1 The Final Reincarnation !

The rhythmic patter of the sound of raindrops striking against the ground was the only sound that interspersed my footsteps . Sorry , they would have if my footsteps had been audible in the first place which they weren't

My feet like the rest of my body lacked substance rather like the poster girls of the establishments I used to visit Oh a long time ago now .They used to look quite charming those ladies , but on a closer inspection usually on the next morrow under the gentle rays of dawn they revealed their true colors which would leave me wondering what I saw in them in the very first place .

For the record I wasn't the sort to frequent those places not by a long shot But you could never stop that irritating friend of yours constantly in heat with guts which in front of you would resemble a lion yet would be afraid to step inside without having you by your side .At least I never could those sorts tend to be quite persuasive .

Forgive me , regardless of the eons of tempering I have experienced my ill tendency to digress has never left me .It has always been one of my failings and had driven more than one master mad occasionally .Needless to say although I cannot guarantee yet I will try my best to be to the point

But anyways coming back to the matter on hand My ethereal form was a rather pleasing one if I say so myself with well proportioned features which seemed like they had been sculpted a pity really that my body was then nothing more than a mirage.

Undetectable,Untraceable an existence that existed part in the void and part in the world that I had know found myself in .The Mortal realm populated by the human race .It was my first time in my long years had I entered a plane of existence as low as this

.Traces of spiritual energy were non-existent. No remnants of residual aura of any kind , nothing save the overpowering scents associated with nature and the weak,frail scent that seemed to signify traces of Human presence from miles away.

Humans unlike the rest of the great races had a tendency to band together perhaps it gave them a sense of security ?

.At least unlike the other races where community living was practically non-existent and a risk taking endeavor without the guarantee of sufficient strength .Humans seemed to posses a greater sense of what's the word generosity? No kindness ? well it will do for now .Kindness it is .Yet no doubt it is reasonable to believe that their society runs on Nature's principle as well .

By Nature's principle the other races mean the rule of the strong. Am I too cynical? Perhaps yet my long experience has allowed to me realize certain immutable truths the facts that Appearances can be deceptive and the Nature's principle holds universally were some among them .

By the way If it has not been realized by now sorry for breaking it to you anyway but I am not Human .I never have been not even once in my lives thus it is safe for me to critique them objectively.Yep,I said it right lives with -s as in the plural.Which means exactly what it means

Unlike the majority of my fellow pinnacle experts from the Great Races who seek to use Heaven knows how many eras spent in contemplation in order to break the inevitable shackles which have been tightly bound around us by he heavens .I tried to use an ahem short cut technique to achieve the same result of ascension by bypassing the huge amount of ineffective time spent on it.

Long ago in my first life when I was but a hot-blooded youth who strode under the heavens with a swagger accompanied by an inflated ego and a misplaced sense of invincibility at being known as the first 'son of heaven' in the entire Divine Spirit race I chanced upon an ancient cultivation art thought to be nothing more than legend in a ruined vestige .

The art was like many others which by their names alone held an irresistible temptation to hot-blooded youths not well versed in the ways of the world

.The result ,I got more than I bargained for.Sure the art allowed me to progress further in the Dao in ways I could never even have imagined but the price I paid in return was not cheap.

I lost more than I realized I ever had leaving naught but a void in the place where my heart had once been .Yet I shrug of my grief and move -on not looking behind , not daring to look behind not even once lest my determination falter

.And at last I have arrived at the last leg of my journey .

The Transcending the Heavens scripture for that is the name of my cultivation art is a relic of a bygone era where it was used as the primary technique of a powerful, mystical clan which in surviving records are described as being able to consume the skies and devour the heavens itself!

Quite overbearing indeed

.As such as according to the practice of their clan The scripture had been divided into 3 parts with each part detailing a crucial part of the technique.It so happened that with the entire scripture vanishing in the mists of time the three parts resurfaced separately and were each suited to different races in the new great races that had come into being .

Thus came into the existence the three greatest experts of the Current Epoch The Divine Spirit Supreme Emperor,The Great Demonic Arch God and the Human ancestor each of whom managed to master an independent part of the scripture which were accordingly renamed as the Holy Soul Transformation,Demonic Overlord refining and the Human Mountain Scriptures.

