Chapter 68 – The False Heaven’s Call

Rin had long learned that the world was not what it seemed—that the truths most beings held dear were mere illusions, crafted to serve the wills of those in power. But as he stepped through the shimmering gates of the so-called Heaven, his certainty wavered for the first time in a long while. The realm before him seemed perfect, pristine, bathed in a celestial glow that felt both foreign and... familiar. It was a divine realm, or so it appeared—an ethereal paradise with towering structures made of opalescent stone, where the air hummed with an almost imperceptible resonance, and the skies above were painted in the softest hues of gold and violet. It was beautiful, unnervingly so, but beneath the serenity, Rin felt the subtle hum of something darker, something false.

This place was too perfect, too still—too far removed from the chaotic reality he had come to know.

His footsteps echoed as he walked deeper into the realm. His Death Core thrummed softly in his chest, its power aligning with the distorted energy of this place, almost as though it were resonating with something buried deep within. But Rin's mind remained sharp, every instinct alert. This was no ordinary divine realm, no haven of peace and transcendence. It was something else, something orchestrated—artificial.

The summons had come like a whisper on the wind, a call too potent to ignore, though Rin knew the nature of the voice that had beckoned him. The so-called gods of this place had promised him immortality, the very thing he had already forsaken in his pursuit of true freedom. They promised him eternal life, an existence beyond the limits of death itself. To most, such an offer would be irresistible, but to Rin, it was a trap.

He had felt the pull of death ever since he had begun his cultivation—death as an ally, death as a tool, death as a path. Immortality? It was a farce. The chains of eternal life were just that—chains. He had no interest in living forever in a world that was nothing more than a shadow of what life could be.

As Rin approached the heart of the realm, the false gods revealed themselves to him. The leaders of this supposed heaven stood upon a grand, floating platform that defied the natural laws of physics, their forms adorned in dazzling robes that shimmered like the very light of stars. Their faces were unearthly beautiful, their eyes glowing with a radiant light that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of reality. There was no denying the power they radiated—but Rin had seen enough to know that power, no matter how awe-inspiring, was not always what it appeared to be.

"You have come, Rin Xie," one of them spoke, a voice that was smooth and melodic, a sound like silk brushing against the skin. The god was tall, with long silver hair that cascaded around their shoulders, their features delicate yet sharp. "We knew you would, eventually. You have rejected the chains of mortal life, and we offer you freedom—true freedom. The immortality we offer is not a curse, as you may believe. It is the gift of transcendence. Join us, and we shall ensure your legacy echoes through the ages."

The others nodded, their gazes all focused upon him. They exuded an air of supreme confidence, but there was something cold in their eyes, something calculating. Rin could feel it—the faintest tremor in the air, the pressure building beneath the surface. These beings were not what they appeared to be. They were not gods.

"I have no need for immortality," Rin said, his voice a calm contrast to the celestial beauty surrounding him. "And I care little for legacies or promises of transcendence. What you offer is not freedom—it is another form of bondage, a leash that tethers the soul. I do not need your gift."

The gods' serene expressions faltered for just a moment, a flicker of something dark passing through their perfect features before the facade was quickly restored.

"You misunderstand," the same god who had spoken before said, their voice losing its warmth, now colder, more insistent. "You are mistaken if you think we offer immortality for our own gain. We offer it because the world requires it. The heavens themselves have faltered, and without immortals, without beings who transcend death, the cycle of life and death will crumble. The true power lies in the balance we maintain, the control we wield over the flow of life."

Rin's gaze narrowed, the weight of their words sinking in. The heavens had fallen, that much was true. But these beings were not merely offering immortality for the sake of the world—they were offering it to maintain their control, to continue their rule. They spoke of balance, but what they truly desired was dominion over the forces of life and death. They were not gods—they were puppets of something far older, something far more sinister.

"You are not gods," Rin said, his voice filled with cold certainty. "You are nothing but puppets, playing your part in a greater scheme, and in the end, it is not death you fear, but the loss of control over it."

The false gods stiffened, their expressions shifting into something darker, more menacing. The golden light that had bathed the realm began to flicker, the serene air now thick with tension. Rin's words had struck a nerve, and he could see it now: the strings, faint but ever-present, stretching out from the backs of the gods, invisible to mortal eyes but clear to him. These beings were no more than marionettes, their movements controlled by something far greater—a force beyond even their understanding. They were the slaves of death, not its masters.

The god who had spoken to him, the leader, stepped forward, their eyes now burning with a dangerous light. "You would choose death over immortality?" they asked, their tone now sharp with fury. "You would reject the gift of life eternal?"

"I choose freedom," Rin replied. "Not the hollow eternity you offer, but the freedom that comes with embracing death—not as a curse, but as a power to shape my own fate."

Without another word, Rin's hand shot out, his fingers curling into a fist. The Soul-Eater Dagger materialized in his grasp, its blade glowing with the energy of countless deaths. The false gods flinched as Rin focused his will, the dagger slicing through the air like a thread through fabric.

With a single, precise motion, Rin thrust the dagger toward the first god, and the air around them shimmered with the breaking of the illusion. The strings that held the god's form together, invisible to any mortal eye, severed with a sickening crack. The god's body jerked violently, as though caught by an unseen force. And then, with the sound of a thousand shattering crystals, the false god's perfect visage crumbled away, leaving nothing behind but an empty shell.

The realm trembled. The illusion of this false heaven began to unravel, the walls of this divine city flickering like a dying flame. The other gods recoiled, their faces twisting in terror as the power of the Soul-Eater Dagger tore through the very fabric of their reality.

"Impossible!" one of the remaining gods screamed. "No mortal should possess the power to sever the strings of the divine!"

But Rin was beyond them now. He was no longer a mere mortal. He was the Death Lord—the force that would tear apart the chains that bound existence itself.

With another slash of the Soul-Eater Dagger, Rin severed the remaining gods' control over their divine illusion. The entire realm cracked apart, the once-perfect skies shattering into shards of light and darkness. The foundations of the false heaven crumbled, and the very essence of this place began to disintegrate, swallowed by the void.

The gods, powerless now, were mere shadows, their forms dissipating into the void as the false heaven unraveled around them. They were nothing in the face of Rin's will, and as their cries echoed into nothingness, Rin's gaze remained unwavering, his heart as cold and steady as ever.

The battle was over. The false heaven had fallen.

And Rin was no closer to immortality than when he had first entered.

He had no desire for eternity. He had chosen death. Not as an end, but as the beginning of his true path.

And now, the heavens would tremble before him.

To be continued…