A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 647: Owner of Wisdom (1)
Chapter 647: Owner of Wisdom (1)
Future King (未來王).
The moment I hear that term, my mind goes blank, and I feel a dull congestion building deep inside my chest.
At the same time, one of the tanghwa that the Underworld once showed me through the body of Tae Yeol-jeon comes to mind.
The protagonist of the enormous taenghwa, clad in a black kasaya, seated upon a lotus, and looking down upon all sentient beings.
Kuuung—
Somehow, as I recall that taenghwa, an unsettling feeling seizes my chest, nausea wells up, and a wave of disgust washes over me.
[...Future King... Just what kind of existence is that being? Is that being...the final trial we must overcome...?]
[...Well. That, even I do not know. Whether that being truly exists, or is nothing more than an illusion or a law...]
[Pardon...?]
[However, one thing is certain. The Future King undoubtedly exists in some form. All of us Governing Immortals, myself included, always feel that heavy presence pressing from beyond the Audience Chamber of Mount Sumeru.]
Underworld continues to speak.
[And there is one more thing that is clear. Whether the Future King is currently a sentient being or a non-sentient one, that being was certainly once among those who truly existed as a person.]
[...!]
'Krrgh...!'
I realize that every time the word 'Future King' is mentioned, my head feels as if it is about to split apart.
'This is...!'
Something begins to surface within my mind.
'M-Memory...?'
The very first life.
The events between being caught in the landslide and falling into Ascension Path.
[The events right before reaching this world]...
It feels like those memories are pushing through the cracks, trying to resurface.
'I...'
I am looking at the symbol of the [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].
And before that symbol of the snake, [something] seems to have appeared.
[It] conveyed some unknown will to us, and we were there, receiving that will.
And then...
Jiiiiiing!
[Kuurgh!]
I clutch my head and gasp for breath.
An intense headache torments my mind.
[Heok...heheok...]
[Did something come to mind?]
[...It is nothing. I just realized...that there is one more hidden memory.]
Yes.
Besides the 16th cycle, there are still memories I have yet to recall.
The memories from right after the landslide!
The memories before reaching Ascension Path!
Those memories, like the memories of the 16th cycle, seem submerged in pitch-black darkness.
And the moment I become aware of this, I come to understand another fact.
'It's the same.'
The memories of the 16th cycle.
The memories of just before reaching Ascension Path.
They both feel the same.
If someone sealed my memories, then I sense that the being who sealed these two memories is 'the same being'.
[...As expected, it is still a very poisonous wisdom to you...]
[Pardon...?]
I flinch at those words and ask.
'Are they judging that the wisdom regarding the Future King...is poison to me?'
I begin to wonder if, once again, I won't be able to hear all the information I need.
[Then must I grow even further...]
[No, do not worry. Unless it is truly beyond what you can bear, I will tell you as much as I can. At your current level, even if it may be poison, it is still at a level you can digest.]
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld speaks on.
[In the end, the Future King is...a being whom all Governing Immortals must unite their strength to fight against. They currently block the gate beyond the Audience Chamber that is the Thirty-Third Heaven of Mount Sumeru, imprisoning all of Mount Sumeru. They hold the fate of all existence in their hands, halt the advancement of this era's civilization and the growth of living beings, and endlessly fix the flow of time to a single era, forcing it to repeat.]
The more the explanation continues, the dizzier my head becomes.
Wisdom.
It feels exactly like wisdom itself is alive, clawing at my head.
'Damn...'
Tuk, tududuk!
I suddenly shudder as I see something like a salt pillar sprouting in real time from my head.
It is Salt Crystal.
Salt Crystal, the condensation of ancient force, begins to grow and fill my brain just from hearing that information.
The knowledge about the Future King alone causes ancient force to surge wildly within my head.
It is clearly a dangerous situation, yet the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld does not particularly stop and continues speaking.
[Why they do this, we cannot know. We can only speculate... But one thing is certain. That being is currently deeply distorted somewhere. They are not fulfilling the role given to them at all. Therefore, either that distorted part must be corrected...or that being must be killed, and another must become the Future King.]
[...The role assigned to that being is...]
[Fate (運命).]
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld raises one arm.
Huarurururuk!
Flames rise from it, and like will-o'-the-wisps, they flutter through the darkness.
Those will-o'-the-wisps sketch out a diagram of Mount Sumeru before my eyes.
Countless stars, True Immortals, and Heavenly Domains come together to form Mount Sumeru.
[Hm?]
