Year 43 of the Human Calendar - The Emperor Island - Jade Mansion
I push the two four-meters doors open with my right hand.
*Creeeeck*
An unnatural darkness covers the inside of the building.
[Even the light of the entrance isn't entering]
I walk inside the darkness.
*Fwosh*
As I go inside the building, two jade torch bowls lights my way with a green flame floating above them.
[Typical]
*Fwosh*
(...)
*Fwosh*
I keep walking following the green flames that appear.
*Fwosh*
[...]
*Fwosh*
After walking forty meters through the entrance...
*FWOSHH*
All the torches light at the same time, showing a room with a jade staircase of ten steps of half a meter each.
(...)
[So that is him]
And on top of the platform where those stairs lead, a four meter white jade throne stood with him sitting on it.
"You did well getting to this place, Commoner lord" Zhang Wei
Wearing a dark and red robe, a two meters old man with red skin and two horns on his forehead spoke to me.
"Demon King" Linjian
[He is already transformed, be careful]
With my Graphene pillar on my left shoulder I am ready to start any time.
"You know who I am?" Linjian
"Of course, this great Emperor can see everything that transpires on the five continents. I have been following your actions since you stepped on the south continent for the first time" Zhang Wei
My Live Detection works on him, but instead of feeling a human, I feel something similar to a giant bacteria. His eyelids don't move and there is no sign of breathing. The humanoid figure talking to me does not retain an iota of humanity.
"So why didn't you stop it?" Linjian
"Help them?" Zhang Wei
He gives me an incredulous look.
"WAHAHAHAHA!" Zhang Wei
His voice echoed over the entirety of the mansion.
[We already know why]
(Even the emperor is like this)
I don't know what I expected.
"Sit down commoner, I will explain you the absolute truth of this world" Zhang Wei
Next to me, a chair comes out off the floor.
"..." Linjian
The Graphene pillar becomes a throne and I sit on it.
[Are you going to hear him?]
(If he wants to talk, we will talk. It will be the last show of undeserved respect to the world that is about to disappear)
"The supreme I will allow that" Zhang Wei
The jade chair goes back to the floor.
"I will start from the start, First I will explain how the great cultivators leave behind their weak humanity to become superior beings" Zhang Wei
"What does being weak mean to you?" Linjian
I interrupt him.
"...Being Weak is being useless, the only way out of that permanent state of shame is through the cultivation" Zhang Wei
"You are wrong" Linjian
"Wha..."
I keep talking.
"Being weak does not equal to be useless, being weak is just a temporary state of everyone in this and in any other world. People do not have permanent states, they have good moments, bad moments, funny moments, sad moments , strong moments and weak moments. Helping people in a weak state isn't embarrassing, because someday someone will help you on your weak times" Linjian
"I, as an emperor, don't have any weaknesses and I don't need any weakling!" Zhang Wei
He says proudly.
"You once were a baby, weren't you weak at that time?" Linjian
"..." Zhang Wei
"As a child were you never sick?" Linjian
"..." Zhang Wei
"Didn't you..." Linjian
"Enough, I don't care about your definition of weak" Zhang Wei
[Hmm]
"The great cultivators Meditate to absorb the Spirit Energy from the air around them" Zhang Wei
"What is the spirit energy?" Linjian
I interrupt him again.
"It is the energy which exists in all things" Zhang Wei
He said with security.
"To do what?" Linjian
"...What?" Zhang Wei
"You said that it is an energy that exists in all things, but nothing in this world exists without a reason. Therefore, I ask you, what do they do when cultivators don't use them?" Linjian
"Surely an adult like you don't think that they are convenient sparks of light floating in the air for you to use" Linjian
"..." Zhang Wei
[With my limited knowledge of the Remnants of Souls, I can affirm that they have an influence in the path of evolution of living beings. That is the only reason that allows cultivators to meditate for a thousand years and awaken in the same world they left behind. If someone of my world were to go to sleep for ten years, that person would be completely at lost with the changes of the society and nature]
"The spirit energy is an ancient mystery to everyone" Zhang Wei
"..." Linjian
[He didn't have an answer]
"But as an Immortal, I do have a sense for them" Zhang Wei
"?" Linjian
"The reason why I didn't interfere with your plays in the south continent is because you were releasing a great quantity of spirit energy" Zhang Wei
"Did you need it to reach another Grade?" Linjian
He smirks.
