Chapter 20：Life and Death Stele

From Jiyan, Harun learned all there was to know about the Golden Crow Ancestor. Sworn brother of the Heaven Warding Emperor, disciple and later husband of the Three-Legged Crow, and number one sword of heaven. As his title implied, all Golden Crows could retrace their bloodline to him—and history no longer remembered his mortal name.

According to Jiyan, following the Heaven Warding Emperor's death the Golden Crow spent most of his time in seclusion, leaving the reins of the Divine Army in his generals' hand. And while the Eternal Sun Sect took him as its ancestor, it was the Golden Crow's eldest son, Rajan's dead father, that founded it.

As if trapped in a perpetual race against time, the Golden Crow never mingled with the Gods of his era, to say nothing of today's deities who, in his eyes, were nothing but toddlers. Even his closest relatives rarely saw his face. If not for a major event such as Agiri's death, Rajan could never pull him out of seclusion.

But why did he cultivate? Why did an immortal need Life Essence, a tool primarily used to lengthen lifespans? Did the Golden Crow rely on Life Essence to cross his tribulations? Or did he need it for someone else? But as Harun pondered the truth, he recalled that for the current him, this didn't matter. As long as he could exploit the situation to his advantage, nothing else mattered.

"Interesting. But the knowledge of this reality doesn't change much. It's not like there is another cultivation path we can tread. So ultimately, we will still walk this one. Right now, billions believe that failure only means a brutal death, and therefore build the strongest foundation they can before attacking realm breakthroughs. Without confidence, many prefer sitting at the peak of their realm and only risk the breakthrough when their lifespan nears its end.

But once they realize they risk more than death, that they risk turning into monstrous beasts thirsting for the blood of their beloved, how many will still brave uncertainty? I've seen the current generation of celestials. Most can only think about how to live the most splendid life possible—that includes me. The only difference is that others disguise it behind lofty aspirations. I know that I live for loafing.

The 33 Heavens face no natural enemy. All threats come from the inside. Why would people risk their all to pursue strength they have no use for? In such an environment, don't say Monarchs. I'm afraid Heavenly Gods would become myths. Your so-called 'let the people plan accordingly,' just means making the world idle," Harun said, and immediately, the seven Demi-Emperors' gazes hardened. True, if they knew they were destined to become mindless beasts, among the thousands of beasts piled up in this pyramid of flesh, scales, feather and fur, how many would still brave the breakthrough?

"Still, this doesn't change the fact that Golden Crow capitalized on your ignorance, that knowing that many of you were destined to this fate, he set up a formation to trap you all and drain you across eons. That the Heaven Warding Emperor knew of this and supported him. Perhaps from the beginning, it was the emperor himself who bound the 33 Heavens in that dreadful formation—treating you like pigs, filthy swine they can collect and butcher at will," Harun said in a level tone, but the calmer his words sounded, the more infuriated the seven Demi-Emperors became.

"Shut up!"

"Do you think that just because we're tied up, you can insult us as you please?"

"Yes I can," Harun cut before the monstrous beast leaders' rant peaked. For a second, silence dropped and their eyes glazed with incredulity.

"I want to say that you've been turned into pretty lambs, but the truth speaks for itself. Right now you're the filthiest of pigs trapped in a divine slaughterhouse, awaiting death with loud grunts. But I'm not telling you this to shame you. I'm reminding you of the reality because I want to know, what will you do once you're out of here?

Will you scatter and crawl toward the tiniest hope of survival? Or unite to make the 33 Heavens tremble? In this era where no Dao Emperor stands, will you raise the flag of rebellion, challenge Golden Crow and perhaps...Heaven itself?" Harun asked. Although individually those seven beasts couldn't match the Golden Crow Ancestor, each possessed a complete Internal Heaven and an incomplete Mandate. Once they united, an unfathomable result awaited. And only in that chaos could Harun evade his current calamity.

From the moment he realized the true value of his Double Pupils, Harun knew that in one way or another, he had to leave the 33 Heavens. How many could be like Jiyan and know of his abilities but still treat him with sincerity? He couldn't count on the world. So the best option was to throw it into chaos and slip out of their reach.

By now, the Demi-Emperors teemed with rage. Although some knew that Harun was purposely riling them up, the undeniable truth in his words struck them hard.

