45 Mandate of Heaven
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As the silhouette's words ended, a small golden light shot out from its finger. The golden light pierced through the myriad layers of space and time, that separated it between Astrallis, and appeared before him, before entering his Soul-Being inside his consciousness.
This mysterious figures' interference went unnoticed by all the prestigious seniors watching, except for the one and only Immortal close by.
"That presence just now…" Grandmother Anemone looked in puzzlement towards Astrallis and the golden light that just entered. Gradually Anemone's eyes became wide as she made a connection between that light and something else. Eventually, her incredulity turned into a crazy laugh, that somehow still managed to sound pleasant to the ear, "That old foggie really likes to play around."
On the outside, one would not be able to notice any changes to Astrallis apart from the dazed look on his face. But, this was not the case within his consciousness.
Astrallis, in the form of his Soul-Being, stared at the strange sight in front of him. Floating before Astrallis was an artefact in the shape of an obelisk. The object was perpetually changing; from corporeal to incorporeal, dream-like to tangible.
The strange existence of the obelisk only added to Astrallis interest in it, as the beautiful eyes of his Soul-Being gazed at the item, a feeling of familiarity began to form within. He moved forward to touch it, but as he was about to reach it, he stopped himself.
A look of confusion appeared on his face, "Why do I feel that if I touch it, I lose something?"
"Indeed, you have not disappointed me. Being impetuous only makes one die faster. Only with a certain amount of confidence should one do something." A voice, exactly the same as the one he heard earlier spoke throughout his consciousness.
Astrallis opened his mouth to speak, but he was immediately cut off by the existence.
"It's best not to have any designs on my name, for it will only bring you trouble if you were to know it."
As these words rang out, an affable-looking old man materialised next to Astrallis. He had a long white beard, with matching eyebrows that dropped to his lips. No matter how much Astrallis observed him, the man only emanated the presence of a mortal, even to the extent that he hadn't touched the road of cultivation.
But this presence shocked Astrallis to the core, he had never felt this on anyone before. Not on his Grandmother, nor the Blossom Immortal, he still even if they tried to hide it could identify something about them that set them apart from a mortal.
"Senior, may I ask you a question?" AStrallis decided to voice his confusion.
Astrallis took the seniors silence as a complicit acceptance.
"Why do I feel no presence of cultivation on you? No matter who I've met so far, I have been able to, even if they are Immortals."
The old man languidly turned and looked at Astrallis, amusement in his eyes, as well as a look of doting.
"One of the primary principles of the Universe is the principle of balance, this is one of the Heavenly Mandates. Without any evil, there can be no good, and without any good, there can be no evil. Without Yin, there can be no Yang, and without Yang, there can be no Yin." The old man's voice was as light as a morning breeze, calming Astrallis' mind.
"One cannot gain something without losing something else." The man finished his words a profound look in his eyes.
"But, I am able to give you some advice. What is before you can guide you through the storm that makes up your personality, but remembers it is only a guide. The principle of balance still holds."
"The decision of whether the loss is worth the gain is up to you."
"Also, do not fret about the outside world. Although it may seem that a few moments have passed inside your consciousness, no time has passed in reality." The man lightly tapped Astrallis on the shoulder.
"You have all the time in the world."
With that, the old man's body vanished into a sprinkle of ambient light, his pleasant smile staying ingrained inside Astrallis' mind.
Astrallis, knowing that the old man held no malicious intentions, sat before the ever-changing obelisk. "The balance of Yin and Yang, no matter what one does balance will always form, but as a result of that balance, one will lose as well."
A stern look had appeared Astrallis face as thought through the old man's words, but his expression gradually eased up as he began to decipher them.
"Regardless of whether one loses or gains something, a balance will still be performed. I will not lose myself. As a result, I could be the same, or I could be different, but I will always be Astrallis Ether; son, grandson and cultivator."
Once Astrallis made a decision he would act upon it, his indomitable could never be erased. He placed his hand on the obelisk immediately invoking a reaction from the strange artefact.
The item began to pulse creating a wave which spread out around it, and with each successive pulse the transformation of the obelisk sped up. As the waves went through Astrallis' Soul-Being, the feeling of familiarity became stronger.
Astrallis' eyes became pensive when he noticed the indiscernible colours that made up the obelisk finally become discernable, at the same time words appeared in Astrallis' mind, "The Mandate of Balance."
Astrallis Soul-Being shuddered when those words appeared in his mind. Disbelief was clearly evident on his face.
Heaven encompasses the myriad universes, these universes are governed by the Primordial Laws and the Mandates of Heaven. Primordial Laws are things that are tangible and controllable and even have Primordial Gods that are an incarnation of these laws, but the Mandates of Heaven are different. The Mandate of Heaven are supreme laws that cannot be changed, and only the Heavens control them; no cultivator, god or immortal can manipulate the supreme laws.
But, the Heavens are fair. When each Mandate of Heaven was formed a correlating item was as well, and these items incorporated the nomological insights of the Mandate of Heaven within.
"The Mandate of Balance! One of the supreme artefacts of the Heavens."
