A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation
C438: Her (10)
Chapter 438: Her (10)
Whiiiiii—
I observe the Divine Powers of Time and Wind.
At the same time, I feel the wind blowing due to the Divine Power of Wind.
'...The Heart Tribe. How troublesome.'
Even if I want to offer my condolences, they left behind nothing, nor entrusted me with anything.
All I can do is keep the memory of them in my heart.
In Gyeong Chang's case, I attended the funeral and mourned, but in her case, even finding the body is impossible, so whether a funeral can even be held is doubtful.
Therefore, I simply mourn her through the Divine Power of Wind, sending her off with the wind.
I turn to the voice I hear from the side.
It's Kim Young-hoon.
He seems to have been watching our fight.
"...Do you happen to know about her?"
"Of course. She was one of the opponents I've sparred with for the past ten years."
Kim Young-hoon, taking out a bottle of liquor from who knows where, opens it in front of me, pours it on the spot where Yu Yeon had stood, and then hands it to me.
I, too, pour some liquor on the place where Yu Yeon stood, and then sit with him on a nearby rock.
"I'll tell you a bit about Yu Yeon."
He pours me a drink as he starts to talk about Yoo Yeon.
It turns out she was the last of the Shrimp Shell Race in Cedar Wood Grove.
The title of 'Strongest of the Shrimp Shell Race' might have been simply because there were no other members of the Shrimp Shell Race left.
From what I hear, she wasn't able to save her fellow race and bring them to Cedar Wood Grove.
The Shrimp Shell Race is so fragile that even sunlight would burn their skin, and they are a race that needs the care of higher races.
The few Shrimp Shell Race members she managed to rescue all had their skin burn away in Cedar Wood Forest, unable to receive the care they needed.
I hear she saved her people who had been abused, but they resented her and burned to death.
Her parents and siblings were all abused and killed by the superior Giant Race, and her friends all died under the sunlight in Cedar Wood Grove.
The only one left for Yu Yeon was Gyeong Chang who came with her, and now that Gyeong Chang is gone, she simply left with him.
"Both she and Gyeong Chang had a unique view of the afterlife. They had somewhat entered the Plane of Soul, and they claimed to have caught glimpses of 'Sukhavati' while hovering on the verge of a breakthrough into the realm of Second Step Before the Throne."
[TL/N: Sukhavati is the pure land of Amitābha, also known as Western Pure Land or Land of Bliss.]
"Sukhavati...?"
"Yes. Beyond the clouds...a place higher than even the sky."
"..."
"Those two followed the religion of the Giant Race. While they were of the Small People Race who fought against the Giant Race all their lives...perhaps they were influenced by the Giant Race's beliefs. The Giant Race worships the [Serpent of Wisdom], and according to their doctrine, those who die fighting bravely will go to a world beyond the clouds where they can fight eternally. Hearing about them, apparently the Giant Race holds such beliefs of the afterlife."
He takes out his glass and pours me another drink.
"For the two of them, death isn't the end but a new beginning."
"A new beginning..."
I drink with a bitter smile.
"I sincerely hope that's true."
Gyeong Chang and Yu Yeon.
May they both find happiness beyond...
I stayed with Kim Young-hoon through the night, offering my condolences to Yu Yeon.
Since she has no kin, I conducted Yu Yeon's funeral.
I gathered the soil from where she fell and placed it next to Gyeong Chang's grave.
A small burial mound was formed.
Day and night, I unleash my sword energy across the entire Bright Cold Realm.
Kugugugugugu!
The Heart Tribe Supreme Council and masters at the 3rd stage of Manifestation, who have all become no different from my terminals, transmit my power and sweep away the Vestiges that have invaded every corner of the Bright Cold Realm.
Chwaaaaak!
As I continue to protect the entire Bright Cold Realm day and night, no one dares to easily challenge the Heart Tribe anymore.
I hear that even the cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Tribes, who abused slave races, are refraining from massacres or other violent acts, unsure of when my sword energy which is wiping out the Vestiges might turn towards them—everyone but one person.
That person is the Mad Lord.
'The Mad Lord must be dealt with as well.'
I now possess the strength to do so.
Of course, the sword energy I'm sending from afar won't be enough to defeat the Mad Lord, who's at the Quasi-Star Shattering stage.
I'll have to find him and finish things personally.
Though for now, I can't leave, as I am busy exterminating the Vestiges...
On the day Baek Woon recovers, I plan to go after the Mad Lord immediately.
'Though he gave me much, in the end, he is both a mass murderer and a madman.'
