A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 864 Chapter 861: Side Story - Conclusion.

Not long after Kim Hae-sol's group departed the island, spectral forms and strands of hair began descending from the heavens above Ghost Island.

A resounding boom echoed as a monster, its face concealed by a mask and its body swathed in bandages, appeared with one hand morphed into a blade.

Ji Hwa, retrieving her severed body parts after removing the mask, swept her hair back. With her transformed physique reverting to its original state, her body and attire likewise returned to normal.

"Huuu..." she sighed, leaning against the communication tower. Gazing upward at the entity descending from the sky, she raised a hand.

"What conditioner do you use? Your hair is lovely."

A rustling sound followed as a colossal, eight-chi ghost figure plummeted from the sky, headfirst. Its hair coalesced before Ji Hwa, transforming into the likeness of Kang Min-hee.

"Are you joking, Sword Spear...?" Kang Min-hee inquired with a weary sigh.

"Haah, I detected celestial energy indicating a calamity was imminent for this island, so I came to investigate... and it was you. What are you doing here?"

"Repaying a debt, you could say... I'm investigating the influence of the otherworld," Ji Hwa replied, articulating her words as she absorbed the otherworldly energy she had been inhaling.

"It possesses a power that stifles the internal energy generated within my body. Naturally, it's merely crude energy, untamed by my will or Immortal Arts, yet it's still quite a vexing force."

With a 'Ptoo—', she expelled the gathered energy into her palm, where a faint, gray light materialized. This was the concentrated otherworldly energy.

"A power related to the domain of life, which stimulates human desire and vitality, transforming them into monsters..."

A humming sound resonated as Ji Hwa focused her consciousness on the gray energy. It condensed and refined further, shifting into a subtle crimson hue.

"This is the authority of a blood descendant from some grand divinity that governs life force in an otherworld. You appear well-prepared... but even for you, suppressing a descendant wielding the divinity of an otherworldly god will be challenging. Especially with a mere split body possessing only mortal-level strength, not even your primary form."

"Hmm..."

At these words, Kang Min-hee surveyed her surroundings, a realization dawning upon her.

"I see, this entire island..."

"Indeed. It is, in essence, a mass of the authority of life and darkness," Ji Hwa stated, crossing her arms.

"I've already eliminated all those who fell under its thrall. Even those individuals who styled themselves as high-ranking spectators, I annihilated every bewitched soul among them, so you needn't worry."

"...You eliminated them all...?"

As if experiencing a headache from Ji Hwa's declaration, Kang Min-hee rubbed her temple. Ji Hwa, however, simply shrugged.

"If you have grievances, can't you simply revive them? Regardless, I've already purified them all with my blade. If you resurrect them, they'll be freed from this entity's bewitchment."

"Gngh... Instead of purifying them by slaying them, you could have bestowed your 'wisdom' upon them. Did you simply kill them because your hands were itching for a fight?"

"Ehe..."

Ji Hwa scratched her head, feigning ignorance with an embarrassed demeanor.

Kang Min-hee sighed, observing her.

"Haa... very well. In any case, you intend to assist, correct? I'm planning to relocate the Management Bureau's headquarters to this island, and I'd prefer if you could subdue it alive."

"Naturally. You safeguard the souls of the humans, and I'll block its escape routes," Ji Hwa agreed.

"Understood. Thank you." With a brief nod to Ji Hwa, Kang Min-hee departed the island, carrying the artifacts she had brought.

Shortly thereafter, Ji Hwa severed the communication tower with a single swipe of her hand, then gathered the human souls residing beneath it.

"Return... unto thee..."

The island's original inhabitant, the first to succumb to Ghost Island's enchantment, was returned to Ji Hwa.

She transmuted the island owner's returned form into a Flesh Sword, gripping it firmly in her hand. Immediately, she swung the Flesh Sword towards the island itself.

A grinding sound ensued as the entire island shuddered, beginning to ascend.

