A Fated New Beginning

The first time Yaan attempted the Ruthless Inheritance, he managed to reach the third step. This could be considered an incredible accomplishment compared to those who had tackled this inheritance in the past, but it wasn't nearly enough to complete the inheritance.

"I swear on my dao that I will not pursue the Ruthless Inheritance."

Yaan reached the third step.

"I swear on my dao that I will not pursue the Ruthless Inheritance."

The next step, and the next, and the next…

"I swear on my dao that I will not pursue the Ruthless Inheritance."

"I swear on my dao that I will not pursue the Ruthless Inheritance."

"I swear on my dao that I will not pursue the Ruthless Inheritance."

…

His pace was slow, but consistent. His voice was unwavering, showing no strain despite the difficulty. His eyes remained clear, even as his eyeballs were assaulted by the abyssal cracks that soon covered half of his Dao Soul once again.

Compared to the past, it was clear just how much stronger Yaan had become. This was not a matter of cultivation or strength, nor was it even related to the strength of his dao heart…it was simply a matter of his resolve. His desire to see his path through to the end had surpassed all else, causing him to become numb to all other thoughts, feelings and desires.

He just wanted to reach the end.

Before long, the Primordial Spirt and Primordial Asura arrived. The Primordial Sage and Shi stopped several hundred feet away soon after.

Law Empyrean, Justice Deity, and the other members of the Divine Court…

The members of the Primordial Alliance…

Defiance Sovereign, and everyone else…

In all, there were 23 divinities plus Shi, all stood silently around the Ruthless Inheritance. No matter where you stood around the Ruthless Inheritance, when your gaze landed upon it, you would see the front of the stairway leading upwards, as well as the current challenger, stood in what appeared to be the centre, never managing to reach any further.

From a few hundred feet away, it was impossible to see the stairway's end, as if it went on forever. This was also how Yaan felt – it was as if this stairway would never end, as if this was his deathbed, and he was only delaying the inevitable by continuing on.

For a while, the divinities watched in silence.

Yaan took 10 steps, then 20, then 30…

His pace remained the same, but the abyssal cracks grew deeper, the agonising aura emanating from his body stronger. The aura of desolation which surrounded him was enough to compete with the killing intent left behind by the Ruthless Empyrean, causing everyone's mood to fall sombre as they watched.

"How is he able to walk so far?"

"I was under the impression that nobody has even managed to take 10 steps before, no?"

"That's right...is it because he is a heart demon, a unique being in this world?"

"It's difficult to say. This child is truly a monster of the highest order, anyone else would have died several times over with a Dao Soul in this state."

…

As the divinities who felt less personally invested in seeing Yaan's downfall started to casually chat amongst themselves, their voices entered the Primordial Spirit's ears. She clenched her fists tightly and continued to stare at Yaan without blinking. Her aura gradually started to leak out, as did her killing intent.

Just as she was about to step forwards silently, Defiance Sovereign's boisterous laugh echoed outwards, immediately silencing everyone and causing her to stop.

"Hahaha! This kid is truly entertaining to watch, I like the way he struggles so desperately! Nobody is to interfere with the Ruthless Inheritance until he's done…understand, little girl?"

Defiance Sovereign glanced at the Primordial Spirit with a slight smile, but this smile made her feel anything but pleasant. Gritting her teeth, she looked up at Defiance Sovereign hatefully.

"Defiance Sovereign, are you siding with that little monster?"

"Siding with him?" Defiance Sovereign chuckled and shook his head. "In this world, I side with myself and myself alone. If I feel like helping someone, I will help them. If I feel like killing that person in the next moment, I will kill them. Little girl, if you want to kill this kid so badly, then wait until he either completes or fails the inheritance. Honestly, have some sense - you do not possess the ability to enter the inheritance and catch him, and if you try to interfere with the Ruthless Inheritance, it will self-destruct and injure everyone here."

Several people cast glances at the Primordial Spirit, ready to step in and prevent her from doing something reckless if she so much as moved. What Defiance Sovereign said was the truth, it was well known that even divinities couldn't carelessly break the rules of a Divine True Inheritance, because doing so would often result in the inheritance self-destructing. The Ruthless Inheritance was one of the most calamitous in this regard – a single minor breach of its rules could potentially lead to its immediate and unrestrained self-destruction. The explosion of the killing-saturated stairway would definitely result in everyone sustaining injuries.

In the end, Yaan was stuck on the staircase, they could just wait until he was eventually forced to leave.

The Primordial Spirit ground her teeth. She knew that what he said was true, but even so, the hatred that she felt towards Yaan had reached indescribable levels, and seeing him so nearby, yet completely out of her reach, was infuriating to the extreme.

'Is Defiance seriously helping that demon on a whim, or is it because the heart demon harmed the Heavenly Dao…?' She wondered bitterly.

She really hoped that it wasn't the latter. If Defiance Sovereign decided to protect Yaan from her, she knew that she would be unable to kill him for the foreseeable future.

