A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 843 Chapter 840: Side Story - Mythical Relic (5)

Chapter 840: Side Story - Mythical Relic (5)

"..."

"..."

An uncomfortable quiet hangs momentarily between Makli Hyun-ah and the Black Marquis.

Makli Hyun-ah glances about restlessly, pondering an escape route.

'The beast scroll and the Rabbit Seven Heavenly Lords... curse it. Except for the attire forged with social influence, every other dharma treasure and even the beast scroll shifted along, right!? Am I truly the sole one who remained unmoved?'

Makli Hyun-ah comprehends that he has virtually no methods left for self-preservation, and he clenches his lips firmly.

The Black Marquis scans the surroundings as well.

"Based on the celestial energy calculation device's findings, this doesn't appear to be a snare, but rather you were overlooked owing to an unforeseen error. Isn't that the case?"

"Hahaha! How absurd! I deliberately lingered to behold a bit more of the Black Marquis's majestic form! I was in no way abandoned by accident! I shall transmit this magnificent encounter to my lineage through the ages! Having glimpsed the Black Marquis's esteemed countenance sufficiently, this lowly one shall depart now. Farewell!"

As soon as Makli Hyun-ah utters these words, he spins around swiftly and attempts to soar away.

Yet, drawn by the gravitational pull surging from the Black Marquis's grip, he is yanked directly toward the Black Marquis, his neck seized in the Black Marquis's clutch.

The Black Marquis hoists Makli Hyun-ah effortlessly with a single hand, like lifting a small feline, while a malevolent glint flashes in their eyes.

"Upon reflection, you possess a unique physique. A preliminary scan via the celestial energy calculation device revealed a vast interdimensional realm—or more precisely, a world—within your spirit. An individual with such exceptional traits as yours would greatly aid in advancing the puppets' development. I shall escort you to the factory for a thorough examination and attempt alterations on you."

"Kuaaagh! That mustn't occur, confound it! I'm escaping this instant!"

Chwaruruk!

Makli Hyun-ah rapidly folds himself into the second dimension, then the first, morphing into a sequence of symbols and sliding free from the Black Marquis's grasp. He adheres to the earth and hastily retreats from the Black Marquis.

The Black Marquis launches and explodes a couple of projectiles at Makli Hyun-ah, but merely the landscape Makli Hyun-ah clings to erodes away, leaving Makli Hyun-ah, now a string of characters, utterly unscathed.

"Hahaha! Think that will succeed? In two-dimensional or one-dimensional state, what recourse do you have? What can you possibly do, I ask! Ahahahaha..."

Kwaduduk!

Nevertheless, prior to the conclusion of Makli Hyun-ah's mocking laugh,

Via gravitational force, the Black Marquis elevates the entire nearby terrain skyward and compacts it into a spherical mass, rendering Makli Hyun-ah incapable of breaking free regardless of his movements, trapped within the airborne chunk of earth.

The Black Marquis smirks and declares.

"Thus, you prove to be a one-dimensional entity. Then, slumber."

Kwaduduk!

Suddenly, the terrain formed into a globe is pulverized under immense gravitational pressure, and Makli Hyun-ah promptly blacks out amid the singularity of crushing gravity.

***

"Heok!"

As Makli Hyun-ah regains awareness, a recognizable ceiling appears before him.

It belongs to the training chamber of Ban Ta, situated within Ban Ta Castle in the Purple Gold Realm.

Owing to Ban Ta's intent to draw Makli Hyun-ah's mind and instruct him whenever Makli Hyun-ah dozes, his awareness has been tugged to Ban Ta Castle.

Seated before him in lotus position, Ban Ta—in a feminine form—awaits Makli Hyun-ah with a soft smile.

"You've arrived, my pupil. Now, shall we commence today's cultivation session?"

"Master! Aid me, I beg!"

The instant Makli Hyun-ah spots Ban Ta's visage, his face lights up, and he pleads for assistance.

"This student has been seized by the puppet forces of an entity known as the Mad Lord in the Vast Cold Realm! They intend to subject me to heinous experiments! Please, rescue your student!"

"Hmm..."

Ban Ta appears to mull over Makli Hyun-ah's plea briefly before responding.

"At my cultivation stage, I can partially foresee destiny. Your current capture by the puppets will ultimately prove a tremendous boon for you. Indeed, it shall bring you steadfast allies, so harbor no excessive fear."

"B-But Master..."

"Well, regardless, the puppets under that Mad Lord suffer from bodily alterations, so undergoing modification while aware might prove frightening. Fear not. If it terrifies you, simply remain unconscious throughout."

"Does that imply...I must remain with Master continually...?"

"Hm? Perhaps...you find it unwelcome?"

Ban Ta observes Makli Hyun-ah's response with a faintly crestfallen look, prompting Makli Hyun-ah to shake his head vigorously.

