Zarthos
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098 - The Forgotten One's End
🕑 Added 2024-10-07 15:07:00 +0000 UTC“Do not play games," the old man said, yet he couldn't stop his voice from growing hoarse. Despite the piercing pain, he added, "Who are you, and what do you hope to accomplish?"
Qin Yun sighed as he looked at the man before him. He couldn't help but feel a slight hint of pity for this man of unyielding loyalty who would soon depart from this world.
"Does it matter?" Qin Yun asked. "Your death is but a step away. Why care about what happens to this world after your passing. Isn't it time for you to be selfish for once?"
The old man frowned, lost between anger and puzzlement.
“What’s your relationship with the outsiders?” the old man asked again, “How can you be fine when the corruption spreads all around?”
Qin Yun ignored the man as he walked toward the blue brazier flickering against the darkness, desperately trying to fight off the grey that sought to reach its core. The old man stepped before him, but before he could use his mighty power to confront him, an intense cough assaulted his body, ejecting a mass of blood from his mouth; there was a trace of a grey substance laced within.
Qin Yun walked by, stopping before the flame as he looked into its core, feeling its strength and vitality. Despite the corruption, it remained strong as if nothing could impede it. After all, it was the avatar of the Dragon Vein, the intersection where multiple earth flows met, forming a node of power.
If the world could be considered a human body, then the earth veins would be the qi channels while the dragon veins would be the meridians. The ability to tap into them would grant access to immense power but also to extreme repercussions should one attempt to tamper with them. After all, the heavens were merciless to those who denied its will.
"You asked me about my relationship with the outsiders," Qin Yun said, gazing deep into the flame. "My answer would be that there is none. I take no part in this conflict as it is of no consequence."
"How can you even claim that there are no consequences!" the man replied, his voice growing in intensity despite the pain that assaulted him. As time passed and his death approached, he felt less inclined to control his emotions. "Did you even see the corruption that spread thanks to them? If you are not with us, then you stand against the world itself! It then falls to me to enforce its will and render judgment onto you!"
The old man steeled his will, prompting what little qi he could still muster to gather onto his hand before forming a palm. The palm grew larger as it travelled through space, becoming as large as Qin Yun's body before colliding with him. Yet, Qin Yun made no effort to dodge, only letting the palm strike his body.
It created an explosion of dust mixed with the grey mist that still lingered in the air, blocking their visions. Still, this meant nothing to the old man as he could use his divine sight to see clearly through it all, and this was why he couldn't help but frown.
Once the dust finally returned to the ground, it revealed Qin Yun standing unscathed in the same place, his arms behind his back, having withstood the palm with merely his body while sparring no thought for defence.
“It's pointless," Qin Yun said as he looked at the old man, showing no anger at his actions. "Although your cultivation had once reached the peak of the Soul Formation realm, time has been merciless. You cannot even apply a fraction of it at this point—so much so that you must rely on the world's support to maintain your existence."
The old man's eyes frowned even further as he remained silent, wondering how this young man could even estimate what he had reached at his peak. Still, Qin Yun was far from done.
"There is a good reason you never left this chamber, even as the corruption spread. Your life is already tied to the Dragon Vein. You used it as an anchor for your soul, prolonging your life. However, this also came with some restrictions, such as being unable to leave, but also doomed to forever protect it. Now that you have failed in your duty, death is all that awaits you."
“How do you know all this!” the old man spat back, feeling his heart rate increase substantially despite the weakness that now afflicted him.
“We aren't so different, you and I," Qin Yun replied calmly. "We are both forced to fight battles that are not our own. The only difference is that I refuse to become a slave to its will. This is merely a transactional relationship. We take what we need from the other, then go our separate ways, and if negotiation were to break down... well, I'll cross that bridge when it comes to it."
Qin Yun offered the man a slight smile filled with pity, yet the old man only returned a look of confusion. He could even be seen to look at Qin Yun as if he had lost his mind, yet Qin Yun couldn't care less. He only chose to divulge some things on a whim, knowing that the man didn't have long to live. After all, he could see clearly the old man's vitality slowly leaving him as the corruption spread within his body.
"If you were still at your peak, you might have been able to fight off the corruption, "Qin Yun added. "Yet now, you cannot even materialize your own domain, much less use it to eradicate the invading force. A shame, really. Your comprehension of the Dao of Time is quite eye-opening. It made for a good show."
The old man clutched at his chest as he fell to his knees, growing weaker at a noticeable rate. What remained of his hair fell from his head, and his eyes began to turn a dark grey. His lungs burned as he breathed in even more of the grey mist, and dark veins bulged on his wrinkled skin.
