A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

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Chapter 821: Side Story - New Fate and Upheaval (2)

It is a 'chain'.

Countless black chains pour out like a waterfall from the cracks that open in Makli Simseong-chung's body and cover his flesh.

At that bizarre and horrific sight, Makli Hyun-ah feels nausea and, at the same time, an unknown fear.

Thump, thump, thump...!

Simultaneously, Makli Hyun-ah feels something strange.

It feels like something is about to come to mind.

He thought he fell straight into this Penglai Star after getting hit by a truck.

But was that really so?

Before he was hit and killed, before he fell into this world...

Didn't he meet [someone]?

Looking at those black chains that seem sticky, Makli Hyun-ah feels a strange sense of incongruity enveloping him.

Chwarak, chwarak, chwarak!

Around Makli Simseong-chung, the Qi Building Elders of the Seogyeong Makli Clan wave what seem to be specially manufactured flag magic artifacts and begin to control whatever is summoned into Makli Simseong-chung's body.

In addition, the Core Formation Grand Elder of the Seogyeong Makli Clan who was inside the warship bursts out, chants a dharma formula toward the grotesque lifeform covered in those chains, and forms hand seals as if issuing an order to that grotesque lifeform.

Immediately afterward,

Jjeooooooeong!

When the chain that seems to be part of the grotesque lifeform's flesh is swung, one part of the Lianshan Makli Clan's formation collapses as it is, and the entire estate where the main family's formation is spread begins to shake.

Seeing this, the Lianshan Makli Clan's Elders and Grand Elders all recoil in shock and tremble.

The Lianshan Makli Clan Head, Makli Hong, bites his lip with a pale face.

"Th-That...what is that...? That...isn't that a lifeform at the Nascent Soul stage?"

Makli Hong's face is stained with presumption, and a dark hue settles over the faces of the many Makli Clan Grand Elders.

"...Elder Makli Hye-seo..."

Makli Hong looks at Makli Hye-seo in the Clan Head Hall and speaks to her with a rotten expression.

"Will that person truly not help us...? The other side has summoned Nascent Soul stage power!"

However, at Makli Hong's words, Makli Hye-seo only sighs and shakes her head.

"...They still say they will only protect me. They do not seem to be in the mood."

Kwaaaaaang!

And even as they talk, the enemy's Nascent Soul stage monster beast pours out attacks, and once again the entire formation shakes.

From that shockwave, Makli Hyun-ah, who is receiving Makli Hweol's protection in the rear, spits blood and faints.

Watching through the consciousness domain as the Extreme Ghost Path Body, a precious talent, is injured, Makli Hong clenches his fist with a heart that feels like it is spitting blood.

"Damn it...in the end, do I have to step in...?"

Woo-wooong!

The power of the formation begins to settle onto Makli Hong.

At the same time, Makli Hong's realm soars.

Makli Hong, who is at the Grand Perfection Core Formation stage, reaches the Nascent Soul stage in an instant.

The method Makli Hong learned is an extremely special method.

It merges one's cultivation with a formation to increase cultivation speed, but it results in normally being unable to bring out one's full power, only bringing out the power of a realm one step below one's true realm.

Moreover, the person becomes a body that cannot go outside the formation, and within it, there is not particularly any advantage beyond other Nascent Soul stage cultivators.

Makli Hong is one who reached the Nascent Soul stage and reached the position of clan head by learning a method full of drawbacks. If he uses his full power, the foundation of his cultivation will be damaged, and he will have to go into closed-door cultivation for several years.

"If I use my power this time, I'm going to be bedridden again for several years...!"

Makli Hong groans as he is about to erase the Nascent Soul stage monster beast summoned on the other side.

"...!"

Suddenly, Makli Hong whips his head toward the fainted Makli Hyun-ah, and a smile of joy begins to spread across his lips.

"...! I-Is that so? I won't have to go all out..."

Wiiiing!

Makli Hong controls the environment near Makli Hyun-ah through his method and replenishes Makli Hyun-ah's energy.

So that the one whom all beings of the Makli Clan, including Makli Hong, cannot help but revere can descend easily!

