Nine Venoms Sect Founder

Chapter 117: Vestiges of the Past

"No...no no nononono! Master! Master!" Dilnaz's eyes stretched to their limit, and as she instinctively rushed to grab Little Six, despair surged in her ruthless heart. But as if he'd turned into a ghost or illusion, Little Six traversed her embrace, yet still dropped beside her. One moment, the golden-eyed monk regained a tangible form. The next, he returned to his illusory shape. As an expert of over 200,000 years, with countless trials, tribulations and tragedies at her back, Dilnaz was used to keeping her cool under extreme pressure. Without some mental manipulations at play, very few events could make her utterly desperate—this one did. Instantly, Dilnaz realized what her heart had long seen through. She'd grown dependent on Little Six's gentle, carefree and exuberant nature. She loved doting on him and having him cajole and dote on her in return. Here, only the two of them mattered. The outer world was irrelevant. The simplicity of their relationship had grown too sweet, too fast, and she couldn't give up on it. Not now, not ever. And so Dilnaz panicked. 

"Master, I know you love jokes but this isn't funny. You are so strong, what could ever go wrong with you? Master, please stand up. Why aren't you standing up? Please! Please!" Dilnaz clawed at Little Six, desperately trying to hold on to him. At times, her hands brushed his garb. But in the next instant, he became illusory again. Little Six's face paled, and as memories of a past he'd rather forget resurfaced, he glanced at the terrified Dilnaz and cast her a forced smile. "Dilnaz, I'm sorry, but I won't be able to accompany you any longer. Sorry…for misleading you but I…do not exist…not in the proper sense. The Main Soul's progress shattered my Right of Individuality. This is farewell," Little Six choked out the words, growing increasingly listless. 

The response brought Dilnaz no comfort. Rage, confusion and unwillingness twisted her divine looks, but powerlessness reminded her that no matter how much she raged, she couldn't alter something she didn't even understand. "I…don't understand. Master, you said it yourself. The world is infinitely vast. Even the Heavenly Dream Lands hosts thousands of worlds. The outer world is millions of times grander. Across this multitude of worlds, this vast omniverse, isn't there a single person or thing that can help you? Master, just give me one direction and I will scour the omniverse, give my soul to the Devil if I must…to give you back your life. But first, please hold on and don't die on me!" Dilnaz begged, not realizing that she'd broken into tears already. 

Inwardly, Little Six sighed. He wanted to tell her to not fret, that in a flash all problems would go away. But through his memories, he knew that there were only two ways to save him. Both unacceptable. "The Devil, huh? Why would the one that killed me bring me back to life? Or perhaps it's more accurate to say that he helped me kill myself? Never mind that. Dilnaz, I know that all the meaningful men in your past have severely disappointed you. When you were young and weak, your father and uncles gave you three choices: attend your mother's funerals—become their shared dual cauldron—or the God-Empress that served their faction's interests. 

Too busy with his citizens to care for the Empyrean clan's internal matters, Agiri never once saw the abuse and brutality going on his house. When even death isn't an option, to submit is all you can do. So you submitted, but while Agiri quickly became a wonderful spouse, when push comes to shove, there is only one thing he cares about: the Heavenly Dream Land. For that, he can even abandon his daughter—satisfying his conscience by leaving her the protection of his Mandate. To achieve freedom in the world of Gods, you craved limitless power and learned ruthlessness, but once faced with someone that only has you in his eyes, you lowered your guard. That's not only toxic to yourself, but pointless since…I've died a long time ago. Now whatever remains…are vestiges of the past. And Dilnaz, the past belongs to the past. To live splendidly, we must seek…the future," Little Six whispered, then collapsed into light particles—leaving behind a golden orb carrying unfathomable energies. 

Dilnaz wanted to say that he was wrong, that she understood all that better than him, but in her life, didn't lack anyone devoted to her only. The Flame Spirit King was only one example among many. But among them, she never found someone worth her devotion. He…was that different. Unfortunately, Little Six was gone. The orb couldn't transmit her words. A sense of loss and hopelessness overwhelmed and robbed Dilnaz of all conscious response. She just lay there, staring at the golden orb with blank, tear-soaked eyes. 

