A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation – Chapter 362
I pondered how to handle Yuk Yo.
‘I’m in for a real headache.’
If I had known this was coming, I would have interrogated her first.
Knowing her true identity and the flow of her energy, I would have simply tossed her straight to the Jeongryong Palace’s sea-dragons without further thought.
But who could have guessed things would spiral this far?
When I shot Yuk Yo a glare filled with simmering irritation, the half-fish woman broke into a sweat despite her scales, desperately trying to smooth things over.
“Haha, speaking of which, Senior-nim. I apologize in advance, but I’ll hand over the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique to you. Could you please release me?”
“…”
“If Father catches me this time, given his personality, he’ll definitely send me to that savage pirate captain Jin Ma-yeol! It’s impossible! That man will probably turn me into a boiled fish!”
“…”
She launched into a long tirade about the brutality and savagery of the Tu-gwan pirate captain Jin Ma-yeol, but I merely clicked my tongue.
‘He’s exaggerating far too blatantly. It’s obvious he’s lying.’
Her careful probing question followed.
“Senior-nim, you don’t actually find the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique interesting? It may look ordinary, but it’s a renowned high-level technique that branched off from immortal arts….”
“Immortal arts….”
I felt a spark of genuine interest in the word.
“Give me the complete manual.”
Yuk Yo quickly produced a jade slip, duplicated the contents, and handed it over.
Upon reading it, I frowned.
“Only the later part? What kind of manual is this?”
“Hehe, release me first and I’ll give you the first half. Getting caught by Father again is….”
‘She doesn’t just hate the idea of marrying the pirate captain.’
As I observed Yuk Yo, something clicked.
She feared her father, Yuk Rin, for something.
‘Did she hide something from me?’
Yet I grew tired of listening to the antics of this foolish half-fish girl and decided not to press further.
“The first half of the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique involves absorbing the dragon’s energy, nurturing it, and then imitating its form. The later part covers how to maintain the imitated appearance and the technique’s drawbacks.”
“Hmm….”
I read the later section carefully.
The drawbacks of the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique were straightforward.
Once transformed, the practitioner’s combat strength, movement speed, stamina, and durability all declined. A single use required some recovery time. Prolonged transformation risked psychological erosion from the target’s personality.
As I examined the later manual, an odd sensation prickled my skin.
“Are you aware of what this technique truly is, and did you apply it knowingly?”
“Huh? Isn’t it a method that lets you change your race?”
“That’s true, but did you understand how the process actually works?”
“Ah… I didn’t fully grasp the mechanism yet…”
I stroked one of my nineteen heads and let my eyes ignite.
“This is a form of curse.”
“What?”
“It forces a foreign appearance onto the target. Just like my Yin Soul Ghost Curse, you need extensive personal experience of becoming that form before you can master it.”
“Eh? So this isn’t a method for turning into a dragon?”
“No. Turning into a dragon is correct. Some curses are permanent, after all. In essence, it seems to be a core mechanism of self-reinforcement through the curse.”
“Hah…!”
She seemed to realize something, her eyes widening in sudden clarity.
“T-thank you, Senior-nim!”
The moment she grasped the clue, Yuk Yo assumed a lotus position and focused her will.
A faint glow spread across her body, and I could see her realm advancing slightly.
After a quick glance at Yuk Yo, I turned my attention back to the later section of the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique.
‘If this is indeed a curse, just like the Yin Soul Ghost Curse or Black Blood Incantation, can it not be inverted?’
Somehow, I felt certain that inverting this curse would yield an extraordinary effect.
Uwooong―
The technique that let one cover their own form with another’s and weaken in exchange was to be inverted.
If reversed, it became a technique that allowed one to remain in their own form and grow stronger!
I could not suppress my excitement. I inverted the later section of the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique on the spot.
Originally, the first half involved refining and nurturing the dragon’s energy, which was essentially the process of setting the target. Since the target was now “me,” even just the later half could be inverted!
Fwaaah!
A hazy aura swept through the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique and engulfed my body.
I looked around my form.
Nothing had changed.
The perfect body I obtained at the Four Pillars stage.
The Void Shattering King of Nineteen Heads that I gained through the Great Desert Dead Sea Formation was my current appearance.
