Rebirth Sword God, Volume 97, Chapter 16

Wheeeeee!

I took on the body of Susanoo and flew from Dongyoung to the Shadowless Gate, covering an incredible distance of thousands of miles. Yet, with Susanoo’s body being nearly immune to physical damage, I was free to unleash my speed, making the journey quick.

Upon landing at the Shadowless Gate with Susanoo, Mangnyang was visibly shocked.

“What on earth is that? It looks like a divine being with immense power…”

“This is Susanoo, one of the Three Divine Characters from Dongyoung. He recently resurrected from the great Fuji Mountain.”

“…?”

As I explained the situation to the bewildered Mangnyang, he pondered deeply before responding.

“Well, bringing him here is good and all, but even if he’s asleep, the overwhelming spirit he emanates will greatly affect the humans around here. It’s not wise to leave him near the Shadowless Gate.”

“What should we do?”

“We can’t keep him far away either, so let’s create a sealing area nearby. It’d be better than having him just stuffed in that wooden armor.”

“Sealing area? How do we make one?”

“It’s not too difficult. First, head to the Maoshan Sect and gather about 100 Taoist masters.”

“Understood.”

I headed to the Maoshan Sect to find the site where the Maoshan Sect’s pavilion was damaged by the Demon King Gon. I sought out the sect leader, Taoist Master Dosan, and asked,

“I need to borrow 100 Taoists, given the situation.”

Contrary to my expectations of resistance, Taoist Master Dosan seemed surprised for another reason.

“You think 100 Taoists are enough to seal an ancient god that appeared in the current age? Do you think they’re all Great Immortals?”

“Well, they said they would be my secret advisors…”

“Now, I’m curious. I’ll join you to help.”

“Sounds good.”

With a swoosh, Taoist Master Dosan and over 100 Taoists from the Maoshan Sect followed in a line.

“The Shadowless Gate is a well-positioned place. Therefore, there’s a potent spiritual vein I’ve been keeping an eye on; we should head there.”

After walking about twenty miles from the Shadowless Gate, we reached a spacious clearing nestled between mountains. There was a small lake, and a waterfall cascaded down, creating a soothing sound. Concern etched on Taoist Master Dosan’s face as he spoke to Mangnyang.

“That divine status… It doesn’t seem hostile in the surrounding area, but if he opens his eyes, he’ll know we’re all dead men walking. Even though this is a pretty sacred ground, I doubt it can contain such an ancient god…”

“Don’t worry.”

Mangnyang chuckled confidently.

“I’ll handle everything from here.”

Moments later, with Susanoo positioned at the center, Mangnyang, the 100 Taoists, and I formed a circle around him. Then Mangnyang addressed me.

“When I perform the technique, lend me some of your divine power.”

“Understood.”

Whirrrr—

After some time, the spiritual energy surged as the technique activated. However, despite the combined might of the 100, Susanoo remained completely unmoved. After all, trying to affect him was like trying to move a mountain with just a handful of ants. A moment later, Mangnyang’s eyes narrowed as he initiated the spell.

Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate

Forbidden Technique

Chapters of the Four Seasons and Six Energies

Summon of the Three Sovereigns!

Boom!

In the next instant, a blue light symbolizing the underworld burst forth from Mangnyang’s eyes, and three shadowy figures emerged behind him. It was as if the ancient kings of the underworld encircled Susanoo, their presence visibly suppressing his divine power.

Clash!

“Ugh! Quick, gather… more power…”

But maintaining the forbidden technique was difficult even with Mangnyang’s support from 100 people. He coughed up blood and trembled visibly, clearly lacking power. I hurriedly infused him with all my divine strength, and finally, he seemed to stabilize, taking a deep breath.

“Hah… Hah… Seal!”

As Mangnyang completed his final hand seal, the overwhelming power emanating from Susanoo was entirely contained. With a swift gesture, another square of earth tumbled down, burying Susanoo completely.

As Mangnyang peered at the dirt mound, he collapsed, exhaling a sigh.

“Well… I thought it would be enough, but without your help, White Woong, the sealing ritual would have definitely failed. At least the sealing’s complete now.”

“What happened?”

I asked, my voice laced with confusion.

“Wasn’t that the forbidden technique from the chapters of Four Seasons?”

“Hm? Why do you ask?”

“…”

“Ah, the technique summons the Ten Kings of Hell. My skills aren’t quite refined enough for a full summoning of the Ten Kings, so I had to go with just the Three Kings.”

