A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 835 Chapter 832: Side Story - Being Ban Ta's Disciple (1)

Chapter 832: Side Story - Being Ban Ta's Disciple (1) 

"Starting from this day, you become my direct disciple. You mentioned practicing the Confucian Family Method, correct? Social authority will be crucial for you. Henceforth, I shall spread your fame across the Purple Gold Realm and establish your standing. To begin, enter Ban Ta Castle, and we can converse during a grand banquet."

Makli Hyun-ah formally accepts the position as Ban Ta's disciple, and right away, he receives an invitation to Ban Ta Castle, gaining a vast array of support from Ban Ta.

"Here, try this delicacy from the Purple Gold Realm known as fire-grilled sea cucumber."

"Th-This is..."

Makli Hyun-ah gulps as he eyes a dark, energy-formed mass.

"Doesn't it resemble a spectral being?"

"Exactly. The molting sea cucumber in the Purple Gold Realm isn't a biological entity; rather, it forms from clustered ghostly energy... essentially a natural Heart Demon. You could view it as the grudge embedded in the Purple Gold Realm itself... Regardless, by purifying its toxic essence with yang energy and cooking it over open flames, it replenishes deficiencies in your body."

Makli Hyun-ah pauses, staring at the dark lump that twitches faintly even under direct heat, yet upon shutting his eyes and consuming it, an extraordinary flavor assaults his very soul, surpassing all his anticipations.

'Could it be due to its ghostly nature...? It's as if it awakens flavors directly within the soul... What on earth is this sensation...!?'

The intense taste of the Purple Gold Realm's fire-grilled sea cucumber leaves Makli Hyun-ah speechless in awe, while Makli Hweol, present as his trusted companion, samples it too and, struck by a sudden recollection, shuts his eyes to relish the essence deeply.

It happens at that moment.

Chiiiiiik...

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Makli Hyun-ah notices his hand dissolving.

"Wait, what is th-ueooooo...eoooooook..."

In panic, Makli Hyun-ah attempts to stand, but terror grips him as his body, beginning with his vocal cords, starts liquefying into blackness.

Yet Ban Ta chuckles warmly and reassures Makli Hyun-ah.

"Relax. To achieve greater heights, you must discard the old form. Among the Purple Gold Realm's fire-grilled sea cucumbers, the black variety hailed as the pinnacle triggers an instant full metamorphosis upon ingestion."

Makli Hyun-ah, stunned, inquires via mental transmission.

[Does this complete transformation typically involve dissolving the existing body and reforming it entirely?]

"Naturally! Fear not. The reformed sections will emerge even tougher. Taking your original body as base material, the fire-grilled sea cucumber bestows a more refined physique, ensuring it remains truly yours."

True to those assurances, Makli Hyun-ah's arms and vocal cords start regenerating from the dark fluid.

"...! My skin... Wait, my voice as well!?"

Makli Hyun-ah observes that the flesh on his arms, along with his sinews, bones, and throat, feels remarkably purer.

"A standard fire-grilled sea cucumber allows gradual dissolution of the old and growth of the new, but the black one operates differently. Instantly upon consumption, it balances your physique, birthing a mortal frame ideally suited for supreme primordial energy absorption."

"Th-There's something like that...? Um, but why isn't Makli Hweol reacting whatsoever?"

"Hm? Hmm..."

In response to Makli Hyun-ah's query, Ban Ta gazes intently at Makli Hweol.

"This fellow..."

After scrutinizing Makli Hweol briefly, Ban Ta creases his brow and remarks.

"The black fire-grilled sea cucumber only rebuilds the body for those harboring internal flaws."

"...? So, was there an issue with my body?"

"Indeed. Regardless, someone untrained in Immortal Family Methods will inevitably suffer disruptions in the body's Taiji equilibrium and inner microcosm, leading to numerous issues. Put differently, this individual possesses profound insight into the Immortal Family Method, allowing him to meticulously correct all bodily disequilibria as his realm advanced..."

A hint of doubt flickers in Ban Ta's gaze.

"Yet, is such aptitude feasible innately? He's merely at half-step Four-Axis, still within the Heavenly Being stage..."

☯

"Hmm... Perhaps he truly is a prodigy? Wouldn't you consider becoming my disciple as well?"

"Hoho...I appreciate the compliment, but presently, I prefer to roam freely and expand my horizons."

"Hmm, alright... Ordinarily, I'd press to join Ban Ta Castle, yet since today marks accepting a personal disciple, I'll generously permit it."

Upon reflection, Ban Ta deems Makli Hweol unthreatening, and resumes savoring the banquet.

The ferocious flavor of the fire-grilled sea cucumber prompts Makli Hyun-ah to devour more, and Ban Ta observes with pleased grin.

