Chapter 784

Chapter 784

Record scratch.

Freeze frame.

You see that guy? No, not the hulking Chad of a Demonic Divinity with his creepy empty shell of a bald head about to unleash hell and break the world. The other guy. Pan down. A little more. Almost there. Stop. That guy. The lean, sinewy young man with his mid-length hair pulled back in a neat little bun. Thats me. Dont judge. I literally just woke up from a two-month coma and found my hair like this, though I do have to say I pull the look off pretty well. Anyways, I bet youre wondering how I got here, huh? Well, its a long story, and I mean long, full of angst and apprehension as you follow the journey of a rambling idiot struggling to find his place in a savage world, one in which the strong thrive, the weak survive, and bloodshed is just a way of life. Beset on all sides and caught in perpetual conflict, peace is a luxury few can afford here in the Azure Empire, but then everything changed when the Defiled nations attacked.

Alright, no one loves memes more than I do, but I need to dial it back a bit. This is too much even for me. They just keep coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming and they don't stop coming.

Wow. Okay. I need help. Serious, professional help.

In more ways than one, Id say, considering I now have an unhinged and unleashed Demonic Divinity to deal with. Not gonna lie, I did not see this coming. I really thought Zhen Shi would want to keep this one for his collection. That stuff about being unable to control the Demon was all bullshit, but it gives Zhen Shi plausible deniability to claim hes not responsible for its imminent, Treaty violating actions. In all likelihood, hes planning to have his Demon attack, destroy Meng Sha, then retreat so he can study it, a greedy scheme in which he hopes to have his cake and eat it too. Too bad for him, but if hes willing to take things this far, then the Treaty be damned. He wants to play apocalypse chicken? Well I never liked this shitty world to begin with, so as long as my loved ones are safe and sound, Im more than willing to hit the big red button and kick Armageddon off with a bang. Soon as I finish dealing with this calamity here, Im going to hunt down Zhen Shi and show him he done fucked up for messing with me and mine, but I cant help feeling disheartened knowing Ive failed everyone here in Meng Sha. Even as I stand here stewing in defeat, the Demonic Divinity gathers its strength to unleash an attack that will raze this harbour to the ground and kill everyone within. A select few might survive with help from the various Divinities already booking it as fast as they can, but the vast majority will die once the Demon attacks, for the massed destruction of an unchecked Divinity is this worlds version of a nuclear strike.

There the creature stands in all its unholy glory, a gnarled caricature of everything the Brotherhood truly stands for. This is a perversion of Vyakhyas misguided truth, this Monk Demonic Divinity here, holding its spade and string of skulls in sickening mockery of the same pose Mahakala took up at my wedding banquet with Luo-Luo. Though still as a statue, I sense it exerting its Will and the enthusiasm with which the Heavens respond as the metaphysical storm clouds gather to herald the coming avalanche bearing down upon us. To make matters worse, the Demons focused Intent is not directed towards me, nor to Taddy, Hua Lie, or any other possible threat. Instead, it fixates on the weak and defenseless, those soldiers and Irregulars still standing with weapons ready even as the Defiled army flees the fortress in droves, their vile leaders like Mataram YuGan having long since left them all behind to die.

And die they will, every last one of them, even the Peak Experts already Cloud-Stepping away, for the Demonic Divinity has locked onto them all and intends to end their lives here today, so that it might feed on their corpses to grow even stronger.

The real frustrating part is that in your standard Demonification, the amalgamated Spectres would be contesting against Vyakhyas Will for ultimate control, but their goals are aligned in this act of destruction, the human seeking to bring his twisted vision of peace to the world he so abhors, and the Demon vicariously indulging in his hosts rage and despair. As such, there is no conflict between them for now, an uneasy ceasefire as they work in concert to fulfill this singular, matched desire, resulting in an unfortunate harmony of Wills and Souls that makes this monster just human or Balanced enough to render it impervious to my Devouring and unpalatable to Blobbys predatory tendencies.

