voluntarily chose to seal themselves in anticipation of the end. Now, they serve as a barrier, protecting the people of the Western world from the influence of the Old Ruler.”
“……!!”
“They will awaken at the brink of destruction and fight for humanity.”
Destruction!
I felt a chill run down my spine at those words.
‘So they are aware of the end time and prophecy in the West as well.’
Those who frequently battled against sorcerers certainly couldn’t be ignorant of such things. About five hundred years later, when the Old Ruler awakens, the human world will plunge into destruction, followed shortly by the return and prophecy of great beings. Perhaps, the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are the ones who endured the harshest lives without a protective barrier.
Eventually, I reached the innermost area. There, I could sense that ‘something’ was waiting in a narrow, dark chamber. It was undoubtedly the guardian.
After a while, the guardian initiated a mental conversation with me.
[Who are you…]
I was startled by this sudden query and quickly replied.
[I am Baek Woong.]
[That name… cannot prove your existence… yet… it simultaneously holds truth…]
[……?]
[You are… a truly incomprehensible existence… a riddle…]
The guardian seemed bewildered and muttered to himself.
[I will try hard to measure you… beyond the boundaries of immortality and destruction… you are beyond any causal law…]
[……?]
[I will gather my true strength… to measure you…]
What a peculiar discourse this was.
I couldn’t hold back any longer and said,
“I don’t understand what you’re saying. Can I take the Golden Crow?”
[……]
A long silence stretched between us.
After an almost suffocating pause, the guardian spoke.
[Take it…]
Huh?
It seemed I received permission somehow. As relief washed over me, I found a brilliantly shining Golden Crow in my hands. There was no doubt it was given to me by the guardian, so I quickly stuffed the radiant golden object into my wooden armor and bowed.
“Thank you!”
When I stepped outside, it was strange that Vivian, the guide, had vanished.
‘Where did she go?’
I tilted my head, but I stepped outside without any issue since it was a straight passage. Once outside, I announced that I had obtained the Golden Crow, and Berus replied,
“Baek Woong, my master has a message to deliver to you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“He says to treat you generously, so do come visit again. Definitely.”
“Hmm… got it.”
There was something emphasized there, but I couldn’t be bothered to think much about it.
After all, considering the nature of reincarnation, I would inevitably return again.
Finally, after 24 lifetimes, I had acquired the Golden Crow for the first time!