Yuto paused for a moment, trying to release the tension gripping his heart after seeing the writing filled with old and chilling memories.
Heavenly Demon. A figure depicted as the pinnacle of strength on the land.
He is a man who defies the destiny of heaven, full of condemnation and dread.
In the stories he often read, those who tread this path usually end tragically, betrayed, dying miserably, or isolated.
Yuto guessed that the skeleton in front of him fell into the isolated category, exiling himself to a foreign land.
His eyes glanced at the other two books, picking them up while uttering small 'thanks'.
"This!?"
The second book he saw read was Daily Records.
"Diary?"
Yuto scratched the back of his head, slightly hesitant to read someone's diary. However, the scales in his heart tipped in favour of his curiosity.
He leaned against the worn wall, sitting in a corner that somehow felt quite comfortable with the smell of old wood and ancient paper in his hand.
His body stiffened upon seeing the first sentence, written in bold letters with ink that smelled tangy like blood.
"..."
He swallowed hard, trying to wet his dry throat.
***
~ Last entry. 23rd year after exile.
...Today, I failed to find peace in my sleep.
Whether it was because of the internal wounds that kept gnawing at my body like a vicious parasite, or the bitter memories that kept haunting me in endless regrets.
Why didn't I choose that path back then?
...
...For decades, I've lived in this foreign land. Alone, in the silent wilderness, full of tranquillity.
Unlike the lands that call my name in: Fear.
...I've learned a lot here, even about language.
This place feels like a cultivator's paradise, with abundant resources and no competitors.
Everything can be obtained easily—even a way to heal my wounds.
However, I chose to remain silent and let fate take its course. Or perhaps, in my deepest heart, I had given up on everything.
This might sound absurd for someone who once feared across the land.
But I still remember that time, the day when the heavens turned against me, sending many envoys to hunt me down.
How dare you betray me!
I believed in heaven and fought for it.
For centuries, I have fought to maintain the world's order and protect humanity in the shadows.
And the reward was rejection.
Damn you, world!
...Sorry, my bad habits resurfaced.
To whoever finds this record, perhaps our destiny is tied by invisible threads.
I have only one message for you: Do not repeat after me! Seek true freedom.
The legacy I left behind may help you to live your life.
You might hit a wall, walk on a mountain path full of swords, but believe in your potential and persevere.
Because humans can split the heavens if they are brave enough and dare to fight against it.
~
***
Yuto's vision blurred after reading the last fragments left by the man in front of him.
The heartfelt words resonated with Yuto's soul.
He began to recall his past, the years he was tortured and bullied by those losers. It was nothing compared to the man who was now a forgotten bone.
Yuto adjusted his sitting posture before he bowed. His forehead touched the floor.
"Thank you, senior. May you rest in peace, and let me inherit your will."
He remained bowed for a few seconds before standing up, giving his final respects. Then, with a heavy heart, he stepped outside to cool his overflowing emotions.
Raising his face upwards, Yuto saw the sun beginning to shift westward, emitting beautiful orange rays.
The wind blew gently, bringing a glimmer of sweet memories from his previous life.
Whenever he was involved in turmoil, Yuto chose to withdraw into solitude, embracing his surroundings.
"I think that's enough for the sentimentals!"
Yuto stepped forward and stood upright on the wild grass that touched his heels.
The smell of damp soil and the rustling of leaves calmed his chaotic mind as he picked up the book titled Heavenly Demonic Path.
Without hesitation, he immediately took a deep breath, channelling Qi energy throughout his body, including his head.
Yuto read every line, which contains basic knowledge about cultivation, ranks, and breathing techniques.
All explained in detail.
His eyes moved tirelessly through the lines, burning every letter into his brain. He loudly closed the book, then fell to the ground and sat cross-legged.
In a state of focus, Yuto closed his eyes, recalling all the teachings he had absorbed.
'The Heavenly Demon path is rooted in the user's deepest emotions, however…'
Even though the technique was already powerful, capable of giving birth to the strongest entities, according to Yuto, there was still a slight flaw that needed to be addressed, particularly concerning emotions.
Because the more a cultivator relied on their emotions. The more it could slowly erode them from within.
Extinguishing the flame of life that was the very essence of being human.
'...There must be something to balance it. Should I say, it's ego…'
Yuto took a deep breath, inhaling raw Qi energy from the atmosphere.
His consciousness was immediately drawn by an invisible hand. Within the darkness, he felt an unseen power linger before him.
His consciousness locked on the book in front of him, which emitted a thick red energy, like blood.
He steeled his heart. Reaching for the book, he used his residual Qi, which connected to form a line.
Then, the book floated, flapping every page until it shot a thick red aura into his body.
The boy flinched, feeling a searing energy like molten iron coursing through his major meridians.
'This is bad!'
"Aakh, aaaah!"
Yuto's screams echoed in the place, expressing the excruciating pain that devoured his consciousness.
Two powers within him clashed—a serene sky-blue aura, fighting against a thick red aura full of primal ferocity.
He gritted his teeth, hearing his bones crack ominously, followed by the flesh that began to tear, grated on his ears.
'...Kuh! T-This is impossible!'
Blood flowed from his mouth and nose.
The two rampaging auras in his body incinerated everything like two suns that could not co-exist in one galactic order.
His consciousness drifted further away, making him almost give up as he stood in the abyss, staring back at him with absolute darkness.
But from that darkness, a faint light flickered like a beacon. It turned massive, projecting the boy's deepest memories.
Memories of a boy named Yuto who continuously fought injustice, despite it ending miserably.
Then Elias, a child abandoned by his loved one, could only die alone without anyone noticing.
These two memories merged into one, swirling into a mighty vortex that sucked both auras in his body.
There was resistance, but a strong will driven by a thirst for defiance broke the two clashing vessels apart.
'...B-Break!'
Shouting in his heart, Yuto saw the two suns calmly rotating in his lower abdomen.
His power structure transformed, becoming a Milky Way ocean with a large vortex that tamed the two colliding forces into submission.
The two auras within him circulated two different Qis: Red heat that forged the meridians and flesh in his body, and Cold blue that repaired and strengthened his body's composition, raising him to a higher level.
Yuto's body stiffened while he coughed up thick blood, the result of the clashes that almost killed him from within.
His brow furrowed, finding that several small meridians had opened and his aura had become dense.
He exhaled a black mist, a leftover impurity in his body.
"Did I succeed?"
Opening his eyes, his blue pupils turned blood red. Unaware that the sky had already turned dark.
Looking at the hands, his body emitted a thick aura, a chaotic mix of red and blue.
Yuto felt the planet was in the palm of his hand.
"..."
The sound of paper rustling attracted his attention, and Yuto grabbed the book, which had become empty; there was nothing there but blank pages.
His mind began to recall the grim fragments of the unfortunate man behind.
Staring at the sky, Yuto's red eyes burned with courage.
"If you think this path is deviant and wrong. I am not afraid!"
Yuto took a deep breath and uttered words that made the entire universe aware of his existence.
"Because, I am the Heavenly Demon."
A gust of wind blew, swallowing his words, which seemed like a promise to the world that the bringer of disaster or saviour had risen.