A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 838 Chapter 835: Side Story - Being Ban Ta's Disciple (4)

Chapter 835: Side Story - Being Ban Ta's Disciple (4)

Following the alteration in Ban Ta's form,

Makli Hyun-ah plunged into absolute turmoil.

Since turning feminine, Ban Ta adhered strictly to every part of Makli Hyun-ah's daily routine.

Be it during meals, handling personal matters, or sharing a bed with Ahn Geum, he slipped beneath the covers alongside him to drill the day's lessons.

His grasp on cultivation deepened rapidly... yet Makli Hyun-ah sensed himself teetering on the edge of insanity.

However, another individual appeared even closer to snapping than Makli Hyun-ah.

"Isn't he insane!? No, why is he pushing this extreme?"

It was Ahn Geum.

She seemed on the verge of crumbling under Ban Ta's utterly bizarre madness.

"During meals, personal business, bathing, and even sleep, he trails us under the covers, murmuring endlessly... Is that a Sacred Master!? More like a malevolent ghost!!"

"...P-Please don't criticize M-Master so harshly..."

As Ban Ta quells yet another uprising, Makli Hyun-ah intervenes to halt Ahn Geum's torrent of sharp insults directed at him.

Ahn Geum retorts with a visage of pure outrage.

"What kind of rubbish is that? Regardless of him being your master or parental figure, does it strike you as normal to creep under the covers and murmur non-stop in your ear about reviewing the day's teachings!?"

"Even so, Master remains Master..."

"You keep spouting nonsense... Hold on a moment."

Ahn Geum abruptly fixes her gaze intensely on Makli Hyun-ah's eyes and grows solemn.

"...Hey. Don't say... No, it can't be?"

"..."

"Ah, come on... Just deny it..."

Ahn Geum exhales deeply and tilts her head skyward, while Makli Hyun-ah flushes unavoidably.

Makli Hyun-ah has harbored affection for three individuals throughout his existence.

His initial love was directed toward his elder sister, Lee Seo-ah.

Up until the third grade of elementary school, when Lee Seo-ah attended a kendo academy and demonstrated her skills by thrashing him with an umbrella as if punishing a stray on a sweltering day, Makli Hyun-ah genuinely adored Lee Seo-ah.

His second affection bloomed for Ji Hwa, the leader of the Loot Farming Heavenly Lord Guild he joined amid his gaming days.

He experienced love at first glance upon viewing her SNS profile picture.

Until Ji Hwa struck him with a truck, he harbored true feelings for her.

And his third affection...

He uncovered it only upon arriving in the Purple Gold Realm.

With cheeks aflame, Makli Hyun-ah coughs lightly and shakes his head.

"What nonsense are you on about? I don't like Master at all. Chivalry is extinct!"

He fell for Ban Ta's transformed visage.

Witnessing Makli Hyun-ah's flushed cheeks and gaze, Ahn Geum regards him with a blend of pity, disdain, revulsion, sorrow, and sympathy.

"What exactly captivates you? The looks? Ah, yeah, the build is appealing too, I suppose."

"I'm insisting it's not! What are you implying!?"

"You fancied the guild master as well, right?"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"If the appearance is attractive, you tumble instantly. Hmm, but beyond that, the guild master and Sacred Master share a certain vibe... Is that your preference? Do you go for dominant women?"

"I'm insisting it's not!!!"

"Reflecting on it, Lee Seo-ah carried that aura too. Did your sister shape your inclinations from childhood? Even today, you cling to my hand seeking echoes of her... You always idolized your older sister deeply, huh?"

"Quit twisting me into a freak!! I said no!!"

Makli Hyun-ah yells as though deeply unjustly accused, and Ahn Geum responds while casually digging in her ear against the clamor.

"Fine, at this juncture, there's little recourse. Sacred Master Ban Ta will persist in shadowing us, and you clearly harbor no desire to halt it since you relish his company... Whatever I attempt, it'll prove futile. I'll await your realm's ascent, and come Axis Foundation Practice, I'll drag you along to probe your condition."

"Suit yourself."

For some inexplicable reason, Makli Hyun-ah averts his gaze from Ahn Geum, sensing his hidden truth exposed.

Yet Ahn Geum seizes his chin, swivels it back, and grins.

"It doesn't hinge on my whims alone. It demands you swiftly surpass the Heavenly Being phase and ascend to the Four-Axis equivalent realm."

"Why grip my chin...? No, more importantly, I yearn to hit Four-Axis level ASAP too! But Master insists that prior to elevating to Four-Axis, I shatter through not via interpersonal clout, but by personally perceiving the Plane of Soul, transmuting soul essence into authority essence, and only then advancing—so what choice do I have!?"

"Hmph, so slow on the uptake. Haven't you grasped why your master, Sacred Master Ban Ta, allows me—your would-be abductor and fiancée—to remain unbound and unrestricted beside you?"

"Uh, huh?"

