A Regressor’s Tale of Cultivation

Chapter 626: Royal Authority (2)

"Heavenly Venerables and Supreme Deities are not realms...?"

[Correct. Or more precisely, they are technically realms. Heavenly Venerable being a higher realm than Supreme Deity is also true... However, it is slightly different from the concept of realms as we know them. It is a realm, but rather than a realm, it is closer to a 'position'...]

Black Dragon continues explaining with a sinister glint in their eyes.

[The most accurate way to describe a Heavenly Venerable is a ruler who governs a nation. In other words, it is close to being a king. But one who does not require a successor and governs an eternal, undying nation.]

"Then how is that different from a Supreme Deity?"

[The difference between a Supreme Deity and a Heavenly Venerable is ultimately...a matter of 'authority.']

"Authority...?"

[Going beyond being respected by the masses, they are acknowledged by all, not only holding authority in a specific field but firmly instilling authority upon everyone, and being elevated as a ruler of the masses.]

From the explanation, it sounds like the difference between a university professor and a politician.

[If a Supreme Deity is one who has completely seized an Origin Essence, a Heavenly Venerable is a being who has gone beyond that and accepted the power of all of Sumeru. Ultimately...that's what it is.]

Black Dragon grins with ambition gleaming in their eyes.

[If one engraves their feats upon Mount Sumeru and accepts its power, then even without becoming a Supreme Deity, one can become a Heavenly Venerable directly from the level of an Immortal Lord...!]

"...! Is that...really possible...!?"

[Of course. There are representative examples. Isn't the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu such a case...? Look at Hyeon Mu! Though They are merely in the realm of a Heaven and Earth Great Net, They follow the Heaven Path of Radiance, and the Earth Path of Underworld, and through the Immortal Crowns received from each ruler, They exert the power of an Immortal Lord. With that alone, They engraved Their feats and became a Heavenly Venerable, did They not...?]

"..."

[Even at the level of an Immortal Lord, if one engraves their feats, they can become a Heavenly Venerable. Of course, compared to becoming a Heavenly Venerable as a Supreme Deity, this is unorthodox. However...this Immortal is not the first who has attempted such a path.]

Black Dragon spreads their arms wide, laughing maniacally.

[Those who reach Heavenly Venerable through the unorthodox in this way, they are all called Heavenly Kings. The Obsidian Devil Heavenly King who gave birth to the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity of the Twin Holding Heavenly Domain! The recently fallen Tridacna Vast Cold Heavenly King! All those Heavenly Kings. are ones who reached the realm of Governing Immortal through the unorthodox method. However...unlike Hyeon Mu, who endured long in that position and truly engraved Themself upon the world, the others quickly fell.]

"..."

[This Immortal is different! This Immortal shall rise to the seat of a Heavenly King, endure in that position, continue engraving this Immortal's feats upon Mount Sumeru, and like Hyeon Mu, rise to the genuine Seat of a Heavenly Venerable!]

Black Dragon clenches their fists, trembling.

[Come, join hands with this Immortal. When you witness this Immortal's rise to Heavenly Venerable, you too may find hope. One day, you may also establish feats and prepare your path to rise as a Heavenly Venerable...]

"..."

I look at Black Dragon for a moment.

Leaving aside the fact that they don't seem to know much about the Seven Brilliances Kings, they also seem unfamiliar with Hyeon Mu's Triple Divinity, so I have no idea how to respond.

Yet for some reason, not just Black Dragon, but even Oh Hye-seo, who could have sought wisdom from the Great Mountain Supreme Deity, seems to affirm Black Dragon's goal.

'Leaving aside things like the Seven Brilliances Kings and Triple Divinity, what that guy is saying doesn't seem wrong.'

It seems somewhat true that by engraving one's feats upon Mount Sumeru, one can receive its power and become a Heavenly Venerable.

'Her authority is fundamentally about discerning the truth and mocking it...so I suppose part of it should be true'

However, even if their words are true, there is something that must be addressed.