"Uncle…" Shi muttered dazedly. She stared at Yaan, who continued to walk up the pitch-black stairway, despite clearly not ascending any higher. As he walked up, he remained in place, as if the staircase was endlessly growing taller with every step that he took, laughing mockingly at his futile struggle.

"Why is it that you are always just out of my reach, uncle…?"

Yaan continued to walk silently.

Time continued to pass by. Step by step, his face remained calm as he stared up the staircase which had no end in sight. With each step he took, his dao heart was torn apart as he broke the dao oath that he swore to himself. With each step he took, his Dao Soul was ripped to shreds by the abyssal black cracks.

It was a pain that would leave even divinities screaming in agony and begging for mercy…it was a pain that Yaan had grown numb to.

Onwards and upwards, that was the only direction he knew. All that lay behind and below him was suffering and defeat, so he kept his gaze focussed ahead and he ignored the stares of the divinities, more of whom were arriving with every passing hour.

Hours, days, weeks passed by…

How many steps had he taken? Yaan was not counting. How many divinities, Transcendents and immortals, had arrived in this place, attracted by the powerful feeling of destruction, and the previous feeling of karmic end? He did not know, nor did he care.

The world could watch him, the world could hate him…the world would forever misunderstand him.

It didn't matter. He just…wanted to keep walking…

It was a strange feeling, this desire to continue on, even when all he had ever known was disappointment, failure and misery, and all that he could see ahead was this same damned path. However, he continued to persevere regardless, for a reason that even Yaan himself couldn't quite understand. He didn't understand it…but he wanted to. Perhaps that was why he continued to walk.

"The previous record was set by you, was it not, Rainbow Empyrean?" The Primordial Asura looked towards the teenage boy with seven-coloured hair and asked.

Yaan had been pursuing the Ruthless Inheritance for an entire year now. His pace had remained unchanged, yet it was clear that he wasn't making the least bit of progress.

"Yes…" Rainbow Empyrean nodded with a sigh. He stared at Yaan with a complex expression…he truly hated this demon for all that he had done, but secretly, in the depths of his heart, he couldn't help but admire his determination and resolve. He knew all too well just how terrifying this inheritance truly was.

The teenage boy's two junior's looked at him in surprise. They had not known this! Seeing their expression, he chuckled lightly and shook his head.

"I attempted this inheritance many years ago, back when the Spirit Plane was still a material world. Back then, I managed to climb nine steps…my dao heart nearly shattered, and it took me 170,000 years to recover. I was forced to change my heart after that experience…but as a result, I successfully completed my dao heart and became an Empyrean. This inheritance is not an inheritance, it is simply a tribulation of despair."

A tribulation of despair.

As the divinities - now numbering 31 - watched Yaan walk in silence, they all wondered the same thing. Justice Deity was the one to voice the question that nobody wanted to say aloud…

"How is this demon able to go on, despite the hopelessness of his situation? Just what could be driving such a vile individual to persevere through this level of despair?"

"I have told you before, Justice - never underestimate the resolve of the demonic path. You cannot possibly understand the resilience of heart that one must possess to stand strong and persevere, even when the world turns against them. This sort of will is something that you have never been forced to learn." Law Empyrean responded calmly.

"As the Evil God, I suppose you would know all about being hated by the world." Defiance Sovereign commented plainly.

"You-!"

"Justice, do not engage him."

Justice Deity sighed, but nodded and followed her master's instructions.

Justice Deity's question and Law Empyrean's response resonated with every divinity present. Whilst the righteous hated and disdained the self-serving nature of the demonic path, they couldn't deny one simple fact…

Yaan, this demon, was capable of something that they were not - he was able to weather the loneliness of this world, he was able to endure the pain and misery of cultivation alone.

Why was it that the righteous path prospered? There were many answers to this question, but there was one fundamental answer - the demonic path was too lonely, it was too difficult to cultivate alone in this world.

That was why old, powerful demons, would eventually join a demonic alliance, such as the Primordial Alliance, or create their own sect or clan. Eventually, the loneliness of this world would cause a sense of despair to well up within them, until they couldn't take it anymore.

There were only a few individuals who could prosper alone in this world, and those individuals understood the truth behind Law Empyrean's words even better than the rest.

Law Empyrean, Defiance Sovereign, Shi, and the Primordial Sage, all watched Yaan in silence as the others continued to discuss Yaan's plight.

The Primordial Spirit had not spoken during the past year, nor had she blinked a single time. She stared at Yaan intently, the killing intent never dissipating from her gaze, but instead growing stronger and stronger with every step that Yaan took.

Finally, with the previous conversation entering her ears, the Primordial Spirit broke her silence.

