A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

I sit down and organize the information given by Yu Oh.

'First, Enders will eventually become Heavenly Kings. Moreover, in the Buddhist Family, Enders who have become Heavenly Kings are referred to as the Seven Brilliances Kings and are used as a target point for cultivation."

According to Tae Yeol-jeon's explanation, the Seven Brilliances Kings are actually bodhisattvas who personify human emotions.

'Emotions...the study of the heart...'

I suddenly think of Immortal Arts.

'Are Enders some beings related to the essence of Immortal Arts?'

Why exactly have we fallen into this world?

And why are we meant to return to the Head Realm?

'Thinking about this won't give me any answers.'

In any case, Enders are Heavenly Kings.

And since Heavenly Kings are related to emotions, we too might be connected to this thing called 'emotions.'

'That's all that's been revealed so far.'

I organize more information.

'Obsidian was an Ender, and he too met a tragic end.'

During the story of Obsidian, I recall the story about the [Snake].

'At Salt Mountain, it was made sure so a snake couldn't enter that world, and the Owner of Names stepped forward to make a promise. Hyeon Eum—that is, Blood Yin—said the black snake was ominous and forbade the use of related symbols... Even in Obsidian's story, a snake happened to bite and kill his wife.'

What exactly is the [Snake]?

I look at Hong Fan for a moment and ask.

"Hong Fan, do you have any thoughts when I mention [snake]?"

Since there had been many incidents related to snakes around Hong Fan, it's natural for me to ask him.

Hong Fan seems to stroke his beard and then says,

"A snake, you say...? Snake...hmm... I'm not sure, but traditionally, snakes have often been used as symbols of [wisdom]."

"Wisdom...that's true."

Patience and wisdom.

Rebirth and good fortune are what snakes symbolize.

In some places, they are considered ominous, but surprisingly, the snake is actually seen as a good omen.

"Then, what do you think about legends where the characters suffer misfortune because of a snake? Is that also related to wisdom?"

"I believe a snake is, in a sense, a type of poison."

"Poison?"

"Yes. In reality, there's no such thing as 'poison' in this world. It's just that some substances do not suit certain living beings, while they do suit others. Moreover, many living beings take substances unsuitable for themselves, dilute them, and use them as 'medicine.' In short, the distinction between poison and medicine is determined only by the dosage—whether it is excessive or not. There is no such thing as a 'true poison'."

His explanation continues.

Since Hong Fan has surpassed me in the matter of poison, his words make quite a bit of sense.

I, too, had used poison at one point, so I understand his explanation well.

"Isn't wisdom the same? An appropriate level of wisdom benefits a being. But...excessive wisdom always..."

"Turns into a remedy worse than poison. It drives one mad to the point where their head might explode too."

"That's exactly right. The snake symbolizes wisdom. Therefore, if a character in a myth suffers misfortune due to a snake, it might be...a metaphor for [peeking into a wisdom beyond their capacity], leading them to receive retribution because they couldn't handle it."

"...I see."

I find Hong Fan's explanation quite credible.

'The moment a being perceives the name or essence of a True Immortal, they are inevitably shocked.'

Yu Oh said this happens because they are receiving [wisdom] by facing a being higher than themselves.

If it's a being that can handle the wisdom they receive, they remain unaffected, but those who are too fragile to bear it end up bursting and dying.

'And in the world of Salt Mountain, where there is a myth about [preventing snakes from entering], even [uttering the name of a Governing Immortal-level being] wasn't a problem.'

Combining the words of Hong Fan and Yu Oh.

The phrase [preventing snakes from entering] coincides with [blocking the wisdom of a being who has reached the Plane of Fate from reaching].

Since Hong Fan's explanation naturally connects the events in the world of Salt Mountain with what Yu Oh said, I nod.

"Certainly, there is truth in what you said."

After nodding, I step outside the cave and climb to a spot on a glass mountain, where I sit in a lotus position.

Hong Fan follows, checking if I need anything.

"Is your body truly fine now, Master?"

"Yes. In fact, too much power of death has accumulated in my soul, so I'm trying to solve that."

"Mm...!"

"Fortunately, I received a formula from a Sacred Master to dispel the death aura."

