A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 258: Heavenly Tribulation (10)
Translator: TranslatingNovice
Editor: Z0Rel
Kugugugugu!
As Jeon Myeong-hoon and the punitive force begin to gather their energy, the entire mountain starts to vibrate.
"What, what is that!?"
"This is insane..."
From various places all over the mountain, an uncountable number of puppets begin to emerge.
Like a swarm of insects, the numerous puppets make everyone's faces turn pale.
"But they're all just Nascent Soul level. Let the Heavenly Being stage cultivators break through."
At that command, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect and Penglai Palace's Heavenly Being stage cultivators step forward.
As the Heavenly Being stage cultivators form their hand signs, the surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy vibrates and moves according to their will, forming waves.
Gooooo
As the wave of spiritual energy surges towards the insect-like puppet swam, the Nascent Soul stage puppets fail to resist and are crushed to death.
"The mountain range is forming some kind of formation. We need to bring down the mountain itself."
Three Heavenly Being stage Law Enforcers from Penglai Palace step forward, each beginning to exert their techniques.
The three Law Enforcers, positioned in three directions, form a Three Disasters Formation and begin to amplify their energy within it.
Despite the mountain range being immensely larger than a regular mountain and emitting an unusual energy, gradually, the energy from the Heavenly Being stage Law Enforcers begin to overpower the mountain's energy.
"Depart ()!"
When the Heavenly Being stage Law Enforcers complete their hand signs, the energy transforms into a giant dragon-shaped mass of light and flies towards the mountain range.
Kugugugugu!
As the dragon-shaped energy touches the mountain range and the formation manifested through it, it shakes violently, flickering as if it will collapse at any moment.
However, just then.
Crack!
A dark figure appears, grabs the dragon-shaped light mass with both arms, and crushes it.
Boom!
The light mass dissipates, and Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at the dark figure.
"It's you again."
The figure, resembling the puppets that had crawled out from all over the mountain like insects but made of much finer materials and with a much more complex process, as evidenced by the complex circuits faintly glowing all over its body, resembles Seo Eun-hyun quite closely.
True Origin General Seo opens its mouth.
Kwaaaang!
A burst of light erupts from General Seo's mouth, aiming at the punitive force.
"Hmm!"
Hon Cheon steps forward and stretches out his hand, blocking General Seo's beam.
The light splits in all directions upon hitting Hon Cheon's hand but Hon Cheon frowns.
"Quite painful. A puppet at the Four-Axis stage, is it?"
Before he can react further,
General Seo stomps fiercely.
Boom!
A massive vibration spreads in all directions, and once again, countless puppets begin to emerge from the mountain.
Seeing this, Hon Ryang lets out a dry laugh.
"How many Nascent Soul puppets did he create? What a monster. Of course, to cultivators, there's nothing more foolish than relying on numbers."
At Hon Ryang's signal, the Heavenly Being stage cultivators from Penglai Palace step forward again to form hand signs.
That's when.
Bo-oong!
Flash!
General Seo's mouth fires another beam cannon, disrupting the Heavenly Being stage cultivators attempting to cast their spells on the Nascent Soul stage puppets.
However, Hon Ryang scoffs.
"Spread out and target the Nascent Soul puppets. Anyway, that puppet cannon can't fire more than one at a time..."
And at that very moment.
General Seo's shoulders, chest, abdomen, knees, and palms open, and heads similar to General Seo's begin to emerge.
Click, click, click!
The heads that sprouted all over General Seo's body each open their mouths and begin firing beams in all directions simultaneously.
"Damn it! Evade!"
Hon Ryang's previously relaxed face contorts, and he steps forward in front of the Heavenly Being stage cultivators, gathering his strength.
Three Four-Axis stage cultivators, including Jeon Myeong-hoon, step forward to block General Seo's beams.
"Let's push through in one go, everyone advance!"
"Understood!"
Under Jeon Myeong-hoon's command, the three Four-Axis stage cultivators begin flying towards General Seo, facing the beams head-on.
Suddenly, above General Seo, a sphere of Yin and Yang Five Elements emerges.
Hon Ryang and Hon Cheon simultaneously extend their hands, starting to gather energy.
But the next moment.
Whoosh!
Eight blue wings sprout from General Seo's back.
