Survival Guide for the Reincarnated - Chapter 327

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 327
The original agreement had been five exchanges.
But in this moment, these two men were seized by the instincts of martial artists.
As though bound by an unspoken pact, both men launched themselves toward each other.
Boom! Boom! Crash—!
Hwa Mu-nyeom unleashed the sixth form of the Ihwa Flowing Water Sword Technique: Rapid Current Ascending.
The blade surged upward from below, conjuring the illusion of a towering column of water. Azure sword energy spiraled in a helix, targeting the space beneath Shin Gang’s jaw.
Shin Gang arched his body backward, countering with the third form of the Ihwa Divine Spirit Art: Flower Mountain Falling Shadow. Dozens of petal-shaped sword energies scattered from his blade’s tip, dispersing Hwa Mu-nyeom’s assault.
Crash—!!
A deafening boom erupted as dust billowed upward.
A sword pierced through the space between them.
It was Hwa Mu-nyeom’s.
Swish—!
It grazed Shin Gang’s shoulder.
His robe tore, and blood sprayed into the air. Shin Gang showed no alarm, as though wounds were beneath his notice, and immediately extended his blade in return.
Swish—!
Shin Gang’s sword carved a long gash across Hwa Mu-nyeom’s flank.
Blood flowed from both men.
The seventh exchange.
This time, both men unleashed their full power.
Hwa Mu-nyeom deployed the ninth form of the Ihwa Flowing Water Sword Technique, the ultimate secret art: Ten Thousand Forces Returning to Origin.
As all streams of water return to the sea, countless sword energies converged into one, surging toward Shin Gang.
Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy concentrated at the sword’s tip. The air trembled, and space itself vibrated.
Shin Gang met it with the ninth form of the Ihwa Divine Spirit Art, the supreme secret art: Absolute Flowers Filling Heaven.
Colossal sword energy erupted from his blade, engulfing the entire Sect Master Hall.
It was a magnificent sight, as though thousands of flower petals were whirling in a tempestuous storm.
The moment the two ultimate techniques collided head-on, a tremendous explosion shattered the ceiling of the Sect Master Hall completely.
Rumble! Crash! Crash! Crash!
Wooden pillars snapped, and tiles scattered in all directions. Dust and debris rose in thick clouds.
Through the chaos, both men rushed toward each other.
Strangely, both men were smiling.
Crash—! Rumble—! Crash—!!
Scrape, swish.
Blade met blade in rapid succession, sending sparks flying.
Pure passion burned in the eyes of both martial artists. In this moment, they had forgotten all plans and schemes, focusing entirely on their swords.
Fists extended, feet lashed out.
They attacked each other relentlessly.
Swords intertwined, clouding each other’s minds, and whenever the slightest opening appeared, they seized it to strike.
These two men were locked in a frenzy that resembled nothing so much as a dance.
It was Seol Woon-hwi’s voice that tore apart these two men lost in their absorption.
“What are you all doing?”
It was truly my final voice.
Surely a considerable number of martial artists had gathered around the Sect Master Hall, and they were all murmuring amongst themselves.
Shin Gang had ordered Sang Ji-hyeok to maintain control, and Seol Woon-hwi had said he would detain Im Su-je, the swordmaster of Cheon Pung.
With such a throng of people, how could such a quiet voice pierce through to my ears?
Though Seol Woon-hwi had shown me many extraordinary things, I had not anticipated this.
Still, the fortunate part was that as a result, the fervor of these two had cooled, and they had regained their senses.
Hwa Mu-nyeom and Shin Gang, sheathing their swords, each took a step back and regarded one another.
“…I am impressed.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom spoke first. His voice carried genuine reverence.
“…I too am impressed by you. I do not particularly favor those who seek momentary glory, but you are certainly not one to retreat to the shadows.”
A brief silence fell between the two. It was a moment of mutual recognition of their martial prowess.
Hwa Mu-nyeom silently planted his sword beside Mae Wi-dong’s corpse.
