Absolute Regression

Chapter 608: With Those Tiny Hands, What Are You Trying To Do!

The carriage raced swiftly toward the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Main Division.

Except for brief moments to eat, let the horses rest, or sleep at inns during the night, the carriage pressed on without pause.

Even today, the carriage continued rushing down the road.

As it passed by, kicking up dust, the sparrows perched on a scarecrow all fluttered away at once.

"Just like me, aren't they?"

At Lee Ahn’s words, Geom Mugeuk lifted his head.

"What's like you?"

A crane stood alone on the rice paddy ridge, beyond the spot where the sparrows had just taken off and soared into the sky on the wind.

That dignified figure reminded her of Geom Mugeuk, and she suddenly felt that she herself was like the sparrows who had just flown away. That thought had escaped her lips.

When Geom Mugeuk looked out the window of the carriage, the scenery had already changed, as if to say everything was fleeting.

"Those chirping little things. It’s there, that sort of thing."

"How bland."

"But what are you thinking so deeply about?"

Geom Mugeuk had been immersed in deep thought the entire carriage ride.

"Will I be cut off or not?"

"Excuse me?"

Not understanding, Lee Ahn widened her eyes. Seo Jin, who was beside them, also wore a puzzled expression.

Geom Mugeuk leaned his head out the window and shouted toward the carriage ahead.

"Let’s stop for a moment!"

At his words, the two carriages that had been running ahead came to a halt.

Geom Mugeuk got off the carriage and approached the ones carrying the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme.

"There are only about three or four days left until we reach the Main Division. From here on, let’s travel together."

The Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme, thinking there must be a reason for this sudden suggestion despite everything going smoothly, got off the carriage without hesitation.

Geom Mugeuk then dismissed the two forward carriages and the three coachmen.

"From now on, I’ll drive the carriage myself."

There was indeed a reason behind Geom Mugeuk’s actions.

After unharnessing the horses and letting them graze in the nearby fields, Geom Mugeuk gathered the two Demon Supremes, Lee Ahn, and Seo Jin in one place.

"Please come here for a moment!"

The four of them gathered around Geom Mugeuk. No one understood what he was up to.

"Lee Ahn, draw your sword."

Without warning, he asked her to draw her sword, and she did so as instructed. The energy of the Sun and Moon Sword flowed along the blade.

‘Is he trying to duel with me?’

But her assumption turned out to be completely wrong.

Geom Mugeuk rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm forward.

"Strike my arm with that sword."

A brief silence fell.

"Are you testing your Protective Energy?"

"No. I’m going to block it without using Protective Energy."

At those words, not only Lee Ahn, but the other three were also visibly startled. All eyes turned to Geom Mugeuk’s arm and the Sun and Moon Sword.

"This is the Sun and Moon Sword. It's the one the Young Cult Leader gifted me. The blade’s far too sharp to test whether it’s genuine or not, isn’t it?"

"I’m not trying to test if that is genuine. I’m trying to test if something else is."

What in the world was he talking about?

"My arm hurts. Hurry up and strike it."

"If I strike it, that hurting arm might end up gone, you know."

"Just do it!"

Lee Ahn looked toward the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme. Could they possibly know what Geom Mugeuk was thinking?

Eventually, the Fist Demon King gave a nod to his daughter. It was his way of telling her to do as instructed.

"I'm really going to strike."

"Strike hard!"

Well, if it were anyone else, she might hesitate, but it was the Young Cult Leader. He surely had a reason. Ugh, whatever—she didn’t know anymore either.

The Sun and Moon Sword cut through the air. Since he had said he wouldn’t use Protective Energy, she also refrained from infusing the sword with her inner energy. Even so, it wasn’t a sword that could be blocked even with bones.

Swiish.

Pak.

For a moment, silence blanketed the scene.

As if time had frozen, everyone stood motionless.

The Sun and Moon Sword was resting right on Geom Mugeuk’s forearm. Shockingly, despite the powerful strike, the blade had failed to cut through Geom Mugeuk’s skin.

"Are you alright?"

"No. I feel like dying from the pain. Were you really trying to slice off the Young Cult Leader’s arm?!"

"You’re the one who told me to strike hard!"

"Not that hard! I think you broke a bone!"

Of course, contrary to his dramatics, Geom Mugeuk’s arm was completely fine.

"You used Protective Energy just now, didn’t you? Right?"

"Nope."

Geom Mugeuk shook his head.

A flicker of surprise passed through the eyes of the Fist Demon King who had been watching.

"It wasn’t Protective Energy."

At that, Geom Mugeuk gave a faint smile.

"As expected. You recognized it, Master."

Everyone was taken aback by that statement—especially Lee Ahn.

"Even if you’re the Young Cult Leader, you withstood the Sun and Moon Sword without using Protective Energy?"

"I used this instead."

