Liang Chen and Kongxu Zhuren locked eyes, the two rulers of the void separated only by the transparent film that was the edge of Liang Chen's domain. Liang Chen was surprised enough that Kongxu Zhuren was here, seemingly waiting for him. But actually wanting to speak with him as well? That was all the more surprising. When they last met they had just dumped their own opinions and philosophies on each other and then Liang Chen had splendidly ignored him, there shouldn't really be much for the two to talk about. But then again, Liang Chen also had questions for Kongxu Zhuren so perhaps it was a bit wrong of him to think that there wasn't much for them to talk about.
"Alright, seems like we can both get what we want then."
Liang Chen sat down and crossed his legs as he spoke, the two now sitting at almost the same height. Now that he took a closer look at him, Zhuren seemed a touch dishevelled. Brown spots and clusters of dust were scattered about on his robe, a few smears of dirt jutting out from beneath his clothes, and his hair had clumped together in some spots close to his scalp. But Zhuren did not seem bothered by his own appearance, moving the conversation along.
"How do you wish to proceed with the talks? Shall we take turns speaking and asking or shall we have one person finish all their own questions and then move on to the next?"
The way he spoke and carried himself was quite different from their previous meeting, where he looked as if he couldn't wait to swallow Liang Chen whole. It wasn't to the point of being subservient or nice, but he was definitely acting in a manner that could at least be called formal.
"We can take turns, I'll start. When last we met, you didn't exactly look like you wanted to tolerate me, so why do you suddenly want to talk with me?"
Liang Chen didn't have anything to base it on, but he had a guess that Zhuren's sudden desire for a chat was tied to his dishevelled appearance. It was highly unlikely that it came from training or from just sitting here, so someone else must have caused it. Zhuren was a Voidborn Ruler, one born naturally, the number of people that could leave him looking like a mess could probably be counted on both hands. Zhuren probably noticed Liang Chen's gaze, his fingers tracing some of the brown spots on his robes before he answered.
"I fought Jormungandr, the Void King, and I lost. I fought The Heaven Splitting King, and I lost. I tried to have my people join the war, but we met the Divine Emperor and were crushed without resistance. I tried to fight the wife of the Dark Dawn Monarch, and I lost again. I fought, I fought, and I fought to fulfil the duty I was supposedly born for, but I did nothing but lose."
Zhuren stopped a little in each sentence, taking half a breath before he could utter the declaration of his defeat. If he had picked his own battles then Liang Chen could only say that he made terrible choices, fighting three of the known rulers of this multiverse, and one of their wives, was nothing short of suicidal. But then again, he was still alive to speak of it so he probably wasn't that easy to kill.
"I was born for this, I've been convinced of that since my creation. I am to rule the void and bring about the inevitable end that awaits all existence, there is nothing that can stop me. That is what the Voidborn Rulers are, that is why we are made. But I lost. Again. Again. Again. Again. I lost time and time again. The purpose I was born for, what I was made to do, I couldn't even get close to achieving it."
Voidborn Rulers, existences born by the Void, each one wielding that very same law. There should only ever be one in existence at the same time, and they are the highest authority of the Void. Perhaps it is inevitable that they would think highly of themselves, inevitable that those who knew about them would equate them to the final end of all. But here one such ruler was, crushed again and again, both in body and mind. No matter how strong he was at birth, no matter how mighty the law he wielded, in the end, Zhuren was basically no more than a child. A child with no one he could turn to.
"And then I thought of you. When last we met, you spoke to me about purpose and reason. We are not born with them but choose them for ourselves. I wanted to hear more about that. The purpose you chose for yourself, the reason you found, have you ever failed in it? And if so, how do you deal with it?"
Zhuren was… Uncertain was perhaps the best word that could be put to it. Everything he believed, everything he had been convinced of, it had all been crushed ruthlessly. He had hated Liang Chen for seemingly trying to steal his purpose, but now he wasn't even able to accomplish the smallest bit of that purpose, even after deciding on it of his own volition. Was he even worthy of it to begin with?
Liang Chen felt like tilting his head at Zhuren's question. He seemed like a lost child clutching the small wooden figurine he had built and broken on accident.But, no matter what he looked like, he had asked a question so Liang Chen would answer.
"Of course I've failed. There are people I couldn't kill because I was too weak, people I couldn't save because I was too weak, and there are people I've killed because I was too careless. I've failed more times than I want to admit, more times than I ever wanted to. But I still failed. And the odds of me failing several more times in the future are high. All who live will eventually fail, that's just the nature of it all."