Ahn Geum clutches Makli Hyun-ah's chin, presses her lips firmly to his, and surges a vast torrent of ghostly energy into him via her mouth.

"Mmph, mmph!"

As the deluge of ghostly energy floods in abruptly, Makli Hyun-ah's sclera inverts to black while his irises flip to white.

Simultaneously, his lips, nails on fingers and toes, darken to black.

"Puha!"

Only upon infusing ghostly energy to his absolute limit does she withdraw her lips.

Face burning, Makli Hyun-ah wipes his mouth.

"Absorb it and forge it into social power. It'll boost your progress dramatically."

"Y-You..."

"With us bound so closely, I can infuse ghostly energy bridging the Plane of Soul to hasten your advancement, hence his lack of restraints on me. Assimilate it swiftly and turn it to social power. Thus, your realm climbs, I can pretext cultivation to tour and scrutinize you, and you rescue your sister as well. Sound good?"

"..."

Makli Hyun-ah flushes and dips his head.

"...Alright."

It's a mildly mortifying approach, but,

Regardless, it proves essential for Makli Hyun-ah in redeeming his kin.

Henceforth, starting that day, he progresses in tandem with Ahn Geum, relentlessly alchemizing ghostly energy into social power.

***

Several months elapse.

Makli Hyun-ah, alongside Ahn Geum, gets summoned to Ban Ta Hall in Ban Ta Castle, where Ban Ta conducts affairs, and receives staggering tidings.

"Uh...excuse me...?"

"Wh-What did you just say?"

Ahn Geum mirrors the shock, fluttering her eyes as she absorbs Ban Ta's declaration.

Ban Ta eyes the pair and tuts disapprovingly.

"What's unclear? With Four-Axis preparations finalized, I'm directing you to venture into various Middle Realms for Axis Foundation Practice."

"So...you're permitting me to escort Makli Hyun-ah beyond the Purple Gold Realm?"

Ahn Geum inquires once more, astonished that Ban Ta would release Makli Hyun-ah to other Middle Realms.

"Naturally, I distrust you. You, the Radiance Hall devotee, bear the stain of attempting to abduct my disciple. Lately, though, a vexing entity has roused, seeking rebirth, and even the True Immortal dubbed Owner of the Antimatter Sea emits odd signals. This distracts me somewhat from Hyun-ah. Moreover, post the God of Heavenly Punishment's demise, Heavenly Tribulation evades oversight and surges fiercer than the mythic era 40 billion years past. You're aware, yes?"

"Indeed, I've perused the mythic annals on it."

"Correct. Plus, aid from others amplifies Heavenly Tribulation's might. Cultivators under Ban Ta Castle draw from the benevolence woven into my essence, deeming it Immortal Art, thus invariably 'benefiting from my aid.' Hence, within the Purple Gold Realm, Heavenly Tribulation inevitably intensifies."

Ban Ta proceeds, gazing at Makli Hyun-ah and Ahn Geum.

"Thus, despite my wariness, for my disciple's benefit, I authorize excursions to Middle Realms like Vast Cold, Nether Ghost, Ancient Force, and True Devil Realm for Axis Foundation Practice."

"...Aren't you concerned I might enlist True Immortal aid to snatch Hyun-ah anew?"

"Hmph, attempt it. Precautions are set."

Snap!

Ban Ta snaps his fingers, and Makli Hyun-ah relocates beside him.

"Uh, what's happening...huh!?"

Yet Makli Hyun-ah discerns it's not physical relocation, but his spirit yanked instantaneously to Ban Ta's proximity.

"I've embedded my seal. Should other True Immortals rashly seize my disciple, I can summon his soul back to the Purple Gold Realm on the spot. As Purple Gold Realm Sacred Master, I can render a Four-Axis cultivator's revivals boundless, so upon any grave peril to my disciple, I merely recall the soul and resurrect him here."

"Impeccable."

"It involves my disciple, naturally. Furthermore, nightly as Hyun-ah slumbers, I'll retrieve his soul for extra instruction, like cultivation counsel."

"Heheok!"

Makli Hyun-ah blanks out.

Previously, sleep offered respite, but henceforth, even rest eludes him.

Nonetheless, Ahn Geum appears unfazed and agrees.

"Fine, handle that as you see fit. Provided you ensure our private moments, anything goes."

"Excellent. Elevate your realm promptly, then gear up to depart for other Middle Realms at once!"

"Y-Yes? Pardon?"

Makli Hyun-ah flutters at the abrupt shift, but the directive stands firm.

Soon after, he embarks on Ahn Geum's Nether Crossing Ship toward the Mind Domain—one of Purple Gold Realm's eight domains—serving as a gateway to external Middle Realms.

Kugugugu!

Aboard the Nether Crossing Ship, beyond Ahn Geum and Makli Hyun-ah, additional passengers join.

They comprise the Qi Building attendants dispatched by Ban Ta for Makli Hyun-ah, plus Makli Cheon-sa, freshly ascended to Integration via Heaven and Earth Unity.