"Your Majesty, let me explain," the Commandant, Dilnaz's sword, rose from his corner and returned to his mistress' side. "Little Six's true identity is Golden Cicada, the Dharma Ancestor. About 100,000 years after the Serpent Emperor left the Heavenly Dream Land, Golden Cicada lost his most beloved disciple to the Myriad Devil Palace's Slaughter Ancestor. As all across the Ancestral Land know, the Slaughter and Empyrean Ancestors represent the Devil's will. They do not make mistakes and only act on his orders. The events surrounding that disciple's death are somewhat complex, but led Golden Cicada to obliterate half the Myriad Devil Palace's experts, alongside several of their Ancestors, before finally meeting the omniverse's ruler in battle. 

Their clash ripped the Ancestral Land asunder but also unveiled a fatal weakness in Golden Cicada's Cosmic Law. Exploiting that weakness, the Devil turned the Cosmic Law against Golden Cicada—destroying him through Karmic Annihilation," the Commandant started, and though Dilnaz didn't react to the words, he knew she silently processed them. "But as Golden Cicada drew his last breath, out of love, kinship and duty, two people sacrificed their lives to save his—a terrible mistake. Those two killed him.

Only the Devil Ancestor knew that Golden Cicada existed with the omniverse. Unless an expert erases all facets of the omniverse, all worlds and mysteries—everything including nothingness—then erases himself, Golden Cicada would one day return. But by interfering with the Karmic Annihilation, they shattered his vanishing soul, enabling the main part to enter the reincarnation cycle while the lesser parts became Vestiges of his Existence that spread across the omniverse. And while the Main Soul holds most of the original self. Reincarnation has long erased Golden Cicada's presence. Now, it's also a vestige that at best can play tricks on the current self. Little Six was only one of the vestiges." 

"I don't care! How can I bring Master back?" Dilnaz snapped, knowing full well that if he bothered speaking so much, the Commandant had the answer. And though she knew he hid countless secrets and likely manipulated her to achieve his ends…she didn't care.

"That will be difficult. The Main Soul must have somewhat seized the Right of Tyranny in preparation for its future breakthroughs. This freed it from the vestiges' pressure and canceled their Right of Individuality. Now, your only hope is to gather the other vestiges, unite them with the Main Soul, and let the past overwhelm him so Golden Cicada can return to this world. Fortunately or unfortunately, you're not the only one hunting the vestiges. That Person has been doing this longer than you. That Person is the reason why Nakula siphoned the Monstrous Beasts' essence, That Person is the hand behind the Truth Scrying Grotto and will not rest until Golden Cicada's radiant eyes again illuminate the world."

"How can I find the Main Soul?"

"You need to track down the two that attempted to save Golden Cicada at risk of life. Regardless of the incarnation, they're never too far from him and ultimately become his protectors. One of them, you've met already: Harun Erdewan." Here, Dilnaz's impatience turned into bewilderment. 

"Him? Impossible. How could it be?"

"Yes. The Sovereign Pupils belong to Lord Revelation, formerly known as the Serpent Emperor—Golden Cicada's last disciple. Whoever owns them must be Revelation's current incarnation. In the past, the eyes remained dormant. But thanks to the Peaches of Immortality, they fully awoke. He is still somewhere in this world. Find him, and he will lead you to the Main Soul without fail," the Commandant guaranteed. 

Taking in a deep breath, Dilnaz cast the golden orb a last glance, then stood up. Unbreakable determination flashed in her eyes, and raising her hand, Dilnaz summoned a glowing red sword that stabbed into her skull. Instantly, her body broke into red particles that scattered to escape the mausoleum. The Commandant alone remained behind, and seeing how easily Dilnaz unleashed the Duality Severing Secret, he couldn't help but shake his head. 

"The ancients were right. Emotions are such liabilities. Ancestral One, I wonder…what are you thinking?"josei

…

Meanwhile, Harun's soul returned to his body, transforming it to fit the Mythical Tyrant Embodiment. The column of light dispersed, revealing Harun, who as before held Jiyan with utmost care.