Chapter 291: Chapter 291 - A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

A Dragon King. I recalled the her ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from my previous life. Even at the early stage of Integration, the beam of light she spat from her mouth carried power that was truly monstrous. Exactly that level. “I think I could handle her.” If it had been a proper Integration practitioner like Seo Hyoel, it would have been terrifying, but with someone like her… “Hmm, not scary at all.” I felt sorry for her, but purely in terms of combat power, she was on par with or slightly below Wol-ryeong. Wol-ryeong hadn’t learned any combat techniques from the start, so he was considered one of the weakest Core Formation practitioners in the entire Human Alliance. Even compared to that weakest of the weak, she wasn’t nearly as formidable as she appeared now. Of course, being from the Dragon Clan, if she had stabilized after reaching Integration and accumulated experience, who knew? But with her current state, even if she charged at me, I wouldn’t be afraid. And what puzzled me was that she herself must already know this. “By delivering the letter to the senior predecessor, you’re telling him you’ve become a Taesu, and that means he’s heard about everything you’ve done in Cheonin-do over the past few weeks, correct?” “That’s right. The Dragon Race must have received the same news through the spies we planted in the Human Alliance. Everyone knows your combat prowess and potential.” I had slaughtered the Core Formation Heavenly Persons and Inspectors in Geongon City, killed Seo Hyoel in one strike, and faced Wol-ryeong head-on inside his domain to defeat him. My flamboyant deeds had already spread across the entire Heavenly Alliance. The Ghost Dao had also received this information through their hidden spies. Yet here they were, issuing me such a threat. What on earth was the reason? “Is it because of Seo Hyoel?” She would lose her mind if it were him, so that was possible. “If it wasn’t Seo Hyoel, then even if she saw me openly betraying her like I did in my previous life, she’s rational enough that it would barely give me a chance to argue. If she thought I killed Seo Hyoel because he sent her something, her eyes would have been bloodshot. So this must be Seo Hyoel’s one move, not hers.” My head began to spin. “Is Seo Hyoel still alive, or is he dead?” I had completely killed him by shattering his soul and scattering his Heaven Origin Origin. Seeing the Ghost Dao Holy Mother seethe with rage over Seo Hyoel’s death, I knew he was truly dead. Yet it was too coincidental. “What if she went berserk and charged at me, and I killed her?” If Seo Hyoel were still alive, he would keep pushing her away, so in the end he would get what he wanted. “Seo Hyoel is definitely dead.” The bastard tried to revive himself, but I sealed the Soul Passage and completely blocked it. Even so, when I heard the name Ghost Dao Holy Mother and saw that mocking, slimy smile in front of me, it was like Seo Hyoel was still there. “Sly snake…” I didn’t want to imagine it, but I decided to assume he was still alive. “If the bastard is still alive, what would be beneficial for him, and what would be harmful?” Beneficial would be killing her. So what would be harmful? “…Thank you for delivering the letter, Senior Predecessor. I’ll deal with her later.” “Hmph. If it feels too dangerous, pull back. You are the future of the Human Alliance right now. The Alliance Master is exerting himself to help you reach Four Pillars. If there’s something you want to do, tell us.” “…Yes. Understood.” I was currently in Cheonin-do, the capital of the Human Alliance, protected by the Eastern Fortress on Heavenly Mountain. Every day, the Integration stage Taesu flooded my Eastern Fortress, teaching the Four Pillars’ core principles and giving me all sorts of spiritual elixirs and pills to speed up my ascension. “Four Pillars…” Having reached Heavenly Person from Core Formation in such a short time, reaching Four Pillars wasn’t even a dream anymore. The fact that I could already unleash Integration-level power at the Heavenly Person stage made everyone wonder how terrifying I would become once I hit Four Pillars. Among them, Junje, the Alliance Master, was hunting for the spiritual elixir called Cheong-an-ru that would help him reach Four Pillars from Heavenly Person. “Once I reach Four Pillars, Heon-won won’t be that scary either.” Of course, when I thought about his true power… Even if it wasn’t easy, I wouldn’t be killed helplessly like last time. I watched Wol-ryeong leave the Eastern Fortress and gave a bitter smile. “Spies, my ass. It’s starting to feel like I’m actually acting as a spy.” I was grateful to the Taesu who were trying to keep me calm so I could reach Four Pillars, but I had no choice but to move if I wanted to stop Seo Hyoel’s plan. “The most harmful thing I could do to Seo Hyoel would be to draw in Goe-gun.” I immediately set my goal. “Bring Oh Hyun-seok to the Gwanghan Realm as fast as possible, finish the human-vs-demon war, and make sure Changhoza doesn’t die… and then go find Kim Yeon.” If I kidnapped Kim Yeon and told Goe-gun that Seo Hyoel was preparing for marriage, he would want to die. “The Black Dragon King Hyeon-yeon, a madman who bombs the core of the Jinryong Alliance, probably won’t intervene in the human-vs-demon war.” I wasn’t sure if Seo Hyoel was truly dead or not. But since he had already died horribly at