Chapter 57: Heavenly Thunder (4)

Words : 2241 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Chapter 58 of "A Regressor's Tale of Cultivation" begins unfolding events: Chapter 57: Heavenly Thunder (4) Discord: /translatingnovice "That is..." Kim Young-hoon stared blankly at the Gang Sphere that... Continue reading!

Chapter 57: Heavenly Thunder (4) Discord: /translatingnovice "That is..." Kim Young-hoon stared blankly at the Gang Sphere that had formed in my hand. Twitch, twitch... The whirlwind of formidable intent contained within the Gang Sphere. Realizing its significance, Kim Young-hoon trembled all over, his eyes bulging as he stared at me. Then, he started to laugh. "Ha, hahaha...hahaha...!" Staggering, he suddenly collapsed on to the ground, tears streaming down his face. His intent, incomparable to what I had seen before, was shining in a brilliant golden light. "There was... another... besides me... who has reached this realm...!"The source of this content nov(el)bi((n)) Whooosh! His intent blazed even brighter, resembling a sun in its intensity. However, I felt a chill run down my spine. The sun-like intent before me seemed like the jaws of a lion, ready to pounce at any moment. He is excited. "...Until now, I thought the martial world was filled with fools. The vast majority linger in the secondary stage of physical combat, and those with exceptional talent could only see intent in basic red and blue hues. At most, they reach the Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, seeing maybe three, four, or at best, a dozen colors of intent. I never expected anyone to reach the same realm as me. I desperately hoped that someone might reach the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, but..." Crrack, crackle...! Small stones and sand on the ground vibrated with energy. The lower-ranking cultivator of the Jin Clan, sensing the ominous atmosphere, already flew far away. "The realm of Five Energies Converging to the Origin, a stage that scarcely appears once every few hundred years across the continent... Yes, it's understandable since it's an enlightenment that overturns the inherent limits of one's birth. But, it's always been so utterly empty." I tensed up. Kim Young-hoon is very excited. That means... "Even when fighting cultivators, it was only about matching levels. There was no one who could truly exchange martial prowess with me. No one who could fulfill my deep craving...!" Kim Young-hoon opened his right palm. From within his palm burst a star, and like me, a Gang Sphere appeared. "Finally... I can resolve this grudge...!!!" With a brilliantly shining smile, he lifted the Gang Sphere. Whoosh! The Gang Sphere spun and split into three. Then, each of those three split again. Nine Gang Spheres! Nine Gang Spheres lined up behind Kim Young-hoon. "Let's play!" Whoosh! In an instant, Kim Young-hoon's figure vanished from before my eyes. There wasn't even a moment to read his intent! It was sheer speed! I instinctively ducked, driven almost entirely by reflex. Boom! The sound of breaking air echoed, and Kim Young-hoon's saber slightly trimmed my hair. 'Is he crazy, swinging at me with the intent to kill?' Apparently, he lost his mind upon encountering someone of a similar level after 40 years of solitary existence. 'If it weren't for the reaction speed granted by the Inner Core, I would have been dead.' Kim Young-hoon's intent was palpable. [What are you doing, playing around? Come at me properly!] Whoosh! Suddenly, Kim Young-hoon's palm was right in front of me. Blinded by the dazzling light of the Gang Sphere targeting my head, his movements seemed choppy and hard to follow. 'Back in my past life, it was just a playful spar...!' Is this the power of an experienced master who has reached the Ultimate Pinnacle?! I exerted all my internal energy to counter the Gang Sphere flying at me with my own. Light erupted, pushing us both back. Countless sword and saber scars sparked, creating a storm. 'I need to create some distance.' I quickly formed another Gang Sphere and prepared for the next move. Fast. Aside from the fact that he could create nine Gang Spheres at once, he was too fast for me to even react. It was a relief that Kim Young-hoon was using slow moves; if he had used his extremely fast moves, I might have been killed instantly. 