A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 466: Found It

We began our journey westward.

Starting from Byeokra, we traveled through Yanguo and Shengzi.

The world is engulfed in war.

"The world suddenly became like this thirty years ago. There were often disputes between martial sects or between cultivator clans in the past but...the way the hearts of people themselves have twisted—this started thirty years ago."

As I listen to Oh Hyun-seok's explanation while waiting for the ship heading to the western nation, Penglai Kingdom, I ponder.

'Thirty years ago...'

It was when Cheongmun Ryeong's natural lifespan came to an end.

I think to myself that it's possible if it's Immortal Arts.

After a few days, we board the ship bound for Penglai Kingdom.

Even aboard the ship, Oh Hyun-seok tirelessly seeks out wealthy individuals, trying to find someone to take in the young girl, a survivor from a destroyed village.

But, perhaps because of the hardening of hearts as he mentioned, no one seems willing to accept Oh Hyun-seok's request.

"Why are you so insistent on finding someone to take the child? With Hyung-nim's capabilities, couldn't you raise her yourself?"

"Hm...that's true, but..." 

Oh Hyun-seok replies with a bitter smile.

"I don't know how to raise a child."

"Huh...didn't you say you like children?"

As we engage in casual conversation aboard the moving ship, I hear about Oh Hyun-seok's family that I hadn't known for hundreds of thousands of years.

"You know it, right? That my eldest brother runs an orphanage."

"Ah, yes."

"Hye-seo was from there, you know."

"What...pardon?"

This is the first time I have heard of such a thing.

'Oh Hye-seo was an orphan?'

I am so shocked that I can't find the words to respond.

The company is led by three factions: the Lee family, the Oh family, and the Jeon family.

Among the three, Oh Hye-seo belonged to the Oh family like Oh Hyun-seok. She had quickly risen through the ranks while being close with him, so I had naturally assumed she was part of the Oh family bloodline.

'So, she wasn't part of the Oh family lineage.'

It is quite a surprising revelation.

He scratches his head awkwardly.

"My eldest brother is Hye-seo's 'father,' which is why she carries the Oh surname. But still, I believe I treated that child really well. Even though we don't share the same blood, we share the same family name. I treated her like my real niece ever since I first met her when I volunteered at the orphanage. Back then, she used to follow me around and she was the smartest child there...I even wanted to give my own daughter Hye-seo's name."

"Ah...I didn't know."

It seems the reason Oh Hye-seo referred to Oh Hyun-seok as her 'youngest uncle' was because of this connection.

"Well, it's not something I went around bragging. It's not exactly the kind of thing you boast about. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is...I wouldn't make a good father."

He scratches his head again.

"The real 'good father' is my eldest brother. I'm just the guy who played the gang leader in front of the orphanage kids. No, actually, as much as I grew up watching my eldest brother run the orphanage...I can't help but treat that girl the same way I treated the other orphans."

He smiles bitterly.

"For that child as an orphan, I can be a guardian. But I can't become a 'father' like my eldest brother. That's my limit. So...I'm going to find that child good parents. Better than me, that is."

"..."

'In a time of war like this, where would you find better parents than yourself...?'

The words rise to the tip of my tongue, but I don't speak them aloud.

Thus, after hearing Oh Hyun-seok's concerns and exchanging various conversations with our comrades, we finally arrive at Penglai Kingdom.

Upon arriving in Penglai Kingdom, we explore various parts of the world.

Jeon Myeong-hoon seems to be gradually recovering his memories along the journey, while Seo Ran appears increasingly displeased for some reason.

Penglai Kingdom hasn't changed from before.

No, it's as if the history of the time we entered the last time is still intact. Stories of how the 'King of Demon Spirits Seo Eun-hyun' had invaded the royal family of Penglai Kingdom and caused havoc are widely known.

Oh Hyun-seok continues his attempts to arrange for the girl's adoption with various Penglai nobles, but he fails time and time again. Meanwhile, Kim Young-hoon steadily sharpens his 'senses.'

And so, after three months of staying in Penglai Kingdom...

"You need to come with us for a moment."

"What is going on?"

