Absolute Regression

Translator: FenrirTL

Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis, Mani

Murim Term Consultant: Kopke

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Chapter 232: Planning to Regret Again Later?

I stopped in my tracks.

It wasn’t because of the gust of sand-laden wind. The question I had asked him long ago was of great importance to me.

“When I asked if you could slow down time within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, you responded like this: ‘Oh, you fool, does that even make sense?’”

I remembered exactly what he had said.

“You even mentioned that neither you nor the previous Cult Leaders could achieve it.”

“Your memory serves you well.”

After a brief pause, Jeong Dae spoke.

“What I said was both true and false.”

“What do you mean?”

“No matter how much we researched and trained, it was indeed impossible. I still feel the same way. ‘Oh, you fool, does that even make sense?’”

“Then what was false?”

“I told you it was nonsense, but in truth, there is a secret technique passed down discreetly among the Cult Leaders. It’s called the ‘Heavenly Time Secret Art.’”

As soon as I heard those words, my heart surged. Sensing my emotions, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader quickly continued.

“Don’t get your hopes up. No Cult Leader has ever truly mastered the Heavenly Time Secret Art. Despite all the research and training, it’s been nothing but a waste of time. Frankly, I’m skeptical if it’s even a real technique.”

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of excitement. This matter was that important to me.

Jeong Dae’s explanation went on.

“According to the remaining records, the Heavenly Time Secret Art was created about two hundred years ago when the Cult Leader at that time, Yeon Myungdeok, succeeded in making time flow differently inside and outside the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique during his retirement in seclusion. Inside, an entire hour passed, but when he emerged, less than half an hour had passed.”

The previous Cult Leader once again emphasized that this was an impossible feat.

“But since Cult Leader Yeon, no one else has managed it. It’s no surprise, really—Cult Leader Yeon had the deepest inner strength in the entire history of the Heavenly Wind Cult and was born with the Heavenly Martial Body, reaching unimaginable heights in martial arts. So, ordinary people couldn’t comprehend the technique he left behind. Either that, or the technique itself was flawed.”

“Then why are you telling me about this?”

Our eyes met in the empty air.

“Before that, let me ask you first. Why are you interested in this impossible feat? Of course, anyone would dream of such a space, but I sense you have a reason beyond mere desire.”

I did have a reason. It was because of the Nine Calamities Demon Art.

If I were to master the Nine Calamities Demon Art, I had to achieve greatness. Moreover, my goal wasn’t just Ten-Star Greatness but the Twelve-Star.

But I was running out of absolute time. For other martial arts, it might have been manageable, but reaching Twelve-Star Greatness with the Nine Calamities Demon Art was no easy feat since it was such an amazing martial art.

“There’s someone I want to beat up thoroughly after endless training.”

“With your current skills you still want more training? Whoever it is, they’re in for some bad luck.”

Yes, just like Jeong Dae said, someone had messed with the wrong person. Whether it was Hwa Moogi or me, one of us was definitely in over our heads. 1

“When you first asked me about it, I never imagined this moment would come.”

Then, to my astonishment, he said something unexpected.

“I’ll pass down the Heavenly Time Secret Art to you.”

Our gazes intertwined in the open air. Though it was a secret technique that no one had mastered, it wasn’t something he would willingly hand over to just anyone.

“I never succeeded, but… perhaps you might.”

Seeing the question in my eyes, which asked why he was showing such kindness, Jeong Dae boldly revealed his thoughts.

“Didn’t you say you’d take me as your master in here?”

“!”

“It’s only natural for a master to pass down secret techniques to their disciple, isn’t it?”

I was genuinely moved. I knew what kind of person he was to some extent. He was as human as anyone, filled with desires, and I knew he sometimes regretted what he had already given me.

Yet here he was, ready to give again. Ready to share the secret technique he possessed.

“Are you planning to regret this later?”

“Well, if I do, so be it. Isn’t regret something I’m quite familiar with anyways?” 2

Hearing those words, I felt a surge of emotion. He was truly giving his all for me. Seo Daeryong had once told me that when you give him one thing, he gives back tenfold. That was exactly how I felt about the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader. I gave him one thing, and he repaid me tenfold.

I bowed deeply on the spot.

“Please, be demanding and take credit as much as you want. I’ll accept it all my life. Thank you so much.”

In response, the previous Cult Leader, his eyes growing slightly misty, helped me up while grumbling.

“I don’t even know if this is something worth being thanked for. Honestly, I’m worried that passing on a secret technique I couldn’t master might just waste your energy and time.”

“Leave the rest to me.”

“All right, then listen carefully from now on.”

The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader taught me the mnemonic of the Heavenly Time Secret Art. He made sure to confirm multiple times that I had memorized it correctly.