"You devour it with such gusto, my disciple. Nonetheless, pace yourself. Excessive intake might delay the reformation of certain areas as a drawback."

"Th-Thank y—hheup!"

Makli Hyun-ah continues munching and gulping the potent-tasting fire-grilled sea cucumbers, amidst the odd feeling of parts dissolving and regenerating.

'W-Was my body truly riddled with so many flaws...? It's like my entire form is undergoing rebirth... Did skipping Immortal Family Methods cause all these troubles...?'

Tudududuk, tududuk!

As Makli Hyun-ah persists in consuming the squirming dark masses, an odd sensation arises in his chest.

"Uh."

"Is something amiss, Daoist?"

Makli Hweol, noting Makli Hyun-ah's look, questions curiously, while Makli Hyun-ah, face somewhat rigid, massages his chest.

"...My nipples...they dissolved, but aren't reforming..."

"Hoho...pohuhup..."

Upon hearing that, Makli Hweol, usually consistent in his laughter, stifles it by turning aside, as Ban Ta roars with laughter and soothes Makli Hyun-ah.

"Recall what I said? Overindulging in fire-grilled sea cucumber brings side effects. Ahahahaha! No need to fret. Reformation merely lags; eventually, it restores fully."

"Ah...Understood. Thanks."

Facing this awkward repercussion, Makli Hyun-ah eyes the final piece of fire-grilled sea cucumber on his dish.

'Nipples regenerating slowly isn't a big deal... Master mentioned delayed reconstruction, but it normalizes in time... So, one more shouldn't hurt?'

Recalling the fierce delight of the fire-grilled sea cucumber, Makli Hyun-ah's hand shakes, and ultimately, he yields, popping another into his mouth.

'Just this one, then I'll quit. Besides, I should finish what's on my plate.'

And at last, as Makli Hyun-ah fully ingests the ultimate fire-grilled sea cucumber.

"...Huh?"

A sudden void emerges below for Makli Hyun-ah.

He blanks out briefly, glances downward blankly, then turns to Ban Ta.

"M-Master...?"

"Mm? Hahahaha!"

Ban Ta, seeing Makli Hyun-ah's state, bursts into booming laughter.

"Don't fret excessively. As I repeated, overeating extends the reformation phase. In due course, the molting sea cucumber mends every bodily imperfection and imbalance. Given your cultivation level, spatial transmission suffices regardless, so lacking that orifice poses no issue?"

"No...it works, but... No, even so..."

With the former presence vanished, Makli Hyun-ah experiences profound emptiness, finally snapping free from the craving for the fire-grilled sea cucumber's bold taste.

'This is risky. I must cease consumption now...'

Since the banquet's other dishes prove delectable too, Makli Hyun-ah samples them as sweat beads on his brow.

Thus, Makli Hyun-ah navigates the day's feast, initially overwhelmed by novel culinary ecstasy, but later anxious over absent organs in its closing stages.

***

The following day dawns.

Called to Ban Ta Castle's training area, Makli Hyun-ah undergoes the ritual of Ban Ta's direct endorsement for affiliation.

"This seal confirms your tie to Ban Ta Castle. Imprint it on the ascension plaque."

"Thank you, Master..."

Makli Hyun-ah applies the spirit seal crafted by Ban Ta straight to the ascension plaque, thereby securing his official link to Ban Ta Castle.

'This must be the discouraged approach Ancestor Makli Cheon-sa mentioned.'

Through direct recognition under Ban Ta, Makli Hyun-ah's identity bypasses the Immortal Registry, explaining Makli Cheon-sa's reluctance toward this path as Ban Ta's disciple.

'Beyond that, Ancestor Makli Cheon-sa deemed it unwise to study under Sacred Master Ban Ta... Tsk. Unsure if it's truly that severe.'

As Makli Hyun-ah contemplates Makli Cheon-sa's cautions.

Paaat!

A mass of dark energy assembles over Ban Ta's palm.

"Ah, that's..."

"Take a seat. Now that you're my disciple, no further actions required. I'll examine your cultivation closely henceforth, so simply sit, cultivate steadily, and hasten to the Sacred Vessel stage."

"Got it. However, that in Master's grasp..."

"It's social authority force. Matches the Confucian Family Method you practice, doesn't it?"

"Has Master studied the Confucian Family Method too?"

"Hahahaha, hardly."

Ban Ta guffaws and snaps his finger, transforming the inky social power blob in his hand into a spiritual energy mass instantly.

"...! Wh-What in the...?"

Makli Hyun-ah widens his eyes, unaware that spiritual energy and social power could interchange, or the means behind it.