"A high-ranking individual from Penglai wishes to meet the distinguished persons."

Suddenly, we are led somewhere by government soldiers dispatched from the royal court.

And the place is familiar.

The capital city of Penglai Kingdom.

The city beneath the massive Salt Mountain.

"Who is the person that wishes to see us?"

I ask them, but they don't provide any answers, merely leading the palanquin carrying us up the Salt Mountain in silence.

However, I have a feeling I know who it is that wants to see us.

After a while, at the upper part of the Salt Mountain in Penglai Kingdom.

We arrive at the palace of the royal family of Penglai Kingdom and are escorted somewhere by the palace guards.

'...It's a familiar place.'

"Her Majesty the Queen has arrived!"

We are moved to a guest chamber in the palace, where we await the Queen.

"His Highness, the Prince Consort, has also arrived!"

The Queen of Penglai Kingdom and someone called the Prince Consort enter the guest chamber where we are.

"Everyone, show your respect..."

"Enough, enough. Leave us. These are my friends. Just for today, I wish to be free of formalities for a while.”

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The palace guards leave the room, and I find myself facing my old friends for the first time in hundreds of years.

"It's been a while, Yuk Yo. Have you been well?"

"Yes. Thanks to the Cult Leader's help."

"Baek Rin also seems to be doing well."

"Haha, indeed. Are my friends doing well?"

"Those two are doing well in their own way."

Yuk Yo and Baek Rin.

They were once my subordinates, and a carp and demon spirit in the world of dreams.

"Meeting again after 90 years...truly, you never know how life will turn out."

Yuk Yo and Baek Rin have both aged like Baek Ran.

Both have heads full of white hair, their skin wrinkled, and age spots blooming on their faces.

However, both possess dignity, and there is no fear in their eyes.

'...?'

Seo Ran seems oddly anxious as she looks at Yuk Yo.

Both Yuk Yo and I notice her demeanor, but we pretend not to and continue our conversation.

We talk about what's happened so far.

How Penglai Kingdom has fared, how things have been in our world, and so on...

"From what I hear, coming to this world was indeed the right decision. To think the Blood Yin Realm is devouring the Bright Cold Realm, and great chaos is unfolding..."

"Who knows...from my perspective, it looks like even this world is starting to show signs of war."

"Yes, that's true. The people's hearts are beginning to waver. And more than anything..."

Her expression darkens.

"The color of the 'Hidden Light' has started to change."

"Hm...!?"

I flinch in surprise at her words.

The Hidden Light.

The unique light of Salt Mountain, brought from the domain of Light by the Owner of Salt Mountain!

She says that the color of that light has begun to change.

"It was white before, but now it's starting to take on a reddish hue."

"...Is that okay?"

"It's fine. According to my mother, the light only turned white recently. In fact, for thousands, tens of thousands of years, the light was originally an ominous dark red. It's only recently that it became a clear salt-like color, and now it's just returning to its original state."

'So the light of Salt Mountain was originally an ominous dark red?'

It's a strange thing.

"There's no need to worry too much. The Crown Prince, who will succeed the throne, has vowed to prevent Penglai Kingdom from being swept into chaos, no matter what. With that child's abilities, I trust him."

"...Is that so? If you say so, I'll take your word for it."

I nod and change the subject.

"By the way, could you perhaps take care of this child for a while?"

I point to the child Oh Hyun-seok had brought with him, and Yuk Yo agrees readily.

"As it happens, I was in need of an attendant. I'll take good care of her."

She reaches out to the child with a kind grandmotherly smile.

As expected, Oh Hyun-seok's face brightens, but a problem arises.

The child refuses to leave his side.

"Hmm...what to do about this...?"

Yuk Yo smiles softly.

"In that case, let's do this. Sir Hyun-seok, why don't you stay at the royal palace with the child for a few years? That way, you can help her adapt to this place and she'll be able to comfortably part with you."

"Hmm..."

Oh Hyun-seok glances back and forth between me and Yuk Yo, then looks at the child again.

"...Ha...Eun-hyun, it seems I'll have to stay here a little longer..."