‘I wonder if inverting the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique will prove useful once I reach the Integration stage.’
To create a domain at the Integration level, one needed to sharpen one’s own presence, after all.
‘The strengthening effect of the Dragon Hide Transformation Technique… holds little meaning for me.’
It might help at the Heavenly Person or ordinary Four Pillars level, but with my Triple Taiji, it carried no special weight.
Then.
“Hm?”
Kwaaang!
A colossal light bullet slammed into the barrier of the Guangyin Region.
It was a strike at the Heavenly Person Integration Grand Completion level.
“Who are these guests?”
I stood up from the meditation posture with a cold laugh.
Yuk Yo jumped up in alarm and dove into the Wugeuk Sect to hide.
I rose above the Guangyin Region, arms crossed, scanning the surroundings.
Countless Four Pillars and Heavenly Person experts densely packed the area, surrounding us.
My gaze drifted to Seongran-do beside the Guangyin Region.
I had no idea how she had managed it, but the stealthy Seongran-do hid a formidable powerhouse as well.
‘Integration Early stage? What a nuisance.’
Her stealth was outstanding.
Even though I had upgraded the Wansuigungmurok, I would not easily detect her unless I was on high alert.
‘But judging by her form, it does not seem organic like the Wansuigungmurok. After activation, it will require a long cooldown.’
I quickly sent a transmission across the entire Wugeuk Sect to raise the alarm, then shouted loudly.
[Who dares intrude?!]
Most of the Four Pillars and Heavenly Person sea-dragons flinched upon seeing my form.
I moved nineteen heads with a grinding sound and burned ears with the light from thirty-eight eyes.
It was not an elegant sight, but it was more than enough to intimidate.
One Four Pillars sea-dragon stepped forward and roared.
[Hand over Princess Yuk Yo, you ghost from another realm! The Lord of Jeongryong Palace has sworn that anyone who saves the princess will receive her hand in marriage and become the heir of Jeongryong Palace!]
[Ho…]
Kuguguguk―
I grinned and revealed my ears.
Dark energy surged from nineteen heads, instantly filling the surrounding sea with yin aura.
Kiyaaaaaaa―
Kiaa―
Kiyaaaaaaaak!
Countless curse puppets crawled out from every corner of the Guangyin Region, letting out wails.
Kugugugugug!
Heaven and earth spiritual energy twisted violently under my influence, the surrounding space shaking as if torn apart.
The flight of Four Pillars sea-dragons lost their momentum, and several fell from the sky.
Their faces darkened.
They had roughly grasped my level.
I glared with thirty-eight eyes and spoke.
[If you want to die, come at me.]
About forty-eight Four Pillars sea-dragons retreated warily, while the hundreds of Heavenly Person experts grew panicked and began fleeing.
‘Good. We can resolve this peacefully.’
I smiled inwardly.
If I looked vicious, they would likely turn back without further conflict.
Of course, the hidden Integration Early expert was unaware, but dealing with one more foe was nothing.
That was my thought.
Fwa!
Tat!
Until a gentle breeze blew from afar and a golden silhouette landed on the roof of the Wugeuk Sect.
Black rice hat and black mourning robes.
And an old blade at his waist.
And finally… an incomparably familiar presence.
I stared at the man with blank eyes.
‘Aah….’
It felt like I had forgotten about him for a moment.
That he existed in this world.
I ignored the trashers eyeing the Guangyin Region from nearby and leaped down in front of Kim Young-hoon.
Kwaaang!
Unable to control my excitement, the roof of the Wugeuk Sect cracked slightly and dust flew.
I smiled brightly at him and said.
[Long time no see, Brother!]
And…
“…”
He looked at me with a wary expression.
“You… know me?”
[…Yeah.]
After reaching the Imperial Palace, I had compressed my presence, making it harder for others to read mine.
I laughed heartily and replied.
[Haha, Brother. It’s me, Seo Eun-hyun.]
“…”
Kim Young-hoon glared at me upon hearing that.
“You’re Seo Eun-hyun? Well, I’ve met quite a few impostors who read other people’s memories and mimic them after coming to Goryeok Realm. Sorry, but I’m not convinced.”
