A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation Chapter 808 Chapter 804: A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation

Chapter 804: A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation

⟨Present⟩

Light bursts forth.

Through the secret art of Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, I briefly send the Hopes flying into another world.

They will soon chase after again, but there is nothing better than this to buy ti right now.

Kiriririk!

The Emptiness Sword rings.

It makes a sound like a snake hissing as it rips apart and pushes away the chaos.

As if they are specks of dust, things drift between and Hong Fan, floating and flickering.

Each and every one of those countless specks of dust is a Heavenly Domain.

Just by us standing facing each other, the principles of the world clash, and universes are born and decline like dust in a dust storm.

And then, the Emptiness Sword bares its fangs.

I swing the sword of star clusters, imbued with the power of chaos and the Turning Wheel, and block the Emptiness Sword.

Paaatt!

What echoes out is not so much a simple sound as sothing that should be called a vast vibration or a transcendent resonance.

The first strike.

As my sword and his collide, countless clusters of light burst out like a sandstorm, like fireworks.

Each of them is a new tiline and a parallel world.

And the more worlds co into being, the more the body of the Creator God called Mount Suru is completed and strengthened.

Gugugugu!

The great divinity holding Mount Suru in one hand sucks in the countless Heavenly Domains and parallel worlds being generated around it and throws it within the primordial chaos.

Wiiiiing—

Inside the Gestation World.

Mount Suru spins.

Kugugugu!

The Mount Suru that is spinning falls straight toward us, flickering.

And in the midst of it all, Hong Fan once again swings the Emptiness Sword.

The Hopes are rcilessly fired in a barrage.

At first I could block the Hopes, but now that I too have drawn out every last bit of final power I can use...

'Those powers endlessly evolve in accordance with their opponent.'

They have already evolved to match , and because they are evolving even now as they fly toward , I am actually no longer able to block them.

'The essence of Hope is...'

Only after I beca a half-step Creator God...

Only now am I able to understand that principle and secret.

No, I should rather say that it 'cos to mind'.

Because even when he whispered it to , I could not bear it and could not understand it...

⟨16th Cycle⟩

Kiriririk—

Black Gang Qi surges up from Hong Fan.

That is Hong Fan's Entering Heavens Beyond the Path!

Just like my Formless Sword, those things that seem to have no form or rule fly toward under his will.

—Final Profundity.

It is Hong Fan's nature that, if he has the chance, he imdiately pours his greatest, strongest, ultimate technique onto the enemy to put them to death.

As if proving this, he imdiately unfolds the final profundity of his Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

—Hope.

'Uh...'

The black Gang Qi becos bright light.

For a mont I blankly flinch as I watch the mass of Gang Qi flying toward , then I hastily respond.

My instincts move.

It feels as if soone is whispering by my ear.

—The current Hope is sothing whose power I have held back and restricted by a large degree in order to try crossing hands with you. But its essence is the sa.

Why is it?

Inside Hong Fan...

So voice resounds.

'Is this...Hong Fan's heart?'

I don't know why.

Yet for so reason, right now I feel as if I'm connected with Hong Fan himself.

Up until now, the vision of Treading Heavens only reads the opponent's heart essence more deeply.

But Hong Fan is different.

'As if...'

—The essence of this is a story. It is a story that unfolds in order to ruin the opponent I have taken as my enemy.

'It feels like I'm inside Hong Fan's heart.'

It feels as if a part of my mind has went into Hong Fan's heart essence, connected with his mind, and is telling the answer sheet.

Does Hong Fan know this?

For so reason, I get the feeling that he does.

Wiiiiing—

Tukwagagagang!

From the cave residence where the Heavenly Void Furnace is located, at the center of Ascension Path, a gigantic tunnel is bored through all the way out beyond Ascension Path.

It is that Hong Fan's secret art pierces the Ascension Path, which is on the scale of dozens of mountain ranges, in a single instant.

Walgak!

Though my completely aged body cannot endure taking that technique head-on, it boils up.

"Is this your Entering Heavens!?"

Even though it is Entering Heavens, its fearso power far surpasses my Formless Sword of Treading Heavens.

This is rather...

It even feels as if so transcendent existence, in a state of having reached the Ultimate of Martial Arts, is humoring by insisting that it is Entering Heavens Beyond the Path just to have a match with .

I even feel doubt as to whether this is really power at the level of Entering Heavens...

'Hong Fan said it is Entering Heavens.'

If so, then it is Entering Heavens.

I simply believe it.

If my friend says so, then so it is. What need is there for any reasons or tricks!?

Pachijijijik—

The more I draw out power, the more lightning boils up throughout my whole body.

For hundreds of years, the curse of lightning was never released in the end.

But...

At the sa ti, it also strengthened my full power.

Kururung!

In an instant I transform into a form like a spirit of lightning.

I beco a single streak of lightning, itself.

It is a movent at true lighting speed that an ordinary Nascent Soul stage cultivator cannot move at.

I advance at a speed that far surpasses my realm and crash toward Hong Fan.

But Hong Fan stamps his foot.

—Stepping technique, Black Heaven.

—Movent technique, Future.

Shiririririk—

He flies toward in an instant.

The sight of the black Gang Qi brushing through space as it flies in looks just like a single black snake.

'He surpasses...lightning speed...!'

In an instant he surpasses lightning speed and accelerates even more, and at so point his speed becos such that I, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, am no longer able to follow.

Kiiiiiing—

He accelerates to the extre.

And, for a single instant!

Kwaaaang!

My entire body crumples as I go flying toward one part of Ascension Path.

"Keheok!"

Even though I possess a lightning body, the very [concept] of [lightning] itself crumples and is torn away.

I barely, only by instinct, understand what has happened.

'For an instant...he surpassed light speed...!?'

A speed that, by interfering from the future to the past, makes a sure hit succeed.

It is a speed so far, so distant beyond sothing like lightning speed.

A terrifying Entering Heavens Beyond the Path with no answer in sight.

That is Hong Fan's fearso Entering Heavens.

However, as I see that fragnt of his unfathomable talent...

As I see the gap I can absolutely not overco, I smile.

Because it feels just like fighting Kim Young-hoon.

In the very first cycle, I fought Kim Young-hoon and despaired and despaired again.

However, if I think back on it now...

It seems I was happy just to chase after soone so far beyond my reach that I could never catch up.

"Huhahahaha!"

With a face full of delight, I once again restore my body and unfold the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

As Hong Fan, wrapped in a mass of black Gang Qi, flies toward , for so reason, he begins to transmit to his realizations of Martial Arts while remaining connected to .

—If you wish to face Hope, there are two or three strategies of attack. This derives from the principle of Hope...

Kiiiii!

From his black Gang Qi, clusters of light burst out, and once again his final profundity spews toward .

Why is it?

The sight of him driving into a corner using such fearso techniques...

It even feels like he simply wants to give a thorough beating.

Is there perhaps sothing about he has been dissatisfied with?

Perhaps in the 500 years we have spent together, I only trained with him and treat him too stingily.

'In the next life...I should at least let him eat so delicious potato dishes.'

Right now, the only thing that cos to mind is potatoes.

The clusters of light of Hope suddenly swell to an imnse degree and then rush in to tear to apart.

And I, striving sohow to digest the realizations of Martial Arts that Hong Fan has conveyed, begin to oppose Hope with all my strength.

⟨Present⟩

Kiriririk—

As I look at the Hope that, though I drove it away with Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, once again chases us across the tiline, I recall the principle of Hope.

Only now does the knowledge in my head beco unsealed.

Because the knowledge itself about what is called Hope has belonged to the Future King all this ti, it seems he has kept it sealed until I reached a realm where I can endure it.

'Thank you, Gu Ju.'

Back in the 16th cycle, I was in a realm where I knew nothing, so I actually did not receive any influence at all, but...

Now I perfectly understand the principle of Hope.

If I had co to know this in days of Great Net Immortal or below rather than at the level of a Governing Immortal, I would have gained a powerful Heart Demon from the shock toward the thing that is called Martial Arts that I have known until now.

I would have ended up trying to reproduce Hope at my level even though I could not, have my personality split into thousands, and have gone mad and died.

The principle and essence of Hope are as follows.

Recalling the Martial Arts insights I gained back then, which are only now unsealed, I adjust my grip on the Impermanence Sword.

—Hope is the maximization of sword control.

I rember the ti when I first learned sword control.

I input and input actions into sword control, and at so point, the sword control moved by itself, and in the end I even copied myself into it, becoming Sword Gang.

—It can be called the maximization of a clone.

And if Gang Sphere is maximized, it becos one with one's heart essence and allows one to project that heart essence itself into the world.

However, the heart essence thus projected can at so point be compressed again and 'shot out'.

The power of Seated Detachnt, Entering Hope that Yu Hwa or Jang Ik had shown.

The realm of First Step Before the Throne.

In that realm, you can compress your heart essence and shoot it out, unleashing a powerful single strike that surpasses your realm.

And through that single strike you can create a clone, or lodge it in the other's heart essence so that the other can use it.

Hope is, in essence, First Step Before the Throne, yet [the power of a Single-Strike Clone that evolved beyond the extre into the domain of transcendence].

What he had called sword control at the ti was rely his consideration for , who could not use a Single-Strike Clone.

—You copy your own personality and breathe it into the sword. Here, the range of what you breathe in is literally everything. All of one's talent and heart, and even one's talent and possibility, emotions and even parts of one's soul...

These are things that, in the 16th cycle, I could not understand even when I heard them.

Only now do I understand.

—And then...you modify the personality of yourself that you have breathed in, and you breathe in a goal to annihilate the opponent. What is thereby completed is another self of yourself that sincerely wants to kill a single target...

That other self is thereby duplicated from the mont it unfolds only to kill the set target, and it uses all of the possibilities and talents, personality and strength of yourself that you have breathed in only for killing that fixed target.

You duplicate and modify a personality that reproduces all of yourself, and you use it as a mutual-destruction bomb that makes it think only of killing the target.

That self so created for killing, from the mont it unfolds, agonizes over how to kill the opponent and devises thods and authorities optimized for them.

And even as it flies toward the opponent, it unceasingly tornts itself with delusion and anguish...

At a speed of undying that surpasses Araya Consciousness, no, perhaps even beyond that, for a 'ti close to infinity' it ponders how to ruin and kill the opponent and brings the opponent to death.

Because the goal is thus set, it has the trait of being alive, so even if you evade, it chases, and even if you send it flying beyond the tiline, it cos back again.

The more the opponent evades and runs away, the longer the ti of agonizing over murder becos, so instead of its power decreasing as its airti passes, it is a bizarre profundity that 'continues to evolve' and grows even more powerful.

A single story that exists to destroy one target, and in doing so destroys even oneself.

In a way, it is sothing that can be called a 'Pseudo-Divine Art', sothing that transcends authority and martial techniques.

It is a cruel and pitiful ultimate technique full of self-tornt and self-hatred, that can only be satisfied after abusing, remodeling, and torturing oneself to the end, and watching the opponent and that other self die.

That is the essence and principle of Hope.

A sound like a snake hissing rings out.

—Therefore, the thods for attacking Hope are about two or three in number. The first is to show Hope a possibility other than killing, and to lt Hope away before Hope hits you. However, with this thod, if Hope rejects that possibility and, in the end, still charges in, there is also the danger that Hope's speed of evolution accelerates instead. It is a thod that only soone on the level of a transcendent who uses the power of chaos as the dium of an authority can use.

Back then, I did not know it, but it seems to be a thod that beings such as Creator Gods or great divinities of other words can use to defend themselves a few tis.

