A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 805 Chapter 801: A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation

Kagagagak-Kaang!

The funeral song of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, which had served as the lock on regression until this moment, suddenly erupts.

Following that lead, the Divine Art of Silver Basket flares into existence.

Divine Arts are, in essence, stories.

The narrative of the Future King is one that consumes the stories of those at lower ranks.

'The triggers for the Divine Art are likely...'

It is probably anything that stands in direct opposition to the Future King’s mission to elevate the Underworld to the status of the Creator God.

Every entity that seeks to stop the Future King from dictating the story!

In other words...

'It is all of us.'

Understanding the conditions is currently secondary. Right now, at this very second, we must reach the minimum grade required to withstand the Future King, who has arrived with his full power and the Absolute of Fate at his side.

-Emptiness Sword.

-Second Technique.

-Applied Technique.

The application of the technique is straightforward.

It consists of a relentless repetition of the second move, King.

-Lord ().

A deluge of sword strikes begins to fall.

Streaks of black rain plummet toward us, transforming into a torrential waterfall of blades.

While we scatter to dodge the onslaught, one of the Enders—whose movements are too sluggish to escape—takes the full force of the technique.

Flash!

Caught within the unending storm of slashes, the Ender’s physical form simply vanishes, and their connection to existence is snapped.

These perpetual strikes go as far as to tear out history itself, discarding it as ancient force and erasing it until only the Ender’s naked soul remains.

Even the link between the soul and the Absolute of Miracle is severed; the soul is stripped down until it becomes nothing more than a single strand of the Creator God's will.

That is the reality.

To put it simply, any Ender hit directly is wiped from existence and condensed into Origin Essence.

Even without the use of mantras or specific authorities like Origin Essence Creation, this is a terrifying technique that turns an adversary's soul into Origin Essence through the sheer volume of its strikes.

The sheer cruelty of this power causes everyone to freeze, and I feel my own tension skyrocket.

'He is treating this as a mere warm-up because he has just finished his meditation.'

It is nothing more than a way for him to loosen up a stiff body.

He hasn't even begun to incorporate the Divine Art yet.

The nature of his Divine Art is surely uncomplicated.

'The strongest.'

Its essence is simply to be the ultimate power, the unreachable peak.

'If he begins to utilize his Divine Arts in earnest, we are doomed to annihilation.'

Before that happens, I must somehow ascend to become the Owner of Miracles.

'But I am still one step short...!'

To claim the title of Owner of Miracles without being consumed by the Absolute, I still lack one final requirement.

I need a monumental feat to bridge the gap.

Fortunately, the current circumstances make achieving such a feat possible.

The being who has seized the Origin Essence of Fate is standing right there.

Because the Future King is present.

When a True Emperor exists, it naturally becomes slightly easier for the Emperors who follow to progress.

This is because a True Emperor provides a target through which one can accumulate great feats.

'If I can manage to even scratch the Future King despite our current difference in rank...'

An achievement of that magnitude would be more than enough to seize the Absolute and ascend to the rank of True Emperor.

However, to cut through the Divine Arts and leave a mark on the Future King, a certain minimum rank is required.

Yet, to increase my rank, I must become a True Emperor, and to do that, I must first land a hit.

'There is a way, but...'

I hesitate for a brief moment, unsure if it is the right time to reveal my hidden trump card.

-Emptiness Sword.

-Second Move.

-Applied Profundity.

-Emperor ().

The Future King’s blade sweeps through another Ender, instantly converting them into Origin Essence.

The logic behind the power of a downward strike is the assistance of gravity.

If one can augment a slash with the force of attraction, then every swing becomes a downward cut, regardless of its direction.

Thus, he swings the Emptiness Sword in a horizontal arc, imbuing it with the gravitational pull of Fate and filling it with Origin Essence, turning the strike into something akin to a Supreme Deity for a fleeting moment.

Quite literally, the sword gains a soul, becoming a lethal blow that threatens to once again divide the entire gestation world as it flies toward us.

'Fine. I will use it...!'

In this situation, refusal to act means certain death.

Just as I am about to unleash my hidden move—

Kuuung!

Spacetime itself fractures.

In that same instant, a light pink arm emerges from the rift.

It is the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord, who had been imprisoned by Hyeon Mu using the spell of the Heavenly Void Furnace.

Wooo-woooong!

"...What?"

My eyes widen in shock as I watch the Vast Cold Heavenly Lord intercept the Future King’s technique with nothing but a single arm.

Kugugugung!

The Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King returns to the world of the living once more.

And...

Something unfamiliar begins to manifest across their entire body.

These are elements that have no relation to the concept of Vast Cold.

Kiiiiiiiing!

It is known as the Imperial Throne Circuit.

It represents the pinnacle of the circuit system designed by Bong Myeong.

Kim Yeon did not merely safeguard the body of Vast Cold before returning it.

Naturally, she only handed it back after pushing its performance to the absolute limit.

They must have spent time within the Heavenly Void Furnace specifically to synchronize with the Imperial Throne Circuit.

With glowing circuits illuminating their form, Vast Cold seizes the Future King’s Emptiness Sword with a bare hand and begins to stand up.

Tudududuuk-

As the Future King finds himself being overpowered by Vast Cold's physical might, he begins to reclaim the lead by invoking the attraction force of fate.

But in the very next moment,

I sense Vast Cold's intent and provide the necessary support.

Chwaaaaa-

The Imperial Throne Circuit is a system fueled by star vein formations.

As the Owner of Myriad Stars, I funnel the star veins of the countless stars swirling within me into Vast Cold.

'I am the Owner of Myriad Stars.'

I can manifest star vein formations in virtually infinite quantities.

"Vast Cold! Take this!"

Kugugugugu!

A multitude of star vein formations link simultaneously to Vast Cold’s circuits.

At that same moment, Vast Cold exerts every ounce of strength to momentarily knock aside the Future King’s Emptiness Sword.

Immediately after, they drop to their knees.

They press their palms together and bow their head in a solemn, prayer-like posture.

Teok-

Seeing this opening, the Future King triggers his Divine Art.

The power of the Divine Art flows into the Emptiness Sword.

-Emptiness Sword.

-Fourth Move.

-Applied Technique.

-Net().

Jjeoooooong!

He releases a chaotic web of slashes that utilize repulsion force in every direction, attempting to blast Vast Cold away into a completely different otherworld.

Under normal circumstances, with the added weight of the Divine Art, Vast Cold would have been ejected from this palace instantly.

However, I behold an incredible sight.

Cheok, cheok, cheok!

Behind Vast Cold’s back,

Three distinct silhouettes materialize.

[Hoho... Daoists. We shall handle things from here for a little while.]

A man appears who bears a strange resemblance to Seo Hweol, yet possesses a far more serene aura.

Beside him is a burly man with blue hair and sharp features.

And a figure draped in a purple robe, shrouded in darkness.

From the symbols of Longevity, Wealth, Health, and Love of Virtue that have followed Vast Cold, the divine projections representing Wealth, Health, and Love of Virtue manifest here.

Because Yu Soo-ryeon, the Seat Holder of Good, is still alive in the Head Realm, her projection does not appear.

However, the three present seem to be sufficient.

Kikikikikik-

For a fleeting moment, the activation of the Divine Art wavers and blurs.

Jjeoooooong!

Vast Cold’s body is ravaged by the [Net] technique.

However, that damage is caused solely by the power of the Emptiness Sword.

The influence of the Divine Art has vanished!

Only now do I realize why Vast Cold went to such lengths to bring four entities at the Immortal Lord level into the Audience Chamber.

When the Five Blessings Immortals unite, they can—if only briefly—interfere with the functioning of a Divine Art.

'What is the logic behind this?!'

Using the insight of a Supreme Deity, I realize this isn't just a unique ability of the Five Blessings.

Vast Cold utilized a specific attribute of the Five Blessings to pinpoint a weakness in the Future King’s Divine Art, thereby neutralizing its effect!

In other words,

If I can grasp the principle, I can replicate it.

'I must figure out the mechanism. But the Five Blessings Immortals aiding Vast Cold don't seem to know the exact reason... and Vast Cold is currently unable to speak...'

"It is happiness."

Rendering my concerns moot, the Underworld speaks from behind me, providing the answer immediately.

It makes sense; there is no way the Underworld, who provided the Five Blessings Immortals to Vast Cold, would be ignorant of the reason.

"By using the happiness that has been almost entirely absent from his entire life, they negate the very condition for activation. They momentarily trick the story into believing they have come to offer him joy rather than to oppose him."

Kugugugung!

The presence of the Underworld begins to expand.

The Future King has already shifted into a massive entity of darkness and attraction, capable of holding Mount Sumeru in a single palm.

As she grows to match the size of the Fate Supreme Deity, she gazes at Hong Fan with eyes full of conflicting emotions.