"Little demon, what exactly is your plan? You have thrown yourself into a hopeless situation, it is impossible for you to escape alive. You have been walking for an entire year, vastly surpassing all other records for this 'inheritance'…but so what? You are stuck, walking along your own despair. At this point, you are merely delaying your inevitable death. You will eventually run dry of will, your perseverance will crumble to ash. You understand all too well what it means to fail, and here, you will fail for the last time. Little demon…even if you somehow succeed and complete this inheritance, it will not save you from your fate. You have attracted the hatred of the entire world, you are a monster that has brought together righteous and demonic to wipe away your cursed existence. Give up now, heart demon…it is time for your path to end."

Yaan heard every single word spoken by everyone around him, but he showed no reaction.

Their words meant nothing to him…he no longer saw meaning in anything, other than walking up this stairway of despair.

'Why is it that I am still walking…?'

'What is it that I hope to find…?'

'Why…do I go on…?'

Years flew by, and these three questions repeatedly floated through Yaan's mind. He never found his answer, and yet, he never once considered giving up. The pain was excruciating, as if his condition was endlessly deteriorating, forever taking one step closer to a death that would never come, a release that he could not accept.

10 years…

100 years…

1,000 years…

3,000 years.

The crowd had long since fallen silent. Many of the Transcendents and immortals arrived and departed, but the divinities showed no sign of leaving. Their lives were too long, they had seen and experienced many things. They understood that the finale to this situation, here and now, would shape the future of this world. They would not leave until everything had reached its end.

Yaan looked up at the sky, but all he saw was darkness, and an endless staircase ahead of him. He knew that he had been walking for a long, long time, and it seemed that this truly was a stairway of despair, a cruel trap that had no end.

Even so, he had no choice but to go on. If he left the Ruthless Inheritance, he would without a doubt lose his life. He did not fear death, but he couldn't accept dying before finding an answer to his question…before finding an answer to his heart.

'My life has always been like this…I have always lived in confusion and uncertainty, relentlessly moving forwards without really understanding why. I was born broken, and even after cultivating for so many years, I am still just as broken as ever. It's as if this world is taunting me, as if my fate is looking down at me, telling me that I will never amount to anything, no matter how far I walk…'

'But I walk anyway. Even if it's hopeless, I want to try. But…it really might be hopeless…will I really need to try forever…?'

Yaan sighed in his mind.

'Following my path has inflicted so much suffering upon myself and everyone in this world…but suffering is inevitable, regardless of what I do. Life itself is a miserable affliction…'

'We live a life of pain, with the occasional fragment of joy thrown in to make the pain all the more agonising. We search for a solution, for something better, but that solution does not exist and there is nothing better, because suffering is the fundamental basis of life. And then, at the end of it, everything that we built up is torn away from us, making all of our efforts completely meaningless, when we are struck by the inevitable ending called 'death'. Hah…in such a world, what use is there in caring about the impact of my actions in the first place…'

'I wish…that the world wasn't this way…'

'I wish…that I wasn't this way…'

'I wish…that there was hope, in my life, and in this world…'

Yaan smiled lightly, but this smile was far too sad.

'But that isn't the world I live in, is it? There is no hope for me, nor for the world. I am fated to die in pain, if not here, then elsewhere at a later date. The world is fated to continue on, crushing all manor of life with despair…'

'I hate this world…I hate this world so, so much. And when I think about what this world could be, how life could be, how I could be, if only things were different…'

Yaan shut his eyes and sighed deeply.

He had not realised that everyone was staring at him with wide eyes.

He had not yet realised that at some point, he had stopped swearing those dao oaths, and yet…he was still climbing the Ruthless Inheritance.

'I hate this world…because I know that everything could be better. I just know that things could be so much better! I know that I…could be better…'

Suddenly, Yaan's eyes shot open.

'So then…why not? Why does everything have to be this way? Why…do I have to accept things as being this way?'

A strange gleam started to form within Yaan's dark eyes. This was a gleam, a certain aura and feeling, that he had never shown before, something that he had never felt before!

'What if…I changed everything?'

Yaan's heart trembled furiously as this thought appeared in his mind.

Suddenly, he recalled something that a certain entity had said to him long ago.

Back when Yaan died in Namuh Village, before he reincarnated onto the Spirit Plane, he met a certain entity that he could only call 'death'. Back then, death had spoken to him, saying something that he hadn't understood at all. But now, he couldn't help but recall those words…

"Oh child, you cannot die yet…"

"I know it hurts, but you still have so much left to do…"

"You are yet to discover your purpose in this world, how could you stop now?"

"This is not the end, but a new beginning…"

"For the sake of this cruel world, and for the sake of your broken self, you must live on."

For the first time in 3,000 years, Yaan completely forgot about the Ruthless Inheritance. He stopped caring about everything, as his mind was fully engrossed in his own musings. Despite this, he continued to walk upwards…

Unknowingly, Yaan started to ascend the Ruthless Inheritance. He was no longer trapped in place, as if his growing heart was pushing him upwards, towards a place that he had never imagined reachable!

