A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 642: Snake That Swallows Supplication
Chapter 642: Snake That Swallows Supplication
Radiance explodes.
Countless snakes split apart and tear open.
Twisted black snakes.
Black snakes with nine heads.
Black snakes rampaging in madness.
Black snakes biting their own tails.
Black snakes howling eternally.
Black snakes shedding tears in pain.
Black snakes vomiting death.
The countless snakes inside the Heavenly Venerable of Void scatter and perish in the golden light.
I quietly reach my hand out toward that golden brilliance.
I can tell.
The final form of the Dance of Emptiness that Hyeon Mu unfolded could not be completed perfectly because of the arm I severed.
In the culmination of all our efforts, Kim Young-hoon's Golden Great Thousand World has completely surpassed Hyeon Mu.
Hwiwooooo—
Currently, the Inner Sea of Mount Sumeru is entirely covered by Hyeon Mu's Interdimensional Void.
But above that Interdimensional Void, which originally should contain nothing—
Wind begins to blow.
A golden wind, carrying the golden morning light.
The once-dark Interdimensional Void glows with golden light.
"Keheok...!"
[Hewwwww...]
The Underworld Ten Kings, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, and the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord all begin to collapse down, gasping for breath.
All of them seem completely drained of strength.
I, too, in a state of total depletion, recall the dusk Kim Young-hoon revealed at the end.
None of us needs to be told—we all understand.
Kim Young-hoon's final technique.
Through the True Martial Art Golden Great Thousand World, Kim Young-hoon reached the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
That distant realm, often called the seventh stage of Manifestation.
Through Kim Young-hoon's final ultimate technique, I understand how one can reach the pinnacle of Martial Arts.
'The way to become a Martial God...is to completely cover the domain of purity with one's will through one's own Martial Arts...'
That's right.
The Heavenly Venerable of Void covered the domain of purity through the Interdimensional Void and the Plane of Soul.
And Kim Young-hoon as well...
Above the Interdimensional Void painted by Hyeon Mu, he overlaid his own will.
As proof, golden wind gently suffused with light blows through the entire Interdimensional Void.
Of course, the Interdimensional Void itself has not vanished, perhaps because Hyeon Mu etched it completely into Mount Sumeru, and the Plane of Soul is also returning.
Moreover, Kim Young-hoon's principle still seems far from matching the principle of the Plane of Soul that Hyeon Mu engraved.
If the domain of purity is considered the floor, and the Heavenly Venerable of Void's interdimensional void and Plane of Soul are like a thick carpet,
Then Kim Young-hoon's principle feels like a silk sheet thinner than paper, gently laid over the floor.
It's just that, for one moment, he surpassed and slayed Hyeon Mu.
'That's...how one reaches the ultimate of Martial Arts... Haha, but...I can't even begin to imagine how something like that is possible.'
It doesn't seem like simply mastering Triple Divinity in its entirety could come close.
No matter how I think about it, that's a realm with no clear answer, so I collapse into the wind with the other martial artists who sit weakly, gasping for spiritual energy.
"...It's still so vague."
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus mutters, and the Underworld Ten Kings nod bitterly.
Then the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord looks at me and speaks in a somber voice.
[...It was necessary, but in the end, is that how it gets judged?]
"Hmm?"
It happens then.
Tuuung!
One of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags flies out from my body.
With a refreshing sense of coolness, I feel some of my energy return.
Gigigigik!
But at the same time, the backlash of Mahayuga arrives, and the wheels begin to reverse, engulfing my entire body in overwhelming pain.
Kigigigigigik.
Along with it, my energy drops at a maddening rate.
If even one of the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags hadn't been released and returned some of my strength, I probably would've died from energy depletion despite being a True Immortal.
"Kkkuuuugh... Guk... Uuuuuugh..."
I barely stave off death with Immortal Arts, gritting my teeth, and as the Underworld Ten Kings see me, they chuckle and throw jokes my way.
