Child, why are you lying here?

The sound of gurgling water in the distance, conjured Xuan Yuan's consciousness. He was stuck between reality and hallucination. Just a moment ago he felt that his consciousness had left his physical body. After the second his last breathed in the valley of the city of Tham.

He felt that his body felt light, as light as a feather flying in the wind. Surrender to the wind takes him anywhere. Because at this moment he felt himself losing all hope that he had kept for 2000 years. Hopes of being together again with Phoenix were dashed within seconds, as soon as he realized he had found her again.

Fate did bring him to the brink of a deep and dark abyss. After waiting thousands of years after the disappearance of the Phoenix. now after he waited for more 2000 years, also ended up with the same fate, again parted with her. and this time it was clear that there was no hope of ever seeing each other again.

He put all that remaining hope behind him when he decided to sacrifice himself to Nuba. He felt reality was too pathetic for him to grasp. Reality always plays tricks on him. The truth was always too bitter for him to feel. And now the reality he had longed for was gone.

The sound of a ringing bowl woke him from his daydream. His forehead furrowed, the ringing sound jolted the system in his body that felt stiff and dead. Spread every cell to all parts of his body. revive a dead and dull feeling. He slowly opened his heavy eyes, reluctant to reach for the darkness. Like a whisper in his mind that sounded, 'Welcome to the darkness' he didn't know if it was just a hallucination or a suggestion that was embedded in his mind when death came to him.

However, the second his eyes open, it is not darkness that welcomes but a calm and bright atmosphere. The calm creeped in slowly, creeping through every neural network in his mind. He blinked his eyes. he thinks this is all a lie, maybe with a wink this lie will end, and he will return to reality, namely to darkness. He accepted the darkness gracefully, indeed that was what he should have received. As a result of his negligence in maintaining the balance of the universe which has been his duty since thousands of years ago.

But no matter how much he blinked, a calm and bright atmosphere still enveloped him. His body position was lying down, but he didn't feel like his body was attached to any pedestal. Not a bed, couch, or grass. He lay in the balance of nature's gravity, in a room all white as far as his eyes could see.

Turning his head to the right and left. There's nothing there. Only bright white, like snow that covers all areas in winter season.

He was still in a daze and confused when a voice jolted him. The voice called out to him. 'Xuan Yuan' he thought the voice came from his mind. But a moment later appeared before him. At first his vision was blurry, he only saw the figure of an old man with a long beard hanging down in front of his chest. He felt familiar with the figure, but he doubted whether he really knew him.

The voice called him again 'Xuan Yuan' this time clearer and closer to his ears. As his vision became clearer, there the surroundings changed. Now he was in the vast expanse of green grass and colorful flowers with a sweet smell stinging his nose.

"Child, why are you lying here?" the voice that had been in his mind, was now clearly heard near him. He narrowed his eyes, glancing at the source of the voice speaking to him.

There he saw the old geezer who gave him the mei long sword. His heart stopped for a moment. He closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the remnants of consciousness he had. When he opened his eyes, he saw the old geezer smiling gently at him. His face was full of peace and serenity.

"You shouldn't be lying here, child" said the old geezer again patiently, his smile seemed to stick to his peaceful face, reluctant to leave his frail old face.

"Come" the old geezer grabbed his wrist and pulled him up to sit on the grass. Then the old geezer sat down next to him, silent for a moment, allowing him to withdraw all consciousness that seemed far away at the end of the long corridor.

"Where is this?" he asked as he felt himself fully awake. He glanced around.

"Where do you think?" the old geezer did not answer his question, instead asked back.

"Paradise?" he asked uncertainly, for he had never come to the heavenly realm he is now in. He knew all the heaven realms but not this one.

"If you think so," replied the old man, nodding.

"I've been looking for you ever since I managed to defeat the demons and devils to return the mei long sword. In a place where you said you live permanently. I can't find you there. The place was empty as if it had never been inhabited. It's different when I met you, when you gave mei long sword to me. But now the sword is no longer with me. The sword had been stolen by Chi You. he said that you are his ancestor, is that true?" he said still processing what really happened. Where is he, why is he here. Especially with this old geezer now sitting next to him with a calm and peaceful temperament.

"Yes, it is true. He is my descendant. While I was waiting for you, I accidentally entered into a relationship with a woman who gave me a place to stay. We fell in love with each other. Until she finally got pregnant. We raised the child together, living in peace as you wish in the interior of the mountains. But unfortunately, I was fooled by the woman's seduction. Turns out she's the daughter of a demon that I once defeated. She came to take revenge for the deaths of her sisters and brothers. But the seed has been born. The child is very dominant self. Dominant thirst for war, thirst for power. Maybe it was a whisper from the woman demon. she used our son as a weapon to kill me. Because she herself can't kill me. Because we were bound by an oath when I succeeded in defeating and exterminating her race. For that she did everything she could to settle her revenge by using our son. Because of my blood that flows in his body, that should be makes him bound as well by the oath and, but the strange thing is he immune to the oath itself. But before that happened, I had smelled the woman's demon plan and succeeded in confining my son in a complicated dimensional realm. He's immune to the swearing between me and the devil, from the devil's side, but somehow, he's not immune from my side. Makes me unable to kill him. So, there was no choice but to lock him up in the dimensional realm. After I managed to lock him up. I don't know how but i managed to kill that woman demon. and since then, I disappeared to reflect my actions into the realm that I created myself. Until one day I felt a pull that told me to get out of the realm. And there we meet again" the old geezer took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.