—The second is, since Hope ultimately evolves by accepting my talent and possibilities, if you have confidence that you can evolve and grow stronger faster than I can. If you evolve and change faster than Hope, which evolves endlessly in order to face you, you can break Hope head-on.

It is a thod possible only if you evolve and grow at a speed that surpasses Hong Fan's talent and possibilities.

—And lastly...the ti when Hope is weakest is, in the end, the mont it unfolds. Hope at that ti cannot even use the Absolute of Fate or the Three Great Mantras, so if you can change and progress even a little at the mont it unfolds, you can block Hope.

In other words, to fight the Future King, who fires Hope in a barrage, the possibility of ranged combat is forcibly sealed off, and you must fight him in ultra-close-quarters combat, endlessly facing his sword with your own.

Puhwaaaak!

The Turning Wheel Mantra and the chaos of the Outer Sea are manipulated by my will, unraveling countless stories.

And in an instant,

Kiiiiik!

I once more evolve at a transcendent speed.

At a speed that surpasses Hong Fan's talent...!

[Win, Seo Eun-hyun...!]

Jeon Myeong-hoon lts down his own personality and possibilities inside .

At the sa ti, the Red Lightning Heavenly Tribulation dwells in my hand.

Kwarururung!

Jeon Myeong-hoon is the inheritor who received all the legacy of the Owner of Heavenly Punishnt.

The Owner of Heavenly Punishnt Do Gon was the god who gave the na Indra's Net to the Law of Causality.

Because their rank and weight class did not suffice, what Do Gon could do was nothing more than easily interfering with Indra's Net at about a Heavenly Venerable level.

However, if a being that has the weight class, rank, and enlightennt even receives the authority of Naming...

Kururur!

The power of what has been Nad can be seized in my hand and wielded as much as I like.

Jjeoeong!

Indra's Net is the net of principle.

The entire law of causality is wielded by my hand and, together with chaos, tears Heaven and Earth apart.

Once again, the Hopes that could not, for an instant, catch up to , who has evolved through the power of everyone, all burst apart as they are.

I close the distance with him.

Kurururur!

However, that distance does not shrink.

Wiiiiiing—

Endlessly rotating, he cuts and pushes away the law of causality.

By it, everything, including chaos, is pushed away with him at the center.

The mantra of Immortal Cultivation lodges in the Suru Three Heavens Great Thousand World and endlessly pushes everything away.

The countless Heavenly Domains that look like dust shine and are born within it, rejecting us.

An existence that is not tolerated by the world itself must disappear.

—Existence Deletion.

Mount Suru and the authority unfolded by the body of the Creator God.

And on top of that, the power of Immortal Cultivation that dwells in Mount Suru activates together.

—Existence Absorption.

The entirety of the Immortal Cultivation system is governed by Governing Immortals, and if one does not pass each realm, one is absorbed by the Governing Immortals.

The Immortal Cultivation system is, in the end, a system for devouring and being devoured by soone.

Even when one reaches the end of the Immortal Cultivation system, it is a history of repetition of karma that cannot escape the bridle of being summoned to the Supre Deity Grand Banquet and gluttonously devouring the world, eating and being eaten.

That essence sucks us in, trying to devour our very existence.

[In the na of History.]

[In the na of Miracle.]

[We are here!]

Inside , Bong Hwa shouts, and I also shout together, and with the power of Absolutes, we defend against the Existence Deletion being carried out by the Creator God.

Against the authority of Existence Absorption, I endure by using the authority over the Immortal Cultivation system that I have co to govern.

Immortal Cultivation itself belongs to Hong Fan, but in the end, I too have a decent share in the Immortal Cultivation system itself.

On top of that, Bong Hwa resists Immortal Cultivation through the power of Reincarnation, and thanks to it, we are able to endure even that.

But in the next mont, during that fleeting instant when we endure Immortal Cultivation and Mount Suru, the power of Splitting Heaven that cos flying tears our whole bodies apart.

Kiririririk!

Ti is turned back.

As we once again enter onto a new tiline, we fly toward Hong Fan in the midst of chaos.

For long range, with Hope.

For mid range, with the powers of Immortal Cultivation, Mount Suru, Splitting Heaven, and the like.

For close range, distorting spaceti, dinsions, and the future at will with the Radiance Mantra and the attraction force of Absolute of Fate, seizing control of the entire battlefield. That is Hong Fan Gu Ju.

The mont we enter close range, we once again die, struck by the future rewrites of fate and by his throwing technique, Upper.

Kiririririk!

We regress again.

We go on dying.

We die, and die, and die.

Countlessly, I and the Underworld.

lting the souls and personalities of our comrades into one, we pour out everything we have.

Even so, it is not enough, and we must continue to die.

In an instant, the number of regressions soars before we know it to around the 2,900th cycle.

There are about a hundred or so cycles left until we reach the Future King's prophecy.

The closer we get to that fate, the stronger the attraction force becos.

In other words, the closer it gets to the 2,999th cycle, the probability that I will be defeated increases exponentially.

But I do not give up.

I rely look only forward as I keep on dying.

And at last.

Cheok—

I arrive.

Into that distance where I can fight Hong Fan at point-blank range.

Right in front of him, who sweeps across long, mid, and close range all at once.

I at last begin to properly clash blades with him.

What happens if you break through long, mid, and close range and reach the ultra-close range?

It is obvious.

What awaits is the True Martial Arts Emptiness Sword.

It is the ultimate of killing.

Hong Fan Gu Ju's eyes focus on us.

His eyes, which for a mont were tinged with fatigue and anguish, shine with emptiness again.

However, this emptiness is different from the emptiness up to now.

To face , he focuses only on this [mont] and turns a single instant into emptiness.

The sa thod by which Kim Young-hoon reached Void Shattering.

It is not a thod of remaining in emptiness continuously, but one of entering emptiness only in the necessary instants.

Yes, he, in this mont with before him!

He too has been dragged into the domain of [now].

He recovers Void Speed.

He once again moves at the speed of Undying.

And I also use Kim Young-hoon's power.

—Golden Great Thousand World.

I beco a golden wind, chase after him, and crash into him.

At point-blank range I pour out everything.

And!

—Future.

He once again super-accelerates and tears my entire body apart.

I instantly turn back ti with Auspicious Soul Filling the Heavens and recover, but because space is distorted by the Radiance Mantra, before I know it, I am again flung far away from the Future King.

Once again, a barrage of Hope continues!

'He is pushing away.'

However, through the flow of the battle I can be certain.

He's pushing away.

He pushes away without proudly colliding with at close range.

That can an only one thing.

That in his heart, an anxiety towards has arisen.

And anxiety always cos from the unknown.

To him, I, we...are becoming existences of the unknown that even insight into the future cannot grasp.

We beco distant again.

However, we only have to go again.

[Well then. From the very beginning once more.]

To pierce through the Hopes that once again fly toward us and reach him, we stand up once more.

⟨16th Cycle⟩

He grows distant.

To the point I cannot reach.

Innurable black spears fall from long range.

Kugugugugu!

Innurable black arrows.

Kugwagwang!

Even things like so unknown projectiles like stones.

Hong Fan's black Gang Qi endlessly transforms into countless black weapons and presses .

He looks like a monster wrapped entirely in black bandages.

Even without Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, even without sothing like a heart, a secret art that, with just 'technique' alone, lets him charge in and clash with , who is of Treading Heavens Beyond the Path.

Heavenly Silkworm Controlling Ghost Art!

They are the terrifying killing techniques that the existence called Hong Fan said he learned in his previous life in order to survive.

And that killing technique, which fights , who is of Treading Heavens Beyond the Path, even before reaching Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, now reaches all the way to Entering Heavens.

They beco thousands of black snakes that cover Heaven and Earth and bring down the entirety of Ascension Path.

Shikagagagak!

The Darkness World modified from the Star Extinguishing True Chapter slices away the rules and principles laid over all of Ascension Path as if cutting tofu, and destroys the laws of Ascension Path.

Kuuuuuu!

All the seals placed on Ascension Path explode.

The Ascension Path, which was before a Sky Island, falls down.

The dragon veins that are in Ascension Path spread out again into the Heaven-Treading Desert, and in the place where Ascension Path used to be, only the Heavenly Void Furnace, which proudly keeps its position, remains bathed in light.

Kururururu!

When Ascension Path, which has a mass on the level of a small nation, falls into the desert, the entire continent shakes.

Jagged rocks and windblown sand seem to shoot up into the sky, then lt in our heat and turn to glass, turning into a scene that is nothing but bizarre.

It does not end with just that.

Urururung!

Hong Fan's black Gang Qi downpour falls toward where I am and collapses Heaven and Earth.

Countless downward slashes fall like a waterfall and delete everything along their path!

Kwakwagwang!

A hole opens in the center of the Heaven-Treading Desert.

An enormous magma layer is exposed wide inside it, and scorching heat gushes up.

I do briefly wonder why sothing like that exists when the Head Realm is a flat land, but I have no ti to care about such things.

—Future.

Hong Fan, endlessly accelerating, cos before and begins to pound .

—Apex of Killing Techniques.

—Heuk Sa.

Tudududududu!

Originally it is a technique that is unfolded with a sword or sothing sharp that tears the opponent apart in a single blow.

But now he just batters with fist, palm, and kick techniques, and begins to turn my whole body into rags.

For so reason I feel a kind of pent-up resentnt from it, as if he really does hold a grudge against .

'I have to escape.'

Then, how?

It is simple.

If I cannot do it with my own power...

'Then I borrow another's strength if I must.'

Star Extinguishing True Chapter, Cutting Principle.

Through it, I strike and distort the principles of reality and draw out a story from the past.

Immortal Art, Yeon's Play.

Now, I can more or less use it through Cutting Principle.

On top of that, the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections rges with Yeon's Play.

The end of the 15th cycle.

The possibility I discovered at the very end of my previous life.

"If I am lacking..."

Kurururung!

In my hand, I grip the podao of destruction that tears everything apart.

At the sight of that green light, Hong Fan's expression twitches hard and he flinches, as if so unpleasant mory is surfacing.

"...then I can just receive the help of others."

Jang Ik's enlightennt, which substitutes the intent of consolation with the power of destruction, slams toward Hong Fan.

Hong Fan tries to evade, but I add another enlightennt together with it.

—Four Treasures Annihilating Heavens Blade.

—Collapsing Immortals Annihilating Heavens.

—Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

—Surpassing Radiant Saber.

Golden light is infused together with the green light.

'I feel a little sorry.'

It will add more Heavenly Tribulation, but surely this much is no problem for Hong Fan.

The saber that destroys everything and the saber that surpasses all light fuse in a single instant, and they fly and slam into Hong Fan, who has stuck to at close range and is beating .

A halo of light explodes, and for the first ti Hong Fan takes a clean hit and is blown all the way to the Black Castle.

⟨Present⟩

[I am lacking.]

Woo-wooooong!

As I see that torrential rain of Hopes pouring down toward , I reach out my hand toward the heavens.

[So, as I said. I have no choice but to receive the help of others.]

Tsuaaaaaaat!

From inside my chest, a pale pink thread surges endlessly out.

It is Yeon.

Until now she has not properly participated in the battle and has only been drawing a circle with both hands.

At first, I thought it was just power to call down the Liberation Supre Deity, but only after I beca one with her did I understand.

Kim Yeon appears as a shadow behind my back and smiles warmly.

[Spring (春), Sumr (夏), Autumn (秋), Winter (冬). At their end, a year ends, and life cos to its close in Acceptance at Fate's End (考終命).]

