XXXV

'Let's see how things are over here… oh-'

When Rokas stepped foot into his Inner World through his soul form, he was left in a daze of wonder. It was no longer an endless realm of white nothingness with a bunch of things scattered across it in an unorganized fashion. There was earth, grass, flowers, weeds, trees and animals… the world was brimming with nature unlike ever before. When he flew higher, he saw oceans and lakes, forests and deserts, volcanoes and ice glaciers. The azure sky was clear with not a single cloud dimming its majesty.

It was a gorgeous paradise.

Rokas observed the landscape, locating several bamboo huts nearby where he sensed two familiar women. Naturally, he descended and reunited with them. Though… he didn't really know what to say.

"It's my mistake for asking you to help me find my mother so swiftly." Xia Qingyue broke the silence, shaking her head. "I should have been more patient and advised you to take your time. Instead, I let you go on that perilous journey for me and now…"

"It's alright." Rokas managed a smile. "Don't blame yourself for this because it's not your fault. In the end, I made the decisions that I made and I have to live with them. Though… if I were honest, it's not all bad."

When Rokas analysed their profound strength, his jaw dropped.

'Divine Spirit one… did they pass the lightning?'

[System: The magic of shared growth. And no, they didn't have to go through that because of you.]

'Oh…'

"How could you say that?" Cang Yue refuted. "For three months you were…"

"Sometimes you have to plough the fields to own the farm." Rokas shrugged. "Think of it from the bigger picture. Given that I am vital to someone stronger than even Jasmine, this golden woman would ensure that no real harm would come my way. Through the dual-cultivation process, I will keep growing stronger and, eventually, earn a much higher status. From there… I can find Qingyue's mother and get anything else I could desire including the resources for an even more powerful Gundam to escape with. Of course, it's more complicated than that but you get the gist."

"What if our roles were reversed and I was the one who went through what you did but with a male captor?" Cang Yue questioned. "How would you feel?"

"..."

Rokas' expression said it all. In that scenario, the violator wouldn't have a future.

"Precisely." Cang Yue frowned, shaking her head. "You seem so casual about it and don't even hold the slightest grudge against her. She is the person who stole your freedom and used you as a tool for her growth whenever she wished. Where is your sense of pride and self-value, Rokas? If a man were your captor you would be furious and seek their death… yet, just because it is such a beautiful woman, you let it fly."

"..." Rokas looked her in the eyes, frowning slightly. "What do you want me to do about it, then?"

"Hold her accountable." Cang Yue replied. "With the way you talk to her, it's like… you want to be with her."

"I… don't want to be." Rokas countered, shaking his head "It's just that, to have a more favourable position, I have to be more cordial with her. Once I gain her favour… things will be much simpler and the likelihood of me getting away will be much higher. You should understand that."

[System: Ain't that the biggest lie you've ever said in your life? Ying'er is your fav.]

"Promise me that when the opportunity to escape arises, you will do it." Cang Yue looked into his mysterious golden eyes with a slight frown.

"..." Rokas hesitated for a moment before gathering his resolve and replying with a solemn tone. "I promise I will."

"You hesitated…"

"I promised." Rokas fortified his earlier statement. "That's all that matters."

"I'll hold you to it." Cang Yue turned away and flew someplace else.

'Not even a hug…'

'Man…' Rokas sighed. 'Maybe she is right. Maybe my love for Ying'er's character and appearance has blinded me…'

"Cang Yue is not wrong, you know." Xia Qingyue stated, observing him with a concerned expression. "By being so 'cordial', you may just fall in love with that woman."

"Why do both of you have so little faith in me?" Rokas tilted his head.

"Me? Because I know when you're lying. By earning a 'higher status', did you mean you intend to marry her? That is what it looks like to me."

"..." Rokas chuckled, shaking his head.