“That’s not…!”

Mangnyang, bemused, retorted.

“Is something odd?”

I hesitated before addressing Mangnyang.

“Are you… aware of what the chapters of the Four Seasons imply?”

“Well… It’s the last section. It was marked as a forbidden technique.”

“That’s not it…”

I momentarily deliberated before affirming it.

“In my memory, that section only appears for those who have mastered the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate to its fullest.”

I could recall clearly. Back in the era of the Great Bear Empire, Mangnyang had inflicted severe wounds on the Asura using the summoning technique.

“…!”

Mangnyang seemed to realize the implications of my words and recoiled slightly.

“I assure you, that’s absolutely impossible. I have only recently met you and haven’t even mastered one-tenth of the Three Sovereigns’ techniques.”

“I know. Your past self spent considerable time achieving mastery over the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate. But still…”

“This is a problem.”

Mangnyang pondered, with a slight frown.

“The chapters of the Four Seasons are meant to appear only to those who have fully grasped the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate. Now, miraculously, it appeared before me, and I’ve merely begun my training.”

“That’s correct.”

This just doesn’t add up.

Had I been passing on memories via the obsidian, it might’ve made sense. But I couldn’t use the obsidian at all, and I was only explaining my own memories to Mangnyang.

In fact, considering that Mangnyang was not directly benefiting from my past life experiences, it was puzzling that the chapters of the Four Seasons appeared at all.

While I was deep in thought, Mangnyang muttered.

“First, let’s refine this place into a proper sealing area for Susanoo, and we’ll continue our discussion afterward.”

“Alright.”

So, with the help of Mangnyang and the Taoists from the Maoshan Sect, we erected stone walls around the earthen mound, establishing additional sealing formations. The original sealing was already effective; with the auxiliary formations, it now emanated a tranquility so no one would grow suspicious.

Once the tidying up was complete, Mangnyang turned to me and said,

“There are two possibilities.”

“What possibilities?”

“First, if the creator of the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate is as you say, then it must be Guang Chengzi, a subordinate of the Divine Temple Emperor, and one of the Three Great Gods of Tianzhu. This god might have intentionally unlocked the forbidden technique, showing it to me.”

I held off the ‘why’ question. After all, the gods are notoriously devious, and their grand schemes often only reveal themselves at the last moment. There wasn’t really a way for me to clear this doubt other than confronting Vishnu and perhaps torturing him for answers.

I nodded thoughtfully before countering, “That’s possible. What’s the second possibility?”

“This one is less likely, so just ponder it casually.”

Mangnyang paused for a moment before continuing,

“Someone might have acquired the Yin Fu Classic.”

“…?”

Huh?

It took me a moment to grasp his words before realization hit.

“The highest technique that pairs with the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate… the Yin Fu Classic! The one Zhuge Mu-hu supposedly mastered to its peak…”

“Yes.”

“How does someone acquiring the Yin Fu Classic relate to your ability to view the forbidden technique of the chapters of the Four Seasons?”

“The Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate and the Yin Fu Classic are connected. Like siblings trying to ascertain each other’s positions, they may resonate with one another. In that process, the owner of the Yin Fu Classic may have stimulated the Three Sovereigns’ Inner Gate, granting me a stronger technique. Isn’t it common for powerful artifacts to exhibit such properties?”

“Hmmm. That’s a point…”

“However, this is certainly less likely than the first scenario… I can’t be certain if a resonance phenomenon even exists…”

Feeling uncertain, Mangnyang added,

“White Woong, if you have time, could you also search for the Yin Fu Classic?”

“Sure. After all, this is an unprecedented situation in this lifetime, so I need to get to the bottom of it.”

I accepted Mangnyang’s request readily. The Yin Fu Classic was definitely an artifact worth investigating.

‘Whether I ask Vishnu or search for the Yin Fu Classic, either way works!’

As everything settled, Mangnyang said,

“Oh, and please drop by the Shadowless Gate to talk with the Master of Zen. He seems to have something he wants to say.”

“Huh? Alright.”

I returned to the Shadowless Gate to meet the Master of Zen, Grand Master Myung-ho, who had stayed there refining his enlightenment since we brought him last time. He gazed at me intently before speaking.

“Please, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“If you can indeed retrieve the Ark, would you please take Bin-seung along with you?”

“Hmm… Alright.”