At that moment, I feel as if I see the illusion of a [baby].
'What...is that supposed to be?'
Perhaps it is just my imagination.
Perhaps my mind is not in the right state due to the wisdom concerning the Future King.
[Harmonizing the fate of all existence of the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World in order to find the ultimate 'answer'...that is the role of the Future King.]
[The ultimate answer...what is that supposed to be?]
[That, I do not know. It is merely a piece of information discovered from the Akashic Records. However, I do know that the answer is related to you Enders.]
[The ultimate answer related to us... The Future King is supposed to harmonize fate and seek out that answer, but they are refusing to do so?]
[Yes. More precisely, should I say they have already arbitrarily decided on a different answer...? Whether that is intentional or not, I cannot say... But they are harmonizing the fate of all existence for a purpose completely opposite to their calling.
[They have sealed off all other possibilities, making it so that no one else can ever reach the true ultimate answer aside from the one they have chosen. Not only beyond the Audience Chamber, but they are restricting all possibilities everywhere.]
[...Kugh...]
Splurt!
I vomit a handful of Immortal Beast True Blood.
From the Immortal Beast True Blood I spit up, crystals of salt begin to sprout.
They are Salt Crystals.
[I-I apologize...It seems I am still too lacking...I cannot bear the wisdom of such a great being. Please, grant me just a little time before continuing the explanation...]
[Do not worry.]
Wo-woong!
Thump, thump, thump...
My chest pulses faintly.
The Taiji in the deepest depths of the Underworld spins and explodes.
At the same time, I feel as though my heart pounding, warmth returning to my body, and my collapsing frame being forced upright.
I feel my consciousness forcibly sharpen in an instant, and I notice the thick scent of plums spreading throughout the area.
'Ah, ahhh...this is...!'
The Immortal Art of deferring death that I learned from Cheongmun Ryeong is spreading through this space and forcibly stabilizing my body.
It is the act of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld.
After forcibly stabilizing my body, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld continues the explanation.
[W-Wait...]
[What you must learn today must be learned today. You cannot keep delaying this. I will tell you wisdom up to the level you can bear, so do not worry.]
[...]
I understand.
Up until now, the reason the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld treated me so carefully is simply because I had been like a glass doll that would shatter at the slightest touch.
But now, I have grown considerably larger and stronger.
There is no longer any need to treat me so delicately as before.
[In that case...there is one thing I would like to ask.]
The moment I realize this, I grit my teeth and brace myself.
'Even if I refuse, it's clear the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld is going to force this wisdom into me while locking down my body.'
If that is how it is going to be, then so be it.
Since it has come to this, I will accept as much wisdom and information as I can endure with all my strength!
Resolving my mindset in an instant, I begin to arrange and compress the ancient force within my body, listen closely to the words of the Underworld, and decide to actively engage in this transmission of wisdom.
[What is the source of that being's power, that they are able to harmonize fate? I understand that the Imperial Venerable has met that being and yet returned alive each time. How has the Imperial Venerable managed to come back alive, and what would be the best method to confront that being going forward?]
At my question, the corners of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld's lips faintly twitch.
It seems she finds my attitude commendable.
[Your mindset is good. Indeed, worthy of being chosen by Salt Sea... Very well. I shall tell you. After all, for existences at the level of Governing Immortal, everyone knows except for the Radiance Eight Immortals.]
Then, as the words of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld continue, I feel as if my eyes are about to pop out.
[The Future King. The source of that being's power is...Fate (運命). They...killed all cultivators of Mount Sumeru at the level of Supreme Deity and Heavenly Venerable, shattered all Gandharas, trampled the dignity of all Imperial Kings, annihilated and destroyed all of the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World, and by being recognized for that achievement...reached the Origin Essence of Fate.]
[...Pardon?]
[And even after that, by accumulating achievements comparable to such a feat, they completely seized the Seat of Fate (運命).
[The Owner of Fate. The God of Heaven. If they are considered an individual...then they are an existence older than a lowly being like me. The true owner of the future...that is the Future King. The Fate Supreme Deity (運命上帝).]
[...]
[All other Supreme Deities (上帝; Supreme Emperors) of this world...are nothing but imposters claiming the title. They alone are truly qualified to be called Emperor (帝).]
Splurt!
A wave of Salt Crystal surges from my seven orifices.
Not only that, but salt pillars begin to sprout wildly around me.
Wisdom is pulling me in.
And, perhaps in resistance to that wisdom.
