A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 692: Jeon Myeong-hoon

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Chapter 692: Jeon Myeong-hoon

'I...what was I doing?'

Jeon Myeong-hoon holds his spear and perceives his surroundings.

It is a space filled entirely with white.

'Ah...that's right.'

Paaaatt!

He regains his senses and perceives the inside of Do Gon's body.

He becomes a streak of lightning flying toward Do Gon's soul.

And then, he feels the hand of someone thrusting the spear alongside him and clenches his teeth.

'I was...taking revenge.'

Kwarurung!

The space ripples with thunderclaps, and Jeon Myeong-hoon is bounced away again by Do Gon's strike.

'How many times have I been flung away now?'

He keeps getting knocked back.

Not once did his spear land a proper hit on Do Gon.

However, Jeon Myeong-hoon can feel it.

At first, when he was hit by one of Do Gon's casual swings, he was blown beyond Mount Sumeru, but with each repetition, the distance he is flung decreases.

Moreover, with each repetition, he realizes he is getting faster.

No, to be precise, it is not that his speed is increasing.

'Seo Eun-hyun...is becoming more and more distinct.'

He gradually senses Seo Eun-hyun being invoked into him, and realizes that he is constantly accelerating.

It feels as if Seo Eun-hyun is lending him his realm.

Perhaps because of that, he knows instinctively what the optimal stance in martial arts is, and he tempers every ideal movement and every perfect intent at the tip of his spear, allowing him to confront Do Gon.

And the more he perceives Seo Eun-hyun, the slower time becomes. He begins to escape the metaphysical layer and perceive the domain of law known as 'Indra's Net' with increasing clarity.

Seo Eun-hyun is being summoned, and the more he is summoned, the stronger Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes.

'But...'

Jeon Myeong-hoon grits his teeth.

Even though he is growing stronger, Do Gon remains utterly unreachable.

'To surpass them...I need to become even stronger...'

This is a true Supreme Deity.

A being capable of crushing a Great Net Immortal with nothing but their spirit.

And Jeon Myeong-hoon understands his current state well.

Patstststs—

Once again, he enters the white domain, feels his mind grow hazy, and then escapes it.

'...Right now, I'm standing at the boundary of life and death.'

Only Seo Eun-hyun's Immortal Art barely holds him back from falling completely into death.

'And right now, on this boundary between life and death, I'm resonating with Seo Eun-hyun through the heart born from my own impending death...through the mind that has reached the domain of emptiness.'

This is the reason why even though he has barely used 'thought' through the Sword Extreme Heart Method, Seo Eun-hyun has already quickly begun to dwell within Jeon Myeong-hoon.

'If I go further...beyond the boundary of death, toward that domain of purity...then surely, I can resonate with Seo Eun-hyun even more deeply.'

And if Seo Eun-hyun is fully summoned, he would be far more capable of confronting the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity than Jeon Myeong-hoon ever could be.

'Maybe...it's better to just offer myself as a sacrifice and summon Seo Eun-hyun here.'

His spear technique is still immature.

The Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity gives him no chance to use any Immortal Art or authority besides a simple thrust.

To use any Immortal Art or authority, he first needs to land a thrust on the Supreme Deity to create an opening.

And he knows.

'It's impossible. Even stabbing a thousand times won't be enough.'

A thousand times.

Repeating a hundred ten times,

Or repeating ten a hundred times.

Even if he pushes through that staggering number, he still cannot affect the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.

—Then what about ten thousand times?

And to the despairing Jeon Myeong-hoon, someone whispers.

'...Seo Eun-hyun, is it?'

Jeon Myeong-hoon guesses who it is and smiles faintly.

'Thanks for believing in me. But...'

He knows himself well.

'No matter how many times I think about it...it's better for you to be in this place than me... That's the only way to truly carry out this revenge...'

—It's better for me to be in that place than you?

'Yeah...'

—You're not saying that without even trying, are you?

'As if I haven't tried.'

Jeon Myeong-hoon smiles bitterly at that remark.

'You know...how many times I've repeated these thrusts by now.'

