A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 833 Chapter 830: Side Story - Purple Gold Realm (3)

Following a chain of events.

Under Heo Yak-ham's direction, Makli Hyun-ah heads off to claim the Ascension Plaque, a special token granted to ascenders.

Rumors hold that ascension-related affairs fall under the Star Master Jurisdiction's 'Ascension Examination Bureau,' where Makli Hyun-ah and Makli Hweol encounter the clerk at the Ascension Desk within that bureau, submit samples of Lower Realm qi, and undergo personal questioning.

"Okay, the scan of Penglai Star's qi has finished. It's confirmed you're from the Lower Realm... So, right now, which dynasties and sects hold sway over Penglai Star?"

"Er...do I really need to share that?"

Makli Hyun-ah rubs his head awkwardly before a Horned Ox Race individual known as the Star Master Jurisdiction's 'Ascension Examination Officer.'

"It wasn't always required, but...long ago in ancient times, the Sacred Master turned it into a rule, making it mandatory. Given how time flows differently between the Middle Realm and various Lower Realms, we gather details from ascenders to gauge the time differences between Lower Realms and the Middle Realm."

"Sorry?"

Makli Hyun-ah's eyes widen at the Ascension Examination Officer's explanation.

"You're saying the time flow differs between the Middle Realm and Lower Realms?"

"Indeed...I'm not up on the fine points, but tales claim...forty billion years back, during the gods' clash in the ancient mythic era, the 'God of Time' wanted no part in the divine strife, so they abandoned this world and escaped to some unfathomable distance. That caused the time standard to unravel, and amid the already warped spacetime, immense divinities clashed, twisting it further...which shattered the time flow across numerous Middle Realms and Lower Realms. Most Lower Realms ended up with time crawling much slower than in the Middle Realm..."

"..."

Those revelations leave Makli Hyun-ah shaking, his expression vacant.

'D-Does that mean...my big sister...?'

"Th-Then, what's the time difference between Penglai Star and the Purple Gold Realm...roughly?"

"Well...up until around twenty thousand years past, Penglai Star's ratio to the Purple Gold Realm stood at 1 to 100,000. A single year on Penglai Star equaled roughly one hundred thousand years here in the Purple Gold Realm. Thus, over forty billion years in the Purple Gold Realm, Penglai Star would've seen just four hundred thousand years elapse, give or take?"

"One to...one hundred thousand...?"

A heavy dread grips Makli Hyun-ah's chest.

So, during his two centuries on Penglai Star...that would translate to twenty million years elapsed in the Purple Gold Realm?

"Wh-What...what sort of...what madness is this...? M-My big sister ascended from Penglai Star two hundred years back...does that imply she's long gone, reduced to dust...?"

With a dazed look, Makli Hyun-ah stares at the Ascension Examination Officer, his voice quivering.

The Ascension Examination Officer sighs before responding.

"As I mentioned, the ratio was 1 to 100,000 until twenty thousand years ago. But starting then, the disparity evened out considerably. After one Star Master Jurisdiction official projected their awareness to the Lower Realm for verification...the ratio between that Lower Realm and the Purple Gold Realm shrank to about 1 to 100. Which means...though I'm unsure, your sister...or rather, the kin you mention, having hit the Four-Axis stage, that person ought to be around 20,000 years old now."

"Ah..."

Those words ease the quake in Makli Hyun-ah, his strain melting away.

Twenty thousand years remains an agonizing stretch...yet it's far preferable to near-endless spans like twenty million years.

"Th-Thank goodness..."

"Oh, and your family name is Makli, correct? The Star Master Jurisdiction official who sent their consciousness to the Lower Realm to assess the time ratio goes by Makli Cheon-sa...you're kin, aren't you?"

"Ah...!"

Makli Hyun-ah gives a nod.

"Yes, that's correct. Makli Cheon-sa-nim serves as an ancestor in our clan."

"Got it. I'll reach out to them then."

Having verified Makli Hyun-ah's lineage, the Ascension Examination Officer infuses intent into a voice transmission talisman and dispatches it elsewhere.

Likely due to sharing the Star Master Jurisdiction, direct communication proves feasible.

Right then,

Taak!

Makli Hyun-ah whips around at the noise of a talisman snagged from the air behind him, only to freeze in shock.

"...! You're..."

"Hey, is the ascension check dragging on?"

"Ahem...! Hold on, Senior. Just need to apply the Sacred Master's named seal, and we're through."

It's Makli Cheon-sa herself.

