Chapter 56: The Past

It's two weeks since the day of the massacre. Dao Wei remained unconscious all this time with Liu Mingxia and Xuner watching over him. His injuries had been fully healed, at least his internal injury. His physical body still had a huge scar on his chest that refused to fully heal.

Liu Mingxia had exhausted all her treasures to keep him alive till this day. Complete and shocking changes had taken place internally while his body still remained pale. However, at least he radiated a warm energy which ensured the girls that he was still alive.

Dao Wei opened his eyes and boom! He was Infront of some cathedral with an unnatural red light. Infront of him was a stone paved path with golden metal spikes on each side lining the pathway. On each side of the spikes were rocks and molten lava that seems to burn for eternity.

"What the... What is this place" Dao Wei was confused. "Am I dead... What is the meaning of this?"

"There's a door... Should I go inside?" Dao Wei thought for a moment as he scanned the surrounding area. He was all alone in this weird place.

Dao Wei began walking towards the cathedral's, massive doors. "I have to... What choice do I have?"

It was windy and the air was hot, almost burning his skin just by walking. "What is this place?" Dao Wei walked over the pathway bridge and arrived Infront of the two massive doors.

When he got close to the doors, he could now clearly see the structure of the cathedral. It was huge and looked like a castle. The architect was on point with emerald windows and porcelain walls. "This is incredible. I can't believe my eyes..." Dao Wei was amazed by the structure Infront of him, it was almost impossible to imagine such a magnificent building in such a place.

"Let me guess, I'm supposed to go inside..." Dao Wei was still contemplating it when suddenly the two doors open. "If this is real I have no choice. If not, I have nothing to lose... I hope."

He stepped into the building and he could swear his eyes were deceiving him. Inside looked like a church from hell, the floor was covered in molten lava. With only a slim stone passage leading to an ornate stone staircase.

"What is this place? Am I actually in one of the Hells?" Dao Wei looked around and there was nothing to convince him otherwise. "Mhmm... So I'm dead... Again."

He looked at the pyramids floating on the lava and upon closer inspection, it was as if the lava was deeper than it appears. And the pyramids were only the tops of the pillars, rather than pyramids. As he walked on the stone passage, he could see two demon head statues on each side with lava coming out of their mouths.

"Looks like that's where the lava is coming from. But how? This is too strange to not be a dream or an illusion."

"Oh, I guarantee you this place does actually exist." Suddenly a voice came from behind. "But you are in a dream as well. Never the less, welcome, my Lord."

A man materialized on top of the ornate stone staircase. "What the... You? What the hell is going on?" Dao Wei was shocked because this was the same strange guy who gave him that weird stone. "Why am I here?"

The strange man laughed, and instantly appeared right Infront of Dao Wei.

"You..." Dao Wei didn't even notice him move at all.

"Calm down... I have no intentions of harming you. You should know that already, I've only been helpful to you." The strange man assured with a rather not really nice smile.

"How can I know that? You've never told me who the hell you are! And you keep showing up like this? Tell me, who the fuck are you?" Dao Wei had already got enough of this weird strange man and had no time to play his games anymore.

"Since you are so impatient, I will. My name is..." The man suddenly transformed and changed into red skinned man with a head of a goat. "Sloth."

"Shit! You are a devil?! So you disguised yourself, but for what?" Dao Wei couldn't remain calm anymore. Dealing with demons was a normal daily thing, but devils were a different story. Unlike demon, devils were created and they are probably the closest to the power of the gods. Sloth is one of the Seven Devils created by the Dark God.

"Actually... I did so to travel unnoticed." Sloth replied.

"Fuck. Fuck. Why can't you just leave me alone?" Dao Wei was getting worked up with the sudden change of things in his life. He just wished he could be the simple guy he used to be without weird people confusing the living daylight out of him.

"Calm down." Sloth was rather too chilled. "I'm not going to hurt you, I could have long before now."

"But you're a devil." Dao Wei couldn't believe the slimy devil.

"Yes..." Sloth shrugged, "And so are you... In a manner of speaking." He had a weird smile and pointed at Dao Wei.

"What? I'm a mortal, not a devil... At least half mortal, anyway what's this? Another devil trick?" Dao Wei couldn't even calm himself after being called a devil.

"Not a trick, it's rather just complicated to explain." Sloth smiled.

"Stop the charade, tell me what's going on here?" Dao Wei wasn't going to listen to someone convince him that he is a devil.

Sloth's face turned serious, "If you insist, I will."

He began casting some powerful energy and streaks of light enveloped his arm as he pointed it at Dao Wei.

"What are you doing?" Dao Wei wasn't just going to stand there and watch the devil kill him the third time, that's if he was really dead.

Sloth retracted his hand and smirked, " Nothing really, just a small something to open up your mind."

"For what reason?" Dao Wei asked.

"There are memories buried deep inside you, we need to get them." Sloth explained.

This sort of got Dao Wei interested as he'd finally get some answers to his life that made no sense anymore. "You can do that? Help me see my past?"

"Not your past... So much as your other past." Sloth replied.

"What do you mean?" Dao Wei didn't understand what was going on anymore.

"I'm helping you unlock your true memories... Can't you see them?" Sloth smiled as he explained.

"She what?" Before Dao Wei could even swear at Sloth, two beings suddenly appeared behind Sloth.

One had the head of a falcon with a silver body with golden lines running around his whole body. His head was fully golden. The other one had the head of a jackal and a completely black body with similar golden lines like that on the first one. They both had a golden phoenix emblem on their chests and some marks similar to that of the staff Dao Wei found in the cave. Their side abs had four patterns of golden wings on each side.

"You were saying?" Sloth smirked.

"Those things... They are from my dreams right?" Dao Wei finally recognized the two beings from his dreams.

"Dreams, visions... Whatever you want to call them." Sloth shrugged.

"Okay... But who are they?" Dao Wei finally asked one of the most important questions.

"Who are they? Isn't that obvious? They are you..." Sloth shrugged his shoulders again.

"Me?" Dao Wei blinked and the beings were gone. "Interesting. What do you mean me?"

"Let me think..." Sloth held his chin as if in deep thoughts trying to find the best way to explain. "Hmm... Right..."

"They are you." He had an accomplished smile on his face when he pointed at Dao Wei.

Dao Wei didn't say anything anymore and just looked at the really frustrating devil.

Sloth looked back at him as if he did something great.

"That doesn't really explain anything you know?" Dao Wei had an indifferent look.

"Hmm... Let me start from the beginning." Sloth held his chin again. "Long time ago, before the first creatures even existed the Mother Goddess created the three realms. But even the goddess can feel lonely sometimes. And so she created life, plants in the sea, trees on land... Later, fish, birds, lizards... And so on."

"Eventually more intelligent creatures, like the Ancients. But that was still not enough, what is infinite power if you're alone after all?"

"Okay... I'm not sure that answers what I asked though..." Dao Wei remained indifferent.

"Hmm... I'm getting there. Be patient." Sloth continued with his narration. "As I was saying, she was lonely, so she created two new entities. Two new gods some would say. Two sons. With her as their mother, she loved them. As any mother would love her children. She gave them most of her power. And while one of them was kind, pure... Always trying to help the weaker creatures like humans, the other was dark, evil. He always hated his brother. And hated the creatures his mother had created even more."

"And what does that have to do with me?" Dao Wei shrugged his shoulders.

Sloth looked at him and didn't reply.

"Right. Go on... Sorry." Dao Wei decided to keep his thoughts to himself.

"The Dark God then planned something terrible against his brother, to corrupt the mortal races with his darkness. And so he did." Sloth continued with the story.