A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 811 Chapter 807 + 808: Seo Eun-hyun ⟨End⟩
Previously on A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation...
Chapter 811 Chapter 807 + 808: Seo Eun-hyun ⟨End⟩
A vacant look crosses his face as he strolls amid the urban streets.
Shhhhhhhh...
The patter of the downpour oddly soothes his senses.
Along the path he treads while the droplets cascade upon him,
The figure who haunts even his slumber stands before him.
Or rather, it might be better to describe her as hovering.
"Hyang...hwa..."
His voice, parched and faint, summons her name.
Myriad ideas swirl chaotically in his mind.
"How...?"
All at once, a sensation of being observed draws his eyes aside.
Yet, nothing occupies the space.
It must have been a mere figment of his thoughts.
Her gentle smile graces her features.
[How? I've turned into a roaming soul, lingering for Orabeoni.]
"Back then, surely..."
The instant her essence rose to the celestial realm lingers vividly in Seo Eun-hyun's memory.
Abruptly, she turns toward the spot where Seo Eun-hyun had glanced, then returns her gaze to him with a warm grin.
[But more crucially, isn't there a greater matter at hand?]
"..."
Indeed.
One perished, while the other endured.
Still, their souls remain intertwined.
Seo Eun-hyun grasps her implication without delay.
[In Yeon-do City, I longed to sway with Orabeoni, yet fate leads us to perform here instead.]
"...Give me a brief instant. I'll ready everything at once."
He unsheathes the Colorless Glass Sword at his side, channeling every ounce of his vigor and spiritual essence into it.
Wo-woong!
The Colorless Glass Swords were crafted initially as memorials for the inhabitants of Cheon-saek City.
Obeying Seo Eun-hyun's intent, the three thousand glass blades revert to their designated resting places.
Afterward, Seo Eun-hyun turns to her and extends his palm.
Silent smiles pass between them.
Lacking actual fans, they mimic the gesture and assume their positions.
Though no melody plays, they glide gracefully to the rhythm of the rainfall, syncing their movements flawlessly.
Their forms merge in perfect unison.
Beneath the relentless shower.
I observe that enchanting sight and let a grin form.
The pair twirling amid the rain's melody...
Regardless of how often I witness it anew, how frequently I behold...
Their beauty pierces the soul with poignant grace.
The gathered spirits, beholding them, gradually.
One after another, transform into luminous specks and ascend heavenward.
Among those familiar presences, I spot one and curve my lips upward.
Cheongmun Ryeong.
My mentor.
Tsuaaaaaaatt!
He who grasped the Absolute of Miracle, then crumbled and vanished utterly.
Revival eludes him without my attainment of total omnipotence.
As an entity surpassing myriad timelines, I issue a command across the cosmos.
Hwiooooooo!
In a flash, Cheongmun Ryeong absorbs the essence of omnipotence, gaining the spark of rebirth.
A smile spreads across his visage.
Then, his eyes shift to a distant point, and he utters words.
—Remember. Everything...
I follow his line of sight and abruptly unearth a long-buried recollection.
At last, the depth of his message dawns on me.
In that era, he had granted a boon to my earlier incarnation, enabling recall of the insights from the 16th cycle.
'Thank you, Master.'
Right then, Cheongmun Ryeong draws upon my essence and propels himself into the ages ahead.
From this temporal anchor, it marks the forthcoming era.
From my vantage, it unfolds as actuality.
He will soar to the ultimate arena where the Future King fell, securing via the Underworld a flawless path to rebirth.
: : Fare well on your journey. Master. : :
With further depletion of Omnipotence, I could summon him back instantly, restoring his peak might and form.
Yet...
At present, even Omnipotence dwindles to near exhaustion.
Thus, offering him not utter destruction but a shot at reincarnation stands as my utmost capability in this state.
He morphs into a radiant glow and, facing me, delivers his final plea.
—If feasible, I request you watch over those youngsters too.
Tsuaaaat!
Those youngsters?
Whom might he refer to...
Yet comprehension strikes swiftly.
Woong—
The entity trapped within the Head Realm's grasp.
It concerns the budding Hyeon Rang, Song Jin.
I perceive that the bygone Song Jin, especially, remains anchored to this realm.
'I understand.'
Hong Fan embodies the Western Zero King.
To feign the Creator God's benevolence, he ensured subsequent Hyeon Rangs lingered in the Audience Chamber, poised as future sacrifices.
Honoring my master's wish, I gesture toward the Hyeon Rangs preserved in the Audience Chamber at this juncture.
To be exact, I project a pulling force upon the myriad Hyeon Rangs, deceased without ascending to Supreme Deity, preserved as mounted relics.