With a rumbling noise, the living island, capable of moving from place to place, revealed itself. It was a monster that abducted people, ensnared them in desire, tempted them with notions of eternal life and dominion, and gradually transformed them into otherworldly abominations.

Concealed beneath the sea, masquerading as an island and perpetuating its deception...

The lineage of an otherworldly god!

Ji Hwa let out a cry of exertion as the dark power surged from beneath the waves.

"This should satisfy the urge."

While it's undeniably feeble compared to her true form, it's still quite a foe.

Having journeyed far from Mount Sumeru, her standards have lowered considerably, making the act of dissecting a creature like this a source of amusement.

Chwaaaaa—

A colossal water pillar erupts, and within its surging torrent, the creature's form begins to materialize.

Chiiiiii—

It appears as a conglomerate of earthly essence, exuding a faint, grayish energy.

Yet, its core essence is that of a monstrous entity pulsating with a crimson light of life.

Within the murky gray miasma, the monster's true body, dripping with vibrant red life energy, reveals a visage of a hundred writhing tentacles.

Its overall form resembles that of a colossal toad.

Whisperwhisperwhisper...

Much like how True Immortals imbue lesser beings with 'wisdom' simply through their existence,

this lifeform, too, disseminates malevolent knowledge into its surroundings, a dark infusion of vital understanding.

It is forbidden lore concerning life and vitality.

It is the very authority of the void, stemming from some clandestine entity from another realm.

"Hooh, I see. It hasn't reached full maturity... merely a juvenile state."

Ji Hwa's eyes sparkled as she deftly sidestepped the creature's sweeping forelimb.

"To possess such size and power even in its nascent form... It's akin to a Kun."

The Kun, a mythical race that, in its larval stage, draws upon the Immortal Beast True Blood of the Azure Peng, thrives by the water. It later sprouts wings and evolves into the Peng.

However, some Kun never achieve this transformation, remaining bound to their piscine form, consequently reaching immense sizes.

Even in their immature state, their bodies often span dozens, hundreds of li, making their intimidating scale easily conceivable.

And in Ji Hwa's estimation, this tentacled toad monster, though not fully grown, was the size of a small isle, suggesting a lineage comparable to the Kun.

"It seems your progenitor is, at the very least, on par with the Azure Peng?"

Kuooooo!

The tentacled toad writhed the appendages around its maw, unleashing a strange, compelling power.

Vast masses of flesh began to sprout from the nearby sea, surging violently towards Ji Hwa.

Shwikagak!

With a fierce sweep of her Flesh Sword, Ji Hwa effortlessly cleaved through the encroaching flesh. She then ascended the tentacled toad's flank, plunging the blade directly into its core.

Tukwang!

Struck with devastating force at its midsection, the toad plummeted into the ocean depths. Yet, it did not perish.

'Hoh?'

Ji Hwa observed the faint crimson luminescence enveloping the toad, a protective barrier.

[Is this radiance the authority bestowed by your master?]

Kwadududuk!

However, even this formidable defense crumbled when Ji Hwa channeled a mere fraction of her main body's power, focusing it upon the toad.

Ultimately, the tentacled toad sank to the seabed, expelling blood and emitting a mournful wail.

[Even beings from other worlds, comparable to deities, restrain themselves according to my disposition. What gives you the audacity to display hostility before me?]

Dudududui—

As Ji Hwa gradually unveiled the true stature of her main body, the tentacled toad, unable to withstand the overwhelming 'wisdom' and sheer presence, began to succumb to madness.

With a casual press of her foot, she subdued it, commencing an investigation into its origins.

As an Immortal Treasure derived from an Immortal Beast King, she possessed the inherent authority to trace historical lineages, a power she now employed to unravel the monster's past.

After a short interval,

Having meticulously traced the tentacled toad's history, Ji Hwa narrowed her eyes, pondering with a hand to her chin.