Which is just the worst news possible

With my aces neutralized, theres nothing I can do to stop the Demon from attacking, and nothing I can do to save the heroes and villains of Meng Sha. It took me a full two seconds to gather up enough Will and Heavenly Energy to cut Vyakhya down, and I only managed it because he stood there with his thumb in his ass waiting for me to attack. Were I to attack a second time now, my strike would connect just under two seconds after the Demon unleashes its attack, assuming I survive and it doesnt dodge. At this point in time, my ability to survive a Divinitys attack is still a matter up for debate, because even though Ive Shattered the Void, I havent really finished refining my body just yet, much less my mind and soul.

Yea about that See, I know I said I was ready and willing to take the next step, but while ruminating in the sheer agony of my mangled soul, I had something of an epiphany. Call it Insight or Inspiration or Heavenly guidance if you will, but everything just sort of came together in the moment and I knew what I had to do. Rebuilding my Spiritual System was fairly simple, since between me and my Natal Souls, Id seen enough flawed examples here in Meng Sha to know what not to do, as well as a general inkling of how everything should come together. All this meant that I could use my Will to direct the process of carving out my Spiritual System in my body, mind, and soul without the Energy of the Heavens going hog-wild, meaning what I did was in line with what the Heavens expected. A good thing too, because I was not looking forward to experiencing what the spiritual equivalent of unchecked tumours would be, but then I was left with the same dilemma as always. Id fixed my flawed Core and Spiritual System, but how was I supposed to improve upon my body, mind, and soul? How do I refine my entire being into a Spiritual Heart?

In keeping with the theme of taking the complex and making it simple, the answer came easily enough. I dont.

See, all this time Ive been agonizing over how to go about the next step, when in truth, I dont really need to know how. Case in point, Mama Bun is in the process of Refining a Spiritual Heart, so as complex as the whole procedure might be, it cant be all that difficult to do considering my sweet bicorn bunny is intellectually challenged, to put it nicely. More to the point, Kukky, Rakky, and Tai Tai all succeeded in less than a hundred years from their birth, and I doubt theyre smarter than I am, so surely I can do it too. While all three are exceptional cases, their success proves that its possible to direct the Refinement of a Spiritual Heart so long as you meet the necessary requirements. What requirements might those be? Well, the obvious answer is a source of usable Heavenly Energy, which in their case came from either Spiritual Plants or dead Defiled, or possibly even the flesh of a Divinity perhaps, as the Abbot does seem like the type to cut off his own flesh to feed his pets. The cost must have been staggering, as I know firsthand how difficult it is to heal a body thats been refined, as theres more required than just Heavenly Energy and nutrients. I would imagine its probably a hundred times worse for someone who has actually ascended to Divinity, though I suppose Ill find out eventually. That being said, I had plenty of usable Heavenly Energy thanks to my Natal Souls valiant sacrifice out there in the Void, allowing Blobby to Cleanse a whole host of Spectres in one quick go.

As for the rest of the requirements? Much as I would have loved going in with both eyes open and a checklist of things to do, I was kinda in a rush and figured I could wing it as I went. I mean seriously, this is Mama Bun were talking about, a bunny who still thinks Zabu is afraid of her, rather than being too well behaved to eat one of my beloved floofs.

That wasnt the only reason I jumped in feet first, because what really tied it all together was the sheer agony of my soul. No pain, no gain, something I tell myself often when training, and it turns out, that was the answer staring me in the face all along. How do you refine a physique without incurring the wrath of the Heavens? By doing it naturally, duh. And whats more natural than a bout of self-inflicted suffering followed by rest and recuperation, or as everyone else might call it, good old-fashioned exercise? Yea. Thats right. Spiritual Beasts Refine their bodies through exercise and exertion. Rakky went out hunting in the Arid Wastes and Refined his skeleton to raise his chances of survival, while Kukky Refined his voice-box to put predators to sleep, and sweet Tai Tai Refined his fangs so he could better munch on Spiritual Bamboo and get all that sweet Heavenly goodness inside. In the same vein, Mama Bun is Refining her neckbones because shes injured herself so many times headbutting things she probably shouldnt, in a process so natural she doesnt even know shes doing it. Its just like doing cardio, lifting weights, or having people beat you with iron poles to create microfractures in your bones, totally normal and not at all crazy training regimens. After incurring minor damage to the bones and muscles, the bodys natural response is not just to repair the damage, but build everything back even stronger and tougher than before, assuming you have a suitable source of nutrients. Martial Warriors take it a step even further by utilizing the Energy of the Heavens to mend what ails them, not through Healing, but restive meditation, a process Ive been using for years and years.