***

Jing— Jing— Jing—

Makli Hyun-ah lost consciousness from the shockwave as the grotesque lifeform made of chains struck the formation twice.

'Where is this...?'

As he loses consciousness, he feels himself falling endlessly into a place like a black, deep pit.

'What is this pit...? I...lost consciousness...? If so, is this my unconsciousness?'

Instinctively realizing where he is, he feels puzzled.

'In my unconsciousness...there is a place this deep? Just where in the world is this?'

It is at that moment.

Something brushes past Makli Hyun-ah's consciousness as it falls endlessly downward.

It is bright and shining and also enormous.

Within that mass of light, Makli Hyun-ah recalls a being he saw before.

'Makli...Cheon-sa...?'

The being who sent Makli Hyun-ah to the Makli Clan.

It is Makli Cheon-sa.

The mass of light in the form of Makli Cheon-sa glances at Makli Hyun-ah as he falls into the abyss below, and opens its mouth.

[Rest. I will do my utmost so that that evil divinity cannot possess your vessel and harm you...]

'Evil being...? My vessel?'

Feeling puzzled, Makli Hyun-ah falls endlessly into the abyss.

Into an endless vessel that seems able to contain a being of any size...

***

Tsuaaaaaaa!

It is when Makli Hweol is about to move the unconscious Makli Hyun-ah.

Light bursts out from Makli Hyun-ah's body, and Makli Hyun-ah widens his eyes.

Makli Hweol can instinctively tell that it is not the Makli Hyun-ah he knows, but a different being, and lowers his head to pay respects.

"Makli Hweol...pays respects to the clan ancestor."

The being that descended into Makli Hyun-ah's body.

'Makli Cheon-sa' roughly accepts that greeting, then slowly pushes past the younger generation and heads to the edge of the formation.

Looking beyond the edge, at the grotesque life-form covered in countless iron chains, Makli Cheon-sa opens her mouth.

[Members of the Seogyeong Makli Clan. Do you even understand what you have summoned right now?]

At that, the Core Formation Elder who is controlling the grotesque lifeform speaks with gleaming eyes.

"Makli Cheon-sa...? How surprising. A senior who seemed to have had no particular attachment to the clan left behind a split soul and ascended... Did you use some Body-Separation Great Method?"

[Answer the question.]

"Hahahaha, just as senior borrows the body of a clan junior to protect the clan...we likewise are borrowing the power of a higher-dimensional existence to protect the clan. Not long ago we obtained the Shaman Family Method, and along with it, we obtained a summoning formation that summons a lifeform that exists beyond the distant Astral Realm."

[You foolish things... Trying to block the household's troubles, you have brought in an even greater calamity! Trying to drive out a fox, you instead called in a dragon! Do you not know 'whose' servant you have summoned?]

"'Whose?' Are you saying it is a pet of a Star Shattering stage senior?"

[Stupid fools. Are you saying you opened the passage like idiots without even knowing what, and whom, your prayers refer to!]

"You still have too many pointless worries. It is nothing more than a prayer chant used for a ritual! All that talk about the existence paired with the Peng Bird that rules the Antimatter Sea is nothing more than personifying the natural phenomena of that Astral Realm! Do you really believe a divine existence called a True Immortal plays with us from above the world? You look like a flat Head Realm theorist who believes the Head Realm is flat."

[...Talking with lower realm fools who cannot even believe in the existence of a True Immortal is pointless. Tsk! O Great One, I am Makli Cheon-sa. Please let us go!]

Makli Cheon-sa, who descended into Makli Hyun-ah, bows her head in respect toward the chained lifeform, and seeing that, the Core Formation Grand Elder of the Seogyeong Makli Clan shows a puzzled expression.

"In the end, what in the world are you even saying...? This being is merely a life-form that lives in a place called Black Star, senior. We only made a contract with an intelligent being from the place called Black Star and, in exchange, descended a summoned body. Stran—"

Waduk!

It is at that moment.

The chain life-form stretches its chains toward the speaking Core Formation Grand Elder.

In an instant, the chains gather and form the shape of a hand, and before the Core Formation Grand Elder has even a chance to resist, that hand swallows him up.

Crunch, crunch, gulp!

