A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 801 Chapter 797: Future King (2)

For a fleeting moment, a profound stillness permeates the world of Primordial Chaos.

Before long, the divine presence of Torch Candle stirs.

Upon deciphering the ancient wisdom etched into their very limb, the True Immortal known as 'Torch Candle Heavenly Lord' is overtaken by a sudden panic.

:: Wh-What...? How can this be...? The Heavenly Void Furnace and the Emptiness Supreme Deity are realms where the authority of light reaches its absolute zenith. How is it possible for a mere being like you to withstand me, a Seat Holder of the Radiance Hall...? ::

Wo-woooooong—

I immerse myself in the epic of Hong Fan, all while fixing a piercing glare upon the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord.

According to Hong Fan's legend, he strikes down every Chief God governing the six universes, merging those realms into a singular, new world.

He then harvests the souls of those six deities along with the primal essence of their power—the Three Daos—to forge a brand-new authority.

Its designation is the [First Light].

This is the ultimate authority standing at the peak of the Immortal Cultivation system Hong Fan established, serving as his supreme Immortal Treasure.

:: I am already well-acquainted with... the essence and authority of light. ::

I am the one who witnessed the birth of the First Light with my own eyes.

Compared to that, a Heavenly Lord who merely borrows the strength of light is nothing.

If I am facing only a fragmented strand of a split soul rather than the true body, I am certain I will not be surpassed.

Kuuuuuu—

Transforming into a surging tide of emerald radiance, I begin to envelop the entirety of the Heavenly Void Furnace, lunging toward the split soul of the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord.

:: Such a borrowed power does not intimidate me. ::

:: Impossible! I have dedicated my entire existence to mastering the Heavenly Void Furnace. To be one with this furnace is my destiny! ::

I tear away pieces of the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord’s split soul, absorbing them into myself. Just as the voice instructed, I begin to dissolve his essence into the story, laughing as I do.

:: How many eons did you spend within the Heavenly Void Furnace? A hundred million years? A billion? Ten billion? ::

:: This cannot be! ::

:: I have already inhabited the Heavenly Void Furnace for trillions of years. ::

Entering this furnace day after day, enduring agony for periods reaching a hundred million years each time.

I have sacrificed my tormented but tempered spirit to etch laws into this place, receiving the legacies left by my former selves within those rules. I have repeated this cycle more times than I can possibly calculate.

:: In my presence, you do not possess the right to claim authority over the Heavenly Void Furnace. ::

Tududududuk—

I violently rip the mask from the split soul of the True Immortal known as Torch Candle Heavenly Lord.

While this might not harm their true body, it is clearly a vital blow to this fragment, judging by the way it shrieks and struggles against me.

It may seem that I am being excessively ruthless toward the first distinct personality I've encountered here after an eternity, but I have no choice. I must read this True Immortal’s history and use them as a bridge to reach the world outside.

Their desperate tantrums are almost pathetic.

:: Be still. ::

Woo-woooooong—

I concentrate on Hong Fan’s tale and the fragment of the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord.

Slowly, I begin to stain the narrative contained within them with my own light.

The [power of light] wielded by the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord attempts to resist, but it is futile against me, for I have observed the very creation of the [First Light] within Hong Fan’s story.

In that legend, Hong Fan eventually binds the six universes together, naming them the Heavenly Domains, and christens the new world formed by these domains as Mount Sumeru.

Once Mount Sumeru is established, he begins to propagate the blessings of his Immortal Cultivation system across the entire realm.

Thus, through Hong Fan’s actions, the very first cultivation technique is bestowed upon all living things.

This primordial method is a system that draws divine power from the [First Light]—which was forged from the souls and authorities of the Chief Gods—and it differs entirely from the modern Heaven and Earth Immortal Cultivation system.

Chuuuuung— Chung—

As I parse the details of this ancient cultivation system, I begin the process of divinely descending the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord’s split soul into my own being.

The [voice] I encountered in the domain of purity instructs me on how to link to the 'outside' world by using the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord’s story as a conduit.

:: Finally... ::

After a span of time longer than memory.

I at last begin to project myself beyond the boundaries of the Heavenly Void Furnace.

Woong-woong-woong—

Where am I?

I cannot pinpoint the location exactly, but I realize I have merged with the consciousness of a colossal divinity, sharing its vision and perceptions.

'Ah... I understand now.'

These are the senses of the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord.

An immense entity that dwarfs the mere fragment sent into the Heavenly Void Furnace.

A divinity that taps directly into the primal source of Light.

I am experiencing the perspective of the great messenger of light, the Fourth Seat of the Radiance Eight Immortals.

Wooo-woooooong—

I perceive the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord communicating with other True Immortals while scanning the various Heavenly Domains. It is as if they are overseeing vast regions that each equate to a single universe in Hong Fan’s tale.

In the midst of this surveillance,

The Heavenly Lord’s gaze falls upon a place known as the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain.

Specifically, the Five Great Middle Realms within that domain!

'Aaaah...'

