Chapter no.25 The Divine Feather Sect

[ Author's Note: Hey readers,

Just a quick heads up: the next two chapters might be a bit confusing, but they're important for the story. Stick with it, and check out the simplified synopsis I'll add at the end of the next chapter to help clear things up.

Thanks for reading! ]

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[300 Years Before Present Day]

[AD 1368]

Lü Bu, the young master of the Divine Feather Sect, walked contemplatively upon the meandering trails carved into the rugged, unyielding mountains in the Xuanjie Realm.

His figure, tall and statuesquely chiseled, his long, flowing robe, a canvas of deep and vibrant hues, was embellished with intricate silver embroideries, meticulously depicting dragons and phoenixes in a perpetual dance of dominance and grace. A wide, embellished sash encircled his waist, laden with symbols that held the ancient secrets and untold stories of his adopted lineage and the martial prowess that had shaped the destiny of dynasties. His boots, sturdily constructed from the rugged hides of demon beast known as the golden yak, silently spoke of many a journey through vast steppes and over formidable mountain ranges.

His jet-black hair, bound by a single silver clasp, cascaded down his back, dancing with the gentle caress of the mountain breeze.

With each measured step, the crimson-black iron rod upon Lü Bu's back subtly vibrates, its presence a silent testament to the latent, volatile power contained within.

The rod, ominous yet exquisitely crafted, bore into its dark metal intricate designs of fearsome beasts and leering demons, each carved with such detail and intensity that their forms seemed almost to writhe and pulse with a life of their own.

Before him, as the mountain paths yielded, stood the impossibly colossal totem pillar of the Divine Feather Sect, its very existence a divine anomaly, a towering defiance of earthly and celestial logic. Liquid Gold, seeped languidly from the sides of the pillar, its luminous tendrils descending to form pools of shimmering, golden resplendence below.

This pillar, a remnant of the once mighty Sky Song Sect, now stood as a monument to the Divine Feather Sect's unparalleled dominion over both the corporeal and spiritual realms.

The sheer scale of the pillar was inconceivable, dwarfing the size of the Asian continent with its formidable width. It was sectioned, a divine hierarchy materialized in celestial architecture, where each elevation represented a different echelon of power within the sect. The bottom, vast and accommodating, sheltered the neophytes, those whose journey upon the path of divine cultivation had but recently begun. Ascending the pillar, the domains grew increasingly exclusive, each successive level home to beings of escalating power and reverence, until the very top, where the enigmatic Khan presided in omnipotent solitude.

Lü Bu's eyes, pools of unspoken tales and stoic resolve, lingered upon the pillar's zenith.

.....

Lü Bu, ascending through the myriad realms of the colossal pillar, eventually found himself at its zenith, where the vastness of the heavens sprawled above him like an infinite sea of twinkling stars, each celestial body shimmering with ethereal light against the velvety darkness. The top of the pillar, a divine plateau, was home to an immense throne.

Before the throne, Lü Bu, with an air of reverence and solemnity, placed his formidable weapon upon the celestial ground and kowtowed deeply, his forehead touching the cool, otherworldly surface below.

"I, Lü Bu, greet my father and the sect leader of the Divine Feather Sect, Khan," his voice, steady and resonant, echoed through the celestial expanse.

The silence that enveloped the summit was abruptly shattered as Khan, an immeasurably colossal figure, opened eyes that were void yet paradoxically illuminated with an internal, white brilliance, revealing his blindness.

As he lifted a hand, each finger dwarfing Lü Bu in scale, a gentle, yet omnipotent voice cascaded through the space.

"My son, I see you have finally broken through to the Star Altar Realm."

Lü Bu, maintaining his kowtow, responded with a humility that masked his internal maelstrom of emotions, "It is nothing, father. I have yet to fully unleash my star into the heavens itself."

"It is a matter of time before you do, my son. Don't be discouraged by a little set back."

"May the heavens give me such enlightenment to understand father's words."

"Try to open your ears for once, Lü Bu." Khan joked around with his son who was to serious to understand his father's humour.

"Yes, father I will try."

Khan's blind eyes, gleaming with ethereal light, turned skyward, his voice tinged with a melancholic foreboding, "My dear son, the future is troubling."

A shudder coursed through Lü Bu, for he knew well of his father's uncanny ability to peer into the veiled threads of destiny and the heavenly faith itself.

Swallowing the knot forming in his throat, he pledged, "Your wish is my command, Father."

