Records of the Nine Heavens

Third Excerpt: "The Endless Slaughter"

The Endless Slaughter!

Consensus has it, that most of all the greatest existences that ever lived rose to prominence during this period, only to fall amidst the nonstop war and slaughter.

And very much like those few that we have reliable sources on from witnesses and records, there is an untold amount more who are lost to time. Countless other Primordial Beasts who rose across the millions of years of the war, but simply died; mere moths, drawn to the flame of ambition.

Countless stragglers, hanging on to dear life, onto a rotting boat caught in a never-ending rapid. The purest law of nature. The cycle of struggle, victory and defeat.

The Law, of the strong as mere stepping stones for the stronger, had held steadfast for those countless, millions of years.

That is, until, the undisputable Strongest came.

Other moniker/s: "Jade Emperor", "Him", "The Circle encompassing All".

Out of nowhere, a young boy with red eyes and an inexplicable mark on his forehead joined the bloodiest war.

A single triangle was inscribed into a square, and that same square was inscribed into a circle: extremely mysterious, holding countless mysteries within, this strange mark was right between his eyebrows.

It represented the Underworld below the Earth and the Heavens above them both. The Heavens above all.

A single finger was all it took for Him to separate the True Heavens from the True Earth, and the True Earth from the Underworld.

Following unknown laws of cause and effect, the scission of the True caused the countless Heavens and Earths to separate as well. A single finger shaped the lands of countless planes.

Many people in the future would claim to have witnessed the power of that single attack: the versions, as such, vary, and greatly so.

Many records speak of an extremely dazzling finger, filled with the might to destroy everything that it faced.

Even more witnesses describe an extremely casual pointing of his one index finger; simple, unfathomable. Yet, it contained such wisdom about the world that it was able to exterminate any resistance the Underworld, the True Earth, and the True Heavens offered, and as such, they all couldn't help but follow.

His unimaginable power, the visible rift that had now appeared between the Underworld, the True Heavens and the True Earth, an insurmountable chasm that couldn't be mended back together: it marked the end of all conflict as countless existences belatedly held their breath.

The red-eyed youth thus lifted his head, his voice reaching each and every being in any plane and every corner of any and all worlds:

"You all slaughter each other, bewitching yourselves into believing that power is the answer, and that slaughter is the key to having more. Now, you have all witnessed my power, and it is out of your reach, even given an eternity. I am that answer of that spilt blood. Despair! Fear! Hate! Be relieved! To bring an End, and to guide you all as we experience an eternal epilogue together. This is what I, Hundredth Xū, have come to be in this world for!"

Hearing that voice that spread throughout the Planes, the four reclusive Primordial Emperors soon reappeared into the world and famously acknowledged the power of the newcomer as being:

"The belief that moves the Qi; the Qi that moves the world; the world that that is but a gullible dreamer."

"Insurmountable, perfect; a true body in the face of our illusion. To this world, He has truly reached the apex, whereas to Him, this world is but a daydream."

"Let Your wishes be known, oh Lord. The Square shall serve the one Circle."

And not too long afterwards, King Yama similarly emerged before the countless existences for the first time in a long while. For most, this would be the first they saw of the lone king. He wore a pitch-black ceremonial dress, with a diadem of shadows concealing his features. His strikingly long, white hair fluttered behind him like a cape, whereas his pupils had darker than night triangles hidden in the black.

Like so, the lone King bowed before the youth and expressed his subservience:

"The Gates of Hell speak of a world where countless resentful spirits can finally be put to rest as they follow the new Law indicted by Your one finger. The Separation shall forever be remembered as a new beginning, a peace amongst the living and the dead."

"The Underworld opens to You, and Your will. The Triangle beneath the Square shall serve the one Circle."

This was how the Four, the Fifth, and the One had their first meeting.

After Yama returned to the Underworld, the Four helped give guidance to this youth who would later grow up to become none other than the Jade Emperor.

He would gain their respect and friendship, becoming closer than family: soon, they became companions in the Dao. Such bond is to this day viewed as the closest connection between cultivators, and especially so the Primordials who were blessed with especially long life, virtually impervious to age as they were. Far more precious than even family bonds or love, it was a dedication to eternity, a union in spirit and their eternal paths.

His descendants that would one day come to be by His Word, who are today acknowledged as the forefathers to Humanity and are commonly referred to as the Ancients, would soon populate the lands. Together with them, countless more of the Primordials and their kin would descend to the many Earths to procreate. With their efforts and the passage of time, the scarred, barren lands would soon come to bear life, as many different races came and prospered.

Excerpt from the work: Records of the Nine Heavens

Author: Unknown