From the hand made of chains, a sound is heard of something greedily chewing and swallowing, and soon the hand that swallows the Core Formation Grand Elder generates even an opposite hand and gradually begins to take the shape of a giant made of chains.

Seeing that sight, the Seogyeong Makli Clan's Qi Building Elders scream and struggle to control the giant with their flags.

"Wh-What are you doing!? Beast of the contract, please abide by the contract!"

"Be satisfied with only Makli Simseong-chung's lifespan! This is a breach of contract! We—"

Crunch!

However, while they chatter on with this and that and try to control the giant, the Qi Building Elders and dozens of younger generation Qi Refining juniors are pulled into the chain waterfall that pours out from the giant's lower body and disappear.

In an instant, the Seogyeong Makli Clan's warship is covered in chains, and within the waves of those chains, the giant reveals its upper body and grins.

: : YoudonotknowthatitisbytheverysmallconnectionwithonefromtheMakliClaninthelosthistoryofmyLord'ssixteenthlifethatyouareallowedtopersistuntilnowwithouthavingyourseedcutoff,andyetyoustillveneratetheDevilish?Youstillholdcountlessbloodritesandfailtorestrainyourdesires,sacrificingothers?MyLordhaslongsincecutoffexpectationsforyou,soI,inplaceofmyLord'sanger,shallpunishyourwrongness.Foolishones,nowthatyourfatehasbeenexhausted,accordingtothelawofRetributionthatmyLordhasplacedintheheavens,youshallreturnandreceiveallthekarmayouhavebroughtwithyou.Iprophesize.Youshallnotavoidthisgreatruin. : :

Chijijijijijik!

The giant made of black chains spews out words filled with countless pieces of information, but because it is language of such a higher dimension, no one but Makli Cheon-sa even vaguely understands the meaning.

However, Makli Cheon-sa breaks into a cold sweat.

'It is not that my realm is high that I understand. That existence is considering me, considering us, so we do not burst and die just from hearing those words'

Makli Cheon-sa realizes that although the evil existence before her eyes can burst them apart and kill them in one go, they are treating them with great consideration, as if dealing with chicks.

[O God! I have ascended to the Upper Realm and have once encountered myths related to Thee. Thou are surely the being that forms a pair with the Peng that rules the Antimatter Sea, and I know Thee are a being that swallows only those with sin.

[We of the Lianshan Makli Clan set a policy to completely split off from the main family that is the Seogyeong Makli Clan, and we have never committed evil sins of such devilishness to that extent.

[Please let us go! My descendants will spread your greatness!]

At Makli Cheon-sa's words, that existence chuckles and utters spirit words that she can understand.

[That is correct. I swallow only those with sin, and though your sinful karma is not nonexistent, it is to the degree of being judged after going to the Netherworld, not at the level of being judged through me.]

[Then...!]

[However, as one of the Great Gods who protect Heaven and Earth, I have a duty to grasp the new fate that has appeared in this world. I must leave my consciousness upon the flesh of the new fate...]

[...!]

Makli Cheon-sa does not know what new fate the divinity before her is talking about, but she understands at least that they are aiming for Makli Hyun-ah, the body she descended into.

[...That cannot be. If you are clearly a good god, it might be different, but though you punish sins, your standards are unknown, and I, as one who knows that thousands, tens of thousands of civilizations have perished by your hand without even knowing the reaon, cannot let an evil god like you take my adopted daughter's body.]

[How regrettable. Even if I tell you about the war of light and stars, about the atrocities of the lights, you cannot possibly understand. Be grateful that you are born receiving the blessing of the stars. If you had not received my Lord's blessing, I would not forgive your impudence.]

[I do not know well, because I have never heard of what kind of being you serve as your lord, but one thing is certain. The body you have descended into is not a Ghost Path Body, and since it is merely the flesh of an ordinary Qi Building cultivator, it cannot endure for long! Please release my juniors now, and return to the Palace of the Black Blades where you dwell!]

At those words, the existence of chains laughs thunderously.

At their laughter, the world darkens and brightens, and it feels as if Heaven and Earth are shaking.