"It's fine. Do as you wish. However, I'll need to continue my journey westward, so it may be some time before we meet again."

"Hmm..."

In the end, after some hesitation, Oh Hyun-seok decides to remain at the royal palace of Penglai Kingdom.

To help the child part from him, he chose to remain with her for a few more years.

We leave that place and continue westward.

"By the way, Seo Ran."

"...Yes, Senior."

I ask her a question.

"Why were you acting like that in front of Yuk Yo earlier?"

I know that Seo Ran used to have feelings for Yuk Yo.

That's why at first, I thought perhaps she was flustered by seeing the woman she once admired standing before her.

But thinking about it again, I realized there was something strange in her gaze.

After stepping away from Kim Young-hoon and Jeon Myeong-hoon for a moment, I ask her the question.

Seo Ran trembles as she opens her mouth.

"...It's because I find myself so ugly."

"Hm?"

I am startled by her following words.

"I wished for her to be unhappy."

"What...?"

"When I first saw her...for some reason, I felt drawn to Yuk Yo. There was an inexplicable sense of kinship. A woman with a temperament like an isolated island, completely cut off from the entire world. Even before she had the Sea Dragon True Blood, it was that unique temperament that drew me in."

Seo Ran continues her explanation.

"But later, after meeting her again, I found out that she actually wanted to return to her 'hometown.' From that moment...I somehow started to hate Yuk Yo."

Covering her face with her hands, she speaks.

"I thought it would be great if she couldn't return to her hometown. When I heard she was captured by a man claiming to be her father and imprisoned, I felt strangely happy. Because she wouldn't be able to return to her hometown. But eventually...on that day when all our comrades were killed by the being known as the [Mountain God], she returned here with Baek Rin. From that day on..."

The eyes visible between her fingers are bloodshot.

An inexplicable hatred glimmers in her gaze.

"I wanted Yuk Yo to be utterly unhappy. That the world she believed to be real is actually a dream, and that she had been trapped in the dream for her entire life, living while seeing only illusions...I wished that one day she would realize this and become unhappy. But...I finally understood after seeing her today. Yuk Yo, she...has been living her entire life happily in this world."

"..."

"I find my own ugliness unbearable. I don't understand why. Why does the happiness of someone I like...fill me with such disgust, such hatred? Why do I wish for her to be unhappy... This heart of mine, it's so ugly and repulsive...I feel like hanging myself and ending it all."

This is the first time I'm hearing about such inner thoughts from Seo Ran.

To me, Seo Ran has always been the half-human, half-dragon who sacrificed her life for her friend, me, served her master Song Jin with utmost devotion, and longed for her mother.

To see such a Seo Ran, harboring such jealousy and hatred toward someone, and at the same time, blaming herself is almost a first for me.

'What should I say...?'

After thinking for a moment, I silently embraced her.

"...That can happen."

"..."

"You can hate and despise someone. I also have people I deeply detest and despise."

For example, Yuan Li, Seo Hweol, and the Mountain God.

Those three are people I can never forgive in my heart.

"And that's fine. It's not your fault."

Seo Ran starts to cry.

"It's okay to blame yourself. It's okay to feel hatred. But before all that...don't forget that I'm by your side."

"What am I...that Senior is doing this for me?"

"What else? Are you not my friend?"

I pat Seo Ran's shoulder and smile.

Wiping her tears, she speaks with a somewhat lightened expression.

"Thank you for saying that."

"Isn't that what friends are for? I can always comfort you, so do not worry."

Why do I keep meeting Cheongmun Ryeong, Seo Ran, and others who change every lifetime and try to maintain my relationships with them?

The reason is simple.

It's a truth I realized through repentant enlightenment under Cheongmun Ryeong.

A heart once exchanged remains within me.

And even if the person I meet again is someone different, even if they have no prior connection with me.

If they are a person I can exchange hearts with, it's simply forging a connection again.

And even if the people I meet again in the next life have become complete strangers, they are just people with whom I can share my heart with.

With that, as I listen to Seo Ran's hidden emotions, I continue heading west.

About two years pass.

"Hmm!"

On the day marking our 92nd year in this world.