I instinctively try to dismiss and deny the words of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld as 'false'.
This is the greatest resistance that I, a mere Great Net Immortal, can muster against the 'wisdom' trying to devour me.
[F-F-False...no, those are absurd words.]
I know that the being before my eyes can crush the Heavenly King Heavenly Domain with a single strike, and tear apart the laws of Mount Sumeru.
If she unleashes her full power, she could likely destroy Mount Sumeru entirely.
However, rather than fear toward this being, I begin to deny the words of the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld, crushed by the pressure and suffocation that this wisdom brings.
[Fate, history, and the third absolute law cannot possess Origin Essence! A-And even if such a thing exists, no one can seize it! Is it not, as it is called, [absolute]! The Origin Essence is the mountain, and the Immortal Dao is the mountain path. But if such an Origin Essence truly exists, then where on earth is the Immortal Dao of Fate! I have never once heard in any account or history of any True Immortal walking the Immortal Dao of Fate.]
[...As expected. You are peculiar. When the truth is told to those born of this world, they all, without exception, deny it and try to forget, just like you. But when the same is told to Enders, though they tremble in fear and suffer, they still accept it. You, however, are like someone from Mount Sumeru.]
[Pardon...?]
It is at that moment.
Kugugugung!
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld reaches her hand toward me.
Tuk—
At the same time, that massive, pale jade hand firmly grips my shoulder and presses down upon me.
[If so, then I have no choice but to use the same method as when revealing the truth to my Judges.]
Kugugugugu!
An overwhelming pressure crushes down upon me.
At the same time, neither my body nor any of my authority can move at all.
'Th-This is...'
Fear.
The fundamental fear that all living beings of all phenomena feel—death.
True Martial Arts (眞武).
Triple Divinity vibrates, informing me that the being before my eyes is about to exert power.
Heart and Heaven Taenghwa Painting (心天幀畫).
Along with that, while neither my body nor my authority can move, the upper part of my head explodes.
Peong!
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld forcibly 'pries open' my head.
[Do not avert your gaze and face the truth clearly. For Governing Immortals, it can be directly felt, but for those like you who cannot sense it, it may be too much to handle. Therefore, I will open it myself and put it inside.]
Huarurururuk!
At the same time, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld begins to drive into my head the diagram of Mount Sumeru, made from will-o'-the-wisps.
[...Kkuuuuaaaaaaaagh!!!]
'M-Master's...six-sided club. This hurts as much as Hyeon Mu's single strike!!!'
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld is touching the principles that make up my existence.
[The Origin Essence of Fate truly exists.]
[B-But...!!]
[Because...the Origin Essence of History exists at this very moment]
[...Pardon...?]
At that shocking revelation, my eyes widen.
[The Origin Essence...of History...what exactly...]
[It is something you already know. The record of countless beings and the sanctuary of truth that knows all thoughts. The complete compendium of all history and information.]
At those words, a certain place surfaces in my mind.
[The place where all history and life gather as one. The Origin Essence of Life, Omniscience (全知). In other words...that which is also called the Akashic Records (虛空錄), is the Origin Essence of Life.]
[...!!!]
'Th-That means...'
The Head Realm.
In other words, the true identity of the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeon Woon is the Origin Essence of Life, Omniscience.
Only now do I realize the truth behind what I saw before in the diagram of Mount Sumeru, where the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld and the other Heavenly Venerables were absorbing a [yellow light] at the summit of Mount Sumeru.
The yellow light they were absorbing was not that of the Radiance Supreme Deity.
Rather, it was the light of the Emptiness Supreme Deity Myeong Woon.
In other words, Hyeon Mu, Time, Sal Tree, and the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld are beings who divine descent power from the Origin Essence of Life, Omniscience, which is why they devour that yellow light.
[There are three absolute laws. If one of their Origin Essences clearly exists before your eyes...then naturally, would the other two absolutes not also have Origin Essences?]
[Gugh...kkurururuk...]
Unable to withstand the pain and the 'calling' brought by this information, I begin to foam salt at the mouth.
I desperately resist this pain and the pressure of the wisdom, starting to deny the words of the Underworld.
[E-Even...so...the Akashic Records...and the other absolutes...absolute is absolute. They are absolutely...not what an individual...can seize...!]
[You still deny it? Do not worry. I will make you understand by force if necessary...]
Kugugugugu!
The diagram of Mount Sumeru driven into my head begins to explode.
[...!!]
The Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld forcibly expands my head.
It feels like my body is going to break apart.
[T