Only now can I see the true arrangent Vast Cold has left behind.

Kim Yeon looks at Hong Fan.

[Jeon Myeong-hoon said it. That you fear connection. And...it seems that in that connection, even you yourself are included.]

Without a word, Hong Fan lowers his hand.

Hopes pour down.

[At first you were with us in the form of an old man.

[You gradually grew...but you stopped only at the appearance of an Imperial King. You never beca younger or looked youthful beyond that. It is a strange thing. You have never shown us your young appearance. The closest to your younger days was Hyeon Mu, whom you mocked as a defective product.]

Tsuaaaaaaat!

In Spring, All Things Are Born (春則萬物始生);

In Sumr, All Things Are Nurtured (夏則萬物長養);

In Autumn, All Things Are Matured (秋則萬物成熟);

In Winter, All Things Are Conserved (冬則萬物閉藏);

None Are Beyond The rits of The Four Seasons (無非四時之功也).

The formula of Vast Cold Heavenly Circle swirls above her hands.

Everything cycles.

At the end of death, new life arrives.

So, even if the end of life is cold and a piercing pain, soday...

Spring is bound to co to life once more.

[You are afraid of Spring coming, are you not?]

Light pink bursts out and completely twists one of the Immortal Cultivation systems that Hong Fan has seized.

Splurt!

Sothing black flows from the corner of Hong Fan's mouth.

It is the sa thing that appeared when he was hit by the Apex of Life-Saving Arts, Formless.

It is Hong Fan's pain and dead blood.

[I wish...to give you Spring.]

Deeeeng—

The sound of a brahma bell rings out.

At the sa ti, light gushes out from the Head Realm, and the afterimage of Yu Hao Te, who had been holding his ankles for a brief mont, faintly appears.

Behind Yu Hao Te, the figure of a woman who seems to be Yu Soo Ryeon and the phantoms of all the other Five Blessings Immortals can faintly be seen.

The power of all the Five Blessings Immortals does not gather as before.

What is felt is purely goodness.

However, that goodwill seems instead to bite into Hong Fan even more strongly than anything until now.

It is the spirit of Vast Cold that Hong Fan has retrieved and brought back that is exerting its power.

Hong Fan hurriedly tries to seal Vast Cold's soul with an even deeper attraction force, but it is useless.

The Five Blessings Immortals brought in order to give happiness to Hong Fan.

And the Vast Cold Heavenly Circle, made to give spring to Hong Fan again.

As all those clusters of light gather...

Jjeoooooong!

They twist the Immortal Cultivation system itself.

Kim Yeon, who had fixed her na in order to unfold this one move that the Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King personally planned, is reborn as a new Heavenly King within that great achievent.

Kim Yeon awakens her true na as a Heavenly King.

Tridacna Yeon Heavenly King (硨磲然天王).

Hwarurururu!

As her na blazes up, it rges with my authority and strongly pulls the Immortal Cultivation system and Mount Suru itself.

The Formless Poison that is embedded in Hong Fan's chest runs wild.

The Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation turns into an extre poison ant to console Hong Fan.

Is it because he senses that, following my 16th cycle, if he bears the love and goodwill that have beco imbued in the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation, he will completely let go of the sword?

In the end, there is only one choice that he, who is full of self-tornt that cannot acknowledge himself being saved, can take.

Decision wells up in Hong Fan's eyes, and just like that he temporarily abandons the authority of the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation.

For if he does not give up Immortal Cultivation, it ans he has to accept the love directed toward himself.

In other words, it ans that Hope would end up being sealed away.

And...

All of Mount Suru, which has been bound to Immortal Cultivation, temporarily cos to lose that authority.

Woo-woooong!

I, who hold the largest share in the Immortal Cultivation system, and Bong Hwa, who bestowed the grace of reincarnation upon all living beings of Mount Suru, join our strength together.

The Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation is dragged over by .

Mount Suru is dragged over by Bong Hwa.

Kugugugugu!

By ans of Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception, after I once again send the Hopes flying in toward us off to a faraway place for a while to postpone them,

I then strongly pull back the authority over Mount Suru and the Immortal Art Immortal Cultivation.

And then, a cold, mocking laugh shakes the gestation world.

"As you all, as nars, handle causality as you please, you dare try to claim the rights over what I have nad?"

The Nar of Immortal Cultivation.

At the sa ti, the Nar of Mount Suru.

Hong Fan raises his hand and once again takes back the authority.

As if to say that, even if he cannot use it for a mont, at least he will not let it be taken away.

"My children. Unfold the authority over naming and prove it."

Woo-wooong!

The souls of the Naming Supre Deities that are stuck to Mount Suru and burning.

They are the expectations for the future that Hong Fan dread of together with Bong Hwa in his first life, and the happiness he imagined.

The Western Zero Kings all open their mouths at once and claim authority over nas.

: : Ender that was born by combining all the powers of the Heavens and Nas. Return thy existence before the Heavens. : :

Woo-wooong!

: : Let the Seven Treasures Speed Cycle Flower Naless Yeon Auspicious Heavenly Kings hear. As the grace of the Heavens already dwells in thy na... : :

Heavenly Kings.

Yes, through the power of the heavens, the kings that are refined and transford into fate.

As all the Heavenly Venerables and Heavenly Kings contain in the very na 'Heaven,' they receive at least in part the grace of the Future King.

: : You shall not dare escape from beneath the Heavens. : :

Kim Yeon and I, who have been trying to nullify the Immortal Cultivation system and drag it over by scattering it, in reverse begin to have our side's power taken away again by the declaration of the Naming Supre Deities.

There is power in a na.

Fate is contained in them.

Therefore, everything that bears the na [Heaven] in so sense has received at least a trace of the Future King's help.

Not only the Heavenly Kings but even Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven Annihilation Advancent Mu.

Even nas like Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts have their strength absurdly sucked away by that effect.

[Let us switch the main personality for a mont. I have spent my whole life wary of him and have not accepted even a single Heaven, so right now I have a chance.]

She has not acknowledged even the na Heavenly Venerable.

The owner of the land, who has made it so that, at least for herself, she is to be called only Imperial Venerable, makes a proposal to .

But at that mont.

Another personality inside responds.

[Master. It is all right. I...think I can resolve this.]

At those words, Bong Hwa imdiately grasps the situation and smiles.

[Understood. Co to think of it, if he ends up sacrificing himself right away in a situation where I hold the personality, that would ultimately be his aim.]

Smiling, Bong Hwa once again sinks below the surface of my consciousness, and behind my back the shadow of Kang Min-hee appears next to Kim Yeon.

[Please get ready.]

[Got it.]

The shadow of Oh Hyun-seok likewise appears beside them.

Then, the enlightennt gained as the disciple of the Owner of Nas and Oh Hyun-seok's Primal Chaos World stirs inside and begins to mix together the power possessed by all the nas within .

All those nas that have borrowed the power of Heaven.

All that debt becos one and—through Oh Hyun-seok—becos an even larger and sturdier rope that tightens around .

The power of nas acts so that it draws out our strength even more powerfully.

The will of Jeon Myeong-hoon, which has lted down, gets a bit frightened, and the others who have been influenced by him also beco bewildered.

Kim Young-hoon also rides on that confusion and shouts half as a joke.

[Hyun-seok-ah! What are we supposed to do if you betray us?]

[No... Hyung-nim...]

I, who am the one who is the subject of the personalities, can read everyone's hearts and plans, so there is no problem, but since among themselves they still have not completely mixed and their communication with one another is not perfect, such a joke is possible.

Oh Hyun-seok becos a bit embarrassed, but, clearing his throat, entrusts his back to Kang Min-hee.

[Sever it.]

[Yes.]

Oh Hyun-seok's personality completely lts into .

Puhwak!

And the successive strikes of Hope that I have sent away to postpone once again transcend spaceti and fly toward .

But at that mont,

Finally, Kang Min-hee's mantra, after a long ti, activates a curse.

A truth that none among us had known.

[A flower that has fallen once does not bloom again.]

[Only before the flower falls does one rember the Spring.]

A flower that has fallen once does not bloom again.

Among the many nas of the Heavenly Kings that the Naming Supre Deities have ntioned,

A change occurs in the na of Lapis Lazuli Flower Heavenly King.

Lapis Lazuli Falling Flower Heavenly King.

[We are already petals that have fallen away. We will not go back again.]

Falling.

That very concept reverberates through the entire gestation world and severs the constraints of nas that have been imposed upon us.

The Western Zero Kings try to intervene once more, but I raise my sword.

—Naless.

The naless technique that has no na.

The fate for my child that was completed in the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable Battle.

The single sword stroke ant to commorate that fate that overcos fate completely blocks the intervention of the Zero Kings.

Thus, the power of the Zero Kings that has been surrounding all of Mount Suru and blocking what is being dragged toward us is itself directly pulled over to us.

Besides the Western Zero King, Hong Fan tries to move the other sacrificial offerings to control Mount Suru, but it is useless.

Regarding Northern Gang, just like what Master did, is being made to pay debts to my side.

The Eastern Twin Sal Tree is paying debt to Bong Hwa regarding the power of history.

The Southern Twin Sal Tree, the Heavenly Venerable of Ti who should have beco a sacrificial offering symbolizing fate, has fled and is not here now.

In the end, the power of Mount Suru falls down to us.

Indra's Net completely seizes Mount Suru and entrusts its dominion into my hand.

And...

Tsuaaaaaaat!

It becos one with us.

The Absolute of Life, Bong Hwa.

The Absolute of Miracle, .

And by drawing power from Hong Fan and concurrently holding the position of Heavenly Venerable of Fate, we reached half-step Creator God.

Upon such an us, the body of a Creator God is overlaid.

Wooo-woooong!

The relic of Salt Mountain that Master left behind.

The authority of a Creator God, Salt Sea.

The spirit of the Creation God we obtained, consisting of two-thirds of Absolute. On top of that, even part of the power of Fate.

Lastly, the body of a Creator God, Mount Suru.

All of that now cos into our hands.

Kugugugugu!

'I feel it.'

What form this thing called Divine Art has.

How I can resist it.

As I beco one step closer to omniscience and omnipotence, at last...

My Original Flow.

I realize that I can blossom sothing that can be called my Divine Art.

'This is...my story.'

And perhaps, a story foretold from the ti our Enders began to be created.

My Divine Art cannot be the strongest.

In terms of power, it is rather closer to the weakest.

Perhaps, if it clashes with Silver Basket's Divine Art of Awakening, it might even lose.

However...

This is enough.

To face the Future King Fate Supre Deity Hong Fan Gu Ju, only this alone is likely to be the most effective.

Jjeooooooong!

At the sa ti as I realize it, we shake off the countless light masses of Hope that rush at us.

The distance from a true Creator God is now but a single step.

Woo-wooong—

As Hong Fan begins to execute the story through his Divine Art, he draws up bottomless power.

"We are almost there now. Once I erase only you, it will truly be complete."

Woooooo—

Hong Fan looks at , who has at last co close to Creation, and raises the Emptiness Sword.

"I will erase you. And I will complete Hwe-ah."

[No, Hong Fan. I'm sorry, but the story does not end like that.]

"When you have not even beco a true Creator God, you already dare to be so confident."

[It is not confidence. It is only a fact.]

"You must simply want to believe it. At best, you are nothing more than a single Creator God that is not even complete. Do you really think you can dare to oppose ?"

Kugugugugugu!

What stands before my eyes is the incarnation of the very story called A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation.