“If this technique works, would the speed at which time slows down differ depending on the person?”

“I suppose it would, yes.”

“Then, if one day the Heavenly Time Secret Art reaches its ultimate level, maybe it’ll be possible to make time stop entirely in that space.” 3

“Are you dreaming of flying when you haven’t even learned to crawl yet?”

“I have a great desire for martial arts.”

We laughed as we looked at each other.

“That’s probably something beyond human capability.”

“I’ll try to surpass that limit.”

“Even though I think it’s impossible, a part of me is excited. I’m curious to see how much you’ll surprise me with this.”

He didn’t know how grateful I was at this moment. I was determined to completely refine the Heavenly Time Secret Art to astonish him.

*         *         *

Alone, I opened a space with the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique and once again deployed the Heavenly Time Secret Art within.

Whiiiiish.

The sound of the wind swirling around me felt almost mystical. I hadn’t yet passed the introductory stage of the mnemonic, but the inner strength required was already immense. I understood why no one else had achieved it and why so many had given up.

The art was not only complex but also demanded an excessive amount of internal energy. Even if someone succeeded with the technique, the time they could spend in this altered space would be so brief that it would render the art practically useless.

Moreover, if someone were to train martial arts in this space, additional internal energy would be needed, making it an even more daunting task.

But for me, it held significance.

My internal energy was purer and more powerful than that of anyone else in this martial world.

Additionally, I had a strong belief. Just like with other top-tier martial arts, the efficiency of the Heavenly Time Secret Art would rapidly improve as its level increased. The same was true for the Wind God’s Four Steps—its speed increased and the required internal energy decreased as the skill level rose.

I practiced the Heavenly Time Secret Art with unwavering confidence that it would work. I believed in myself. After all, I also possessed the Heavenly Martial Body, and I was certain that my current level of martial arts was much higher than that of Yeon Myungdeok when he created this secret art.

*         *         *

The next day, I met Gowol in the yard.

“Did something good happen?”

When Gowol asked, I glanced at Jeong Dae standing beside us.

“Yes, something good did happen.”

Quick-witted Gowol immediately realized that it had something to do with his friend.

“You always complain about the Young Master, yet you’ve brought him something again?”

At Gowol’s question, the former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader looked off into the distance, feigning deaf disinterest.

I laughed and asked Gowol, “How about you?”

“I think I need more time. Right now, it’s not a matter of using my head but using my eyes.”

It meant he was keeping a close watch and observing, looking for gaps in Yaryuhan's daily routine.

He was busy all day, receiving and sending messages, meeting with people who delivered information and then returning. Of course, with his best friend by his side, I wasn’t worried.

“Take as much time as you need. Handle it carefully.”

“Yes!”

“I’ll go get something delicious, so let’s have dinner together.”

Tonight’s dinner was going to be something truly special.

*         *         *

That day, I sold some of the Night Pearls I had entrusted to the money exchange and bought four roots of Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.

Before my regression, I had traveled all over the Central Plains, experiencing all sorts of things, so I was well acquainted with a black market near the Unorthodox Alliance's main base that sold rare elixirs.

Given how rare these items were, they were very expensive, but I didn’t hold back when it came to buying them.

Returning to the safehouse with the Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs, I called the Evil Smiling Demon, Gowol, and Jeong Dae together. I placed the Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs in front of them and, as if sealing it with a nail, spoke firmly.

“Alright, each of you take one root right now. No refusals allowed. You must consume it in front of me.”

As I had mentioned before when sharing elixirs with Soma, I wasn’t someone who shared valuable elixirs with others easily. Yet, I wanted to share these with them.

It was a gesture of encouragement for the Evil Smiling Demon, who was about to enter battle; a gift for my master, who had given me his final secret technique; and a tonic for Gowol, who had endured so much hardship up until now.

The former Heavenly Wind Cult Leader jested.

“Who would refuse something this good? If someone’s going to refuse, let them give theirs to me!”

Gowol’s face showed the sentiment of, ‘I don’t need it, so please, Young Master, you take it’, but he reluctantly understood. He knew my words about not refusing were directed specifically at him.

Gowol bowed his head, and Soma expressed his gratitude through his eyes.

And so, the four of us took the Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs together.

Given my profound inner strength, the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng hardly made a dent; it was as if it didn’t even reach my liver, so to speak. However, for the other three, it was still a valuable elixir. Especially for Gowol, who had the least inner strength, it would be highly effective not only in enhancing his internal energy but also in restoring his fatigued body.

—Take good care of your health, Gowol.

I sent him a private message.

Gowol’s deepened gaze conveyed his gratitude to me.

*         *         *

Finally, Gowol had found a way.