[I see. Your master is embroiled in a conflict with otherworldly entities. Amidst this chaos, several collateral descendants, like yourself, were dispersed across various realms? And...]

Ji Hwa's gaze shifted skyward, piercing the distant void with an unnerving intensity.

[Heuk Sa. It appears that individual is orchestrating a rather intriguing scheme.]

Naturally, this intricate plot held no direct connection to Mount Sumeru or Earth.

It was simply that Heuk Sa, having departed to claim the Origin Essence of Omnipotence, was now devising a plan within another dimension to secure it. This tentacled toad had merely chanced upon Earth by coincidence.

Ji Hwa, for the most part, felt no compulsion to intervene. However, the master of this tentacled toad...

The entity of life and vitality, who had ascended to divinity with Heuk Sa's assistance, was born from a phenomenon Ji Hwa was intimately familiar with, compelling her to pay heed.

"Radiance Mantra... After acquiring the Origin Essence of light, are you now wielding the power of the Radiance Mantra through it, Heuk Sa?"

The master of the tentacled toad.

The divinity of red life force originates from a distortion of spacetime, a phenomenon orchestrated by Heuk Sa employing the power of the Radiance Mantra.

However, this origin is not her primary concern.

"This is no simple spacetime distortion. Your master's spacetime is drawing in Taiji. If that's the case..."

After a cascade of complex calculations and logical deductions within her mind, she arrives at a single conclusion.

"It implies the existence of another divinity, a counterpart to your master..."

Following this realization, Ji Hwa shifts her focus from the otherworldly realm of the god of life and vitality, directing her gaze towards Mount Sumeru.

"I see. That Gate God, or whatever it calls itself, the one responsible for those bothersome New Fates, must be the divinity paired with your master."

Life and spacetime.

Two symmetrical divine counterparts, born in a distant otherworld under Heuk Sa's influence.

"Hmmm..."

Clutching the soul of the tentacle-toad, Ji Hwa pauses, lost in thought.

'Heuk Sa. Seo Eun-hyun advised against killing that one, so I left him be. But what is he doing in the otherworld...?'

The remnants of the Future King.

A pathetic entity, akin to mere debris, incapable of truly inheriting the Future King's talents, authority, personality, or memories.

That is Heuk Sa.

Yet, it appears that the meager inheritance he received was merely cunning and treachery, as he endeavors in the otherworld to seize the Origin Essence of Omnipotence.

Ji Hwa found this exceedingly vexing and once inquired of Seo Eun-hyun why she couldn't simply capture and eliminate Heuk Sa. Seo Eun-hyun's response was, 'Not only is he difficult to apprehend and kill, but your intervention as a greater divinity, without cause, could unleash immense chaos within the otherworld. It is best to let him be.' Consequently, she relented.

If she were to intervene, even she acknowledges that she might obliterate Heuk Sa, potentially eradicating the otherworld's lifeforms in the process. This would needlessly foster animosity with its divinities and accumulate negative karma.

However, witnessing Heuk Sa pilfering the Radiance Mantra's power from the distant otherworld, forging a divinity that rivals at least Azure Peng, and hatching some scheme, she feels a surge of irritation.

'These insect-like wretches dare to breach the gates of Mount Sumeru and sow discord?'

Though she has departed Radiance Hall, the pride of a divinity who once safeguarded Mount Sumeru remains.

'Heuk Sa, regardless of your intentions, I shall thwart your plans. While I cannot kill you outright due to my husband's counsel...'

Tududuudu—

Revealing her true form, she clutches the tentacle-toad's soul and extends her being far beyond the universe encompassing Earth.

Innumerable otherworlds and celestial realms come into view.

Employing the tentacle-toad's soul as a conduit, she penetrates the distant universe of an alternate realm.

There, she observes divinities clashing amidst Heuk Sa's machinations.

All seem intent on acquiring the Origin Essence of Omnipotence that Heuk Sa pursues.

