Souvenirs

Ever since he worked, Mao Nianzu rarely acted out of the line. Thanks to his educated parents, who showered him with morals and logic, there was always a bottom line on something.

No, Mao Nianzu was never a saint.

He stole food, corrupted money, told lies, and many more. But, compared to the bigger picture, he was a naïve evil. It was tactics to survive.

Otherwise, he could not sustain life any longer with severe poverty.

Several times he realized the schemes in his mind into action, it went well, but there was a sense of guilt and regret afterward.

Mortals struggled every day and tried their best in this survival to the fittest world.

He was an insignificant life amongst innumerable beings. He knew how tough life was, and if he gave a predicament to other mortals, he couldn't help but imagine if he was in their shoes.

This sense of guilty creeped out, filling his mind again when the voice casually said: "Since you can't reap what you sow, then reap what others sow instead."

Mao Nianzu was not a fool. He knew the implicit meaning behind it, albeit ignorant of how to do it.

"Simply put, reclaim people's cultivation." The voice continued.

"Reclaim my ass." Mao Nianzu covered his face with the parchment as he laid himself down.

Looking uninterested, he said: "Speak if you need. Better kill me if you keep beating around the bush."

"I don't know whether you're brave or dumb. When is the last time someone dares to say that to me? Kekeke." A loose laugh rang.

"Haa... boring. Are you done yet?" Yawning, Mao Nianzu crossed his palm on the back of his head and casually swung his legs.

"Ignorant brat!" the voice growled. "You win. Listen well, I'll explain something."

Immediately, Mao Nianzu smirked and got up and took a proper stance in a lotus position.

His back faced the window. An indifferent expression adorned his face as though this moment didn't excite him, but his heart beat fast.

The moon hung right above his head, accompanied by dimmed brilliance of dots of stars.

At this moment, a deep voice rang out from time to time, as though a natural lullaby had arrived, appeasing nearby insects, and thus, this particular area was dead silent.

Mao Nianzu listened to the explanation with great difficulty. The deep voice patiently explained one to another.

This is the summary:

First, the 'bestowment' in the Abyss was a sacred ritual that is only known by very few existences. Its purpose was to establish his position inside the Abyss as a Favored Being.

Second, Favored Being.

Cultivators were against Heaven, but sometimes Heaven favored some of them – all irregular and illogical advantages gathered on it. Usually started from scratch, suppressed by many.

When this favored encountered a predicament, fate worked miraculously, flipped every situation to the favored side.

Heaven was holy and divine like Light. Abyss was filth and corrupted like Darkness.

Light blessed people, the guardian of the universe. But what if Darkness gave blessing instead?

Darkness could give nothing but curses. Even the so-called 'Favored Being of Darkness' term was known as a curse by the Light side. Everything is negative.

Alas, the universe had formed its impression for ages, hence the following paradigm.

Favored Being of Heaven was the hero; Favored Being of Abyss was the villain. The identity of both was usually not disclosed. Not even the Favored himself did not realize that he was favored.

If it were disclosed, all forces would lick, pleading the Heaven's Favored and kill the Abyss' Favored.

Third, Heaven and Abyss had different substances of energy.

It explained why the supreme elder had a tiny dot of Abyss energy and was frail at that. In contrast, his Heaven energy has already reached a high level. It was in a different category.

Fourth, Mao Nianzu's lifetime secret.

Becoming the Favored Being of Abyss was only known by very few existences. Thus, to not be targeted by the whole world, he had to hide this for himself.

Fifth, as Light pursues the Favored of Darkness, Darkness could also pursues the Favored of Light. It worked better if Mao Nianzu did it because he's a Favored Being now.

As for how to do it? Only when the time was ripe will he know how.

"Quite boring, aye? Hey, wake up, brat!" The deep voice rang as Mao Nianzu rubbed his eyelids, struggling to keep his eyes open. It finished the explanation.

"I will fall into a deep-slumbering state, so I prepare souvenirs."

The surrounding space trembled as the voice said so, and turbulence sucked all lights.

The once narrow-packed room was barely discernible through his eyes, replaced by the boundless darkness and barren soil.

Black, fragile leaves crunched beneath his bare feet. Slender dead trees lined up with some red-eyes birds perched on the branches. Hair-raising frosty mist surrounded him.