"What!?"
A storm of light far more massive than the previous beams fly towards Hon Ryang and Hon Cheon.
The Yin and Yang Five Elements restraint around General Seo is instantly shattered and torn apart, and Hon Ryang and Hon Cheon curse as they are forced to retreat.
Jeon Myeong-hoon also retreats from the aftermath of General Seo's Azure Wing Heavenly Shatter,
Meanwhile, Wei Li, cloaked in Yin energy for stealth, manages to position himself behind General Seo.
Just as Wei Li, wielding a dagger dharma treasure, attempts to stab at General Seo's back,
Click!
General Seo's back opens, revealing a Taiji symbol inside.
"What...!"
Kwajijijik!
A massive pillar of lightning erupts from behind General Seo.
Simultaneously, General Seo's form changes once again.
The head on top split into two, each imbued with Yin energy and Yang energy.
Jeon Myeong-hoon frowns at the sight.
"Taiji Quaking Lighting Body..."
Hearing this, the other Four-Axis stage cultivators let out a dry chuckle.
"A puppet employing such a diversity of methods. It's practically at the mid Four-Axis stage. in addition..."
Tsutsutsutsu...
Not only True Origin General Seo but also the mass-produced General Seos scattered around begin to emit dark curse spells.
Hon Ryang looks at the curse and says,
"Each of those puppets is a cursed doll laden with curses. If we allow even a speck of injury while fighting them, they will transform into a cursed doll that is linked with us, making it so if we attack them, we end up attacking each other."
"What a damn piece of work."
Wei Li spits out a suppressed swear.
"Dragging it out like this will drain our strength, but the real issue is Seo Eun-hyun himself hasn't wasted any energy and is conserving his strength. If we expend all our energy here, it'll be just like handing over our information to him and losing our chance to fight Seo Eun-hyun."
At Wei Li's words, Hon Ryang looks at him and asks,
"So what do you suggest?"
"That General Seo, although at the mid Four-Axis stage, operates on a set of rules like a puppet. I'll study its patterns and keep it at bay. In the meantime, quickly hurry into the mountain range and defeat Seo Eun-hyun!"
"Understood."
Jeon Myeong-hoon nods firmly, leaving behind a few Heavenly Being and Nascent Soul stage cultivators, including Wei Li, and they quickly move beyond the mountain range.
Kwoong!
General Seo charges at them with its mouth wide open.
However, Wei Li spits out a chain-shaped dharma treasure from his mouth, and the dark chains wrap around General Seo.
"Your opponent is me."
Boo-woong!
General Seo charges at Wei Li, and the two Four-Axis stage beings begin their fast-paced exchange.
Boo-woooong!
Crossing the mountain range, Jeon Myeong-hoon frowns.
Within the mountain range,
The area is filled with dark miasma.
"It's poison. Everyone, stop all forms of breathing, including skin respiration."
At Hon Cheon's word, all the cultivators begin to hold their breaths, casting protective spells.
As they enter the miasma in this state,
"Krrrrgh...!"
In an instant, the Nascent Soul elders start staggering, showing signs of poisoning.
"What the...!"
Jeon Myeong-hoon and the Heavenly Being stage grand elders all jump in surprise, turning to look at the elders.
And the next moment, Jeon Myeong-hoon feels dizzy.
'Damn, I see. The Heaven and Earth spiritual energy itself is imbued with poison! Even if we hold our breath, those at the Nascent Soul stage and below structurally have to inhale the surrounding spiritual energy, so they get poisoned without even breathing the air...'
He guesses who the creator of the poison is.
'Hong Fan...!'
Remembering the centipede demon beast that had given him strength and support in his most desperate times, with whom he had been close, Jeon Myeong-hoon's eyes blaze with fury.
Crackle, crackling!
Jeon Myeong-hoon's entire body erupts with red lightning, transforming him into a form resembling a Lightning Spirit.
[Krgh...I'll have to stay in this state for now. Everyone, those who are poisoned, gather in one place and quietly perform your cultivation methods!]
"Are you sure? What if we are attacked in the fog...."
Jeon Myeong-hoon shakes his head.
[This poison is formidable, but given the maker's character, he wouldn't disturb those who are cultivating to recover from the poison.]
