A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

Even if this is the last time, it is fine.

Even if it ends, it is fine.

Even if it is not me…

For Master’s method cannot fail.

Throwing my whole body, I melt down my existence into the countless stories I scatter with Celestial Lord Incense Burning.

And at the same time, the remaining regret from one corner of my heart.

To ease the regret that comes when I think of how those who remain will be sad, I speak to them.

I will not die.

Only the form of existence changes.

All of them, whose form of existence kept changing, starting from the Star Shattering stage, Sacred Vessel stage, Entering Nirvana stage, and up to reaching True Immortality, will fully understand. -Thank you for everything until now.

Expressing gratitude to everyone here, I throw my consciousness toward my last that I have so greatly longed for.

I feel the spirit…

Along with the memory and self scatter.

Smiling broadly, I move my steps toward the conclusion I most long for.

‘This is…’

True death.

I will not return again, nor will I become meaningless…

True death…

With my consciousness gone, what calls out to one lingering strand of my consciousness is the voices of some people.

[Immortal Cultivation is repentant enlightenment.]

It even sounds like singing.

It is the singing that countless gathered crowds are letting out.

However, for some reason, there is something more concerning than that singing.

It is the back view of [someone].

Far over there…

A thatched house is visible.

It is that very thatched house where, once, Master hanged me upside down and beat me soundly, made me sweep under the bodhi tree, and made me polish the mirror.

At the entrance of that thatched house, [someone] stands with their back turned.

They are a hulking being wearing a blood robe.

As that being turns to me and mutters in a low voice that one line…

For some reason, it seems to lodge in my spirit more distinctly than any singing.

“…Yes. You are better than me.”

‘You are…?’

I become curious who they are.

For some reason I am in a daze, this whole world is white, and the only things I see are the thatched house where I lived with my master and that one being. And, as if to resolve my question, they answer.

“… You win. Junior Brother.”

This being…

Lets out a few more words.

“With Splitting Heaven…the snake is killed. At the very least, you won’t be hit in the back of the head right as you go in.”

‘…?’

“Now the only one who inherits that person’s robe and alms bowl is you. Go. Win. And…”

Tstststststss…

They become more distant.

They go into the thatched house, and as the house seems to blur, soon the whole world turns pure white.

“Cherish your life.”

With those words, I come to know this being is.

His name is the Great Mountain Supreme Deity Gwak Am.

My…

Senior Brother.

Tsuaaaaat!!!

As I regain consciousness, I hear the sound of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra ringing through all Heaven and Earth. Woo-woooong!!!

At the same time, within the Origin Essence of the Mountain, I feel Gwak Am’s will.

I acknowledge you.

The Origin Essence of the Mountain that is devouring me, following the will of its former owner, acknowledges me and begins to submit. ‘…Ahh…’

I can do it.

I realize, from the situation where the Origin Essence of the Mountain is devouring me, I can in turn devour it.

I had considered the only choice left to me is death.

But it is not so.

As if…

Just as I created a choice in Wol Ryeong’s either-or where no one falls into hell, it feels like my Senior Brother has also given me another option as well. ‘I can live…!’

As soon as I see the possibility, I begin to try with all my strength to recover my ego.

Tsuaaaaat!!!

At the same time, I see a white spiral around me.

I see that spiral gives me strength.

‘The scattered…spirit…!’

[Like tiny grains of salt gathering to form the sea.]

[Build mountains through repentant enlightenment.]

[Building a mountain of salt is perhaps the fastest way to reach the heavens.]

The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra that the spiral chants amplifies my scattered heart.

The power of my spirit that has scattered into Heaven and Earth and has been annihilated amplifies to its peak and begins to re-condense like a Heavenly Domain. The annihilated self begins to gather back by the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra…!

[Each to one another holding hands.]

[With everyone at the sea, drink salt.]

[And with the wind, soar.]

‘This is…!’

My self grows clearer and clearer, and as I find strength within that self, the possibility of seizing the Origin Essence of the Mountain begins to appear even more clearly. At the same time, the light of that spiral and my soul begin to resonate.

Feeling that, I twist the formula of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.

Not the original formula, but a formula I created.

‘I shall twist the Mountain Immortal Dao…with my interpretation.’

[Like mixing all intents turn them colorless.

[Embrace all connections and become impermanence.]

‘It is no longer a mountain. For even if a mountain is accumulated, it is under the heavens…’

Master.