"A new cultivation rebellion has arisen from the Chinese lineage," Khan intoned, his voice as calm as it was ominous.

Trepidation weaving through his resolve, Lü Bu sought clarification, "What is it that you want me to do?"

With a snap of Khan's immense fingers, a star from the celestial sea above detached itself, transmuting into a box that descended to rest gently near Lü Bu's feet, an enigma wrapped in the soft glow of stardust.

"I want you to go to the human realm and slaughter all the cultivators hiding among the mortals of China," Khan commanded, his words as absolute as they were chilling.

Lü Bu, glancing at the box, inquired, "Father, may I ask what the box is for?"

Khan's gaze, blind yet seemingly perceiving realms beyond mortal comprehension, met Lü Bu's, "It is a will of the heavens, my dear son. While you may not see it, you are a catalyst for something great in the future, and that box and the item it contains have been linked by causality itself to your faith."

"I don't understand, father. What is my future like?"

"Son, I don't know much as the casualty is complex yet I see a future where you gain a partner."

"Pardon."

"My dear son, I can't see much but the fragments I can make out are that your are a catalyst, you have an important role and you get a partner in your life."

"Oh."

"My dear son, cherish her."

Lü Bu was a little confused as his father was acting like this was their last meeting.

With a mixture of steadfast allegiance and internal confusion, Lü Bu accepted his father's edict, "Father, I will carry out your command."

As he lifted himself from his kowtow, taking the celestial box into his hands, Lü Bu withdrew from the sect leader's domain.

Khan gazed upon his son's retreating back and said," I am sorry son but faith has decided that this will be our last meeting. I am proud of what you achieved in so little time and I am sorry, I couldn't guide you further through life. I am sure your biological parents would be proud of you as well but as long as you live, you carry on my legacy, the legacy of my forefathers and the legacy of this sect."

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[Human Realm]

[AD 1368]

[ Yuan Dynasty - Capital Dadu ]

Lü Bu hovered above Dadu, the flourishing capital of the Yuan Dynasty, his gaze encompassing the vast metropolis laid out beneath him. The city, a vibrant tapestry of myriad lives, structures, and stories, pulsed with the tangible essence of both the mundane and the spiritual. His figure, though distant, cast an imperceptible shadow over the land, an unseen omen portending the upheaval to come.

Lifting the crimson-black rod, Lü Bu channeled his Qi, the life-force of the cosmos, into it, transmuting the dark metal into a spear crowned with a blade of pure, radiant energy. The aura that cascaded from him, an invisible storm of divine martial intent, permeated through every fiber of the Chinese Dynasty, a palpable tremor in the weave of reality itself.

Lü Bu, bound by the command of Khan, did not seek subterfuge in his mission. His intent was to openly challenge, subdue, and eradicate the rebelling cultivators, thereby solidifying the Divine Feather Sect's celestial decree.

As the air before Lü Bu shivered and coalesced, a figure, seemingly mundane yet emanating an indefinable quality, materialized. A peasant, garbed in the simple attire of the common man, stood unyielding before the divine might that was Lü Bu.

Gazing at the man, Lü Bu spoke, his voice an unwavering cascade of power and assurance, "Hiding among mortals is a heavenly sin decreed by the Divine Feather Sect."

The peasant, Zhu Yuanzhang, bowed with a grace and tranquility that belied his humble appearance, his voice a gentle, unyielding whisper amidst the boundless sky, "I am terribly sorry, but your rule over this land is over."

"Hmm, I will give you a chance to repeat by cutting open your neck for your blasphemous words."

"No thank you, I like where my neck as it is. Uncut."

"Then die!"

As Lü Bu thrust his spear towards Zhu Yuanzhang, the latter, unperturbed, withdrew a paper fan from within his garment. Lü Bu, his patience as finite as his power was boundless, charged, his spear cleaving through the very air itself, aimed to extinguish the flame of rebellion.

Yet, as Lü Bu neared, Zhu Yuanzhang, with a casual, almost dismissive wave of his fan, summoned forth a golden, ethereal dragon, its form resplendent against the heavens above Dadu.

The mortals below, instinctively prostrating in simultaneous fear and reverence, bore witness as the celestial beast collided with Lü Bu, its divine might hurling him toward the ocean, specifically, the Eastern China Sea.

....

Lü Bu collided with the Eastern China Sea with an impact that reverberated through the very essence of the earthly realm, causing a monstrous tsunami that swelled and raged, its titanic waves obliterating all in their path along the shoreline.