Kugugugugugu!
Adjacent to Cheon-saek City.
The Underworld's portal wrenches apart by force, drawing the taxidermized Hyeon Rangs from the Audience Chamber—those who failed Supreme Deity status—into its depths en masse.
And,
Within their ranks...
A known figure emerges for me.
Song Jin.
Not the Nether Crossing Ship's primal Song Jin, but the one I recognize: the Black Ghost Valley archivist in the Head Realm.
He, too, after entering the Underworld, evaded rebirth and fell to the Audience Chamber's hold.
As I regard Song Jin, he, sensing my transcendent nature, conveys profound gratitude.
Soon after,
His gaze drifts eastward across the Heaven-Treading Desert.
That is, toward the vicinity of the Black Castle, where his form, rigid, quivers faintly.
Song Jin addresses me with a plea.
—O mighty one. I implore you. Someone awaits my goodbye. Thus, please...extend just a bit more time...
In truth, I extracted the Hyeon Rangs from the Audience Chamber.
I also hauled the Underworld's Gate into the Head Realm's abyss to usher them toward its sanctuary.
Currently, I expend energy continuously, meddling in bygone events for this, so logically, no obligation binds me to comply.
No benefit accrues to me besides.
Nevertheless, a subtle smile forms as I channel additional might, prolonging the portal's duration.
Song Jin, expressing earnest appreciation, inclines in respect, and during this interval.
Finally, the current Seo Eun-hyun and Hyang-hwa conclude their dance with a tender kiss.
[I love you. The ache of unspoken words clung to my heart as regret.]
Seo Eun-hyun draws her close, voicing the sentiments tangled within him.
"I love you too."
Through this, Seo Eun-hyun uncovers the concealed essence of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.
The dark hexes clinging to his frame start to invert.
Even should existence brim with torment and maledictions.
When souls link profoundly.
Perhaps that bond...transforms into boundless grace.
The dark hexes flip entirely, unveiling the concealed truth.
*
"Hmm?"
In the wreckage of the Black Castle, site of Yuan Li's demise.
Core Formation experts continue sifting through the debris for Yuan Li's concealed valuables.
"No matter how much we dig in that Nascent Soul monster's lair, more goodies keep surfacing."
"We nearly perished, but the haul makes it worthwhile... Still, where's Cultivator Seo Ran off to?"
One expert scans for Seo Ran.
"Not a clue. He just shot off in haste. Perhaps he stumbled on something big... It's baffling what prize could make that blank-faced fellow dash away so wildly."
"Quite the mystery... Anyway, irrelevant. We've collected plenty for our needs."
As they converse and forage in Yuan Li's abode, one detects an oddity.
"Hmm? Hold on, what's that..."
The Black Ghost Curse Banner that Seo Eun-hyun deployed to bind Yuan Li's form.
A dazzling white glow erupts from the Black Ghost Curse Banner.
*
The poles bearing dark protrusions that Seo Eun-hyun embedded and abandoned throughout the wasteland.
The extremities of those suspended masses ignite with pristine whiteness.
And then,
Paaat!
The masses rupture and unfurl akin to budding florets.
The unfolded blooms gleam in immaculate white, each boasting six delicate petals.
Paat, paat, paat!
Tracing the route Seo Eun-hyun traversed, countless white magnolias erupt across the sands.
And...
Along that trail of white magnolias, Seo Ran hurtles toward the figure awaiting at its terminus.
"Aaah... M-Master. Master. Master...!"
Seo Ran's Master, who shielded him and sacrificed himself against Yuan Li.
Song Jin, arrayed nearly identically to his vital days, anticipates Seo Ran.
And, beyond Cheon-saek City's bounds...
He clasps his pupil fiercely in an embrace.
"Master...!"
—Quit the dramatics, you rascal. Are you implying I've kicked the bucket? You fool...!
Seo Ran, bereft of kin after the clash with Yuan Li...
Clinging to his rediscovered Master Song Jin in this reunion, weeps unrestrainedly.
"I can't fathom how to endure. The pain overwhelms me. I grasp nothing...of what's worth in my existence, Master...! My world...holds no one. Should you vanish too, Master, where shall I direct my steps forward!?"
Seo Ran and Song Jin.
The heartfelt convergence of teacher and student unfolds.
Song Jin regards his pupil.
Sensing his pupil's fervor, Song Jin glances skyward briefly, then toward me momentarily, before refocusing on Seo Ran.
—Ran-ah. Meet my eyes a second.
"Master...!"
—Ran-ah. I am bound to depart shortly.
