A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 833 Chapter 830: Side Story - Purple Gold Realm (3)

Having endured a string of tumultuous events.

Under Heo Yak-ham's guidance, Makli Hyun-ah heads to claim the Ascension Plaque, a special token granted to ascenders.

Legend holds that ascension-related affairs fall under the Star Master Jurisdiction's 'Ascension Examination Bureau,' where Makli Hyun-ah and Makli Hweol encounter the clerk at the Ascension Desk within the bureau, submit samples of their Lower Realm qi, and undergo personal questioning.

"Very well, the scan of Penglai Star's qi has finished. It's confirmed you're from the Lower Realm... Now, which dynasties and sects currently dominate Penglai Star?"

"Um...do I really need to share that as well?"

Makli Hyun-ah rubs his head awkwardly before a Horned Ox Race individual serving as the Star Master Jurisdiction's 'Ascension Examination Officer.'

"It wasn't always required, but...long ago in ancient times, the Sacred Master turned it into a mandate, making it compulsory. Since time flows differently between the Middle Realm and various Lower Realms, we gather details from ascenders to gauge the temporal differences between the Lower Realm and the Middle Realm."

"Excuse me?"

Makli Hyun-ah's eyes widen in shock at the Ascension Examination Officer's explanation.

"So the time flow differs between the Middle Realm and the Lower Realm?"

"Indeed...I lack the full specifics, but according to tales...forty billion years back, during the gods' war in the ancient mythic era, the 'God of Time' sought to avoid the divine conflict and escaped to some unfathomably remote location. That departure scrambled the universal time standard, and amid the already warped spacetime, immense divinities clashed, twisting it further... This shattered the temporal links across myriad Middle Realms and Lower Realms. Most Lower Realms ended up with time crawling much slower than in the Middle Realm..."

"..."

Those revelations leave Makli Hyun-ah quivering, his expression vacant.

'D-Does that mean...my older sister...?'

"Th-Then, what's the time ratio between Penglai Star and the Purple Gold Realm...roughly speaking?"

"Well...up until around twenty thousand years past, Penglai Star's ratio to the Purple Gold Realm stood at about 1 to 100,000. A single year on Penglai Star equated to roughly one hundred thousand years here in the Purple Gold Realm. Thus, over forty billion years in the Purple Gold Realm, Penglai Star would've seen only about four hundred thousand years elapse, give or take?"

"One to...one hundred thousand...?"

A heavy dread grips Makli Hyun-ah's chest.

So during his two centuries on Penglai Star...that would translate to twenty million years in the Purple Gold Realm?

"Wh-What...what sort of...what kind of absurdity is this...? M-My older sister ascended from Penglai Star two hundred years ago...so does that imply she's long since vanished into dust...?"

With a dazed look, Makli Hyun-ah gazes at the Ascension Examination Officer, his voice shaking.

The Ascension Examination Officer sighs softly before replying.

"As I mentioned, that 1 to 100,000 ratio held until twenty thousand years ago. Since then, the ratio has steadied considerably. An official from the Star Master Jurisdiction once projected their consciousness into the Lower Realm to verify...and the current ratio between the Lower Realm and Purple Gold Realm has fallen to roughly 1 to 100. Meaning...even without exact knowledge, your sister...or rather, the sibling you refer to, having attained the Four-Axis stage, ought to be around 20,000 years old by now."

"Ah..."

Those words ease the tremor in Makli Hyun-ah, as if a weight lifts from him.

Twenty thousand years remains an agonizing stretch...yet it's far preferable to near-eternal spans like twenty million years.

"Th-Thank goodness..."

"Incidentally, your family name is Makli, correct? The Star Master Jurisdiction official who descended their consciousness to inspect the time ratio was Makli Cheon-sa...you're kin from the same lineage, aren't you?"

"Ah...!"

Makli Hyun-ah nods affirmatively.

"Yes, that's correct. Makli Cheon-sa-nim is an elder ancestor of our clan."

"Understood. I'll reach out to her then."

Having verified Makli Hyun-ah's lineage, the Ascension Examination Officer infuses their intent into a voice transmission talisman and dispatches it elsewhere.

Likely due to sharing the same Star Master Jurisdiction, direct communication proves straightforward.

Right then,

Taak!

Startled by the snap of a talisman being snatched behind him, Makli Hyun-ah whirls around and freezes in place.

"...! You are..."

"Hey, is the ascension check taking forever?"

"Ahem...! Hold on, Senior. Just need to apply the seal bearing the Sacred Master's name, and we're through."

It's none other than Makli Cheon-sa herself.

Given her notable status within the Star Master Jurisdiction, the Ascension Examination Officer, upon locking eyes with Makli Cheon-sa, hurriedly completes the process, imprints the seal on the Ascension Plaque, and ushers Makli Hyun-ah away.

