A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 640: Heavenly Venerable's Power (2)

Chapter 640: Heavenly Venerable's Power (2)

It is not just Hyeon Mu's incarnation.

The black snakes, which are the embodiment of her enlightenment itself, also swarm endlessly to devour me.

I dodge the attacks of the snakes and deflect Hyeon Mu's strikes.

The weapon held in her hand changes without rest, just like my Impermanence Sword.

At times it is a tiger claw, at times a gauntlet, at times a segmented whip, at times a sword, at times a spear.

She wields ten million types of weapons, pressing down on me.

I hold only a single sword in my hand and face Hyeon Mu's martial flow.

Hyeon Mu swings her segmented whip and strikes my wrist, making me drop the sword.

But I grab the blade of the sword that floats in the void and swing the hilt to strike Hyeon Mu's head.

Hyeon Mu only slightly tilts her head to let the impact slide past.

Grabbing the blade, I swing the hilt toward her legs to trip her, but she somersaults and grabs at my neck with her hand in a claw form.

Shwiring!

Around Hyeon Mu, black swords embodying her will emerge.

A fleeting instant.

The swords become sword projectiles moving at a speed difficult for me to perceive, and they pierce through my entire body.

Divine blood flows from me.

Covered in blood, I clash with Hyeon Mu without end.

'How much time has passed?'

This is a battle of one against a thousand.

At some point, time seems to vanish between me and Hyeon Mu.

Before I know it, it feels as though time itself has disappeared between me and Hyeon Mu.

We exchange thousands, hundreds of millions of attacks in a single second, clashing again and again, as I move forward step by step.

How far have I come, cloaking my sword in the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as I press forward?

How many shichen have passed? How many days?

As I fight Hyeon Mu, I finally realize that I've almost reached the center of the Three Great Ultimates.

However, as time passes, the more torn and bloodied my body becomes, while not even a speck touches Hyeon Mu's incarnation.

Though I dyed her true form with my Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections and disrupted her Three Great Ultimates, that is all.

Until now, I've yet to gain even a single advantage in an exchange against her incarnation.

Right now, I am in the process of dying, and my body is only barely moving, forced forward by Immortal Arts.

At some point, I spot Kim Young-hoon in the distance.

I see White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus as well.

They too have succeeded in pushing against Hyeon Mu, sweeping through the countless snakes to reach the center of the Three Great Ultimates, but like me, they have also failed to leave a single wound on Hyeon Mu's incarnation.

At least Kim Young-hoon still looks relatively unscathed like Hyeon Mu, but exhaustion clearly shows on his face, while Hyeon Mu still appears relaxed.

Kugugugugugugu!

Far away, Hyeon Mu's true body begins to move.

The snakes, tainted by Kim Young-hoon, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, and me, have become blotchy and weakened.

Yet even in that state, the snakes spiral, enveloping the entire Abyss and beginning to grind the Heavenly Domains to dust.

Bearing Tree, Twin Holding, and the Earth Boundary Heavenly Domains are completely ground away and annihilated.

More than half of the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain is visibly shredded away as well.

"It's over."

I bite down on my lip, knowing my comrades are exhausted too.

"You spoke big about cutting me. How laughable. I will commend you for slightly paralyzing my true body, but that is all."

Shwiriririk—

At last, the three incarnations of Hyeon Mu who had been fighting us withdraw to the center of the vortex.

The three incarnations overlap.

Shiver!

At the center of the vortex.

There, Hyeon Mu shrouds herself in the power of the vortex, wiping all expression from her face.

"I have watched closely for months as you clung to your interpretation of Martial Arts. And as expected, I understand now..."

Hyeon Mu lifts her weapon with an expressionless face.

"The interpretation of Martial Arts you speak of...is nothing but garbage."

It happens in an instant.

Shwirik—

Hyeon Mu vanishes from sight.

"...!?"

A moment later, I realize my internal world is completely shaken, and I'm being hurled far away.

'Again...!'

Just like before, there are times like this when Hyeon Mu's movements become unfollowable, as if time itself has been erased.