The origin of the world we live in.

The parent who gave birth to us all.

The God of Light and Hope.

"Hope is right in front of ."

From the Emptiness Sword, a terrifying light I have never seen until now bursts out.

"Therefore I, right now, am supre."

He, for the first ti, speaks of the present and focuses the entire mass of light into his own emptiness.

"You cannot dare catch up."

—True Marital Arts Emptiness Sword.

—Linked Profundity.

The light of hope that has reached the pinnacle explodes.

The speed of the Future King, who has regained Void Speed, accelerates once more.

—Hope of the Future (未來希望)

A place one reaches only after arriving at Araya Consciousness and passing through the Undying of Infinity.

The domain of a Creator God.

A speed that reaches omnipotence.

Nirvana Tranquility (涅槃寂靜).

A transcendent domain that beings who have not opened Creation, no matter how strong a great divinity they are, cannot reach.

The essence of Future is to temporarily transcend even such limits and, for a very brief ti, reach the perception domain of a Creator.

It is a speed that I, who have still not beco a true Creator God, cannot produce.

Right.

I cannot beco one.

Because I alone can never do it.

[Co, let's catch up.]

Kim Young-hoon's personality, which has not yet completely lted down, appears behind as a dharma form.

Wiiiiing!

A saber is held in Kim Young-hoon's hand.

A weapon made from the previous Golden Body's body.

The authority the previous Golden Body awakened is Causality Reversal.

A mass of light that transcends spaceti and sends events that happen in the future to the past.

[While looking at the light of the future, I finally realized it. What one must do to beco the fastest...]

Tsuaaaaat!

My whole body, for an instant, becos dyed in golden light.

And I, at last, once again understand causality and realize where Kim Young-hoon's soul is.

[So that's how it is...]

Kim Young-hoon's soul is in the past.

The mont his soul was generated is probably the point in ti when he ca to the Audience Chamber together with Jeon Myeong-hoon.

According to his words, it is probably when he first directly beheaded the Future King's technique, Light.

He attained enlightennt and gained a soul, and with the previous Golden Body's ability, he sent his soul flying to the past.

Causality has been flipped.

Kim Young-hoon's soul was not the last to be created among us.

On the contrary, it was the one created before any of us.

Everything...

On the day he completed Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts...!

Huarururuk!

The insight of Martial Arts that Kim Young-hoon attained while watching Light flows into .

Light is the extre of spiraling force.

The technique of the Emptiness Sword that is based on the power of rotation.

It is his enlightennt about all rotation in this world.

And that rotation does not end as simply rotating in reality.

Once one reaches a certain realm, anyone can transcend spaceti and go to the past.

It is just that it has been impossible because it was blocked by the Radiance Mantra.

If one is the original owner of the Radiance Mantra, such a thing would always be possible.

Thus, knowing that spaceti as well can be rotated infinitely, he must have applied that to Martial Arts.

'That is...'

I use the move.

And, through that move, I reach faster-than-light speed and briefly return to the past.

As I reverse through spaceti once, I go back against ti, stand above ti, resist the flow of ti, and connect the who is beginning the motion in the past and the in the future who has reached faster-than-light speed.

The who has obtained acceleration at faster-than-light speed in the future reaches the past before I am just about to reach faster-than-light speed and grants that acceleration.

As the above is repeated again, the speed reaches the infinite.

No, even the word 'repeated' is strange.

It is rely [finding the possibility of infinity] with a person's body.

[The circle that links future and past. The true ultimate of rotation. This, truly...is Heart-Mind Six Harmonies (心意六合) in which causality is joined.]

Kim Young-hoon's voice rings out clear.

And...

His entire life begins to flow into .

His soul, which has gone to the past, becos Martial Arts.

Transforming into Martial Arts that is endlessly succeeded and passed down, it accompanies every step of the journey he takes to co this far.

And then, it reaches this very mont again.

As future and past connect and causality becos one, it transforms into the principle of Six Harmonies, the origin of all things.

In that mont he, we, beco infinite.

In the Golden Great Thousand World that has already once reached the speed of Undying by its own principle, the enlightennt and principle of Heart-Mind Six Harmonies are embodied, and it accelerates [once more].

Kiririririk—

The saber obtained from the previous Golden Body, ford of their body, loses its golden light and changes.

I look at that shape and understand.

'I see.'

In this mont, future and past connect.

The 17th cycle...

It is that old, chipped iron sword he has been carrying ever since, after the 12th cycle, I left Kim Young-hoon behind, ascended, and then t him again.

Shiririririk—

The iron sword that was used once went to the past and was driven down into the Head Realm of the past.

Kim Young-hoon's soul dwelled in the saber and has been together with him for his whole life.

As causality rges into one, we square infinity with infinity.

And...

Wiiiiiiing—

At last,

We are able to stand at the sa eye level as Hong Fan.

Nirvana Tranquility.

And the Hope that cos crashing in with that omnipotent speed.

Toward it, I stretch out my hand at the sa speed.

—Golden Great Thousand World, Transcendence Technique

—Surpassing Radiance

Going round and round, once again to the very first na.

I escape from the Light of the Future and that Hope which has not yet co.

Through a speed that escapes all causality and spaceti, we reach that mont when Hope has not yet fallen from Hong Fan's sword.

Blocking Hong Fan's Hope through the final strategy of attacking Hope, we are at last able to et Hong Fan's gaze at point-blank range.

The Emptiness Sword and the Impermanence Sword collide.

[Hong Fan!]

As we crash at a distance where our noses almost touch, as I feel Kim Young-hoon's personality completely lt into ...

I squeeze out everything in my whole body and shout.

[Pour it out!]

Kwaaaaaaang!!!

Hong Fan's power, containing the authority of Divine Art, tears us apart.

We have already caught up to Future, which is at the speed of Nirvana Tranquility.

But that is as far as it goes.

In the end, the Divine Art that remains can absolutely not be blocked.

But it does not matter.

No matter how many tis I am torn apart, I am Miracle.

Bong Hwa is Life.

The two of us combined can co back to life as many tis as it takes.

Kiririririk!

Turning Wheel and Reincarnation, as our mantras that have co infinitely close to Creation combine, they are being born under a new na and are granting us an opportunity.

Its na is Great Balance (鴻鈞).

It is a symbol that symbolizes the chaos of primordial tis, and it is the pinnacle of the will that tries to make a wheel and roll the era forward.

As long as this exists, my Auspicious Soul Filling the Heavens is certain to succeed.

In this one battle, no matter how many tis we turn ti back, we can co back to life!

"You are growing tired."

Then, the transparent eyes of Hong Fan instantly see straight through my inner thoughts.

The being that has reached the peak of slaughter swiftly sees through the state of the one to be slaughtered and gleams.

"To bypass the will of a Creator God is a tiring thing. Even I split myself into three faces to bypass the law of the predecessor. Yet, you really think you can dare break that law and so easily maintain that fusion?"

Tsuaaaaat!

Hong Fan's black eyes reflect .

And within the reflected in those eyes...

My pupils are gradually changing to golden.

"Because your talent and potential are not even one-thousandth of mine, I gave you three thousand cycles of ti to see your possibility."

Even my personality can no longer endure and is gradually collapsing.

If I collapse, in the end Bong Hwa's personality is bound to burst forth.

"When the ti of prophecy cos, in the end, your ego will collapse and Hwe-ah will appear. If that happens, it is my victory. Do you truly not know why Silver Basket told you that thod in the beginning?"

Kagagagagak!

His Emptiness Sword imbued with Divine Art gradually presses down.

By ans of Divine Art, he overwhelms even , who has beco close to a Creator God.

"You all voluntarily becoming one is rely the move that most raises the chance that I pull my attention away from Silver Basket. Seo Eun-hyun."

He calls my na and speaks.

"Together with ...let us see the ending of the story. Here is your end. The end of you all. And my end."

[The end...]

Inside the Gestation World where chaos unceasingly boils over.

Around it, countless worlds and worlds break into fragnts and powder and shine.

In that strange yet beautiful world of light...

I feel his sincerity.

He now truly wants to see the end of the Divine Art together with .

Because now, to him, I too,

Am a friend.

[...You already know the answer.]

"Is that so?"

Hong Fan stares straight into my eyes and begins to breathe Divine Art into the Emptiness Sword.

A true irrationality that cannot be seen, cannot be felt, and cannot be controlled crushes us down.

Words are unnecessary. Our fight continues to grow more and more intense.

⟨16th Cycle⟩

—Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

—Secluded Valley.

—Flowing Ridge.

After a diagonal upward slash cos a thrust.

Hong Fan lightly evades the attack, steps on Seo Eun-hyun's foot so he cannot escape, then reads every single movent of Seo Eun-hyun's muscles, predicts his every action, and begins tapping at pressure points all over his body.

Seo Eun-hyun's entire body is transford into lightning, making it physically impossible to touch, but reaching the realm of law and principle, Hong Fan directly strokes all of it and seals the spirit veins themselves.

Kaaang!

The lightning-transford body returns.

Seo Eun-hyun's speed decreases.

Imdiately after, Hong Fan slams Seo Eun-hyun's body down directly.

Shririk—

—First Quarter.

—Illusory Play under the Rosy Afterglow.

But Seo Eun-hyun also, through Yeon's Play and the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections, unfolds with his body countless other kinds of Manifestation and resists Hong Fan.

Hong Fan freezes for a mont under an intense desire to sleep.

Seeing that sight, Seo Eun-hyun wears an apologetic smile.

"I see, Hong Fan."

Briefly separating from Hong Fan, he begins to breathe the entirety of his Nascent Soul into the Colorless Glass Sword in order to manifest the strongest decisive technique he can unleash from the realm of Treading Heavens.

"...So you were tired."

Hearing those words, Hong Fan's pupils tremble.

He clutches his own chest tightly.

He is getting tired.

Yes.

A person who does not sleep in succession, a person who has never once rested...

A person who lives only in Winter for their entire life does not suffer.

Because they have already grown used to it.

Because their body has beco numb and accustod, soaked in that cold, that pain, that fatigue.

However...

A person who has even once found themselves in an environnt where they can close their eyes.

A person who has had a chance to rest, who has once greeted Spring, suffers.

For as their body has been warmly lted, the Winter that cos again hurts all the more.

Hong Fan, who has once allowed the warmth of the heart from another, grits his teeth and concentrates the black Gang Qi even more into his hand.

The Gang Qi evolves into a throwing weapon.

'I...am tired...?'

The essence of himself being that ridiculous and petty heart of wanting to rest.

Hong Fan can absolutely not accept that.

Kiiiiing!

Seeing Hong Fan prepare a technique, Seo Eun-hyun hides using the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, but it is aningless.

—Applied Technique.

—Great.

The Gang Qi is thrown.

Tukwang!

Tukwang, tukwang, tukwang!

And the single thrown black Gang Qi splits in the air into thousands, tens of thousands of pieces, and slams down all across the Heaven-Treading Desert like a torrential downpour.

From all over, pillars of fla born from the mingled heat, wind pressure, and impact rise up and lead the entire Heaven-Treading Desert toward annihilation.

Within that black and vicious wide-area attack, in the end, Seo Eun-hyun ends up with one of his legs turned to powder by a single storm of destructive Gang Qi that flies in regardless of the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts.

However, he does not care.

He simply overlays the Formless Sword over the Colorless Glass Sword and waits for an opening.

What he aims for is One Annihilation to the Near Shore.

A move where he contains his own Nascent Soul in the sword strike, explodes it, and dies together with the opponent.

