A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 811 Chapter 807 + 808: Seo Eun-hyun ⟨End⟩

With a stunned look on his face, he wanders the streets of the city.

Shhhhhhhh...

The patter of the rain somehow brings a sense of comfort.

And toward the far end of the path he's traversing, as the downpour drenches him,

The figure who appears in his dreams stands waiting.

Or rather, it's better to describe her as hovering there.

"Hyang...hwa..."

His voice, parched and faint, calls her name.

A storm of thoughts races inside his mind.

"How...?"

All at once, he senses a presence watching and turns his head aside.

Nothing is there.

It must have been nothing more than a trick of his mind.

She offers a soft smile.

[How? I turned into a restless ghost, lingering for Orabeoni.]

"It must be...from that time..."

Seo Eun-hyun vividly recalls the instant her soul rose to the afterlife.

Abruptly, she glances in the direction where Seo Eun-hyun had just peered, then turns back to him with a warm grin.

[But more importantly, isn't there something that matters even more?]

"..."

Of course.

One has passed away, while the other endures.

Yet their souls remain intertwined.

Seo Eun-hyun grasps her intention without delay.

[In Yeon-do City, I longed to dance alongside Orabeoni, but it looks like our dance unfolds here instead.]

"...Give me just a moment, please. I'll get ready right away."

He pulls the Colorless Glass Sword from his side and channels every bit of his energy into it, pouring in spiritual power.

Wo-woong!

The Colorless Glass Swords were crafted initially as memorials for the inhabitants of Cheon-saek City.

Obeying Seo Eun-hyun's command, the three thousand glass blades return to their proper burial sites.

Afterward, Seo Eun-hyun gazes at her and extends his hand.

The pair exchange smiles in silence.

Lacking actual fans, they mime holding them and assume their positions.

Without any melody playing, they sway gently to the rhythm of the rainfall, syncing their movements perfectly.

They gradually flow into unison.

Amid the relentless downpour.

I observe that stunning sight and grin.

The pair of lovers stepping through their routine to the tune of the storm...

Regardless of how often I witness it anew, no matter the repetitions I endure...

Their beauty pierces the heart.

The numerous ghosts observing them start to...

One after another, transform into luminous specks and ascend heavenward.

I spot a well-known figure among them and smile.

Cheongmun Ryeong.

My teacher.

Tsuaaaaaaatt!

He was the entity that grasped the Absolute of Miracle, then crumbled and vanished utterly.

Reviving him demands becoming an all-powerful force.

As one who surpasses endless timelines and dimensions, I issue a directive across the entire realm.

Hwiooooooo!

In a flash, Cheongmun Ryeong absorbs the essence of omnipotence directly and gains the potential for revival.

He grins.

Then he directs his sight elsewhere and speaks.

—Remember. Everything...

I follow the direction of his stare and abruptly dredge up a distant recollection.

At last, the significance of those words dawns on me.

During that era, he had granted a boon to my earlier incarnation, allowing recall of the experiences from the 16th cycle.

'Thank you, Master.'

Right then, Cheongmun Ryeong draws in my energy and propels himself toward what lies ahead.

From this temporal standpoint, it's the upcoming era.

From my perspective, it's the actual world.

He will soar to that ultimate battleground where the Future King met his end and, through the Underworld's grace, secure a true shot at rebirth.

: : Please journey safely. Master. : :

If I poured out further reserves of Omnipotence, I could restore him instantly here, granting him once again the might and form of his peak.

Yet...

At this stage, even the might of Omnipotence dwindles to nearly nothing.

Thus, offering him not total erasure but an opportunity for rebirth stands as the utmost I can manage in my current state.

He morphs into a radiant glow and, facing me, utters his final words.

—If you can, I request you watch over those children too.

Tsuaaaat!

Those children?

Whom might he mean...

But quickly, comprehension strikes me.

Woong—

The one trapped within the Head Realm, unable to break free.

It concerns the would-be Hyeon Rang, Song Jin.

I perceive that the earlier version of Song Jin specifically cannot depart this plane.

'I understand.'

Hong Fan serves as the Western Zero King.

To construct the facade of the Creator God's compassion, he ensured all subsequent Hyeon Rangs remained in the Audience Chamber, poised as future sacrifices.

Honoring my teacher's wish, I gesture toward the Hyeon Rangs currently preserved in the Audience Chamber at this moment.

To be exact, I project a pulling force toward the myriad Hyeon Rangs who perished short of Supreme Deity status and were stuffed and preserved.

Kugugugugugu!

Close to Cheon-saek City.

The Underworld's portal rips open by force, and every taxidermied Hyeon Rang in the Audience Chamber who failed to ascend to Supreme Deity surges into the Underworld simultaneously.