Since the day I first set foot on the Martial Path, I have been steadily progressing towards Divinity using the patented Falling Rain method of great effort for minimal gains, and just like sweet, stupid Mama Bun, I had no idea I was doing it.

Of course, this doesnt really explain why Spiritual Beasts end up remaking their bodies to become Ancestral Beasts, or Divine Beasts in the case of Ping Ping and Pong Pong. Assuming Im on the right track however, then theres no reason the same process cant be applied to Refining the mind and soul using the same principles, and wouldnt you know it, I have spent every waking moment of the last ten or so years (and most of my non-waking ones too) immersed in a daily regimen of self-inflicted mental anguish, one which has left my mind a complete and utter mess and ripe for fixing. Also convenient is the fact that Ive been engaging in the self-mutilation of my soul ever since I first Formed my Natal Palace, what with all the remodelling I did and Natal Souls I created, all of which I believe was only possible for a number of reasons. Ignorance for one, since I never would have done any of it if Id known what I was doing, but also the fact that my mental age does not match the age of my body and soul, allowing me to more easily adjust and adapt to this new life while also providing me with a more mature perspective to work with inside the confines of my Natal Palace.

Or maybe not, since calling myself mature is a bit of a stretch, but I digress. The how doesnt matter, not until I have a better grasp on the what.

So with all that in mind, I figured the only thing left to do was meditate and let the Energy of the Heavens fix what ails me, something Ive been avoiding because well, I thought there was no value in meditation. Stupid, I know, but I have seen the error of my ways, and even if I was barking up the wrong tree, it wasnt like meditation would keep me trying something different later on down the road. Thats what really sold me on giving this method a go, the complete and utter lack of downside. Either it would work and Id be crowned a verifiable genius, or it wouldnt work and Id have wasted Heavenly Energy to get myself back in working order. Win-Win.

Why didnt the Energy of the Heavens simply restore me to my saved state? Because I wasnt Healing, just Channelling the Energy of the Heavens, and similar to what happens with the human body, the Heavens saw all the damage Id taken and decided I needed to be stronger in order to endure my subsequent trials and tribulations, all in a process as natural as breathing. Or maybe theres a more scientific reason to explain why, but same as the how, the why doesnt matter just yet. No, the interesting thing to note is that Im now pretty sure that the Forms are a standardized method of Body Refinement, but a partial one at best, missing several crucial elements that would lead to a more complete success.

The real question is why would someone go to all this effort to spread an incomplete method? Parts being lost to time is a possibility, but the whole Empire has the same standardized Forms and Movements, which makes this unlikely. Call me crazy, but I think the outer provinces only have a partial method so that the Eastern Province can retain Martial superiority.

Thats a conspiracy to delve into on another day though, some real deep state shit that I intend to blow wide open. The important thing to take away from all this is that even though Ive started the process of Refining my body, mind, and soul and made some progress along my Path, I still have yet to form a Spiritual Heart. Much as I would have loved to accomplish so stunning a feat, there was no way to rush it any more than I have, as it wouldve taken more time than I had on hand and more usable Heavenly Energy than even the generous amount Blobby could provide. While I technically could accomplish this without usable Heavenly Energy, having it really speeds up the process as it is more malleable to my Will and therefore more responsive to my needs both conscious and subconscious. Another reason why I wasnt able to wholly Refine myself is because my appetite was too big, aiming to get the whole kit and kaboodle done in one go instead of focusing on one area at a time like animals do, which together really shows that theres plenty of room for improvement in my newfangled method, but for a first trial, Id say its not half bad.