I tell Hong Fan about the formula I received from Yu Oh.

'With Hong Fan's help, I should be able to dispel the power of death more effectively.'

If it's a genius like him, he would likely catch any subtle tricks she might have tried to pull that I hadn't noticed.

After hearing the formula I got from Yu Oh, Hong Fan nods calmly.

"It seems like a very good formula. For now, it doesn't appear harmful to Master. It will help ensure Master isn't suddenly dragged to the Underworld."

"Oh, is that what you think?"

"Yes. The formula for the Taiji and Three Ultimates is especially useful for living beings. It doesn't turn into a death formula by combining the two. At least for this formula, there doesn't seem to be any trap, so it might be worth practicing."

"Alright, thank you for your opinion."

"It's only natural. Then, since Master needs to examine the formula, I'll step away for a bit."

Hong Fan bows to me and then goes down the glass ountain.

I watch the back of his head for a moment.

'His black hair has increased.'

Is it because he has reached the Integration stage?

Hong Fan looks a bit younger.

He now looks like an old man in his late 60s.

'If he reaches the Star Shattering stage, it'll be early 60s. At the Sacred Vessel stage, late 50s. At the Entering Nirvana stage, early 50s. When he becomes a True Immortal, will he look to be in his 40s?'

From True Immortal and above, the 'human form' no longer holds much meaning, so I don't know, but...

I suddenly wonder how much younger Hong Fan will get. It's quite intriguing.

'It seems he had a special past life. When he reaches the limit of how young he can get, will he receive memories of his past life?'

If that happens, will Hong Fan still be the same Hong Fan I know...?

'...Enough. Let's stop the useless thoughts... When Taiji unites, the Three Ultimates will circulate...huh.'

I shake my head as I think about the formula.

Taiji and Three Ultimates.

Something immediately comes to mind.

Wo-woong!

I send my incarnation into the sky.

The incarnation quickly pierces through the sky and reaches outer space.

Kugugugugu!

Void Shattering.

Heaven Path Method.

Earth Path Method.

'Now, they have all risen to the same realm.'

Wiiiiing!

Colorless Sword Mountain Treading Sea Great Star.

From the first star, the Heavenly Rain Great Star, attraction force converges towards me.

The realm of Void Shattering.

The power of a star on the Plane of Soul intertwines with the power of a star on the Plane of Qi.

Simultaneously, the attraction force of fate draws a circle behind me.

Paaaatt!

The Three Great Ultimates rotate, and an immense power starts to boil within the incarnation.

'Incredible.'

I stick out my tongue, savoring the unprecedented, colossal energy that begins to amplify within me.

Dudududududu!

Power itself boils over, shaking the entire surrounding cosmic space.

'What level of power is this?'

I recall the Star Shattering Esteemed Ones I have met so far.

In the case of Jang Ik, he seems to have a hidden move, so I've ruled him out from the beginning...

As for the Esteemed Ones of the Blood Yin Realm...

'For those like Swae Ryeong or Gyu Cheon... With this level of power, I could beat them to death one against two."

Of course, this is the minimum estimate.

I still don't quite know how strong I've become, so I am just roughly gauging it.

Moreover, all of this is under the assumption of simply beating them down with raw strength, without using martial techniques.

'If I add martial techniques along with spells and Immortal Arts, and with the seven artificial stars of the Mad Lord...hmm.'

I nod my head.

It seems I won't lose even against the Blood Yin Realm Seven Great Esteemed Ones Of An Era.

Kugugugu!

I observe the overflowing power and frown.

'Being able to face the Seven Great Esteemed Ones aside...there's still no particular response from the death energy.'

Even when I rotate the Three Great Ultimates, I don't feel any particular effect on the death energy, and I frown.

Nothing has changed.

'When Taiji unites, Three Ultimates circulate...'

I stop rotating the Three Great Ultimates and ponder what Yu Oh meant by 'Taiji.'

'Thinking about it in the simplest terms, it's water and fire. Yin and Yang. Pairs of things that stand in complete opposition. Since Yu Oh is the Sacred Master of the Nether Ghost Realm, from her perspective, what would stand in complete opposition?'