“You have two paths ahead of you," Qin Yun said as he walked toward the old man, stopping just a metre before him. "Either you do nothing and become an agent of what you have fought against all your life, or... well, you should know it by now." He paused, waiting for the old man to come to terms with what he had said before adding, "I could also do it for you... if you would require this of me."
The old man raised his pain-filled gaze, looking deeply into Qin Yun's peaceful eyes. The terror and resentment that once filled the old man's eyes soon faded, being replaced by acceptance as he rose to his full height, even as he battled the corrosion within. He had finally made up his mind.
"I do not know who you are nor what you hope to achieve," the old man said as he walked toward the blue flame. "Whatever the case is, it is now out of my hands. I spent my whole life fighting for what I believed was right, trying to make a difference. Whether or not I did will be left for others to decide.”
“Senior, can I ask for your name?”
The man stopped and turned to face Qin Yun, his face a mask of peacefulness and resolve. Yet, a slight sadness lingered. He sighed and answered, "All those who once knew it have long returned to dust. It has been so long since someone called my name that even I have forgotten. Besides, what use is a title for those who have been forgotten by the world? Just call me what you will..."
He then closed his eyes and let himself fall backwards. Despite dark grey veins bulging on his skin, which undoubtedly caused him pain, he had a slight smile on his face. Yet, he showed none of it in his final moment.
The man fell into the brazier before being embraced by the flame. There was no cry of agony, just a spark as the flame grew in size. Its blue hue spread to all corners of the chamber, bathing the darkness with light as it used his body as fuel for its revival.
Slowly, the grey was countered by the blue, slowly dissipating, its purity restored. But even then, its might grew without end, as if it sought to overflow from its receptacle. Countless runes appeared on the wall of the chamber, pulsing with energy in unison with the evergrowing flame. It resembled a tide of ephemeral warmth that sought to scorch away at the darkness until nothing remained of the world.
Qin Yun knew that if it wasn't stopped, the flame's spread would engulf the city whole, erasing all that threatened it and those who sought to protect it. This was the old man's final act of resistance against the corruption, to use his body as fuel so that the darkness would not cross the line he had defended all his life, damned be all the bystanders caught in it.
Qin Yun knew all this from the start yet made no attempt to stop him. After all, what would be the point? The man was but a stranger, as were all those fighting above. Their lives or deaths were inconsequential to him. All that mattered was that he couldn't allow this fortress to fall. After all, what he needed most was time, and this could grant him the time he needed.
"Farewell, senior,” Qin Yun muttered as he looked into the growing flame.
While the man was but a stranger, his courage and dedication were admirable, even though his only reward for it was death. Qin Yun sighed, knowing that if he continued on this path—being the heaven's champion in this conflict—this would also be his fate. He couldn't help but feel pity for himself. Still, there was a glimmer of hope, a single hint of a path he could take. While treacherous, it could offer him a way to escape its control.
He looked at the lingering grey mist as it was banished by the blue light, fading away as it was consumed until nothing remained. Qin Yun stood at the edge, feeling the growing heat on his flesh. Golden symbols appeared on his skin as he touched the blue flame, feeling the power of the Dragon Vein flow into his body, forging it anew.
He could choose to absorb its might, turning the flame into his own strength, yet he hesitated. Doing so would spell doom for this city, but that wasn't what made him hesitate. Once again, he felt things fell into place much too easily.
How did nobody think of securing this place? Did they have too much faith in its guardian, or were they merely complacent? How could they believe the outsiders would spring an all-out attack against the frontier without anything up their sleeves? This was the most vital part of the city, yet it was disregarded—so much so that Qin Yun didn't even have to search thoroughly to find a way within. He only had to follow two suspicious individuals, and they led him straight to the core and even dealt with the guardian for him. How could he not find all this too convenient?
Qin Yun extended his hand into the flame, feeling its heat on his skin, yet the scorch was minimal. It only felt like a slight tingling sensation, yet the energy contained within was the purest he had ever felt. Even the tribulation qi within his core paled in comparison. This was the world’s very essence, the foundation of its being. Without it, the world would become desolate and crumble.
Still, this flame was only a fraction of its true might, just a single node among many where the flows intersected. To lose one would mean almost nothing in the grand scheme of things. This land might decay slightly faster, accelerating its demise, yet it would replenish in time as long as nothing untoward happened.
Qin Yun's lips produced a deep sigh as his eyes showed his resolve before closing them and taking a deep breath. He then took a single step toward the flame.
Comments
Tymoteusz Masłowski
Gotta say so far it's great because I started 3 days ago.
Zarthos
I try to stay consistent, and write at least a chapter a day. Ideas aren't what I'm lacking, but sometimes it's hard to just sit down and put it to paper. Some days are easier than others.
Tymoteusz Masłowski
Damn, you're on a roll today.