"We didn't set foot on the cultivation road to become the blood farm of some hypocritical god! Our only crime was a failed breakthrough. Why did we deserve such cruelty? It isn't us who forsook Heaven. It is Heaven that forsook us! Extreme Yin Sir, if you can free us from this place's suppression, we pledge to rebel against Heaven's Will, batter the 33 Heavens, and forge for our brethren..a new cultivation path!" Following a brief mental exchange, the seven Demi-Emperors proclaimed.

"Then let's make a Dao Pledge. Due to the quantity and potency of this place's Extreme Yin, I will need a few days to fully drain it. Afterward, do the both of us a favor and…ravage the Heavens!"

...

Separated from its soul, Harun's body lost many of its abilities. But with his Divine Sense, Harun could still pilot it. His eyes opened, darting between Jiyan and the sleeping prisoner. Right, in Harun's eyes, the prisoner was still there.

From the start, Harun found the man fishy. From how the guards didn't seem aware of his existence, to how he could leisurely sleep in such an environment. It was almost as if he could alter truth and falsehood as he pleased—going beyond mere illusions. But the fisher he was, the less Harun wished to interact with him. Who knew what deranged mind hid in his brain?

Instead, Harun's eyes lingered on Jiyan, who without Yin Essence to worry about, slept like a dormouse. For a second, Harun couldn't help but think that if she knew what he just did, perhaps Jiyan wouldn't have been so eager to help him. An uneventful night followed, and at the first gong of the next day, guards came to bring him to the trial ground—this time, their eyes didn't sweep either the ragged prisoner or Jiyan.

Brought into an open-air courtroom, Harun stood before a gathering of high-ranking officials that flanked the God-Empress, Grand Preceptor and Imperial Chancellor. With those three presiding the trial, all could foresee the verdict. Strangely, as if he'd already given up on the Sovereign Pupils, Rajan wasn��t on the scene.

"Harun Erdevan, you stand here accused of robbing and consuming the Peaches of Immortality, disrespecting the 33 Heavens' top officials, and smearing the name of the Imperial Family. After much deliberation, we have decided to…" the Grand Preceptor began, but before he could finish his words, Harun yawned and raised his right hand.

"I don't have time for this. I wish to put my life in the First Emperor's hands and request the Trial of Wisdom," Harun said, and for a second, as if their brains failed stopped at the words, the officials' eyes glazed over. Faster than the others, Dilnaz regained her wits—a frown took hold.

"How does he know?" was Dilnaz's first thought. Considering Harun's background and position, unless someone warned him beforehand, there was no way he could have known of the Life and Death Stele. And to prevent an unexpected turn, Dilnaz specifically asked to have him put in an empty cell.

Where then did he get this knowledge?

Confused, Dilnaz contacted Harun's guards.

"Didn't I ask you to keep him isolated from all other inmates?"

"We did just that. The boy was alone from beginning to end," the guards replied to Dilnaz's inquiry.

Meanwhile, Chancellor and Preceptor regained their wits, both sneering at Harun.

"Very well, is there anyone here willing to lead him to the Life and Death Revolution Stele?" The Imperial Chancellor asked, and instantly, the gathered officials burst into laughter. Although his venomous tongue could drown a saint, the boy was ultimately too naïve. Did he really think that any one of them would help him out of this bind?

"See? It's not that I don't want to help you. I don't know the stele's location. And apparently, no one here does. Who knows, maybe in one of his bouts the late emperor threw it into the sea? Without recourse, we can only follow the law. Guards, bring him to the Immortal Reaving Formation," the Imperial Chancellor shrugged and motioned for the guards to take Harun away.

But at that time…

"This old man just so happens to know the way. Boy, follow me." A mild yet crushing voice boomed across the sky, a blinding sun took form, and from it descended an old deity clad in golden armor. Landing beside Harun, the mighty god clasped his shoulder, ready to take him away.

"Damn it, Golden Crow! A wise man doesn't go against the tide!"

"The 33 Heavens' hegemonic clans have all agreed to bury this boy, so he must be buried!"

"Aren't you worried about the rise of a new Serpent Emperor? Must we all return to the days of chafing in that tyrant's yoke?"

"Stop bullying us!" Preceptor and Chancellor bellowed in succession. But their pleas fell on deaf ears, and ignoring them, Golden Crow turned into a shaft of golden light—leading Harun toward the Emperor's Palace. At his speed that neared teleportation, Harun wouldn't even get to observe the surroundings, one moment he stood before the officials, the next a white and black stele replaced them.

