A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 845 Chapter 842: Side Story - Mythical Relic (7)

Chapter 842: Side Story - Mythical Relic (7)

"Hiiiiiik!"

Ahn Geum reacts to the wailing spirits within her own form and scrambles away, fleeing from Seo Li as if her very sanity were at stake.

Only after putting a significant gap between herself and her pursuer does a sudden realization strike her.

'Wait, let me think for a second. That examiner, the Ghost King... his manifested power isn't actually that overwhelming.'

Even if you were to overestimate him, he sits firmly within the mid Four-Axis stage.

On average, he is merely a Ghost King at the early Four-Axis level.

'Why on earth am I, a Grand Perfection of the Integration stage, terrified of someone at the early Four-Axis stage? It must just be that his aura of death is so dense that the wandering souls inside me were momentarily stunned.'

Having turned it over in her mind, she concludes that her potential for victory is quite high.

'I just panicked because of the initial shock and an incompatibility in our paths. If I can just steady my heart, I could easily dismantle someone like that!'

With a sudden shift in resolve, she forcefully commands the spirits within her and charges back toward Seo Li.

"Hah, I was trembling over nothing. Stand your ground, you Ghost King bastard!"

But as soon as she locks eyes with Seo Li once more:

"...Kkiyaaaaah! It's a massive ghost!!"

Her mind goes blank yet again. Overpowered by an uncontrollable terror, she turns and sprints away just as she had before.

Only once she has retreated to a safe distance does the truth finally dawn on her.

'Ah. It isn't just a matter of conflicting paths.'

Even accounting for such differences, the disparity is simply too immense.

Ignoring any suppression of realms, the aura of death radiating from that mad Ghost King belongs to someone who has stared down a God of the Underworld and walked away from the encounter.

'A cultivator who has mastered the Ghost Path Method... especially one like me, whose body has partially ghostified into a half-human, half-ghost existence, simply cannot endure that kind of pressure.'

For the moment, she is utterly helpless against such a monster.

'First... I need to retreat and recalibrate. There is nothing I can do right now. Perhaps a powerful dharma treasure... yes. I need to summon the Nether Crossing Ship and crush him with that!'

Determined to suppress the Ghost King using external divine objects, Ahn Geum moves to exit the space.

Then, she realizes something is terribly wrong.

"...Huh?"

There is no way out.

"Hey, wait just a minute... hey! Hey! How do I get out of here!!??"

Ahn Geum screams into the encroaching darkness.

She attempts to probe the celestial energy or grasp the fabric of space with her consciousness, but it remains unreachable.

Instead, a pale, flickering illusion passes before her eyes.

—Only now do I grasp Master's true intent.

—They sought to taxidermize us because if we cannot transcend their reach, we will never ascend to the heavens. It would be far kinder to be preserved by Master's own hand, finding happiness for countless years before our end.

—I shall inherit that vision and plant my own will firmly within this space.

—To the junior who seeks this inheritance: the more you have delved into the Ghost Path Method, the more you will find this place vital. Conquer the memories etched here, for they are the absolute antithesis to the Ghost Path.

—If you cannot even manage that, then, as Master intended, be taxidermized in this realm forever—it is far better than facing the heavens...

"...If I can't defeat him, am I doomed to be trapped here for eternity?"

As Ahn Geum stares in a daze, absorbing the weight of that fading will, her expression twists into a mask of pure agony.

"Kuaaaaagh! Great Forest Heavenly Lord! Flower Plant Heavenly Lord! Great Sun Heavenly Lord! Torch Candle Heavenly Lord! Pearl Jade Heavenly Lord! Great Sea Heavenly Lord! Rain Dew Heavenly Lord! Wol Woon! Maek Jin, please, someone save me!!"

Yet, whatever arcane structure defines this space, it seems no wisdom or reach of a True Immortal can penetrate it.

Ahn Geum sinks into despair, entombed in shadow, wailing into the void.

***

Makli Hyun-ah finally understands the nature of the Jegyo Dharma Assembly his Senior Brother, Hyeon Rang, had sought out.

'Ah, so the gathering hosted by the Jegal Order is called the Jegyo Dharma Assembly.'

The realization hits him as he observes Hyeon Rang lingering near the shrine of the Jegal Order, inquiring about the benefits of joining their ranks.

'Man... I only intended to offer a quick prayer and leave. If Senior Brother catches me here, it will be a headache...'

As he contemplates his escape, Makli Hyun-ah suddenly senses a strange 'calling' echoing near the shrine.

'What is this summons?'

Why is it pulling at him?

It feels like a call that he could easily answer, should he choose to give in.

Taking a moment to ensure his defenses are absolute, Makli Hyun-ah prepares himself and then accepts the pull.

Tsaaaaatt!

