A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 813 Chapter 810: Afterstory 2 - Back

Hwiiiiiii—

Fierce Vairambha Winds howl wildly between one realm and the next.

A Heavenly Domain emerges,

and the surge of energy that comes with a universe's creation is known as the Vairambha Wind.

As a Heavenly Domain takes form, a single stream of Vairambha Wind arises and envelops the entirety of Mount Sumeru.

Yet, in the emptiness linking these realms, thousands upon thousands, even hundreds of millions beyond counting, of such Vairambha Winds surge endlessly.

Indeed, across countless realms and isolated Heavens and Earths, myriad worlds constantly arise and fade into oblivion.

Within every one of those Vairambha Winds, tales from endless worlds echo faintly, while visions of even more realms shimmer in the distance.

Among them, some worlds mirror Earth precisely.

Certain realms share Earth's exact history, differing only in the personal tales of a handful of inhabitants.

Others draw from Earth's foundation but unfold with entirely altered events.

Many feature individuals dubbed Hunters, or portals called Gates that unleash invasions from alien dimensions.

Occasionally, realms surface with systems eerily akin to Mount Sumeru's cultivation methods.

Such worlds pique the curiosity.

Sometimes, the urge strikes to glance inside those realms briefly or dive in to experience their wonders firsthand.

Still, we push through the overwhelming might and allure of those Vairambha Winds...

And finally reach that remote world.

We step into the era of our own birth.

"Everyone, adjust your rank and size, please."

Bringing our full rank and scale unchanged would shatter a tiny place like Earth instantly, or at minimum drive every soul on it to utter madness.

My companions nod at my instruction and shrink their forms to match ordinary human proportions.

Piiiing, ping!

As Earth draws closer, several Enders native to it—including Vast Cold's soul, which journeyed back with us—tap into the Nirvana Tranquility boost from my Requiem Filling the Heavens to accelerate toward their former eras.

They won't share our timeline.

Sure, those craving extended life might cross paths with us in our age, but it hardly signifies.

Hwiooooooo!

"Entering now. Here we go...!"

Flash!

Having traversed a vast and arduous journey at last...

We arrive back in our original world, where Earth resides.

Chwaaaaaa!

Myriad timelines rush by us, and after an eternity's span...

We land precisely at the instant the landslide engulfed us.

Darkness surrounds us.

"Mm, keokeokeuk..."

We transform into spiritual forms and merge with the Earthly bodies where we met our ends.

Even Kim Young-hoon, having reached the Heavenly Being stage through cultivation, finds spiritualization straightforward.

Yet, these long-lost bodies have begun to rot in places, with soil crammed into our throats and innards.

That must be why his throat itches so.

Oh Hyun-seok hacks and coughs.

Keuruk!!!!! Keuruk!!!!!

And just like that, our galaxy crumbles to nothing.

"..."

Shiiiiiii...

In the desolate void left by our galaxy's destruction, we all fix our gazes on Oh Hyun-seok.

His face drains of color entirely as Oh Hyun-seok lowers his head toward us.

"S-Sorry! I did tone down my rank and size, but holding back my actual power is still unfamiliar..."

"...Hahh...Hyun-seok-ah..."

Kim Young-hoon exhales a heavy sigh, clenching his jaw, while Jeon Myeong-hoon eyes him icily and chimes in.

"I'm a bit let down. After all, this is our home..."

"I-I'm truly sorry! If I can snag at least a relic from the Heavenly Venerable of Time, I could wield it and..."

"Everyone, that's enough."

I sigh deeply and step in to ease the tension as my comrades press Oh Hyun-seok relentlessly.

"Right now...this mess stems from us not grasping our own strength's true scale. This time around, I'll reverse the flow of time."

Wiiiiiiing—

The Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag seizes Earth's dimensional time laws and readies itself to unwind the clock.

Without the Radiance Mantra in this realm, manipulating spacetime poses no real challenge.

"Still, it looks like we'll have to seal our powers while here on Earth."

"That makes sense."

"I'll assist."

Kang Min-hee raises her brush.

She sketches a taenghwa into the emptiness, and it absorbs into our beings.

"The rule-making and bestowing ability vanished when the Absolute Fragment escaped...but I can craft something akin as an Immortal Art. Built on our collective might, no one's power alone can shatter it unless it surpasses ours combined. Thus..."

