Cade sat cross-legged, mirroring Night’s position, and listened intently. This was the first time he had ever heard of a cultivator achieving godhood—and an Asura no less. Even the smallest detail in what the spirit might reveal could be of profound importance to him in the future.

  “Ang War was born into an old Asura lineage, dating back to the nigh-forgotten days of the Entry. He was one of the very few members of his race who at that time still came into this world the natural way. As you know, the golden essence has become the only way for the Asura species to propagate. I could explain why this happened, but most of it is irrelevant to the story,” Night said, closing her eyes.

  Suddenly, an image of a young man appeared before her. His hair was dark, long, and unruly, while his features were delicate and noble. His blood-red eyes shone with intelligence and curiosity.

  “At that time, my Master was still a youngblood in early Wraith Formation, but he was already known for his wisdom and steady character. Ang War’s family was everything to him—his parents, his beautiful wife, and their naturally born child. He took on an Outer Elder position in a large sect on one of the primary birthing planets—Teraxis—and, of course, brought his family with him.”

  The image shifted into a rotating blue globe with two continents. Cade watched with fascination as the planet turned, showing first the Sun Continent with its elliptical shape, resembling an irregular, elongated pie, then revealing the Moon Continent—easily twice as large, with a strangely symmetrical, leaf-like shape, narrower toward its northern end. He noted thousands of tiny dots connecting the southern ends of both continents.

  So this is the Southern Ocean. If I can’t find a carcass filled with Rank 4 blood, I’ll probably have to visit the south sooner rather than later.

  Night’s voice pulled him from his brief musings.

  “Birthing planets at the time were nothing but paradise playgrounds, with no real risk and plenty of rewards. The position of the Asura race was well established—we were a force to be reckoned with, ruling countless star systems. However, the race had already been in decline for a long time, and the way birthing planets were set up likely didn’t help. I’m going to skip many details which—while precious to me—aren’t necessary for you to understand my Master’s journey.”

  Cade was a little disappointed, but he was painfully aware of the limited time he had inside the Realm and nodded in response.

  “The first thing you should know is that throughout known history, the Asura have often been at odds with another race—the Daeva. Unfortunately, their vast territories bordered each other—and perhaps still do. Both species are unimaginably old, and both had long entered periods of regression. Their old gods gradually disappeared, and billion-year-old treatises were broken. Battles over planets rich in spiritual qi became more frequent, though Ang War was born in a time of relative peace. Still, everyone knew that war was inevitable.”

  Night’s display now showed a race of tall, athletic humanoids with noble appearances and dignified features. Their hair and skin often matched in color, though in different shades, with the skin notably more subdued. The colors themselves varied, though most leaned toward cooler tones.

  Cade devoured the images with fascination, yet something had been bothering him ever since his first visit to Kettle.

  “Senior Night, would you know why all the races resemble each other? Humans, Asura, Daeva… in the grand scheme, they’re all fairly similar.”

  Night gave him a small nod. “It is the shape enforced by the Grand Dao and inscribed into the core laws of the universe. As various species develop and cultivate, they eventually assume this characteristic bipedal form—think of it as a template contained within the Dao of Creation. Any conscious lifeform striving for the peak of cultivation will eventually assume a similar shape, usually during one of the early breakthroughs, though this varies. For spirit beasts, the stronger the bloodline, the sooner the body conforms to the Dao.”

  This was something Cade had never heard before, and he found the explanation fascinating.

  “Senior Night, does that mean beast races with sufficient cultivation have their own societies, their own planets?”

  “They do indeed. Because of their innate shapeshifting ability—quite different from the Asura—they can assume their beast form at will while retaining their intelligence. However, they usually aren’t very united; too many species, too many interests,” the spirit answered. Then she sighed softly. “But allow me to return to the story, as we have reached the tragic part.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  Her golden eyes dimmed.

  “You should know that birthing worlds were never militarized. They posed no threat to any race. The Daeva believed that Teraxis, among several other Asura birthing worlds, originally belonged to them. They mounted an unexpected offensive, killing hundreds of thousands of Asura younglings on six planets in total. We call this event the Genocide. Among the dead were Ang War’s beloved wife and their only child—a girl, not even twelve years old in Teraxis’s years.”

  Night’s voice shook, as if she were reliving the terror.