[Haha, Brother. No, it’s not that. Since the day I first entered the sect and you guided me, the night of the gathering and hike, the day I first fell into the Water Realm, every spar with your clone—I remember it all.]
“…”
Even so, Kim Young-hoon asked without removing his doubt.
“The Seo Eun-hyun I met with a clone last time wasn’t a madman who pulled out someone else’s skull and displayed it on his shoulder?”
[Oh, Brother. You misunderstand.]
I laughed loudly and released my Void Shattering King form.
No, I tried to.
“…”
‘Eh?’
The Void Shattering King form did not release.
I was taken aback, but I quickly found the reason.
‘Dragon Hide Transformation Curse!!!’
The inversion of the Dragon Hide Transformation Curse I had tested had covered my body and fixed my current appearance.
I would need some time to release the technique.
Kim Young-hoon asked warily.
“From my perspective, the only way I see this is that you’re a ghost from another realm at least at the Integration level or higher, pretending to be my brother and subordinate.”
[…Haha, then why don’t you attack?]
And he grinned.
“To confirm whether you’re the real Seo Eun-hyun or a monster mimicking him…”
Uwooong―
Golden light flared from his old blade.
“Since there’s only one way to settle this.”
His eyes sparkled.
“Come at me. If you’re really Seo Eun-hyun, we’ll spar anyway. If you’re a monster pretending to be him, I’ll cut you down.”
[…Hoh. Very well.]
Yes, it was always refreshing to meet him this way.
I pulled the Colorless Glass Sword from my mouth.
‘Since the battle with Hong Su-ryeong, roughly seven hundred years have passed.’
When we fought her, each Colorless Glass Sword was at the mid-grade artifact level.
Over the following centuries.
The Colorless Glass Swords were slowly refined in the furnace.
One hundred years from mid-grade to high-grade.
One hundred years from high-grade to top-grade.
One hundred years from top-grade to finally a Core Formation-grade artifact!
After another two hundred years, it reached the Integration Grand Completion level.
That had been the Colorless Glass Sword from the previous loop.
In this loop, refined for over two hundred and thirty years.
It had finally become a one-piece artifact at the Nascent Soul Grand Completion level.
Buwoong―
The Colorless Glass Sword vibrated.
Chwarararak!
Three thousand Colorless Glass Swords converged in the air, ten at a time.
Three thousand became three hundred.
The Nascent Soul level artifact rose to Nascent Soul Grand Completion.
Three hundred became thirty.
The Nascent Soul Grand Completion level reached Heavenly Person level.
Thirty became three.
The Heavenly Person level became Heavenly Person Integration Grand Completion.
And finally, three combined into one, revealing the final form of the Colorless Glass Sword.
Fwaaah!
The Heavenly Person Integration Grand Completion level artifact now surpassed the standard weapons used by Four Pillars sea-dragons.
My glass swords, refined for thousands of years, were not functioning as artifacts but pure strength and will, making them non-standard grade.
[Compared to my weapon, isn’t this blade a bit too weak?]
Even if martial skills were equal, weapon quality could make all the difference in most cases.
Yet an old iron blade in front of a non-standard artifact still felt inadequate.
Still, Kim Young-hoon raised his hand to his old blade without showing any tension upon seeing my sword.
Uwoong!
And I looked at him with glowing eyes.
[It wasn’t a simple blade, was it?]
“There are many treasures rolling around on the seabed in Goryeok Realm. That became one of my hobbies.”
Space waves rippled from his old blade, and the blade emitted light.
At the same time, dozens to hundreds of blades and swords shot down from above the roof of the Wugeuk Sect.
The one he carried was a low-grade artifact in blade form.
“Famous demonic swords and evil blades from Goryeok Realm. I’ve collected quite a few. Conversely, ask me.”
Tstst!
Golden light blazed in his eyes.
I laughed coldly at the yin and magic auras I sensed around us.
The aura of these sinister blades and swords all connected to Kim Young-hoon.
He had successfully dominated those evil weapons.
“Against those infamous blades and swords in Goryeok Realm, would one ordinary knife really be enough?”
I simply grinned.
[Then.]
Kwoong!
I stepped forward.
No more words were needed.
Kim Young-hoon and I collided, and the Four Pillars sea-dragons who had been watching took the opening to rush toward the Guangyin Region.