"Listen…"

"Also, when you made that promise to Cang Yue, you never mentioned returning." Xia Qingyue let out a disapproving sigh. "I want the best for you, Rokas, just as you wanted the best for me. To put it simply, that woman… is no good for you, no matter how beautiful she may seem. She would be poison to you."

"I'll be fine… I don't need to hear the same lecture twice."

"Yes, you do. You keep brushing it aside like it's nothing to worry about." Xia Qingyue walked up to him and brushed the side of his face with her palm. "I'm here for you… always. That golden woman doesn't love you and she never will. You are just her tool."

"But to me… you are everything. I couldn't bear to lose you to her or anyone else."

As Xia Qingyue comforted him, they sat down and he eventually lowered his head against her chest.

Whenever he needed guidance, Xia Qingyue was there for him. When he needed harsh criticism, she was also there. When he wanted to feel loved, she never turned him away.

"Sometimes… I wonder what I did to deserve you."

"... I wonder the same." Xia Qingyue smiled, stroking his brown hair before her expression turned more serious. "Don't forgive that devious woman for what she did to you. You are better than that… I know you are. You may use her as you planned but never fall in love. That… would be your downfall."

"... I won't."

If there was such a thing as a soul mate… it felt like Xia Qingyue was her.

~

After spending some time with Xia Qingyue, Rokas searched for Li Suo. She sat in a beautiful garden of flowers surrounded by trees. Not that far ahead, there was a lovely lake. Rokas observed her figure which was so reminiscent of Qianye Ying'er it was a little scary. Their measurements seemed practically the same.

She stood up and turned to him, her platinum hair loosely hanging down her clear white robes. Despite wearing such ordinary clothing without any jewels, she had the magnificent aura of a true goddess. Her emerald eyes observed his curious expression.

'She is as gorgeous as ever…',

"This sudden change… was your doing?" Rokas questioned, taking a glance at his Inner World's environment.

"I have regained some of my abilities while you were away." Li Suo nodded with a slight smile. "You don't mind me making some changes here, do you?"

"No… I think it's way better than the dull white space before. I mean, it's beautiful." Rokas added.

"Creation is my sacred duty… but it is also the activity I love partaking in most." Li Suo stepped forward, approaching him ever so slowly. "Even after so many millions of years, it never bores me. Creation always has its surprises and nothing I create is ever the exact same. Similar, perhaps, but never the same."

'Must be nice playing God,' Rokas thought, nodding slightly.

"The other half of life is death, however." Li Suo replied, observing a small rabbit in the distance. "I have created so many beings… and yet, in the end, all they ever do is wage conflicts against each other. Freedom is beautiful and yet it can lead to the most terrible of things."

Rokas turned to the rabbit she was looking at. Then, a hawk dived from the sky and snatched it away.

'Well, that… was dark.'

"It is in every creature's being to seek survival. Survival… almost always means feasting on others. But, when races band together for survival, they can make the most spectacular things occur. Imagine a world where devils and gods united as one? The Creation God Realm may not have been the highest attainable power. Yet… all we ever did was fight each other in pointless conflicts based on our differences. These pointless conflicts led to blood feuds that led to our destruction and now even our mortal descendants continue to follow the same path."

"It is a wheel that never stops spinning."

Rokas nodded. "That's just how people are. They dislike and fear those who are different."

"What if there is a capable person who is on neither side yet part of both?" Li Suo questioned. "Someone who everyone, 'light and dark', could rally behind."

"That person would be pretty amazing." Rokas shrugged his shoulders. "But he doesn't exist. There's no one who can force those two bitter worlds together."

"Yes, there is. He's standing right before me." Li Suo refuted his statement.

"... Me?" Rokas raised an eyebrow. "You're crazy. I couldn't rule the universe."

"You are the only one with the potential to do so." Li Suo nodded as she walked past him. "You have the blood of both."

"I could never lead the entire universe to peace. Just because I have the blood of both races, doesn't automatically make me the messiah of the universe."

"You are still so very young." Li Suo turned back to him as she looked deep into his eyes. "With your boundless potential, anything is possible. Who told you that you couldn't do it… other than yourself?"