I immediately regain my stance in the void, kick off the dimension, and shoot toward Hyeon Mu.

Heavenly Pegasus, Kim Young-hoon, and I form the Three Powers Formation (三才陣) and begin to assault Hyeon Mu from three directions.

However—

Tukwang!

[Keurgh!]

"Kugh!"

Even though White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, Kim Young-hoon, and I press Hyeon Mu with a joint formation, even though we are neutralizing her destruction with the intent of creation, we realize we are far from suppressing Hyeon Mu, and are instead being gradually pushed into a defensive position.

[Kugh, her true body is paralyzed, and yet just her incarnation alone is this powerful...!]

"Haa..."

Shikak!

In another instant, Hyeon Mu vanishes again.

Immediately after, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus has their head slammed down onto a snake's scale by a single punch from Hyeon Mu.

'Just what is that movement, as if time itself is being erased...!?'

It's that.

That movement is the very reason why we, after all this time, have failed to inflict even a speck of injury on Hyeon Mu's incarnations.

Especially for me and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, both of us are Immortal Beasts who use explosive force, and we are halfway connected to the Akashic Records.

Even so, we can't follow Hyeon Mu's movements at all.

The only one who's even somewhat managing to keep up is Kim Young-hoon.

'Kim Young-hoon...'

I look toward him.

He calmly synchronizes with our attacks, occasionally striking at Hyeon Mu.

But I can still feel it. Kim Young-hoon is hiding a move.

No, not just one move.

'Three moves... He's holding at least three moves. But he's not revealing them...!'

He's probably waiting. If Hyeon Mu shows even the slightest gap, he will unleash those hidden moves and go all in.

However, Hyeon Mu shows no openings.

'I can't use something like Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains against Hyeon Mu.'

Against opponents where power is necessary, Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains is the ultimate technique, but for someone like Hyeon Mu—who feels like the perfect superior version of myself—it is only a hindrance.

'But if I try to force an opening with a big technique, I'll be caught in that 'acceleration' that seems to erase time and die.'

I sweat cold spiritual energy as I move my body.

Before I know it, I feel the world beginning to flatten.

My movements are gradually transcending dimensions.

'My energy has long been depleted!'

I'm only reaching this domain through willpower that controls Immortal Arts and Triple Divinity.

'I see now...'

Kiriririk!

I realize my Triple Divinity is growing at an extreme rate.

'I am...still growing even now...!'

And White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and Kim Young-hoon—

I can feel my realm, which was lower than both of theirs in skill, rising.

Unlike the two who have completely mastered their divine nature, I span across all domains, but have yet to fully control even a single aspect of Triple Divinity.

But gradually, I feel Triple Divinity becoming internalized within me.

'Is it because...in a state where I've expended all my energy to the utmost limit, I am fighting alongside peerless martial masters, and am facing the strongest martial artist?'

Even at this very moment, my skills are improving by leaps and bounds.

Right now—

This is the domain of pure experience, requiring neither talent, nor enlightenment, nor effort.

As I move my body through extremely refined consciousness, I finally sense that my movements have transcended something.

'Ah...'

Kiiiiiiing!

Spirit Speed (靈速).

My movement has now reached the realm of Spirit Speed, where the moment I think, I am already there.

Is there truly anything in all of existence faster than thought?

'I have...reached the extreme that can be attained by speed.'

The moment I realize this, I perceive that Triple Divinity is almost in my grasp.

And at last, I realize that I finally, if barely, stand on the same level of vision as Kim Young-hoon and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.

'Yeah...now it will work.'

I see it.

The movements of Hyeon Mu, which I have never been able to follow until now, become visible.

Hyeon Mu steps step by step, dancing.

It is, quite literally, a dance without meaning, a dance of emptiness that has reached the pinnacle of killing.

Created solely for the purpose of slaughter, the ultimate killing karma.

All the techniques Hyeon Mu had previously shown—Fierce Battle of Ten Thousand Demons, Blood Trace of Subduing Devils, Annihilation Advancement—are contained within that dance.

'But...I've started to see it!'

Now that my movement has finally reached Spirit Speed!