Geom Mugeuk pulled out a martial arts manual from his robe.

Heavenly Star Body.

A body-protecting demonic art.

It was the very manual he had taken from the vault where the Secret Box had been stored.

The Fist Demon King was familiar with this technique.

"Heavenly Star Body was a demonic art believed to be lost ages ago. Where did you find it?"

"I obtained it this time from the underground treasury."

Geom Mugeuk then explained what he knew about the Heavenly Star Body.

"The great thing about Heavenly Star Body is that it can be used in combination with other protection arts. In moments of crisis, using it alongside Protective Energy would be immensely helpful. I acquired this while handling the Golden Dragon Martial Hall affair, so let’s all train in this technique together."

But the Fist Demon King declined.

"Such a supreme-level martial art is meant to have its own destined master. Since it came to you, you alone should master it."

"Honestly, I was planning to train in it alone anyway."

Not out of attachment or greed.

"To activate Protective Energy while simultaneously deploying this Heavenly Star Body requires an immense amount of inner energy. If you use it carelessly, you might end up wasting energy for nothing and achieve even less than if you had used only one technique. Even if it succeeds, it could strain the body."

That was why he had initially planned to use it alone.

"But while training it, I discovered a way to minimize the internal energy consumption and use it together with existing protective techniques."

At those words, the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme turned to each other with surprised expressions. They both understood just how difficult it was to modify an ultimate-level demonic art like Heavenly Star Body. And yet, he had corrected its greatest weakness.

"You figured that out on the way here?"

"You know I’m a martial arts genius, right?"

Of course, whenever they stayed at an inn, he used the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique to activate the Heavenly Time Secret Art, allowing him to spend even more time contemplating and training.

Still, modifying and applying a martial art like Heavenly Star Body was truly an extraordinary feat.

"Please, allow this disciple a little moment of pride. And unless you two accept it, Lee Ahn and Seo Jin won’t be able to accept it either."

After all, they couldn’t just freely learn a martial art that a Demon Supreme had declined.

Hearing that, the Fist Demon King no longer refused.

"I will now recite the mnemonic verse."

At this, Lee Ahn and Seo Jin were deeply honored.

"Are you truly passing on such a precious martial art to us?"

Lee Ahn was deeply moved. The Soaring Sword Art, the Sun and Moon Sword, and now the Heavenly Star Body. Even the Cult Leader had gifted her the Millennium Snow Ginseng.

‘Just how hard are they planning to work me?’

As her eyes trembled with emotion, Geom Mugeuk shattered the sentiment completely.

"It’s not for your sake."

"Then what?"

Drawing the Black Demon Sword, Geom Mugeuk replied.

"So I can strike too. See this bruise? You line up as well!"

Lee Ahn flinched and backed away at the sight of the Black Demon Sword.

"I’ll present my arm once I reach the level of Greatness. Please wait thirty years."

Knowing full well it was a joke, Geom Mugeuk still played along.

"I won’t forget. I’ll test you then."

Those words lifted Lee Ahn’s mood. It meant he expected they would still be together thirty years later.

But the one who felt the most honored was Seo Jin. She even waved her hands and backed away.

"I’m fine, really."

Lee Ahn was the direct subordinate of Geom Mugeuk and known as his heart—so it made sense. But she herself? She was just a unit leader. How could she dare train in such a martial art alongside a Demon Supreme?

"No, you’re the one who needs this the most. You have to survive long enough to save us with your Ghost Art, don’t you?"

Seo Jin truly hoped for that day to come—when she could save these people with her Ghost Art.

"A martial artist must be most cautious not when learning martial arts, but when using them. For now, just say thank you."

Once again, Seo Jin felt it—the Young Cult Leader’s overwhelming kindness.

"Thank you."

How could Geom Mugeuk possibly hold back such affection for them?

Lee Ahn and Seo Jin.

They were the ones who had allowed his regression to happen. No matter what he gave them, it never felt like too much.

And so, Geom Mugeuk taught the new mnemonic verse of the Heavenly Star Body to the four of them. He repeated it over and over until everyone had fully memorized it.

In the days that followed, as they continued their return to the Main Division, everyone focused on training in the Heavenly Star Body.

The one who trained most diligently was the Fist Demon King—ironically, the one who had initially declined it so adamantly.

"What would you have done if I hadn’t passed it on to you?"

Geom Mugeuk teased him whenever he saw that huge frame training even late into the night. But the Fist Demon King silently devoted himself to his training.

And it made sense. A protective technique like the Heavenly Star Body was most effective for fist-based martial artists who fought with their bare hands.

Maybe that passion was contagious?

The One-Slash Sword Supreme also trained in the Heavenly Star Body in earnest. The protective technique matched well with her demonic arts, and she too recognized its necessity.