"Master, what could that signify!? Haven't you returned thus!?"
—My return remains incomplete. Imagine the turmoil if the deceased revived unchecked—pure anarchy. Black Ghost Valley delays demise, not defies fate by resurrecting the fully departed.
"Then..."
—Merely...a supreme transcendent entity has shown mercy, granting me this opportunity, Ran-ah. Henceforth, navigate this realm sans me.
"How might this pupil persist without Master...?"
—Cease! Shun the chains of yesteryears. Gaze forward and advance. Truly, I cherished and valued you. You honored and trailed me. Yet, separations are inevitable for some. Embrace it. Though...you'll resist, won't you? Hearts don't sway like fickle winds. Thus, Ran-ah. Via truths unveiled post-mortem...I've pinpointed the beacon for your path. This is your Master's decree—heed it unwaveringly!
Song Jin rebukes Seo Ran with firm resolve.
Seo Ran, quaking, yields.
"...Disciple Seo Ran...shall honor Master's command..."
And, upon Song Jin's ensuing revelation, even I jolt in astonishment.
—Post my demise, I entered a realm termed the Audience Chamber. A dreadful domain best left unknown. Yet, for all its horrors, it brims with infinite insights. There, I discovered...an entity...serving as the root of your mother's lineage...
"...Excuse me?"
—Venture deeper westward. Beyond Byeokra lies a nation harboring the origin of your mother's birth...
Song Jin indicates a remote western point.
Concurrently, a subtle aroma emanates from his gesture.
It carries the scent of [Names].
Leveraging the nomenclature potency awakened in the Audience Chamber, he imparts to Seo Ran the location of his destined quarry.
That scent's essence.
Termed Goodwill (善意).
—Pursue that entity and journey alongside it. In time, you'll undoubtedly...acquire treasures far dearer. Valuables surpassing even me...
With that, Song Jin ascends skyward.
The remaining souls mirror this ascent.
Hyang-hwa, entwined in dance with Seo Eun-hyun within Cheon-saek City, now too drifts upward, heeding the Underworld's summons.
Paaaatt!
[Behold, alive as you are, you've forged a novel technique.]
"Merely the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, reshaped by our mutual sentiments."
[Nonsense, it's an entirely fresh approach.]
They banter and chuckle amiably.
Though his first laughter in centuries, it feels utterly natural.
[If I might propose, as joint architect of this technique, could this girl christen it?]
"As you desire."
She extends toward the ascending boons, morphing into white magnolia forms.
[White Orchid Blessing Incantation. Does that suit?]
The present Seo Eun-hyun places his hand below hers and declares.
"I'll engrave it in memory."
The duo, tracking the boons' celestial drift for moments, lock gazes.
Her ethereal form grows sheerer, elevating further.
[Nor shall I forget.]
"...Yes."
Seo Eun-hyun's voice quivers uncontrollably as he beholds her.
His heart aches akin to Seo Ran's anguish toward Song Jin.
Yet, diverging from prior voids, his gaze holds clarity as he watches her rise, tears streaming.
"...Legends say Upper Realm immortals seal marital vows thusly."
A flask of White Red Wine rests in Seo Eun-hyun's grasp.
"Is this fitting?"
As she ascends progressively, she affirms with a nod.
Seo Eun-hyun delves into his storage relic.
No vessels remain.
Improvising, he pours half the White-Red Wine before her sepulcher; the current Seo Eun-hyun quaffs the rest in her sight.
Wo-woong!
As the White-Red Wine permeates his fractured Golden Core, its potency stirs, mending ties to his dharma artifacts.
Wo-woong!
The three thousand Colorless Glass Swords encircling the area resonate.
And then,
With that finale, her spectral essence condenses into a tiny luminescence and dissipates fully.
Seo Eun-hyun gazes endlessly at its ascent.
I forsake my former self from those bygone days and ascend to intercept her rising form, proffering my hand.
The contemporary Seo Eun-hyun remains oblivious to me.
I sense another bygone iteration scrutinizing me via the Radiance Mantra, yet as the Crystal Throne's sovereign—though not the Fate Supreme Deity—I reign nonetheless.
I am the Crystal King Star Genesis Supreme Deity.
I perceive the observing past self's torment upon glimpsing me.
Reflecting now, each echoes significance.
Transcending all those epochs, at long last...
Spanning vast eons, I address Hyang-hwa anew.
"Now, will you grace me once more."
Hyang-hwa, aware of me by my allowance from before, beams radiantly.
"Certainly. Orabeoni."
Woooong—
Fans materialize in her grasp and mine.
They emerge via the Immortal Beast King's manifestation.
We commence once more