The three experts were the only ones till date who were able to by virtue of their own merit break the seal and ascend to a higher realm! The power of the Transcending the Heavens scripture could be seen clearly

.Although the part that I had obtained in the vestige had only been the Holy Soul Transformation scripture Yet with the help of another long lost technique which I found in the same vestige I was able to do the impossible and able to practice two different scriptures namely the Holy Soul Transformation and Demonic Overlord refining managing to bridge the limitation of suitability according to race.

Thanks to "The Art of the Six paths" a heaven defying technique which allows oneself to forcefully sever the path of Samsara from around oneself while allowing one to chose one's own reincarnation up to a limited extent instead of being forced into the Cycle of reincarnation

.It has is own limitations though something to be expected as there is no such thing as a free lunch the fact that I loose all of my cultivation and become see-through like a ghost is an obvious one

.I am also unable to chose my identity in my new life as I wish and am often "directed" in an instinctual manner towards my intended vessel .Moreover even with my cultivation I am unable to restart it a third time thus regardless of whatever happens this life is gonna be it for me !

Still the art has its own perks the fact that I get to keep my memories is a big plus though the prospect of spending time as a baby especially a human baby seems quite frightening to me

.Unlike most other races Humans are unable to open their spiritual wisdom at birth itself leading to the observed stages of infancy and childhood which are almost unthinkable to the rest of the great races.

Now imagining myself pretending to be a baby and having to live a life like that makes me want to puke .Naturally pretend,As I will not have anything except for my memories it is almost impossible for me to do something else and being ill-informed of the intricacies of the human body and society ,I am not quite sure regarding the appropriate behavior.

Is a talking baby is all right ? Don't those humans use to speak of prodigies all the time? At least in the stories that I seem to have heard a baby performing feats such as levitation and telekinesis were quite common .

Are all Human babies that awesome ? If so why do they end up growing into such frail and miserable creatures unable to stand even a single hit from a monster beast?

Unknowingly sunk deep into my own worries and fears I had failed to notice the passage of time .

Yet my 'homing beacon' was buzzing like crazy metaphorically obviously reminding me that I had reached my destination .

Ahead of me under a bluff on the side of a lonely cliff in the vast plains there lay a vast city of sprawling towers and courtyards, spacious pathways lined on either side by well maintained trees portraying the very picture of prosperity.

I was however unable to appreciate the sight as I was now pulled along by a great current this time a literal one towards my destination a gigantic edifice of jade and marble at the very center easily the largest of all of the constructions in the city .

Bereft of my strength I was unable to withstand the current and my consciousness blacked out though not before I had realized what was exactly going to happen.

Deep inside the great citadel in a veranda that overlooked a gigantic garden a man could be seen pacing backwards and forwards hurriedly

He did not have the time to appreciate the beautiful Autumn moon lying in the sky lending an ethereal silver sheen to everything

Nor did he have the time to smell the enchanting fragrance of a multitude of rare orchids blooming all at once .

He did not notice the fact that his yellow robes caught in a loosely held nail had been torn off at one point a crime worthy of an extermination of an entire clan any other day !

But not now His mind was occupied in greater things matters pertaining to the continued well-being of an entire nation and his loved one as well !

His preoccupation could be seen from the fact that he refused to wipe off the sweat from his tired brow that seemed to tell tales of an incomparable majesty

.He lay deep in thought with his mind being burdened with ever-increasing worries with the passage of each second when until at last He heard the sound of running footsteps and turned to look towards the same

A slightly obese figure came huffing and bowed to the man hurriedly and said with the unique screeching voice which seemed to have the exclusive rights of eunuchs , freaks and drag queens "Your Majesty! Praise be to the Heavens! It is a boy !Both the empress and the young prince are safe and sound"

The emperor for emperor he was , was obviously extremely delighted He exclaimed quite joyfully " At last the fate of my nation is safe for the time at least !Proclaim the Imperial edict in every corner of the land to mark this occasion ! Let this be a national holiday and summon all of the important officials to the palace at once We shall personally head ourselves to the Inner Chamber .Let None disturb us or else heads shall roll! "

The eunuch hurriedly bowed and left to do the emperor's bidding while the Emperor himself headed towards the inner chamber .

During their conversation meanwhile lightning had crackled quite furiously in the night sky meteor showers could be seen at a distance and the stars had aligned themselves in strange ways that were beyond the comprehension of even the wisest of diviners which left them in wonder whether the omens were fortuitous or heralded the presence of a calamity yet they were made to realize that regardless the fate of their little prince might not be simple at all not by a long shot