'A new beginning…what if…I created a new beginning…?'

'I am broken, a demon, a monster…this world is broken, filled with despair and lacking hope. So then…why don't I change that? Why shouldn't I change that?!'

WAM!

Suddenly, the Ruthless Inheritance trembled.

It wasn't just the Ruthless Inheritance - for a moment, the entire Qi Plane shook!

Yaan was still yet to notice any of this, he was too caught up in his revelation. This revelation was something that he had been searching for his entire life, so how could he possibly care about anything else?

He didn't notice, even as the pitch black stairs of the Ruthless Inheritance…suddenly turned gold!

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that the top ten stairs of the Ruthless Inheritance had fused with ten golden stairs, a second stairway that was not black, but gold! This golden stairway emanated an aura that surpassed even the ruthless killing aura of the Ruthless Inheritance, it was an aura of tribulation, an aura of the Heavens! This was…

"The Divine Stairway!"

"The heart demon stepped onto the Divine Stairway, and whilst climbing the Ruthless Inheritance no less!"

"This…doesn't it look like the Divine Stairway has given him a path to the top of the Ruthless Inheritance…?"

"Could it be that he discovered the way to complete the Ruthless Inheritance?!"

…

The silent crowd immediately exploded into shocked chatter. All eyes watched intently as Yaan took his first step onto the black and gold stairway. Nobody knew what exactly would happen, however, they all had a certain feeling that today, they were going to witness yet another miracle…

Yaan was oblivious to it all. He took his first step onto the Divine Stairway, unaware that he had already stepped into the Transcendent Realm. However, he did not take the ordinary route onto the Divine Stairway; he was not an ordinary Transcendent Realm being.

"As expected, this is the path he chose." Defiance Sovereign smiled faintly. "This kid has attained a pseudo-complete dao heart. If he manages to overcome the Divine Stairway, then he will complete his dao heart and become the third divinity to ascend via the dao heart!"

A few gasps could be heard, but others had already noticed this and chose to watch silently.

The Transcendent Realm…

This was the transitional realm between the Immortal Step and the Divine Step, though for Yaan, it could be considered the final stage in his Transition Step cultivation, as he made his way towards the Divine Step.

Typically, an immortal would reach the Transcendent Realm after using their divine stage earthly dao comprehension to push their cultivation base past the limits of the Immortal Step. When they took this step, the Heavenly Dao would halt their progression by placing the Divine Stairway in the midst of their path. There were 9 steps in the Transcendent Realm, and reaching the 10th step signified ascension to the Divine Step.

For most immortals, they could tackle the Divine Stairway multiple times. So long as they reached a higher step compared to their last attempt, they could safely exit the Divine Stairway and try again after they had furthered their strength and dao comprehension.

But there was another path - ascension via the dao heart. Those rare immortals who managed to reach pseudo-completion of their dao heart, would also find their way onto the Divine Stairway. However, unlike other immortals, they would only have one chance. If they failed to reach the 10th stair, their dao heart would collapse and they would die on the spot! However, if they succeeded in overcoming this tribulation, their dao heart would reach completion, and they would ascend to the Divine Step via this alternative path!

Unknowingly, Yaan had stepped onto this path which had only been successfully walked twice in history; once by Defiance Sovereign, then again by the Primordial Devil!

However, Yaan was different to those two. Neither Defiance Sovereign nor the Primordial Devil comprehended the Heavenly Dao, but Yaan did. Even so, he still chose to ascend via the more difficult dao heart ascension route!

And yet, Yaan was still oblivious…or perhaps, he simply did not care.

To Yaan, his potential ascension to the Divine Step was of secondary importance, because the enlightenment into his heart itself was what he had been seeking all this time.

He might not have noticed it on a conscious level, but Yaan vaguely understood that he was undergoing a change. The countless abyssal black cracks on his Dao Soul rapidly closed up, until finally, only one small crack remained, a vertical line on his forehead between his two eyes.

With the first step, Yaan felt a crushing pressure trying to put him down. He smiled and looked up, taking in the black and gold auras, both of which wanted him dead.

These auras…felt so insignificant.

Suddenly, for no particular reason, he felt like painting.

As the world stared at him with a mixture of hatred, rage, and killing intent, Yaan took out a blank canvas, a paint brush and a palette of paint. All of these items were ordinary, mortal materials, causing people to show strange expressions. When Yaan started walking slowly, whilst simultaneously painting and speaking aloud, the confusion towards his actions only grew deeper.

The first step.

"I truly hate this world."

The second step.

"But…I want to love this world."

The third step.

"I truly hate everything that I am, and everything I have done."

The fourth step.

"But…I love the hope that I can finally see ahead of me."

The fifth step.

"This world hates me, and not one person in this world understands me. I know that going forwards, this world will continue to hate and misunderstand me."

The sixth step.

"But…that's ok. Their hatred is justified, and I won't deny that I am a genuine monster, a demon who has committed unforgivable atrocities."