Rising, injured yet unbroken, from the roiling waters, Lü Bu levitated amidst the sea-sprayed air, his aura, though slightly dimmed, emanating an unyielding, furious inferno. Before him, the skies birthed a myriad of cultivators, each one a maelstrom of potent Qi, their collective power forming a tempestuous sea under the celestial dome.

His eyes, alight with an inferno of determination and wrath, fell upon the crystal pendant given by his father, Khan. The very notion of failing his father, of tarnishing the Divine Feather Sect's celestial mandate, caused Lü Bu's blood to boil within his veins, forging his resolve into an indomitable spear that pierced the heavens.

With a scream that tore through both the earthly and celestial realms, Lü Bu proclaimed, "I will present your heads as gifts for my father on a silver platter!"

The cultivators, their spirits ablaze with rebellion, bloodlust, and a fervent desire to overturn the celestial tyranny, roared in response, becoming a tempest that sought to extinguish Lü Bu's fiery resolve. They charged, their forms becoming streaks of lethal intent amidst the sky.

Lü Bu, his voice a resonant cascade amidst the chaotic symphony of impending battle, invoked, "Divine Beast Style..."

.....

The Eastern China Sea, once a tranquil expanse, now seethed and surged, transformed into a macabre tableau of the carnage wrought above. Scarlet waves, each a mournful testament to the fallen, caressed hundreds of lifeless bodies that floated, forsaken, upon its bloody canvas. Once-living vessels of dreams, aspirations, and celestial might were now mere driftwood upon this oceanic graveyard, silent under the heavy pall of death that shrouded the atmosphere.

High above, where once vibrant auras collided in a cataclysmic maelstrom of martial power, now lingered an oppressive stillness, pierced only by the mournful cries of the seafaring birds, as they circled the site of the heavenly battlefield.

In the midst of the quiet devastation, Lü Bu, the celestial scion of the Divine Feather Sect, descended slowly towards the crimson sea, his once-dominant aura now flickering, a waning flame in the enveloping darkness. His form, which once exuded an invincible air, now bore the myriad scars of the titanic clash, each wound a bitter testament to the impermanence of even the seemingly eternal.

His eyes, once alight with indomitable fire and conviction, now mirrored the chaotic sea beneath, reflecting both its tumult and its depth. As he impacted gently upon the sanguine surface, the ocean embraced him, a lover's caress welcoming him into its bloody depths.

Above, Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Clan's sect leader and orchestrator of the rebellion, hovered, his gaze upon the fallen adversary not one of triumph, but of somber respect and melancholy. His attire, simple yet bearing an undeniable gravitas, fluttered gently amidst the somber breeze, as he silently acknowledged the monumental shift in the celestial tapestry, wrought by both Lü Bu's fall and the rebellion's bitter victory.

.....

Adrift in the sorrowful embrace of the sanguine sea, Lü Bu, once an imperious figure whose name echoed amidst the celestial dome, lay shattered. His body, broken and torn from the cataclysmic battle overhead, heaved with each agonizing, ragged breath, the pulse of life within him flickering like a fragile flame amidst a tempest.

His eyes, weary yet lingering with a lingering ember of his indomitable spirit, beheld his ruined form; the cascade of blood pouring from where his torso once proudly bore the emblem of the Divine Feather Sect. A heavy sigh, tinged with the bitter pang of regret, escaped him as he whispered a mournful farewell to his celestial father, an apology borne from the depths of his fractured heart.

Lü Bu's eyes fluttered close, surrendering to the enveloping darkness, yet an unexpected warmth gently caressed his being. Opening them once more, his gaze met the ethereal glow emanating from the crystal pendant, an arcane relic from his father, now pulsating with an inscrutable energy that seemed to weave into the very fabric of his being.

Time itself succumbed to a profound stillness, the once-vibrant sea becoming a frozen tableau wherein even the fish, suspended amidst their eternal dance, ceased all motion. Lü Bu, amidst this surreal serenity, beheld a haunting vision: countless severed limbs, each enshrouded with dark prayer beads, reached towards the heavens, their silent pleas forming a melancholy chorus that whispered across the boundless depths.

The ocean's depths, now a sanctuary for these dismembered souls, murmured an ancient prayer, the words an unintelligible chant that seemed to sway the very heavens and earth, as if a deity had graced this solemn abyss with its divine presence.

