Altering Destiny

As the King of the Underworld shouted, his voice reverberating through the realms, he materialized in the Reincarnation Hall in an instant. His presence was commanding, his aura palpable, as he took in the scene before him: everyone frozen in time, a testament to the sudden temporal halt.

His keen eyes quickly found the source of the disturbance—a shadowy figure, an ethereal soul, tampering with the Reincarnation Disc. The shadow ceased its manipulations and turned to face the newly arrived monarch.

The King of Hell, imposing and regal, advanced with a measured, deliberate pace until he stood before the shadowy figure. The hall, grand and majestic with its towering pillars and cosmic murals, seemed to amplify his presence.

The shadowy figure, feeling the weight of the King's scrutiny, bowed deeply and spoke with a voice that seemed to waver between realms, "Your Majesty."

The King's eyes, ancient and piercing, narrowed as he surveyed the figure, discerning the familiar markings of the underworld. "Your soul bears the unmistakable imprint of our realm," he declared, his voice resonating with the weight of centuries.

Continuing, the King of Hell recounted, "I sensed your presence once before, in the primordial depths of time. There was a resonance, an echo of your essence, yet I found no record of your existence. Across all realms, your aura remains unique, unrecognized in our annals."

As realization dawned, the king's gaze shifted between Aurelius and the shadowy figure. "You are one and the same," he concluded, his tone both somber and resolute.

With a confirming nod, the shadowy figure affirmed, "Yes, your majesty."

The King of Hell contemplated the revelation, his features betraying a mixture of curiosity and solemnity. "You are the future that walks in the shadow of the past," he mused, a profound understanding settling upon him. "Since the moment the child stood before me, an echo of familiarity lingered. Though lacking the underworld's mark, he evoked a sense of recognition that eluded me until now. Thus, I have watched over him, sensing an enigma I could not decipher until this moment."

The future Aurelius, his presence exuding a regal aura, turned to the King of Hell with a respectful nod. "Your Majesty, allow me to formally introduce myself," he began, his voice carrying the weight of countless eons. "I am Aurelius, also known as the Heavenly Emperor in the annals of the primordial time. Through twists and turns of fate, I find myself traversing the currents of time, and indeed, the Aurelius standing here is my past self."

The King of Hell, his expression one of contemplation, absorbed this revelation before responding, "Your name has echoed through the corridors of time. In the tumultuous era of the primordial realm, countless souls sought refuge in the underworld, each with tales of valor and sacrifice. Your actions, however, stand as a testament to the enigmatic nature of destiny. Only the unfolding of time will determine whether you are hailed as a hero or branded as a villain."

To this, the future Aurelius replied with unwavering resolve, "Your Majesty, the judgment of future epochs holds little sway over my purpose. My sole aspiration is to safeguard this universe and liberate it from the clutches of those who seek to exploit it."

The King of Hell, impressed by Aurelius's resolve, allowed his threatening aura to dissipate. "I understand your intentions," he said, his tone calmer. "But meddling with the destinies governed by the underworld is no small matter. You're not just altering your own fate; you're impacting countless others. As the Heavenly Emperor, your influence touches trillions of lives. If you change your destiny now, you risk erasing yourself from the timeline, and this young Aurelius will face even greater suffering."

Future Aurelius met the King's gaze with unwavering determination. "Your Majesty, I fully grasp the implications. I know the path ahead will be strewn with thorns, but I have faith in my younger self to overcome them."

The King of Hell scrutinized Aurelius, a hint of realization dawning on his face. "You... You must have made a pact with the Will of the Underworld to enact these changes. Otherwise, it would have intervened by now."

Future Aurelius nodded. "Rewriting the timeline is indeed complex. First, we had to prevent interference from the Heavens. Though the Will of Heaven understands that non-interference is crucial for its survival, the Grand Dao of Chaos will not permit it to stand idly by. Only the Will of the Underworld can contend with the Grand Dao of Chaos. The next challenge is survival. The Grand Chaos, though incapacitated, can still command the Heavens to interfere. It cannot kill me outright due to the Will of the Underworld, but it will place me in perilous situations, always leaving a sliver of hope for survival."

The King of Hell's expression grew more contemplative. He leaned back, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed Aurelius's words. The vastness of the cosmos and the intricate web of destinies weighed heavily on his ancient mind.

Future Aurelius continued, his voice steady and resolute. "With these two forces in check, the next step is altering the past. I can't make drastic changes without causing unforeseen consequences. Destiny is like a line of dominoes; removing or changing certain events can lead to a different future. Every action has a ripple effect, and even the smallest change can create waves that alter the course of history."

The King of Hell nodded slowly, the gravity of the situation sinking in. 

Aurelius then looked directly at the King of Hell, his gaze unwavering. "Please, allow me to make these necessary changes. I am willing to bear the consequences and pay the price. The future of the universe depends on it."

The King of Hell studied the resolve in Aurelius's eyes and understood the magnitude of his sacrifice. He saw not just a man, but a soul willing to endure unimaginable trials for the greater good. Finally, he relented, his voice a deep rumble of authority and understanding. "Since the Will of the Underworld has no objection, I won't interfere. However, you will have to pay with merit points for all the changes you make. This is the price of altering fate."

Future Aurelius bowed deeply, gratitude evident in his expression. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I understand the cost, and I am prepared to pay it. The path ahead is perilous, but it is one I must walk."

Receiving the command from the King of Hell, Future Aurelius turned to the screen and began making the necessary changes.

First, the screen displayed the body talent. The Spiritual talent - Five Elemental Body - evolved into God talent - Innate Five Element Dao Body, and then it evolved further to Celestial talent - Yin-Yang Body. It continued to evolve into Primordial talent - Innate Yin-Yang Dao Body, and finally, it reached the Chaos talent - Chaos Body.

Next, the screen transitioned to soul talent. Like the body talent, it transformed from Day-Night Soul Body to Light-Darkness Soul Body, then to Life-Death Soul Body, to Reincarnation Soul Body, and finally, to Underworld Soul Dao Body.

In the spirit root section, he opened a subsection that normally remained inaccessible. There, it showed the secondary root of the evolutionary root, damaged and weak, indicating that upon reincarnation, the spirit root would not withstand the transfer and would disperse.

Future Aurelius examined the spirit root and attempted to repair it with merit points but they were unavailable. He thought, "As expected, I cannot change this outcome. Thankfully, I made preparations for this."

He then moved to the family section, recalling his parents from his original life. Remembering their love and support, soul tears began to form. He changed the family option from random to Astrum family and ensured he would be born as the son of Ignatius and Seraphina. He clicked confirm for the selections made, and as the screen began loading the final results, time stopped once more.

After making all the changes, he looked back at the King of Hell and said, "Thank you for allowing these changes in destiny."

The King of Hell nodded and returned to his palace. Future Aurelius gazed at Present Aurelius and said, "I hope you can change destiny and protect everyone you love."

Then, Future Aurelius vanished like scattered wind.

---

And then the screen began to move again, slowly loading, unseen by all. No one knew what had transpired, no one knew that changes that could reshape the future and past and rewrite history had been made. The first domino had fallen, setting in motion a cascade of events. Who knows what the future holds?