She gestures toward me and adds,

"Barring Seo Eun-hyun, pretty much no one can slip this rule's grasp from here on."

"Wait, wouldn't that include me if it's our full combined strength?"

"You excel at channeling borrowed force. Techniques like Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven Separate Heaven Martial Arts, drawing from us...yeah, you could break free if you chose."

"Hmm...got it."

"Anyway, we'll need your strength back on Mount Sumeru eventually, so it's fitting you retain the means to bypass it."

Wooo-woooong!

The Northern Dipper Sealing Immortal Flag at last rolls time back to before our galaxy's demise, and with Kang Min-hee's aid, we cap our power at a level safe for Earthly existence.

This Immortal Art curbing strength, dubbed [Human Bridle], proves remarkably effective.

Our sealed might settles at the Heavenly Being stage.

But we layer on extra seals—double, triple, even quadruple—and ultimately dial it down to the third star of Qi Refining.

The setup allows unlocking up to Heavenly Being when required.

Naturally, should some otherworldly divinity strike, I could rally my allies' forces to snap the Human Bridle and counter, and we each possess ways to skirt it and tap the core body's power, rendering the limit far from crippling.

We plunge into the landslide anew.

Keuruk, keuruk...!

Employing our arts, we clear the soil clogging airways, lungs, stomachs, wounds, and our senses—eyes, noses, mouths, ears.

"Hmm...but escaping this? With the mountain's mass pressing down, third star Qi Refining might not cut it..."

Jeon Myeong-hoon probes the earth inside the SUV and mutters, as I give a casual shrug.

"Forgot I'm a mountain spirit?"

Wooong—

I sense every current and pulse within the landslide rubble, pinpoint the frailest spot in a flash, and activate Earth Surpassing Path to Cultivation.

Kugugugugugu!

Thanks to Earth Surpassing Path, the earth heaves and writhes, hoisting the SUV to the ideal position amid the chaos.

Puhwak!

Ultimately, we burst free from the landslide's edge.

Chiiiiiii—

Since our current forms are those our core selves have spiritually occupied, every one of us bears the identical features from back then.

"Huaaaaagh, m-my hair...!"

Kim Young-hoon laments bitterly, staring at his reflection in the SUV's window.

Having grown attached to his long locks over ages, adjustment proves tough.

"Hmm...this era's me is pretty frail. Time to reforge with Azure Heaven Creation Sect principles..."

Oh Hyun-seok tsks at his present frame, capable of a 700kg three-lift total.

"Ugh, short hair feels off..."

Jeon Myeong-hoon clears his throat, eyeing his restored short crop.

"...Gotta ditch Earth smokes."

Kang Min-hee's expression sours, sensing the toxins lingering in her cigarette-soaked body.

Kim Yeon stretches briefly, gazing skyward.

"...Well, we're home anyway."

What thoughts stir in her, I ponder?

Atop the landslide's spilled mound, Kim Yeon belts out,

"We're back home!!!"

The highway stands empty save for us.

Ours alone was the vehicle caught in the slide, and on this seldom-traveled route, silence reigns around us.

In that serene valley,

Kim Yeon's cry, not world-shattering but purely human in volume, echoes forth.

"We're back!!!"

Witnessing this, Kim Young-hoon, Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, and Oh Hyun-seok join the rush, yelling in unison.

"We!!! Are back!!!"

We scream our lungs out, proclaiming our return to Earth in wild abandon...

Tears of joy stream down our faces.

...Yeah.

"We...are truly back...!"

I glance once at Ji Hwa, who inhabits Oh Hye-seo's form and reshaped every fiber to mimic her silver-haired mortal likeness, then bellow aloud.

"We're back!!!"

We've returned.

To the cherished homeland we've yearned for...

In the end, we head to the workshop as planned.

For the landslide, I extend my mountain dominion to Earth, mending the collapsed slope to its prior state, then fortifying it against future slides, wrapping up the issue.

The SUV, caked in dirt, gets Kim Yeon's touch—not just repairs, but full upgrades.

A button press now launches rear thrusters to smash the sound barrier, and tweaks turn it into a beam-firing war machine.

"Want more? I can slap on a transformation feature anytime!"

"Sounds great. Throw in one that shifts into a three-headed dinosaur."

"Got it, ready by tomorrow!"

Kim Yeon never disappoints.