“I’ve conducted extensive research on Yaryuhan. His residence is located within the inner grounds of the Unorthodox Alliance. He wakes up in the morning to train, eats, and spends his day working as the leader of the Extreme Forces Brigade. Occasionally, when summoned, he goes to the Alliance Leader’s Hall. He spends all his time within the Unorthodox Alliance. Since the deaths of Jisaeng and Aechak, he hasn’t set foot outside a single time after the destruction of the Great Night Sect.”

Believing that the Alliance Leader was targeting him, Yaryuhan was thoroughly cautious, making it very difficult to find an opportunity to strike him.

“That won’t be easy.”

“Yes, attacking him while he’s within the Alliance makes it several times harder.”

Even if it weren’t particularly difficult, killing him inside the Unorthodox Alliance was something we had to avoid at all costs. Since Bih Sa-in had granted us permission for this mission, we needed to respect the Unorthodox Alliance’s integrity.

“I was curious whether the Five Thunder Divine Sword and Bloodwheel Calamity were also residing inside the Unorthodox Alliance alongside Yaryuhan.”

Gowol looked at me, seeking my opinion.

“They won’t be there.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because they are both classified as public enemies of the martial world. There is an agreement between the Martial Alliance and the Unorthodox Alliance. According to the agreement, anyone who has become a public enemy must not be sheltered.”

Jeong Dae interjected.

“Would those unorthodox scoundrels really keep such an agreement?”

“It’s Yaryuhan who would want to uphold that agreement.”

“Why would he?”

“He wouldn’t want to give the Alliance Leader any leverage over him. If the Alliance Leader decided to turn against him, there couldn’t be a better pretext.”

The previous Cult Leader nodded, indicating he hadn’t considered that angle.

Gowol stepped forward again.

“You’ve assessed it correctly. That’s right. The Five Thunder Divine Sword and Bloodwheel Calamity are not residing within the Unorthodox Alliance. So, I focused on finding out where these two were living.”

“They must have a residence somewhere near the main base, right?”

“Yes. But they’ve been hidden so well that locating them was no easy task. So, I changed my approach. I monitored the people who would likely visit them.”

“Who? Yaryuhan?”

“No, Cha Hwan.”

The last surviving member of the Four Retainers, Cha Hwan.

“He acts as Yaryuhan’s right hand. Surely someone would need to attend to and serve a veteran expert like the Five Thunder Divine Sword, and they wouldn’t leave it to just anyone.”

I judged this to be a sound approach. Gowol had made a clever and well-reasoned decision.

“While monitoring Cha Hwan, I discovered something peculiar. Every month, without fail, he buys Shanxi’s Fenjiu.”

Gowol added with a meaningful look.

“The Five Thunder Divine Sword’s hometown is Shanxi. According to information sent from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, his favorite drink was Fenjiu.”

“So, he’s delivering that liquor to the Five Thunder Divine Sword.”

“Exactly. Based on that, I tailed Cha Hwan and was able to locate the Five Thunder Divine Sword’s residence.”

“Well done!”

“The issue is Yaryuhan. Because of the recent events, he’s avoiding all external outings and hasn’t been meeting with the Five Thunder Divine Sword either. However, while going through the data sent from the Heavenly Communication Pavilion, I found this. Take a look.”

As I scanned the documents he handed over, I looked at Gowol with a knowing expression.

“The Five Thunder Divine Sword’s birthday is coming up!”

“Yes, and it’s his ninetieth birthday. Even if they avoid meeting on any other occasions, Yaryuhan and Damal will definitely visit him on this day to celebrate.” 4

Gowol’s eyes gleamed.

“That’s when we strike. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks by trying to deal with them all at once. We’ll take them down one by one, with staggered timing. First, we kill the Five Thunder Divine Sword, then eliminate anyone who comes to visit afterward. One by one, in order.”

I gave Gowol a strong pat on the shoulder.

“You’ve really gone through a lot to find this out.”

“It’s thanks to the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.”

Although he smiled, Gowol still wore a worried expression.

I turned to Soma and said, “It’s the old man’s birthday; shouldn’t we go and offer our congratulations too?”

The eyes in the Evil Smiling Demon’s mask hollow sockets began to blaze with a blue flame.

“Leave it to us from here on out!”

1 : I want to say that Hwa Moogi will definitely lose, but with how much they’re hyping the fight I’m having doubts over a clean victory.

2 : Now that’s manly. He might complain endlessly, but he’s a true bro when it counts. I hope that I too, am that kind of person.

3 : Even if possible, it’ll probably be an immense cost, you’ll  need to be careful of not leaving that realm in worse shape than when you entered it.

4 : Happy death anniversary ^ ^ Time to pay for your crimes~~ !!!