"Do not misunderstand."

Wiiiiing—

I gather the jade of Yin-Yang and Five Elements before my eyes with an indifferent gaze.

Previously, I had already mastered more than ninety percent of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, and now I stand on the verge of complete control.

Now, I no longer need to recite the mantra. The power of the mantra activates in response to my will alone.

Shwiririririk—

At the same time, the power of the Flawless Mantra, accumulated over 666 cycles, begins to rotate around the jade of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra.

The Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra.

Sensing the two mantras, Black Dragon and Oh Hye-seo widen their eyes and raise their auras.

Kwarurururung!

As two beings at the Great Immortal rank and above begin to draw upon their power, reality starts distorting violently, and the surrounding flow of history begins to be crushed.

But I divert all their pressure through Triple Divinity.

No matter how much they distort reality or crush the flow of history, they cannot affect me in the slightest.

I continue speaking calmly.

"You lot...have killed me throughout hundreds of lives and threatened my family. The only reason I'm even pretending to listen to your stories right now is simply because...that Oh Hye-seo over there is the partner of my fellow Daoist and the niece of my brother. Wake up, Black Dragon."

Kugugugugugu!

The power of Flawlessness and Phenomena Extinguishing responding to my will begins to distort the very spacetime of the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea that Oh Hye-seo summoned me to.

"U-Unbelievable...! What is this mastery of the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra...!? How can the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra be bowing its head so deeply to a mere Upper Immortal...!?"

Oh Hye-seo is aghast, and even Black Dragon takes a half step back with an awkward laugh.

"My realm may be that of a Heaven-Earth Upper Immortal, but if I bring my main body here, I am more than confident that I could beat you bastards to death right now. Of course, if Oh Hye-seo stays in the Earth Axis Heavenly Domain and pursues a defensive battle with Gwak Am's trash, it might be difficult...but for someone like you, Black Dragon, I'm more than confident I can come find you anytime and crush you bit by bit."

[...Haha, sorry to say, but this Immortal's Immortal Vein is quite extensive. If you try to harm this Immortal, countless True Immortals will...]

"Silence."

I cut them off coldly, my face like ice.

"There used to be someone named Seo Hweol. Your weight class, vision, and experience may be a bit broader and deeper than his...but your fundamental scheming and insidiousness doesn't even come close to a fraction of his. And I fought and won against such a person. Even if you band together with a few True Immortals and try to take me on...someone like you doesn't scare me in the slightest."

Though Oh Hye-seo's face remains unchanged at my words, I can see her heart essence shaking violently.

Black Dragon, on the other hand, seems to take a blow to their pride and glares at me with a furious voice.

[Seo Hweol...? Are you comparing this Immortal to some unheard-of piece of trash? This Immortal is the Yin Dragon (陰龍) of the universe. The one who governs Great Yin (太陰/Taiyin), the one who will one day become a Heavenly Venerable. The entire universe dances in the palm of this Immortal's hand... Rivaling even that of the Fallen Guiding Envoy of the Final Age of Dharma Purple Gold Heavenly Lord, this Immortal is the shadow of Mount Sumeru itself... And yet, with what confidence do you dare insult this Immortal with the name of such trash...!?]

"..."

I glance briefly at Oh Hye-seo.

As expected, her expression remains unchanged, but her gaze has deepened.

Her once slightly chilling demeanor now seems utterly devoid of emotion.

With a doll-like smile, her heart essence burns with a hatred toward Black Dragon hat is difficult to describe with words.

"...Please stop there, Senior Black Dragon...No matter what, we need to persuade him, don't we?"

She smiles subtly with lifeless eyes and seductively leans into Black Dragon's arms, whispering.

[Hmm, my apologies. This immortal got a little agitated, having my pride provoked using the name of some unknown mortal.]

"..."

Oh Hye-seo only smiles slightly and burrows deeper into Black Dragon's embrace.