—Then you tell me. How many times have you thrust toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity so far?

'How many, you say...well...'

Then suddenly, Jeon Myeong-hoon recalls how many times he has turned back and thrust his spear toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.

He could not give up.

So he repeated it countless times.

Truly, an 'uncountable' number of times.

'Once.'

He recalls the first thrust.

'Ten times.'

He recalls the tenth thrust.

'A hundred times.'

The hundredth thrust.

'A thousand...'

The thousandth thrust.

'Ten...thousand.'

The ten-thousandth thrust.

The more he recalls those thrusts, the more a change begins to take place in Jeon Myeong-hoon as he thrusts his spear at Do Gon.

A strange glint flickers in Do Gon's eyes, and Zhengli, who is in the midst of swinging Oh Hyun-seok by the leg, flinches and looks toward the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and Jeon Myeong-hoon.

[Yang Su-jin...?]

Kwarung—

'One hundred thousand...'

Kwarururung!

Gradually, his hand melts into and merges with the spear of lightning.

Before he realizes it, Jeon Myeong-hoon is becoming the spear itself.

And...the presence he now exudes begins to eerily resemble the Golden Divine, from Zhengli's memories of the distant past.

Without realizing, she rubs the two rings on her left ring finger with her thumb.

'A million...'

Kurururung!

The symbol of the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity Do Gon is the [Lightning Spear].

And long ago, the symbol the Golden Divine Yang Su-jin had as an Immortal was likewise a [Red Spear of Lightning].

'Ten million...!'

Among all the countless weapons, there is only one reason why the spear is used as the symbol of Heavenly Punishment-affliated Immortals.

When the Innate Immortal Art of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, progresses to its [next stage], its essence is revealed and transforms into the form of a 'spear.'

'Twenty million...thirty...forty...fifty...sixty...seventy...!'

Kurururung!

As he counts the times he has thrust his spear at Do Gon, Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes faster, and gradually grows more fused with the spear, and with the lightning.

'Eighty...ninety...ninety-nine...ninety-nine million nine hundred thousand...'

And at last, when Jeon Myeong-hoon fully remembers every single thrust he has made—

'Ninety-nine million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine (九千九百九十九萬九千九百九十九).'

Pachijijijik!

Jeon Myeong-hoon's arm completely merges with the spear of lightning, and he becomes the [Lightning Spear] itself.

'No way...!'

Zhengli's eyes widen.

After reducing Oh Hyun-seok to mush, she trembles while touching the two rings on her ring finger.

'Even Yang Su-jin...had to steal my Origin Essence, rise to Heavenly Lord, and forcibly suppress the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation in order to make it his... But how is he, with merely the realm of Heaven Dao Great Net...!?'

Normally, Supreme Deities each inherently possess a completed mantra, but the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, the Innate Immortal Art of the Owner of Heavenly Punishment, is different.

If a True Immortal at the level of a Heavenly Lord succeeds in making Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation their own, it transforms into the shape of a 'spear' and turns into a unique mantra belonging solely to the one who has seized it.

Immortals who master the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation to its extreme each gain their own unique mantra.

After subduing Oh Hyun-seok, Zhengli clutches her chest with trembling hands.

The mantra in the shape of a spear that Yang Su-jin had driven into her chest after betraying both her and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.

Remembering that moment, she screams.

[Do...you think I'll just let you bare those filthy fangs at my Lord and me again!!??]

Kwajijijijik!

—Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation 

The mantra Yang Su-jin completed surfaces in her mind.

—God-Sealing Flower-Tipped Spear (封神花籤槍)

Kwarururung!

In Zhengli's hand, a spear of red lightning appears.

It is the ultimate of the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation she has achieved, and her own personal mantra.

Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.

[Heaven-Destroying Flower-Tipped Spear (滅天花籤槍).]

Funnily enough, Zhengli's weapon also takes the form of a red flower spear made of poppy petals, identical in shape to that of Yang Su-jin.

She raises her flower spear and blocks the path to the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity.

[I will never, never again allow a spear to be driven into our chests!]

Kwajijijik!