I can't leave him be, even with all the power I have.
I sit in Cedar Wood Grove, repelling the Vestiges and waiting for the day Baek Woon recovers.
Time passes quickly.
It has been ten years since I started sending sword energy flying across the entire Bright Cold Realm from Cedar Wood Grove.
It has been twenty years since we arrived at Cedar Wood Grove.
Kim Young-hoon has been continuously striving to reach Void Shattering.
Jeon Myeong-hoon has been devoting himself to training in order to manifest the lightning spear that pierced the Sacred Master's stomach back then. Meanwhile, Oh Hyun-seok and Hong Fan have finally reached the Integration stage!
Especially Oh Hyun-seok, who, after receiving all that Azure Tiger Saint could teach, was then guided by Gol Maek, who has mastered a Heaven and Earth Dual Cultivation method. Gol Maek passed on her Innate True Method to Oh Hyun-seok.
Gol Maek frequently visited Kim Young-hoon, as she hoped to raise Oh Hyun-seok to the level of Five Energies Converging to the Origin or Ultimate Pinnacle, realms connected to the Demon Race. However, Kim Young-hoon didn't seem to engage with her much.
In any case, thanks to her, Oh Hyun-seok has recently been diligently practicing the Bone Armor Treasured Origin Art.
Kim Yeon hasn't left the workshop lately, staying inside with Buk Hyang-hwa.
On the days she occasionally comes out, it's usually for walks with Buk Hyang-hwa.
Buk Hyang-hwa's condition has visibly worsened with each passing day.
Her eyes have become clouded, and it's clear that her senses are gradually fading.
Yet, even after ten years, we haven't found any way to deal with the curse of the Extraordinary Pattern Law Talent.
And, during these circumstances,
I meet Ryeo Hwa, who has come to find me.
"Please teach me a move, Esteemed One."
"...Have you lost your mind?"
I glance at her as I continue to unleash sword energy from the tallest cedar tree in Cedar Wood Grove, where I am standing that day.
Ryeo Hwa smiles faintly and shakes her head.
"I've left the position of Vice-leader to Jae Hu. You can rest easy."
"...That's not the problem."
"What is the problem then?"
She smiles faintly again and spreads her arms wide.
"One can't move forward unless they risk something precious. That's the way of this world."
It's been 20 years since we arrived at Cedar Wood Grove.
Facing Vice-leader Ryeo Hwa's earnest fighting will, I let out a deep sigh.
"Let's have a match."
"...You could die."
"Do you still not understand? Even after sending off Gyeong Chang and Yu Yeon, those two senior disciples..."
Her eyes are ablaze.
"Do you think one can reach this realm while remaining sane? The Heart Tribe...is nothing but a group of lunatics. One can't rise to this realm with a sane mind. Aside from Sir Young-hoon, everyone I've seen has been out of their mind."
Tststststststs—
A cold chills begins to emanate from her body.
"Aren't you the same, Esteemed One Seo? We are all madmen, and we even have a 'reason to die.' Isn't that right!?"
At her fierce declaration, I let out a low hum.
"Many cultivators of the Heaven and Earth Tribes view us as madmen who throw away our lives like moths chasing a higher realm, or as lunatics who take the lives of others. But that's wrong."
Woo-woong!
A chill flows from her shriveled body, seeping into my bones.
"Gyeong Chang sacrificed himself for everyone, and Yu Yeon threw away her life because she had no one left. From the moment we climbed to this realm...it means each of us found a reason to throw away our lives!"
Kugwang!
As she stomps her foot, the ground around her sinks deeply.
I look at her for a moment before speaking.
"...In the past, I once took under my care those who had abandoned life and were consumed by revenge, those who sought to die...as those dear to me."
"Is that so?"
"Even though I could do nothing for their thirst for revenge, how many times did I tell them to live...? Somehow, I did manage to save them, but later...when I myself was burning with revenge after losing my beloved, I realized. That sometimes, even if it means throwing away your life, you must quench that desire."
"You've come to your own understanding."
"In a way, yes. But...ever since I came to the Heart Tribe territory, I've been thinking."
I meet Ryeo Hwa's eyes and ask.
"Does staking everything, grinding away your life to pursue the 'higher,' really...have meaning?"
I look at her with bitter eyes.
"And...if I end up killing you, how will those left behind feel...?"
Gyeong Chang, it was for those left behind.
Yu Yeon, it was because there was no one left behind.
They burned their lives away like that.
But there's something they misunderstood.
Aren't I, the one who killed them, the one they left behind?
In the end, we shared hearts in the last moments, and they became deeply etched within mine.
