Though he'd spent epochs in the Firmament, Regretless had no knowledge of an existence named Shadow. But following Celestial Slaughter's words, that existence should stand as the true core of the Firmament, and the last barrier between Konrad and the eternal crown.
But for what reason would it deny him? After all, although according to Celestial Slaughter, he could never complete his final step, Konrad possessed Firmament Bridge, Physiques and Bloodline. There was nothing missing in the equation. That being the case, it wasn't Shadow that'd reject him, but Konrad that'd willingly forsake the crown.
"Why?"
Regretless couldn't help but ask. After all, all Konrad did led to this point.
"Naturally because he's unfilial. If he'd listen to his father's teachings, the crown would be his. Alas, he does not. Opponents like Konrad are fascinating. Always a step away from victory, but doomed to cut their own legs."
Celestial Slaughter began before casting his gaze to the ongoing battle.
"If the Omniverse is the Earth, the Firmament is the Heaven. There is one Earth, one Heaven, myriads of mortals, some greater than the others, but only One True God. God regulates the world from the confines of Heaven, never taking a direct stance in the mortals' conflicts. As long as they do not directly challenge its plans, God will not care for them.
To God, birth, death, love, pain, anguish, forgiveness, retribution, primal instincts, all are part of a cycle, a grand wheel in the machinery of life. To God, there is nothing special about sentient beings. The ability to love, to care, to question, doesn't make them any more special than the little ant carrying 50 times its weight back to the colony.
In this analogy, Shadow is God, the pair of eyes watching this machinery in silence after setting it in motion. It has simple rules. Don't break the rules and Shadow will never interfere. The first rule is the simplest:
All things must die!
Let's not even mention the cost of wielding the crown. With that rule alone, does Konrad dare grasp it?"
Celestial Slaughter rhetorically asked. Back when its consciousness still supervised the Firmament, the Dharma Lord had been by Shadow's side, receiving its guidance. Therefore, he knew things no one else did. For that reason, Celestial Slaughter didn't fear Konrad laying hands on the crown. His emotions would not allow it.
…
Meanwhile, Konrad verified in Shadow's appearance a truth he'd already guessed.
"Is the Firmament Throne just a lure? A false tool you used to lure me – or whoever succeeded in fulfilling the requirements – into awakening you?"
Konrad inquired. Indeed, he'd long since hypothesized that there was no such thing as the Firmament Throne. But that instead, an Almighty force hid in its core, guiding potential candidates toward its resting place. And clearly, he was right.
"Yes and no. The Firmament Throne is the missing part of your bridge. That one thing without which you can never form the final step of your cultivation base: Me."
Shadow began in that cold, deadpan tone carrying not the tiniest bit of emotions.
"Without that part, you will forever remain incomplete, always under threat of someone rising to surpass you. Therefore, you will seek it, you will seek me. And here you are. Thanks to you, my dormant consciousness awoke. The only one aware of this truth is the man you call Dharma Lord.
Though, with the fading of his consciousness, I suppose that Talroth is the only one remaining."
Shadow's acknowledgment seemed to produce no reaction from Konrad's cold gaze. His eyes remained lowered at Shadow's, and between their inexpressive standoff, a suffocating tension brewed.
Undisturbed, Shadow pursued.
"I know what you're thinking. 'Why?' The answer is simple. I cannot maintain my consciousness for long without a body. Without a body, my strength is not only limited, but I also must fall into torpor and let the Omniverse run its course. That's the rule. But once you and I unite, body and spirit become one.
The Omniverse can finally return to the right path. Accept me, and henceforth, you are the One True Sovereign, all things in the past, present and future shall obey your will. But in exchange for that power, you must surrender what makes you vile. What makes you stained, corrupt and vulgar: your emotional spectrum."
Shadow declared with his hands crossed behind its back. But before he could carry on, Konrad broke into an involuntary chuckle.
"Did I say something funny?"
It was the same deadpan voice, showing no emotion. In fact, Shadow didn't have any. In its eyes emotions were mortal flaws.
"I couldn't help it. I am the founder of diabolism, the ancestor of all devils, the Profane Prince — and my emotional spectrum is the one thing you find vile in me?"
Konrad quipped, amused by Shadow's view. However, the creature's standpoint remained unchanged.
"Naturally. Emotions and desires are mortal vulgarities, useful only to breed and curb lives. Because of them, civilizations rise, because of them, they also fall. For those reasons, only a Bridge that controls the heart and baselessness of all beings can reach the Firmament level.
Talroth, or Celestial Slaughter as you call him, could have created a Firmament Bridge too but didn't because he knew his bridge would have to crush yours, and had no confidence in success.
However, because he is heartless, void of emotions and driven by the Conqueror's Will, your Bridge cannot affect him."
Shadow reasoned, reminding Konrad that without its aid, taking down Celestial Slaughter for good, was a daunting task. Still, Konrad didn't bite.
"What else? What other rules are there?"
Konrad asked, knowing that there was more to come.
"Nothing much, really. Once you obtain the right of eternal sovereignty, all immortals across the omniverse shall become mortal. From those with eternal lifespan to the indestructible, from the indestructible to the ones with eternal reincarnation, all shall fall to mortality, never again claiming the seat that does not belong to them.
All things must die, immortals threaten the balance of the omniverse, the balance of the machinery, their existence ought to be removed. The roads to Supremacy, the roads of cultivation…will also vanish."
Alongside those startling words, shadow swept its right hand, causing a fluctuation of images to appear before Konrad. In the new world order sentient mortals would struggle to live beyond a century. But every step forward would be rewarded with more pain and anguish. Yet, they'd keep trying.
The current immortals would vanish into dust, erased by the Firmament Sovereign's Will, leaving Konrad alone, to observe the world like an overseer. The images vanished, and Shadow stretched out its left hand, making a kaleidoscopic crown appear within and float toward Konrad.
"Did your brain get stomped by a stampede or rampaging bulls? In what world do you see my Profane Self rejecting the delights of existence and the company of my beloved to become a bearded old man shackled by himself?
What a joke, I might as well pursue Nothingness Insight."
Konrad sneered. Though he had no intention to pursue Nothingness, if this was all Shadow had to offer, the result was indeed not much different. However, unfazed by the insults, Shadow shook its head.
"You can't. From the moment you formed your bridge, you inwardly rejected Nothingness Insight. Without doing so, how could you ever build that specific bridge? You don't have what it takes to pursue Nothingness.
But here, you don't need to struggle. You don't need to sit in meditation, trying to crush barriers whose roots you cannot grasp. You just need to say yes.
But make no mistake, the one you call Celestial Slaughter has been playing you from the start. If you reject me, you die. I will enter torpor, awaiting your demise and the rise of a new candidate to fulfill my will."
Shadow claimed, and as if echoing its words, the crown shone in resplendent light.
Regardless of the cost, this was the crown of eternal sovereignty, the final aspiration of all that sought supremacy. Who would reject all it entailed, the right to weave life and death, just for those base and low sentiments? Shadow couldn't fathom it.
Konrad turned heels and left, leaving Shadow behind, without a single word. For a second, Shadow blinked, wondering if its flawless sight suffered some mortal malfunction.
No, it didn't.
He was truly gone!