Makli Hweol apparently undergoes a parallel ritual and now clutches his own Ascension Plaque next to Makli Cheon-sa.

"I sensed my split soul ascending to the Purple Gold Realm after twenty thousand years and rushed over. I'd been occupied with Axis Foundation Practice and readying Heaven and Earth Unity to push toward the Integration stage, so I couldn't send word... What's the situation like in the Lower Realm nowadays?"

In response, Makli Hweol recounts the Lower Realm's events to Makli Cheon-sa with thorough detail.

"Hmm, interesting. You've forged a nation blending Demon Race and Human Race via the Confucian Family Method...excellent!"

Makli Cheon-sa beams with satisfaction at Makli Hweol's account and gently pats Makli Hyun-ah's head.

"Any questions on your mind? Perhaps about the Purple Gold Realm's current landscape..."

"Ancestor, to what extent has your cultivation progressed now?"

Makli Hweol interjects the query at Makli Hyun-ah's cue.

With a smug smile, Makli Cheon-sa responds.

"I've advanced to Grand Perfection in the Four-Axis stage without realizing it. A bit more preparation for Heaven and Earth Unity, and I could strive for Integration stage breakthrough."

"Hooh..."

Makli Hweol utters a sigh of awe, while Makli Hyun-ah, growing restless, ventures a careful question.

"Um...truth be told, when Ancestor and I first crossed paths...my family members were close by. Do you know anything recent about 'Lee Seo-ah,' who was taken by that Martial Alliance Leader...?"

"Ah...those youngsters."

Makli Cheon-sa tuts her tongue at Makli Hyun-ah's inquiry before elaborating.

"Remarkable bunch. Ahn Geum, who joined Black Ghost Valley, rose to become a promising Grand Perfection Integration stage ghost cultivator. Yet she turned against the 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect' tied to Black Ghost Valley and defected to the 'Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect.' Now Black Ghost Valley hunts her relentlessly. As for Lee Seo-ah, your blood kin...she trailed Martial Alliance Leader Jin Young-hoon, gained various insights, and after descending the peaks, roamed the Purple Gold Realm before settling into the 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect.' She's hit Grand Perfection Four-Axis stage, matching mine..."

"...!"

'Noona's with the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Religious Order...'

Sensing the dark aura surrounding the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Religious Order, Makli Hyun-ah frets wildly over Lee Seo-ah.

"Um...Ancestor, could you elaborate more on the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Religious Order? Is it a faction devoted to a deity known as One Qi of the Primordial Chaos?"

"Mm...the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect doesn't revolve around faith in a personal deity. They pursue cultivation by aligning their techniques' origins and sect principles with the cosmic fundamental law termed 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos.' They view all cultivation's essence as deriving from that law called 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos.'

"Conversely, the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect regards Immortal Cultivation as born from a supreme will dubbed 'Immeasurable Life Buddha.' Though termed a transcendent will, it's less a personal god and more akin to a principle.

"Thus, from the Star Master Jurisdiction's cultivators' perspective, both lean more toward sects than true religious orders. It's not about revering a sentient transcendent entity, but rather the distinction in anchoring their cultivation's source to the law of One Qi of the Primordial Chaos or the will of Immeasurable Life Buddha."

"Ah...got it."

Makli Hyun-ah nods, opting to see them as two dominant philosophies.

"So the Star Master Jurisdiction under Ancestor is..."

"Its formal title is 'Ban Ta Castle Faction.' Unlike the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos or Immeasurable Life Buddha followers, we cultivate directly beneath the true Sacred Master. In the Purple Gold Realm, Ban Ta Castle wields the mightiest influence and perpetually balances the two sides, rendering it the most secure option."

Makli Cheon-sa offers Makli Hyun-ah a subtle smile.

"Hehe. From your earlier questions, it seems you're torn on picking a side right now, huh?"

"Ah...yes, that's true."

"In that case, join our Ban Ta Castle. You seem reluctant about the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect...but aligning with the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect would force you to face your blood relative as foes. Staying unaffiliated might grant freedom, yet you'd get crushed in the power struggles among the three major groups. Therefore, Ban Ta Castle—as the neutral hub allowing easy chats with any faction's members and free access to their domains—stands as the ideal pick!"

"Hooh..."

Makli Hyun-ah finds himself deeply swayed by her words.

'Noona's in the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos sect, but...Great Forest's warnings make it feel foreboding, so I can't join the One Qi of the Primordial Chaos Sect.'

Yet entering the Immeasurable Life Buddha Sect would inevitably pit him against Lee Seo-ah, as Makli Cheon-sa warns.