“Let us depart.”
“Should another opportunity arise, we shall cross blades then.”
“Indeed.”
Hwa Mu-nyeom withdrew from the Sect Master Hall.
His movement technique was as fluid as water yet swift as wind.
Shin Gang, now alone in the Sect Master Hall, caught his breath.
Yeom Wang had not once employed the power of his true form. It was Shin Gang whose reserves had been depleted.
‘…Experience is truly something not to be underestimated.’
The opportunity to witness Yeom Wang’s martial prowess would have to wait for another time.
For now, the final act remained.
He slowly raised his sword. The final technique of Ihwa Divine Spirit Art.
Extinguish Flower, Illuminate Heaven.
Whoooosh—!!
A tremendous sword energy enveloped the entire Sect Master Hall.
Then.
Crash—!!
The Sect Master Hall collapsed completely. Pillars shattered and the roof caved in. As dust billowed forth, all held their breath.
As the dust slowly cleared, two figures were revealed.
One was a corpse lying upon the ground.
A dead body bearing Yeon Song-baek’s face.
With torn clothes and wounds covering it, it appeared as though it had died from a fierce battle moments before.
The other was a man standing tall before it.
It was Shin Gang, his long hair half black and half white streaming in the wind, bearing wounds across his entire body yet standing with unwavering confidence.
Shin Gang slowly surveyed his surroundings.
Every martial artist of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong gazed upon him with shock-stricken faces.
Im Su-je, Grand Elder Sang Ji-hyeok, and countless disciples alike.
With all eyes fixed upon him, Shin Gang opened his mouth.
“I am Shin Gang.”
His voice was low and deep, yet so intense it resonated throughout the entire hall.
In that instant, a profound silence descended as if all things had frozen. Even the sound of wind ceased.
“I shall reveal the truth of twenty years past to all gathered here.”
Seol Woon-hwi watched quietly as Shin Gang began his account.
There was no satisfied smile upon his face.
It was merely the result of a transaction.
In the Murim, there exists neither absolute good nor absolute evil.
All things are subject to perspective.
Even deeds worthy of condemnation are tolerated if deemed justified—such is the way of the Murim.
I did not deny this.
At this moment, my mood was far from pleasant.
When two martial artists of the Limitless Divine Manifestation realm exchange “five moves,” it does not signify a life-or-death duel but rather a brief, literal exchange of hands as the context suggests.
It differs somewhat from orchestrating a staged performance, yet bears a certain resemblance.
The problem arises when one surpasses that threshold.
Beyond that point, all notions of stage, orchestration, and hand exchanges become irrelevant—it becomes a true life-or-death struggle.
Neither party can restrain their own emotions, and regardless of any absence of killing intent, injuries will inevitably occur in some form.
What matters is that both men have reached the realm of Limitless Divine Manifestation.
For beings of such caliber, sustaining injury means at minimum severe wounds or worse.
Such are the natures of these existences.
Yet these foolish men nearly ruined everything by failing to control themselves for even that brief moment.
I too have ascended to that realm and experienced similar circumstances countless times.
One must learn restraint to advance beyond that stage.
I turned my gaze away for a moment.
From a distant vantage, Hwa Mu-nyeom would be observing this place.
I spoke quietly.
“You disappoint me today.”
Im Su-je, standing nearby, did not even sense that I had spoken.
But Hwa Mu-nyeom was different.
From that distant place, his aura rippled briefly.
“We shall discuss this later.”
Then came the response through Jeonum.
-…Understood.
At that very moment, Shin Gang’s gaze turned toward me.
“In days past, Yeon Song-baek disrupted the order of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong and created friction with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance through his personal, selfish desires.”
Whether by Shin Gang’s gaze or his words, all those in the sect hall who heard him shifted their attention.
Hundreds of eyes converged upon me.
“Yeon Song-baek wore masks day and night, leading an organization called Cheon Rim and undermining the peace of the Murim.”
The Murim already knew what Yeon Song-baek had done.