Seo Eun-hyun might be unreliable, but Hong Fan, who had consistently shown a certain demeanor, is trustworthy.
Trusting in Hong Fan's character, Jeon Myeong-hoon gathers those immobilized by the poison to a less toxic area to expel the poison.
"Bite on a detoxifying pill. And..."
Jeon Myeong-hoon surveys his surroundings.
Due to Hong Fan's poison, all forces at the Nascent Soul stage and below are rendered incapable of combat in an instant.
'Damn it...'
[...Only five Heavenly Being stage cultivators stay here to take care of the poisoned cultivators. Those who are fine, continue to advance forward.]
Jeon Myeong-hoon gris his teeth and advances.
Hon Ryang read the flow of the formations and points the way.
"The energy of the formation is gathering over there. Let's head in that direction."
[Understood.]
Hon Ryang, Hon Cheon, and Jeon Myeong-hoon leads the Heavenly Being stage cultivators and fly forward,
"Wait, this is...!! Stop!"
Hon Ryang suddenly scrunches his face and shouts.
However, the next moment, the energy of the formation twists and Hon Ryang feels himself being thrown to an isolated area. The same happens to Jeon Myeong-hoon and Hon Cheon.
Hon Ryang frowns.
"The layout of the formation is incredibly complicated. I've heard that the formation skills of Jin Wei, whom Father asked us to capture, are significant. Could it be true?"
He tries to explore his surroundings with his consciousness, but the energy of the formation crushes Hon Ryang's attempt, preventing him from fully extending his consciousness domain.
It's when he looks around.
Far off, through the poison, two figures appear.
"Daoist Jeon, Hon Cheon!"
His face lights up, ready to rush over but then stops to raise his guard.
"Who are you...?"
But those who appeared from beyond the poisonous fog are not Heon Ryang's companions but a white-haired hunched old man in black clothes, biting a bamboo pipe, and a beauty clad in a bright red robe with looks so enchanting that they are almost bewitching.
"Greetings. Sorry for the suddenness, but according to my master's command, I must bind you for a while."
The old man in black, Hong Fan, speaks and Hon Ryang chuckles in response.
"Do you really think you two, who appear to be merely at the Nascent Soul stage, can challenge me? What an amusing joke."
He smirks and points his finger at Hong Fan.
"Explode and die."
Boom!
However, it isn't Hong Fan who explodes, but the beauty in the bright red robe beside him, Yuan Yu.
'A cursed doll? All impacts directed at that old demon in disguise are absorbed by that cursed doll.'
Tsuk, tsuk-tsuk-tsuk!
He snorts at the sight of Yuan Yu writhing and regenerating its body.
"Interesting trick. Except for unique cases like Daoist Jeon, you Nascent Soul stage beings are nothing but insects that can be stomped to death. Just die..."
Snap!
In the next moment, Hong Fan snaps his fingers.
Kugugugugu!
Simultaneously, Hon Ryang feels an enormous weight descend upon him.
"I've learned a bit about formations from Jin Wei-nim over the past few years...formations are truly fascinating. With little strength, one can overpower a strong enemy, which seems to have quite a bit in common with poison."
"What...?"
Snap!
As Hong Fan snaps his fingers again, the formation's energy constricts around Hon Ryang to the point it's even difficult to breathe.
'This is insane, aside from the power of the formation, that guy...he's handling this vast and complex formation like it's part of his body...!'
As Hong Fan moves his right hand, the surrounding energy shifts, amplifying the power of the formation.
Moving his left, the poison on the ground changes properties, mixing into a completely different kind of poison.
[You insect...!]
Hon Ryang tries to reach out to Hong Fan, but in the next moment, his senses flip upside down.
'Damn it, the formation's confusing my senses!'
Thud!
Hon Ryang falls to one knee.
[What...why can't I exert any strength...am I affected by poison?]
He looks at his skin turning black with a troubled expression.
Hong Fan strokes his beard and chuckles heartily.
"How could someone as lowly as me create a poison that affects a Four-Axis senior? It's just...what's laid out here is not only my poison."
[What...! This, this is!]
Chi-ii-ii
Hon Ryang sees tiny curses climbing his arm and clenches his teeth.
He hadn't noticed due to the formation's energy and poison concealing them.