Given her notable status inside the Star Master Jurisdiction, the Ascension Examination Officer, catching sight of Makli Cheon-sa, hurriedly wraps up the process, imprints the seal on the Ascension Plaque, and ushers Makli Hyun-ah away.

Makli Hweol apparently endures a parallel ritual, emerging with his own Ascension Plaque next to Makli Cheon-sa.

"I showed up sensing my divided soul return to the Purple Gold Realm after twenty thousand years. I'd been occupied with Axis Foundation Practice and gearing up for Heaven and Earth Unity to push toward the Integration stage, so no chance for separate outreach...how fares the Lower Realm lately?"

In response, Makli Hweol recounts the Lower Realm's developments to Makli Cheon-sa in full.

"Hmm, interesting. You've forged a nation blending Demon Race and Human Race via the Confucian Family Method...excellent!"

Makli Cheon-sa beams with satisfaction at Makli Hweol's account, reaching out to pat Makli Hyun-ah's head.

"Got any questions? Say, about the Purple Gold Realm's current landscape..."

"Ancestor, what's your cultivation level at now?"

Makli Hweol interjects the query as Makli Hyun-ah speaks.

Wearing a smug look, Makli Cheon-sa replies.

"I've hit Grand Perfection in the Four-Axis stage without realizing. A bit more prep on Heaven and Earth Unity, and Integration stage breakthrough looks promising."

"Hooh..."

Makli Hweol utters a sigh of awe, while Makli Hyun-ah, eager, ventures a careful probe.

"Um...truth is, when Ancestor and I first crossed paths...folks nearby were my relatives. Any word on 'Lee Seo-ah's' recent whereabouts, the one hauled off by that Martial Alliance Leader...?"

"Ah...those youngsters."

Makli Cheon-sa tuts her tongue at Makli Hyun-ah's inquiry before elaborating.

"Quite the talents. Ahn Geum, who headed to Black Ghost Valley, rose as a top Grand Perfection Integration stage ghost cultivator. Yet she turned against the 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect' her Black Ghost Valley ties into and defected to the 'Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect.' That's got Black Ghost Valley chasing her relentlessly. As for Lee Seo-ah, your blood kin...she trailed after Martial Alliance Leader Jin Young-hoon, gained various boons, then roamed the Purple Gold Realm post-mountain descent and settled into the 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect.' She's matched my Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage now..."

"...!"

'Noona's joined the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect...'

Sensing the dark aura surrounding the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect, Makli Hyun-ah frets wildly over Lee Seo-ah.

"Um...Ancestor, mind detailing the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect a tad more? It's a group devoted to a divine entity named One Qi of the Primordial Chaos?"

"Mm...the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect doesn't revolve around faith in a personal deity. They pursue cultivation by aligning their techniques' origins and sect teachings with the universe's core principle, dubbed 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos.' They view all cultivation roots as stemming from this principle known as 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos.'

"Conversely, the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect regards Immortal Cultivation as born from a supreme intent called 'Immeasurable Life Buddha.' Though termed a supreme intent, it's less a personal deity and more akin to a principle.

"Thus, Star Master Jurisdiction cultivators treat both as sects rather than true religious orders. It's not about revering a deity with personal traits, but the distinction lies in rooting their cultivation's source in the principle of One Qi of the Primordial Chaos, versus the intent of Immeasurable Life Buddha."

"Ah...got it."

Makli Hyun-ah nods, settling on viewing them as two dominant philosophies.

"So the Star Master Jurisdiction Ancestor hails from is..."

"Formally, it's the 'Ban Ta Castle Faction.' Unlike the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos or Immeasurable Life Buddha crowds, we cultivate directly under the true Sacred Master. In the Purple Gold Realm, Ban Ta Castle wields the mightiest influence and, with its capacity to balance those two sides, stands as the securest option."

Makli Cheon-sa offers Makli Hyun-ah a subtle smile.

"Hehe. From your questions earlier, you're stuck on picking a side right now, huh?"

"Ah...yeah, spot on."

"Then join our Ban Ta Castle. You seem wary of the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect...but picking the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect means facing your kin as sworn foes. Going unaffiliated grants freedom, yet you'd get shredded in the power struggles among the three. Hence, Ban Ta Castle—as the neutral hub letting you chat freely with any side's members and roam their domains at will—makes the top pick!"

"Hooh..."

Makli Hyun-ah finds himself thoroughly convinced by her pitch.

'Noona's with the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect, but...Great Forest's warnings make it feel off, so I can't join them.'