[Let us return to the previous discussion. Very well, first, I offer an apology for attacking you and your comrades. However, none of your companions have been harmed thus far, and you yourself were in the midst of cultivating the Flawless Mantra, so you did not die. I ask for your understanding. If you were displeased, I will provide compensation later.]

"...Well, I suppose I'm ready to talk a little now."

[Good, thank you. Then allow me to properly propose a deal.]

Black Dragon extends their hand toward me.

[This Immortal knows the advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void. And through that advancement ritual, this Immortal has also created another advancement ritual suited to this Immortal. And if you, who have cultivated the Flawless Mantra, and Oh Hye-seo, who possesses the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea and has cultivated the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra, assist me...then this Immortal can reenact the advancement ritual devised in reference to that of the Heavenly Venerable of the Void and rise to the position of a Heavenly Venerable.]

"The Heavenly Venerable of Void's...Heavenly Venerable advancement ritual...? And you're saying you've made your own ritual as well? Are the advancement rituals different for each Heavenly Venerable?"

[That seems to be the case. The most orthodox method is the [World Devouring] of the Heavenly Venerable of Time and the Sal Tree Heavenly Venerable. It is the process of endlessly devouring the beings of the Immortal Family residing in Mount Sumeru over time. If one continues to devour the beings of the Immortal Family, and eventually devours the very system of Immortal Cultivation itself, one can then merge with the system and rise to become a Heavenly Venerable.]

"Then what about the Heavenly Venerable of the Underworld?"

[That being's method is unknown even to this Immortal. They are far too ancient... All I know is that Their method is completely different from that of Void, Time, or Sal Tree.]

"Is that so...? Then, what is the advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void?"

Black Dragon smiles faintly and begins to speak.

And upon hearing the Heavenly Venerable advancement ritual of the Heavenly Venerable of Void, I am horrified.

"...! Wh-What is that...!?"

[Hehehe... Is it not horrifying? Compared to simply devouring beings of the Immortal Family or a part of the world like Sal Tree or Time, this is an utterly deranged advancement ritual beyond comparison...]

"..."

Only now do I understand why the Heavenly Venerable of Void is specialized in the Triple Divinity of Destruction.

The Heavenly Venerable of Void.

The advancement ritual of the True Martial Great Emperor Hyeon Mu is as follows:

One uses one's own power to wage war against the entirety of Mount Sumeru.

Then, after killing or driving out [all beings] within Mount Sumeru into the Outer Sea, one turns the inside of Mount Sumeru into a world of emptiness where no one remains.

It matters not whether they are Governing Immortals, True Immortals, mortals, or microorganisms.

After annihilating or expelling all things of all phenomena outside the world and reducing the entire world to nothingness, one recognizes themself as the sole existence within and commits suicide, embodying the emptiness that blankets the whole of Mount Sumeru.

By doing so, a law is inscribed upon Mount Sumeru, and the one who completes that ritual becomes a Heavenly Venerable.

"..."

Faced with such an utterly deranged method of advancement, I can only be dumbfounded.

But then, I suddenly notice a strange contradiction in their words.

'What is it? Something about what they said doesn't make logical sense...'

However, no matter how hard I think, I can't figure out what the contradiction is.

For now, I decide to firmly remember that there is a contradiction, and speak to Black Dragon.

"So, are you saying we need to wage war against all of Mount Sumeru?"

[Of course not. This Immortal is not a madman like the True Martial Great Emperor... Didn't this Immortal say there is a ritual this Immortal created in reference to Void's?]

Black Dragon speaks with a sinister smile.

[I have investigated Hyeon Mu's advancement ritual for tens of millions of years. And as a result, I have come to understand. There is no need to perform an advancement ritual on the scale of Hyeon Mu's. It can be on a somewhat smaller scale.]

"Hoh...?"