There, I am finally able to learn the current fates of the companions I have worried over for so long.

The Torch Candle Heavenly Lord does not recognize them, but because his consciousness brushes against theirs even once, I am granted full knowledge of their circumstances.

Kim Young-hoon is, for some reason, located in the Ancient Force Realm.

Jeon Myeong-hoon has ascended to become the Lightning Harbinger.

Kang Min-hee is in the midst of a slow transformation into the Ghost Mother.

Oh Hyun-seok remains at the Azure Heaven Creation Sect, continuing his Cultivation...

And Kim Yeon is enduring a life of suffering under the Mad Lord.

Oh Hye-seo is currently sharing an intimate night with Seo Hweol...

And Seo Eun-hyun has returned to serve under Makli Cheon-sa to cultivate once more, becoming a respected devilish cultivator on Red Moon Island, honored by many on the Devil path.

'...?'

A chilling sense of wrongness and disharmony washes over me.

But at that moment, the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord’s vast awareness, which covers the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain, narrows its focus onto the Bright Cold Realm, specifically targeting Sacred Master Baek Woon atop Heavenly Lotus Mountain.

:: Baek Woon. I have peered into the Head Realm, and it appears singularities are imminent. Entities like Yang Su-jin are destined to emerge. Have any of those who recently ascended from the Head Realm shown signs of being unique? ::

It seems that besides the split soul in the furnace, he sent another thread of awareness to investigate specific matters.

Sacred Master Baek Woon reports several events to the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord, who nods and begins to retract his consciousness.

:: Is that so? Then I shall continue to observe for now. Since no one as prominent as Yang Su-jin has appeared... it remains uncertain if the Enders have truly been born. ::

With those words, he fully withdraws his mind from the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain to attend to other matters.

By this time, the strain of hiding within the Heavenly Lord’s mind becomes too much, and I pull my consciousness back into the Heavenly Void Furnace.

Once I recover, I know I can reconnect with the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord’s mind through his split soul at any time.

However, I am too stunned to think of such things, staring blankly out from the furnace.

Seo Eun-hyun has returned to Makli Cheon-sa.

But the 'me' on the outside should still be at the Ascension Path of the Head Realm.

Yet, in the eyes of the Torch Candle Heavenly Lord, the one serving Makli Cheon-sa is undeniably Seo Eun-hyun.

There is only one explanation for this impossibility.

'The threads of fate I severed with the Star Extinguishing True Chapter... someone has attached them to themselves.'

In this situation, there is only one person capable of such a feat.

'Hong Fan...'

The Three Spirits Art clone that Hong Fan sent up under the guise of gathering intel.

It has ascended to the Bright Cold Realm and is now consuming my causality.

Hong Fan is systematically replacing me.

The moment this realization strikes,

The 'Heart Demon', which had been lying delirious and unconscious beneath my mind, rouses itself and begins to murmur.

"Do you see? Hong Fan is taking your place. If you remain passive... the very entity known as Seo Eun-hyun will vanish."

The 'Heart Demon' whispers seductive lies into my ear.

"Sever it. Cut the tie and embrace my power to expose Hong Fan’s wicked nature. Do it before your existence is erased and your throne as the Devil Heavenly King is stolen..."

"...Hong Fan..."

Using the Star Extinguishing True Chapter Cutting Principle, I grasp the thread of connection linked to Hong Fan and stare at it vacantly.

"I..."

Then, quite naturally, the lessons Hong Fan shared with me resurface in my mind.

It is a rare thing to obtain a human body, and rarer still to attain the Dao.

"...If gaining a human body is difficult, then forging a human connection must be harder still."

Through a mountain of coincidences piled upon more coincidences...

The bond with Hong Fan was formed.

This, too, is a connection I have painstakingly built.

"Even if you replace me and live my life... I am also peeking into your memories and living yours... Our connection has only grown deeper."

The Heart Demon’s eyes burn with raw greed.

It is the embodiment of desire.

But as it listens to my resolve, the twisted joy on its face begins to fade.

"I will witness your story until the very end. Only then can I provide an answer. I will decide what you are to me, and how this bond must eventually be settled..."

I let go of the thread I held in my hand.

I will not sever it now.

My final decision will wait until the story’s conclusion.

Acknowledging that our fates are now even more entwined, I continue to follow the path of Hong Fan’s legend.

Tracing the story, maintaining the bond...

I continue to quietly temper my Martial Heart.

Though my realm as a True Immortal does not advance, my Formless Sword becomes increasingly vivid and transparent.

I truly wish to see where this path ends.

In the eyes of the demon of desire, hope dies as it watches my choice.

Within the Primordial Chaos, the epic continues to unfold.

The time scales within the narrative leap to transcendent heights.

It has become impossible to look away or escape the flow of the tale.

:: Hong Fan... ::

By his own will, Hong Fan’s stories have manifested within the Primordial Chaos of the Heavenly Void Furnace.

Now, I can no longer impose new rules upon the furnace; I am forced to be a passenger to the plot.

