A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 809 Chapter 805: Final Regression

Kurururu—

Chaos surges within this being.

Ultimately, Hong Fan couldn't forge or grant the Absolute of Hope.

Thus, even though the entity standing before him was meant to develop a personality and emerge as the Creator God known as Yang Hwe,

Seo Eun-hyun, having triumphed over Hong Fan through his sheer willpower and cast him aside, ultimately neither forged nor obtained the Absolute of Hope.

Indeed.

In the end, the figure right in front of him...

...isn't Seo Eun-hyun at all.

This fusion of Seo Eun-hyun, Bong Hwa, and the Absolute of Fate...

Demands a fresh name, something entirely birthed from pure omnipotence.

And Hong Fan comprehends that this omnipotent entity is scanning the history etched into their very core.

They delve into the most ancient records, using them to shape their own identity.

After a while,

The entity solidifies its self-definition.

: : My child. : :

Hong Fan grasps the truth of who they are.

"Predecessor..."

The former Creator God.

The original maker of this entire world.

That's right...

It's the being Hong Fan despises above all, the one he views as the root of every calamity.

"Why... why did you reach that conclusion...? Why...? With your omniscience and omnipotence, couldn't you foresee such an outcome?"

: : I foresaw it. That's the essence of omniscience and omnipotence. : :

With a gentle tone, they draw near Hong Fan and clasp his hand.

A reversal of the events from the 16th cycle.

"Then... was my entire path something you orchestrated...?"

: : No. You understand that too, don't you, my child? : :

The omnipotent being caresses Hong Fan's head.

Before he realizes, Hong Fan's beard has vanished.

As Kim Yeon manipulates the Immortal Cultivation system to restore Spring to him, he reverts to a youthful form, and even from there, he keeps regressing further in age.

Hong Fan...

...is transforming into the visage he dreads the most.

He is reverting to his boyhood self.

: : These paths are ones you selected through your own choices. : :

"My own choices...? All of this—from my birth onward... you're claiming it's all from my own will...?"

: : That individual named Seo Eun-hyun has already provided the response to your query. : :

It gleams in pure white.

The Creator God manifests as a seething chaos shaped like a human, an odd amalgamation of omnipotence blending black, yellow, and every hue from the heavens.

Yet simultaneously...

They radiate the warmth Hong Fan had yearned for most.

: : You can't forgive your own happiness, so you've pushed yourself to this extreme; isn't that the case? : :

"..."

: : I aimed to craft a world where all embrace each other and acknowledge one another's flaws. : :

"...So this is that Gestation World. So a True Emperor has to treat the world like playthings, huh?"

: : The world isn't playthings. You could have journeyed to the realms of other Creator Gods, and you had plenty of chances to visit various worlds beyond this one and share your feelings with them, right? : :

"..."

: : Child. There's just one cause for your past and present unhappiness. It's simply... your inability to be true to yourself. : :

Tears stream from Hong Fan's eyes.

Tsuaaaaat!

The Formless Poison that Seo Eun-hyun instilled within him.

He had dodged it briefly at the cost of the 16th cycle, but ultimately, the poison surges forth.

No, it's not poison at all.

Deep down, he understands this too.

This is...

The heartfelt concern from someone who cherishes him.

: : Rely solely on yourself as your guiding light of truth. You know why that one called Seo Eun-hyun spoke those words to you, don't you? : :

Finally, Hong Fan collapses into wrenching sobs.

"What... what should I have done...? What exactly was I supposed to do, and how...?"

Hong Fan weeps before the Creator God facing him.

"I'm demanding why you built a world like this to begin with...!"

: : My child. : :

The omnipotent being appears to smile.

At the same instant, they seem to weep as well.

: : To take only yourself as the lamp—it signifies that you are the lamp itself. : :

"So...?"

: : And... it also means that everyone else possesses their own lamp too. : :

The omnipotent one slowly draws nearer to Hong Fan.

: : We who are omnipotent believe ourselves flawless. We assume we hold every solution, yet even we don't always possess the right one. No matter how near it is to truth, if someone rejects it, then for them, it's not truth. Thus... the genuine solution emerges from the exchanges between imperfect souls. When innumerable beings regard themselves as lamps, and those lights share their inner worlds with one another... that's what truly guides toward resolution. : :

"I can't accept it... I can't comprehend it...! I...!"

