Nine Venoms Sect Founder

Chapter 145: Unyielding (Final Part)

Pulled by an unprecedented cosmic phenomenon, tens of billions of men's eyes rose to the starry sky, watching the fiery trails left by the asteroid's fall. Regardless of their cultivation bases, none could react fast enough to see the source of that phenomenon, but the following impact, that single monstrous blast that spread across hundreds of square kilometers, warned many of what went down. 

Countless houses should have collapsed—burying their owners instantly. However, the asteroid's spreading impact clashed with the ever-expanding Dharma Sheltering Array. Absorbing 90% of the impact, the Dharma Sheltering Array spared those innocent lives from a tragic outcome. 

Others didn't have it so good. The Obsidian Soul Stone Mine broke down. Many of the scattered soul stones burst into pieces. The trees and plants making up Harun's forest didn't survive—blasted into smithereens by overbearing energy waves. Shattered at the impact point, the asteroid also burst into pieces of heated rocks and shrapnels which flew toward various areas—leaving smoldering smoke and scalding, broken rocks to cover the area. The Abyssal River had nothing to fear. Dolma Doll pushed her hands forward, casting an impregnable barrier that sheltered not only her, but Birandar, Mukri and the undead guards by their side. 

Harun gave the puppets simple instructions: protect. She now only had this one job and would squash anyone that attempted to jeopardize it. As usual, Mukri let fear get over his head and, like a buffoon, ran in circles. 

"By all the unholy patrons of this broken world, this is a Cosmic Tribulation! We're all dead! Dead! Who summoned it?! I didn't sign up for this shit! Help! Help!" Mukri screamed out of his lungs while shaking his head and rump in desperation. And as Dolma Doll followed the pre-ordered instructions, Birandar ambled at the barrier keeping him safe from fatal harm, using his Third Eye, the Wheel of Causality, to chase his master's shadow. Two broken, inert bodies lay amidst the smoke and rubble. One, a three meters tall, three-legged black crow, who'd lost the left half of his body to the asteroid's cosmic crash. Typically meant for immortal gods as a way to challenge their eternal life, Cosmic Tribulations differed from Heavenly Tribulations. The two didn't carry the same energies, and the former wouldn't enable its victims to condense bolt marks. 

However, basic rules still applied. As a trespasser, the unprepared crow experienced several times the tribulation meant for Harun. All of Weeping Soul's preparations and efforts couldn't foresee the Scourge trailing Harun's step, and the tribulation he had to summon to breakthrough the final stage of his current Realm: the Unyielding stage. Unyielding for he refused to sever the bounds that tied him to his devotees, his subordinates, his fallen kin, and most importantly, to Jiyan. Indeed, as unbiased as Harun wished to be, he had to admit that in that moment, her name stood above the rest.

For the majority of reincarnation cultivators, the Suffering stage was the deadliest step. Most would rather sever the attachment they built and move on from that incarnation. Very few dared swallow it all and endure the consequences of that choice. This didn't mean that Severing cultivators couldn't experience emotions and desire. Rather, they didn't allow them to cloud their mind and hinder their quest for enlightenment. Regardless, as far as battle-power was concerned, Unyielding cultivators who faced 100 times the dangers were all leagues above their Severing peers.

This was only one of the many reasons why the Ancestral Land's denizens labeled them Tyrants. And while he didn't lose any body part, Harun's flesh cracked—akin to a mirror bordering on destruction. Out of control, Birandar attempted to use his Wheel of Causality against the barrier, but weakened by a blend of exhaustion and overuse, his body rejected his attempt. Not allowing that setback to impede on his efforts, Birandar rushed at the barrier with his bare fists, punching with all his might. Alas, without the Wheel of Causality's support, his punches didn't carry much more strength than the average man. The first punch broke his right fist, the second shattered his right arm, and as he readied to throw out a third, Mukri knocked him out…then carried on with his screaming.

Meanwhile, as Harun's contest with death went on, that half-destroyed crow reared its ugly head, throwing it back as it rose on one foot and took to the sky. At that time, a shrill cry resounded from the Abyssal River, seven whirlpools formed across its surface, and before the crow could escape this disastrous twist, blood-red, horned whales—each 300 meters long—leaped out the whirlpools, riding crimson tsunamis as they shot at the crow. For reasons it couldn't comprehend, the crow felt what remained of its chest teem with fear. Alarmed, it forgot its duty, attempting to escape the horned whales' pursuit—a futile attempt. The full might of the Abyssal River crashed on the broken crow, burying it under murderous tidal waves—it crashed subsequently. 

At the middle of the Abyssal River, a lithe figure emerged. Akin to an empyrean image of perfection, she instantly grabbed all attention. Initially, Mukri seemed thrilled, but as he glanced at her blood-red eyes, the bull feared that the Birusk clan faced a double tragedy: master and mistress both lost. Crossing space with a single step, Jiyan appeared beside Harun, and stretched out one hand toward his back. A wine-colored fluid poured out of her rosy palm, nourishing Harun's broken body with the Abyssal River's energies. Seeing how she ignored them all to focus on Harun, Mukri realized that despite the change in eye color, Jiyan was still Jiyan. 

