道罗邪皇子 (邪神之道 B5)

857

In the end just what exactly is the supposed "Eternal?"

Is it to have the ability to exist forever without succumbing to death by escaping from the three phases of living?

Is it to possess a body that cannot be destroyed regardless of the amount of damage sustained?

The meaning of this enigmatic throne along with the ways to ascend to it varies between the four special fragments of Mo Ye Zi and all who have decided to walk on the path that will ultimately lead to it.

Having numerous paths to choose from is akin to having numerous ideas when attempting to formulate a core theory; it is no different from having no paths to take for it overwhelms the mind and forces one to question whether the path they are taking specifically is correct or not.

When doubtful of one's path it isn't a rarity for those who walk the path of the Eternal to backtrack.

Sometimes giving up on one's progress and restarting from scratch is just as common.

In the end there wasn't a person to give the individual in movement an answer to their doubts and skepticisms making ascension to the Eternal's realm of cultivation mysterious and difficult.

And yet-

[...]

A stern expression gradually forms on the Asura Monarch's face as he looks to the scroll painting that is now being assimilated with Xiao Lian's soul.

Without being an Original Monarch or something of similar status it is impossible for a person to feel the profound essence that is infused into the painting.

But even as one of the ten Original Monarchs the Asura Monarch isn't entirely confident to say that the profound essence in the painting belongs to what is considered by the myriad lifeforms as the Eternal.

(Single-mindedly believing in one's path to be the correct path and giving no hints of wanting to back down? No, it would be more appropriate to say once they've started on this path they have no choice but to walk it till the end as backing down means the collapse of everything. This is simply staking one's everything on an all-out bet and forcefully declare oneself as the Eternal without caring about what the other walkers of this path may think.)

Those who walk the path of the Eternal are constantly bombarded with doubts for the act of taking a single step forward must be carefully thought out.

Each step big or small are always strenuously assessed before one can confidently set their foot forward as new questions of doubt would form in their heart the moment their foot lands.

That being the case even when one step seems like a major breakthrough the rewards are never what the pursuers are coveting.

This is very much akin to working under a contract of benefits but the benefits are never fulfilled by the opposing side.

If one step isn't enough then two steps and if two steps aren't enough a hundred or a thousand more steps.

It's easy to have this "effort equals rewards" thought in mind when working towards the Eternal but for how long will one be able to maintain this optimism?

Endlessly walking without a destination in sight is very much similar to wandering through a world of darkness that has not a single ray of light to guide one's direction.

Over time this arduous journey will slowly and despairingly whittle down the mind of the individual.

If the walkers of the Eternal's path can be compared to weapons then they would be blades of peerless craftsmanship while the Eternal's path can be compared to a hellish grind stone.

This grind stone is meant to gradually dull the blade's sharpness and luster until the entirety of the blade snaps in half.

It's a cruel thought to imagine and even crueler for it to happen but this is something that all pursuers of the Eternal's throne will and have to experience.

[How long will you be able to maintain this mindset?]

Voicing this question and turning his gaze away from the courtyard's direction the Asura Monarch looks to the human practitioner with sternness.

There was no doubt in the Asura Monarch's mind that Ye Gui Feng has already understood what the Eternal's path is like.

Otherwise how would he have created that scroll painting?

[...]

Hua Luo knew that the question wasn't directed at him and voluntarily shifts the command of this body over to Ye Gui Feng.

[...]

Inhaling a breath of air Ye Gui Feng answers-

[Whether or not there's infinite paths to take to get to the Eternal I don't care. Whether or not my answer is right I also don't care. It doesn't matter if my answer isn't right. There's nothing complicated about it. No one can tell me my answer is wrong so long as I believe it to be the correct path to take. After all my heart isn't big enough to shelter numerous worlds; it might as well be the size of a rice grain. All this heart can hope to shelter is a tiny courtyard and all who can fit in it. The rest of the worlds out there might as well go to hell.]

Without any hesitation Ye Gui Feng gives his selfish answer with honesty.

If being a great ruler means having the heart to accept numerous people under their protective wings then it goes without saying that not everyone is able to be a great ruler.

But did that matter?

In the end humans are selfish creatures who act for the benefits of themselves and those close to them.