[All living beings of Mount Sumeru! Except for True Immortals and Governing Immortals, all mortal beings shall be annihilated. Then...upon that dead land where no living beings remain, this Immortal shall once again cause life to flourish.]

"..."

[This Immortal shall recreate all living beings across all of Mount Sumeru. This Immortal shall redraw the blueprint of all life on Mount Sumeru and inscribe this great feat upon it. Though it may not compare to Hyeon Mu, who expelled even all beings of the Immortal Family...even this much is enough for this Immortal to become a Heavenly Venerable!]

Black Dragon smiles with gleaming eyes, their mouth stretching and ripping.

[Join hands with this Immortal. The advancement ritual of this Great Yin Pitch (大陰呂), which shall drive all races in Mount Sumeru to extinction, is only possible when the Radiance Eight Immortals and all the True Immortals are distracted, fighting in battle.]

"..."

[You are the only one since that time to achieve great completion in the mantra of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King. If it's you...even though you may not be able to recreate the Immortal Art of the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, you will be able to control the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity! If Oh Hye-seo triggers the Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity using the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, and you control the rampaging Swallowing Heaven Supreme Deity, then this Immortal and Oh Hye-seo can draw in only the mortal beings of Mount Sumeru, making the extinction of all its living beings possible! Extinguish life, and witness the rebirth of all living beings under the hands of this Immortal.]

Black Dragon suddenly seems to shift their form in the darkness, then approaches me with the bewitching voice of a woman, whispering.

[We can obtain everything. The time is only now, when the great war of Radiance Hall is waging and the Great Mountain Supreme Deity is trying to forge Their mantra of madness. If not during this era of chaos. there will be no other chance to bring extinction upon the living of Mount Sumeru. What do you desire? Take this Immortal's hand. This Immortal...will become a King.]

As if trying to seduce me, they whisper in the voices of men, women, beasts, elderly, and even that of grasshoppers.

[Until now, all the Heavenly Venerables of Mount Sumeru have reigned but not ruled. What kind of nonsense is that!? Sitting atop the heads of all living beings, toying with them while presiding over their life and death...yet having no concern in the justice of Mount Sumeru. In truth, it has only been the deranged Radiance Eight Immortals who have ruled Mount Sumeru.

[But their ideology...you know it too, do you not? They are mad. Trampling upon the entire Immortal Family and cultivation, they are lunatics who believe that only their Eight Immortals represent justice and that they can eternally carry out the rule of sage kings. That is why, if this Immortal becomes a Heavenly Venerable...this Immortal shall not only reign, but rule.]

Black Dragon becomes a river of darkness, and envelops me, groping at my body and spirit.

[But unlike the mad Radiance Eight Immortals, I will not pursue their kind of goal. I shall rule the world with justice as my sole purpose. If the Radiance Eight Immortals realize their ultimate goal, no one will be able to control them. But if this Immortal becomes King, then the other Heavenly Venerables will remain, and so will the Governing Immortals. This Immortal can be controlled. So...help me.]

Beyond the river of darkness groping my spirit, something falls into my grasp.

[That is the core of this Immortal, the key that can detonate all of this Immortal's prophecies and revisions at once. You could say it is the heart of this Immortal. I will give it to you. If you ever find this Immortal's plan displeasing, detonate it. This Immortal only...wishes to protect Mount Sumeru, the cradle of all, from the mad Radiance Eight Immortals, and the even madder Great Mountain Supreme Deity.]

Shururururuk...

Having finished speaking, Black Dragon returns to their Transformation form of darkness and stands beside Oh Hye-seo.

[Please, accept our proposal. If you accept, then we will no longer have any reason to attack you or your comrades. Did you not say you wanted to protect your family...? If you truly wish to protect your family and yourself, then this Immortal's proposal is surely of value! Please, help us and let us realize justice together...!]

They spread their arms wide, shouting as if pleading.

[Please, allow this Immortal to attain royal authority (王權). This Immortal shall become King (王) for true justice and goodness...!]