But beneath the dark poison, curse spells are densely laid out.
While Hong Fan distracted Hon Ryang with the formation and poison, curse spells from the ground had already been absorbed into him.
"You...!"
Kwarururung!
As Hon Ryang punches the ground, the energy of the formation shifts, constricting him even more violently in return.
Hon Ryang feels as if he is being swallowed alive by a snake, kneeling before Hong Fan.
'How could I, even if within the enemy's maw, and with it being difficult to handle someone skilled in poison arts, be overpowered by a Nascent Soul stage demon beast...'
He wants to resist, but his energy starts to wane.
"...My brother has been defeated."
Hon Cheon frowns, looking into the dark poisonous fog.
He can feel, coursing through his veins, that his brother had been overpowered.
'This is no time to hesitate. I must quickly regroup with Jeon Myeong-hoon. We're being defeated in detail.'
Recalling the energy he had secretly attached to Jeon Myeong-hoon during their initial encounter at the entrance to the Devil Realm, he senses Jeon Myeong-hoon's location.
Although unable to fully extend his consciousness due to the influence of the formation, his unique cultivation method allows him to approximate Jeon Myeong-hoon's whereabouts.
Soon, Hon Cheon and Jeon Myeong-hoon reunite.
"Finally found you. My brother has been captured. He's not dead but he's in a critical situation."
"...I couldn't find the Heavenly Being stage grand elders. It seems impossible to break the formation rashly. Attacking it from the inside only tightens its grip."
Jeon Myeong-hoon scowls at the poison-filled formation.
Hearing this, Hon Cheon squints and asks,
"Is there any way?"
"...There is."
"What is it?"
"Defeat Seo Eun-hyun."
At that, Hon Cheon responds irritably.
"Even a three-year-old could give that answer. Stop joking and..."
"It's no joke."
Jeon Myeong-hoon looks at Hon Cheon and says,
"Just stand guard for a moment. We're close to him. If I concentrate a little, I think I can find his location."
"How?"
"The cultivation method I've learned and the one he has learned are... almost like siblings."
The Extinguishing Divine Tribulating Heavens Technique, which only becomes revealed upon learning all the methods of the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, and the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method, which can be attained by mastering the basic method of the sect and showcasing all its features when fully mastered.
Jeon Myeong-hoon feels a kinship between the two methods.
'It seems the founder of the sect, the Golden Deity, designed these two techniques to be similar. I get the feeling that the two methods are interconnected.'
He closes his eyes, listening to 'the voice of lightning.'
Previously, the lightning had spoken to him in a sticky, bewitching voice, revealing the intricacies of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation Method.
But ever since Seo Eun-hyun ran away with the Heavenly Lightning Banner,
Jeon Myeong-hoon started hearing a 'different' voice of lightning.
It still speaks to him as lightning always had.
Yet, the voice he hears recently is much softer, weaker, and more comforting than the one before.
Murmuring...
He follows the voice of lightning.
'Find Seo Eun-hyun...'
Jeon Myeong-hoon silently asks the voice with guidance.
Zzzt, zzzt, zzzt...
Though his consciousness is blocked, the lightning bestows knowledge upon him.
Scenes of places where electricity flows begin to clearly emerge in Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
Hon Cheon standing next to him, emitting bioelectricity.
Hong Fan, who is dealing with Heon Ryang, and Yuan Yu, the Blood Body, standing beside him.
The scattered Heavenly Being cultivators.
And...
'Seo Eun-hyun!'
The unmistakably alien presence of Seo Eun-hyun, who emits a transparent voice of lightning, enters Jeon Myeong-hoon's mind.
Jeon Myeong-hoon glares at the figure of Seo Eun-hyun that entered his mind.
'There you are.'
Just then.
Swoosh
Seo Eun-hyun, who had been quietly standing afar, locks eyes with Jeon Myeong-hoon's gaze.
Startled!
Jeon Myeong-hoon is taken aback and opens his eyes.
"...I've found him."
"Found him? Where should we go?"
"Head north. He's waiting for us."
Hon Cheon and Jeon Myeong-hoon use their Flying Escape Technique to fly.
Jeon Myeong-hoon bites his lip as he forces his way through the poison.
He remembers wh