Unlike before, I am no longer in danger of dissolving into the chaos, but because I am swept away by the story’s momentum, I lose the opportunity to cultivate within the furnace.

'Drawing Qi from the chaos to reach the True Immortal level is no longer an option.'

In this narrative world, there is only one thing I can still refine.

Kiiiiiing—

The techniques of the Star Extinguishing True Chapter, also known as the Primordial Origin Immortal Art.

The Cutting Principle that severs the threads of fate.

And the blade forged from the heart.

Only the Formless Sword remains.

From that day forward, I follow Hong Fan’s story while simultaneously honing the Cutting Principle and the Formless Sword.

"...Hong Fan, are you there?"

I emerge from the Heavenly Void Furnace.

"Ah, Master. Have you awakened?"

Hong Fan is leaning against the outer casing of the furnace, greeting me as I step out.

"Have your internal wounds finished healing?"

"Yes. It feels as though I’ve rested for an entire year. My body is perfectly fine now."

However, I feel a bit awkward.

"Actually, Hong Fan... about that story you were telling me yesterday... I apologize. I drifted off and didn't hear it properly."

Oddly enough, despite the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, yesterday’s events weren't recorded.

It must be because I collapsed and lost consciousness so quickly.

'Considering I endured that Heavenly Tribulation, it would be stranger if I hadn't blacked out...'

Since Hong Fan only started the story because I asked, I worried he might be offended if I admitted I missed it.

But Hong Fan simply shakes his head.

"It is no matter. I have already revealed everything, and I am sure you heard plenty while inside the Heavenly Void Furnace."

"...Sometimes talking to you makes me feel like we are on different wavelengths."

"Haha, perhaps it is just the difference between our races."

"Is that so...?"

I accompany Hong Fan to the surface of the Ascension Path and gaze at the horizon.

The sky is perfectly clear.

Staring at the blue expanse, I suddenly speak to him.

"Hong Fan, by any chance..."

"Yes, Master."

"Would you be interested in learning martial arts?"

"...? Excuse me?"

Taken aback by my suggestion, Hong Fan looks at me with wide eyes.

"Whatever for... why would Master think of that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing in particular... I just thought you would be a natural at it. Since you've already achieved Transformation, you should be able to learn human martial arts, right?"

Hong Fan stares at me with a peaceful, silent gaze.

"...I am not sure if I can learn the martial arts Master practices. All I know... are the arts of killing."

"Haha, what does that matter? If you take the arts of killing and refine them with discipline, that is martial arts."

"So, in a way, martial arts are just killing arts?"

"Hm... not exactly."

I shake my head at his question.

The concept of Martial Arts encompasses far more than just slaying a foe.

"If I had to explain it, killing arts are just one small part of the system known as Martial Arts. Martial Arts is the broader classification."

"Mm... but isn't the most vital aspect of Martial Arts the act of killing?"

Looking confused, Hong Fan debates the definition of the path with me.

"What is the point of Martial Arts if it isn't used to kill an enemy?"

"Certainly... that is one perspective. But there is another side to it."

"Do you mean the aspect of self-cultivation?"

He continues, sounding unconvinced.

"If it is for self-improvement, isn't Immortal Cultivation superior? There are many more opportunities to sit in silence and achieve enlightenment. In my view, it is more efficient for Martial Arts to be for killing and Immortal Cultivation to be for self-cultivation."

"Well... you might have a point."

I nod and nudge Hong Fan into a stance.

"For now, let’s just try it and we can define it as we go."

At this stage, Hong Fan is a complete amateur who knows nothing of martial arts.

Compared to me, who has reached Treading Heavens, he would need to at least reach the peak before he could truly debate the essence of Martial Arts.

Until then, regardless of his opinions, there’s no need to take the argument too seriously.

Whether he realizes my thoughts or not,

Hong Fan merely looks at me with a slightly pouting expression.

"For now... since your demonic power can serve as a substitute for internal energy, let’s begin with basic external forms and combat. First, hold the horse stance."

From that day on, I began instructing Hong Fan in the way of the warrior.

Inside the Heavenly Void Furnace.

An immeasurable amount of time passes again and again.

As I am pulled along by Hong Fan’s tale, I slowly begin to understand why he suddenly started telling it to me.

'He is making sure I have no time to cultivate.'

He triggered the story to prevent me from spending hundreds of millions of years inside the Heavenly Void Furnace, where I could have added more rules and gathered further authority.

'While I can still train my heart and endlessly refine the Formless Sword and Cutting Principle... that is the limit.'

My progress has stagnated.

Only recently, peering beyond the Plane of Soul within the chaotic mix,

I discovered three specific attributes within the empty domain of purity.

'Creation, Preservation, Destruction...'

Over hundreds of millions of years, the Formless Sword has evolved until it finally touched upon those three fundamental properties.

'But its actual power hasn't changed.'

To be honest, I am at a loss as to how to progress further in this place.

I can only continue to dissolve the Formless Sword deeper into that realm of purity, bringing it closer to absolute nothingness... and that seems to be the end of the road.

'As for its offensive or destructive capabilities—'