Thus, opting for Ban Ta Castle in its mediating role emerges as the smartest move for the moment.

"Alright...I'd like to join Ban Ta Castle too. What steps are needed?"

"Ahahaha, nothing tough about it. Just come with me and register your name in Ban Ta Castle's Immortal Registry."

"Immortal Registry...?"

"It's an artifact crafted by the Sacred Master himself. Once your name's entered, you'll forever enjoy the Sacred Master's safeguarding and boons."

"..."

As a practitioner of the Naming Family Method, Makli Hyun-ah senses an unsettling vibe from the Immortal Registry.

'Gaining protection and blessings via a name...also opens the door to control through that name...'

Makli Cheon-sa leads Makli Hyun-ah and Makli Hweol via a teleportation array within the Star Master Jurisdiction to Ban Ta Castle, and as they traverse the formation, Makli Hyun-ah reflects.

'It just feels off somehow...'

"Is there a way to align with Ban Ta Castle without registering my name?"

"Ah...there are a couple of paths...one I strongly advise against, the other lengthy and grueling."

"Lengthy, as in..."

"Attaining the Integration stage, or earning renown on par with it, lets you apply as a Ban Ta Castle Guest Law Protector and affiliate without the Immortal Registry. But as you're aware, achieving that solo, without backing, is no simple feat."

Tsuaaaaat!

Mid-discussion, Makli Hyun-ah reaches the vast fortress dubbed 'Ban Ta Castle.'

Makli Hyun-ah's jaw drops at the sight of the sprawling gray battlements extending without end.

The walls seem to engulf the very skies and lands.

"This marks the fringes of Ban Ta Castle. Let's head to the affiliation reception hall first. Stick close. Beyond this, the Sacred Master's arrays warp spacetime chaotically, so straying could drop you into bizarre realms unexpectedly."

"Got it. But Ancestor, you mentioned the other path is unrecommendable...what exactly is it?"

"That's..."

Makli Cheon-sa grimaces at the question, then addresses Makli Hyun-ah.

"...I can't discuss it inside Ban Ta Castle's territory. For now, file the application— you can withdraw during the Immortal Registry step—so submit it, and I'll explain once we're in another area."

"Ah...alright."

Makli Hyun-ah ponders the unspoken first method that troubles Makli Cheon-sa, trailing her until they reach the reception hall embedded in the outer barrier.

There, throngs of cultivators from diverse origins queue up, prompting Makli Cheon-sa to exhale wearily.

"Hang tight here a moment. Processing takes three or four days with the backlog. Since you both just got your Ascension Plaques today and know little, I'll handle the submission for you and return. The wait's long, so rest up and attempt to attune to the Purple Gold Realm's Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

"Yes, understood."

Makli Hyun-ah agrees with a nod, settling beside Makli Hweol on a modest mound before the reception hall to steady his cultivation.

'...But there's scarcely anything to steady.'

Since Makli Hweol's ascension, he's been harmonizing Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, but Makli Hyun-ah cultivates a distinct force known as 'social authority' instead of spiritual energy, rendering stabilization unnecessary.

'Should I establish fresh social authority here, then I'd need to stabilize from there, but...'

With idle hands, Makli Hyun-ah soon grows restless.

'Mm. So dull... Is the Purple Gold Realm's scale why even Ban Ta Castle affiliation drags on for days...? Unreal...'

Just as a yawn threatens to escape Makli Hyun-ah.

He spots, near the reception hall's main doorway where Makli Cheon-sa entered, a secondary entrance standing apart.

"What's that? No queue at that doorway...?"

As Makli Hyun-ah moves to inspect it, Makli Hweol cautions him.

"Where to, Daoist? Ancestor warned of spatial arrays nearby—careless wandering could spell disaster."

"Ah...seems no distortion reaches that doorway."

"Hm?"

Makli Hweol tuts while eyeing the entrance Makli Hyun-ah indicates.

"For starters, that doesn't look like a reception area."

"Mm...still, curiosity's killing me, so I'll peek and return quick."

"Not wise, but..."

Yet before Makli Hweol finishes, Makli Hyun-ah has already drifted leisurely, alighting before the distant alternate entrance.

"This is..."

[Purple Gold Realm Sacred Master Direct Disciple Recruitment]

"Heok...!"

Makli Hyun-ah gasps sharply, grasping that the sign above the entrance heralds something grander than anticipated.

"Good grief, this spot's for the elite and lofty."

Recognizing the entrance's link to a profoundly significant venue, Makli Hyun-ah starts to retreat, but his gaze snags on a tiny inscription at the entrance's edge.

[Race, origin, realm, age wholly disregarded. Enter for a brief interview and get immediate acceptance or rejection.]

"