my hands once and used that excuse to move her, Seo Hyoel couldn’t openly act as long as she was alive. So while Seo Hyoel couldn’t step forward, I had plenty of things I could do. “This life, while Seo Hyoel can’t step forward…” I set one more goal. Kim Young-hoon was in Goryeok Realm, so I had no choice. Oh Hye-seo… would probably live her own life; what did it matter? Excluding those two, I would guide the four ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠companions—Jeon Myeong-hoon, Kang Min-hee, Oh Hyun-seok, and Kim Yeon—back into my life. That was the new goal. * * * “Jeon Myeong-hoon is easy because he’s still with his original body. Oh Hyun-seok can be found once the human-vs-demon war ends. Kim Yeon can be brought back after I kidnap her from Goe-gun. Then there’s only Kang Min-hee left…” That meant Seo Lip’s role would become important. “I” sighed while receiving the original body’s emotions from inside the Grand Tomb of Black Ghost Valley. “Damn it, Kang Min-hee or whatever… I have to accept the Ghost King.” Those Ghost Kings were all running away, and all I could do was sigh nonstop. “How should I…” I was pondering when an idea suddenly struck me. “Thinking about it, when I covered the Ghost King with the Yin Soul Ghost Curse, he didn’t feel fear toward me as much as if he were under hypnosis, right?” So what if I covered my own body with the Yin Soul Ghost Curse? Would the Ghost Kings feel death a little less? “I have to test it right now.” ZZZZZZT― My entire body was wrapped in pain as countless curses poured out. SWAAAAA― Black curses enveloped my whole frame. Stumbling from the tingling pain, I realized the atmosphere in the Grand Tomb had changed. “It worked!” As expected, a surprisingly simple method. KUGUGUGUGU! The Grand Tomb shook as countless Ghost Kings came rushing like a tidal wave from far away. [What the hell? Why did I leave my own grave and run to another region?] [Did the brothers do the same? It looks like everyone’s running away. Maybe they’re all hypnotized by something?] [It’s a tragedy for the ghosts. I can’t remember what happened…] Unlike the earlier screams and panic, the Ghost Kings had returned to a surprisingly rational state and were soaring through the air. And then, when the Ghost Kings arrived above me. [Huh? You’re a disciple of Black Ghost Valley?] I spoke politely to them. [New Yin Soul Disciple Seo Ran greets the elders of Black Ghost Valley.] My voice, wrapped in the curses, hummed with dense malice and vibrated through the space. The Ghost Kings around me seemed startled. [Wait, what’s covering your body…? [Curses?] [Impossible! How can one ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠person create so many curses that they cover your entire body without any gaps? [Only arrays can create that many curses.] [You bastard! What kind of sorcery is this!?] “Hmph, even the Ghost Kings in the Grand Tomb are surprised?” It seemed quite difficult to expel such an enormous amount of curses, like an ocean. When countless Ghost Kings were buzzing around me. [What kind of sorcery is this, you bastard?!] One Ghost King glared at me with a furious face. I turned toward him and made eye contact with one of the Heavenly Person stage Ghost Kings. [This is the Yin Soul Ghost Curse of Black Ghost Valley.] [What!?] The Ghost King raged even more violently. [You dare accuse the sect master of falsehood! Don’t spout nonsense! Can’t you speak the truth!? Did you activate some special talisman, or connect a curse array from outside the Grand Tomb!?] The Ghost King shot at me with eyes bloodshot, and I held the curses in my palm and raised them while saying. [If you doubt it, take a look. This junior’s curses are definitely the Yin Soul ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ghost Curse.] [This bastard keeps lying…] The Ghost King trembled and approached, staring at the Yin Soul Ghost Curses. After staring for a moment. [Impossible… No, no, don’t lie.] The Ghost King said in a trembling voice. [The Yin Soul Ghost Curse… ends at 108. It ends at 108…!] I felt something strange in his tone and asked. [Why would you set the limit of a technique at 108? My junior only made a few more curses because she had a slight talent for them.] […You really modified the Yin Soul Ghost Curses like this?] [Not modified… [Shut up! Don’t joke! What were our sect’s efforts for?! You’d better not say anything even if you receive punishment for lying to the sect master forever!] The Ghost King suddenly exploded, stretched out his pitch-black claw, and grabbed my body. I startled and tried to pull him off. [Wait, elder. Don’t touch there!] [Shut up, you brat. For daring to insult me and my bloodline… [No, wait…! However, he blindly tore away the curses covering my body with his claw, and finally the curses peeled off his claw and fell away. “Damn it!” At the same moment, my soul appeared again in the Grand Tomb. And. [KYAAAAA!] [KIYAAAAK!] [HIYAAAAK!] The ghosts started going insane again. [A big ghost! [I’m being eaten! Run away! [HIYAAAA!] Tens or hundreds of Ghost Kings surrounding us fled at once, and the Ghost King who had torn my curses with his claw also went mad and began flailing and running. Crack… I felt a vein bulge on my forehead and reached out toward the Ghost King who had caused this. KWAAAAA― The waves of black curses turned into a giant hand and grabbed the Ghost King. [KYAAAAK!] Even though I hadn’t turned the Yin Soul Ghost Curses into negative