Liang Chen had failed many times. Friends were lost, family were lost, strangers were killed, people he knew to be good were killed. And it would continue to happen, he'd be unable to kill some people, much like he was right now with the Sealing God Empyrean, and there was a good chance that others would get caught in the crossfire during future fights if he wasn't careful. He would fail, and he was well aware of it.
"Then why choose a purpose that hard? Why would you find a reason that keeps pushing you down, why choose something when you know it's doomed to fail?"
Zhuren looked bitter as he spoke, chewing on his lower lip in indignation. He was born strong so failure was something he rarely tasted, or at least that was how it should be if he went by what their ancient archives said. But he had kept failing, he had done nothing but fail since the time he opened his eyes. It was painful, it was sad, it was infuriating. It made him want to lie down and never do it again. And naturally, Liang Chen had felt those very same emotions. But never once had he allowed them to control him, and the reason for it was simple.
"Because I believe it to be right. That is why I chose it as my reason, my purpose, that's all I need."
Right. The proper thing to do. The heavens hadn't given out justice so he would do it in their stead. It may not be the justice he sought as a child, but it would be his justice, and that was all he needed. As long as he had that, he could fail for all eternity and still keep getting up.
"Even if you keep failing?"
Belief was a funny thing, especially to a being like Kongxu Zhuren. It couldn't be seen or felt, you might even say that it didn't mean anything at all since it could be changed so easily at times. But sometimes, such as right now it seemed, it alone was enough to alter the world. Zhuren had chosen a purpose for himself, the purpose he was born for, but even he found it hard to believe in it, in himself, after all his failures. That was why he wished to speak with Liang Chen, and just as he hoped, he got something akin to an answer from it.
"I'm still alive, aren't I? Those I've failed to kill, I can still get to them in the future. Those I've failed to save or those I've killed, I can still atone for those failures as I keep living. I am alive, so I am going to fail. But I am alive, so I am free to keep trying until I succeed."
They hurt. All the people he'd lost because he was weak, all the people who died because they happened to be around him. They all hurt him, they were all remembered by him. But he wouldn't let them hold him back, he wouldn't let the pain chain him down. He'd keep trying to atone for those failures, but at the same time he would keep moving forward.
"And you're still alive as well, aren't you? You failed, but you survived, so you can just try again. But if you're going to keep trying, make sure that you're sure that you've chosen it for yourself, only like that will you be fine with bearing the consequences of your actions, be that your success or your end."
Perhaps it was strange, no it definitely was strange, for him to offer words like these to someone like Zhuren. After all, Zhuren had openly admitted that he tried to kill the Void King, a ruler belonging to Liang Chen's multiverse. But what Kongxu Zhuren wanted to do had nothing to do with Liang Chen, he was free to do exactly as he pleased, he simply had to be prepared for the consequences.
Kongxu Zhuren chewed on the words a little to digest them. It was extremely simple advice, to the point that it sounded ridiculous despite how true it was. But truthfully, was it really that simple to just keep going no matter how many times you failed? Zhuren didn't know, perhaps he wouldn't understand unless he failed many more times.
"I… I can't say that I fully understand it, but I at least feel like I am seeing something new. Thank you for the thorough answer, please state your next question."
His main question was answered, the nagging sensation at the back of his mind easing slightly despite the fact that he couldn't fully understand the scope of the answer. There was one more question he had, but it would have to wait until Liang Chen got to ask his next question. As for Liang Chen, he didn't hesitate and pointed directly at the flowers and the plum tree growing a bit behind him.
"Those flowers, that tree, why do they grow? The Void is the end of all things, even time and space, they should have no sway in here. But the flowers and the tree, they've grown at a pace that is about in tune with the flow of time in the world outside the Void. Why?"
The tree was one thing, it was grown using the energy he gained from absorbing someone with the law of the Void. But the flowers were just normal seeds he had planted here, just the fact that they managed to sprout in this land was amazing enough. It was probably tied to the fact that this domain was his section of the Void, but when he looked at Kongxu Zhuren and his reactions it seemed as if he too was experiencing the same flow of time, or at least something close to it.
Zhuren's gaze landed on the colourful flowers that formed a stark contrast to the Void he was used to, a somewhat pensive expression forming on his face.
"To answer that question I will need to speak of the birth of the Void. Tell me, what do you know about the Void's origin?"
It sounded paradoxical, the birth of nonexistence. But for that matter, the very existence of the Void was a paradox, it was not something that should exist. As for said birth, Liang Chen had indeed heard about it before.
"Tian Shen, the current holder of Existence, has told me about the origin of the first Sphere of Existence and the three beings that lived at that time. But I cannot confidently say that I've heard the truth."