[Just die already.]
[The new Judge of Vice seems to miss you. If you come to the Underworld, maybe you two can work together.]
[Even the Imperial Venerable would welcome a Great Immortal of your caliber. And this is no joke.]
"..."
But I know the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld still wants to taxidermize me, so I avoid their gazes and turn my eyes to the newly drawn Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag.
This newly drawn Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag—
It holds the condition of [defeat one of the Heavenly Venerables and their specialty].
That's right.
I've just been judged to have fought and won against Hyeon Mu and her specialty.
And as I begin to wonder, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord looks at me and speaks.
[Return of Vast Cold. The condition on that Sealing Immortal Flag was one I imbued myself...and since this Immortal imbued it with the maximum restriction one can infuse into a single Immortal Treasure, there was a blind spot regarding the restrictions I could not add.
[In the end...a coordinated attack was permitted. You used your power to link all of us together, cornered Hyeon Mu with Kim Young-hoon, and then severed her arm in the final moment. Since your power contributed to the victory...the Sealing Immortal Flag was released.]
"...It's a bit sloppy. Are the restrictions on the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag normally this loose?"
[Who knows... If it had been a different Heavenly Venerable, perhaps it wouldn't have worked. But...Hyeon Mu's specialty was Martial Arts, and Hyeon Mu herself had always recognized joint strikes as a part of Martial Arts, so the only explanation is that our combined strike was judged to have defeated her.]
With the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord's continued words, I realize that we have truly won.
'I see...'
[The most crucial factor for the release of that Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag is, ultimately, whether the opposing Heavenly Venerable accepts defeat. Even if you realistically defeat a Heavenly Venerable, if they do not acknowledge their loss, that Sealing Immortal Flag would never be released. For that is how unreasonable the restrictions are needed for Vast Cold...]
That's right.
In the end, the Heavenly Venerable of Void—
The Northern Heavenly Venerable, True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu, accepted her complete defeat as she faced Kim Young-hoon's final technique.
Woo-wooong!
The Martial Melody Heavenly Lord squeezes their power and creates a star.
[If I could...I'd kill you right here and now...but I suppose that's not allowed.]
At the surge of killing intent from the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus exhales sharply through their nose and steps in front of me, and even the Underworld Ten Kings stagger to their feet.
"I've exhausted my strength, but it's not hard to borrow power from the old man. To strike down a comrade you just fought alongside, before the battle's fire has even cooled—such a thing, I won't allow."
[It is the same for us. That one is someone the Imperial Venerable has set Their eyes on...]
[Touch him, and we will borrow the Imperial Venerable's power and summon our legions to face you.]
[Be content with victory as a martial artist. Unless you want to start a war with us...]
And from far away, my comrades begin flying in.
Each one is exhausted from transmitting energy to me, groaning and staggering. Hyeon Rang, in particular, seems to have sacrificed so much that his presence is barely perceptible. But if we all join forces, even the full descent of the Northern Dipper Seven Heavenly Lords would not be frightening.
Seeing this, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord lets out a sigh and shifts into a humanoid form, lying down atop the land of the star they created.
[...Very well. Just for today, I will not interfere with that one. Anyway...the Radiance Eight Immortals will take care of it.]
Kugugugung!
At that moment, from the distant sky, I see a silver-white light being struck by seven other lights.
"...!"
The Sword Spear Heavenly Lord who aided me is now being attacked in unison by the other Eight Immortals.
"Kr...uuuughh...!"
I groan as I lift my body.
Kim Yeon, the rest of my comrades, the Underworld Ten Kings, and White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus all look at me.
"Sorry, but I'll be heading out for a bit."
I glance at Kim Yeon as if seeking her permission, and she, sensing my emotion, gives a faint smile and nods.
'My condition is the worst...but if I hold out with Immortal Arts, I'll manage somehow.'
Three Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags have now been drawn.
Only four remain.
