Absolute Regression Chapter 726

Episode 726: If you want it, you want it more earnestly than anyone else

“I knew you’d be here.”

Bloody Heavenly Swordsman turned his head with a surprised expression at the words of the swordsmanship that came from behind.

“How did you know I was here?”

This was the very top of Mount Daecheon. Bloody Heavenly Sword stood there, gazing up at the stars in the night sky. Seodaeryong had once told me that Master would climb Mount Daecheon whenever he needed to cool his head.

“Aren’t I the one who knows everything about you, Elder?”

Bloody Heavenly Sword said to Geommu Geuk.

“You must have come up here because you were frustrated too.”

The sword dance smiled without denying it.

“How was the congratulatory banquet?”
“It went well.”

Father and Blood Heavenly Sword were absent from the beginning, and most of the Demon Lords stayed for a while before leaving. They believed that if they left, Seodaeryong would be able to socialize comfortably with his comrades.

They quietly slipped away from the bustling place, observing Seodaeryong and Dan-ah having fun. Perhaps they’d catch a glimpse of the drunken Hwangcheonju reciting poetry.

“That was a really good speech.”
“I didn’t know I’d forget it so many times.”
“It’s because I’m old.”

Bloodthirsty Demon looked up at the stars and smiled.

“I’ve already sent my right arm off to get married. What are you going to do now?”

Until now, he had only said that he would distance himself from the great castle of the Nine-Handed Demon Sect. But now, his answer was different.

“Now we will run towards the great castle of the Nine-Handed Demon King.”

When he felt that the great success of the Nine Flower Demons was approaching, and was about to enter the closed training room, the Blood Heavenly Demon stopped him.

If you want something too badly, it tends to get further away.

At that moment, I had a profound realization. Up until then, the process of achieving this had been a result of human interaction. But I was driven by a desire to abandon all of that process and achieve great enlightenment.

But the Daesung I’m talking about now is different from back then.
That’s because Daeryong was the one who arranged the wedding.

The eyes of the swordsman were filled with a renewed desire. Now, Bloody Heavenly Swordmaster couldn’t stop him.

“If you decide to want something, want it more desperately than anyone else.”

* * *

That morning, Geommu-geuk packed his things.
He brought a change of clothes, seasonings for cooking, a leather mat to sleep on, dried foods that could be stored for a long time, and a few other things just in case.

After packing up my luggage, I climbed Daecheonsan Mountain again.
I searched for a suitable spot among the many spots on the mountain. Finally, I found a place with a wide open space, where no one had come due to the rugged terrain. Behind, a steep cliff even contained a cave, and a stream flowed nearby.

A cliff at the back, an open space in front. It was the perfect place for training.

The Geommu-geuk unpacked in the cave.
He decided not to use the Time-Space Transfer Technique of the Time-Space Transfer Technique during this training session. Since the Great Star was within reach, he decided to train while feeling the energy of the Great Heavenly Mountain with his body.

My father once told me that if you ever feel a sense of tightness or a wall in your chest while practicing, climb here. He said the energy of Daecheonsan Mountain would help.

The next morning, I began my training.
First, I sat cross-legged and meditated, absorbing the energy of Mount Daecheon.
After a hearty meal, I began practicing the Guhwa Magical Works in earnest.

From the first to fifth stages, he performed them in an empty space, but only the sixth stage, the Heavenly Demon Extermination, required the use of a time-space transfer technique.
Even the energy of the Bloodless Death was absorbed before the Heavenly Demon Extermination could be performed. If he were to unleash it here, the entire surroundings would be obliterated.

Only after exhausting all his internal energy by wielding the Heavenly Demon Extermination skill, did he emerge from the Space-Time Transference Technique.
Having completely exhausted his internal energy with the Heavenly Demon Extermination, Geommu-geuk sat down and began to replenish his energy.

“once!”

I planned to repeat this process over and over again. It wasn’t easy, as I’d poured my heart and soul into the process.
My goal was five times a day.
How many times would I have to stay here?

A hundred times? A thousand times? Or maybe ten thousand times?

* * *

Eat, practice, walk, and sleep.

That happened every day.

The Great Star, which seemed so close before my eyes, wasn’t
actually that close. Was it something so vast that I mistakenly thought it was close?

Fortunately, the teachings of the Bloody Heavenly Sword Demon truly manifested when practiced in earnest. Here are two teachings he imparted:

Not too desperate,
but more desperate than anyone else.

Geommu-geuk put both of these conflicting pieces of advice into practice.
On days when he felt anxious about whether his training method was flawed, he recalled the first piece of advice.
When the temptation to retreat and find another method tempted him, he recalled the second piece of advice.

People often think they’re good at building relationships, but their true strength lies in their ability to accomplish things on their own. They’re the ones who dedicate their lives to a single goal.

And today, when I performed the two hundred and twenty-fifth Guhwamagong, I had an unexpected visitor.
The person who came up there, as if strolling, carrying a pack on his back, was Geom Woojin.

“father!”