"H-How could I!? Your student cherishes it! Yet..."

"Hahaha, that suffices. 'Twas merely jest."

Ban Ta remarks while caressing Makli Hyun-ah's head.

"In any event, omens indicate an ancient dire catastrophe stirring near the Purple Gold Realm, rendering it unsafe as well. That's precisely why I dispatched you to a different Middle Realm. Retaining you beside me poses risks too, hence I'll return you to your form. Moreover, from this day, I shan't summon you for a while. I must head to the Araya Domain and Manas Domain to brace for the dire calamity."

"Master...will you be safe? Isn't it perilous?"

"..."

"…Master? What troubles you?"

In response to Makli Hyun-ah's concern, Ban Ta's face grows somewhat vacant once more.

"...Nothing...it's merely...you inquiring not from a fretful mind fearing 'if the Sacred Master vanishes, you'd assume leadership of the Purple Gold Realm as Sacred Master'...but from pure concern for me...you're the initial one to do so..."

"..."

"Gratitude, my disciple! With your support, I shall never falter!"

"Ueup!"

Ban Ta's gaze, blending faint bitterness and profound emotion, draws Makli Hyun-ah firmly into an embrace.

"Worry not excessively over the puppets. Until resolution, I'll seal your awareness and let you drift solely within the alternate realm of your Extreme Ghost Path Body. Benefits await there too, so while your allies rescue you from the puppets, explore your inner domain."

"Uup...th-thank you, Master!"

With flushed cheeks, Makli Hyun-ah expresses his appreciation to Ban Ta, who, exuding assurance, pats Makli Hyun-ah and proceeds.

"Now, anyhow, your dread of the puppets seems somewhat eased... Thus, let us enjoy a delightful session with your master!"

In this manner, Makli Hyun-ah engages in various practices of the Confucian Family Method alongside Ban Ta.

***

Kwarurung!

The foreign realm housing the Human Race Grand Alliance.

Within the 'Ghost Mother's Tomb'.

A section of this alternate dimension trembles.

"...I stated my betrothed, Hyun-ah, remains stranded. Return me there."

"Kugh...! Regrettable as it is, employing the Yin-Yang Family Method's divine power for swift spatial exchange...I might endure, but the miss would suffer immensely."

While throttling and clenching Ha-eun's throat, Ahn Geum fixes a stern stare on Ha-eun and 'Jo Yeon', bound via the Yin-Yang Family Method as they perform spatial substitution.

"Your suffering means nothing to me. As a cultivator, shouldn't one always accept some measure of agony as inevitable? We've battled at the vanguard, our forms, Integrated Dao Domains, and souls shredded by puppets. Yet the strategist claims she can't retrieve the key fighters because of minor discomfort?"

"It's no mere discomfort... We...no, the miss...must fulfill the mission. And for that mission, she's burdened by it despite her uneasy state... For the miss, executing a cultivation technique isn't straightforward. Each cultivation intensifies the mission's pressure on her...!"

"Hmm...I don't fully grasp it, but I believe I catch the gist."

Ahn Geum addresses Jo Yeon and Ha-eun with a gaze laced with derision.

"I sensed from our first encounter that you're no typical mortal. Your aura resembles a restless spirit more than human..."

She murmurs in an icy tone.

"What you term mission likely constitutes some destiny. A destiny imperative to fulfill in this existence...yet I too bear a potent destiny, so I comprehend. I know intimately how a mighty destiny curses one. I recognize that destiny's burden inflicts torment as a malediction. But due to that torment, will you shirk your duties?"

Beneath Ahn Geum's frigid scrutiny, Ha-eun quiets, and Jo Yeon gnaws her lip.

"We placed faith in your strategy, committed our beings, clashed in combat, and returned victorious. Due to a flaw in your strategy, Hyun-ah, my betrothed, was isolated on the field and abandoned. You, as strategy overseers, bear clear culpability, and if you truly uphold accountability, rather than fretting over destinies or curses, shouldn't you assume responsibility!?"

To her vehement reproach, Jo Yeon responds.

"...Martial Artist Ha-eun. Cease. Our apologies to Lady Ahn Geum."

"Apologies aren't enough; you should pledge accountability. I'm ill-tempered at present, so..."

"We shall assume accountability. However, presently, it's unfeasible practically. Considering the puppets' conduct, they won't linger pointlessly to unleash wrath on Cultivator Makli thus far. Likely, they've transported him to a factory, intend to transform him into a puppet, and investigate the Confucian Family Method."

"...So, to retrieve Hyun-ah, we require the factory's position? Where lies that factory?"

"...My regrets. The factory isn't singular but divided into thousands, tens of thousands, or beyond, with branches that relocate independently daily, thus...we can't pinpoint Cultivator Makli's transfer site. Furthermore, via a celestial energy calculation device, they disrupt cultivators' celestial energy tracing..."