"Well…" Rokas turned away from Li Suo. 'Why does she have to be so… moving?'

"Do not worry, I am here to guide you on your path. If you are willing to embody my will and ambition… then I will teach you all that I know. That is only if you are willing."

"... What is your ambition, exactly?"

"Peace and justice across the universe." Li Suo smiled, tilting her head slightly. "Won't you help me achieve it?"

Her eyes, smile and tone… everything about her was so beautiful and irresistible.

"It sounds like a tall order… but I can try." Rokas nodded in a slight daze.

"There is no try."

"I'll do it… if I can."

"You will be able to."

…

Li Suo started to teach him the Miracle of Life and, while he did not possess Light Profound Energy, his progress was astounding. She crammed so many medicines, recipes and the like into his head but he easily recalled it all. Then, she made him practice the healing part of the Great Way of the Buddha. The selfless part… which he had never used because he didn't have any medical knowledge.

"You brought the fish back to life." Li Suo remarked with a smile as Rokas dropped the fish back into the lake. "Well done."

"Brought it back to life?"

"Not quite, of course, but that fish was only a step away from death and would have died if you did not intervene."

"When will I be able to heal actual people?"

"Well… you do understand the structure of the human body perfectly, do you not? It is a similar process but slightly more complicated." Li Suo nodded.

"I see… sadly, I don't quite have an opportunity to try it out." Rokas sighed.

"The opportunities will come flowing in with time." Li Suo reassured him.

…

"You know… I once wanted to own a farm growing up." Rokas changed the subject, smiling slightly.

"Oh?"

"Seeing things grow and then picking the fruits of your labour once they were ripe felt great… sadly, I didn't get to experience that much. Only when visiting some of my more distant family members."

"You could always farm here, in your miraculous Inner World."

"I might just do that." Rokas nodded. Then, as the topic of farming was hanging over his head, it came to him. "Oh… I have a great idea."

"... Hmm?"

"Let's do it together." Rokas smiled. "My vast profound energy combined with your much more refined creation ability."

"Ah, I see. That is an excellent idea." Li Suo agreed with a pleasant smile.

[Li Suo (Empress III) Confidant Rank: 4 → 5]

~

Together, they almost exhausted Rokas' reserves as the Inner World's brilliance grew. While Rokas gave his profound energy, Li Suo also started to teach him how to create lifeforms. Though he could only go as far as small bugs, it was certainly a start.

Then… Rokas found a loophole in the system. His Inner World would always recover eventually while the things he created with its energy remained. That meant that he could consume the things that he created, further enhancing his energy stores for the future. And then use those greater energy stores to create and consume again… doubling with every full loop. The only problem was that his Inner World took a while to recover to full capacity.

Eventually, Qianye Ying'er would return after what felt like several days. When she returned, the room Rokas had been imprisoned in had changed quite a bit. He had practically removed all the furniture and redesigned it to his own liking. There were dozens of unique weapons and armours scattered across, some much more impressive than others.

"I almost thought you abandoned me here."

"Oh, you miss me?"

"Not particularly," Rokas replied, shaking his head. "What is there to miss, really?"

"My presence."

"Not all that pleasant."

Right after that, she chained him once more within a split second. Rokas looked ahead and saw her slowly approach, drawing out a dagger.

"I can be much worse than this."

She placed it only inches away from his hand.

"There is only one part of you that I truly need, you do know that…"

'I'm not really the masochist type…'

"Tis was but a jest, milady." Rokas sarcastically replied. "Your golden radiance brings endless joy to my life as no one has ever before. Just looking at your wonderful, heavenly… physique leaves me in a trance of delight. It would be my greatest pleasure in this life to relinquish my earthly seed to you."

"You're not so bad with your words but your tone still needs work."

…

"Come with me."

Rokas raised an eyebrow as Qianye Ying'er invited me outside after their session.