: : My child. And I'm not here to dictate the solution, convince you, or pass judgment. : :

"...What...?"

: : I'm a being who's already traversed this once. One who, by choice, relinquished it all and passed it to you. It's merely that... seeing a child like you weep so bitterly, I'm just here for one final farewell. : :

The entity Hong Fan labeled the previous Creator God.

The omnipotent one.

Or more accurately...

The World itself approaches Hong Fan.

: : My child. Hear me clearly. I'm about to depart to a distant place. : :

"What... what does that mean...?"

Will they fracture once more into the Three Absolutes and endure that endless war-torn realm, that infernal nightmare?

Are they declaring an eternal loop of regressions?

: : Nothing like that. But you might require my presence from here on. However, I may not return to offer guidance then. No... it might have been this way all along. I've never been your constant source of answers. : :

"..."

: : But keep this in mind. Heed the light within your heart, and trust the truth residing in you. I've always been part of you. I've fragmented and become you all. So whenever you seek my counsel... tune into your heart. And listen to the other hearts that illuminate your own. : :

He can't quite grasp their talk of departure, but one truth dawns on him.

Always...

The solution lies nearest at hand.

Simply.

Had he followed his heart's pull, perhaps everything would have unfolded differently.

Had he merely embraced without chasing justifications, that alone might have sufficed.

Had he pursued joy instead of dwelling solely on woes, things could have shifted a bit.

Had he not condemned himself as a killer, insisting his tainted hands couldn't restore Yang Hwe and thus opting for the Absolute...

Had he simply brought Yang Hwe back, conversed with her, shared thoughts, and lingered in that somewhat flawed exchange for ages...

It could have varied.

Hong Fan's core failing is his endless quest for rationale in every matter.

He discerns the message the omnipotent one seeks to convey.

This world holds no singular solution.

Nor does anyone need to embody it.

As long as exchanges occur and mutual acceptance blooms...

Whatever form it takes, with a Creator God inherent within, it becomes a solution.

: : I'm departing. But first, there's something I'll entrust to you. Since I can't leave it to that one called Seo Eun-hyun, I'll deliver it personally. : :

The chaotic, omnipotent form in human guise...

Draws steadily toward Hong Fan, now resembling a young boy.

: : That one named Bong Hwa wished to share something with you. Had an opportunity like this emerged... had she stood as your equal and learned all, she claims she'd have done it anytime for you. Shut your eyes, young Gu Ju. : :

He shuts his eyes.

Hong Fan Gu Ju, amid the ruins of all he knew, senses a gentle warmth in the Gestation World.

A soft kiss grazes his lips.

Hong Fan's eyes flutter open.

Hwiooooo—

Seo Eun-hyun hasn't morphed into the previous Creator God.

Nothing has shifted from mere moments prior.

Through the True Emperor's perception...

He perceives that the prior event was merely a vision.

The predecessor hasn't returned.

Nor has he fully reverted to boyhood.

He's aged back slightly, yet his beard lingers partially.

He's just a somewhat more youthful man now.

Nothing truly transpired; his mind merely wandered briefly and returned.

The only sight is Seo Eun-hyun, midway to becoming a Creator God.

'I understand.'

Whether the vision held reality or not,

Hong Fan abruptly deems it irrelevant.

He himself...

...faces impending judgment.

That's the sole matter of weight.

Uruung, urururung!

Yet Seo Eun-hyun struggles to manage the Absolutes of Fate, History, and Miracle.

If this persists, he appears perilously unstable, on the verge of detonation.

Though evolving into a Creator God, he remains unfinished.

Always...

A figure who seems in need of aid.

That...

...is his Lord.

"Breathe deeply."

Hong Fan parts his lips and starts assisting Seo Eun-hyun.

Seo Eun-hyun glances at Hong Fan briefly, showing astonishment.

But shortly, he poses a query.

: : What do you mean? : :

"By rashly pushing to become a Creator God without readiness, just to thwart my scheme, you'll lose control of everything and perish in the end. At this rate, you won't master the Absolutes, your essence and Bong Hwa's will clash and erode, birthing an impersonal omnipotent deity within. I don't wish for Bong Hwa's demise either, so I'm aiding you."

: : ...Got it. If it's to assist me, then tell me. : :

Likely due to nearing omniscience via the Origin Essence of Omnipotence, Seo Eun-hyun requests Hong Fan's guidance.