I am able to follow Hyeon Mu's steps.

'First step, second steps, third steps (步)...'

Each step contains the enlightenments of Fierce Battle of Ten Thousand Demons, Blood Trace of Subduing Devils, and Annihilation Advancement.

'I can follow...'

Just when I think so.

Shukwak!

I realize my throat has been sliced open.

'...?'

Each and every strike from Hyeon Mu is dangerous.

To the point where even with the Immortal Body of a True Immortal, I feel myself dying as the power of fate and history is being severed.

Even though I delay death with Immortal Arts, the pain I feel each time is absolutely not something I can ignore.

And...

Once again, I open my eyes wide as I see Hyeon Mu's weapon swing from a domain I cannot even perceive.

'What...? I...reached Spirit Speed.'

I far surpass the speed of light, and every movement occurs the instant I think of it.

I believed all that remained was to unleash endless offensives and defend against Hyeon Mu's strikes.

But then...

'Why...can't I dodge Hyeon Mu's attacks?'

Even after reaching Spirit Speed, it's the same.

Hyeon Mu's 'acceleration' still exists in a domain I cannot comprehend.

Hyeon Mu steps again.

First step, second step, third step...

Immediately after.

Piiit!

Once again, as if erasing time, Hyeon Mu viciously tears apart the genitals of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus.

White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus lets out a lion's roar and tries to kick Hyeon Mu away, but Hyeon Mu skillfully and smoothly evades the kick and withdraws.

And again.

First step, second step, third step!

Paaatt!

Hyeon Mu clashes weapons with Kim Young-hoon and a weapon called Hojo.

'What...is this? Even with Spirit Speed, I can't keep up!'

Even Kim Young-hoon can only barely respond to Hyeon Mu's speed!

It's when I begin to fall into despair.

—Seo Eun-hyun.

Kim Young-hoon's will reaches me.

—Have you reached Spirit Speed?

I nod.

Gradually, Hyeon Mu's expression grows dull, and the range of her attacks begins to expand.

Hyeon Mu, who has been toying with only us, now begins to unleash attacks toward the Underworld Ten Kings, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the Enders who are confronting Hyeon Mu's true body from the outside.

Swinging her true body, that is paralyzed by our divinity, like a weapon, she is actually increasing her destructive power even more.

As if the claim that she expelled all the living beings across the entirety of Mount Sumeru before was no lie,

The chaos caused by Hyeon Mu seems to be bringing all of Mount Sumeru to a collapse.

—Create just a single opening. If you do, from that moment onward, we will be able to properly confront Hyeon Mu.

That's right.

Kim Young-hoon has also been waiting for me.

Waiting until I awaken Spirit Speed and reach this domain...

I grit my teeth and nod.

'Just a single opening...!'

The world is being destroyed.

And even though we're going all out, we still can't see the bottom of Hyeon Mu's power.

Hyeon Mu is still playing with us!

'Can I make it...?'

But I erase the hesitation that rises in the fleeting instant.

'I will make it!'

I begin to grasp how Hyeon Mu 'accelerates'.

'After taking the third step, on the fourth, she transforms to a transcendent speed.'

Perhaps it's because the speed itself transcends spacetime, reaching infinity, so even if time stops, she can still move at infinite speed.

I realize this thanks to none other than the Mahayuga.

The insight of Mahayuga and that fourth step definitely share the same enlightenment.

First step.

'Achieving (成).'

Or Krita.

Second step.

'Halting (住).'

Or Treta.

Third step.

'Breaking (壞).'

Or Dvapara.

And the final, fourth step.

'Emptiness (空)!'

Or Kali!

It is realized, sustained, then collapses, and in the end, only nothingness (虛無) remains.

Paaat!

The face of the Heavenly Venerable of Void suddenly appears before my eyes.

"Looks like your discernment has improved a bit."

As I look at that face, I begin to unleash my ultimate move with all the strength I have.

'I'll create an opening!'

My consciousness reached the extreme limit, and perhaps thanks to that, I am able to read the wisdom behind Hyeon Mu's footwork.

Dance of Emptiness.