The seventh step.

"I will not apologise for my actions, nor will I seek forgiveness."

The eighth step.

"I know that I am not a good person. I really am a demon through and through…"

The ninth step.

"But perhaps, a demon like me is what this world needs."

The tenth step.

Suddenly, the world froze.

Wam.

A giant hand appeared above the Ruthless Inheritance…above Yaan. The hand was above and behind him, so Yaan could not see it, but he could feel the overwhelming aura released by this hand.

Instantly, he felt like his heart was going to collapse. His mind became a blurred mess, his body showed signs of breaking down.

Everyone stared at the hand as it descended towards Yaan, frozen in place, unable to move. They could not move, but they all saw the hand descending…they all felt the hand's aura.

This hand…was terrifying.

Be it Yaan, Law Empyrean, the Primordial Sage, and everyone else present…this hand released an aura that surpassed all other auras that they had felt in their lives. Everyone was shocked senseless, unable to comprehend what was happening. It was as if the world had been forced to stop, all because of this one illusory hand.

As the hand started to curl around Yaan, showing clear killing intent towards him, Defiance Sovereign's gaze burned ferociously.

'It appeared again!' He thought to himself severely.

Whoosh…

Just as it looked like Yaan was going to be destroyed, a ripple spread out through the world.

As the ripple passed through the hand, the hand trembled. The hand was forced to uncurl, and it seemed to reverse its path, before eventually, it disappeared from the world.

As soon as the hand vanished, everything returned to normal. The frozen world continued to progress, as if the hand had never been there to begin with.

In fact, almost everyone immediately forgot about the hand, the memory was simply erased from their minds. That is…everyone aside from Defiance Sovereign.

"Peugh!" Defiance Sovereign coughed out a mouthful of blood, shocking those around him. However, he had no desire to explain himself, and instead, he stared at Yaan solemnly.

'The hand of fate appeared once again! And once again, everyone but me forgot about it…once again, only I remember…but there was something else. The hand of fate looked like it wanted to kill that kid, but why? And just what was that ripple that blocked the hand of fate? Just what is the hand of fate, which surpasses even the Gods…?'

"Defiance, what just happened?" The Primordial Sage turned towards him and asked. When she saw him suddenly sustain such an injury, she and many others realised that something must have happened, somehow without them realising it.

Defiance Sovereign stood there, covered in blood, his arms folded as he stared at Yaan intently.

"What happened? What meaning would there be in explaining it, after all…in this world, only I am defiant…"

Once again, everyone sighed at Defiance Sovereign's arrogance. They did not realise that he was not being arrogant, but merely stating a fact.

Nobody else remembered, but Defiance Sovereign remembered. The God of Defiance never forgot…he refused to ever forget. In this world, only he was defiant.

Only he was defiant…but when he looked at Yaan, his mind buzzed with possibilities.

He had witnessed the appearance of the hand of fate in each Era, but this was the first time he had seen it blocked from completing its objective like that. It was obvious that the hand of fate had tried to kill Yaan, but why did that other force of equivalent strength protect him?

Yaan was oblivious to all of this, and Defiance Sovereign knew that asking anyone about it would be pointless. Regardless, Yaan had caught his attention once again.

'This kid…it seems that there is one more to look out for. That makes five others…' Defiance Sovereign thought.

Finally, Yaan reached the 10th step.

He had reached the top of the Divine Stairway, and simultaneously completed the Ruthless Inheritance.

Yaan…had ascended to the Divine Step!

The last abyssal black crack, the last of the cracks which had plagued his Dao Soul since the moment of his birth, finally closed over.

For the first time in his life, Yaan's dao was not wracked with pain. For the first time in his life, he felt the feeling of being whole; he was finally complete!

A feeling of warmth filled Yaan's entire being. He closed his eyes and smiled, enjoying this foreign feeling. To others, this wasn't a feeling, it was simply their normal state of being…but to Yaan, this feeling of completeness was a feeling that he had never known. It was a joyous warmth that nobody but Yaan would ever be able to understand.

'I will never forget this instant, this moment, this feeling. This…is the feeling of success.'

Ignoring all else, Yaan opened his eyes, then looked at his painting and smiled.

It was a painting of himself. Back on the Spirit Plane, he had tried to paint himself so many times, but he destroyed every single painting. At the time, he told himself that he destroyed those paintings because they were meaningless, but now, he understood…it was just that he had never managed to perfect the painting.

Now, finally, the painting was perfect, reflecting how he looked in this moment.

A child with long black hair, wearing a silk red robe. His eyes lay somewhere between brown and red, and in his gaze, the vicissitudes of time reflected all the struggles that he had overcome.

For the first time, Yaan painted himself smiling. Also, in the painting, there were no abyssal cracks on his body…

He had painted himself without the abyssal cracks in the past, but now, it was actually a true representation of himself.