To remedy my lack of useable Heavenly Energy, I intended on doing some more Devouring and Demon killing to help further me along, but then Vyakhya happened, and while he is technically a Demon, Im not sure if my current stats are high enough to take on a Divinity. This isnt to say theres been no improvement, as Ive come a long way in so short a time. Physically, Im stronger than ever, though still weak enough to break my arm punching Vyakhya. To be fair, he cheated by reflecting the force of my strike back at me through some combination of Deflection and Reverberation, but thats not the only area in which I am lacking. Even though I feel like Im faster, stronger, and tougher than ever, Vyakhya he kept up without any real effort, so its difficult to say how Id compare to a Peak Expert like Dad or even a stand-out Martial Warrior like Alsantset without sparring with them first. As for my mind, not only are my thoughts and reflexes lightning quick, allowing me to parse through all these thoughts in the split second it takes for the Demonic Divinity to attack, I also sense something constantly guiding my thoughts and actions, a form of basic Insight nudging me in the right direction. As for my soul, well I dont really know enough about it to comment on any improvements, but Im no longer in crippling pain, so theres that. Oh, also, Im pretty sure the whole Chi working slash temporary Keystone slash metaphysical Rune thing requires a powerful mind and soul to pull off, though Id have to run some tests to be sure.

So when you look at the cold, hard facts, I can only conclude that the reason I was able to kill Vyakhya so easily was because he literally stood there and took my attack on the chin. He underestimated my strength and misread the power behind my attack because he could only sense the Heavenly Energy contained within the Movement itself, and not the massive metaphysical weight eagerly chasing after it. All this means Im still not entirely sure where I stand on the sliding scale of strength. No longer do I tread the Martial Path, and instead forge a Path all of my own, so its difficult to compare myself with Peak Experts or Divinities. I am stronger than even Divinities in some ways, namely in the tools I have at my disposal thanks to my understanding of Heavenly Energy, yet weaker than even a Peak Expert in other aspects, such as my lacking experience with combat and familiarity with Chi in comparison to the veterans whove been fighting and training all their lives.

And now Im about to go head-to-head with a Demonic Divinity, but I doubt hell play nice and help me get acclimated to my newfangled strength.

Get everyone to safety, I Send while initiating my attack, but to my surprise and chagrin, Taddy Sends me more or less the same message at the exact same time. While my new and improved brain is faster than it was before, the same old rules of physics still need apply, meaning theres a limit as to how fast I can process and react to new information, to say nothing of change actions mid-movement. In terms of actual time, its not actually all that high, as even a base humans reaction time is fairly impressive, but under the State of Enlightenment, the split second Ive already committed to Pierce the Horizon feels like a veritable eternity. Honestly, its probably a better idea for me to run, considering I already gave the Demonic Divinity my best shot with the gun and didnt even scratch it, not to mention the fact that Taddy wont leave without me, but I cant. Much as I fear death, I only recently discovered that I fear living in regret even more. When its a choice between life and doing the right thing as dictated by my conscience, I cannot help but gravitate towards the latter, every single time.

Then I offer it a tiny smirk of smug satisfaction, the very same smirk Vyakhya offered me earlier, and its rage knows no bounds.

Rage isnt even good enough to describe it, this bitter, burning resentment which washes over me, tinged with so many different emotions its impossible to pick them all out. Regret features prominently, as does anguish and despair, and lets not forget the hefty helpings of loathing and remorse, but it is all too little too late as the last vestiges of Vyakhya succumb to the weight of the Spectres bearing down upon him. Gone is the calm and stoic Monk-like Demonic Divinity, and in its place is something that looks exactly the same, but far more feral and ferocious in demeanour. The ghoulish smile twists into one of murderous rage as it exerts its Will to destroy once more, but reality holds firm within my Domain, held together by my Will to protect as the Energy of the Heavens flocks to me rather than it.

And then the Demonic Divinity slaps me upright the head with a string of blackened skulls, and the world goes dark for a moment.

Coming back to my senses mid-flight, I discover Taddys Healing energies mending the shattered fragments of my skull back together, as well as the remnants of his Plated Domain which took the brunt of the Demons blow. Leaving him to his work, I set my mind back to keeping a grip on reality as the Demonic Divinity tries to nuke Meng Sha a second time, and it howls in rage as its efforts are denied. Then it is upon me, striking with skulls and spade both as I rally a pitiful Domain Plated Defense which shatters time and time again before my foes prodigious might. Taddys valiant efforts are the only thing keeping me alive as he places himself both figuratively and literally between me and the Demon. Though clearly capable of blocking the Demons blows head on, Taddy only does so as an option of last resort, much preferring to dodge and Deflect as much as he can. Grabbing me by the back of the collar, he cautions me to relax and not resist as he leads the Demon up and away from Meng Sha to take this fight to the wispy white clouds overhead, having rightly discerned that it is wholly fixated on killing me.