In an instant, he discovers himself standing within a realm of pristine white.

"Where am I?!"

"Rihyunjok! You have succeeded in piercing through to your deep-layer consciousness. Congratulations!"

"Ah... you are...! Jegal Mikhail!"

Makli Hyun-ah recoils in shock, staring at the figure of Jegal Mikhail, who sits upon a golden throne at the edge of the void, draped in dark robes.

"Where have you been all this time!? No, forget that... you really didn't die back then, did you?"

At his words, Jegal Mikhail offers a sorrowful, hollow smile.

"Rihyunjok, you have ascended past the Heavenly Being stage to the Four-Axis stage... or perhaps it is the Ascending Metamorphosis? Regardless, now that you have reached this peak, you can perceive the state I am currently in."

"...Huh? What are you implying?"

"In this space, your consciousness is unrestrained. Look at me, and you will understand."

"Pardon? Uh..."

Makli Hyun-ah probes Jegal Mikhail with his consciousness, and for the first time, he notices something profoundly wrong.

"Are you... actually Jegal Mikhail? Or are you..."

"That is right. Rather than being Jegal Mikhail himself, I am merely the trail of information he left behind."

Jegal Mikhail speaks, his expression etched with a complex, lingering bitterness.

"My ability was to leave imprints on others. That target would then act in accordance with the lingering personality I had imbued. To be precise, the 'real' Jegal Mikhail etched an imprint into your soul just before his death. He cast his own consciousness into a remnant, then vanished. As such, the 'me' standing before you is not the original, but merely a fragment of Jegal Mikhail residing in your heart essence. I am a split consciousness born within you, nothing more."

"..."

"But hear me. If I had simply viewed myself as one of your fractured identities, I would have faded away long ago. However, inside your heart essence, I pondered and calculated for hundreds of years. I researched the nature of my own authority. I discovered a fascinating truth. Perhaps... all of us who fell from Earth into this world are not true, living souls at all. We are simply beings whose personalities were draped over the authorities of some unknown entity."

"..."

"My ability, your Extreme Ghost Path Body, your sister's Wind-Painting Sword Sea Impermanence Body, and even your fiancée Ahn Geum's Ghost-Face Killing Heaven Body... I found a possibility that some entity fragmented its own authorities and attached our fleeting personalities to them. Yes... our lives aren't real. We are merely fragments of an authority that inherited the memories of our former selves. Even the lowest wretch of a wraith is more than we are; they, at least, possess souls. We have none. We are just data fragments."

"..."

"Because of that, I have endured, refusing to dissolve into you... but Rihyunjok, the weight is becoming unbearable. To know I am not the true self... to know that not even a soul resides within me... what must I do? No... what are we supposed to do?"

Jegal Mikhail stares at him with eyes full of sorrow, while Makli Hyun-ah looks on with a grim, serious expression.

"...What are you saying? You need to explain this in a way that actually makes sense."

"...Haahh..."

Jegal Mikhail lets out a heavy, bone-deep sigh. Makli Hyun-ah, utterly baffled by this incoherent rant, forced to rack his brain to piece together the meaning.

Seeing the confusion on his companion's face, Jegal Mikhail takes a slow breath, composing himself to begin the explanation.

"Fine. I will start with the definition of 'personality'. Since my power is intrinsically tied to personality... what, in essence, is it?"

"What is it then?"

"...Personality, you see... is a manual that defines and constructs an existence. Think of it as an instruction guide for a manufactured product."

Jegal Mikhail's lecture began.

***

Within the void.

After trembling in despair for an eternity, Ahn Geum finally manages to pull herself together.

"Haah... in the end, I have to take down that mad Ghost King with my own hands. I have no other choice."

Having accepted her fate, she begins to craft a tactical response.

"First, what exactly is he? He wields such intense death. Is he an Underworld Reaper? Some creature from the depths of the afterlives? No, that can't be it... if he were, he wouldn't be limited to the Four-Axis stage. What kind of entity is he? And more importantly... can something like a 'soul' even manifest in this alternate space?"

After long deliberation, she resolves to investigate the Ghost King further to truly understand her opponent.

[Did you return at last? Stop fleeing and fight...]

[It's a big ghost!!]

Observation one.

[I don't want to die!]

[Who wants to die? Come here!]

Observation two.

[Hiyaaaaagh! Hiiiiyahaaaagh!]

[...Now you cannot even speak. What do you intend to achieve with a shattered mind like that!?]

Observation three.

[Kkiyaaaaagh!]

[...]

Observation four.

[It's a big ghostttt!!]

[...Back to the beginning again. Fight properly!]

Observation five...

...And so, after several agonizing encounters.

Ahn Geum is finally able to infer the essential nature of the Ghost King.

With a splitting headache—a recoil from witnessing the true essence of [death]—she presses her temples and ponders.