However, this is sothing that focuses on exploding the Nascent Soul.

It is not a technique that focuses on the principle of swinging the sword.

How, in what manner, should he approach and land it?

With which move should he combine One Annihilation to the Near Shore and send it out?

'What is needed when facing Hong Fan...'

Hong Fan is weary.

For so reason, the heart that he wants to rest is being conveyed.

'...Right. An attack he can predict would be good.'

There is also the desire to surprise Hong Fan with an unexpected attack.

Since his fatigue is his current weakness, driving in to stab at that weakness is also Martial Arts.

However...

He decides not to do so.

Instead, he resolves to unleash One Annihilation to the Near Shore through an attack whose path is the easiest to predict.

The reason is simple.

That fatigue, that heart of wanting to rest...

He does not particularly want to wake it up.

Because that fatigue is clearly...

Sothing that has arisen while Hong Fan was together with Seo Eun-hyun himself over the span of five hundred years.

His friend has grown weary because of him, so how could he do sothing so an as to deliberately wake him from his rest?

'Let him rest.'

Let's help a friend rest.

Thinking such thoughts, he prepares the stance for an 'upward slash'.

⟨Present⟩

—Emptiness Sword Final Profundity.

—Hope, One-Hundred Consecutive Strikes.

He shaves himself down and spews out countless lights of Hope.

Seeing such a Hong Fan, Seo Eun-hyun thinks.

The story he heard in the Ancient Force Realm's Penglai Island from the Queen of Penglai Kingdom inside the dream world.

The one other thod that lets the people of the dream world leave Penglai Island.

—The drears call this world a dream. So the way to leave this world is similar to the way you wake from a dream.

—What is the thod to awaken from a dream?

—To violate a taboo.

The gist is that if you wish to wake from a dream, you gain the greatest effect when you commit in the dream an 'act that must not be done in reality'.

—Of course, the degree of that taboo differs from person to person, but one thing is certain. If you violate the greatest taboo, you can in the end escape from the dream.

—The greatest taboo?

—Yes. It is self-harm.

To abuse yourself.

That, from the deepest layers of the unconscious, is the act that every intelligent living being most shuns and hates, and clearly it is sothing that deserves to be called a taboo.

—And at the end of that lies suicide. That is right. If you wish to leave Penglai Island, drive yourself to the very brink of the extre. And if even at the end of that it still does not work, then as a last resort, if you commit suicide...there will be a possibility.

To deny one's own existence and everything about oneself.

That is the thod for leaving Penglai Island, and the thod for waking from the dream.

Seo Eun-hyun looks at Hong Fan.

Hope is the technique that abuses oneself the most.

It is a technique in which he grants himself the greatest despair and pain and shaves himself down.

'You are...trying to wake up from the dream, aren't you, Hong Fan?'

Seo Eun-hyun looks at the Formless Poison that lies dormant in Hong Fan's chest and continues to spread even now.

By now that Formless Poison is passing a certain critical point.

And, by Kim Yeon's blessing, it begins to draw in the will contained in the Immortal Cultivation system.

Hong Fan is gradually becoming younger.

His beard, albeit slowly, shortens, and his dignity and majesty diminish bit by bit.

He is forcibly seeking Spring.

The season he fears the most.

It is the season in which people can rest.

'You are thinking that everything I breathed into you with the Apex of Life-Savings Arts is nothing more than a terrible dream and fatigue to you, aren't you?'

One who has never once rested does not find it hard.

The one who is always in the greatest pain and hardship is the one who has at least once tasted warmth.

Pakang!

And,

From Hong Fan's physical body, the spaceti of the 16th cycle breaks open again and returns to Seo Eun-hyun.

It is because Hong Fan can no longer endure the emotions of the Formless Poison, and even if it ans returning a part of the 16th cycle to Seo Eun-hyun, he has to vent out the erosion of the Formless Poison.

A vicious technique passes between them.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Zero Net.

The net that tears Heaven and Earth apart bares its fangs toward Seo Eun-hyun.

In an instant he dies once more and, barely regressing, cos back to life.

However, the Hopes continue to pursue him.

Yet for Seo Eun-hyun, who is now beginning to regain the mories and experiences of the 16th cycle, a thod is now coming into being.

Tsuaaaaat!

In a single mont, his Impermanence Sword is dyed in green light.

Seeing that sight, Hong Fan hastily moves away from him.

Toward the Hopes, he throws the greatest comfort he can give.

Wiiing—

Chwah!

It is like a brushstroke.

The void becos tinged with brushstrokes of green light.

Seo Eun-hyun grips his sword.

—Severing Heaven Sword Form.

—First Form.

—Entering Heaven.

The ultimate of Hand Commands Sword.

Holding the sword, he becos the very cluster of dancing light itself.

The green light flares up and, like a storm, directly strikes the Hopes.

And...

The Hopes begin to lt down.

For ordinary Creator Gods to deal with hopes, they add a story onto the Hope and grant it another possibility.

They either give it the possibility of becoming even happier, or properly grant the Hope a soul or existence and separate it from Hong Fan to give it a chance to live another life.

In such cases, Hope may be broken, but it also may not.

Rather, if it is not broken, having shaken off temptation, it becos even more steadfast, and with a far more vicious and horrible might, it tears the Creator Gods apart together with their worlds. That is the technique of Hope.

However...

Why is it?

Under Seo Eun-hyun's sword strikes, the Hopes all lt away without a single failure.

The green light comforts the Hopes and lts them away in the void.

At the sa ti, Hong Fan, kicking off from the space of chaos and shooting forth, scatters the Emptiness Sword.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Heavenly Light.

Force of repulsion mixed with spiraling force flies toward him.

—Severing Heaven Sword Form.

—Treading Heaven.

The ultimate of Eye Commands Sword.

The sword lights that leave his hand shake off the repulsion force and, rotating around them, grind them down.

At that sight, Hong Fan once again opens so distance from Seo Eun-hyun and hurls the Emptiness Sword again.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Emperor God.

A transcendent throwing technique that uses attraction force.

—Severing Heaven Sword.

—All-Heavens Righteous Understanding.

—Punishing Heaven.

As the powers of All-Heavens and Punishing Heaven link together, Seo Eun-hyun's strength amplifies madly.

On top of that, the ultimate of Heart Commands Sword, Punishing Heaven, mixes in, smacks down the thrown attack, and easily chases after Hong Fan, who tries to get away from him.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Emperor Devil Naless Rending.

Hong Fan's single sword becos vicious claws on the level of a living Supre Deity, thrashing in all directions and tearing the space apart so Seo Eun-hyun cannot approach.

—Severing Heaven Sword Form.

—Punishing Heaven.

—Escaping Heaven.

He responds to that change with Heart Commands Sword, and with Escaping Heaven reads the flow of Hong Fan's Martial Arts and, in an instant, enters into a 'connection' with Hong Fan.

Hong Fan's eyes shake.

For a brief mont, he again cannot maintain emptiness and cos down from the speed of Nirvana Tranquility.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Great Net Radiance.

The Emptiness Sword splits apart, races in all directions together with repulsive force, and is fired in the form of planes that look similar to sword curtains.

Each and every one of them contains not only the principle of spiraling force, but also the principle of super-acceleration using the unity of future and past that Kim Young-hoon discovered, so it cannot be broken by ordinary techniques.

—Severing Heaven Sword Form Derived Profundity.

—Sword God Dance.

And, while in a state of being connected with Hong Fan, Seo Eun-hyun's eyes shine.

At the sa ti, he reads Hong Fan's heart essence and imbues it into his sword.

The Ultimate of Martial Arts that borrows another's power, Sword God Dance.

—Sword God Dance Revised.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Light of Heavenly Net.

Together with imnse repulsion force, a barrier of pure white light, similar to Great Net Radiance yet different, advances and collides with Great Net Radiance, and the two mutually cancel each other out.

Pachijik—

Sothing keeps breaking out from Hong Fan's body.

The spaceti of the 16th cycle that Seo Eun-hyun gave him...

...is flowing without stopping.

To expel that poison, he is returning the entirety of the 16th cycle's spaceti to Seo Eun-hyun with all his might, and yet,

That poison still does not drain away.

Hong Fan glares at Seo Eun-hyun.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Profundity.

—Devil Heavenly King.

Claws that tear the entire body apart rush in in a form where attraction and repulsion force are combined, becoming a monster that tries to bite his entire body to pieces.

Once again, Seo Eun-hyun's Sword God Dance spits out light.

—Severing Heaven Sword Form, Derived Profundity, Sword God Dance Revised.

—Emptiness Sword Linked Five Profundity.

—Divine Net Upper Heaven.

Within the throwing technique that pierces all defenses, repulsion force seems to arise, then the repulsion force is concentrated into a single point, pierces through the monster, and sends it flying all the way outside the Gestation World.

Seo Eun-hyun reads it.

Through that, he strikes back.

No matter what technique Hong Fan uses, it is useless.

'I cannot do anything with my own strength.'

If likened to personal growth, Seo Eun-hyun and Hong Fan have a difference in talent and possibility literally greater than a thousandfold.

It is for that reason that Hong Fan bothered to give about three thousand cycles of chances with prophecy.

He is the one who, after only three deaths, reached every conclusion and beca the Future King.

As for regression itself, he may have rewound ti endlessly many tis, but three deaths are the true number it took for Hong Fan to beco a transcendent.

Seo Eun-hyun likewise stepped over countless hardships, accumulated his talent by himself, and created possibility with his own strength.

He grew while receiving the help of countless people.

Therefore, even calculating in that grown talent and possibility, Hong Fan decided to grant him a thousandfold number of chances.

It is also compensation for the fact that the existence called Seo Eun-hyun, even after losing the entire chance of the 16th cycle, never once gave up and continued to believe in him to the very end.

'It is not a thousandfold.'

The talent that used to be like trash is growing.

His scope of possibility and growth is changing in a way close to evolution.

This is, yes...

He is gradually becoming like Hong Fan Gu Ju.

There is only one reason.

Even if his own talent and potential do not even reach one-thousandth of Hong Fan's, he still reaches it by borrowing from all the connections he has accumulated.

'Are you saying there are that many people behind you...?'

They collide.

It is not rely the power of True Martial Arts and martial techniques.

Everything.

He truly crashes everything against him.

The authority of fate, future rewrite, and attraction force.

Divine Art.

The act of firing Hope in a barrage.

The mantras of Splitting Heaven and Radiance that still remain to him.

He faces him containing all of this.

He confronts him containing all of this.

Seo Eun-hyun is still weak.

He has succeeded in counterattacking him a few tis, but still, again and again he is torn to death, cut to death, ground to death, blown apart to death.

He dies and dies and dies again.

Before he knows it, the tiline Seo Eun-hyun has shifted reaches the 2,990th cycle.

'Within nine counts, I will settle it.'

It is splendid.

Until now, not a single being has ever made the Future King Fate Supre Deity Hong Fan Gu Ju pour himself out this far.

Even the Salt Sea Supre Deity, whom he regarded with the greatest vigilance before Seo Eun-hyun, accomplished no more than break Hope a few tis, and that was all.

'Is it only you who can receive to this point?'

But...

That too is now over.

Seo Eun-hyun is clearly now Hong Fan's true friend.

But...

Perhaps he has already co too far to make sothing like a friend.

"...The story..."

Woo-woooong!

Hong Fan begins to draw out his final full power.

"...must be completed."