Geum Woo-jin made a pitiful expression.

“You look like a beggar.”

Come to think of it, he hasn’t even shaved his beard lately and has been focusing solely on training, which is quite unusual.

“Are you going to meet me like that?”
“Who?”

From the gaze of his father, who was silently staring at him, Geommugeuk could tell who his opponent was.

The meaning was that the moment the Heavenly Demon Spirit appears, you will meet him in that state.

It’s something I’ve been hoping for, but it just can’t happen.

“Please sit here, Father.”

Geommu-geuk quickly unfolded the tiger skin he had wrapped in a quilt. What was already spread out on the floor was ordinary leather.

“Did you know I was coming?”
“I brought it just in case.”

If it were any other place, I wouldn’t have brought it. But this was the place my father recommended. I thought maybe he’d come here someday.

Geumwoojin sat on the tiger skin.

“Have you eaten?”
“No.”

It took a long time for me to hear that he hadn’t done it. The father had come to have a meal with his son.

“Please wait a moment. I will quickly catch a wild boar and bring it back.”

When Geommugeuk was about to go hunting, Geomwoojin stopped him.

“Let’s eat what you were eating.”
“It’s all cold.”
“It’s okay.”

I brought the meat and food that Geommu-geuk had left behind.
I raised the hot water heater, warmed the food, and served it to my father. Of course, Hyuknang had clean dishes prepared in anticipation of my father’s arrival.

The two ate in silence. They ate without saying a word, but it didn’t feel awkward at all anymore.

After finishing the meal, Geommu-geuk brewed tea. Hyuknang also had tea that his father enjoyed.

“I didn’t bring any alcohol because I thought I’d want to go down if I drank it.”
“The tea tastes good, so that’s fine.”

So the two sat facing each other and drank tea.
Geommugeuk expressed his honest feelings.

“It seems like it’s all done. I think I’ll achieve it once I finish this training. Is Daesung really just a mirage in the desert?”

After taking a sip of tea, Geumwoojin answered.

“Originally, I wouldn’t have even been able to enter that desert.”

That means the progress of the sword dance is fast.

It was important to become stronger by achieving great success, but in fact, his greater desire was to see his own Heavenly Demon Soul.

What would it look like?
Does the Heavenly Demon Soul truly possess a soul?
How does it communicate with itself?

I had so many questions, but I didn’t ask my father. I wanted to experience everything firsthand.
But I had to ask this one thing.

“How do you summon the Heavenly Demon Spirit after achieving greatness?”
“You can summon it at will.”
“How much internal energy is required?”
“You don’t need any internal energy to summon the Heavenly Demon Spirit. However, if the Heavenly Demon Spirit wants to use martial arts, it needs your internal energy.”

Ultimately, it means that the Heavenly Horse Spirit is deeply connected to the person who performed the martial arts.

The descent of the Heavenly Demon Spirit.

Just hearing those words made my heart flutter.

After drinking the remaining tea, Geum Woo-jin stood up from his seat.

“When we come down from the mountain, let’s play a game of baduk.”

My father didn’t say a word, telling me to do well or what to do. He just ate and left.

But this visit brought about a change.

* * *

The day after my father left, I went for a walk after my usual training session.
It was an all-out effort, so I was incredibly exhausted, and I was completely exhausted by the end. But I never missed a walk.

As I walked, I reflected. I thought about the events before my return, the enemies I’d killed, the martial arts rites, and even contemplated a new training method.

At that moment, Geommugeuk’s eyes caught sight of a large tree that had fallen as one side of the valley collapsed.

“What a pity.”

A giant tree, probably a thousand years old, lay broken and fallen.
The swordsman, who was about to pass by, returned to the tree.

Oh my! Oh my!

Geommugeuk cut down a tree with his black magic sword.
He then brought the cut log, which was roughly the size of a box, back to his quarters.
Geommugeuk began to craft something with it.

Oh my, oh my.

As the sword cut through it, it gradually revealed its shape: a thick go board with legs.

The reason the sword dance didn’t just pass by the giant tree was because the broken tree was a cypress, considered the finest material for a Go board. It was a thousand-year-old cypress tree, after all.

When you come down, let’s play a game of baduk.

I wanted to make a Go board myself and give it to my father as a gift. For a father who loves Go, there’s no better gift.

Geommugeuk meticulously crafted a Go board.
He continued his training, devoting his spare time to crafting the board.

Ten days later, the Go board was finally completed.
It was so exquisite that you’d believe it was actually crafted by a master craftsman.

Now, there was only one step left, the most crucial one.
Geommu-geuk, who had been looking down at the board for a moment to calm his mind, began drawing lines on the board with his black magic sword.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Lines were drawn without thought.
Nineteen horizontal lines were drawn, followed immediately by vertical ones.
Even though a single mistake could ruin the entire scene, Geommugeuk never lost focus.
The lines were drawn precisely, without a single inch of error.

The sword dance was satisfying. It was even better than I had imagined.
Once I actually made the board, I found myself wanting to make the stones myself.