In the real world, the last of the abyssal black cracks had also vanished without a trace.

Finally, after struggling for so long, he was complete, his Dao Soul whole, his dao untainted!

Finally…he had fixed this part of his broken self, which had been with him ever since his birth.

For the first time in his life, in this moment, Yaan felt no pain. The feeling was freeing, as if the burden of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Yaan smiled. He didn't know how long it had been since he last smiled like this, honestly and openly. Perhaps…this was the first time that he had truly smiled in his life.

The golden and black lights beneath him fused together, before suddenly exploding into a shockwave that even pushed the divinities back by several steps. The aura of Heavenly might from the Divine Stairway slowly faded away, as did the killing aura from the Ruthless Inheritance.

As everyone else was forced to look away under the explosion of black and gold light, Yaan found himself standing face to face with a young man. He knew that this was not a real person, but the will left behind by the Ruthless Empyrean.

The man wore a black robe, his hair was long and black, and his eyes were dull, lacking all colour. Others would feel a demonic killing aura from his gaze, but to Yaan, this gaze only held sadness.

The will looked at Yaan for a few moments, before eventually smiling.

"My inheritor, you have already received all that I have to offer. Finally, someone has reached the same understanding that I did back then…that in this world, there is no such thing as a truly ruthless person."

Yaan just smiled back and didn't say anything. Seeing that he understood, the will of the Ruthless Empyrean shut his eyes, showing an expression of relief on his face.

"Maybe, if it's you, you can change this world…"

The will faded away, and by the time the other divinities had recovered and looked up, Yaan was standing alone, atop the peak of the Ruthless Inheritance, which had turned dull, losing its aura of power.

"I will. I definitely will."

Yaan turned around and looked out at the crowd. He decided that he wanted to finally address all of these people directly, who had gathered together, united under their desire to see him fall.

"Everyone, it seems that I have made you all wait…and it seems that I have finally stepped into your world. Since I have the world's attention right now, I want to take this chance to address everyone, here and now…"

The world fell silent, staring at Yaan uncertainly. Even though the pressure of the Ruthless Inheritance had vanished, and Yaan now appeared to be standing atop an ordinary but lifeless set of ten stairs, not one person made a move towards him.

The aura that Yaan released right now…was the aura of the Divine Step! Not only that, it wasn't an ordinary Divine Step aura either. His aura felt illusory, as if it was both weak and strong, making everyone unwilling to be the first to test him.

"I have decided that I am going to save this world." Yaan spoke warmly, as if addressing a group of close companions.

For a moment, everyone stared at him blankly…in the next moment, as their aggressive voices sounded out, Yaan couldn't help but chuckle.

"Save this world?! Demon, just who would believe such an obvious lie?!" Justice Deity growled hatefully.

"Little demon, I don't know what game you are playing by saying something so ridiculous, but don't think that you can undo what you have already done! You have caused too much death and destruction, nobody is going to accept you, this world will not accept you!" The Primordial Spirit ground her teeth and spat out.

"If this is your attempt at seeking forgiveness, it will not work. The lives that you have ruined are countless, the suffering that you have caused beyond quantification. Heart demon, you have brought this upon yourself - you are the enemy of the world." Law Empyrean stated this as if it was simply a fact.

…

As everyone continued to say similar things, Yaan chuckled and shook his head. He smiled, and although his smile was somewhat sad and lonely, he did not look bothered by it.

Compared to the pain of living for so many years with a broken Dao Soul, being hated by the world wasn't a big deal. This sadness, this loneliness, this desolate feeling…this was what it meant to be alive.

This flawed life was the source of his resolve.

The chatter died down and the world once again became quiet as the divinities waited for Yaan to make his move.

Yaan gently threw his painting above his head. The painting paused a few feet above him, but strangely, it was as if he was still holding it, as if this painting was a treasure connected to him. What was also strange, was that the painting could be seen clearly, no matter how far away and from what angle you stood.

"Everyone, I am quite curious…when you look at my painting, what do you see?" Yaan asked.

His question was abrupt, but as all gazes landed on the painting, the hatred directed towards him suddenly became ten times more extreme!

"This painting reflects your true nature, it is a painting of betrayal and deceit!" The Primordial Spirit glared at him, looking like she was ready to tear him apart at any moment.

"What? I agree that the painting shows the heart demon's true nature, but this is clearly a painting of the demonic path, it shows the evil and injustice in this world!" Justice Deity exclaimed, looking at the Primordial Spirit oddly.

"This painting…kid, why would you paint the Heavenly Dao? Why…does your nature so strongly resemble the Heavenly Dao?!" Defiance Sovereign suddenly started to glare at him, but as he glanced around, he realised that something was amiss…

"This is a painting of my most hated enemy! Why did you paint that person, do you know him, heart demon?!"

"A painting of life's loneliness…I really hate it…"

…

As the divinities revealed what they saw, and to their bewilderment realised that everyone saw something different, Law Empyrean's eyes widened and he actually took a step back.