Most Supre who Opens the World, Wielder of Talismans, Ruler of Calendrics, Truth Embracing Dao Embodying Future Radiance Nine Firmants Ti Governing Myriad Daos Non-Action All-Illuminating Great Hall Vast Heaven Golden Gate Fate Great Heavenly Venerable Black Martial High Supre Deity.

He undoes the last shackle that has been restricting the full power of the Future King.

His title title peels away.

Clang!

Kugugugugung!

Relying on his innate talent and potential, he climbed all the way up to the supre seat.

And after that, he spent ti spanning nayuta kalpas.

And after that as well, he has accumulated power.

Not only what he was born with, but what he accumulated and accumulated with his own hands...

A level of authority that cos to threaten even the position of the Creator God who is originally supposed to be born.

Kugugugung!

At the magnitude of that transcendent [power], the entire Gestation World shakes.

At the sa ti, the shell of the Gestation World.

The boundary of Cakravāda shakes violently.

It is an on that a Creator God is about to be born in the Gestation World.

The Conception Palace of Omnipotence in which a Creator God has not been born.

The power that has beco transcendentally strong over too long a ti ignores the rules and laws fixed by the previous Creator God and now has beco such that it can gain by itself the position of a new Creator God.

Even if the forr Absolutes and the like are gone, if left alone, it has reached a transcendent rank of authority that can simply create a new world.

It is the power he intends to use as the driving force to manufacture a new Absolute, and his confidence.

The greatest reason that the Creator Gods sincerely sympathize with and pity the Future King.

"Myriad Stars. Just as you have accumulated, I too, since reaching the pinnacle, through nayuta kalpas, have power that I have accumulated."

Sothing transcendent that the Future King has accumulated by sucking in countless Supre Deities with attraction force and gulping down chaos settles into him.

He shakes off the will with which the Gestation World begs him to use it for genesis, and he pours all that authority out solely for destruction.

Hong Fan begins to take his stance.

"What you believe in must be Formless Poison."

He at last acknowledges Seo Eun-hyun.

And, learning Seo Eun-hyun's thod, he evolves once again through him.

He rembers Seo Eun-hyun's spirit.

No matter how unfavorable it seed and how without possibility it seed, the spirit with which he sacrificed his very own existence, wrested away from him the authority over the Enders, and at last ascended to the position of Ender Supre Deity.

Kiririririk—

As the Radiance Mantra moves, it splits even further and rewinds the tiline of Seo Eun-hyun, who has not even died yet.

And in the process of rewinding, just as Kim Young-hoon has done, it arms himself with even more infinite possibilities by uniting future and past.

Because Nirvana Tranquility itself is the ultimate of all speed and of the cognitive world, he does not go so far as to transcend yet another dinsion, but it is enough if he is just a little faster than Seo Eun-hyun.

Certainly, Seo Eun-hyun, who has received the body of a Creator God, grows stronger the more his tiline is split, but in the end the attraction force of fate grows still stronger.

The one who is killed before three thousand cycles pass is Seo Eun-hyun.

In an instant, through nine regressions, squaring nine tis the infinite possibility, Hong Fan, who has raised his speed a little higher than Seo Eun-hyun's even within Nirvana Tranquility, faces Seo Eun-hyun.

Wiiiiiiiing—

"Since you have done it, there is no reason I cannot either."

—Severing Mountain Swordsmanship.

The sword for killing the Mountain Divine Spirit unfolds from Hong Fan's hand.

He, in order to understand Seo Eun-hyun,

And to make Seo Eun-hyun understand, reveals the disparity in power through the technique.

—Transcending Peaks.

A horizontal slash of Hong Fan, who has brought out all of his power.

A mythic power into which even Divine Art is integrated!

Seo Eun-hyun begins to pour in all his strength.

[I will block it.]

Even if he has to offer up all of himself!

Seizing that opening and closing his eyes to quench the Formless Poison dwelling in him, Hong Fan imdiately prepares the power to deliver the final blow to Seo Eun-hyun and shatter his personality.

The Regressor's Tale of Cultivation that he wishes for is standing on the verge of a hopeful ending.

"Life is Hope."

Muttering such as if to resist Seo Eun-hyun's words...

He wraps Seo Eun-hyun's Auspicious Soul Filling the Heavens technique around the Emptiness Sword and takes the posture of Great Mountain Pressing Down.

"Right now, there is only pain."

The ti has co to bring an end to the Mountain Divine Spirits.

"But Hwe-ah will surely give salvation to everyone."

The light of Hope that evolves without rest changes.

—True Martial Arts Emptiness Sword.

—Seventh Move, Final Profundity Revised.

—Salvation (救援).

The evolved profundity that transcends the original Hope shines at the tip of Hong Fan's sword and illuminates the entire Gestation World.

⟨16th Cycle⟩

"That is not a good idea."

Hong Fan looks down at Seo Eun-hyun with eyes tinged with fatigue.

The choice of an upward slash is not a good choice for a swordsman.

To cut upward is a technique that does not receive the help of gravity, but rather goes against it toward the opponent.

The stance of an upward slash is not treated as a central focus in many sword schools.

Because there are not just one or two disadvantages.

Starting from the fact that the posture of the human body is not suited to an upward slash, to even the vagueness of its effect.

"When has my choice ever been the best?"

However, Seo Eun-hyun runs toward Hong Fan with a smile.

Mountain Lord Transcending Peaks Step.

With a firm lower body, he charges at Hong Fan like a tiger and heads for his chest.

In Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, there are especially many forms that slash upward.

From the third move Ascending Vein on, up through Deep Mountain and Cliff Edge.

All take on a disadvantageous position and are powers that strike the opponent up from below.

Even though Hong Fan's technique Heaven is likewise based on an upward slash, he infuses into it the power that shoots outward through repulsion force.

It is also a move that focuses more on the repulsion force itself than on the upward slash.

It is not a sword that simply, foolishly goes against gravity like Seo Eun-hyun's.

Even so, Kim Young-hoon, the creator of the Severing Mountain Swordsmanship, deliberately created forms that slash upward.

Why is that?

"...Well, alright. Then now..."

Hong Fan made a promise with Seo Eun-hyun.

And, in a way, this current duel is the price of his promise with Seo Eun-hyun.

In order to pay the price, he prepares a move that he can show to Seo Eun-hyun, a move that, at this point in ti, can give him an insight that can help him even a little.

—Future King (未來王).

Accelerating and slashing down.

It is simple and straightforward.

However, its power is just as clear.

If Future King is unfolded at full power, he is confident that even in his current state, with the body of a mortal being, he can pierce a hole in the Head Realm.

In fact, it is a crazy technique that can even punch a hole in the body of a Supre Deity with a mortal body.

A simple, clear, and strongest downward slash.

From now on, this insight will remain inside Seo Eun-hyun's heart essence and influence the techniques Seo Eun-hyun will create in the future.

Hong Fan briefly looks at the futures in which Seo Eun-hyun overcos countless opponents through the downward slash.

'This...is the last gift I give you.'

Hong Fan also charges toward Seo Eun-hyun.

In the next mont,

Their upward and downward slashes collide.

Kaaaaaaang!

Since Hong Fan has no particular desire to smash the Colorless Glass Sword that Seo Eun-hyun likes, he reduces the sharp energy and converts the power only into a shockwave.

However, the One Annihilation to the Near Shore imbued with Seo Eun-hyun's Nascent Soul shatters and bursts apart under Hong Fan's downward slash, which has even eliminated the sharp energy.

The Colorless Glass Sword flies far off into the distance, and Hong Fan's sword, by his control, turns entirely into a shockwave, so that instead of cleaving Seo Eun-hyun in two, it only delivers impact across his whole body.

Seo Eun-hyun becos a bloody lump and collapses on the spot.

Thud—

Hong Fan looks down at that Seo Eun-hyun, then scatters his Gang Qi.

"...Are you satisfied, Master?"

At the end of his life, Seo Eun-hyun, who has clashed his heart's content and confird that Hong Fan, to whom he has taught Martial Arts, has followed the sa path as himself, smiles gently.

"It is...the best last mont."

"That is fortunate."

"...I will keep the promise...if there is a next life...that is."

Now, hardly any life force remains in Seo Eun-hyun.

Before long, even his remaining form is going to be transford into lightning and scatter as a single bolt.

Hong Fan uses attraction force to naturally suppress those lightning bolts and preserve Seo Eun-hyun's form.

It is the least courtesy toward Seo Eun-hyun, who has made a promise with him.

Seo Eun-hyun, in an aged appearance, looks at Hong Fan and speaks.

"Hong Fan, are you there?"

Now even his eyes seem dim.

He is in such an exhausted state that he cannot even emit his consciousness domain.

"I am here."

"Why I chose an upward slash at the end. I want to tell you."

"Is there a reason?"

"No, then what, did you think I am a person who just lives however he feels like without thinking? I am also soone who has a reason for his actions."

"..."

Hong Fan squeezes his eyes shut.

Is it because he has experienced warmth?

The emotions that have been almost worn away...

Seem to co back to life, at least in part.

"Is it not because I look tired that you faced only to a moderate extent?"

"Hehehe, I did not face you moderately. Why would I do such a thing? It is just that...I wanted to tell you, who has just reached Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, the aning of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts, which is the basis of the na Entering Heavens Beyond the Path."

"Is it not a martial discipline ant for transmission itself?"

Seo Eun-hyun looks up at Hong Fan and continues speaking.

"Transmission, of course, is there. The wish that later generations reach a higher realm through martial discipline...but that is a ans, not the goal. Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts does not take such a thing as its purpose."

"Then what is it?"

"The purpose of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts is, to accomplish."

"To accomplish?"

"Yes. It is to accomplish one's wish."

"..."

"To achieve what you wish, you must look into your own heart. Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts is...a martial discipline to make you look into your own heart and have you reflect on what you yourself want."

Gradually, Seo Eun-hyun's breathing becos rough.

His life force is now running out.

However, even as he is dying, he does not stop passing words to Hong Fan.

"Because I longed for freedom from fate, I obtained the Formless Sword. The founder of this martial discipline, in order to go beyond cultivators and surpass everything that blocks him and return ho, obtained the Surpassing Radiant Saber. And Hong Fan. As I see it, you seem to long for sothing else."

"...It seems you have seen my fatigue."

"Yes. You want to rest."

"...Are you going to cheer on to take it easy?"

"No. You just do as you wish. If you want to take it easy, then do so."

"..."

"I, on the day I obtained the aning of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Martial Arts and reached Entering Heavens Beyond the Path Formless Sword, once cut Heavenly Lightning and reached the ultimate of all upward slashes."

—Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

—Formless Sword.

The one strike from that ti when the Formless Sword cut and split blue lightning and pierced through the clouds of the sky.

Thinking of the Formless Sword that he, at that ti, slashed upward toward the heavens, Seo Eun-hyun smiles.

"The essence of slashing upward is to go against gravity. It also ans the will to stand up even when the body is heavy. It is also the will to not give up no matter how much suffering and hardship cos rushing in."

Hong Fan finds it awkward to be told the interpretation of Martial Arts.

For him, Martial Arts is nothing but a technique for killing.

"Just as I have co to this realm through countless hardships, I think you too have gone through hardships like mine to rise to this place. For rising to Entering Heavens Beyond the Path has that kind of aning. Even if you have a previous life and rember that previous life."

"..."

Seo Eun-hyun raises his hand.

His aged hand grabs Hong Fan's hand.

It is still a young and strong hand.

"You have suffered a lot. What hardships you have gone through, with what thoughts you have lived...I cannot know it all. But, because I at least know so part of it...if I dare to speak with that qualification...you have suffered.