I ponder for a moment, then, to think from Yu Oh's point of view, I activate Crystal Glass to Treading Sea.

Crystal Glass to Treading Sea.

Twin Flowers Reaching the Heavens (雙花長天).

Whoosh!

A glass-colored flame rises in both of my hands.

One side has a dark, obsidian-like light, and the other has a pure white, quartz-like light.

All the methods I have learned so far have now merged into Crystal Glass to Treading Sea.

The White Orchid Blessing Incantation and Yin Soul Ghost Incantation have also merged into Crystal Glass to Treading Sea, taking their place within me.

The Innate True Method, Crystal Glass to Treading Sea, is based fundamentally on the fire known as Glass True Fire.

It is a flame that burns based on my 'memories of suffering,' and anyone touched by the Glass True Fire experiences a part of the pain I've endured, without exception.

At the same time, those touched by the Glass True Fire start losing their cultivation to it as they experience this pain.

Of course, 'if they can maintain their sanity in the midst of pain and accept the suffering,' it's possible not to lose their cultivation, but that's impossible for most beings. 

This is the result of combining the characteristics of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation and Great Desert to Dead Sea.

Moreover, whatever enters the flames of pain is completely melted down, adding to the Glass True Fire, making Crystal Glass to Treading Sea even stronger.

The Glass True Fire of Crystal Glass to Treading Sea looks like a flame, but it also possesses the properties of glass, solidifying into glass when it cools.

Specifically, it is the process where the painful memories burning at the Plane of Soul, and my clear mind deeper within, descends to the Plane of Qi as it cools, turning into glass.

In any case,

This Glass True Fire ultimately encapsulates my mind.

Thus, by infusing my memories and mind, it could, in theory, manifest everything I've experienced.

Hwarurururuk!

Curses and blessings.

The spirits of Yin and Yang are contained within the Glass True Fire in both hands.

They resemble a black flower and a white flower.

I activate Twin Flowers Reaching the Heavens, trying to embody the same state as Yu Oh by activating Nether Perception.

Paaaatt!

As soon as I activate Nether Perception, I can feel an immense world of death beckoning me.

'Don't be careless. One wrong move and I'll be sucked right in.'

I struggle not to be sucked into the world of death with all my might, observing the curses and blessings in my hands from the outskirts of the Netherworld.

'Curses and blessings...from the vision of Nether Perception, both are colorless...'

There's no distinction between the two, so what difference would uniting them make?

I merge the two Glass True Fires into one.

From the vision of Nether Perception, it's just two colorless flames merging into one.

'It's just colorless with no change...huh?'

My eyes suddenly widen as I stare at the Glass True Fire.

The colorless flame, formed by the union of Yin and Yang's curses and blessings, is pulling the death energy within me.

The colorless (無色) pulls in the black (黑色), drawing the Taiji (太極).

—When Taiji unites, the Three Ultimates circulate.

I turn off Nether Perception and look at the phenomenon unfolding before my eyes in reality.

Yin Soul Flower and White Orchid Flower.

Within the Glass True Fire, where the two flames are mixed, a dark power of death burns alongside them.

Chiiiiii—

However, the union of the three energies doesn't last long. The energy of blessings and curses fades, and the power of death returns back into my body.

"...This is it."

When Taiji unites, the Three Ultimates circulate.

From the perspective of death, both blessings and curses, Yin and Yang, as long as they belong to the domain of life, are all colorless.

And the colorless that forms when blessings and curses merge symbolizes 'life,' and the forces of life and death once again draw the Taiji.

When viewed in reality, it looks as if three energies are circulating.

'It looks like Three Ultimates, but it's actually Taiji drawn from the power of two energies mixed together with the power of death.'

Understanding Yu Oh's words, I close my eyes and draw the Three Great Ultimates.

Insert Yin and Yang of the Heaven Path and Earth Path to create colorless.

Correspond Void Shattering to death to create black.

As I do this, the Three Great Ultimates begin to circulate without me needing to rotate them.

Paaaatt!

At the same time, I feel the power of death within me rapidly being drawn into the Three Great Ultimates.

'The speed of the Three Great Ultimates is even faster than when I forcibly rotate them.'