And those who deeply etched into my heart are now dead.
Because of me.
"Can't we just...have a spar, or perhaps exchange enlightenment through words? Is it not possible to have a 'sparring match' with some room for leisure instead of an all-out 'death match'?
At my words, she hesitates for a moment, then smiles.
"I haven't had many encounters with you, Esteemed One. This is only our third meeting. The first was when you arrived at Cedar Wood Grove and awoke. The second was after you emerged from seclusion. And the third is now."
"That's right."
"Let me tell you a secret that even our master didn't notice until I told him. This is a secret that other than our master, only Esteemed One Seo...no, only Junior Brother will know."
Her next words leave me stunned.
"The natural lifespan of us Flower Plant Race is only three months. Even if we raise our cultivation, ten years is the limit…Only by consuming a large amount of spiritual elixirs can we barely live for about twelve years."
"What...!?"
"Allow me to introduce myself again, Junior Brother. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Ryeo Hwa. I was born just nine years ago."
"..."
I stare at her in disbelief.
What on earth is she saying?
Nine years ago?
A lifespan of three months?
Then...
"...So, the first, second, and third Ryeo Hwa...they were all different people?"
"In a way, yes. Shall I explain the origin of our Flower Plant Race?"
She begins her explanation.
"Our Flower Plant Race is not exactly a slave race. We are simply flowers in a flower field, enhanced by spells to be gifted by Heaven Tribe cultivators to their beloved. Through spells, we bloom into the most beautiful flowers for three months before we die."
I look at her hair.
A very beautiful flower is blooming on her head.
"Among those flowers, we are the ones whose spirituality has been stimulated by spells, gaining sentience. Our lives are very short, so when it's time to die, we find another suitable plant and pass on our memories, spirituality, and life before we die. All of those beings are collectively called the 'Flower Plant Race,' and one of those beings is 'Ryeo Hwa.'"
"..."
I gaze at Ryeo Hwa for a moment.
The story is somewhat familiar.
'Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens...'
"...All those Ryeo Hwas...are the same individual?"
"No."
"Hmm...?"
I felt a slight sense of unease and asked, but she denied it so clearly.
"On the contrary, because we are the ones who pass on our memories and life, we know. We are all different beings."
However, I find her words puzzling.
"How can that be...? Doesn't memory prove one's existence?"
"Memory proving existence...many people think that way. But that's not true. If information defines the self, then wouldn't all the disciples in the same sect be considered the same person?"
"...That's not the case."
"Exactly. I do have the memories passed down from the first Ryeo Hwa, but I also have my own memories from when I was just an ordinary flower. And I also clearly remember being 'infused' with the memories of the previous Ryeo Hwa. Of course, I've received so many memories from the previous Ryeo Hwa that my 'original' sense of identity has become a bit faint...but I am still me."
As I ponder deeply, I ask her a question.
"Then, with memories that aren't even your own, you rose in just nine years to Seated Detachment, Entering Hope...in other words, reached the First Step Before the Throne?"
"Hehe, it's one of the enlightenments of the 'first Ryeo Hwa.' Everyone's heart is shaped by mutual influence. If I listen to what someone says and accept it, it eventually becomes mine in the end. I accepted the memories of the previous Ryeo Hwa as my own."
As I listen to her words, I begin to feel strange.
"Wait, wait...so if the existence of 'Ryeo Hwa' continues to be passed on, are you saying you'll fight me before that existence is carried on...? It sounds like you intend to sever the will of 'Ryeo Hwa'...?"
But she smiles faintly instead.
"No, it's quite the opposite."
Tststststststs!
The cold aura emanating from her scatters white clouds around.
'The existence of 'Ryeo Hwa'...I wish to continue it with you, Esteemed One. That is why I am challenging you now."
"What...?"
I am dumbfounded, my mouth hanging open.
If Seo Hweol or Yuk Rin had said something like this, I would have probably killed them on the spot.
The transmission of memories is, in a sense, a type of Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens.
It's no different than boldly declaring she wants to cast Tainted Soul Filling the Heavens on me right in front of me.
I think for a moment and then look at her.
"...Can't you just tell me more about the life of 'Ryeo Hwa'?"
"Do you know, Esteemed One?"
"About what?"
"That in any case, this world will end in ten thousand years."
"..."
It seems she knows something about the End.
"The only possibility of having even the slightest chance of overcoming the End lies, at the very least, in someone at the realm of an Esteemed One. And countless 'Ryeo Hwas'...have judged that it would take at least sixty thousand years to reach the next realm. Therefore, I make this request."