"The path you have walked is not a aningless path. In so way or another, it surely has aning. So...if a day soday cos when you want to rest. When a day cos when you must rest. Rest with an easy heart. Because everything you have done has aning."

Hong Fan's hand trembles.

His pupils begin to tremble.

"You really have suffered a lot. I wanted to say that...so I made the upward slash."

[TL/N: In Korean, it literally translates to "You have suffered a lot" but it also has the aning of "You worked hard".]

Seo Eun-hyun does not see it.

Behind Hong Fan's back, enormous black things are pouring out, rotting the whole area.

Hong Fan's body trembles.

Consolation.

[TL/N: The word used here is 위로, which can an both comfort/consolation and upward.]

It is not as if he used so imnse power like Apex of Life-Saving Arts, Formless.

It is not as if, with so great authority, he called forth the very Origin Essence of Happiness itself and gifted it to him.

It is not as if he twisted the principle of this world and forced upon him the interpretation that spring has co to him.

Just.

Consolation.

At that one word...

Hong Fan feels as if the Apex of Life-Saving Arts, Formless...

As if that deep and beautiful position has nested deep inside his heart so there is no way for it to flow out.

Hong Fan's whole body trembles.

"...Master."

"What is it?"

"If there is a next life, I will follow Master even in the next life."

"...Thank you."

Hong Fan realizes that he can never expel this poison.

No matter how much he foresees the future...

Even if, soday, Seo Eun-hyun betrays him and thereby proves that Seo Eun-hyun's consolation in the Heavenly Void Furnace is wrong,

This poison will remain to so extent and will always beco salt that gouges at his heart.

In any of the infinitely many futures, until his Divine Art reaches its conclusion, Hong Fan confirms that this poison will continue to remain in his heart and grits his teeth.

"...So, at that ti as well, please teach Martial Arts."

"Haha, even in the next life...if there is a connection. I surely will."

He has to return it.

If he does not return this Formless poison...

Soday, he will in the end lose the technique of [Hope].

Power that is made by shaving himself away is sothing he can never use as long as there is soone who consoles him.

Therefore Hong Fan, vowing that he will definitely return this formless teaching to him, for once acknowledges the existence called Seo Eun-hyun.

"...Even at that ti, my Entering Heavens Beyond the Path will not change. My heart, even if ages of eternal unchanging ti flow by, is never going to change..."

Even if there cos a day when he kills him through his Emptiness Sword.

The Martial Arts system of Seo Eun-hyun and Kim Young-hoon, into which he has entered thanks to the heart and comfort Hong Fan received from him.

He will not fall away from Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

Realizing this, Hong Fan grips his hand and, with all his strength, tries to interpret the Formless as poison, if only to return it to him.

And whether Seo Eun-hyun knows such inner thoughts of Hong Fan or not,

Seo Eun-hyun smiles slightly and asks a question.

"...What na will you give your Entering Heavens Beyond the Path?"

Hong Fan shakes his head.

Only after he reached the Ultimate of Martial Arts did he obtain the Emptiness Sword.

He feels that for the realm of Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, a system that is only the beginning of Martial Arts, there is hardly any point in a na.

"...Mm, I cannot think of a good na, but...does a na even have aning? I will just call it whatever cos to mind."

Unless it is for an existence that has aning.

A blade that kills people does not need a proper na.

That is what Hong Fan thinks.

"Hmm, what are you saying? Only by having a na will it make it more satisfying when you use it. If you can't co up with one...how about I na it for you?"

But Seo Eun-hyun shakes his head and speaks.

To feel proud when you display Martial Arts.

Hong Fan has never felt anything like that, but since he knows that Seo Eun-hyun is stubborn in this sort of way, he just lets it be.

"Mm... Do as you wish."

"Alright. Do you have sothing you strive for? So aning you'd like to have in the na?"

"Nothing specific cos to mind but...if we must na it, please include the word sword."

Blade.

In Martial Arts that kill people, there must always be a blade.

That much is the only point on which Hong Fan can compromise.

"Sword?"

"Yes. Since Master's Entering Heavens is the Formless Sword, and since I am receiving it from Master, I'd like it to have 'sword' in it."

It is a completely unrelated reason, but Hong Fan answers like so, hoping that Seo Eun-hyun can go on his way feeling relieved.

"Got it. In that case..."

Seo Eun-hyun looks up at the sky of the Head Realm.

"Let's go with...the sword that cuts through the void (虛空) of nothingness."

Is it coincidence, or inevitability?

It is a clue to the na of the Emptiness Supre Deity, and at the sa ti words befitting the Head Realm where the Akashic Records, the collection of all pasts, are sealed.

A sword that cuts the Void.

A na similar to the Emptiness (空虛) Sword, but a completely different na.

Words that also make him recall a remark of a forr subordinate of Heuk Sa Hall, telling him not to be captured by the past and to move forward.

"If you don't like it or if you co up with a better na later, feel free to change it. If another na cos to mind, you can use that instead."

Hong Fan chews over that na for a mont.

And then...he smiles.

"No, I quite like it. The Sword of the Void... If I later co up with a na I like more, I will return this na to Master. Of course..."

This will beco the proof of the bet.

If Seo Eun-hyun trusts him until the end, he resolves to keep this Void Sword to the very end.

However, if Seo Eun-hyun's promise collapses...then the aning contained in that will only fade once more.

'How ironic.'

"If I can't think of a better na until the end, I will continue to use this na even in the next life."

Entering Heavens Beyond the Path.

Void Sword (虛空劍).

That is the na of Hong Fan's new Martial Arts that he receives from Seo Eun-hyun.

"Is that so...? Do as you...wish..."

Seo Eun-hyun begins to close his eyes.

Now his energy is exhausted, and his body is old.

Having just now fought with Hong Fan and drawn out even his last bit of life force, he is now on his way.

Tsuaaaaat!

Light bursts out from behind Hong Fan, and he returns the Radiance Mantra he had retrieved to Seo Eun-hyun, and removes the fate of the Absolute Fragnt he had reattached to him.

"Thank you."

Smiling innocently without even knowing what Hong Fan is doing as he says those words, Seo Eun-hyun...

In that way, begins to close his eyes.

Not knowing that his entire life was being toyed with, the sight of him going while smiling so purely and clearly...

...is truly a sight that is hard to behold.

In the end, as he looks at that sight, Hong Fan mutters a few words to him in his final mont.

So low, so low that no one can hear.

So five hundred years in the ti outside the Heavenly Void Furnace.

Roughly fourteen trillion years in the ti inside the Heavenly Void Furnace.

At the end of that inconceivable span of ti, he finishes this life.

That is Seo Eun-hyun's seventeenth return.

Seo Eun-hyun's tiline shifts, and accordingly, all the Heavenly Venerables and Supre Deities of Mount Suru also shift to another tiline.

Since even the Heavenly Venerable of Ti has been moved, this tiline gradually loses the driving force to let ti proceed, so ti gradually slows, then cos to a complete stop as it closes into a closed loop.

A closed loop that will continue to persist until Ti quickly recognizes the other tilines and breathes the power of Origin Essence into those other tilines as well.

In the tiline that is going to co to a stop, Hong Fan takes Seo Eun-hyun's hand, looks at his face, and changes his own body.

Chiiiiii—

Hong Fan, who has borne the imposing appearance of an Imperial King, gradually changes into an aged appearance.

At the sa ti, the majority of the lightning that is inside Seo Eun-hyun is drawn into Hong Fan.

That sight looks as if he is sucking the years away from Seo Eun-hyun.

At the sa ti, the three faces separate again, and Hong Fan tears out his own mories, history, and reason itself.

Eventually, by following after Seo Eun-hyun and raising his realm, he will soday regain his mories again...

But for now, he wishes to forget all of his identity and reason, and simply follow Seo Eun-hyun.

And as he gradually changes into the appearance of an old man, he speaks.

"I am jealous. Of that kind of purity."

He wonders that if he too knows nothing like him, if he rembers nothing, could he beco like him?

Could he repay that purity?

Could he at least draw a little closer to that attitude that is younger than himself, yet more adult?

Admiring Seo Eun-hyun, Hong Fan temporarily seals away all intellect and mories.

In any case, after having regained his reason once, he has already adjusted the settings of the Radiance Mantra and prepared the prophecies.

He has set it up so that if soone invades the Audience Chamber or the entirety of Mount Suru is shaken, he can in an instant regain his mories again.

He simply, with pure curiosity and the desire to beco like Seo Eun-hyun, decides to take on an appearance like Seo Eun-hyun's and to try becoming soone who knows nothing, like Seo Eun-hyun.

It is as if he is trying once more to dream a fleeting spring dream.

'At the very end of all endings...'

Will Seo Eun-hyun be able to keep his promise?

Looking forward to that...

Hong Fan plops down to lie beside Seo Eun-hyun.

Right before he loses all reason for the last ti.

In the eyes of him, the Future King, one strand of a far-off future is caught.

'Ah...is that so?'

Perhaps, he might be able to reach that future.

Thus, as Hong Fan closes his eyes, together with Seo Eun-hyun, he heads toward a new tiline.

He flies toward Seo Eun-hyun's seventeenth cycle.

That is the end of the entire story of the sixteenth cycle.

Pakang—

The tiline and history of the sixteenth cycle shatter into pieces.

And the shattered history, within the Gestation World full of darkness and chaos, flows to the Crystal King who sits in that far-off place.

At last, back to the present.

Receiving back all of the sixteenth cycle's worldlines that have flown into him, Seo Eun-hyun looks at Hong Fan.

He barely managed to block Transcending Peaks.

But as the price, he exhausted all of his energy.

It is the sa even for Bong Hwa.

Because she has been loading her energy onto Seo Eun-hyun, even she, as an innocent party, has had her strength consud.

Using the authority of the Life Supre Deity, she tries to summon all the Immortal Beasts within Mount Suru and breathe even their life force into him, but it is no use.

Kugugugugu!

The Immortal Beasts have their life force plundered by Bong Hwa and let out groans in the chaos of the Gestation World.

And, having recovered a sliver of energy at the price of their groans, Seo Eun-hyun looks at the Future King Hong Fan, who is drawing everything in before his eyes.

Wooooong—

Woong—

A sacred ringing flows out from the tip of his sword.

—Emptiness Sword Forth Move Applied Profundity.

—Fate.

A technique that maximizes repulsion force, briefly separates the Absolute of Fate from his true body, pushes it into the Emptiness Sword, and attacks the opponent with it.

In a way, its principle is also similar to Seo Eun-hyun's One Annihilation to the Near Shore, which pushes his own Nascent Soul into the sword.

On top of that...

Hong Fan has just returned the entirety of the sixteenth cycle to Seo Eun-hyun.

The Formless Poison, which has only been spreading all this ti, for the first ti has its montum checked and flows out of his body.

Just as Seo Eun-hyun sacrificed himself to reclaim the Enders,

By returning to Seo Eun-hyun the worldline and history that have beco his own, the Future King for a brief ti cos to be free from the influence of the Formless Poison.

In addition, as his prophecy and Divine Art sh together, at last the Immortal Art that will put the final period on the whole story is activated.

An Immortal Art of self-sacrifice.

An Immortal Art that makes the True Emperor sacrifice himself, pour himself into another Emperor, transfer the ownership of the Absolute, and enthrone the other as a Creator God!

The mont that sword hits Seo Eun-hyun head-on.

The personality of the existence called Seo Eun-hyun will disappear, and Bong Hwa will co out and receive the Origin Essence of Fate.