The rate of power amplification increases.

'If it's like this...'

I grin.

If it's just an ordinary Sacred Vessel stage without a Middle Realm, I might truly be able to contend with them.

Pssst...

However, there's a slight issue with the Three Great Ultimates created in this manner.

Perhaps it's because death inherently possesses the characteristic of stillness (靜).

The Three Great Ultimates, having absorbed my death energy, eventually lets the aura die down, and the death energy returns to my body again.

While there isn't a significant change in the cultivation itself, it seems that the Three Great Ultimates obtained this way provide a higher rate of amplification in exchange for not being able to last for a long time.

Ultimately, instead of resolving the death energy, it's a method that temporarily detaches the death energy from my body to amplify my power.

'Of course, if I keep circulating the Three Great Ultimates nonstop, theoretically, I wouldn't be dragged to the Netherworld.'

But that's it.

I would have to live my entire life constantly activating the Three Great Ultimates just to barely avoid being pulled into the Netherworld.

'...Hmm, for now, I need to find a more fundamental solution than what Yu Oh has given me.'

I sigh, using the star vein to set my direction towards the Lightning Sacred Sea, and slowly start using the ground-shrinking technique.

The new Three Great Ultimates that rotates driven by the aura of death.

I rotate the Death Path (死道) Three Great Ultimates again to further separate death from myself for a bit longer, and I turn my incarnation back towards the star.

Just then.

'Hmm?'

For a moment, I feel several scenes flash before my eyes.

The outskirts of the Netherworld.

The outskirts of the Source River, seen through the Star Vein Eye.

And...

"...!"

It's a scene of hundreds of millions of light clusters gathering to form a garden in the shape of flowers.

"Ah...!"

I understand what Blood Yin meant by Five Senses.

'So that's it...'

Until now, I thought Nether Perception and Star Vein Eye were the only senses that touched the domains of other Heavenly Venerables.

But unexpectedly, I possess yet another sense.

'That place is...Eastern Heaven Flower Field.'

The sense that perceives the cradle that allows beings of the Netherworld and the Source River to return to the existing realm.

I can feel clearly what this sense is.

'Every person...no, every living being in this world has, at some point, seen the Eastern Heaven Flower Field!'

When a person who died is reincarnated and reborn.

When a baby is born into this world, what is the first thing the baby sees?

The midwife's face? The parents' face?

Wrong.

The first thing a baby sees is the 'light' they gaze upon when they emerge from the darkness.

Then, what exactly is that first 'light' that shines upon the child?

It is not merely a light seen when emerging from the darkness.

Every living being, upon birth, sees the Eastern Heaven Flower Field they have passed through.

'I...if I think about it, have been 'reborn' hundreds of times.'

Each time I started a new cycle, I've always seen 'light.'

That wasn't simply the light of regression.

That was, perhaps...

The flower named after my life that I saw as I was granted a new life.

'That sensation I felt after dying and being reborn hundreds of times—that sensation was precisely...the sense of perceiving the Flower Realm.'

As the aura of death that envelops me momentarily fades through the rotation of the Three Great Ultimates, I am able to clearly perceive that sense.

'This is...the sense of perceiving the five worlds...'

I heighten my senses of the Eastern Heaven Flower Field even further.

The entire world begins to blur, and here and there, light starts to shine.

At the same time, light of all of the heavens' natural colors fill the surroundings, and each cluster of light merges to bloom into beautiful flowers.

'This is the Flower Realm.'

"These flowers are..."

"They are flowers that symbolize life. The life that will soon be granted. They determine the family, environment, body, and race one will be born into, while also representing the lives of those currently living."

"Oh, is that so?"

"You must not touch them recklessly. Terrifying beings like the Wheel Annihilation Evil Heart Flower grow everywhere like weeds. Of course, those who have learned certain special methods can intrude here and use techniques that borrow the energy of such sinister flowers, but..."

[TL: Wheel as in Cart Wheel, as in Axle and Wheel.]

"Perhaps..."

"Entering here is also fate, so I'll give you a gift. Take it. It's an Annihilation Flower."

"Pardon?"

Without giving me a chance to refuse, the old man places a black flower into my hand and leaves.

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