Moreover, my Immortal Treasures are still intact, and as the Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag has been drawn, new wisdom is pouring into my mind.
And above all, the greatest harvest is...
Woo-woong!
'Triple Divinity!'
I feel the white clumps of light revolving behind my back.
Before I know it, I am just one step away from completely mastering Triple Divinity.
It's an enormous gain from the battle with Hyeon Mu.
'Now, if I can contemplate Triple Divinity in a place of peace and continue to train in martial arts, revisiting the duel between Kim Young-hoon and Hyeon Mu. I can definitely fully seize Triple Divinity.'
Even the biggest hurdle for us Enders, as Kim Young-hoon once described—Hyeon Mu—has been killed.
My comrades may be worn out, but all are still alive, and Kim Young-hoon as well...
'Someday, we will meet again in the future.'
Therefore, what matters the most right now is rescuing the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord and surviving from the grasp of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity who will soon annihilate the world.
That is all.
'I can save Sword Spear too. I've nearly mastered Triple Divinity...'
I resolve to use this opportunity to fully draw one more of the remaining Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flags.
With that determination, as I prepare to soar toward Sword Spear, toward Gyeong-i...
Kwaduk!
"...?"
All of us, myself included, hear an ominous sound.
Kwaduduk, uduk...!
Hearing it, we instinctively sense a great misfortune.
Even without reading celestial energy, it doesn't matter.
Because the very source of that sound...so naturally casts despair into our hearts.
From the origin of the sound, cracks begin to form in the void.
And what appears beyond those cracks...
Are clusters of writhing snakes.
Kwadudduk!
Finally, the writhing mass of snakes breaks through the rift completely and falls upon the star that the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord had made into their resting place.
Cheolpeok!
All of us freeze, our faces stiffening, and those of us who can still move dash toward the mass of snakes without a word.
Foolish.
In hindsight...
Even if Kim Young-hoon's principle had covered the interdimensional void, the Interdimensional Void itself did not vanish.
We had foolishly let our hopeful imaginations take over.
Thinking clearly...
If she were truly dead, Kim Young-hoon's principle wouldn't just cover the Interdimensional Void—it would have completely replaced it.
And so, as we squeeze out all of our remaining strength to rush that mass of snakes—
That is, the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu (玄武), who still has not died...
Cheolpeok, cheolpeok, cheolpeok...
The mass of snakes moves and, in an instant, takes three steps.
Immediately after,
Tukwang!
At a speed to which we cannot react, we are all sent flying.
"Keheok...!"
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the Underworld Ten Kings each have parts of their bodies torn off, bleeding divine blood, and even the Enders are flung away with their whole bodies twisted and broken.
I, too, have my limbs crushed, but I force myself to rise using Immortal Arts, recalling the teachings of Cheongmun Ryeong.
"Y-You're still not dead!? You monstrous freak... It really was true that you're stronger than the old man..."
The voice of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus trembles.
Then it happens.
Flash!
The void splits open, and a grotesque [arm]-like thing suddenly appears.
It is a flower field.
That flower field, where countless flowers bloom, bursts forth in the form of a massive [arm] from the void, grabbing the body of White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and pulls it back through the void it emerged from.
White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus begins to kick wildly.
"Old, old man! Hey, wait! Don't you see that!? We can kill the True Martial Great Emperor! Don't you see how weakened she is!? Old man! Just lend me your strength! No, just toss me a few Flesh Restoring Flowers, Blood Restoring Flowers, and Bone Restoring Flowers! Old man! Old maaaaan!!"
: : Foolish. The opportunity has already passed. : :
But in the next moment, the will of the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable echoes through the space, rebuking White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus and dragging them into the Eastern Heaven Flower Field, vanishing from sight. Then, the void opens in another direction.
From there, a chilling [darkness] begins to pull in the Underworld Ten Kings and Kang Min-hee.
[O-O Imperial Venerable...]
[Ugh... Can we truly not launch an attack right now...?]
[If we are not enough, then at least send Yan Luo...! We can kill her!]