No matter how cordial he was or how gentle he made himself appear, the fact of the matter was that Tian Shen was someone who had started a war against this Sphere of Existence. Liang Chen could listen to his words, but completely believing them was something else entirely. But surprisingly enough, Kongxu Zhuren seemed to not just know of Tian Shen, but also think rather highly of his words.
"If the Heaven-Covering Eagle has told you then it should be mostly the truth, his lies never stray too far from the truth. But a lie, no matter how close to the truth, will always lack the full truth. Allow me to guess, did he speak of how the ancient Jieshu tore himself apart to create the Voidborn, who then tore him apart when they gained sentience?"
Perhaps it wasn't strange for Zhuren to know about Tian Shen, Existence and Void would forever be intertwined, both as enemies and as allies. Liang Chen gave a small nod to the guess, Zhuren moving on to fill in the blanks that Tian Shen had intentionally left.
"I shan't lie, that story is correct. Jieshu created us, and when our ancestors grew tired of being torn apart to birth new Voidborn they decided to end him. That sin of patricide will forever hang on our shoulders and we will not make excuses for it. But can I assume that the Eagle didn't tell you that he helped strike the final blow against Jieshu? And what's more, he took away the corpse and preserved it."
The Voidborn of the past had killed their creator to spare themselves further separation. Were they right or wrong to do so? Perhaps none alive could know the truth, perhaps none alive had the right to judge them. But at this moment, that particular aspect didn't matter all that much, Liang Chen focused more on the final part.
"I assume the preservation of the corpse is the reason you're telling me this?"
Nothing Zhuren had said so far seemed to be tied to the reason why time flowed the way it did in the Void. He probably wouldn't speak pointless words forever so there was really only one thing he could be trying to imply.
"Correct. No matter how much he tore, no matter how much he fell, Jieshu is the source of the Void, the creator and the core. When he resides in the Void, it is closed to all but those who can tear open a gate to it by force. And as long as it is closed, the time and space of the outside world holds no sway here. You can enter the void after several million years in the outside to find that not a single moment has passed here, or you can enter again after two seconds and find that eons have passed. But as it stands, Jieshu does not reside in the Void."
A core would always be a core, a source wouldn't stop being just that simply because it became scattered. Jieshu was the key to the Void, that simple fact held true even countless years after his passing. Well, that fact may change over time thanks to Liang Chen, he was after all the first living being to actually fuse with the Void.
"The corpse rests in the Eagle's possession, and as long as it exists in the outside world, the Void will be connected to the outside world. Time here is locked to your time, moving in the outside world moves in the Void, and entering or leaving the Void are much easier. As long as he has that body, the Eagle can freely enter and leave the Void, it acts as a personal gate. And because of it, the Void and his Sphere have entered a temporary alliance. Well, at least it was one of the reasons, my personal revenge against the Void King was another."
Naturally, this was the first Liang Chen heard about Tian Shen having the ability to freely enter the Void, but it also happened to be the first time he heard about the Void having formed an alliance with him. But then again, Zhuren had lost to the Void King and the others so he would likely also lose to Tian Shen, did he really have any choice but to enter an alliance?
"So he can enter the Void freely… That's good information. Very well, your next question."
Liang Chen quietly memorised the fact that Tian Shen could enter the Void, it meant that he couldn't just run in here if the two ever came to blows in the future. He had a few more questions in mind, but Zhuren had followed the deal so he would do the same and wait his turn.
"…The words you told me when we first met, the purpose. Does yours still hold strong?"
Zhuren hesitated for a small moment before could get the words out. Was it because the words he said back then were basically a dismissal of Zhuren's opinion while also serving as something of a threat? Liang Chen couldn't read the answer from Zhuren's expression, a steely light in his own eyes serving as an answer to the question. He had already stopped wavering when it came to his beliefs and his purpose.
"Yes, I was hoping for a response like that."
Hoping, expecting, Zhuren wasn't quite sure which one it was. Liang Chen was someone that even Tian Shen was keeping an eye on, that was how he learned his name in the first place. But more importantly than that, he had managed to not just acquire the law of the Void but also completely take over a section of the Void, a section that was quietly growing. No other Voidborn Ruler had managed the same. How could a person like that be normal, how could their belief be weak?
Zhuren spat out a long breath. It hurt. It burned in his chest and at the back of his throat. His body was revolting, it wanted to reject his decision, his pride and confidence were screeching at him. But he still brought his fists to the ground and leaned forward, lowering his head.
"Liang Chen, I have failed. I could not do what was expected of me, what I chose to do, nor can I protect those I should protect. If things continue their course, then the Void will be fall, be it beneath the Eagle's feet or beneath the feet of your Sphere. I belong to those you would define as sinners, but the others who live here do not, they are simply trying to live in peace. So I ask of you; Please help me protect the Void and the innocent who live here."