Absolute Regression

After the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader left, I attempted the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique for the first time. I was curious to see how quickly I could create a space.

Since I had no intention of practicing this martial art for decades, I hoped the space would form as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, by listening to the Cult Leader’s explanation of the mnemonic formula, I thoroughly understood the profound meaning contained within the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique. Thus, I skillfully operated my qi and recited the mnemonic as if I had practiced this martial art for a very long time.

How much time had passed?

A clear and pleasant sound echoed in my ears, and I found myself standing in a new space.

I had succeeded!

The time it took was exactly two hours. It was said that even highly talented individuals took several days, so creating a new space in such a short time was incomparable.

I was certain. Not even my father could create a space this quickly.

Two hours.

I was determined that there would come a day when I could use this martial art as freely as the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme or the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader by reducing this time even further.

Learning a new martial art always brought great excitement, but the thrill given by the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique was entirely different.

I slowly walked and inspected the space. There was nothing in this initially created place.

Just as the Soul Reaper Demon Supreme created a cliff and the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader created a wasteland, I would eventually be able to create a space of my own design.

But even now, it wasn’t bad.

Was it because I could be completely alone in a space isolated from the world? Amazingly, in this empty place, I felt a sense of comfort I had never experienced before.

It was a place where I could have time alone without any thoughts, detached from all responsibilities, efforts, succession battles, Hwa Moogi, human relationships, and everything in the world. That’s why I liked it. Because I now had my own space.

However, unfortunately, I couldn’t enjoy this freedom for long. Perhaps because it was my first attempt, the consumption of internal energy was immense.

In the future, as my martial art level rose, the amount of internal energy consumed would decrease, but at my current level, it was like pouring water into a bottomless jar.

Eliminating the space was easy. As I recited the mnemonic, the same pleasant sound I heard before rang out, and the space gradually disappeared.

Returning to the original world, I sat down and began circulating my qi to replenish my internal energy.

Even though I had to invest two hours of time and replenish my internal energy using my mental cultivation method for that brief freedom, I did not feel dissatisfied.

After replenishing my internal energy, I attempted the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique again. This time, it still took almost two hours, but it felt slightly faster than before. Yes, the time should keep decreasing. Eventually, I would be able to create this space in an instant.

Thus, I continued to use the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique to create and eliminate the space repeatedly.

Throughout the night, I became completely engrossed in creating my own space. The time needed to create it was gradually decreasing, even if only slightly.

Amazing! To think there is such an entertaining martial art! That was my honest feeling.

* * *

While Geom Mugeuk was engrossed in fully enjoying the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique, the atmosphere between the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader and the Demonic Buddha was somewhat heavy.

The Demonic Buddha had visited the Cult Leader’s residence late at night without prior notice.

As the Demonic Buddha approached the low table, he stood in front of a man in shackles. Due to the Demonic Buddha’s short stature, his eyes were almost at the same level as the seated man.

The man in shackles had his head lowered, making it impossible to see his face.

The Demonic Buddha bent down to see the man’s face, but the long hair that cascaded down made it difficult.

He hesitated whether to lift the man’s hair with his small hand.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader watched this scene with a displeased expression. He was not happy that the Demonic Buddha was treating the man in shackles as a spectacle.

However, he did not utter a word to dissuade him. If he did, the Demonic Buddha would undoubtedly start ranting about who had treated the man in shackles like a non-human in the first place.

At that moment, the Demonic Buddha turned around and abruptly asked, “I heard you met the Second Young Master.”

A yellow gaze probing for information fell upon the Cult Leader, but he remained unshaken.

“He might become the Cult Leader someday, so I had to meet him.”

“The Cult Leader will be the First Young Master.”

Even without such a resolute answer, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader knew that the Demonic Buddha supported the First Young Master actively. If the Second Young Master had the Blood Heaven Blade Demon, then the First Young Master had the Demonic Buddha.

“Things aren’t necessarily turning out that way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t the Second Young Master rise to the position of Underworld Pavilion Lord? It looks like the Heavenly Demon is grooming him as the successor.”

“Ha ha, you’ve been outside for too long, your insight has dulled.”

The Demonic Buddha, after unnecessarily provoking the Cult Leader, continued with his point.

“I see it the opposite way. Since the First Young Master will be the successor, they’ve given the Second Young Master another position. Be satisfied with that.”

“That might be true. It’s a shame that I didn’t get to see the First Young Master during my rare visit to the Central Plains.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader never revealed his true intentions to the Demonic Buddha.

“Why do you support the First Young Master?”

“Because he will be the successor. Why ask such an obvious question?”

“What makes you so sure?”

“Just a hunch.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader knew the Demonic Buddha wasn’t the type to make such significant decisions based on mere hunches. He simply didn’t want to share details regarding the First Young Master.

‘How can we call ourselves friends?’

He felt the same way. He would never share important information about the Second Young Master.

“Hey, Cult Leader.”

“What is it?”

“Don’t do anything unnecessary. Many eyes are watching you.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Why haven’t you returned yet?”

“Are you telling me to get lost now that my business is done?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Though the content of their conversation was sharp, their tones remained soft and calm.

“Just leave it be. I’m enjoying my rare visit to the Central Plains. What? Do you plan to charge me for my stay?”

“When you visit someone’s house, you should be quiet and leave without causing trouble, right?”

“Ha ha. It seems someone mistook another’s dog’s mess for mine.”

“As a friend, I advise you not to stir up trouble and return to the Heavenly Wind Cult.”