I dredge up driving memories, barely remember the controls, and take the wheel.

Hwiiiiii—

Ji Hwa's eyes sparkle as the car hums along and roadside views blur past.

"Seo Eun-hyun, why stick to the right lane only?"

"Seo Eun-hyun, what's that traffic light gadget?"

"Hey, Seo Eun-hyun, look—a metal hunk soaring overhead! Your world lacks spells and such, right!?"

This realm's every sight must enchant her, as Ji Hwa leans out the window, jabbing at sights and firing questions nonstop.

She'd viewed my memories earlier, so I figured she'd grasp Earth, but...blanks abound.

"Cars top the marvels. How does this junk-metal rig roll without a spirit stone? Some vaporizing fluid inside?"

Clack, clack—

Her inquisitiveness peaks; she even summons her core, the Sword Extreme Imperial Sword, to pry the moving vehicle open for inspection...

Ultimately, Kim Yeon and Kang Min-hee must hover nearby, fielding her endless queries like doting parents.

Despite the mishaps...

We reach Jeon Myeong-cheol's villa by Mount Chilgap in Cheongyang County—our workshop goal—settle in, handle essentials, and finally unveil our prize.

"Uwahahaha, ages since last time!"

Chiiik—

Kim Young-hoon salivates while cracking open the iced beer.

Oh Hyun-seok's gaze ignites too; he stacks heaps of beer and soju, as Jeon Myeong-hoon preps the SUV's iron griddle with ingredients for fried rice.

His version, zapped with lightning essence for extra zing, appears mouthwateringly tempting.

Wednesday evening, June 25.

As the sun dips low, we grab portions of Jeon Myeong-hoon-style griddle fried rice, huddle close, toast our beers, and chuckle heartily.

"To our long-awaited return! Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Kim Young-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok nurse the chilled brew down their gullets slowly, relishing every sip's flavor.

Kim Yeon and Kang Min-hee beckon Ji Hwa, fill tiny glasses with soju for her, and sip alongside.

I join Jeon Myeong-hoon in fetching Jeon Myeong-cheol's prized white wine from the fridge, pouring and toasting.

"Didn't you say your uncle treasures this?"

"What, skipping it? You punk! Dare a lowly 'Deputy' defy the 'Chief's' command and mutiny!?"

"...! True, you outranked me!"

"Gal! Call me Chief Jeon Myeong-hoon from now on!"

I snatch the white wine from Jeon Myeong-hoon, swig it, and snicker.

"But seriously, you're way my junior."

On Earth, Jeon Myeong-hoon edges me by three years, yet Mount Sumeru's regressions have piled eons on me.

"Hmph, my cycle memories are back too."

"Factor in my trillions in the Heavenly Void Furnace, the warped timelines of the Outer Sea, plus the torment regressions forced by Yeong Seung."

"Lucky you, ancient freak."

"Like you're not?"

"Quiet, Old Monster Seo! Age be damned, this is the firm! Down another from your boss!"

"Kikikikikiki..."

"Kikiki!"

We trade the wine between us and survey our group.

Either from longing or whim, Kim Young-hoon and Oh Hyun-seok polish off five frosty cans paired with Jeon Myeong-hoon's lightning-infused fried rice.

Kim Yeon and Kang Min-hee sport rosy cheeks, while Ji Hwa—who initially balked, "You poison me with this dubious brew!?"—now chugs soju from the bottle, eyes glazing over.

Spotting the tousled Ji Hwa, a gang of burly guys from the adjacent villa—built like athletes from a club—glance over and approach.

"Hey, ladies! Don't mope alone; join our fun!"

"Sisters, we've got a pool here—swimsuits on us? Come on over and—"

"Gal!"

Intoxicated, Ji Hwa grabs the Sword Extreme Imperial Sword and rises abruptly.

"How dare you whelps, plain mortals sans spiritual roots, address an immortal...nay, a Qi Refining 3rd star cultivator!? I'll etch into your feeble bones the peril of eyeing a true practitioner!"

Boong, boong boong!

"Uh, uuuuh...!"

"Uwaaaagh! Real blade!"

"She's nuts!"

Kwaang, kwakwang!

Ji Hwa lashes her sword across the men's villa, smashing fixtures left and right, even shearing clean through the clubbers' car rears.

This pace suggests the boozed Ji Hwa might genuinely slay someone, so we rush to haul her away.