"..."

I look at the thing in my hand that is called the heart of Black Dragon.

I feel it.

Contained within is immense evidence of Black Dragon's history, revision, and prophecy.

I can't say for sure whether detonating what's inside will truly kill Black Dragon, but it is clear that it will cause serious damage.

If I had only seen this, I might have believed they were truly pleading for the safety and justice of Sumeru Mountain.

But in the next moment, I crush Black Dragon's heart without hesitation.

Kwaching!

As this lump containing Black Dragon's prophecy and revision bursts apart, the space of the Corpse Mountain and Blood Sea and the entirety of Mount Sumeru seems to vibrate.

I look at Black Dragon.

Black Dragon's eyes have turned as cold as ice.

And...

They are completely unharmed.

I see that and sneer.

"I could barely stand hearing your bullshit from earlier...but I listened to the end, wondering if there might have been a shred of sincerity. But really...there's not a single bit of sincerity in you."

Tududuk...

I dust off my hand that crushed Black Dragon's heart and speak.

The heart Black Dragon spoke of definitely exists.

It really is something connected to their prophecy, revision, and the powers to their life.

But the one given to me was merely a heart replicated by Oh Hye-seo's authority of [Truth Manipulation].

Because I have some understanding of her authority, I could tell from the beginning that this bastard was lying.

"From start to finish...I make sacrifices, Oh Hye-seo makes sacrifices, all the beings of Mount Sumeru make sacrifices...and you don't sacrifice a damn thing. I thought maybe you'd at least be willing to wager your own life, but even that was a fake life created using Oh Hye-seo's power. Without sacrificing a single thing, grinding down everything except yourself, you dare speak of goodness, dare speak of being King?"

I glare at Black Dragon with a furious expression.

"Don't make me laugh. That is no King! You will never become King!"

As I think of Seo Hweol, who once called himself the Sea Dragon King and in the end was ready to stake everything he had, I shout at this trash before me, who is even worse than him.

"Your disgusting plan will never be realized. For you will die by my hand!"

[Haha... You've gone mad. No matter if you possess the Phenomena Extinguishing Mantra and the Flawless Mantra, you are merely in a state of a spirit summoned into Oh Hye-seo's domain... Yet to this Great Yin True Lord Black Dragon, you dare...]

Kwaaaaaaaaang!

The next moment.

I immediately rush at Black Dragon and grip their essence, then hurl them away violently.

Black Dragon crashes into the Blood Sea, unable to even resist my strike.

Wiiiiiiing!

Behind me, a pure white circle appears.

Normally, achieving great completion in the Flawless Mantra causes a black circle to appear, but in my case, the color is completely opposite for some reason.

Of course, it doesn't really matter.

"I have yet to cultivate the Flawless Mantra enough to get a truly satisfying answer, but..."

Uduk, udududuk...

Just like what White-Winged Heavenly Pegasus once did,

The power of the Flawless Mantra, the result of my history that has defied the principles of the world, begins to reverse the power of this world inside the Corpse Mountain Blood Sea.

The authority of the Immortal Cultivation system begins to be pushed out from this area.

Oh Hye-seo is startled, and Black Dragon widens their eyes.

All that remains in this world is pure strength, technique, and heart.

In an instant, I nullify the majority of this world's authorities, clenching my fist with a crack.

"I've fulfilled the minimum of 666 times."

Black Dragon reveals their main body.

But I can read the fear behind their gaze.

It doesn't seem like they are of the same era as the Obsidian Devil Heavenly King, but it appears they have seen that being's power through history induction or similar means.

[Th-That can't be! You didn't even do the handstand properly from halfway through! There's no way you could use that being's power properly...! This Immortal has even interfered so much...!]

"I've always been doing the handstand. I'm doing it even now."

No matter what fate I am born under, no matter what power I am born with, living without forgetting my heart.

That is my handstand.

"I shall show you the power of the God of Gods."