Previously, I hadn’t wanted to summons the noisy Ark since it wasn’t urgent. But since the Master of Zen himself wants to retrieve the Ark, I figured it was about time to bring it out.

I headed with the Master of Zen to Heart Mountain Valley to find the Ark.

Wheeeee!

As the Master of Zen pressed his fingerprint, the Ark’s entrance opened. But of course, as we ventured deeper, an impenetrable steel wall barred entry, and the Master of Zen said,

“Are you saying you can get through this steel wall into the Ark’s interior? This wall absorbs all intent and cannot be penetrated by any martial arts.”

“Hmm. I could do it with the Technique of All Things…”

I recalled how I once used the Technique of All Things to steal the wall’s ‘property of disbanding intent’, penetrating through its defenses. The wall housed an intricately complex electronic circuit that provided it with overwhelming defensive capability; I only managed to get through by severing the connection in an instant.

Even though I made it through back then, it had hurt like hell, smashing my fingers against that steel wall. I really didn’t want to endure that pain again. Just because I had become accustomed to suffering doesn’t mean my pain tolerance had actually increased!

After some contemplation, I had a brilliant idea.

‘Of course!’

I gathered my energy throughout my entire body. Suddenly, I noticed a hazy presence enveloping my bloodstream, amplifying my strength to unbelievable levels. With newfound confidence, I punched and shouted.

“Yaaaaah!”

Crash!

In an instant, my Thunder God Fist punched straight through the steel wall, creating a passage large enough for a person to pass through. The Master of Zen was taken aback.

“No way!”

“Wasn’t expecting that to work!”

“How did you do it?”

I merely waved my fist in the air, responding,

“Forget intent; I just smashed through with raw power!”

“…!”

The Master of Zen stared at me in disbelief, questioning whether that was possible. After all, although internal power could bolster physical strength, there had always existed a strict ceiling; boosting it beyond conventional means involved intent. Moreover, this steel wall was impervious even to minor scratches from raw assaults, so the notion that I could smash through it was hard to digest. In reality, I remembered how my formidable internal power back then still couldn’t affect the wall, forcing me to rely on the Technique of All Things.

‘Surely my current internal power is on an entirely different level!’

For some reason, I felt as though the energy I was currently using transcended previous iterations of myself. It felt like the something blocking my blood vessels fortified my innate strength. I smirked contentedly, glad I didn’t come out with bloody hands.

“Let’s move.”

“Hoo, you truly possess power akin to that of the heavenly gods…”

Shortly after entering, we emerged into a massive chamber where a small, spherical mechanism floated in the air.

Wheeeeee!

The machine emitted a light that resembled eyes sparkling at us. The Master of Zen lowered himself into a combat stance, but I reassured him with a gesture.

“Don’t worry; it’s not an attack.”

After a brief moment, the machine spoke.

[Language translation complete. Converting to medieval Chinese… Translation system activated.]

“…”

[Welcome aboard the Ark.]

Given my previous experiences, I casually replied,

“I’m heading to the control room of the Ark. Pass me the visitor’s register.”

[Understood.]

Wheeeee!

A translucent pen materialized in my hand as the machine conjured up a translucent screen right in front of me. The Master of Zen gasped in awe.

“Woooo! What in the world is this…”

As I scribbled my name in the register, the machine announced.

[Thank you for signing the guestbook. Thus…]

The machine abruptly vanished, leaving the Master of Zen bewildered.

“What was that machine? Where are we? What did you just write?”

“Don’t panic. We’re simply heading to the control room, so just follow me.”

“Haha…Understood.”

Using memories of my previous ventures through Hell and Heaven, I quickly navigated to the control room. When I reached the entrance featuring a sign that read ‘Control Room,’ I stepped inside.

[…Please input your four-digit password…]

A slew of languages flowed from the machine as it requested me to input a password on the touchpad.

Seeing the range from 0000 to 9999, I suddenly panicked, unable to recall.

‘Huh? What was it? Uh…’

How had I forgotten my password?!

As I fumbled, I turned to the Master of Zen.

“Master of Zen, please wait a moment. I’m trying to recall my four-digit password…”

“Hmm… How about starting with 0000? You could just work through 9999 from there.”

“Alright!”

Beep beep beep beep…

Wrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[The door is now opening.]

“…”

“…”

Wait, was it really 0000?

‘Ah!’

It suddenly dawned on me, I had forgotten the password last time; I recalled asking the machine about it and realized it was just a string of four consecutively repeated digits, eventually trying everything and landing on 0000!