"It wasn't for me but for my replacement, the condensed spirit energy traveled through the continents and forced the early wake up of a new emperor" Zhang Wei
(So it was my...)
[Don't say it, this is not the time for that]
(Yeah, you are right)
"I got to thanks you, even if that one fell, in another 70 years a new one will rise and I will be able to leave this world to ascend to the realms of ranks above immortal!" Zhang Wei
"..." Linjian
"Despair commoner, Even if you were to defeat me there are other cultivators temporarily stronger than me, your little lord play was futile from the start!" Zhang Wei
"WAHAHAHAHA!" Zhang Wei
"... Was that supposed to be a big reveal?" Linjian
"What? why aren't you despairing?!" Zhang Wei
[His omnipresence seems to be very superficial]
"Everyone in any of the kingdoms knows that the Immortal rank isn't the end of it. They know that the cultivation world doesn't have any goal or meaning, that it is just an eternal meditation to the nothingness" Linjian
"Impossible, that was supposed to be the most secret knowledge of this world! How did you know that?!" Zhang Wei
[Tehe]
"The life of the cultivator is just an eternal cycle of repeating something that has already been done in the past. Above those new ranks surely there are other new ranks, and above those others, and so on" Linjian
"..." Zhang Wei
"Having that in mind, I must ask you. Why do you want to be a cultivator?" Linjian
"Is there even a need to answer that? We cultivators can reach immortality!" Zhang Wei
"Immortality? this?" Linjian
I extend both my arms to the sides with my palms open upwards.
"This empty achievement of being alone in a hole of the world, this is your wish?" Linjian
"I will never die! Cant you see the glorious act that it represents?!" Zhang Wei
"I certainly don't. You will never die, but you will never live either" Linjian
"?" Zhang Wei
"You and all cultivators exist in a not-death state. You will never eat new food, you will never hear new music, you will never feel the warmth of someone to your side..." Linjian
"I have a lot of offerings of the best girls from all the continents!" Zhang Wei
[Yeah, we saw the skeletons on the coast]
"That is not what I meant, but trying to make you understand would be useless" Linjian
"...what about YOUR values, Hero?" Zhang Wei
[So, he did hear that]
"What about them?" Linjian
"Justice, that laughable concept" Zhang Wei
"Explain to me why?" Linjian
"Actual right and wrong are often meaningless, Justice? that is easily broken by individuals with great power. The only absolute rule in this world is the cultivation ranks!!" Zhang Wei
"...It is true that justice can be corrupted, but it will always be cleansed by people who do not surrender. The idea of just behavior and treatment will always be stronger than any authoritarianism of any dictator" Linjian
"Everyone should bow their head obediently at the Cultivation Methods!!" Zhang Wei
[He is starting to lose it]
"We, humans, mold the Level System to accompany us in our respective and specific lives. But You, cultivators, let the Cultivation Methods mold your lives around a never ending cycle of revenge and pride" Linjian
"You dare to call me, the emperor, a slave?!" Zhang Wei
"Slaves have minds of their own. You are just a mindless, emotionless, peerless puppet" Linjian
"PRESUMPTUOUS!!" Zhang Wei
*CRUSH!*
His scream and the sound of the breaking throne, rumble through the mansion.
[The time to talk is over]
"COME, EMPEROR!!" Linjian
I revert my Graphene pillar, leaving a human standing against a cultivator.
Both of them ready to end each other's world.