High of three meters, besides its uncanny black and white color, the stele looked ordinary, and didn't seem to contain any profound mystery. However, on its surface, Harun found familiar words.

"Life and Death intertwine in the shadow of the eternal night. One soul trapped in endless reincarnations. Wither to bloom and in decay harvest the samsara." Those words thundered in Harun's mind, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. In that instant, Harun realized that perhaps, his luck hadn't run out yet.

"I know what you must be thinking. Those cryptic mnemonics left countless gods powerless. Even the First Emperor couldn't comprehend them. Although Sovereign Pupils give you sky-high sensitivity to the Grand Dao, you shouldn't have much hope. Still, do your best," the Golden Crow Ancestor said and stepped back.

"Do your best my ass. Those are the mnemonics of my cultivation method. At this point, even a pig can't fail," Harun wanted to say, but restrained himself, instead lowering his head in a half-defeated stance.

With a sigh, he sat crossed-legged before the stele, ignoring the waves of deities that made their way toward the Emperor's Palace. An invisible wall blocked them at the gate, preventing them from interrupting the event.

"It should be fine. Even with Sovereign Pupils, with a fourth-level Celestial Kin cultivation base, what can he accomplish?"

"Right, what kind of man was the First Emperor? A peerless powerhouse, the 33 Heavens' second Dao Emperor. When even he couldn't make the stele resonate, who can?"

"The Empyreans have the highest sensitivity to the Grand Dao, but their three Dao Emperors all failed to comprehend the stele's mysteries. How can this boy possibly achieve it?"

"Right, even if the Serpent Emperor returned, he would most likely f—"

GONG!

"It's resonating already?!"

Before the gathered gods' astonished gazes, black and white mist poured out of the Life and Death Stele and the sound of a struck gong resounded across the 33 Heavens. Regardless of where they stood, all could hear that gong. Even the ancients sealed to evade Cosmic Tribulations heard it as if they stood on the scene.

To say nothing of the officials, for the first time in many years, the Golden Crow Ancestor lost his composure, and his entire body shook.

"So fast? Wasn't he struggling with thoughts of failure a moment ago? Why is the stele already ringing? It's not even been three full seconds. What the hell is this?" Golden Crow snapped.

Dilnaz, who all along feared this exact turn, seethed with rage. And while wild emotions shook his spectators, Harun's Divine Sense drifted into the stele where a world of overwhelming darkness awaited. It was as if the weight of the eternal cycle, the weight of endless reincarnations stood in every corner of the stele's inner world. One single light orb stood in the distance, struggling against the darkness to open a door into freedom.

Subconsciously, Harun stood up, stepped toward the orb and reached out. The orb collapsed into six strands of white light that dove into Harun's brain, writing pages worth of mnemonics in his soul.

The figure of a 1.9 meters tall, muscular youth, with long white hair, icy-blue eyes and a face that reached divine perfection flashed before Harun's eyes. Dressed in a black robe embroidered with a nine-headed blue dragon, the youth winked at Harun and vanished from his sight.

For a reason he couldn't comprehend, Harun found that youth's figure familiar, yet couldn't put a name on it.

The scene around him crumbled, and Harun's divine sense returned to his body. His eyes opened wide. A black-white beam shot toward the sky, tearing open a space crack from which three figures descended. The sudden change drew all deities' attention, and no one noted the white-haired man that madly cackled in the sky—then again, if he didn't want them to see him, they couldn't.

"Hahaha! The boy succeeded! The old bastard was right! He's always right, actually. Well, good for me. Gotta go home before I find my wives lying in the old bastard's bed," the man said, and stretched out his right hand. A golden token emerged from his palm, and while the deities' eyes focused on the three newcomers, the token flew into Harun's skull, and merged with his brain.

"Congratulations, boy, this thing was crafted by the old bastard himself. Hopefully you don't use it to make the world burn. Then again, wouldn't that be fun?" The white-haired man chortled, and in swirling rainbow clouds, left the 33 Heavens.

In the meantime, once the golden token stabilized in his brain, a robotic voice echoed in Harun's mind:

"Supreme Founder System Initialization…

Initialization complete...

Voice recalibration...

Heyo boss! Welcome to the Supreme Founder System! You have been selected by the Ancestral One to complete the grand task of founding History's Number One Sect!

In success, bitches and booze are yours to take!

In failure...death will hug you tight!"