And,

Within their ranks...

Lurks a presence I recognize.

Song Jin.

Not the initial Song Jin from the Nether Crossing Ship, but the Song Jin I know—the guardian of records in the Black Ghost Valley of the Head Realm.

He, too, after entering the Underworld, failed to reincarnate and fell into the Audience Chamber's grasp.

As I regard Song Jin, he seems to grasp my nature somewhat and conveys profound gratitude toward me.

Soon after,

He turns his gaze to the eastern edge of the Heaven-Treading Desert.

That is, toward a spot near the Black Castle, where his form, locked in stasis, shivers.

Song Jin faces me and voices a plea.

—O mighty one. I implore you. There's someone I need to bid goodbye to. So please...allow me a bit more time...

To be precise, I extracted the Hyeon Rangs from the Audience Chamber.

I also hauled the Gate of the Underworld deep into the Head Realm's core to deliver them to the Underworld's hold.

In my present condition, I'm expending energy continuously to meddle with the past, so truthfully, there's no obligation to fulfill this plea.

It yields me nothing in return.

Still, I offer a subtle smile and expend additional power, extending the duration the Underworld's gate remains ajar.

Song Jin, expressing profound appreciation, bows deeply to me, and during that interval.

Finally, the current Seo Eun-hyun and Hyang-hwa conclude their dance with a kiss.

[I love you. The regret of never voicing these words straight to you weighed heavy in my heart.]

Seo Eun-hyun holds her close, finally unleashing the sentiments tangled within him.

"I love you too."

Through this, Seo Eun-hyun uncovers the concealed essence of the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation.

The dark hexes clinging to his form throughout start to invert.

Even if one's existence brims with suffering and maledictions.

When human spirits link together.

Perhaps that connection...turns into an eternal boon.

The dark hexes flip entirely at once, unveiling the truths they concealed.

*

"Hmm?"

In the wreckage of the Black Castle, the site of Yuan Li's demise.

The Core Formation experts continue sifting through the debris for the valuables Yuan Li stashed away.

"No matter how much we dig around in that Nascent Soul monster's lair, more goodies keep popping up."

"We nearly got killed, but it paid off... Hey, where'd Cultivator Seo Ran disappear to?"

One of the experts searches for Seo Ran.

"Not a clue. He just zoomed off in a rush. Probably spotted something big... I can't help but wonder what treasure got that blank-faced guy so fired up that he bolted like mad."

"That's intriguing... Anyway, who cares. We've snagged plenty for ourselves already."

As they banter and poke around Yuan Li's dwelling, one detects an odd occurrence.

"Huh? Hold on, that's..."

The Black Ghost Curse Banner that Seo Eun-hyun deployed to bind Yuan Li's corpse.

From the Black Ghost Curse Banner, a dazzling white glow starts to radiate.

*

The rods topped with dark clumps that Seo Eun-hyun had staked into the earth and abandoned everywhere in the wasteland.

The surfaces of those dangling clumps begin emitting a pristine white shine.

And then,

Paaat!

The clumps rupture and unfurl like budding blossoms.

The opened blooms gleam in pure white, each bearing six delicate petals.

Paat, paat, paat!

Tracing the route Seo Eun-hyun once followed, countless white magnolias emerge across the desert sands.

And...

Along that trail of white magnolias, Seo Ran speeds toward the figure awaiting him at its conclusion.

"Aaah... M-Master. Master. Master...!"

Seo Ran's Master, who shielded Seo Ran and sacrificed himself during the clash with Yuan Li.

Song Jin, appearing pristine and scarcely altered from his living days, stands ready for Seo Ran.

And, beyond the boundaries of Cheon-saek City...

He draws his student into a fierce embrace.

"Master...!"

—Quit the drama, you fool. Are you implying I kicked the bucket or what? You idiot...!

Seo Ran, bereft of all kin after the fray with Yuan Li...

Clinging to his Master Song Jin, whom he reunites with in this manner, weeps uncontrollably.

"I have no idea how to keep going. The pain is unbearable. I'm clueless...about what's worth living for anymore, Master...! In my world...everyone's gone. If you vanish too, Master, then how am I supposed to face the road ahead!?"

Seo Ran and Song Jin.

The heartfelt reunion of teacher and pupil unfolds.

Song Jin regards his student.

Sensing his student's warmth, Song Jin glances skyward briefly, then at me for an instant, before returning his focus to Seo Ran.

—Ran-ah. Look my way for a second.

"Master...!"

—Ran-ah. I am one who must depart shortly.

"Master, what are you saying!? Haven't you returned just like this!?"