Zhengli's Flower-Tipped Spear clashes with Jeon Myeong-hoon's new ultimate will.

'One hundred million.'

At last, upon reaching the one-hundred-millionth thrust, Jeon Myeong-hoon sees Zhengli's Flower-Tipped Spear and naturally realizes that he has fully seized the Immortal Art of Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.

Tsuuaaaaah!

The Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation, now completely one with Jeon Myeong-hoon's hand, is reborn as a mantra belonging solely to him.

As he flies toward the Flower-Tipped Spear, Jeon Myeong-hoon's will collides directly with Zhengli's.

Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation.

"Lightning-Tipped Spear."

Kwarurururung!

Jeon Myeong-hoon becomes lightning.

Transformed into a massive thunderous lightning spear, he collides directly with Zhengli's spear, matching her as an equal.

The tip of the Flower-Tipped Spear and the tip of the Lightning-Tipped Spear collide as the two glare at one another.

And between them—equal in force—Do Gon's single strike comes flying in again.

Kwarururung!

A colossal thunderstorm sweeps through the surroundings, and Jeon Myeong-hoon is sent flying, struck with a far stronger impact than before.

'Ah...it's no good after all, Seo Eun-hyun.'

Oh Hyun-seok has already lost, and from the energy he senses, it seems Kang Min-hee will soon be captured by the combined efforts of the Lightning Gods.

Soon, with the combined assault of Zhengli and the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, he will be completely subdued.

'Even a hundred million times wasn't enough.'

—Then how about a billion?

'I've never even tried a billion thrusts. There's no way that's possible.'

—Then how about ten billion?

'Look here, I said even a billion doesn't work...'

—Then a hundred billion?

'Hey, Seo Eun-hyun.'

Jeon Myeong-hoon feels like he's about to burst into tears.

'Don't...put so much expectation...on me.'

Jeon Myeong-hoon is someone who would trust Seo Eun-hyun 'again and again'.

But Seo Eun-hyun believing in Jeon Myeong-hoon feels burdensome.

So burdensome, it makes him feel like throwing up.

'I'm not that great of a person.'

He's slow, with a hot-tempered and underdeveloped personality.

On top of that, his tastes are childish, and the only thing he knows how to do is act spoiled.

He does have a will to never give up on reaching the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity, but that's all.

He knows himself well.

'I...can't meet your expectations...'

—...

'So please, just...descend here using me as the sacrifice...please...!'

Then, suddenly, he feels as if the spear is becoming lighter.

'My hand...'

Aside from the hand that fused with the spear to form the Lightning-Tipped Spear, other hands are also holding the spear with him.

A total of 'two hands' are lifting his spear alongside him.

Jeon Myeong-hoon can tell.

[Both of Seo Eun-hyun's arms] have been summoned.

Within his mental domain, which has reached Indra's Net, he can clearly sense that Seo Eun-hyun's arms have been summoned around the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.

'Yeah...you...you come and...get our revenge...'

"I won't."

'...Huh?'

Jeon Myeong-hoon suddenly senses that he has re-entered the white space.

And in that white space, he sees Seo Eun-hyun gripping his Lightning-Tipped Spear together with him with one hand, thrusting it forward.

"Jeon Myeong-hoon. This may be my revenge...but it is also your revenge. That's why...no matter how many lifetimes I repeat, at least for this one vengeance, I will not do this part for you. It has to be done by your own hand."

"...Seo Eun-hyun...but I...can't reach Do Gon."

"That's right."

Seo Eun-hyun nods while holding the Lightning-Tipped Spear with one hand, lending him strength.

"You can't reach them."

"Yeah...you know that too, don't you... So why are you placing such expectations on me...!?"

"...Including you, I've never placed expectations so heavy on my comrades, on my friends, that it became a burden."

"I'm saying it's a burden right now!"

"Your shoulders must be heavy, then."

—A trillion times?

"They're heavy! So heavy I feel like I'll be crushed to death!"

—Ten trillion times?

"So stop it! Stop placing your expectations on me!"

"...Remember that weight."