"No need to tag along."

"I serve as Hyun-ah's protector and your overseer. Within me dwells a fragment of the Sacred Master's divided soul. In remote dimensions beyond Purple Gold Realm's laws, should you attempt spiriting Hyun-ah to another Heavenly Domain, the Sacred Master will descend through me to chastise you."

"Chilling. Apologies, but that won't occur, so refrain from meddling in my time with Hyun-ah."

"Provided your actions stay aboveboard."

Makli Cheon-sa, assigned as Makli Hyun-ah's safeguard and Ahn Geum's watcher, settles on the Nether Crossing Ship to aid Makli Hyun-ah against impending Heavenly Tribulation.

Wo-woong!

In a Mind Domain sector ablaze with sacred floral dust resembling a celestial Peach Garden, a portal to another Middle Realm materializes.

Ahn Geum steers the Nether Crossing Ship through the portal with the group, then addresses Makli Hyun-ah.

"Initiate Four-Axis advancement the instant we exit the Purple Gold Realm. Delaying until another Middle Realm risks Heavenly Tribulation clashing oddly with foreign essences."

"Hmph, I'm aware, so relax."

Makli Hyun-ah assumes lotus stance for breakthrough, and Ahn Geum observes briefly before maneuvering the Nether Crossing Ship past the Purple Gold Realm's edge.

And in the subsequent instant,

Tsuaaaaat!

In an eerie realm dubbed Avīci, Makli Hyun-ah, Makli Cheon-sa, and Ahn Geum's party behold a solitary silhouette.

She awaits with iridescent Three Great Ultimates hovering behind—Makli Hyun-ah's sister, Lee Seo-ah.

Her face contorts demonically as she glares at Ahn Geum and snarls.

"Where do you intend to head? Daring to abduct my little brother to Radiance Heaven once more!?"

"Hmph, absurd. We're merely conducting Axis Foundation Practice with Ban Ta's sanction."

"You? Sanctioned by Ban Ta? What bribe did you offer him?"

"Well, I offered Ban Ta nothing substantial. Since..."

Teasingly, Ahn Geum shrugs, approaches Makli Hyun-ah mid-preparation, and flashes a cunning grin.

"We became engaged."

"...What?"

Lee Seo-ah gapes dumbfounded at them, and Ahn Geum seals Makli Hyun-ah's mouth preemptively, then tells Lee Seo-ah.

"With the fiancés off on honeymoon... butt out henceforth. He belongs to me now."

"...You...you wench..."

Bbudududuk...

Lee Seo-ah's skin pales to ashen.

Seeing her fury-drained pallor, Makli Hyun-ah's legs wobble.

He knows intimately the consequences of that glare.

'Hold up, release my mouth! I must clarify to Noona!'

"Mmph, mmphmphomph!"

But Ahn Geum, amused, tightens her grip on Makli Hyun-ah's mouth and smirks villainously.

That smirk prompts Lee Seo-ah to bellow in seething wrath.

"Don't treat Hyun-ah...like some possession!!"

"Ahaha, 'don't treat him like a possession'?"

Ahn Geum mocks further, seizes Makli Hyun-ah's chin, and before Lee Seo-ah's eyes, plants another aggressive kiss.

Vigorous ghostly energy pours from her mouth into him anew.

His eyes invert once more.

The scene evokes Makli Hyun-ah succumbing to Ahn Geum's ghostly corruption.

'Ah...this spells trouble.'

Makli Hyun-ah swears he hears, phantom-like near his ear, Lee Seo-ah's final restraint shattering.

"You've got sufficient energy now, yeah? Begin the breakthrough. We're jumping dimensions shortly."

Kurung, kururung!

Makli Hyun-ah yearns to protest, but beholding Lee Seo-ah's glare, opts to hasten Four-Axis ascent, clarify afterward.

'Currently, Noona's rage blinds her utterly. No sense aggravating without cause. Better to demonstrate this empowering kiss, not coercion!'

Kurururung!

Gloomy thunderheads brew over Makli Hyun-ah and the Nether Crossing Ship.

Immediately, rain patters down on him.

"Rain? A manifestation of Heavenly Tribulation?"

Confucian Family Method's Heavenly Tribulation typically manifests as calamity, but when calamities falter, it adopts a Metamorphosis guise to assail directly.

And for Confucian Family Method, post-Metamorphosis, it becomes [Black Rain].

Among Makli Cheon-sa, the Rabbit Seven Heavenly Lords, and Badger, positioned as guardians during Makli Hyun-ah's Heavenly Tribulation—

Badger voices.

"As I understand, each cultivation path's Heavenly Tribulation embodies the creator's deepest dread. For the Immortal Family's founder, it's Heavenly Lightning, symbol of linkage...and for the Confucian Family Method's Mountain Divine Spirit creator...perhaps [Black Rain] embodies their utmost terror."

"Hooh...that's a fascinating lore snippet."