—I haven't returned fully. If the deceased could just revive at will in the living realm, imagine the disorder that would unleash? Black Ghost Valley exists to extend the dying process, not to defy the heavens by resurrecting the truly departed.

"Then..."

—It's merely...that a supreme transcendent entity took mercy on me and offered this opportunity, Ran-ah. From here on, you need to navigate this world without me.

"How could this student survive without Master...?"

—Stop it! Don't cling to what's gone. Face forward and press on. Indeed, I cherished and valued you deeply. And you honored and trailed after me. But sometimes, separations are inevitable. Embrace that. Yet...I know you won't accept it easily, right? Hearts don't sway like grass in the wind. So, Ran-ah. From the insights I gained post-death...I've discovered the one you should pursue and follow. This is your teacher's command—obey it without question!

Song Jin rebukes Seo Ran with firm resolve.

Seo Ran, quivering, yields to it.

"...Disciple Seo Ran...will honor Master's command..."

And at Song Jin's ensuing words, even I tense in astonishment.

—After my passing, I ended up in a realm known as the Audience Chamber. It's a dreadful place you shouldn't learn of. Yet, for all its horrors, it's brimming with vast knowledges. There, I encountered...a certain being...that could be seen as the source of your mother's lineage...

"...What?"

—Head even further west. To a land beyond Byeokra. There dwells a being who sired your mother...

Song Jin indicates a distant point far to the west.

At the same moment, a subtle aroma emanates from his gesture.

It carries the scent of [Names].

Via the potency of names he unlocked by rousing his core in the Audience Chamber, he reveals to Seo Ran the location of the one he must seek.

That scent's essence.

It's termed Goodwill (善意).

—Pursue that being and journey alongside them. By doing so, one day you will undoubtedly...acquire even greater treasures. Treasures far more valuable than I ever was...

With that, Song Jin starts ascending toward the heavens.

The other ghosts follow suit.

Hyang-hwa, who danced with Seo Eun-hyun in Cheon-saek City, now slowly lifts into the sky as well, heeding the Underworld's summons.

Paaaatt!

[See that? Being alive, you've even devised a fresh technique.]

"It's merely the Yin Soul Ghost Incantation, reshaped by the emotions we share."

[No, it's an entirely new approach.]

They exchange lighthearted banter and chuckles.

It's his first laughter in two centuries, yet it feels entirely natural somehow.

[If I might propose, as a partner in crafting this technique, could this girl suggest its name?]

"Whatever you like."

She extends her hand toward the drifting boons, which are evolving into white magnolia forms.

[White Orchid Blessing Incantation. Does that suit it?]

The present Seo Eun-hyun places his hand under hers and replies.

"I'll commit it to memory."

The two, gazing as the boons drift upward for a time, lock eyes.

Her essence grows fainter and more ethereal, ascending steadily.

[I won't forget it either.]

"...Yes."

Seo Eun-hyun's voice quakes uncontrollably as he watches her.

His heart aches much like Seo Ran's did upon seeing Song Jin.

But this time, his gaze holds no void as he lifts it to her, tears streaming down.

"...They say immortals of the Upper Realm perform this when forging marital ties."

A flask of White Red Wine rests in Seo Eun-hyun's grasp.

"Is this acceptable?"

As she rises ever higher, she nods affirmatively.

Seo Eun-hyun searches his storage treasure.

No vessels are available.

Instead, he pours half the White-Red Wine before her resting place, then the current Seo Eun-hyun consumes the other half right in her presence.

Wo-woong!

As the White-Red Wine seeps into his fractured Golden Core, its potency stirs, rekindling bonds with his dharma treasures.

Wo-woong!

The three thousand Colorless Glass Swords embedded all around commence their hum.

And with that,

As the finale, her spectral form condenses into a tiny light orb and fully dissipates.

Seo Eun-hyun stares endlessly at that vanishing shape.

I abandon the version of myself from those bygone days and ascend to meet her as she rises, offering my hand.

The present Seo Eun-hyun remains unaware of me.

I sense another past self observing me via the Radiance Mantra, but as the current me—though not the Fate Supreme Deity—I hold the Crystal Throne nonetheless.

I am the Crystal King Star Genesis Supreme Deity.

I detect that the past self peering at this era writhes in torment upon seeing me.

Reflecting now, every one of those histories carries deep significance.

Discarding all such histories behind me, at long last...

Over an immense stretch of time, I address Hyang-hwa anew.

"Now, will you accompany me once more."

Hyang-hwa, who has sensed me earlier with my allowance, beams with joy.

"Certainly. Orabeoni."

Woooong—

Fans materialize in her grasp and mine.

They emerge via the Immortal Beast King's manifestation.

We commence once more