"You're letting me out?"

"Temporarily. Unless you don't wish for a breath of fresh air?"

"Sure."

Rokas got up and followed behind her. He found his eyes focusing on the lower backside of the dazzling golden lady. Blondes drove him crazy in his first life… but Li Suo and Qianye Ying'er were on a whole different level. Even now, without her mask, she was so tempting.

'Man might really get Stockholm Syndromed…'

She seemed to notice his leering, eventually stopping.

"You men are all the same, aren't you?"

"That flower down there is bloody beautiful," Rokas replied as he grinned slightly. "Look at the curvature around its petals… so refined, exotic and enticing. As a member of the higher society of biological culture, how could I not admire it?"

"Though, honestly… why are you complaining when you're wearing the tightest leather I've seen in my life?" Rokas stroked his chin. "If you care so much about not being looked at, maybe wear something that's looser."

"It feels comfortable to me and that's all that matters." Qianye Ying'er replied rather simply. "But I won't punish you for looking. In the end, you just can't help yourself and that is only natural for any man presented with my perfect figure."

"It's only fair." Rokas agreed with a nod. "You've spent a decent amount of time looking at my little brother, after all."

"Hmph…" Qianye Ying'er continued walking down the seemingly endless hallway. "I wonder, what was the Heavenly Slaughter Star God to you?"

"She was my master."

"Then she must have told you about me at least once."

"A few times, yeah."

"The scarlet brat believes that I killed her naive older brother… how laughable. He chose to risk his life for me and died because of it. How is it my fault for making use of his blind dedication? That man died without regrets. Being within my vicinity for the journey was enough for him.

'I couldn't agree more. What kind of big brother is that? Abandoning one's little siblings and leaving them in the hands of the Star God Emperor for a little 'date'.'

[System: Not a fan of Xi Su, are we?]

"I told her something along those lines but she wasn't hearing it." Rokas turned away from her figure and looked to the side. "If I were him, I'd never had chosen you over my little sister."

"Are you saying that you could resist my beauty?"

"If I had to."

"How could you be so certain? You have yet to see my face."

"All I have to do is imagine all the thorns that come with a flower like you and just look away."

"And what is it that makes me such a terrible person?" Qianye Ying'er questioned.

"Manipulation, your incredibly inflated ego, disregard for the wellbeing of others… need I say more?"

"No, keep going. I'd love to hear your perspective of me."

"I don't need to."

"So be it. I've yet to ask… but what is your name?"

"Long Dong," Rokas replied, keeping in his laughter.

"Long Dong… what is so funny about that?" Qianye Ying'er did not understand.

'This reminds me of the Biggus Dickus meme…'

"Oh, nothing… but my real name is Long Ke. Even though I was born with the name Jiufang Ke, I changed it as I was no longer associated with my old family."

"So, why did the Heavenly Slaughter Star God choose someone like you to carry the blood of the Heretic God?" Qianye Ying'er wondered.

"It's a long story."

"And we have all the time in the world." Qianye Ying'er added. "Plenty enough to hear of all your adventures, no?"

"Don't feel like explaining it all to someone who treats me like a dog." Rokas shook his head.

"A pity that you do not trust me, your greatest benefactor. No matter… I'll get it all out of you in due time. Since you are being so disobedient at this current moment, back to your cage you go."

'You will have no choice but to submit to me, Long Ke.'

Qianye Ying'er thought to herself.

…

[Now Playing: Angel with a Shotgun.]

Rokas, while building his weapons couldn't resist the urge to sing along as it continued to play it on repeat.

"They say before you start a war, you better know what you're fighting for. Well baby, you are all that I adore. If love is what you need… a soldier I'll be."

"I didn't know you could sing."

Rokas almost jumped, raising an eyebrow. Qianye Ying'er dispersed her invisibility and came to light.

"Was that song dedicated to me?" She chuckled, tilting her head.

"No." Rokas replied without hesitation. "Why would it be? I was just singing to myself."