power, the Ghost King wailed in agony. Yet even as he wailed, his fear toward me seemed diluted, and he began uttering words other than ghost-like shrieks. [KIYAAAAK! KIYAK! HIYAK! You… you great one! Did you evolve our bloodline’s secret technique?] “Hmm?” [Aaaah, the Messenger of the Underworld, your humble servant’s Yin Soul Ghost Curse has reached a new possibility, and I cannot express this joy in words. Please grant me this grace…] Hearing his words, I realized which Ghost King he was. [I will serve you. I submit to you, Lord. Lord, please accept this servant.] He, still dazed from the Yin Soul Ghost Curses I created, felt my death aura and moved his pitch-black body, clasped his hands, and knelt. [I submit… I submit… I submit…] “…You…” I let out a hollow laugh and asked the Ghost King. “Are you… the creator of the Yin Soul Ghost Curse?” [The Yin Soul Ghost Curse is the starting point of the curse techniques our sect has developed. It was originally a technique for Foundation Establishment, and the ancestor who created that technique passed away while still at Core Formation. My grandfather inherited it and created curse techniques for Core Formation, my father inherited it and made them for Nascent Soul, and I inherited it and finally succeeded in creating separate techniques for Heavenly Person…] That was it. He was a Ghost King who had studied curse techniques in Black Ghost Valley. [The Yin Soul Ghost Curse can handle 108 curses… Core Formation techniques 500… Nascent Soul techniques 1,080… Heavenly Person techniques 3,000. But… I’ve never heard of anyone handling such enormous curses as you. It must be a divine technique possible only because you are a Messenger of the Underworld…] He lowered his head even more, tears streaming down his cheeks, and pleaded. [Please accept this humble servant. I submit to you. I will serve you…] “…Ugh…” In the end, I decided to accept this Ghost King who was pleading so desperately to be served by me. * * * “Have you decided on all the Ghost Kings you will serve from now on?” Excluding me, the bald man with tattoos, the corpse man, the woman in mourning robes, and the one-armed man all nodded with pale faces. Upon closer look, dark auras filled their bodies. All of them seemed to have decided to serve at least Heavenly Person stage Ghost Kings. Eon-yeon looked at me, who wasn’t nodding, and asked. “What about you, Master Seo?” I also awkwardly nodded. “Well… I’ve decided.” I hadn’t chosen Ghost Kings to serve me, but Ghost Kings to serve “me.” Anyway, I had decided. I sensed the Ghost King sitting neatly beside the original soul inside my golden core. “Hey, Bi-yue.” [Yes, Lord. You called?] “Even though they were all panicking inside the Grand Tomb, why are they so quiet in the main hall?” [Because the flesh you are wearing is concealing your true essence. In the Grand Tomb, the soul’s true essence is revealed, so everyone receives the grace of seeing your true essence, but outside the Grand Tomb, one cannot easily look upon the true essence.] The Ghost King from the curse technique lineage who had become my servant was named Bi-yue. After swearing loyalty to me, he had settled inside my golden core and continuously supplied power from the Yin Soul Ghost Curse. In the process, Bi-yue, who had half-regained his sanity, swore to support and help me with all his heart. “Then since everyone has decided on the Ghost Kings they will serve, I shall now guide you to the Technique Library.” We followed Eon-yeon out of the main hall and into another space of the Seopmyeong Ship. After a while, we stood in front of a library inscribed with “Seopmyeong Library.” “Library Manager, enter is granted. Eon-yeon of Baekjin Daein of the Seopmyeong Sect.” And a voice came from inside the library. [All ten of you, including those restricted, may enter.] It seemed to include even the Ghost Kings inside our bodies. We entered the library and could see the Library Manager’s face. And the moment I saw him, I startled. “Song Jin?” He looked far too similar to the form of Song Jin I had occasionally seen in my dreams. “Welcome. I am Song Gil, the Library Manager of Black Ghost Valley. In this sect, students under Ghost Souls are assigned masters to recommend techniques to their disciples, but… for Yin Soul disciples, we do not give them the chance to choose a technique. All of you wander the library and pick one technique each. The time limit is one hour.” I stared at Song Gil for a moment, then stepped toward the Technique Library. “He must be Song Jin’s older brother…” I considered claiming familiarity but decided against it. After all, Song Jin was probably getting along well with Seo Ran in Goryeok Realm; there was no need to say anything. [Lord, may I recommend a technique suitable for you?] “Hmm?” I pondered Bi-yue’s words for a moment, then nodded. After all, Black Ghost Valley’s techniques were something he knew best. [Yes. Then please go to the place I will indicate. I will recommend techniques that the Lord will find satisfactory.] A while later. Bi-yue let me pick seven technique manuals. The manuals were as follows. Silver Basket Demonic Art. Purple Sun Madness Art. Corpse-eating Secret Ritual. Soul-repairing True Secret. Yanmo Secret Transmission Intent. Soul-consuming True Demonic Art. Ghost Immortal Star Demon Art. [Any of these will be the most compatible technique for the Lord. Please choose with joy.]

Chapter 291

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