And Senior Brother.

Inheriting your wills, I will leap beyond the sky.

‘Loftily afloat in the sky, illuminating the heavens…’

[For that…]

‘I will become the light of all.’

The will of righteousness that Azure Tiger Saint taught.

With that will foremost, Kim Young-hoon, Cheongmun Ryeong, the Mad Lord, Seo Hweol, Yeon Wei, the Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Black Ghost Valley… And Buk Hyang-hwa, and other others.

Carrying on the wills of all my teachers, I seek to illuminate the heavens with that enlightenment.

[…is how one reaches the stars.]

I seek to become a star.

Kugugugugu!!!

My consciousness rises further and further, and by the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra the spirit fully recovers.

At the same time, I understand the identity of those who chant the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.

They are the beings of Corpse Mountain Blood Sea left by the Great Mountain Supreme Deity.

The melody those beings weave is the mantra that restores me.

Within the song of those of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, I realize one strand of truth.

‘I see…’

From the beginning, everything was a trial.

He also knew that he was in the wrong.

However, even he knew this was the best he could do, so he fervently hoped the greatest successor who surpasses the best would appear and surpass him. Therefore, he, seeking to realize that wish through me, bestowed upon me a trial of pain from the beginning.

Wol Ryeong was the last trial the Great Mountain Supreme Deity left to test me.

And, at the end of every trial, there is bound to be a reward.

-O Seo Eun-hyun’s reverse scale. You, as the representative, shall bestow upon him the final trial.

The mission she received from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity when she was confined within the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.

-If he fails to receive forgiveness from you, then even if he erodes the Origin Essence of the Mountain, let him be affected by my lingering will, let his personality be distorted, and let him go mad.

-If he fails to expound what teacher is more excellent than pain, as he boasts, and fails to persuade you and the beings of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, then one day he shall go mad from the malice I leave within the Origin Essence of the Mountain.

-However, if he receives forgiveness from you, and truly, by giving his life, succeeds in producing an answer…

-My will shall acknowledge him and recognize him as the next Owner of the Mountain and will enthrone him to the Imperial Throne.

-My will acknowledges him and recognizes him as the next Owner of Great Mountain, raising him to the imperial throne [] in enthronement [!].

-The beings of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea that I leave behind, moved by him, will assist him with the light of Heart Dao Blooming he leaves and the power of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra so that he cannot easily die.

-His soul, so long as his conviction does not fade and his enlightenment does not wane, shall forever, by them, occupy one Heavenly Seat…!

What save me are the spirits of the beings I freed by giving them freedom.

‘…Thank you.’

I smile brightly at the thought that what I have done is not meaningless.

At the same time, I am able to realize something else.

The question of contemplation Ho Woon gave me.

‘If I prove equality through pain, how that is different from Gwak Am’s Dao… Now I can finally answer.’

Now, let’s no longer prove the Dao through pain.

For even if the method of proving the Dao is not pain, simply being connected is enough.

Just being passed on to each other is enough…!

‘Go…!’

Ahead, I see a boundary.

It is the boundary that leads to the pinnacle of True Immortality.

At the same time, it is the boundary by which I reach a state that transcends all limits and bounds of a True Immortal.

‘I can reach it…!’

I too shall become a Heavenly King and reach the end of every grace and resentment of Enders…!

Then, I suddenly notice that something is binding me.

‘This is…’

It is a black something.

It seems like a snake, like a chain, or like black silk.

‘I see. Is this the tribulation of advancement?’

I begin to rip apart the black something that binds me.

Dududududuk!

-What are you doing…!?

From the shadow of the black thing, a figure that looks exactly like me but wears black clothes appears.

“Get lost, Heart Demon.”

A look of absurdity rises in its eyes, but by nature there is no need to exchange opinions with a Heart Demon.

“I have gained the highest enlightenment!”

At my shout, the black thing that seems to be the Heart Demon turns faint and begins to collapse.

“I am not shaken by any cunning words!”

With a great shout, I completely tear off and rip apart the black thing that binds me, and I move toward that boundary.

Only after tearing it do I realize that it is not a mere Heart Demon but some kind of fate, yet judging that a fate that collapses this easily is not important, I move forward.

And…

At last, I reach the high peak.

A sea of stars burst forth.