Keeping one hand on Harun, Jiyan extended the other at the damaged crow, who still struggled to escape the tsunami's suppression. Alas, energies it couldn't resist rippled from that blood water, eroding all its defenses at lightning fast speed. Powerless, the crow cawed as it gathered its last bits of strength, prepared to self-destruct to, at the very least, bring those threats down with it. What a pity that Jiyan had no intention to let it shine. Channeling the powers of the Abyssal River, Jiyan trapped the crow in a blood hand—crushing it into a feathered meat paste. 

…

Meanwhile, Harun drifted into a fairyland where he sat on top of a floating cloud, with a lively lass leaning on his shoulder. Shrouded by mystical forces, that girl's face eluded his eyes, but the familiar scent emanating from her convinced him that she belonged where she was. 

Flashing a gentle smile, the girl raised her eyes, seeking Harun's gaze:

"Master, everyone says that you were born beyond perfection, that there is nothing you can't accomplish once you set your mind to it. Even our unruly senior brother takes you as his God. But I don't believe it. Every person I know and respect has fears and struggles, talented in some areas but inept in others. So what makes you so different? You must have something you fear and a secret to your success. Tell me both, and I promise to not cause trouble for at least one week," she said while raising two fingers in a childish pledge. 

Only now did Harun realize that he occupied Golden Cicada's body, and though he now saw through his eyes, he didn't control his actions. Rolling his eyes, Golden Cicada knocked on his spoiled disciple's head, then sighed in false exasperation. A pause followed, after which the Dharma Ancestor closed his eyes, drifting to past memories. 

"Fair question. I have reached the peak of my first road in 100 years, shattered my cultivation, destroyed my bloodline, yet still managed to evade sure death. Escaping the ordained cultivation path, I combined Laws and Supreme Principles into a single category, Mysteries, and forged two more practical ways to bring them to the true pinnacle. As a mortal, I mastered all Mysteries within 10,000 years. As a refiner, I steamrolled through all my Tribulations. As a cultivator, I crossed five perfect incarnations, each more magnificent than the previous one, then reached my Apotheosis. 

All my struggles were the consequences of my choices, and even then, there is no obstacle I couldn't overcome with minimal effort. I was born to triumph, that is why even now...I am incomplete. I am a child, so I suppose that my greatest fear...is a true setback. Funny how so many seek me for enlightenment, when I'm not even done enlightening myself. 

Am I equipped to handle true misfortune? To handle something even my omnipotent powers cannot overcome? Doubtful. I'd probably lose my mind and go berserk." Here, Golden Cicada stopped and glanced at his disciple who seemed to drink his words with a mixture of skepticism and admiration. Clearly, like many others, she didn't believe that such a case could ever arise. And who could blame them? Across the Omniverse's zillions of lives, only one person could put his powers to the test, and the two had never met...always staying clear from one another—or so they thought, at least.

Even in the Myriad Devil Palace, few knew of his past identity—not that it mattered. 

"As for the root of my success, it's simple, really: Energy Control. You could say that I am a walking catalyst for all the energies of this world. By refining that unique gift to perfection, I pushed my innate talent to abnormal levels. Dao Attunement, Senses, Physique, my Energy Control instantly takes all these to thresholds you cannot imagine. I can analyze, control and reshape all energy particles as I please, enabling me to do things like this,"

Waving his right hand, Golden Cicada conjured a haze of rainbow-colored energies, which morphed to become one million armored giants, riding massive floating islands as they swirled around their summoner. Rivers and lakes formed beside them, cascading on lustrous mountains that seemingly popped out of the void. 

Instantly, the girl's eyes widened in disbelief, as a top-tier cultivator, she could see that her master didn't use any Mandate whatsoever. Yet, each of those giants possessed a soul and complete existence. With the most casual of energy manipulation, he could create a perfect world!

"Incense, Essence, Qi, Souls, all of that is energy. Comprehending Mysteries and mastering energy are two different things. The former limits what you can do, the latter decides how well you achieve it. But once you reach the summit of Energy Control, your imagination becomes a vector of creation. You write the rules, overshadowing even your Mystery level. If you could reach this state, even if you can't inherit my Right of Tyranny, you too could accomplish the same. A pity that you do not have the right starting point. None of you do. I am the first and last Transcendent Catalyst. Which is why only I can master the Cosmic Law." Again, Golden Cicada paused, but this time, his lips curled into a bright smile. josei

"That said, nothing is set in stone. One day, perhaps, my Right of Tyranny will enable a new generation of unyielding cultivators to become true catalysts, regardless of path and roads—opening the doors to a splendid era."

...

Back to the real world, Sovereign Essence erupted from Harun, startling Jiyan and Mukri who by now both stood beside him. Wrapped in a purple ball, Harun's body rose into the air, hovering several meters above the ground while the shadow of a serpent coiled around him.