He must sense Hong Fan harbors no further enmity.

"Inhale deeply while drawing chaos into your form, positioning the Absolutes in your lower, middle, and upper dantians in turn. Then, envision the chaos flowing from lower to middle, then to upper dantian."

Seo Eun-hyun inhales.

The chaos flows as per Hong Fan's counsel.

"Chant the mantra. Heaven, Earth, and Man unite as the whole. Split the whole into three: Heaven, Earth, and Man."

: : Heaven, Earth, and Man combined are... : :

In that instant, Seo Eun-hyun eyes Hong Fan.

Realization strikes him at once.

This is a streamlined version of the mantra inscribed on the Heavenly Void Furnace's exterior.

And...

Only then does he remember its origin.

: : Heaven-Earth-Heart Method? : :

"...I devised it. Back when I wrestled with ascending to Creator God. The mantra for embracing all Absolutes—that's the Heaven-Earth-Heart Method."

Heaven-Earth-Heart Method.

The basic, low-tier internal energy technique used by martial artists in the Head Realm Martial Arts world.

No, it's scarcely worthy of the name internal energy technique—merely a rudimentary setup for the dantian.

With just that, no one could claim true internal energy cultivation; it's a foundational heart method treating one as an everyday mortal.

"If a Creator God requires a realm mantra, it's likely All (凡). Present everywhere and nowhere. We all... might have held the truth from the start."

As Hong Fan utters this, he finds his own words absurd.

"I... am such a fool."

Shame washes over him toward the Creator Gods of adjacent realms.

With the solution so evident, how far astray had he wandered?

He needed only to look inward for answers, yet he'd strayed to this point.

The solution wasn't distant.

Just...

He hadn't chosen it.

If he'd genuinely sought imperfection and mutual affection, he could have abdicated as True Emperor by any path.

It was a far simpler resolution than elevating Yang Hwe to Creator God.

He is an imperfect being.

But refusing to admit it, he chased an even grander perfection, rendering such creation impossible.

Yes.

Denying his own nature.

That's Hong Fan's authentic transgression.

Kurururur—

Seo Eun-hyun draws in the three Absolutes.

And then, in a fleeting instant.

Seo Eun-hyun ascends to Absolute One.

Hong Fan observes Seo Eun-hyun's features fading anew, transforming into a chaotic omnipotent entity.

"Now, render your verdict on me. My Lord. I've been bested by you, ready for whatever outcome."

The presence before him is the omnipotent one.

Though not the Bong Hwa he'd desired...

It's still akin to the existence he'd craved.

Then, Seo Eun-hyun, now an Absolute One, regards Hong Fan and lifts his hand.

Woo-ooooong!

"...Lord..."

And Hong Fan's eyes widen in shock.

Wiiiiiiing!

It's radiance.

And it's a blade.

He clutches his head and swings that blade down.

Kwaaaaaaaang!!!

Heaven and Earth resonate with a hum, while the Gestation World cries out.

"My Lord...!!!! What are you doing!!???"

Hong Fan freaks out.

With his own hand, Seo Eun-hyun rips free the Origin Essence of Omnipotence, merging Omniscience, Sincerity, and Totality.

Wiiiiiiing!

The Origin Essence of Omnipotence rests in Seo Eun-hyun's grasp, but soon, severed from the Absolute One, the Omnipotence dims its holy glow and assumes a rough form.

It resembles the three Absolutes crudely intertwined.

A pattern where black, yellow, and heavenly colors form slightly offset circles, tangled together.

It even evokes a crown.

And Hong Fan, grasping Seo Eun-hyun's intent, shrieks at full volume.

"Seo!!! Eun!!! Hyun!!! "

Jjeooooooong!

Seo Eun-hyun's blade cleaves the tricolored crown.

It severs the bond between the Origin Essence of Omnipotence and the Gestation World.

Right away, Seo Eun-hyun, without pause, flings that Origin Essence of Omnipotence beyond the Gestation World,

Hurling it to some remote otherworld.

"Ah... Aaah... Aaaaaah..."

"This is the judgment I deliver to you, Hong Fan."

Tsuaaaaaat!

Simultaneously, Bong Hwa and the other Enders burst from Seo Eun-hyun's form.

The merger unravels.

Yet as Hong Fan gazes at Seo Eun-hyun, a sliver of hope stirs.

He definite