'I need to get to a more isolated place, like a mountain valley...' Then, Kim Young-hoon's hand grasped my head. "...What?" Sssssh! Boom!!! An immense force erupted from his palm, sending me flying far away. I was thrown from the manor where the Qi Refining cultivator lived, away from the mortals, and crashed into a valley outside the city. "Cough!" I spat out a mouthful of blood and got up. If I hadn't instinctively used protective Gang Qi, my head would have been crushed! "What's going on? It feels like time is being cut off. My reactions are..." It's not just the effect of the Inner Core. There's something different about Kim Young-hoon! Thump- Just like before, Kim Young-hoon unnaturally appeared right before my eyes. It's as if a scene from a movie has been abruptly cut. This isn't like the Record of Transcending Cultivation and Exhausting Martial Arts, which cuts perception to create illusions. He's just, solely, too fast. He's moving so swiftly that even with my reaction speed at the Ultimate Pinnacle, his actions appear disjointed and impossible to follow. "What the..." "Hmm, what are you doing? Why aren't you reacting properly?" Kim Young-hoon looked at me quizzically for a moment and then seemed to realize something, nodding his head. "Ah, I see. You haven't been at this realm for very long!" "...That's true." "Well then, you're probably not adept to using the power of this realm. If you properly harness the power of this level, you can easily do this much. Now that I look at it, you're only managing one Gang Sphere at a time." He inhaled deeply, smiling as if enjoying himself. "Well, this is more a matter of technique than talent. Once you learn it, you should be able to apply it easily. I'll teach you, so grow while sparring!" "Wait, I'm not..." I wanted to say that I'm not a monster who grows during battle like him, but I had to hurriedly deploy defensive Gang Qi to block Kim Young-hoon's kick, coming at me with extreme speed. Boom! A giant rock behind me, about three meters in size, couldn't withstand the shockwave released and shattered into pieces. [Don't worry, I'll teach you so you can grow.] His intent echoes around me. I concentrate to the utmost to survive and enter the world of intent. At that moment. 'What...?' Why are there ten Kim Young-hoons? I quickly alternate my focus between the real world and the world of intent. In reality, there is clearly only one Kim Young-hoon. They were in sync. The two Kim Young-hoons synchronized their thoughts, doubling everything about themselves. 'Aha...' I'm not a martial arts genius. So I don't gain incredible enlightenment or grow tremendously during a fight. However, I am a master of martial arts. What Kim Young-hoon showed me was a 'technique' applicable within the realm of the Ultimate Pinnacle. Being a master, within the same realm, I could immediately understand such a technique through countless experiences. 'Come on.' Whoosh! My distant Gang Sphere, another 'me', flew towards me. And then, it overlapped with me. The thoughts of my physical and mental bodies began to synchronize. The speed and efficiency of my thoughts doubled. Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down. Simultaneously, the control and reaction speed amplified by my Inner Core increased manifold. Vroom! Kim Young-hoon swung his saber again, but this time, I caught it up close. Kim Young-hoon's eyes sparkled with intrigue. [You've finally understood. Excellent.] His thoughts were conveyed through his intent.. I also communicated through intent. [...It's only this much for now. But you, can you accelerate your thoughts by up to ten times..?] Eight Gang Spheres gathered around him. [That's right. Let's have a real battle...] Boom! My sword pierced through his defense and thrust into his abdomen. Thud! At that moment, I executed a series of seven attacks: Entering Mountain, Cliff Edge, Dragon Vein, Joy of Mountains and Peaks, Mountain Tiger, Mountain Echoes Valley Responds, Flowing Ridge. [Ascending Vein] Boom! I struck Kim Young-hoon's chin with the flat of my sword, sending him flying into the air. It seems he was safe, having quickly deployed protective Gang Qi, but he looked down at me with a shocked expression. [What, I thought you could only handle one Gang Sphere...? Why suddenly so fast..?] [It feels like...] I had experienced a completely different 'realm' each time I progressed from first-rate to peak, from peak to Three Flowers Gather at the Summit, and from there to Five Energies Converging to the