The true master of the organization called Cheon Rim had originally been Yang Seol-jin, the Vice Palace Lord of the Eternal Snow Palace, though this fact had not been widely publicized to the world, and the theory that Yeon Song-baek was Cheon Rim’s true master had long circulated widely—a fabrication jointly created by me and Seo Hyo.
Tracing the actual chain of command, the first Rim Lord was Yu Cheong, and the Deputy Rim Lord at that time was Yang Seol-jin.
When Yu Cheong entered the Origin Blood Sect, Yang Seol-jin became Rim Lord, and Yeon Song-baek took the position of Deputy Rim Lord.
The subsequent progression followed the same pattern.
After Yang Seol-jin entered the Eternal Snow Palace, it was Yeon Song-baek who actually operated Cheon Rim.
“I have known this fact for a long time. To hold Yeon Song-baek accountable, I had to be prepared to make Cheon Rim—indeed, the entire Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong—my enemy. Yes, the friction between Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong and the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance was certainly an opportunity for me. I waited for the moment while sharpening my blade again and again, learning just how vile that man Yeon Song-baek truly was. Cheon Ui Jung-jeong over there may rank far below me in the Murim hierarchy, but his strategic mind, his unwavering sense of justice, and his firm conviction toward righteousness aligned with mine. That is why we proceeded together, and why we have decided to expose the truth that has been buried for twenty years to the entire Murim.”
The attention that had been focused on Shin Gang shifted once more to Seol Woon-hwi.
Now the gaze was so intense that his skin felt as though it were burning.
This indicated that Seol Woon-hwi’s physical condition was still far from normal, and though he must have been in considerable pain, not a single flicker of emotion crossed his face as he quietly gazed back at Shin Gang.
How long had this man been preparing that speech?
It was a clichéd sentiment, the kind that made one cringe, but in a situation like this, such clichés were the very answer. Only then could everyone be moved.
Shin Gang continued.
“Yeon Song-baek was no proud sect master of the Odaegeomsong. He was a coward who wore a mask while leading Cheon Rim, a criminal organization, and a sinner who disturbed the order of the Murim for personal greed. Moreover, he betrayed the will of his master, who had promised him the sect master’s position, and launched a surprise attack from the Secret Cave of Ihwa Mountain, murdering his own master and father. That is a clear abandonment of one’s duty as a human being—he is undoubtedly a traitor.”
What followed was unremarkable. It was all information everyone already knew, and finally Shin Gang spoke with resolute finality.
“From this moment forward, I shall lead Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong. If anyone has objections, let them step forward.”
Seol Woon-hwi glanced subtly at Im Su-je beside him.
Im Su-je met his gaze for a moment, then immediately stepped forward.
He knelt before Shin Gang and spoke.
“We were entirely unaware of the friction with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. The previous sect master concealed the truth so thoroughly that no one could have known such events had occurred. Now that everything has been revealed, I sincerely congratulate you on your rightful return as the true sect master of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong. From this day forward, Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong shall join hands with the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice in the Murim.”
Shin Gang regarded Im Su-je with an enigmatic expression.
Im Su-je performed the Embracing Fist salute with proper reverence.
And he proclaimed:
“We pay our respects to the 13th Sect Master of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong!”
At those words, every disciple assumed the same posture.
A new wind had blown through the Murim this day.
The mask bearing the name of Yeon Song-baek, the 12th Sect Master of Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong, was torn away forever, and Shin Gang, the true successor who had returned after twenty years of silence, ascended to the position of 13th Sect Master.
Naturally, the friction that had arisen between the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance and Ihwa Geom Cheon Jong was cleanly erased in this moment.
The two powers were now unmistakably allies.
Regardless of the process, only the result mattered.
Now the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance had become a new unified force in the Central Plains, encompassing both the Odaegeomsong and the Four Demonic Outer Sects.
Seol Woon-hwi slowly turned his body.
It was time to return to Cheonsu.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————