Mao Nianzu saw indistinct figures not far from him, showing silhouettes of a few creatures.

This place gave a similar impression of the territory behind dark curtains. Unlike the territory behind dark curtains, this place was not empty.

Every time he threw his gaze on a different corner, there was always something such as trees or insects; creatures.

Occupied by curiosity, Mao Nianzu strolled while casually looking around the scenery as though it was his own backyard.

"Huh?"

After several moments passed, he accidentally bumped into something sturdy. Startled, he turned his head to look at a colossal silver wall.

As Mao Nianzu squinted his eyes above, he found this wall was a leg belonging to a giant!

A spine-tingling sensation creeped out all over Mao Ninazu's body. This fifty-meter giant gripped a blazing morning star with a size half of his body, covered by green flames. Wearing thick, furred-clad. His green beam eyes stared at Mao Nianzu.

The mist cleared out, showing more creatures with extraordinary aura.

A flash of lightning flickered. Violet scales on a lady with two curved horns adorned her long, wavy hair. Immense eight pairs of wings widely covered a big part of the sky.

She hovered on the giant's shoulder. A pink, alluring fragrance spread around her body, and her pointed tail swung playfully.

The third figure had pointed ears and long blonde hair. Sat on a plain stone pillar next to the giant, his long robe falling to the ground. A look of indifference adorned his face, added by an open book floated on his right hand, which accentuated his high-intelligence appearance.

The last figure had a stern gaze, the shortest and smallest among the four, yet looked like the most prominent.

Visual phenomena formed a halo of complicated illusion on his back, circled by eight dreadful swords, emitting deep killing intent.

Right at this moment, Mao Nianzu had to suck in a cold breath as he composed himself.

"Senior, might I ask who you are?" Mao Nianzu spoke out.

Given his title now, most likely, every creature that appeared in front of him, especially within Abyss, was extraordinary.

The last figure, a middle-aged human, said with a bloody intent flashed through his eyes: "Don't call us senior. We're nothing more than your lowly servants. This one's true name is Ar'an."

"Servants?" Mao Nianzu was astonished.

He was a frog in the bottom of the well, hastily judging things based on what transpired before his eyes. But, what could a high being look like if they were considered lowly?

Shoosh!

Wind bolted as the giant swung the morning star to his back, saying at a low speed: "Te... zar..."

His swing caused a landslide on a particular land.

"Tezar." Mao Nianzu had drowned and couldn't go back from this matter. He decided to engrave their name in his mind.

The immense wings flapped gracefully and rolled in the air, with pink trails followed every time the lady flew.

A hint of interest burned inside her seductive eyes as she landed and stared at Mao Nianzu. "Hehe, I am Lyra."

"Eek!" Mao Nianzu felt disgusted with the way she stared at him as if he was a meal.

Closing the book, the pointed ears creature snapped his fingers, creating a phenomenon of glittering lights. "This one's true name is Zane."

Taking a deep breath, Mao Nianzu tried to compose himself, then said: "My name i—"

"Dimwits. No need to say your name." The deep voice scoffed within the void. "Anyway, these brats will assist you."

"Pardon?" Mao Nianzu frowned.

What was that about? Why did he suddenly get awesome subordinates out of nowhere?

"One of the advantages of Abyss' Favored is you are basically super wealthy now while Heaven's Favored is poor, wicked bastard, acting low-key, then flip the situation. They're a bunch of hypocrite liars! Schemers! Tsk."

"Wait! Calm down!" Mao Nianzu could not comprehend the explanation. "So, should I read that fundamental cultivation?"

"Yes," said the voice.

"That's good." Mao Nianzu nodded with satisfaction. "Cultivate on my own?"

"Nope." Short answer.

"Refine Qi??" Mao Nianzu asked again.

"No need." Uninterest reply.

"How am I supposed to cultivate?" Mao Nianzu messed his hair. Biting his dry lips, he shrugged nonchalantly. Tired to play along with the voice.

Plop!

Suddenly, the surroundings got sucked in as a sound of a drop of water rang, reverting the view to normal.

"We can't communicate longer. Read this." A black scroll appeared within the void and landed on Mao Nianzu's lap.

"My job is done. From here on is up to you whether you want to live or die, whether you become mortal or cultivator. If fate decides, we will meet again, brat."