But here in the skies, we stand in my teachers Domain, for he is of the lineage of the most illustrious creature of all, a Cloud Chaser Hare.

Dazed and distracted though I might be from the head trauma and my efforts to keep reality from unravelling, its difficult not to notice Taddys sublime movements, which are wholly natural yet comically absurd at the same time. Holding me close in one arm, he hops, skips, and generally hauls ass in the most efficient manner possible, without a care for grace or dignity at all. This isnt to say hes not graceful, because his movements are deft and nimble to the extreme, but the manner in which he executes them can only be described as cartoonish. Ducking under a slash is all fine and good, but rather than dipping his head, he goes full squat and hunches down with his free hand on top of his head, flattening his hare ears to avoid the blow. Then he jumps, except not with a graceful leap into the air, but rather a frog-legged hop that sends him up and over the Demon before coming down head first. Not so much of an issue when youre fighting in mid air, yet Taddy takes it to the next level by not bothering to right himself again and just runs away in circles while still upside down as he jostles me about in an effort to get a better grip on my limp frame.

Id help him out and hold on tight, but I think the Demons slap shattered my spine, or at the very least broke my neck and left me unable to move anything under my chin. Not a problem, for even as Taddy Heals my injuries, the Energy of the Heavens flows through me and senses the damage, bolstering my teachers Healing efforts while simultaneously making me even stronger than before, a most refreshing and exhilarating discovery which has me yearning for another beating.

For the gains. The pain I could do without, as contrary to what the rumours and my actions would have you believe, Im no masochist, but those sweet, precious gains are just too tempting to pass up

Putting aside my plans for a more strenuous work-out regimen, I focus on Taddys efforts to defeat the Demonic Divinity and come to a startling realization. Dodging and Healing is but the least of what Taddy is up to as he battles the Demon in the skies, his offensive efforts going wholly unnoticed by me until now. Though he has yet to launch a single punch or kick, his Domain has engulfed the Demons and repeatedly counteracts its efforts to Cloud-Step with any real force. Rather than zipping around through the clouds at inhuman speeds, the Demonic Divinity is barely able to keep itself afloat in the skies as Taddy disperses its efforts to Cloud-Step time and time again. In practical terms, the Demon is comically pumping its legs in a frenzied effort to stay afloat, like a cartoon character thats run off a cliff and has yet to realize theres no ground beneath its feet. This is not how I expected a battle between Divinities to unfold, with one side going through the overexaggerated motions of avoiding the other sides slow and ponderous attacks, all the while working its legs at hyper-speed just to keep themselves from plummeting out of the skies.

Hilarious as it all is, I remind myself that not only do both combatants possess enough strength and skill to kill me a hundred times in the blink of an eye if they should so choose, Taddy is literally risking his life up here to keep me and Lin-Lin safe. Eight seconds is how long it takes for me to regain feeling in my body, the first and foremost sensation being pain, but in those short, eight seconds, Taddy blocks and dodges more attacks than I can count without retaliating even a single time. Not because hes unable to, but because hes building up to a counter-attack that will actually do some damage, for in these last eight seconds, the wispy white clouds have transformed into dark, ponderous thunderheads just brimming with power and potency.

The how is beyond my understanding, but Taddy makes it look all too easy as the dark clouds converge around him like a fluffy, coiling dragon. No longer does he need to dodge, for those clouds now protect him by negating, dispersing, absorbing, or Deflecting the force of the Demons attacks time and time again. Not like a wall or hard barrier, but rather like trying to punch through molasses, the Demons speed and force siphoned away by the dense yet permeable surroundings. Huffing from exertion, my teacher takes a moment to breathe and I use this time to take in his calm and lovable smile, so serene and relaxed youd think hed been out for a run instead of fighting for his life and mine. Every time the Demon strikes, the dark clouds move in to intercept, but they are not consumed in the process of blocking. Instead, they shift away from Taddys body and transfer over to the Demons, encircling it in weightless and unrestrictive bonds. Were this Vyakhya still, he might have some concerns about the growing mass of storm clouds affixed to his body, but the Demon ignores it as it has yet to cause any harm, but only because my Teacher is a merciful soul who cannot bear to hurt even a fly.