"You…you are the one hated by all things in this world, the greatest demon and most hated existence in the 1st Origin Era! To think that I didn't recognise you until now…World Demon!"

As Law Empyrean exclaimed the term 'World Demon', almost everyone looked confused, not understanding what he was talking about. As for those who understood, their eyes shone deeply, but they didn't say anything.

"Law Empyrean, are you still trying to distract everyone from the fact that you are the Evil God? At this point, why bother lying, when you are even admitting that you understand the matters from the 1st Origin Era?" The Primordial Sage cut in.

Before Law Empyrean could respond, Defiance Sovereign's voice silenced them both.

"It is true that Law Empyrean is the Evil God…but it is also true that this kid is the World Demon. I can confirm this. I can also say with certainty that this kid was born in this 2nd Origin Era - this kid is the World Demon's first life."

After a moment of silence, Law Empyrean added:

"That is why you are so hated, that is why your painting shows what everyone hates the most in this world…you are the World Demon, the one responsible for bringing about the end to the 1st Origin Era! To think you would reappear in the 2nd Origin Era, World Demon. So tell me, are you also planning to destroy the world in this Era?"

Yaan wasn't entirely sure what Law Empyrean and Defiance Sovereign were talking about, but he had some clues. However, he had something to say.

Yaan stared at Law Empyrean and shook his head with a serious expression.

"You are wrong. I don't know what you think I did, or will do, but let me clarify something - I am not the World's Demon…but the World's Saviour!"

Everyone stared at Yaan dully at this point.

"Are you mocking us?"

"Are you still trying to pretend that you're turning over a new leaf, switching to the path of righteousness?"

"World Demon indeed, this little monster is truly a hateful creature…"

…

Yaan smiled and waited patiently for everyone to stop speaking. When the chatter and insults directed towards him eventually settled down, he once again looked out across the crowd.

"Everyone, please let me explain. I truly do wish to save this world, however, it is also true that I have committed countless atrocities, and I have wronged many of you. To this, I say…get over it."

Yaan's warm smile did not match his words.

Suddenly, it felt like the conversation had taken a turn. For some reason, when they looked at Yaan's warm smile, they felt a piercing killing gaze behind that smile, filled with the same resolve that had led this child to destroy the Spirit Plane, the karmic river, and then spend 3,000 years walking against his own heart…

Yaan looked at these people with a faint smile, as he spoke slowly and clearly, ensuring that they did not miss a single word.

"This world is a hateful world, filled with suffering, death and despair. I hate this world from the depths of my heart…but it doesn't have to be this way. I will save this world, no matter what it takes…and if I need to kill every single one of you…if I need to burn this world to the ground, and then rebuild everything from the ashes of your blood and screams…then so be it."

Silence descended upon the world.

Yaan had always lived his life as a demon, he wasn't about to change now. Honestly, he was good at being a demon, and he didn't know any other way to live. For the sake of a brighter world, he was willing to do whatever it took, even if he had to destroy the world and then build it back up again.

But what if he failed? What if he continued along his demonic path, causing even more pain and suffering, but then failed to create a better world in the end?

He knew that this was possible. However, the way Yaan saw it, this world was already a complete mess. What did it matter if he broke an already broken world? If there was even the slightest chance that he could actually fix this desolate world, then it was worth it, no matter the cost.

Nobody said a word when Yaan stopped and looked around. The look in his eyes, that insane, determined gleam, told them that he would do anything it took to achieve what he wanted. Almost nobody truly believed that he actually intended to do anything good…but they did not doubt his resolve to see his ambitions through to the end, no matter what.

After a long silence, Law Empyrean spoke up. As the leader of the righteous path, he felt it only right that he speak on behalf of the world.

"What you're saying is absurd. Do you actually think that you can transform this world into a utopia?"

"I do." Yaan nodded firmly.

"What a childish thing to say. Could a divinity really be so naive? It is common sense that there must be pain, suffering and despair in this world - that is simply the nature of life."

"If common sense is in my way, then I will tear down that common sense and replace it with my own." Yaan responded immediately.

"Oh? Please do enlighten me, what does the World Demon's common sense entail?" Law Empyrean asked mockingly.

"I don't have all the answers - I don't yet know exactly what a true utopia must entail. I understand that the path will be long and arduous, but I will do whatever it takes. I will attain those answers, along with the power to make my vision into a reality. In the end, I will do as we all do - seek to become stronger." Yaan openly explained his true thoughts on the matter, though he knew that in all likelihood, almost nobody would believe a word he was saying.

"What you're saying would require omniscience and omnipotence to achieve! Do you truly think so much of yourself?" Law Empyrean immediately berated him.

Yaan shook his head lightly.

"I'm nothing incredible, really. All I know, is that this world is clearly flawed…and that I am the only one willing to fix it."

Law Empyrean fell silent, but he and everyone else continued to stare at Yaan intently.

