River Cross Cultivator

(Before you continue! Please read! Chapter 1 - 4 and almost more than half 5 can be considered the prologue to the main story, just the events that led up to the actual start. Please skip to Chapter 5 if you are uninterested in the details, Chapter 5 is the introduction of the Asura System - no major plot points are included within the next 4 chapters apart from names. Thanks for reading!)

The Library of Immortals, a dimension dedicated solely to the collection and storage of knowledge from every dimensional plane - no matter how obscure or hidden.

Guarded by the Immortal Remnants of the many beings collected within, the library also has another name; the path to true immortality.

"Yue!" Lying on a coarse wood bed, the covers in disarray and the faintest glimpses of sun coming through the rooms blinds.

"Ughh, leave me alone Rai - five more minutes, please..." With that he turned back over and closed his eyes - drifting back into the dream world. "Yue, get the hell up - every morning with you! The new books are here!" "Bang" The wooden door of the room slammed shut, it took less than a second for the once sleeping figure to race out the room and towards the main hall.

"When did they get in?" Making use of his psychic connection he questioned while rushing down the stone stairs, "About ten minutes ago? The Gate Keeper just left the box here and told us to sort through them." Picking up his pace Yue ran, his figure blending in and out of reality - diving between the shadows of the buildings, it didn't take long for him to reappear in the Main Hall, his figure rising next to a neatly piled stack of books.

"What are we dealing with today then?" Scanning over the stacked piles, his appearance was unrecognizable from just minutes before, neat - combed hair; white robes, his face of pale health for lack of a tan. "Immortals of Light and Dark, from one of the warring dimensions - specifically the White Robed King and the Sovereign of the Abyss are among this pile, so be careful this time!"

With a sly grin Yue rushed to the nearest pile and began reading - both himself and Rai held the jobs of Librarians, however unlike the libraries of mortals they instead had to read and catalog each book specifically according to the power held by the Immortal Remnant within it.

Picking up the nearest book to him, a dusted cover - an aged binder itself. "The River Cross Cultivator." He opened the book and delved in mentally, the books that contain the remnants of cultivators were special indeed - they had no need for words, but conveyed the feelings; emotions and experiences sometimes even a part of their cultivation.

"My story is a short one," An aged voice rang out within Yue's mind. "I was the Emperor of River Cross, born into royalty and rising to power by killing my own siblings." The scene in his mind changed - he was suddenly in the Chambers of River Cross, he had no need for words to tell him he was right - it was just there, in his mind.

"I admit Brother, I hadn't seen this coming - we both knew that to rise to the throne one of us had to take the lower standing, yet I never thought you would resort to killing me while I lay here ill; I truly misjudged you... truly."

Tears ran down the face of a young boy, his face pale from an illness he had from the age of nine - now 15 and approaching the age where he could ascend to the throne, his older brother had ran out of patience and took the initiative, the boy being the past self of the River Cross Cultivator, 'Such a shame, mortal empires are usually of such biased traditions..' Shaking his head Yue stood as a bystander to the happenings around him, watching like one would watch a play or movie - with interest yet made no movements to interfere, as this was only a memory.

"Little Brother, you don't know the pain in which you've caused me to be in! Do you?!" With a maniacal look on his face, he laid eyes on his younger brother - spouting nonsensical words due to the fate of his birth. "I'm the eldest and yet you're the Crown Prince?! Father was blind upon your birth - the Dragon Mirage at your birth was nothing but a farce you're simply a cripple! Oh how I've waited, waited for you to die - yet you couldn't even do that could you?" With a chuckle, he drew a dagger from it's sheath on his belt, "Don't worry - this'll be painless, Father will have no choice but to raise me to the Throne after the loss of one of his only two sons!" With a vicious grin, he pounced like a lion on his pray.

"I'm sorry..." River Cross muttered, then as if time had stopped - his older brother had frozen, a look of horror across his face. "Y...o....u..." With his throat cut he could only release three simple letters before his warm corpse hit the ground. A look of sorrow remained on his face, "I'm truly sorry Brother, if only it hadn't come to this! I promise I will rise this empire to power and ensure you're remembered - had your own greed not clouded your judgement, maybe we would both stand to witness it.." With another look at the corpse now on his floor - blood streamed like rivers across his bedroom floor. "My people will rise as I rise! This is a promise I make to the Nine Heavens above and Ten Hells below!" A crack of thunder flashed across the sky - the heavens themselves acknowledged the promise he had made today, should he ever cross himself may he be punished eternally! "Rivers of blood will reign at my feet, they will flow and fall - I shall cross unfettered, I will take the initiative and cross these rivers before me - no matter the dangers or thoughts of others, my name... MY TRUE NAME! IS RIVER CROSS." With this shout the scene went dark..

Yue looked with interest, he had seen many cultivators who had named themselves nonsensically or without thought - their true names being binding and never changing, yet this is the first to have realized their "Name" at such a young age. True names held power... With a quick mental note he marked down River Cross as a Dimensional Genius with unparalleled talent in cultivation. The notes he made would effect where this book would later be placed in the Library and the power the Immortal within would retain.

