Three Moves to End the War

He'd ruled a vast realm for tens of thousands of years, killed billions in a fit of rage. But once he laid eyes on that monk, all the tyrannical will and battle intent in his heart vanished—washed over by waves of humility. This was no longer a man, but the incarnation of the truth all cultivators sought, Cosmic Law made flesh: the Dharma incarnate. Before that existence, Harun, or the Serpent Emperor he now represented, couldn't muster the tiniest thought of transgression—and now held the firm conviction that he existed to become this teenage-looking monk's disciple.

Alas, the monk thought otherwise.

"Even in the Ancestral Land, your innate talent is outstanding. Unlike the one that led you here, you still have much room for improvement. Return to the Heavenly Dream Land and find the road to your next realm. Only then can you truly leave that place. However…" Here the monk paused and shook his head in rejection.

"You are not suited for Dharma Seeking. Pursuing the Cosmic Law requires a specific mindset you do not, and will never possess, unless you change the fundamentals of who you are. The Myriad Devil Palace is a better place for you. Join them instead," the monk said, rejecting the Serpent Emperor's submission.

Startled, the Serpent Emperor kowtowed at the monk, refusing this answer.

"I will change! I do not want to join the Myriad Devil Palace, I do not want to return to the Heavenly Dream Land! I only wish to follow you for a lifetime! Dharma Ancestor, please guide me on the road of enlightenment!" Driven by a fervor he couldn't understand, the Serpent Emperor beseeched the monk. From those outsiders, he'd heard of the Myriad Devil Palace's terror, the meaning of Ancestor, and who truly ruled the omniverse.

Awakened to flabbergasting truths, the Serpent Emperor regained his lost battle will, left the Heavenly Dream Realm, and resolved to challenge those so-called Ancestral Ones. Never did he expect that a glance at his first choice would redefine his existence, leading him to reject all he previously believed in, and embark on a new road. Still, his heartfelt words failed to move the black-haired monk.

"Just call me Golden Cicada. Your reverence doesn't stem from your will, but is the natural response all those below a certain realm have in my presence. Said bluntly, you are weak," Golden Cicada said, and his words were like thunderclaps in the Serpent Emperor's ears. He? The master of Fate, weak? Unable to accept those words, the Serpent Emperor raised his eyes to argue—but couldn't.

"I know what you're thinking. You can destroy stars with the blink of an eye, devoured 66 of the Heavenly Dream Land's 99 Heavens without hurdles. If cultivation had universal ranks, you stand tall at the 12th, strong among your peers and not so far from the end. To this day, none has managed to wound you. But these feats change nothing. The Ancestral Ones represent the end of the road. Any one of them can erase you with a glance. And in that hierarchy, I rank second," the monk paused, anticipating the Serpent Emperor's reaction. And as expected, he couldn't believe it.

"Impossible! If you're second, who is first?" The Serpent Emperor could accept being insignificant before this monk, but couldn't tolerate anyone standing above him. The mere thought rattled his ears, ringing like blasphemy.

"That is not relevant. But if I had to pick my disciples by strength or talent, I wouldn't have any. Seek the Truth. Seek the Law. Seek the Dharma. That is all I care for. If you have that heart, even if your talent and strength both rank at the lowest level of the omniverse, I will teach you all I know. But if you don't, like the rest you will halt at one point—satisfied with the strength you gained," the monk closed his golden eyes and joined his hands in a mudra.

A golden palm appeared below the Serpent Emperor, at first glance 50 meters wide, but in truth limitless. Instantly, he realized that one million lifetimes wouldn't be enough to reach the monk's altitude. With that move, the monk attempted to make him renounce his choice. But regaining his wits, the Serpent Emperor only felt more resolved, and with an indomitable spirit, faced his chosen master.

"I do not want peerless strength. I do not want to become a Devil! Henceforth, whether you accept me or not, I will live to understand the Cosmic Law in Master's eyes!" The Serpent Emperor declared, kowtowed one last time at Golden Cicada and…destroyed his cultivation base! Perhaps moved by his unbreakable resolve, Golden Cicada sighed and replied:

"As you please."

...

Back in the 33 Heavens, Harun opened his eyes, which both gleamed in their respective hues. He only had two minutes left before his heart forced him to enter the reincarnation cycle. His body burned in golden flames, but his shimmering eyes had glazed over—with no luster of consciousness.

The legendary battle between Demi-Emperors raged on. Harun smiled, stood up, vanished, and reappeared before Nakula.

"You've stained yourself with the breath of this world for over three million years, just so you could pave the road for that person. Was it worth it?" 'Harun' asked in a curious tone. But it wasn't his voice that left his lips. That voice evoked different emotions in the nine Demi-Emperors.

Silav, who still wrestled against the Infinite Murdering's vicious cycle, unwilling to waste his resurrection chance, looked confused. Dilnaz trembled uncontrollably, not knowing why the timbre of that voice prompted such a reaction from her. Backed by more reliable instincts, the seven Demi-Emperors fled at maximum speed, and Nakula's eyes stretched to impossible lengths.

"It can't be...how? You—" Nakula couldn't finish those words. A golden palm, barely 50 meters wide, appeared above his head—neither slow nor fast. Yet, Nakula couldn't consider escape. His body refused to react, as if hard-coded to prevent an irredeemable mistake. And what seemed like a 50 meters-wide hand in the others' eyes became an infinite palm-strike in his!

BANG!

Slammed hard, Nakula turned into a flaming meteor and cratered in the Divine Capital. Harun placed one index vertically against his lips, making a 'shush' at Nakula's grievously wounded form—then turned toward Silav.

"Infinite Murdering. Poorly cast, but brings back memories," he said, and waved his right hand, dispelling the black half-moons surrounding Silav. And with that same dazed look, the Serpent Lord stared at him.

"Are you truly...grandfather?" Seeing the Sovereign Pupils owner display such absurd strength, Silav firmly believed that his grandfather...had returned. And thinking that he once tried to plot against him, Silav felt bitter regret. However, Harun arched an eyebrow, and his lips formed a sneer.

"If I had a grandson like you, I'd ask for a refund," 'Harun' jabbed, and with a dismissive wave of his hand, sent Silav hurtling back to the Serpent Domain. By now, the Highest Heaven was over 80% destroyed—unable to sustain itself further. But the Divine Palace and Serpent Domain still stood strong, undisturbed by the calamity.

Harun spun, stretched his right hand toward Dilnaz, and as his body burned at its brightest, reappeared before her.

"I heard that you want to stand above all and rule supreme. That's a long, tedious and suicidal road. Sure you got what it takes to make it to the end?" 'Harun' asked, and as his hand neared her neck, just like Nakula, Dilnaz couldn't consider retreat. Her body only allowed her to stand at his mercy. Breaking into a cold sweat, Dilnaz shivered. But as Harun's fingers grazed her neck, he burst into a soundless explosion of light—vanishing from the collapsing Highest Heaven.

Though freed from Harun's suppression, Dilnaz felt her lungs tightening while her heart pounded against her chest. Too shocked to maintain her flight, she too collapsed—leaving the "victorious" Beast Emperors to exchange bewildered gazes.