"The gods of other worlds could never achieve this, even with their own happiness; it can only be done using the Origin Essence of the Five Blessings, which represents the fortune and virtue of this specific world. However... the Origin Essence of Blessings is ultimately just a symbol. Since it provides no genuine happiness, the effect will soon fade. Do what you must."

"...Yes."

I turn my attention away from Vast Cold’s neutralization of the Divine Art and resume my combat stance.

I let the Impermanence Sword hang low, gripping the hilt with both hands.

I channel the profundity of the dull sword into the blade, concentrating all my power.

Because the essence of the swift sword is speed, many assume the dull sword—its opposite—is defined by slowness.

But that is a misconception.

The core of the dull sword is not slowness, but 'precision' and 'concentration of power'.

It is called a dull sword because the focus on accuracy and impact is more vital than the speed of the swing, making it appear slightly slower.

It is not a sword that finds its identity in being slow.

I hold the sword with a level of focus that exceeds anything I have ever achieved, and as I ready the dull sword, I call out.

"Please, whoever can hear me, help me land just one blow."

This is the ultimate technique that recently brought down [Hope].

"Even against the Future King, if it connects, it will leave a mark."

Kwarurung!

Two bolts of lightning strike the ground beside me.

One is Heavenly King Jeon Myeong-hoon.

The other is Immortal Lord Yang Su-jin.

The two Lightning Immortals, radiating red and golden electricity, meet my gaze and nod in unison.

"I... will endeavor to pin him down, even if only for a heartbeat."

Jeon Myeong-hoon vows to restrain the Future King, while Yang Su-jin watches me with a grave expression.

I lack the mental capacity to read Indra’s Net right now, so I cannot decipher his look, but a familiar voice provides the translation.

Flap flap-

The Golden Shaking Bird, currently in the form of a hummingbird, interprets his will and speaks with a joyful expression from Yang Su-jin’s shoulder.

"'I will carry you forward!' that's what he's saying!"

I offer a quick glance of gratitude before refocusing entirely on my blade.

The coordinated strikes of the various Enders persist.

A former Agate unleashes a barrage of Seed Plot of Disjunctions at the Future King.

A former Lapis Lazuli, master of a complex derivative known as the Black Fall Converging to One, Returning to Dao, Heaven-Breaking Star Extinguishing True Chapter, traps the Future King’s feet under a mountain of curses.

Kim Young-hoon uses Oh Hyun-seok’s body as a vessel to draw the Future King’s ire.

Working with the former Golden Divines, they manage to disrupt the Splitting Heaven Mantra every time he attempts to invoke it.

Kang Min-hee sits calmly, cutting her palm with a silver blade to let her blood flow.

Dark blood spills from her hand, staining the area like spreading ink.

She takes up a brush and begins to paint upon the floor.

It is a form of taenghwa.

The moment the painting is finished—

Swaaaaaa-

With a hauntingly calm sound, structures begin to emerge from the ink-stained ground.

Pavilions rise up.

Simultaneously, statues and iron-barred cells appear.

Common village houses stand alongside grand imperial palaces.

And...

Bizarrely out of place, modern amusement parks come into view.

Decaying carousels and rusted Ferris wheels begin to spin in the eerie atmosphere.

The nature of this manifestation is clear.

Kang Min-hee is calling forth the collective legacies of the former Lapis Lazulis, those who served as vessels for the Underworld’s grief.

From a building resembling a modern school, a tide of monstrosities surges out.

The former Lapis Lazuli Jeong Shin stands atop the school, hair flying wildly, and lets out a piercing wail.

The creatures pouring from the school are laden with curses, driving them into a state of even greater madness.

Most of these Lapis Lazuli legacies are dark and unsettling, creating the aura of a haunted city.

At the center of this ghost town, Kang Min-hee speaks.

"Master. And everyone... I will be your shield."

Drawing power from the Underworld’s sorrow,

Using the remnants of the former Lapis Lazulis as her conduit,

And wielding her own mantra, Falling Flower, along with her innate authority, she sweeps her brush through the air.

The Flawless Mantra carves a dark blue circle behind her, projecting her resolve.

-I shall protect you.

In an instant, dark blue rings flicker into existence around everyone engaged in the fight.

The Falling Flower mantra, which drags an opponent into a realm governed by her laws, merges with the ghost city she has summoned.

A moment later, an Ender is struck directly by the Future King.

By all rights, they should have been reduced to Origin Essence, but the Ender remains unharmed.

Tukwaaaang!

Instead, one of the structures within the ghost city crumbles.