However, a solemn, chilling will spreads throughout the space.
It is to the point that even the mass of snakes that appears to be Hyeon Mu freezes in place for a moment.
: : Forbidden. : :
At that single word, the Underworld Ten Kings all fall silent and obediently return to the Underworld.
Additionally, a rift opens on the side of the Martial Melody Heavenly Lord, and the other Northern Dipper Six Heavenly Lords hurriedly pull them away, taking them to the Source River.
Finally, as Kang Min-hee is being dragged back to the Underworld by the power of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, she reaches her hand out toward us.
Oh Hyun-seok returns toward the Elephant Nose Heavenly Domain, but Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kim Yeon, and I—who are not connected to any other Supreme Deity—begin to be pulled toward the Underworld by Kang Min-hee's attraction force.
Jeon Myeong-hoon and Kim Yeon are sucked into the Underworld in an instant, and just as I am about to be pulled in as well—
Shwikak!
A powerful slash grazes past me.
With it, Kang Min-hee's attraction force is severed, and since the entrance to the Underworld is immediately shut from their side, I end up stranded atop the star of Martial Melody.
"You...alone...I cannot...let go...of..."
Squirm, squirm...
For some reason, along with the voice of the dying Hyeon Mu, the snakes begin to gather together.
I look at the dozens of snakes intertwining together and wonder which among them is the real body.
'If I cut the real body...can I win?'
But no real body reveals itself.
None of them feel like the real body...and I get the sense that Hyeon Mu has no such thing.
Squirm...
However, the snakes gather together faster than I expected and begin to form Hyeon Mu's shape.
Before long, the familiar figure of Hyeon Mu appears before my eyes once again.
But unlike before, it is not a complete human figure. From her nose leftward, she has the form of a human. To the right, her body is writhing with snakes.
"Haagh...heok...heheok..."
Hyeon Mu gasps for breath and collapses just as she is half-way done transforming.
'Can I win...?'
I swallow hard and raise the Impermanence Sword.
But just then,
Shiver!
Hyeon Mu's eyes meet mine.
At the terrifying killing intent radiating from her gaze, I freeze in place.
The killing intent from Hyeon Mu...
Surpasses that day.
The day the Wuji Religious Order vanished. It surpasses the killing intent when the Great Mountain Supreme Deity looked down on me.
Drip...drip...
Tears begin falling from Hyeon Mu's eyes.
Her eyes are no longer filled with emptiness.
What fills them now is...pain and hatred, and an overwhelming grief and resentment.
A massive fury swirls in her eyes, mixed with those other emotions.
"One margin...just one margin...of difference. If it had been just one margin closer, Kim Young-hoon...could have killed me...!"
Bududuk...
Hyeon Mu grinds her teeth, and her hand claws into the ground.
Squirm, squirm...
The opposite side of the body, which had not been completely transformed, begins to resume, and I open my eyes wide at the sight.
A massive golden wound remains on Hyeon Mu's body.
The moment I see it, I understand.
Truly, by instinct alone, I comprehend what kind of conclusion she has faced.
'A slash that moves toward the future, transforming into his Martial Arts itself and cutting down Hyeon Mu...'
In return, Kim Young-hoon erased Hyeon Mu from history and disappeared somewhere into the future—so that even in future regressions, he no longer exists.
However, Hyeon Mu did not die.
Rather, I clearly sense that the wound will definitely carry over into the [next cycle].
That horrifying wound and injury inflicted by Kim Young-hoon will continue into the next cycle and deal irreparable damage to Hyeon Mu.
But...
Shiver, shiver...!
'Damn it...'
I grit my teeth.
In the end, we failed to kill Hyeon Mu.
And as the price for that...I have ended up in a state no different from having fallen into Hyeon Mu's grasp.
Drip, drip...
Hyeon Mu is shedding black tears.
Just like me before, it is a phenomenon caused by overwhelming resentment and despair so deep that emotions them