Yet stepping into the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect would pit him against Lee Seo-ah, as Makli Cheon-sa warns.

Thus, aligning with mediator Ban Ta Castle emerges as the optimal move for the moment.

"Alright...I'd like to join Ban Ta Castle too. What's involved?"

"Ahahaha, nothing tough. Just trail me and enter your name in Ban Ta Castle's Immortal Registry."

"Immortal Registry...?"

"It's an artifact crafted by the Sacred Master themselves. Once inscribed, you'll forever enjoy the Sacred Master's safeguarding and boons."

"..."

Trained in the Naming Family Method, Makli Hyun-ah detects a shadowy vibe around the Immortal Registry.

'Gaining safeguard and boons via a name...also opens the door to control through a name...'

Makli Cheon-sa escorts Makli Hyun-ah and Makli Hweol via a Star Master Jurisdiction teleportation array to Ban Ta Castle, and as they traverse it, Makli Hyun-ah mulls over things.

'It somehow feels shady...'

"Any way to link with Ban Ta Castle sans inscribing my name?"

"Ah...couple of options...one I strongly advise against, the other's lengthy and grueling."

"Lengthy, as in..."

"Hitting Integration stage, or earning fame on par with it, lets you petition as a Ban Ta Castle Guest Law Protector and affiliate without the Immortal Registry. But sans backing, that's no simple feat, as you know."

Tsuaaaaat!

Mid-discussion, Makli Hyun-ah reaches the vast fortress dubbed 'Ban Ta Castle.'

Gazing at the boundless gray ramparts, Makli Hyun-ah's jaw drops.

The walls seem to engulf Heaven and Earth entirely.

"This is Ban Ta Castle's periphery. Head to the affiliation reception hall first. Stick close. Beyond here, the Sacred Master's array warps spacetime chaotically, so straying could dump you in some odd spot."

"Got it. But Ancestor, you mentioned the other way's unrecommendable...what exactly?"

"That's..."

Makli Cheon-sa grimaces at the query, then addresses Makli Hyun-ah.

"...I can't voice it inside Ban Ta Castle's bounds. Submit the form for now; you can withdraw during Immortal Registry signup later. I'll explain once we're in another area."

"Ah...okay."

Curious about the unspoken first method, Makli Hyun-ah trails Makli Cheon-sa to the reception hall embedded in the outer barrier.

There, throngs of cultivators from diverse origins queue up, prompting Makli Cheon-sa to heave a sigh.

"Hang tight here a moment. Processing takes three or four days with the backlog. Since you both just got Ascension Plaques today, you're clueless, so I'll file for you and return. Queue's endless, so rest up, absorb some Purple Gold Realm Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

"Yes, got it."

Makli Hyun-ah agrees, settling with Makli Hweol on a modest rise near the reception hall to steady his cultivation.

'...But there's scarcely anything to steady.'

Since Makli Hweol's ascent, he's been attuning to Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, but Makli Hyun-ah wields a distinct force termed 'social authority' over spiritual energy, rendering stabilization unnecessary.

'Establishing fresh social authority here would require attunement afterward, but...'

Idle, Makli Hyun-ah swiftly grows restless.

'Mm. So dull... Is the Purple Gold Realm's scale to blame...? Even affiliating with Ban Ta Castle demands three or four days...unbelievable...'

Just as a yawn builds in Makli Hyun-ah.

He spots, near the reception hall door Makli Cheon-sa entered, a separate doorway.

"What's that? No queue there...?"

As Makli Hyun-ah moves to inspect it, Makli Hweol cautions him.

"Where to, Daoist? Ancestor warned of spatial arrays around, so rash movement risks disaster."

"Ah...seems no warp reaches that door."

"Hm?"

Makli Hweol tsks while eyeing the door Makli Hyun-ah indicates.

"Anyway, that doesn't look like a reception spot."

"Mm...curiosity's killing me, so I'll peek and return quick."

"Not wise, but..."

Yet before Makli Hweol finishes, Makli Hyun-ah's already drifting over, alighting before the distant alternate entrance.

"This is..."

[Purple Gold Realm Sacred Master Direct Disciple Recruitment]

"Heok...!"

Makli Hyun-ah gasps, grasping the plaque's inscription exceeds his wildest guesses.

"Good lord, this spot's for elites only."

Aware it's a gateway to something grander than anticipated, Makli Hyun-ah aims to retreat, but his gaze snags on a tiny inscription aside the entrance.

[Race, origin, realm, age are completely irrelevant. Come in, have a simple interview, and receive same-day notice of pass/fail.]

"