I look far to the east.

The time has come for Cheongmun Ryeong to go.

"...Something has come up with my master so I will be leaving for a bit."

I am enjoying a game of mahjong with my comrades in a country west of Penglai Kingdom when I hear the will of Cheongmun Ryeong calling me from afar, and I rise from my seat.

"Alright, go ahead."

After getting permission from my comrades, I immediately use the ground-shrinking technique through Immortal Arts and instantly traverse Penglai Kingdom, Shengzi, Yanguo, Byeokra, and finally reach the Heaven-Treading Desert.

Paaaatt!

The center of the Heaven-Treading Desert.

The place where Ascension Path is located, also called Ascension Forest.

At its center.

I head to the place where the 'Ascension Gate' used to open within the original Head Realm, where a large shrine has now been built.

In front of the shrine, Gwak Am is sitting in lotus position.

"Senior Brother, has the time come for Master to go? Is Master inside?"

It's when I hurriedly try to enter the shrine.

Cheok!

Gwak Am moves their massive body, blocking my entry into the shrine.

"...Senior Brother?"

"...I told you not to call me senior brother."

"...For now, let me see Master."

Gwak Am looks down at me and says,

"No."

"What...?"

"It seems you still haven't grasped a clue regarding Immortal Arts. Isn't that right?"

"...It's embarrassing, but yes."

"Master sent you on a journey to grasp an understanding of Immortal Arts. But if you still haven't even grasped a fragment of it...you cannot go inside."

"What are you saying, Senior Brother!? Even so, how can you prevent me from seeing Master's last moments?"

In my shock, I shout, and Gwak Am growls at me.

"Someone who can't even follow Master's teachings has no right to witness his final moments. If you truly wish to see Master's last moments, bring forth your own Immortal Art as Master instructed. No, even if you can just grasp the beginning of your own Immortal Art, I will let you in."

"What kind of nonsense is this...!?"

I grit my teeth and begin to prepare my Immortal Art.

"If you continue to block me, I will force my way in."

"Ha...someone like you?"

Ududuk!

I use Immortal Arts.

Through the formula of the Immortal Art Examination of Doubts, I begin to vaguely rearrange the laws of this world.

The Immortal Art of Rain, Clearing, Cloudiness, Want of Connection, Crossing, Inner Diagram, and Outer Diagram!

Kiiiiing!

The laws of the world blur, and the authority and principles I had in the original world begin to return.

Wududuk!

'I can't reach the Integration stage, but...with the power of the Four-Axis stage...'

It's when I try to use the attraction force of the Four-Axis stage to move Gwak Am out of the way,

Kwadudududuk!

"...!?"

In the next moment, Gwak Am grabs my shoulder and crushes me.

Simultaneously, I feel my knees sink into the ground, and all of my authority collapse.

"Don't mess around. What, do you want to claim this is your true strength? Do you feel wronged? You're weak. Even if you bring all the strength you've cultivated from the outside world and face me, I can crush you like pulp at any time."

Gwak Am growls as they look down on me.

"The difference in our skill is far greater than anything you can imagine, far beyond what your mind can conceive. I surpassed Master a long time ago, and I only bow to him out of respect. So please don't act out. Don't provoke me. Don't make me want to kill you right here and now."

Crunch!

They tighten their grip on my arm even more.

"Weakness is Vice. Because you're stupid, dull, and weak, you don't even deserve to witness Master's final moments. Get lost this instant! And come back after grasping a starting point on your Immortal Art! Until then, you won't be able to take a single step inside!"

Kuguguguk!

I tremble as I sense the unfathomable power Gwak Am had kept hidden.

"Have you...reached the Entering Nirvana stage...!?"

Such overwhelming power that can't be explained otherwise!

But Gwak Am merely lets out a snort.

"Ha! Are you trying to make me laugh? Get lost."

Thud!

They kick me.

"Keok!"

I feel my insides twist and cough up blood.

Gwak Am stands like a Great Mountain, blocking the entrance to the shrine.

'So distant.'

Just what is the identity of this person?

Just how much power are they hiding...

Facing Gwak Am