"It is not a soul... The entity that crafted this space projected the history of someone stored within its own memory."

She knows from the teachings of Heaven Immortals that Immortals of the Earth path are capable of projecting such history.

Though she still doesn't fully understand what the 'Earth path' entails, she is certain the master of this space had merely cast a projection.

Yet, one anomaly remained.

'If it's merely a projection of history, it should only react to what happened in that specific timeline. No matter how many times I faced him, the reactions should have been repetitive. But that guy is different.'

Each time she engaged him, the Ghost King's demeanor adjusted to match her current state.

"...It isn't just a simple historical projection. This is rather..."

As the true nature of the Ghost King flashes into her mind, her eyes gleam with sharp intensity.

"Personality. It is the personality of a figure from the past, dredged up from the creator's memories and projected onto this world."

At last, a path to victory appears.

"If the opponent is a personality rather than a soul, the battle becomes much simpler. A soul requires direct spiritual strikes... but a target built on pure personality? Curses are far more effective."

She realizes exactly which tool she must employ.

"Wandering souls or the standard Ghost Path Method won't scratch him. But... a curse?"

If his existence consists solely of personality, he lacks a true soul; he is effectively an 'information body'.

If he is merely information, she can weave a curse—a medium for transmitting data—laced with the poison of resentment and pain, successfully corrupting his information and shattering the ghost from within.

"If I coat my curse with enough agonizing malice to overwhelm that monster, I can win!"

Drawing upon the depths of her Ghost-Face Killing Heaven Body, Ahn Geum begins weaving a tapestry of countless curses, her eyes lit with the fever of desperate hope.

***

Inside Makli Hyun-ah's heart essence world.

"That is the reason why personality is, in the final analysis, nothing but an information body. We are just an arrangement of data."

Even having heard the explanation, Makli Hyun-ah remains lost.

"What are you even saying? If that is the case, does it mean that I am not actually me?"

"Wrong. I am saying that we lack souls."

"Isn't a soul just another information body?"

"If I were still on Earth, I might agree. But a soul is not merely information. I can say this for certain because after coming to this world, I have learned that there exists an undeniable, distinct essence we call a 'soul'."

"No, then what exactly is a soul?"

"That..."

Jegal Mikhail turns shy, scratching the back of his head.

"I do not know for certain. But there is one thing I am sure of. We are hollow—devoid of souls, possessing only authority and personality. In other words... it is highly probable! Our 'true' originals are still on Earth, and we who stand here are merely fakes!"

"..."

Makli Hyun-ah still cannot fathom the implications.

"...In plain words, what are you trying to say?"

"Kuaaaaagh!"

Jegal Mikhail flies into a frantic rage.

***

Inside the alternate dimension.

Ahn Geum’s curse finally strikes the Ghost King known as Seo Li.

Kwajijijijik!

Red lightning flickers as a deluge of suffering and resentment poison pierces the Ghost King, yet he only lets out a dry, chilling chuckle.

[Spicy! What a tasty snack. But your grasp of curses is superficial. You do not even understand what a real curse is! Let me enlighten you. A true curse is something you call like this!!!]

Kkwagwagwang!

With a stomp of his foot, strangely malformed flowers bloom, rapidly expanding into a garden spanning a thousand li.

Ahn Geum panics and retreats.

But the next moment, Seo Li extends his hand; the blossoms shatter into billions of petals, gathering in his palm to form a shimmering blade.

[A genuine curse is something only grasped if you dig into the very roots of personality... hold this.]

Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

Fallen Flowers Cannot Return to Branches.

A monumental flower sword descends upon her.

Ahn Geum struggles to evade, but the curses infused into the blade lock onto her, relentless in their pursuit. She screams, all reason deserting her.

Only the instinctual fear of Seo Li remains, shouting 'It's a big ghost!' as it drags her away once more.

After a time, regaining her senses, Ahn Geum groans, feeling the residual poison of that terrifying, intricate curse.

"Aaagh... aaaaagh..."

If she hadn't possessed the Ghost-Face Killing Heaven Body—a talent specialized specifically in the Ghost Path, Devilish Path, and the art of curses—even a master of the Integration stage would have been driven to insanity by such agony.

"Heok, heheok!"

Yet, amidst the pain, a flash of enlightenment regarding the nature of curses strikes her.

"Pain... forms the personality... is that the truth?"

The world is composed of pain.

Information takes form through the agony of existence, becoming concrete and weaving itself into a complex system.

Within that, personality emerges.

In other words, pain is the raw material that gives birth to the self.

"Does that mean what we call the self is nothing but pain made manifest...?"

Embarking on this realization about the connection between personality and suffering, she sinks into deep, thoughtful silence.

***

Makli Hyun-ah's heart essence world.