I cut down more zelkova trees and made a go board. Making the board proved more difficult than the board itself. It required more expertise than it appeared, and after several failed attempts, I finally finished a satisfactory go board.

And finally, I made some Go stones.
While out for a walk, I found some white rocks that shone like crystal, and a few days later, I found some black stones that shone like pitch black.

Geommugeuk began crafting Go stones by channeling the Black Magic Sword’s energy.
Despite the slight inconvenience and difficulty, he used the Black Magic Sword instead of a dagger. He finely adjusted the Black Magic Energy to shape the stones. Finally, he smoothed them with his steel energy.

I never thought I would be able to make Go stones using martial arts.

It took a long time to make the first Go stone, but that time gradually decreased.

It was almost the first time I had ever made such fine adjustments to the black ink.

Oh my! Oh my!

The more I made it, the more I became accustomed to the subtle adjustments of the sword and the strong energy.

Practice and make Go stones, practice again and make Go stones.

Every day, I painstakingly crafted a Go stone, one or two, sometimes three or four.
No matter how tired I was, I never stopped practicing and crafting.

Every day was repeated like that, and the sword dance overcame the boredom.
Finally, today, I made the last stone, a total of 321.

“It’s finally over!”

With trembling hands, Geommu-geuk placed the last stone he had made into the Go box. Stones of identical size glittered within the box.

After touching it with a deeply moved heart, Geommu-geuk carefully placed it in a corner of the cave and covered it with a tiger skin. There was something more important to do than enjoy this thrill.

Geommu-geuk emerged from the cave and drew his sword.
Even though training for the night had already ended, he was about to unleash the Nine-Hwa Demonic Arts again.

The moment I finished the last stone, I felt compelled to unleash the Guhwamagong. I couldn’t quite figure out why. It just felt that way.

The moment my Japanese eclipse destruction ritual is activated.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Four demons emerged from the four directions, slicing through a single space.
Before they could vanish, I unleashed my Transplant Destruction Technique.
Now, the Sword Dance Master unleashed these five techniques in a linked fashion.

Ss …

Scary-looking demons split before my eyes. Twenty-six in number!

Kwak …

They charged forward, tearing through space.
Before I could see the result, the next black sword of the Sword Dance Theater was already in motion.

Whew!

With a gust of wind, a wall of energy appeared in front of the sword dance.
Before the transparent radiance of the third form’s great demon wall could even fade, the fourth form, Darkness, was unleashed.

hook.

It felt like a deep darkness was descending.

Shh …

A single ray of light cut through the darkness.
When the surroundings brightened again, a black aura descended from the sky like lightning. It was the ultimate blow to my life.

Swish swish swish swish swish swish
swish swish swish! Pak bak bak bak bak bak bak bak bak bak!

The protruding pieces of rock.
The traces of black energy left on the ground were evenly spaced. And the depth of the holes was also consistent.

Despite continuously exercising his sword skills from the first to the fifth, the sword dance technique felt no strain on his body at all. It was truly the free-flowing power of the Nine Fire Demonic Arts.

My carnivorous, heavenly demonic annihilation could not be unleashed here.
I could not destroy this great mountain.

Geommu-geuk opened the space-time transfer technique and carried out the destruction of the heavenly demons there.

Flash!

At that moment, as light emanated from the Black Magic Sword, covering the world in white, the
world within the space-time teleportation technique vanished.
It was the annihilation of the Heavenly Demons, a phenomenon repeated hundreds of times on Mount Daecheon.

Originally, after completely destroying the world inside the space-time teleportation technique, he released the space-time teleportation technique and came out.

But today’s Heavenly Demon Extermination was different. It flew endlessly, annihilating everything.

Kwajijijijik!

The world in the space-time transfer technique was cracking and breaking apart.

‘!’

The world of space-time transference, as observed by Geommu-geuk, was cracking, even though he hadn’t solved it.

‘The space-time transfer magic is breaking!’

The Heavenly Demon Mystery was destroying and destroying the space-time transfer technique. This was something that had never happened before, and Geommu-geuk was taken aback.

Kwaaaaang!

The time-space transfer technique shattered, sending Geomwugeuk flying out into the world.
“Whack!”
The tremendous impact sent Geomwugeuk crashing into a cliff. Lacking any internal energy, he was helpless.

Kwakwakwakwakwang!

Even after destroying the space-time transfer technique, the remaining shockwave of the Heavenly Demon Extermination shattered the surroundings.

Kwaang! Kwarrrrung!

In the aftermath, the cliff behind which the cave was located collapsed.

WHACK!

Geommugeuk’s eyes widened. He rolled to avoid the impact, but was unable to avoid another massive rock. It all happened in an instant.

‘no!’

Kuuung!

Darkness came with a loud noise.

‘Is he dead?’

Judging by the shock from hitting the wall earlier, his whole body was in so much pain that it felt like it was going to explode, so he wasn’t dead. How on earth did he survive?

At that very moment!

The darkness surrounding him began to move, and he slowly began to open his eyes.