Kwaaaang!

Ahn Geum forcefully hurls Ha-eun downward and erupts in fury.

"...Mentioning research on the Confucian Family Method implies they won't slay him immediately?"

"Indeed. Over instantly executing a cultivator versed in a rare Hundred Families Method and puppetizing him, they'll probably convey him to a superior factory for in-depth study, narrowing tracking to the hundreds of superior factories versus tens of thousands of standard ones... Nonetheless, it demands time, and meanwhile..."

"Thus, for exceptional individuals, they conduct initial probes before alteration, affording a window? And for a unique physique?"

"Regarding a unique physique..."

"It's a physique from legends."

Ahn Geum presses her lips together and explains.

"Within our Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order, he's nominated as a Saint prospect to ascend as Saint. He holds a constitution of such caliber, mastering at least two Hundred Families Methods. Surely they'd direct him to a distinctive facility even among superior factories?"

"..."

Jo Yeon absorbs her statement and ponders intently.

"...A unique physique, two Hundred Families Methods. If it's truly that exceptional a physique...then possibly..."

Jo Yeon utters with a tense visage.

"He might be conveyed to a site termed the [Overseer Factory]."

"[Overseer Factory]?"

"In the ancient mythic epoch, the Mad Lord purportedly governed all puppets and factories via a unique fortress-puppet dubbed the [Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress]. Yet the Wonderfully Mysterious Fortress fell during the Mad Lord's time, and surviving puppets of the Mad Lord have since forged another fortress-puppet akin to it, supervising every puppet and factory. That's the [Overseer Factory], commanding all factories.

"Allegedly, the Overseer Factory amasses boundless puppet lore, experimental data, and alteration records, plus countless Star Shattering stage puppets, alongside cutting-edge tools for their evolution and mending, all fortified within. Such a venue would suit probing the legendary physique you describe ideally."

"...Hence, a strong likelihood Hyun-ah resides in the Overseer Factory?"

"Yes."

"..."

Ahn Geum senses the celestial energy.

Makli Hyun-ah persists in the Vast Cold Realm.

'His absence from returning to the Purple Gold Realm suggests Ban Ta believes we can handle this threat adequately alone? Yet per these accounts, it's an insane stronghold swarming with scores of Star Shattering stage puppets. In that scenario...I understand. Ban Ta...you urge deploying the secret technique I've concealed?'

Ahn Geum grits her teeth.

"...Even should that celestial energy calculation device or such hinder celestial energy detection...the Human Race Grand Alliance's detection prowess ought to suffice for locating a single site like the Overseer Factory. Assist me in assaulting the Overseer Factory."

"The Overseer Factory's position alone prompts the entire Heaven Tribe to perpetually share real-time celestial energy scans across races. Yet...nonetheless, the Overseer Factory poses excessive peril. Hundreds of Star Shattering stage puppets dwell there minimally, based on known counts. Including concealed ones, Star Shattering stage numbers reach thousands. Such might balances evenly against a Sacred Vessel stage Sacred Master! Absent the Vast Cold Realm's Sacred Master being extraordinary, the realm would long since be puppet-dominated. I yearn to storm the Overseer Factory and conclude this conflict too, but...practically, no faction desires to advance foremost."

"H-Hundreds of Star Shattering stage...no, regardless."

Ahn Geum reels from the inconceivable puppet horde and falters speechless, but she tuts, composes herself, and reiterates.

"If it's to that extent...I'll unleash the hidden asset I've withheld and support you. The Human Race shall spearhead and, via this chance, eradicate every puppet."

"This hidden asset refers to..."

"...I'm a Saintess of elevated status within the Immeasurable Life Buddha Religious Order. It surpasses mere communion with a True Immortal."

Her subsequent revelation stuns all assembled, altering their regard for her.

"I can invoke a True Immortal adherent to the Immeasurable Life Buddha. Naturally, I recognize the Vast Cold Realm's peculiar condition impedes True Immortal entry. But with a fitting altar and borrowed might, we can at least channel the True Immortal's divine power once."

Yet this carries usage limits, and having summoned a True Immortal once prior against Lee Seo-ah, Ahn Geum retains roughly two invocations.

Employing the True Immortal's divine power additionally now counts as another summons, diminishing the tally.

Solely the Vast Cold Realm's unique setting complicates True Immortal involvement, restricting them to divine power projection over direct arrival. It doesn't signify the True Immortal spurns Ahn Geum's plea or evades summons.

Thus, Ahn Geum feels anguish akin to shedding blood tears over squandering a vital True Immortal invocation.

'Nevertheless, extending thus for his pupil, I can acquire some of Ban Ta's favor. Ban Ta's favor, judiciously applied, rivals a True Immortal summon privilege.'

Evidently, the valuable remains invaluable.

Ahn Geum