And with Silver Basket, Obsidian, and Vast Cold, who are in the grasp of the Fate Supre Deity.

And with a handful of the miscellaneous spirits of Enders, he will grant her the Absolute of Hope and make her into a new Creator God.

Only today will he at last see the end of the story and obtain salvation!

Gugugugugu!

From the very tip of the Emptiness Sword, a radiance surpassing the First Light bursts forth.

This is a story that creates a new Creator Deity.

Woo-woooong!

The very end of the 2,999th cycle.

Seo Eun-hyun, with the 3000th cycle before him, knows.

'I cannot surpass it.'

Wiiiiiiing!

Hong Fan imbues the technique of Great Mountain Pressing Down with the evolved technique of Hope, [Salvation], and strikes down.

Its speed is Nirvana Tranquility.

On top of that, it is a power that has gone through several accelerations.

Even with Seo Eun-hyun's Nirvana Tranquility, he is a bit lacking.

In terms of speed, he cannot follow.

In terms of strength, he also cannot follow.

He is defeated in skill as well.

The curse poison has also considerably drained away.

Moreover, he himself is in a state where his strength has drained away.

To win by force is impossible.

But even so, Seo Eun-hyun takes his stance and, against Hong Fan's downward slash, chooses an upward slash.

Unlike the Future King's strike, which has reached the speed of Nirvana Tranquility, his is a dull sword.

Hong Fan notices.

'Is it that technique again?'

Tsuaaaat—

The technique that blocks Hope and pierces through the Divine Art.

He grasps the principle.

Because it is a technique that resonates with the Formless Poison and is imbued with the heart that consoles him, it resists Hope and the Divine Art.

Cheok—

Once again, behind Seo Eun-hyun, two Mountain Divine Spirits appear.

Salt Sea and Great Mountain.

It is Entering Heaven.

'It is useless.'

The world is not a bright fairy tale.

A miracle will not occur.

For everything Hong Fan has accumulated is greater than a miracle.

Cheok—

Behind Seo Eun-hyun, the countless Enders and Bong Hwas who have entered the Audience Chamber are revealed.

'Has he applied the Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections?'

Even so, it is useless.

Sotis, there are gaps that simply cannot be overco.

As the sword rises a little sluggishly, it becos the principle of Treading Heaven.

Cheok—

Behind Seo Eun-hyun...

Countless existences appear.

They are all the connections Seo Eun-hyun has ford up until now.

'Are you saying you will gather all connections and stand against ?'

Even so, it is useless.

The story he has accumulated is even longer, more distant, and more desperate.

The effect of A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation is one.

The Strongest.

As long as he enforces the story, he absolutely cannot be surpassed.

Seo Eun-hyun's sword becos the principle of Punishing Heaven.

Cheok—

The countless silhouettes behind Seo Eun-hyun reach out their hands toward Seo Eun-hyun and pour light into him.

It is the stories of all the figures Seo Eun-hyun has t.

They materialize.

Using Seo Eun-hyun's Canvas of Myriad Forms and Connections as coordinates and Bong Hwa as the flow of life...

They are temporarily taken out from the bridle of history and support Seo Eun-hyun.

—Golden Great Thousand World Transcendence Technique, Surpassing Radiance.

—Romance of the Golden Divine, Eighty Quadrillion Lightning-Tipped Spear.

—Falling Flower.

—Azure Wing Heavenly Shatter Transcendence Technique, Naless One Fist.

—Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, Full Blossom.

—Artificial Computation Device, Agate.

All Enders throughout the ages.

—Hoho, Daoist Seo.

—Immortal Art, Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.

—I don't know what kind of situation this is, but win.

—Entering Heavens Beyond the Path, Heart of Love.

—Win.

—Immortal Art, Fireworks.

All the connections with whom he had been hostile and with whom he had also co to form familiar, deep relationships.

The Ju family, his disciples, Cheongmun Clan, the people of Cheon-saek City, Azure Tiger Saint, Jin Byuk-ho, Heo Gwak, Azure Heaven Creation Sect, Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect, Black Ghost Valley, Seo Li, the people of the Vast Cold Realm, the believers of the Nether Ghost Realm, the connections of the Ancient Force Realm, Jang Ik, Yu Hwa, Baek Yeom, Gyu Baek, and the other Heart Tribe.

The Star Shattering stage Esteed Ones, the Sacred Masters, the Entering Nirvana True Persons, Ham Jin, Yu Hwi, Yeo Hwi, the connections of the Astral Realm, and the True Immortals he t in the Sun and Moon Heavenly Domain such as Black Dragon, Yeong Seung, and Golden Shaking Bird.

The Radiance Eight Immortals, the Sword Spear Heavenly Lord Ji Hwa, Radiance Hall Guardian Immortal Ho Woon, Radiance Hall Great Net Immortal Maek Jin, all of the Radiance Hall True Immortals up to and including the Purple Gold Heavenly Lords, Glass Peacock, Mountain-Destroying Demon Ape, White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus, Yu Soo Ryeon, Hae Nyeong, Yu Hao Te, Blood Yin, and the other Immortal Beasts. And besides them, the innurably many Immortal Beasts he has t.

The forces of the Underworld and the forces of each Supre Deity.

And, beginning with Ti, Sal Tree, and the Underworld, the Governing Immortals such as the Liberation Supre Deity, the Heavenly Punishnt Supre Deity, the Naming Supre Deity, the Swallowing Heaven Supre Deity, and so on.

The Enders of previous generations who gave him imnse help, such as Silver Basket, Obsidian, Vast Cold, Yang Su-jin, and others.

And...

Master and Senior Brother.

Carrying all those connections on his back, Seo Eun-hyun continues raising his sword.

The principle of the sword reaches Escaping Heaven.

Then, Hong Fan can tell.

That it is his victory.

All those stories.

Even if all those connections are added, they still cannot surpass him.

In this world, there definitely are things that simply cannot be done.

'This world is not a fairy tale.'

A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation is absolute.

He has not t even a single opponent on whom he expended this much strength, and he has never once fought while revealing this much strength.

Even so, he can tell.

Even now, he is still inexhaustible.

On the other hand, Seo Eun-hyun, even while drawing forth and using all his connections, still falls far short of him.

'Are you going to try to recall what you received from Buk Hyang-hwa again.'

By now, even that is within his expectations.

But at least right now, logic like saying that the heart is a blessing, or that hearts connecting is a miracle, does not hold.

'Farewell.'

—Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven.

The shadow of the Great Mountain Supre Deity lends its strength together to Seo Eun-hyun.

All the spirits that compose the mantra of Wuji lend their strength together.

The principle of All-Heavens Righteous Understanding dwells in the sword after Escaping Heaven.

—Annihilation Advancent Mu

The principle of Auspicious Soul Filling the Heavens dwells in the sword after All-Heavens.

[Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven.]

With the power ford by all those connections right before him, Hong Fan looks straight into Seo Eun-hyun's eyes, and at last the two swords collide.

'Is that so? Is this...your story?'

It starts from Entering Heaven, and he enters the heavens.

It reaches Treading Heaven and he treads on the heavens.

It becos Punishing Heaven, and he defeats the heavens,

It then becos Escaping Heaven, he frees himself from the heavens,

And only then, he fills the heavens completely.

'It is a good story. This is farewell.'

A story that creates a new heavens.

[Separate Heaven Martial Arts (別天武).]

[Editor: 'Separate' as in 'different' or 'another'.]

Severing Heaven Sword Form.

Transcendent Profundity.

At the sa ti, it is Seo Eun-hyun's answer that departs from True Martial Arts, the system of the Martial God called the Future King Fate Supre Deity.

His final enlightennt that starts from Entering Heavens Martial Arts and reaches all the way here.

The Martial Arts of a Separate Heaven.

Tsuaaaat!

Behind Seo Eun-hyun, the last silhouette appears.

Even without looking, he can tell.

It is Buk Hyang-hwa.

But, no matter how much they bless him even with Buk Hyang-hwa joining in,

They cannot stop this story.

—True Martial Arts Emptiness Sword Final Profundity.

That is what he thinks.

Until he sees the last silhouette that appears behind Seo Eun-hyun.

Seo Eun-hyun's connections.

Those are...

Connections that include Hong Fan.

—Gu Ju...your na is Gu Ju.

At the end of the 16th cycle.

There was a Three Spirits Art clone that he ascended to the heavens and a clone he scattered as insects and sowed into the earth.

But the last clone stayed together with Hong Fan in preparation for the unforeseen.

And he placed that last clone inside Seo Eun-hyun.

His purest aspect.

The story of the ti when he was youngest and not yet unhappy, when he still kept the na his mother gave him.

The story of when he was most incomplete.

'Ah...'

He placed his own incompleteness inside Seo Eun-hyun.

Gu Ju, who cos out from behind Seo Eun-hyun, begins to help Seo Eun-hyun.

—Separate Heaven Martial Arts Void Sword Final Profundity.

—True Salvation.

The final trap that he placed inside the existence called Seo Eun-hyun.

The fragnt of the feeling, 'I want to rest,' that Hong Fan felt while being treated by Seo Eun-hyun, and his pure true heart.

Even if Seo Eun-hyun finally brings about a miracle, the trap that would seize his ankle in the end.

That aspect, moved by Seo Eun-hyun...aims its sword toward Hong Fan.

Even now,

He still knows in his head that he can win.

For the world is not so easy that one can overco it just with connections.

As long as he keeps running endlessly toward his goal by his own will,

A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation is definitely the Strongest.

In this at least, it is an [absolute proposition].

However...

In the final mont,

The mont when the weakest dull sword and the strongest swift sword collide,

Hong Fan, with the two eyes that face Seo Eun-hyun and the true heart of his purest ti standing behind him,

Closes them by his own will.

Deeeeeeng!!

The sound of a brahma bell rings through the entire Gestation World.

The Pure-White Emperor's one sword burns the chaotic Heaven and Earth and reverses attraction force.

It snaps the Pitch-Black Emperor's one sword, and cuts apart the Divine Art and everything of the Emperor that lies behind it.

Splitting Emperor Splitting Heaven.

Separate Heaven Martial Arts.

At first, it does not even reach the lower dantian.

But the Separate Heaven Martial Arts, which grows as it carves a scratch from the perineum up to the pit of the stomach,

At its very end at last splits in half the entirety of the lower, middle, and upper dantians of the Future King Fate Supre Deity Hong Fan Gu Ju all together, devours the Absolute of Fate in which the Immortal Art of self-sacrifice is activated, and elevates the existence called Seo Eun-hyun as an existence of Creation.

At last, his own Original Flow.

Seo Eun-hyun, who has reached the answer called Divine Arts, gives a na to the Divine Art.

Divine Art.

⟨Story's End⟩

It is the period that puts the final point on A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation.

—I prophesize. You will not complete three thousand regressions, and I will seize the entire Severing Heaven Sword Form whole from you, and you will be killed by your own Martial Arts.

The 2,999th cycle.

Hong Fan, who ets the prophecy twisted by himself, collapses within the chaotic world and laughs.

'Ah...so it was inevitable.'

Reaching the end of the story and coming to realize that in the end he cannot deceive his own true heart, Hong Fan laughs emptily yet with a sense of release and gazes at the Absolute One being born before his eyes.

The na of the Absolute One is Seo Eun-hyun.

He is the new god who finished the story called A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation.

At the end of everything.

Hong Fan realizes that the God of Connections before his eyes is truly his own Lord, and with laughter in which many emotions are mixed...he begins to cry as he quietly laughs.