"Disciple. What do you grasp about the social authority you wield?"

To Ban Ta's inquiry, Makli Hyun-ah deliberates thoroughly.

And grasps a key insight.

'I've never delved into the essence of social power before...'

"I'm sorry. I've cultivated the Confucian Family Method without true comprehension until now."

"No apologies needed! As my disciple, speak freely. Pay attention. Firstly, encompassing the Confucian Family Method...there exist the Heaven-Earth Immortal Family, Heart Dao Blooming, Shaman Family, Buddhist Family, Naming Family, Legalist Family, Yin-Yang Family, Vertical-Horizontal Family (縱橫家), Eloquence Family (說家), and others. To fathom the core [power] underpinning the diverse Immortal Cultivation paths of the Hundred Schools, one must grasp this world's framework deeply."

"The world's framework...? No, prior to that, why so many cultivation paths...?"

"Their multitude earns them the collective title of Hundred Schools. Before One Qi of the Primordial Chaos..."

Abruptly, Ban Ta, invoking 'One Qi of the Primordial Chaos' in explanation, appears annoyed and shakes his head vigorously.

"...Never mind. The topic veered. In any case, that's secondary. Comprehend how this world's structure assembles to discern power origins clearly, and that insight aids your method's advancement."

"Yes, I see."

"This realm features the Three Planes. Know of planes?"

"Yes, somewhat. Like water level denotes fluid height, it describes dimensional elevations..."

"Correct. As you're aware, three major planes exist here. Plane of Fate. Plane of Qi. Plane of Soul. They align with Heaven, Earth, and Heart correspondingly."

Ban Ta's discourse proceeds.

"Conventional Immortal Family Methods seek ascent from Plane of Qi toward Plane of Fate step by step. Whether amassing in Plane of Qi or drawing from Plane of Fate distinguishes Earth Tribe from Heaven Tribe, but progression remains linear. Conversely, your Confucian Family Method and Naming Family Method reverse this."

"Reverse, as in...?"

"The Naming Family power roots in fate embedded within names, initiating cultivation from Plane of Fate."

"Pardon...?"

Makli Hyun-ah's jaw drops at the method's vast scope, exceeding his expectations.

'Wait, is that feasible?'

"Likely, you've built it by channeling energy into names so far...yet the Naming Family Method's strength resides in [names] directly warping and altering fate."

"E-Even limited to Core Formation stage?"

"A method's peak isn't the focus. Crucial is its foundational base. To dominate the Purple Gold Realm ahead, familiarize yourself with rival Immortal Cultivation systems; thus, I'll elaborate now."

Ban Ta methodically details to Makli Hyun-ah the entities each method bases upon.

"Fundamental Immortal Family Method anchors to One Qi of the Primordial Chaos and Immeasurable Life Buddha. Prior to that...er, unnecessary for you. Regardless, drawing from worldly primal entities renders them potent and widespread.

“Next, the broadly applicable Heart Dao Blooming bases on One Qi of the Primordial Chaos and the entity termed Golden Speed.

"The equally prevalent Buddhist Family Method anchors to the dual Buddhist Twin Venerables: Wheel Imperial Venerable and Axle Imperial Venerable. Certain sects substitute One Qi of the Primordial Chaos for Axle Imperial Venerable, but...anyhow.

"Then, the third most common Shaman Family Method roots in the Immortal Beast King, occasionally viewed as One Qi of the Primordial Chaos too."

"..."

Makli Hyun-ah grows uneasy, sensing One Qi of the Primordial Chaos weaves into too many systems.

'What sort of sprawling influence is that?'

"For the Eloquence Family Method, it's an odd path relying on illusion arts to assign story-fitting roles, basing on the [Owner of Liberation].

"The Vertical-Horizontal Family Method, rooted in divine paths, amasses believer faith for cultivation... It grounds in obscure entities, so even I lack full knowledge.

"The Yin-Yang Family Method employs dual cultivation to harness yin-yang forces, founding on twin divine ancestors [Ignorant One] and [Blue Bird].

"The Legalist Family Method uses formations to bend laws and rules, forging or erasing them, anchored to the Underworld's [Ten Kings].

"And for the Confucian Family Method and Naming Family Method you've practiced..."

As Ban Ta nears revealing the foundations of Confucian and Naming Family methods, he pauses briefly, seemingly contemplative.

"They root in entities known as the [Mountain Divine Spirit]...and the [Owner of Names]."

Somehow, Makli Hyun-ah detects Ban Ta's expression tense slightly before easing at 'Mountain Divine Spirit'.

Wo-woong!

And prior to Makli Hyun-ah processing his confusion, Ban Ta waves his hand, deploying an il