Tsuwaaaaa!
With a solemn expression, Ryeo Hwa holds out an ice spear toward me.
"Please accept 'Ryeo Hwa'."
I gaze at her for a moment.
"...If I accept that, will I not just become you in the end?"
"No. I swear on the pride of Ryeo Hwa. It will simply be accepting a deeper understanding of the existence known as me."
"..."
I pull out the Colorless Glass Sword.
However, I do not aim it at her but let it hang down.
"...I too...don't enjoy killing people."
Gwaak!
Clutching my chest tightly, I mutter through gritted teeth as if spitting out the words.
"I am not a madman steeped in slaughter... Every time I kill someone, my sword, bit by bit, gets a little heavier..."
I glare at Ryeo Hwa.
"Not killing some random enemy unrelated to me, but the very act of killing someone close to me with my own hands... It's an unbearable torment for me."
Growling, I snap at her.
"Why should I suffer by killing you? Tell me."
And then, she smiles faintly.
"If you don't want to kill, you don't have to."
"What...?"
"In fact, our master killed seven of his disciples. But after that, he didn't kill again."
The next moment.
Kwaching!
An overwhelming chill crashes down toward me.
"Because...by then, the gap between us and our master had widened so much that even if we all attacked him together, he could suppress us 'without killing.'"
"What...?"
"From that point on, we gave up. But you, Esteemed One, are different. You are still inexperienced. That's why...you must fight us no matter what. Each of us will come at you, bearing our own reasons and our own hearts!"
"Ridiculous."
Tsuwaaaat!
As I glare at the ice spear flying towards me again, I envelop myself with the All-Heavens Sword.
Through the sword's ability to shift planes, my physical body rises to the Plane of Soul.
Shururu—
The ice spear passes right through my body.
"...I will not fight."
[You will have to fight.]
"...!"
I widen my eyes at her sudden transformation.
'That, that...'
[Ryeo Hwa has been passed down through thousands, tens of thousands of generations, inheriting not only memories but also the remaining life force and energy of each. That energy has gathered, and gathered, and gathered...and now I am like a cultivator of the Earth Tribe...]
Kugugugugu!
An overwhelming force surges from her.
The form of the energy is merely at the Qi Gathering stage.
It seems she doesn't know how to refine her energy to advance beyond the Qi Refining stage.
It's understandable. Plant cultivators are rare, and the Tall Tree Race never leaks their methods.
However, despite the form being at the Qi Gathering stage, the sheer quantity of energy is...
'Quasi-Four-Axis stage...!?'
Dumbfounded by the immense energy, I take a defensive stance as she rushes towards me.
[Embracing both the Earth (地) and the Heart (心), I am a Land and Will Dual Cultivation (陸意雙修) practitioner...! You cannot win while holding back!]
The overwhelming energy distorts the space around us.
As the entire space distorts regardless of the plane, I have no choice but to evade.
Kwadududuk!
I have no choice but to start exchanging blows with her.
Unlike Gyeong Chang or Yu Yeon, who would settle things with a single decisive strike, she battles with a certain degree of finesse.
—Flower Soul (華魂).
Her intent resonates in the Plane of Soul.
Her Entering Heavens known as Flower Soul exudes a coldness that chills even the soul.
—Endless Cold Window (無窮寒窓).
As her Flower Soul emerges, a tremendous cold envelops me.
'This cold...'
The moment I feel it, I realize the nature of the cold.
'Loneliness...'
Ice spears fly toward me from all directions.
I scatter the All-Heavens Sword around, deflecting the spears of ice.
But the moment I deflect them, I realize that a coldness remains in my heart.
No matter how much I push away or parry, the moment I come into contact with her attacks, it leaves behind a coldness that cannot be erased.
The true nature of the coldness is loneliness, and longing.
Chwaaaaa—
Her blue intent materializes as ice, beginning to cover Heaven and Earth.
I slash her body.
Chwarururuk!
Her body regenerates.
The side where I cut feels even colder.
—Why are you lonely?"
Snow flutters about.
Even as my body begins to freeze, I continue to fend off her Flower Soul.
—Don't you have comrades?
We communicate through intent.
—Do you not have people who remember you? In your heart essence lies Jang Ik's podao. Does it not remember all of the Ryeo Hwas?
She smiles as she spreads even more coldness around her.
—Didn't I say that existence is not proven by memory? Do you know what proves existence?
Chwaaaaak!
The more I face her, the more I feel my soul freezing as I gaze at Ryeo Hwa.
—Proof of existence is decided by whom you are love