Which is why he intends to put this Demonic Divinity out of its misery in one, singular strike.

The time to act arrives, and without warning, the storm cloud thickens and engulfs the Demon entirely, blocking it from not only sight, but also Spiritual Perception. The Energy of the Heavens surges to heed Taddys Will and with a bone-cracking crunch that threatens to unravel reality, but my Domain holds it in place. Just like that the battle comes to an end, the Demonic Divinitys presence fading into nothingness behind the shroud of Taddys dark clouds, but I feel no joy or relief, because I can feel my teacher has lessened in a visceral way as he huffs and puffs in the aftermath. Nothing about him changed physically, since he looks the same as always, but metaphysically he is just not right, the equivalent of having just lost a whole bunch of weight and looking all weak and sickly in spirit.

Because

Because energy can neither be created or destroyed. Eager and pliant as the Energy of the Heavens might be, a Divinity must still pay the price to harness it directly, a price paid in what I now believe is not just emotion, but also a portion of soul. Remembering how Guan Suo died while looking healthy as could be, I hug my teacher close and ask, Will you be alright?

Nothing to worry about, Rain my boy. Patting me on the head, he beams and wiggles his eyebrows because he still sees me as a baby who will smile at his silly faces, and credit where its due, it works. Your Teacher still has life in him yet. Gesturing at the Demonic Divinity still embroiled in the storm clouds, he adds, That being said, I assume theres a reason you didnt just Devour the Demon or set your Heavenly Droplet upon it, yes? Too soon after the merging, most likely, but how about now?

Right. Or I was too distracted and in pain. Sensing Blobbys eager desire, I Cloud-Step over with Taddy supporting me from behind, and the dark storm clouds dissipate as we approach to reveal the cracked and scoured corpse of the Demonic Divinity. A web of curved fractures are etched all across its frame, and the frozen mask of its face sits broken in twain inside the empty cavity of its head, all of which Taddy keeps suspended in the air so as to ensure Blobby could Cleanse every last drop. The eager Elemental Spirit dives in as I study my Teachers handiwork, and Id be lying if I didnt say I was impressed. It seems like he used some form of Lightening and Stability to squeeze the Demon and a combination of Deflection and Honing to scour it until it broke from the inside out, fracturing like a porcelain vase toppled over on its side. The results speak for themselves, but the method belies belief, because its as if someone walked up to a body builder, placed a hand flat on their chiselled pec, and ripped the meat off the bone using lateral pressure alone.

Wax on. Wax off. Except the waxing motion is so powerful it rips the glass apart.

Not the easiest way to kill a Demon, meaning that if Taddy really wanted to, he probably could have killed it much easier, but hes too kind for his own good and not a proponent of the Martial Path, so this might be the only way he knows how to fight. As soon as Blobby returns from his feast, I transfer the Heavenly Energy over to my Teacher until he closes himself off and refuses to accept more. Keep some for yourself, Rain my boy, he says, pulling me close for a hug. I dont know what youve done with yourself, but I can tell youll need it more than I. For a second, theres only me and him as we both forget about the trials and tribulations of the world to appreciate each others company. Then, he pulls back and cocks his head to ask, What did you do, if you dont mind me asking?

Welp, I begin, not really knowing where to start, Its a long story, so Ill tell you after we clean up in Meng Sha and head out on our way.

Oh? Where to now?

Turning south to stare out at the horizon, I sense my foes hateful presence lingering within the Void, hidden from all except me because he still holds a severed piece of my soul within. Shi Bei, I answer, taking his hand as we descend back down to the harbour for no real reason than I want to. Where we can end this once and for all, just as soon as I tie up a few loose ends.

Such is life, trials and tribulations aplenty, but now its my turn to play the part of calamity and bring the pain to Zhen Shi, a role I embrace with eager enthusiasm.

Chapter Meme 1

Chapter Meme 2

Chapter Meme 3

Chapter Meme 4

Chapter Meme 5