As if I am newly born from an egg, I wear a dragon robe made of the Milky Ways and sit upon a jade throne made of countless galactic clusters, gazing upon all things of all phenomena.

The consciousness domain maximizes, and the power of consciousness becomes embodied.

The power of will, which until now was nothing but apparent consciousness, truly begins to have power and affect reality.

Consciousness transforms into the Heavenly Domain.

At the same time, a resounding will reverberates inside and outside the Heavenly Domain.

-The Star Genesis Supreme Deity is arriving!!!

By me, innumerable stars have their personhood awakened, born as innate demigods, and begin to praise me.

One Qi of the Primordial Chaos, Aligned Above the Emptiness, Honored Dao Lord, Primordial Origin Great Balance Creating and Decreeing Star Venerable Supreme Deity (лƑ¤EKπØ§Ø 創令星尊上帝).

A long True Title engraves itself upon me,

And without even a moment to understand why I have become a Supreme Deity,

The abbreviated name Star Genesis Supreme Deity echoes across the entire Heavenly Domain.

-The Star Genesis Supreme Deity is arriving!!!

-The Star Genesis Supreme Deity is arriving!!!

-The Star Genesis Supreme Deity is arriving!!!

Kugugugugu!!!

At the same time, only now do I realize the meaning of the taenghwa my master painted.

‘Did you predict this far…Master…!?’

Kurung, Kururururung!

The taenghwa the lingering thought of my master showed during my cultivation of the Radiance Ten Heavens.

The outermost, [Black Snake Biting Its Tail].

The middle, [Wheel of Starlight].

The innermost, [White Three Great Ultimates].

I felt that what was important was not those three circles themselves, but that something traces a curvature at their center.

My master praised my discernment.

Only now can I know.

What is the most important among those three circles!

Kurururung!!!

The Three Great Ultimates rotate.

And…

The boundary of the Three Great Ultimates begins to blur.

Inside that rotation, a strange curvature arises, and the fragments of the shattered [Wheel] are incorporated into that rotation.

The Wheel made to suit the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld now begins to evolve completely to suit me.

And centered on that Wheel and the Three Great Ultimates, all my mantras and Immortal Arts begin to unify.

Ururururung!!

A new mantra does not arise the way the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra combined to give birth to the Wheel.

However, as all those mantras combine, the newly evolved Wheel sublimates so that I can wield all the power I have as one.

I give a new name to the newly evolved Wheel.

Turning Wheel Mantra (Z).

It is not an Immortal Art of the Reincarnation of Souls, but an Immortal Art of the Turning Wheel that makes the era roll forth.

Flash!

That mantra is no longer in the form of the Wheel.

I feel that the power of the Three Great Ultimates I possess has its boundaries completely vanish and reaches the true state of [the First], and I feel the authority granting me power from behind like a

halo.

The Wheel and the Three Great Ultimates that revolve behind me now begin to take the form of a galaxy rotating behind me.

According to the mantra that takes the form of the galaxy, the symbol of the Star Genesis Supreme Deity is newly engraved upon one of the Heavenly Seats.

[Galaxy with Three Tails].

That is my final symbol, reached at the summit of Immortal Cultivation.

And at last, as all my pain washes away and a ‘face’ is finally restored to the Immortal Body, I gaze upon the heavens with a benevolent smile.

There, the last remaining remnant of Radiance.

The Rain Dew Heavenly Lord grips the God-Killing Spear and glares at me.

To resolve the final grace and resentment, I begin to issue a decree toward the entire Heavenly Domain.

:: Let the myriad stars hear. ::

At my single utterance, the stars of the Sumeru Three Heavens Great Thousand World answer.

-By your command!!!

:: I, in the name of the Owner of Myriad Stars, issue a decree. Beneath my hand, enforce the debt of all who until now have received the grace of stars. : :

The Underworld.

There, the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld shows, for the first time, a startled expression and looks toward Mount Sumeru.

“What…what is this? How did an Ender, how, how did he smash his own fate and ascend as a Supreme Deity!!??”

The Interdimensional Void.

There, hope and despair are engraved in the eyes of Hyeon Mu. “…So such a thing was possible? Are you saying you are different from all the others before now? Was it truly possible for a tool to slip free from its owner’s hand…!? But…at the same time, this entire batch may be scrapped…! Hahaha, hahahahaha…! I thought at least [Half] could be completed, yet we may have to start over from the very beginning…! Ahahahahaha!!!”