Honestly, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader was somewhat taken aback. He hadn’t expected the Demonic Buddha to openly tell him to leave. Despite their underlying feelings, they had always maintained a semblance of friendship before.

“Do you think I’m someone who comes when called and goes when dismissed?”

Though his tone remained calm, his words carried a sharp edge.

“Aren’t you?”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s expression hardened, and the surrounding air grew cold in an instant.

The Demonic Buddha then burst into laughter.

“Just a joke, just a joke. Come on, don’t take it so seriously. Your sense of humor seems to have dulled from staying outside for so long. Enjoy yourself. Let’s spend our whole lives here together. Ha ha ha.”

As if he had never been angry, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader laughed along.

“Maybe so. It seems I’ve grown harsh like the desert wind. The wilderness is just like that.”

“I’ll buy you a drink in a place with a good atmosphere, where beautiful women can melt away our Cult Leader’s harshness like snow.”

“Should a monk frequent such places? Won’t your Buddha scold you?”

“The Buddha I serve sometimes manifests as the Buddha of Sensual Pleasures.”

“Very well.”

The two men laughed together.

“Let’s meet up soon, then!”

“Sounds good.”

The Demonic Buddha laughed heartily and left the room.

After the Demonic Buddha left, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader’s smile disappeared, and he turned to the man in shackles.

“What do you think?”

“He’s anxious. It seems he’s noticed that you’re trying to align with the Second Young Master.”

“Is it something to be so anxious about?”

“It means he’s wary of the Second Young Master. He’s observing well.”

“What should we do now?”

“Figure it out yourself. Don’t get into the habit of always asking.”

“This matter concerns the life and death of me and our cult. So don’t play hard to get.”

The man turned towards him, rattling his shackles.

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader wore an unwilling expression but eventually opened a new space.

The man looked out over the green fields with a radiant expression, as if he could fly.

As the Cult Leader unlocked the eternal iron shackles around the man’s neck with a key, he asked, “Why do you like this place so much?”

For a fleeting moment, a look of deep affection passed through the man’s eyes. However, the emotion disappeared so quickly that the Cult Leader, who was bending over to unlock the shackles, did not notice.

“Try being bound in shackles all day, Cult Leader. Let’s switch roles for just one day.”

“I’ll pass.”

The Cult Leader gave the man a moment to enjoy his freedom.

Today, the man’s emotions were unusually calm. Perhaps because of that, he soon offered the necessary advice while looking out over the fields.

“The Demonic Buddha will do whatever it takes to make you return. He will likely try to use his Cult Leader.”

But the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader had no intention of returning easily. He was determined to establish a future foothold for the so longed for expansion into the Central Plains.

“What should I do?”

“Go to the Second Young Master and ask him how you can stay here. He will surely tell you a way.”

“Don’t you know a way yourself?”

“Even if I did, you need to give the Second Young Master a gift to get the answer.”

“I don’t understand why we have to depend so much on him.”

“Then who else would you depend on?”

For a moment, the Heavenly Wind Cult Leader couldn’t say a word. The Heavenly Demon disliked him, and the First Young Master was supported by the Demonic Buddha and other Demon Supremes.

Only the Blood Heaven Blade Demon had formally aligned with Geom Mugeuk; the rest of the Demon Supremes were either neutral or believed that the First Young Master would become the successor. It was a situation where he had nowhere to stand, no place to step.

“If you don’t want to depend on him, you can just stay outside, coming when called and going when dismissed. Then you can live a life of luxury and comfort.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader would have been less angry if he had been insulted, but the courteous tone made him even more furious.

“Don’t provoke my pride with such words!”

But the man did not consider the Cult Leader’s feelings.

“The way to win this fight is simple. Choose well and trust until the end. Simple, right? It’s so simple that it’s actually difficult to do. Losers never realize this. Victory depends on adhering to these simple principles.”

“Enough with the lectures and the nagging!”

“If you can’t stick to this principle, then, as the Demonic Buddha said, we should return.”

The Cult Leader, who was about to shout at him to shut up, calmed himself.

He was much more infuriated by the shackled man than the Demonic Buddha, but he knew the man’s words were correct. Instead of getting angry, he revealed his true feelings.

“I don’t want to keep giving things to the Second Young Master. Honestly, it feels wasteful. Extremely wasteful. I keep regretting giving him the Temporal and Spatial Transference Technique. I couldn’t sleep a wink last night because I thought it was a mistake.”

No one would ever know that the Supreme being of the Wilderness Martial Arts had such a personality or that he lived listening to such rebukes.

“It’s because you’re petty, narrow-minded and greedy.”

When he heard such things, the Cult Leader would feel a surge of anger but also a strange sense of pleasure.

He had hidden his true nature better than anyone, yet one person knew exactly who he was, and that gave him a sense of camaraderie.

“But what can I do if I feel it’s wasteful? And now you say I should give more?”

“Once you’ve chosen, you trust. Give it all. Give everything.”

“It’s too wasteful! I don’t want to give a single thing!”

Normally, at this point, the man in shackles would have cursed and nagged him. But today, he remained calm to the end.

“Just go back, clean the dust off your scriptures, and live ringing your bells. That suits your caliber as Cult Leader.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader bit his lip hard.

“I will break out of it. I’m doing this to break out of this soy sauce dish-sized heart of mine! I will definitely establish the Heavenly Wind Cult in the Central Plains. I will achieve what my predecessors couldn’t.”

He wished the man would just curse at him, but he only sighed.

“…It probably won’t work.”

The Heavenly Wind Cult Leader fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time. It had been a day of extreme anger, but strangely, the imaginary space sustained until his internal energy was exhausted.

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