"My story was a troublesome one, as a young boy I realized the importance of holding a name for myself - yet I was stupid, I was unafraid and brazenly used my True Name with no regards to the consequences.. this would soon be my undoing - as I learnt many years later upon having united every country in my own Dimension, I looked outwards towards the stars for more of a challenge, failing to notice the threat that sat as my equal... My dearest wife..." A hint of sorry was in the aged voice - with a sigh Yue willed the book to continue, it was his responsibility to review both the start and end of the cultivators story, to prevent him judging them based on their actions during their life and only based on how they started their lives as cultivators and ended them.

"Dearest, please you need rest!" With a flash the scene focused on the throne room of the empire, River Cross sat crossed legged on the throne in the center of the room, his eyes closed in meditation. With a smile he opened them and glanced at the woman besides him - his wife; the woman that he would sacrifice all that he had built for... "Hahah - I do need the rest, but some matters cannot waste; my avatars are in the Irsa and Plia dimensions currently conversing with the rulers, if we can establish a dimensional alliance we can look towards the bigger problems like the encroaching invasion of the Osiris Universe." At the side of the room Yue watched, nodding his head at River Cross's words, a Universe was a big problem for the dimensions - they were formed by multiple dimensions being merged together - by absorbing more dimensions they could continue to grow. It was only natural for smaller Dimensions to forge alliances and merge together to create a denser amount of Energy in the atmosphere to develop more geniuses.

"As you wish Dear, I'll be waiting in our bed chamber." As she bowed she retreated through asset of heavy doors at the side of the room - what Yue had noticed which River Cross hadn't however was the grin on his Wife's face as she left - not one of happiness or pride.. but of insanity, the type of grin one would usually see upon the face of a murderer who relished in their kills - Yue was confused at this, how did River Cross, the Dimensions Ruler, not notice something wrong with his own wife; better yet she was much weaker than him by four whole realms. 'Interesting... Looks like some rulers were plotting against you...' With a grin at how the story was unfolding he looked on unmoved by the scenes before him - unfettered by the conclusion which was close to come..."

As quickly as it left, another scene replaced it - Yue found himself in the same throne room, the only difference being the giant hand ripping off its roof. "Kalias I never thought you would betray me! Why do this?! The Universe is close to our dimensions and wants to consume us! Why weaken yourselves by one Ruler by attacking! Lia will never accept this!"

"That is where you are wrong... my friend." A melodious voice drifted from the sky, a dazzling beauty descended from the sky and stood opposite River Cross - "You see, we have chosen to merge with this universe, at least then we have been promised to retain our positions as Rulers, we knew however that you would never accept this and despite us being of the same realm you could take both of us down easily." She smiled, her brilliance making any man who saw her want to collapse and acknowledge her beauty.

With a smile, River Cross stared back at his two former friends - one only being here as a friend of course however he assumed this was just a precaution should they both be destroyed in battle. "You two still don't dare face me even now, even you Lia are only an Avatar! and Kalias you coward, only sending a hand! Why reveal yourselves now? I can still easily kill you both and merge our dimensions."

"That, is where you are wrong my dear... friend. You see - you won't be living past the next minute." With a click of her fingers Lia stared at the space behind him.

In a swift motion River Cross turned only to see his Wife run him through with Dagger. "You see, despite us knowing your true name we could never harm you, when we contacted the universe we requested a Godshed Dagger specifically to deal with you - you should feel honored! It took us a century worth of cultivation each to enchant it with the abilities to kill you internally by using your true name." With a vicious grin she watched as he collapsed to the floor - words wanting to come from his lips but none rising. In another Dimension, a being watched as his former friend died.. "I'm sorry.. but this is the only way to ensure survival for all our people." With a sigh the mental connection to the giant hand disappeared and he sat back in a wooden chair overlooking a lake crimson lake.

With that the scene turned black, the story at its end. "Hahah, you must think me pitiful Keeper - my life ended by the woman I loved the most." Yue faintly shook his head, 'You do not know how many men I have seen before you fall to the same reason, you however are the only one to not notice it beforehand. It's a shame' "Yes, I guess it is. I had always thought this place was a myth, but when my soul was forced into a blank book I realized I was foolish in that belief, thank you Keeper for watching my final moments without a trace of arrogance, I didn't know what to expect when my story began but I now know how it'll end. As a gift I want you to take my cultivation - all of it that remains.'

With that the mental link was broken, Yue was there in the main hall crossed legs - closing his eyes he looked at the energy flowing into him - his already high cultivation rising slightly. With a grin, he marked the book to its rightful place in the library. "Section: Emperors, An Emperors Rise to power and fall because of love - writing a brief description he also added 'Should not be viewed unless realm reaches that of a Dimensional Ruler or above.'

With a sigh he threw the book behind him, the library would sort the placing from there. Looking at the vast pile still next to him, he sighed and picked up the next