Yaan saw that many individuals were finally considering making a move against him. He decided that it was about time to wrap things up here.

"In this world, I do not hate a single person…but there are many obstacles standing in my way. I want the world to know, that I am willing to put the past and all grievances behind me for the purpose of cooperation. I also want the world to know, that if you stand in my way, no matter whom you may be - I will kill you. You can hate me all you want, however…mortal, immortal, divinity, God, or the Heavens themselves - stand in my way, and I will cut you down."

With the entire world against him right now, Yaan needed to search for allies. That said, he knew that the only people willing to side with him, might be those who shared his desire to create a better world. He hoped that by speaking honestly on the matter, his words would resonate with somebody. If not anybody here, then perhaps somewhere else in this world, someone would hear his words and believe in his objective.

After he finished speaking, Yaan took a step, reappearing directly next to the Primordial Sage. Many divinities were shocked by his extreme movement speed and hastily retreated, now eyeing Yaan with the utmost caution.

Yaan ignored everyone else and once again held up his painting.

"Sage. What do you see in my painting?"

The Primordial Sage looked at the painting for a few moments, before eventually shaking her head.

"I don't know."

Yaan gaze flashed, but he simply nodded and put the painting away.

"I see. Sage, I want to continue cooperating with you. How about you?"

"I already said before that I will side with you, Yaan. Now that you have reached the Divine Step, will you be able to enter my Sage Plane?"

"Mm, it shouldn't be a problem." Yaan nodded.

"Good."

The Primordial Sage reached out with her small hand, and gradually, a vortex to the Sage Plane started to appear. It seemed that her actions snapped several individuals from their dazes, however.

"Uncle-!"

"Stupid girl." Yaan glanced at Shi and flicked his hand, sending her flying back with an explosion of all-coloured illusory aura. Her body curved as she coughed up blood, until she ended up flying directly towards Law Empyrean and the others from the Divine Court.

Law Empyrean's eyes shone when he saw the Primordial Sage and Yaan watching the girl. He reached out with one hand, and before Shi knew what was happening, she had been captured by a net of golden power. She struggled and screamed, but no matter what she tried, she could not escape.

Yaan didn't kill Shi, because he still didn't know what the Sage intended to do with her. He glanced at the Primordial Sage, but just looking at her face, it was impossible to tell what she thought about Shi being captured.

"Little demon, don't you dare think about escaping today!" The Primordial Spirit shot towards Yaan, causing Yaan to sigh.

"Primordial Spirit, I only did what I needed to do in order to survive…is there really a need for us to be enemies?"

"You should have just died!" The woman screamed out, her aura becoming unstable as her killing intent took over her rational mind.

Yaan shook his head, before reaching up and grabbing the wooden sword.

After reaching the Divine Step, his dao had undergone a transformation, allowing his Dao Treasure to fully recover! Not only did it recover…it had grown significantly stronger.

Of course, it no longer had a treasure spirit.

Yaan slashed down at the Primordial Spirit.

Rumble…

The world started to shake as a giant tear ripped through the Qi Plane. The wooden sword projected an illusion of itself, 10,000 miles in length, that cut through the fabric of the Qi Plane, creating a massive tear in space. Yaan channeled his comprehension of the dao of destruction and dao of space through the illusory blade light, causing the crack to rapidly widen further and further.

"Damnit!" The Primordial Spirit cried out hatefully. This sort of reckless attack forced her to retreat, after all, she hadn't yet recovered even a fraction of her full strength!

Actually…she knew that she would never be able to recover her former might…

She was unwilling to let Yaan go like this, but she stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back with a pained expression, but the Primordial Asura shook her head lightly.

"Sister, please stop. He has already reached the Divine Step, becoming an Empyrean. With the Sage supporting him, there's nothing we can do right now."

The Primordial Spirit clenched her fists. She hated it, but she knew that her sister was right.

Yaan had already become someone whom they couldn't go up against carelessly.

"How did it turn out like this…how did such a monstrous being succeed, how did he reach such heights so quickly?!"

The Primordial Asura remained silent. She felt like it wouldn't be appropriate to say that she wasn't at all surprised that things had turned out this way. She had watched over Yaan for a long time, she knew him second only to the Primordial Sage. She knew what he was capable of, and she knew what he had been through to reach this point.

Yaan looked back at the world as the Primordial Sage's portal reached its full size. He watched those who were struggling to reach him, and those who cowered in the distance. He saw all their different expressions, the shock, the hatred, the unwillingness.

In the end, he turned around and stepped into the vortex, with the Primordial Sage following right behind him.

He had finally achieved his goal, the goal that he had been striving to reach for so long.

He had finally realised his purpose, and the truth within his heart.

At long last, after completing his dao heart, Yaan had found the name of his heart.

'My heart is the heart of fate. Not the fate that this world wants to impose upon me…but the fate that I will create for this world.'