Origin. However, from Five Energies Converging to the Origin to the Ultimate Pinnacle, it was just a slight increase in reaction speed after forming the Inner Core. Apart from that, there was only a difference in enlightenment compared to Five Energies Converging to the Origin. I thought it was a bit of a stretch to completely overshadow the previous realm. But now, I truly feel it. The world seems to move slower. I've truly stepped into the 'next realm.' I emitted Gang Qi throughout my body. I couldn't flow Gang Qi through all my meridians like Qi Building cultivators, but for a single moment, I could wrap my entire body in Sword Gang. For an instant, I became the sword! Ascending Vein! Boom! I used Ascending Vein with myself as the sword and rushed at Kim Young-hoon, who couldn't react in time and took the hit. Kuaaaang! He was sent flying to a distant mountain peak, leaving spider web-like cracks and our blade marks on it. "...Hahaha, so that's it...!" Kim Young-hoon laughed heartily, dusting himself off. It was a sudden attack, but it seems he nullified the damage with his protective Gang Qi. He was unharmed. "Daoist cultivation...! You're in the latter stages of Qi Refining. Does that mean your consciousness is larger than mine?" He seem to realize the secret of my reaction speed. Yes. Until now, I couldn't react to his speed. However, once I learned the technique to accelerate my perception and thought, I moved much faster than him despite using the same number of Gang Spheres. That's because I'm at the 9th Star of Qi Refining, with an abnormally large consciousness, practically at the 12th or 13th star in reality. Even with the same body and Gang Sphere, the efficiency and capacity of acceleration differ! The size of the consciousness itself makes the amplification rate different when it's boosted! "Martial arts and Daoist cultivation complement each other. It's like being in a different weight class...? Even if you learn the same technique, if the size of your consciousness is different, you're at a disadvantage..." Kim Young-hoon grinned and gathered his energy. "Well, good. It's a very unique experience. Since a large consciousness for a cultivator is like a physical trait, come at me. It'll be fun!" Wooong- One of the Gang Spheres circling him absorbed back into his body. Kim Young-hoon's acceleration tripled. "Let's fight with everything! Whether it's cultivation spells or whatever, come at me! Hahaha!" Once again, Kim Young-hoon and I clashed. I formed hand seals, altered the terrain around me, and engaged him. Our fight started in the morning and lasted until evening. The surrounding mountain valley completely collapsed. In the end, I lost to Kim Young-hoon. But unlike before, Kim Young-hoon was no longer an absolute wall. High, but a wall with a somewhat visible top. That was now the difference between me and Kim Young-hoon. "Huff, huff..." Kim Young-hoon stood up using his saber, now missing many edges, as a cane and laughed. "It's been a long time since I had this much fun." "I feel the same way." I smiled wryly at my completely shattered sword. I couldn't get up. All the strength in my body was drained away. "By the way, you contacted me through a lower-ranking cultivator. Are you planning to join the Jin Clan? With your ability and my recommendation, you could become an external elder right away." "That would be nice, but I came here to check on something rather than the elder position." I struggled to get up, feeling sore all over. "There are mortals working in the Jin Clan, some people I know." "Hmm, if it's about mortals, I can arrange a meeting. So you won't join the Jin Clan?" I nodded slightly. I have only about ten years left in my lifespan. In that time, I intend to elevate my Qi Refining cultivation as much as possible. In this life, I plan to head to Shengzi. Golden Divine Heavenly Thunder Sect. I need to see if that sect, said to be located in the western mountains of Shengzi, has any connection to the Ascension Gate. Maybe, it has something to do with why we ended up here. Translator Notes: Martial arts in this novel is so fun. The fights between Kim Young-hoon and our MC are always a delight to read. If ya wanna support me, head to me /translatingnovice *** Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried Link to donations in the discord!

Chapter 57: Heavenly Thunder (4)

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