Fourth Form.

Eternal Step (永劫步).

A supreme movement technique, an ultimate footwork that transcends both eternal time and space to reach without obstruction.

That is precisely the ultimate technique of Hyeon Mu, who accelerates before our very eyes as if erasing time.

"But that's all. At this rate..."

At that moment,

I truly prepare myself for death.

At the same time, I draw forth the authority of the Impermanence Sword to its extreme limit.

My own technique where authority and Martial Arts unite.

Impermanence Sword.

Retribution Enforcement (應報 執行)!

Kiriririk!

The Impermanence Sword enforces retribution for all the attacks Hyeon Mu has dealt me until now.

Of course, the difference in rank between us is too vast, so I cannot return the damage as-is.

Even if I completely reflect the attacks, Hyeon Mu would either block or dodge them all.

No matter what I do, I cannot surpass that Eternal Step and deliver an absolute retribution.

However, one thing is certain.

Tiiing!

"...!"

A corner of Hyeon Mu's lips lifts slightly.

A look as if she finds this quite amusing.

Tiiing! Tiiing! Tiiing! Tiiing!

The Impermanence Sword, emitting a clear sound like glass, accelerates 'for a single moment' in my hand that has reached Spirit Speed, and closes in on Hyeon Mu.

At the same time, through all the 'retribution' thus far, I begin to 'block' the offensive delivered through Hyeon Mu's Eternal Step.

The retribution for everything Hyeon Mu inflicted upon me until now, has, at best, blocked a single attack due to the gap in rank between us.

But that's enough.

Impermanence Sword.

Myriad Forms and Connections, Ghost-Face Killing Heaven!

The Two Immortal Arts embedded within the Impermanence Sword activate.

Hyeon Mu's existence engraved within the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections.

And Hyeon Mu's heart!

Through the retribution given and received between the heart and heart, they 'connect'.

Hyeon Mu's expression changes.

An expression that shows she has already seen through my technique.

But within that expression is a hint of delight.

"A good attempt. Give it a try."

We connect.

Each time we exchange a strike, each time we exchange our hearts, I gradually connect with her.

Her single strikes, that once tore apart Heavenly Domains and ripped through the cosmos, begin to focus into a single point.

No strength leaks out—everything clings to Hyeon Mu's weapon.

An even stronger assault continues.

Each and every strike now surpasses Sword-Guided Star Rain!

But I endure the pain that feels as if my entire body is being torn apart, and at last, I complete my ultimate technique.

Kiiiiing!

For an instant, I become fully 'connected' with Hyeon Mu.

Though our bodies are separated, Hyeon Mu's mind and mine are linked, and her life is connected with mine.

Through Myriad Forms and Connections, I connect our hearts, and through the curse of Ghost-Face Killing Heaven, I bind our causality.

I look at Kim Young-hoon.

He is preparing something.

'I will give Kim Young-hoon...that fleeting instant, that opening!'

In that moment when everything is completely connected with Hyeon Mu—

Shukwak!

I cut my own neck with all my might.

The ultimate move of Heavenly Escape begins to launch me into the domain of purity.

At the same time, the sword form born from the fusion of my authority and Martial Arts begins to shine.

Severing Heaven Sword Form 

"You weren't total trash, it seems."

Hyeon Mu speaks with a smile, and I smile too.

Fourth Form.

Kiiiiiiing!

"Even you can't ignore this one."

Shedding Heaven (脫天)!

Becoming linked with the opponent through the exchange of blows, then when completely bound by causality, plunging into the domain of purity through one's own death—the ultimate technique of mutual destruction!

A binding technique so terrible, it can momentarily escape even from the grasp of the heavens—that is the fourth form of the Severing Heaven Sword Form.

Thus, I enter the domain of purity while connected with Hyeon Mu.

Since it forcibly drags the opponent into the domain of purity, it becomes a certain-death technique for any who cannot access that domain. Even for martial artists who can access the domain, it inevitably creates an opening. 

"A fine technique."

Even Hyeon Mu cannot help but reveal a momentary gap.

"Such a pity, though."

That's