Their power levels appear comparable. Amidst them, she identifies the red divinity governing life and vitality, the tentacle-toad's former master, who procures the Origin Essence of Omnipotence and directs their course towards Heuk Sa.

'Heuk Sa... I comprehend. The Future King prophesied your inability to obtain the Origin Essence, thus you seek to usurp Omnipotence through another divinity's agency?

A grin spreads across her face as she begins to marshal her power.

: : This shall not come to pass. : :

Wo-woong—

Utilizing the tentacle-toad's soul as a medium, she prepares an Immortal Art targeting the outer gods engaged in conflict near an alternate world situated in a dimension beyond immeasurable eons.

The authority of the Sword Extreme Heavenly Venerable coalesces in her hand.

: : My master. As the Immortal Treasure of the Crystal King, I implore you. : :

Not as an equal, but in the capacity of an Immortal Treasure to its Lord, she draws upon Seo Eun-hyun's power.

Boundless starlight envelops her hand.

An authority capable of birthing and annihilating countless superclusters with a single strike courses through her hand, taking the form of a sword.

: : Grant me the power to punish the agent of chaos who schemes within this world. : :

Deeeng—

Presently, above her palm, a starlit sword, seemingly containing a universe and a celestial expanse, materializes accompanied by the resonance of a Brahma bell.

: : Sword-Guided Star Rain. : :

Hwoong!

Instantly thereafter,

She hurls the sword of authority towards the red divinity attempting to deliver the Origin Essence of Omnipotence to Heuk Sa, employing the tentacle-toad's soul and the Radiance Mantra, which Heuk Sa himself is siphoning and utilizing, as her medium.

***

A distant otherworld.

Beyond the confines of the world, in the vast expanse of outer space!

Within this void, where the Vairambha Wind relentlessly rages, a multitude of divine beings unleash a full-scale assault upon a crimson deity clutching a precious item, who is making haste towards a serpentine black divinity.

However, the barrage of attacks directed at the red deity proves ineffective, their trajectories distorted by the peculiar bending of spacetime and the formidable power emanating from the jagged, two-toned thornbush crown it cradles.

: : How utterly pathetic, Hermes. Do you truly believe traversing through these attacks grants you dominion over the crown of thrones? : :

From behind the crimson deity, a voice resonates throughout the cosmos, belonging to a figure clad in a thornbush cloak and wielding a massive black scythe.

The black serpent, positioned at the destination the red deity is striving for.

The Heuk Sa, known by the moniker 'Hermes', lets out a chilling hiss and a resounding laugh.

: : The crown of thorns was always meant to be mine. It has rested in my grasp since the very beginning, Thornbush Witch. Regardless of any prophecy you may have received, it is not a matter for you to contest. : :

With a hiss, the Heuk Sa commences to exert its gravitational pull towards the approaching red divinity.

Its gaze remains fixed upon the crown of thorns, where the intermingled black and golden lines held by the red deity twist into sharp, menacing points.

: : I shall sever your futile ambitions. Hear me, all assembled! Cease your assaults and lend your might to mine. Unleash your misfortunes! : :

Cheolkeong—

The being identified as the Thornbush Witch raises her colossal scythe and begins to intone an arcane incantation.

Responding to her spell, the divine entities, who had been relentlessly bombarding the red deity, now channel their power to augment her invocation.

: : Foolishness! The crown of thorns has already been secured within my grasp. Whatever revelation you followed, this prize is irrevocably mine! No misfortune can possibly thwart its destiny. : :

The Heuk Sa starts to bellow with laughter.

: : Draw near to me... O Omnipotence...! : :

In the ensuing moment,

Shiver!

A profound, chilling authority washes over the Heuk Sa and all the assembled otherworldly divinities, compelling them to recoil from the red divinity.

Swiftly thereafter, traversing immeasurable distances in a breathtaking surge, a colossal sword, radiating with the brilliance of starlight, materializes and descends directly upon the red divinity, striking true against the one who held the coveted crown of thorns.