Naturally, the three of them—Geom Mugeuk and the two Demon Supremes—began to exchange thoughts about the Heavenly Star Body.

The Fist Demon King had his own sense of the technique’s weaknesses, and the One-Slash Sword Supreme had her own insights. They had never discussed a martial art this openly before, and so they found the conversation truly engaging.

Especially now, when all three had achieved major breakthroughs in their martial cultivation. Their exchange surpassed the principles of protective techniques and touched on profound insights and realizations encompassing martial arts as a whole.

Lee Ahn and Seo Jin only listened. There was much they couldn’t yet understand, but both tried hard to remember everything. One day, they knew, the meaning of these conversations would become clear.

As a result of their exchange, they were able to modify the mnemonic verse to flow even more smoothly.

"Thanks to you both, this is no longer the new Heavenly Star Body—it’s the new-new Heavenly Star Body! The technique is finally complete."

But the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme knew the truth. The only reason they could offer those suggestions was because of the techniques Geom Mugeuk had already refined.

Had it been the original Heavenly Star Body, they wouldn't have even thought of improving it. They would’ve simply accepted it as-is. That difference was immense.

"Now then, draw your sword."

This time, the Fist Demon King told Geom Mugeuk to draw his sword.

He extended his thick fist and forearm forward.

"Strike me."

"You do know my sword is the Black Demon Sword, right? A demonic sword ranked second. Oh, and the one doing the striking is also ranked second. It will cut. I’m telling you—it’ll cut!"

"Enough talk. Just strike."

"Then here I come!"

Swiish.

Paaaak!

The Black Demon Sword failed to cut through the Fist Demon King's thick forearm.

"Excellent."

Of course, Geom Mugeuk had not infused the blade with inner energy either.

But considering it had only been a few days since he began learning it, the Heavenly Star Body had clearly proven its value by blocking the sword energy of the Black Demon Sword. It was a clear demonstration of just how exceptional a protective technique it was.

"Now, let’s test it against a strike."

"Gladly. Where shall I strike? Just give the word."

"This time, I should be the one striking. What kind of test would that tiny little hand of yours deliver?"

As the Fist Demon King curled his massive fist, Geom Mugeuk quickly backed away.

"I’ll take that punch thirty years from now—on the day Lee Ahn slices my arm."

The three women watching burst into laughter at the sight.

Then Seo Jin suddenly turned to Lee Ahn and spoke.

"Have I ever told you this?"

"Told me what?"

"That I’m grateful you picked me."

Seo Jin looked directly at Lee Ahn and said formally,

"Thank you for becoming my Leader."

It was a simple yet heartfelt statement.

More than everything she had experienced in life so far, what she had learned and realized on this journey felt more significant.

She was thankful for receiving so much, so easily, when others might struggle for a lifetime to gain even a fraction of it.

"Thanks to Unit Leader Seo, I’ve learned a lot too."

It wasn’t just a polite response. Lee Ahn had truly gained insight and growth during this expedition beyond the cult.

Her gaze naturally shifted to the One-Slash Sword Supreme standing beside her.

Elegant and beautiful, but stronger than anyone.

Lee Ahn saw in her a future path she herself should follow.

She understood very well just how important that realization was.

What always mattered most was direction.

No matter how hard someone tried, if their efforts were headed in the wrong direction, they wouldn't achieve meaningful results.

In fact, that very effort could become poison and consume them. “I tried so hard, only to end up with this?” “How foolish I was to waste my energy.”

At times like that, one could simply turn back—but the weight of all that effort holds them down.

That’s why the direction is crucial from the beginning.

Only when effort meets the right direction does it become destiny.

Lee Ahn's gaze moved to the person who had taught her all of this.

As if all the jokes earlier had never happened, Geom Mugeuk and the Fist Demon King were now deeply engaged in a serious discussion about martial arts.

Lee Ahn passed on to Geom Mugeuk the very words Seo Jin had said to her.

'Thank you. For being my Young Master.'

*         *         *

Geom Mugeuk and the two Demon Supremes entered the Heavenly Demon Pavilion.

With Geom Mugeuk at the center, the Fist Demon King and the One-Slash Sword Supreme followed behind. The Young Cult Leader was expected, and it was customary for the Demon Supremes to greet the Heavenly Demon after returning from a journey beyond the cult.

As Geom Mugeuk stepped into the Heavenly Demon Pavilion, he shouted loudly as always.

"Father, I’ve returned!"

But at the end of the blood-soaked path, his father's throne mat was empty.

And in his father’s place stood the Chief Strategist, Sima Myung.

"Young Cult Leader, you’ve arrived."

"Chief Strategist."

The Demon Supremes and Sima Myung exchanged greetings as well.

Once the formalities were complete, Geom Mugeuk quickly asked,

"And my father?"

Sima Myung delivered unexpected news.

"The Cult Leader has entered secluded training."