"The Heavenly Slaughter Star God?"

"It would fit."

"That's rather sweet… cute, even. A disciple rising up to protect his master is a rather amusing story. Yet how do you expect to do so at your level? Are you aware of how difficult it is to become a Divine Master, let alone someone stronger than her?"

"If you keep riding me, I'll get there in no time." Rokas grinned slightly as his eyes glowed. "I made a promise and I intend to keep it, no matter what I have to do to get there."

"It sounds like you believe that you won't be in my captivity for long."

"I'll have my freedom, one way or another." Rokas replied with a confident tone. "You can't resist power… with me, you can reach the absolute pinnacle of existence. However, by the time you reach that point… heh. I won't be that much inferior to you, if at all. I'll shatter my own shackles if I have to."

"We will see."

Bonk.

…

Three more months passed as Qianye Ying'er continued to make use of his yang energy. Her confidant rank rose to 2 as they shared more interactions. Even though Rokas did not express his interest, that only made her push for him more. During this time, Rokas would focus mainly on his Essence of Creation ability as he played God in his Inner World. The process was fun but also enlightening as he could create more complicated things with practice.

One night, Qianye Ying'er was on a routine ride when suddenly Rokas' heavenly tribulation lightning triggered.

"..."

She stopped, sensing the menacing clouds above grow and spread across the Brahma Monarch God Realm. However, their growth did not just stop there. They continued to expand further and further… covering all of the Eastern Divine Region.

"What a phenomenon… is this truly the extent of his potential?"

Hopping off, she dressed in her clothes and left the basement. As she flew into the skies, she saw the clouds for herself. It was then that she realised that Rokas wouldn't remain her little secret for much longer.

Thunder cracked and lightning struck.

BOOOM.

The first round of tribulation lightning descended on Rokas' body, breaking into Qianye Ying'er's palace. The second came right after... so did the third... and the fourth... fifth... and sixth... the number of ferocious lightning strikes doubling each time. By the sixth round, her palace had already collapsed.

The purple radiance of the lightning region above Rokas turned blood red as the seventh stage loomed. However, this was not lightning alone… this lightning took the form of a sword!

BOOOM.

The powerhouses of the Brahma Monarch God Realm gathered, one by one, as the tribulation lightning formed a sword ten times larger than the last. The Brahma Heaven God Emperor himself had left his seclusion to observe this strange miracle for himself. He flew to the side of his daughter, turning to her with a shocked yet curious look in his eye.

"Royal father." She acknowledged, bowing her head slightly.

"Keeping secrets from this king?" He observed, glancing at the massive crater in the ground. "You are smothered in a certain man's aura from head to toe."

"... I found someone worthy of me."

The real question was whether or not he was going to come out alive…

He furrowed his brows as the colossal blood-red sword descended and struck down, further breaking into the ground. If it were not for the formation that the Brahma kings had formed, this sword would have caused far more damage.

However… the heavens were not done quite yet.

The blood-red lightning region turned pale white as the sound of thunder cracked across the Brahma Monarch God Realm. White lightning slowly emerged, shocking all who were fortunate enough to observe its magnificence.

And so it struck… blinding everyone in its descent.

BOOOOM.

…

[Profound Energy Quantity: A → EX-]

[Profound Strength: Divine Tribulation Realm IX → Divine Spirit I]

'That took ages…'

[Playing Jojo's Bizarre Adventure - Pillar Men Theme]

'At long last.'

Rokas closed his nine mouths and returned to his human form. Out of the massive crater, he flew up. His brown hair had turned pure white and grown several times from the lightning, flowing freely with the high winds. Remnants of white lightning cracked with might as he stretched out his hand and channelled it into a lightning bolt.

CRACK.

He aimed it towards the sky and scattered the dark clouds as a result, leading to the sun shining directly over him.

'No more living in the basement… that's for sure.'

Rokas thought as he exchanged golden stares with Qianye Ying'er.