[Impudent thing! Do you think that because the flesh I descended into is base, I cannot do anything to you? Do you dare oppose me?]

Kwaaaaaang!

When the being of chains swings their fist, the barrier of the Makli Clan shatters in a single blow, and countless Qi Building Elders vomit blood and faint.

From that shockwave, the Qi Refining juniors fall into a coma at once and lose consciousness, and only late-stage juniors of Makli Hweol's level barely endure.

Makli Cheon-sa breaks into a cold sweat and raises a finger.

Then, from the tip of Makli Cheon-sa's finger, celestial energy is guided, and Heaven and Earth spiritual energy gathers around her.

In an instant, she becomes a Nascent Soul-level fighting power and pours countless spells onto the being of chains, but the being of chains laughs loudly and throws a fist toward Makli Cheon-sa.

Kugwaaaaang!

Makli Cheon-sa is struck by that being's fist, directly pierces through the building of the main family's main hall, and is knocked all the way to the opposite side of the formation.

Splurt!

[With a borrowed body, I cannot bring out my full power. If only this body reached Qi Building...!]

Makli Cheon-sa grits her teeth as she heals Makli Hyun-ah's body, and seeing that sight, the being of chains cackles.

[Even if you have come with your main body, with a body that walks the cultivation of the Immortal Family, do you dare to oppose me, an Immortal itself?]

[...Then what if it is not Immortal Family Methods?]

[Ahaha, what did you say?]

Makli Cheon-sa smiles faintly and taps her own head.

[Looking through my adopted daughter's memories, among the method manuals I skimmed, there is something usable. O Being who reaches the pinnacle of the Immortal Family, how about the Confucian Family Method!]

Makli Cheon-sa reads the memories inside Makli Hyun-ah's brain through the Beast Taming method, and through her own Beast Taming method she sends a voice transmission to all the demon beasts of the Makli Clan.

[Hear me! I am Makli Cheon-sa. I am the pinnacle of Beast Taming of the Lianshan Makli Clan!!]

All the demon beasts addicted to Makli Cheon-sa's Beast Taming methods simultaneously look up at Makli Cheon-sa and show gazes of deep respect.

Makli Cheon-sa's Beast Taming method is, by itself alone, enough to draw out the respect and recognition of demon beasts.

The respect and recognition of countless demon beasts changes into formula texts through the flow of Heaven and Earth spiritual energy that Makli Cheon-sa handles.

Soon, those texts transform into 'social authority', and black 'social authority' settles over Makli Cheon-sa's entire body.

Unlike Makli Hyun-ah, who only stopped at letting a little black light settle into the body,

The power of the Great Demon Pacifying Heaven Formation that Makli Cheon-sa uses takes a clearer form.

Black light forms a pitch-black military outfit (具軍服).

A battle hat (戰笠) is placed on the head, and a military uniform (具軍服), along with battle garments (戰服) and battle cloth (戰布), wraps the body, while a battle belt (戰帶) coils around the waist.

Lastly, wooden boots (木靴) form on the feet, completing the full attire.

Unlike an ordinary military outfit, the attire Makli Cheon-sa creates is almost entirely pitch-black in most of its colors.

The military outfit made only of black light proves her social authority.

Makli Cheon-sa looks at the being of chains with deep-set eyes and points at them.

Tududududududu!

Heaven and Earth spiritual energy is suppressed.

The powerful social authority Makli Cheon-sa forms denies and presses down on strange powers and chaotic spirits.

Chiik, chijijijijik!

The warship of the Seogyeong Makli Clan, which moves by spells, loses the power of spells and begins to gradually descend, and the chains of the being of chains also begin to fade little by little.

[I, relying on the social authority of Makli Cheon-sa, proclaim a decree and issue a proclamation! That which is not an existence of this world must rightly return to its place, and those who oppress this family must rightly receive the price and receive punishment of form! Using the social authority on this land as the basis. I, in the name of Makli Cheon-sa, command that the banishment of the god of another world!]

Each time strength is placed into words like decree, proclamation, form, banish, and command, the entire body of the being of chains grows even fainter, and the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy around them restrained even more strongly.

Tudududuuddu!

