Scions of Heaven - Calamity

Chapter 14

"Since heaven and earth were created, there has been no catastrophe that endangers the lives of everything in the four seas and eight wildernesses. If that day comes, it will then be the day that I die." - Dong Hua (Pillow Book, TV series, episode 33.)

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Heavenly Realm, Kunlun - early morning.

Second day since Fengjiu died.

Mo Yuan—--------------------------------------------------

Dong Hua's words 'the task of killing me' were still echoing in the room as the man continued to speak.

"I had not thought that the greatest threat to the realms since your parents and I fought in the chaotic era would be myself, the irony is palpable." Dong Hua noted wryly.

"As things are now, I pose the greatest threat to the continued existence of the universe, and reality itself. This needs to be corrected." Dong Hua stated.

"I can unravel the fabric of reality and shatter the very anchor of order and meaning in the universe, reverting everything back into formless chaos."

Dong Hua rarely spoke so much, or in such a detailed manner. This was the closest thing Mo Yuan had seen to something that might be described as 'hurried'. Mo Yuan would not waste time asking things such as how or why.

"What do you need me to do?" Mo Yuan asked.

"Learn," Dong Hua replied, then paused for a moment before elaborating, "I will teach you how to kill me properly; Once I am gone, there will be no possibility of any further universe ending calamities."

Dong Hua paused for a moment to sip his tea, he was clearly unused to speaking so much. After a few moments Dong Hua continued.

"Fortunately you already have unconscious knowledge of some elements. Teaching you enough to destroy the foundation of my soul and existence should take no more than six months. Deeper understanding should take only ten thousand, perhaps thirty thousand years. I do not expect it to be a linear process, it has never been taught before. There will be steps and understandings that will need you to rest and meditate on them for large amounts of time, else there is a danger you might...unravel." Dong Hua finished speaking after pausing a brief moment to try and find the right word to explain the danger.

"Unravel?", Mo Yuan queried.

"You'd die, after a fashion," Dong Hua elaborated, "Your soul and energies would lose cohesion and join the energies of the world, existing until existence itself ceases, unable to return to nothingness or join the wheel of dharma."

"A lamentable fate." Mo Yuan noted.

Such a fate would be worse than simply dying, at least with true death there was hope for a different existence in the future.

Dong Hua 'mhm'd in agreement, then continued speaking, "I will first focus on the areas and techniques that will allow you to kill me, the rest can come later. If fate permits, I will teach you the deeper knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of reality, the universe, the Threads of Creation and the Pillars of Heaven."

The words 'Threads of Creation' held no meaning for Mo Yuan, but he knew of the Pillars of Heaven. His mother's sickness, weakness and miscarriage of Mo Yuan's younger twin brother Ye Hua and her early death had been a result of holding up and then repairing the Pillars after all.

"If this seal breaks within a year, there is a respectable chance I will retain my sanity and reason. Any longer than that then it is likely I will emerge without either. Should that occur, it will fall to you to do a respectable job of permanently annihilating my soul before I destroy all of creation." Dong Hua said, seemingly unconcerned at this potential eventuality occurring.