* * *
The sea monster captain Heukgin in the Wijeong Sea Area charged toward the Guangyin Region, sharp teeth bared.
The curse puppets tried to block him, but it was useless.
“Uahahaha! You evil beings! Hand over your treasures and honor to this old man!”
And when he shattered the barrier of the Guangyin Region and entered inside.
Kwaaang!
He was flung out by the massive body.
“Grr, who dares?!”
And he saw one figure.
A giant emitting starlight from every part of his body.
The giant lifted purple energy from his entire form and roared.
[No one may enter here!]
The Wugeuk Sect’s friendly law.
Oh Hyun-seok, the King of Yin Soul Ghosts, led thirteen guardian ghost kings and took up position to defend the Guangyin Region.
The friendly law and guardian ghost kings clashed with the Heavenly Person and Four Pillars sea-dragons who aimed for the Guangyin Region.
* * *
The Integration Early stage Taihua hiding on Seongran-do.
Jin Ma-yeol released his stealth and entered the Guangyin Region.
With a lewd smile, he searched for Yuk Yo.
‘While those trash buy time, I’ll take Yuk Yo and the hostages and leave.’
He flew toward the direction where Yuk Yo’s energy was felt.
“Here?”
Kwaang!
He found a building and crushed the space inside it with his body.
Inside the building were Yuk Yo shivering in fear and a man who looked hollow, carefully stroking his hand that had been fried.
“Here you are, Princess. Let’s go together.”
He paid no attention to the hollow man and approached Yuk Yo.
But the next instant.
Ooh!
Jin Ma-yeol backed away in fright.
‘W-what was that just now?’
In an instant, he saw an illusory image of his body being shattered.
Jin Ma-yeol locked eyes with the man with the hollow face, the one who had sent the illusion.
“So you’re the one guarding the hostages?”
And the face of the man who had been stroking his hand twisted like a demon.
“You… interfered with my time with [So-hae]?”
“What?”
“You bastard… I’ll kill you with only your hand left!”
That was how the great law of the Wugeuk Sect clashed with Jin Ma-yeol.
Jeon Myeong-hoon, the Six Pillars Ghost King, met his strike.
* * *
Hongbeom, the Left Law of Hongbeom, and Kim Yeon, the Right Law, were monitoring the barrier and observing the situation across the entire Guangyin Region from beneath the Wugeuk Sect.
And at that moment, Hongbeom looked up at the sky.
“What?! What is this?!”
“Stay here a moment, Hongbeom.”
Kim Yeon left the underground of the Wugeuk Sect with a grave expression.
Kugugugugug!
The sky was changing.
‘That… what the hell…!’
Kim Yeon’s face darkened.
Indeed.
All four sides and above the Guangyin Region were covered by hundreds of ships drawing barriers, pulling in the [sea] and enveloping everything.
‘This seawater… isn’t it a form of dimension?’
Kim Yeon clenched her lips, recalling information from Goryeok Realm.
Thanks to those ships, the Guangyin Region had become trapped like soap bubbles inside a dimensional curtain.
Kim Yeon sent a transmission to Hongbeom.
[Hongbeom, I entrust the management and protection of the Guangyin Region to you. I will eliminate that barrier.]
Instinctively, she knew.
If that barrier was completed, a catastrophe would follow.
Kim Yeon leaped toward the sky and stretched her hand toward the dimensional barrier.
And at that moment.
Kwaaang!
Kim Yeon frowned at a ray of light that had come from somewhere.
“Who dares?!”
Kugugugug!
She saw a massive ship entering the inside of the dimensional soap bubble.
The cannons of the ship pointed directly at Kim Yeon.
Kim Yeon immediately understood.
‘That ship’s owner!’
The owner of that ship was the one who created the barrier.
Tat!
With a pinkish dim light, Kim Yeon flew straight toward hundreds of ships.
‘I will subdue that person!’
Fwa!
Kim Yeon’s figure blocked the front of the countless fleet.
And the command ship of the fleet.
The flagship of the One-way Ship, the captain of the fleet, Buk Hyang-hwa.
The left law of the Wugeuk Sect, Kim Yeon.
The two gazes collided in the air.