[Ahaha, I see. The ancient law that their past-life body restored? Yes, starting with the Confucian Family Method, Naming Family Method, Shaman Family Method...and then...]

The gaze of the being of chains turns briefly toward the lord's hall, Makli Hong, then turns toward Makli Cheon-sa.

[Do yet other countless systems of the Hundred Schools reveal themselves on this land...? The Owner of Immortal Cultivation closes their eyes, and the systems that until now could not reveal themselves, pressed down by Immortal Cultivation, open their eyes...? An age of upheaval and chaos has come. In this era when remnants of old Enders and old gods, pressed down by the heavens into ancient force, rise to the surface, how will the new fates take their place?

[If you are existences that bring chaos, then bringing chaos to chaos, is it order or not... Beyond the sea of stars, I will watch the story of the new fates...]

Woooooo—

At last, Makli Cheon-sa's social authority banishes the being of chains directly from reality.

Makli Cheon-sa as well, as if she was barely holding on, disperses the black energy that covers Makli Hyun-ah's body and had taken shape.

The pitch-black military outfit turns into black light and vanishes, and Makli Cheon-sa collapses on the spot, panting for breath.

[Confucian Family Method...is it extremely compatible against one who learns Immortal Family Methods...? I partially brought down a divine soul and drew out power, but for it to be this much of a shock...]

Makli Cheon-sa, in a collapsed state, sends a voice transmission toward the clan head Makli Hong.

[Listen well, Hong-ah. Even in the Upper Realm, there are those who use a power different from the existing Immortal Family Methods. Those like you or my adopted daughter.

[Of course, right now, the absolute majority of those who use such power can't even resist those called the Heart Tribe and are getting beaten up, so for now they can't spread their influence, but regardless...

[Soon, starting from the Upper Realm, if the methods of this new system of power spread outward, a great upheaval will occur.

[The Extreme Ghost Path Body not only draws in all kinds of strange powers and chaotic spirits—it is also a vessel that Upper Realm cultivators can easily descend into. But that much more, it is an existence with outstanding sensitivity and attraction force toward 'forgotten powers'. If you keep this one with you, forgotten histories and powers will gather to you from that alone...so please take good care of this one...]

With those words, Makli Cheon-sa's personality applies the Beast Taming method and awakens once the minds of the younger generation who fell into a coma, then leaves Makli Hyun-ah's body as if the task was strenuous. 

The split soul remains as it is, so she can descend again at any time, but because she projected her consciousness too forcefully, she would not be able to descend again for the time being.

Makli Hweol lifts Makli Hyun-ah's body that lies collapsed into his arms.

"Hoh... Since the ancestor descended into a Qi Refining body, you won't even be able to move properly because of the divine zeal. So for the time being, please reset well, Daoist Makli Hyun-ah."

It is then.

Makli Nobi, who awoke from the coma under the influence of the last Beast Taming method Makli Cheon-sa scattered before collapsing, looks at them, then suddenly looks around and shows a bright expression.

"Uh, uh over there...I can see the great mountain range!"

At those words, everyone's gaze gathers toward the western great mountain range.

Below the western great mountain range.

There, the main headquarters of the 'Righteous Dao Immortal Sect Alliance' reveals its majestic form below, protected by a formation.

All the clan members of the Makli Clan dream of hope for the future, and send hopeful gazes toward the land that will become their new home.

And in the gap when everyone's gaze is drawn in.

A small bug-like something that has entered inside the formation without anyone knowing,

Something shaped like a small chain climbs up Makli Hweol's leg without even a trace of presence and crawls into Makli Hyun-ah's body, burrowing into somewhere in his body.

***

Inside Makli Hyun-ah's beast scroll.

There, a raccoon demon beast that gives drill punishment to seven rabbits.

Makli Badger looks out beyond the beast and lets out a faint smile.

"Are you saying you will be together on the inside, ■■? Then I will support you."

Makli Badger.

No, that being with the true name ■■ (金然/김연) acts as an ordinary badger and anticipates how far the story of the new fates can go.

[Editor: 金然 literally means 'Golden Nature'.]

Translator Notes: The literal translation of Neo-Ender is New-Fate-Being.