  Cade clenched his fists. The image shifted to a young girl with black hair and blood-red eyes, carrying a mischievous glint. His eyebrows jumped when he saw that she had the same vertical slits for pupils as him. The girl seemed to be looking right at him, smiling happily.

  “Her name was Ang Yi. She was incredibly gifted, born with numerous atavisms. Hers was just one bright light among many thousands snuffed out during the massive orbital bombardment. It completely broke Ang War’s heart. At the time of the attack, he was visiting another distant sect. He was among a small number of survivors.”

  Night now showed enormous structures resembling colossal artificial eyes, facing the planet in the darkness of space. Beams of purple energy, wide as mountains, scoured the world below. Anything they touched was erased from existence. Cade watched in horror as uncountable life forms were slaughtered, the beams reducing most of the Sun and Moon Continents to cinders.

  His blood churned, rage boiling inside him.

  The Daeva are truly vicious. What kind of monsters launch such an attack on innocent worlds?

  Night released a weary sigh.

  “Ang War went nearly insane. He lashed out at everyone around him, helpless in his grief. His pain gradually turned into a burning need for vengeance. He sought out every avenue to increase his cultivation, willing to pay any price—crystals, flesh, blood. Whether by fate or by the hand of a god, Ang War encountered a miraculous opportunity, during which he obtained the object. From that moment on, his strength grew rapidly. Soon, no Daeva in the same realm could hope to defeat him.”

  The image shifted again, showing Ang War with thicker, flowing crimson hair, faintly glowing. He wore the familiar red longcoat.

  “As his cultivation grew, his revenge escalated. He began with Daeva soldiers, then moved on to the commanders responsible for the bombardment. He spent nearly six thousand years traversing the universe to hunt down every single Daeva involved in the Genocide. He became known as the Red Reaper. The Daeva did not merely fear him—his name alone filled them with terror. Naturally, they tried to hunt him, but you likely already understand some of the object’s capabilities. He alone pushed them back, killing some of their strongest overlords. Then, after six thousand years, Ang War suddenly disappeared.”

  A vast star map appeared, with two areas highlighted - the Asura territories and the bordering Daeva domains.

  “Eventually, everyone believed Ang War had died, and the Daeva began to recover. Their capacity for natural birth was slightly higher than the Asura’s—one of the reasons they considered themselves superior. Over thousands of years, their numbers became significantly greater. Twelve thousand years later, the Daeva once again encroached on Asura territory. Many planets were abandoned, their Asura inhabitants retreating into Chthon.”

  The map showed one territory expanding, the other shrinking.

  “In these dire times, Ang War unexpectedly returned. During his absence, he became a God in the Flesh—the Asura equivalent of a Living God—and erased all members of the Daeva Council of Twelve from existence. It was they who had ordered the strike on Teraxis. As a result, their entire race nearly collapsed. Within a few centuries, the Asura not only regained their footing but dominated the known universe and took control of the Immortal Realm, ushering a new golden age.”

  As Night spoke, the Daeva territory dwindled to a tiny fraction of Asura space.

  “During all those years prior to godhood, my Master rarely smiled. His eyes were always filled with longing built over millennia. After he returned from killing the council, his vengeance complete, he decided to create me, teaching me by directly sharing some of his memories. He no longer carried the object at that point, but what happened to it—I do not know. Somehow it found its way to you, unless it is a different one.”

  The image shifted to the Life and Death Divine Realm in its full glory. Cade stared, mouth slightly open.

  “Ang War took me to the Thousand Life Pavilion Sect, which he had established to conceal his legacy. Then, right in front of me, he plucked out his eyes. This is what he said.”

  Ang War appeared again—his noble face ageless, his long hair now golden. His eyes had become two prismatic diamonds, sparkling like gathered starlight. Just looking at the image made Cade want to prostrate himself. He grit his teeth, forcing the urge down.

  Beside him, Night appeared as she was now, dropping to one knee, head bowed in silent worship.

  “I was blind before, but now my vision has cleared,” Ang War said, his voice vast and ancient, carrying an immeasurable weight. “However, I am still too weak to bring them back. I will leave these with you.”

  He wrapped the eyes in golden radiance and passed them to Night.

  “One day, a young man will come. Hopefully, my eyes will help guide him down the right path. With their help, he too will finally be able to see.”

  Cade’s skin was covered in goosebumps. His entire body trembled as his gaze shifted to the giant sculpture’s folded hands, cradling the golden brilliance.