Still, I felt somewhat shafted responding as such.

“Well… as long as it worked.”

“Haha, remaining calm would have likely made it simpler.”

“It’s been so long since I was last here!”

It felt like I hadn’t visited in hundreds of years!

I grumbled internally as I stepped into the control room. Upon reaching the device that would let me access command control, a voice stated:

[Rebooting operating system of the Human Alliance’s 72nd Battle Ship Yi Seong-gye. Confirming auxiliary power…]

[6% remaining power confirmed. Minimum 12.5% passive power required to reboot. Cannot continue rebooting due to insufficient power. Would you like to terminate?]

That’s right; last time I booted it up, I’d needed an additional 6% to get it running.

I rifled through my thoughts.

“Can I channel my internal power to fuel the reboot?”

This time, the precious artifact felt too dear to waste. I wanted to rely on my own strength!

Unlike before, I was in no mood to waste resources and thus posed the question instead.

“Energy recognized. Please connect to the energy impulser in the control room.”

Wheeeee!

A large circular opening materialized, conjuring memories of when I was last here.

‘Exactly! I remember putting the National Seal here to charge it…’

However, unlike last time, the National Seal had already been used once as an offering and had lost 80% of its power, leaving only 20% left. Even if I put it in, the ship wouldn’t charge fully, and that was simply not worth my risk.

So, I thrust my arm into the energy impulser.

“Grah!”

With my current strength, I figured I could match even the National Seal’s energy!

I should be able to get the ship airborne now!

Vvvrrrrrrrrrr!

As I began channeling my energy through my arm, a machine’s voice rang out:

[Warning. Warning. Unverified energy detected. Not ether. Energy analysis in progress…]

Moments later, it continued:

[Identified as high-concentration Root Element energy. The ship’s energy filtration system cannot absorb Root Element energy at normal efficiency. Do you wish to continue?]

I had no idea what it meant, but I figured I should give it a shot.

I nodded eagerly.

“Go for it!”

[Efficiency measurement in progress… measured efficiency at 0.00142%. Starting absorption of Root Element energy.]

Whooooosh!

What felt like ten long breaths later, the machine spoke again.

[Energy recovery complete. Would you like to reboot?]

Huh? Wasn’t there a bit of a wait before?

I furrowed my brow.

“Yeah.”

[Rebooting in progress.]

With a flicker, the screen shut off before illuminating once more, displaying a great Earth alongside the Yi Seong-gye Ship.

Then the voice returned:

[Error. Error. An error occurred during energy supply, releasing the frozen state of the sealing room. Beacon sealer has been opened. Maximum warning level…]

[Consuming 25% of power will enable an expedited re-sealing process. Proceed?]

At those words, memories from before came rushing back.

‘Oh right!’

I recall something being sealed on board, and releasing 25% of energy would allow me to reseal it. I think I had deemed that shadowy presence suspicious back then, hence opted to seal it twice!

“Go ahead!”

[Commencing re-sealing… sealing successful.]

“Now let’s render ourselves invisible and head back to the Shadowless Gate.”

Locating the Shadowless Gate on the map, I set it as my target, and the machine responded.

[Executing command.]

Zoom!

After a moment, the Ark rose to hover in the air before turning completely transparent, flying us straight toward the Shadowless Gate. Having succeeded in bringing the Ark here, I displayed it to my companions, who gasped in surprise.

“Whoa!”

“I can’t believe something like this exists!”

“What an unbelievable artifact…”

Amidst everyone’s astonishment, Mangnyang turned to me and said,

“White Woong, if what you said is true, this Ark could be the ultimate training ground.”

“Exactly.”

I smiled.

“We can use the Combat Training Room there, allowing everyone to grow stronger without the worry of injury or death.”

The Combat Training Room!

That place allowed battles against powerful illusions, perfecting martial arts without fear of consequence. Furthermore, due to its capacity to summon enemies that even the strongest among the Absolute Realm could hardly face, it promised to be an exciting training venue.

Mangnyang gazed at the Ark thoughtfully, asking,

“Are you aware of all the facilities within the Ark?”

“Hmm. Not exactly… Honestly, I’m only familiar with the sealing room, the Combat Training Room, and the control room.”

“I’ll do my best to explore everything from here on out.”

Mangnyang’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“I have a feeling… there are some truly remarkable facilities within this Ark.”