"...What?"

Suddenly, Jeon Myeong-hoon realizes something.

The [voice] that keeps asking him the number of thrusts is not Seo Eun-hyun's.

And Seo Eun-hyun is currently holding the spear with [one hand].

In that case...

What are the [two hands] that are now lifting the spear with him?

Finally, Jeon Myeong-hoon looks directly at the other hand opposite Seo Eun-hyun's.

At first, he can't recognize the hand completely.

Because the hand he remembers for tens of thousands of years had been fried, shriveled, and grotesquely twisted.

But at last, he understands.

'I...had forgotten...this hand...?'

The identity of that hand is Jin So-hae's.

Paaaaaatt!

At the moment of realization, Jeon Myeong-hoon exits the white space.

As he leaves the white space, Seo Eun-hyun's figure disappears, leaving only a faint pale energy lingering within Jeon Myeong-hoon.

But even so, [Jin So-hae's hand] alone remains clearly grasping Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear, despite having come out of the white space.

—One hundred trillion times?

"So-hae...?"

—A quadrillion times?

And behind Jin So-hae's hand, through Indra's Net, a certain trajectory becomes visible.

The hand which had been placed in the Bright Cold Realm pierced through countless dimensions and Do Gon's body to reach Jeon Myeong-hoon, and is now grabbing his spear.

Jeon Myeong-hoon's authority of Causality Induction.

As it reaches its peak, it is creating a miracle.

As Jeon Myeong-hoon held Jin So-hae's hand to his chest and cherished it dearly, and as he reminisced about their memories in the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, the result of enduring through thousands and tens of thousands of years is that the 'causality' accumulated in her hand has become a causality belonging solely to Jeon Myeong-hoon, one that no one else can interfere with, and it is now 'returning' to Jeon Myeong-hoon himself.

Of course, Jeon Myeong-hoon cannot understand something so complex.

He cannot grasp the intricate theory or structure of principle behind the authority of an Ender.

But there is one thing he can read.

That So-hae...is with him.

Kwarururung!

Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear strike flies toward Do Gon and Zhengli.

Jjeooong!

And for the first time, Do Gon blocks Jeon Myeong-hoon's spear with a serious expression.

[My Lord!]

Kwachijik!

Zhengli transforms.

She fuses with her Flower-Tipped Spear, revealing her true form as a bizarre god made of hundreds of millions of poppy fields.

The massive flower monster stands in the way to Do Gon's spirit.

But then, all movement on the battlefield, including Zhengli, halts simultaneously.

Kugugugugugu!

At some point, the white light of the [Double Helix] covering the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain has begun to take proper form.

: : Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment... : :

They are massive [arms].

[Seo Eun-hyun's Two Arms] now fully reveal their form.

: : Sword Spear! This is not what you said! : :

: : What!? : :

At that moment, at the center of the [White Two Hands] manifested large enough to cover the entirety of the Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain.

At the heart of the battlefield between the Heavenly Punishment Supreme Deity and the Radiance Hall, the jade of Yin-Yang and Five Elements begins to gather.

: : Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea... : :

Centered on that jade, everyone in the entire Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain feels the activation of an immense law through their whole body.

The Heavenly Domain begins to contract.

Among the True Immortals of Radiance Hall, all who have ever witnessed the atrocities of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity convulse, and those among the Jade Pivot Lightning Immortals who have not reached the realm of Immortal Lord all simultaneously freeze in place, forced to shake off their fear for a moment.

: : It's the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra!!! : :

: : The Great Mountain Supreme Deity is reciting the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra!!! : :

: : The worst Devil God is using the mantra!! : :

Kugugugugu!

As the entire Bearing Tree Heavenly Domain begins to shrink, every True Immortal within it is captured by the attraction force.

If the projection of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity could compress and annihilate a single Heavenly Domain in one strike, then what happens when the main body of the Great Mountain Supreme Deity recites the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra?

All the divine spirits waging war within the Heavenly Domain know the process and its consequences, so most of them can only conclude that the Great Mountain Supreme Deity himself has joined the battle.

: :