Transfixed by this eerie spectacle, Lü Bu's heart, even amidst its final beats, hammered within his chest, enraptured by a bewildering confluence of awe and trepidation. From the ocean's abyss, a figure ascended, her form an enchanting amalgamation of grace and an otherworldly allure. Her skin, reminiscent of tempestuous storm clouds, glistened under the mournful light, while her hair, a cascade of entwining tendrils, veiled her upper form, her lower part morphing into an elegant piscine tail.

Her approach, a delicate dance amidst the somber sea, left Lü Bu spellbound, his gaze captivated by the shimmering elegance of her being. Her visage, a canvas of enigmatic beauty, held a singular eye amidst its center, from which dark tendrils stretched forth, shrouded in an aura most macabre.

She bestowed upon him a smile, its chilling allure sending trembles through his dwindling spirit, and spoke, her voice an ethereal whisper that caressed his soul, "Do you desire life once more?"

Coatlicue, the death goddess, manifested through the very essence of the sea, gazed upon him as Lü Bu, even amidst his confusion and awe, nodded feebly.

"I shall claim my due upon your demise," she declared, her hand, graceful yet imbued with an unfathomable power, gently covering Lü Bu's eyes.

An eye, radiant yet foreboding, opened upon her hand, and Lü Bu felt the essence of his very soul being drawn forth, a spectral wisp amidst the celestial abyss. Coatlicue tenderly cradled the pendant, entwining it around Lü Bu's departing soul, before bestowing upon it a gentle breath, akin to a mournful kiss.

His soul, now a delicate spectral mist, dispersed like dandelion spores upon a somber breeze as Lü Bu's soul entered the cycle of reincarnation.

..........

[ Black Lotus Cult ]

[ The Wailing Isle - Bamboo Forest ]

As I landed on the ground, my fiery red hair brushed aside by the wind, I rushed to Xie Dongyi's side. My heart was pounding with dread as I touched his neck, searching for a pulse. But there was none. Xie Dongyi was dead. His face was twisted in a painful grimace, his eyes staring blankly into the sky. I wondered what I could do to remedy the situation.

Alexander had killed a lot of people in his time, but he had done so in secret and was never punished.

Could I hide Xie Dongyi's body?

Should I silence Ye Mo and his crew? I wasn't sure, but I knew I needed to act fast before anyone else found out.

Abruptly, an ineffable burden cascaded upon my shoulders as an ephemeral vision unfolded before me, immersing my being into an infinite white void, where I found myself amidst a sea of trillions. Silhouettes, a boundless multitude, stretched as far as the eye could discern, all of us suspended in a celestial abyss. Hovering above, two colossal scales materialized, imposing in their ancient, cosmic grandeur.

A thunderous proclamation resounded through the void, a singular word that vibrated through every atom of our existence: "Order!" The word, an imperative forged from the very essence of the cosmos, instilled a solemn stillness within us all, an eternal pause within the infinite continuum of the universe.

I blinked and I found myself back in the bamboo forest infront of Xie Dongyi's corpse.

What were those scales ?

What was that void?

What the fuck just happend?

These questions rolled through my mind and just as I was about to lose myself completely in this strange, surreal vision, a crimson light caught my eye. I looked down, and there, wrapped around Xie Dongyi's corpse, was a crystal pendant, materializing out of thin air as Xie Dongyi's caved in chest healed with an ethereal light.

Ba-dump.

Ba-dump.

The sound of a heartbeat echoed out as Xie Dongyi's corpse spasmed. In the blink of an eye, the veil of faces in the sky disappeared, and the world returned to normal.

A wave of unease flooded through me as I snatched up the crystal necklace and leaped into the nearby trees to hide. My mind was racing with questions about what had just happened.

How was Xie Dongyi suddenly resurrected?

What was the significance of that vision?

What were those scales?

What did order mean?

What was happening?

I had a feeling that whatever I had just witnessed would change the fate of this world, whether for better or worse. But for now, all I could do was hold onto the crystal pendant and hope that it would somehow help me make sense of this otherworldly event.

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[ Author Note: So in this chapter, if you are confused as to what happened, tldr is that a powerful sect 300 years ago's young master Lü Bu was tasked to find out rebels that were going to destroy Lü Bu's sect. The sect leader due to his ability to foresee faith knew that his son would die against the rebels so he gave his son the Reincarnation crystal. Lü Bu died and reincarnated into Xie In present day as the MC's rival has arrived. Also, the vision that the MC got where he was Infront of those scales that screamed order! Well that's a mystery for the future ? Also the golden scales are completely unrelated to Lü. U's reincarnation so that's that..Keep reading and uncover the mysteries in my novel. Ok ]