Angel Of Peace
Gandhi went on to bring peace across the Profound Sky Continent, nuking countless cities and even entire nations. His drastic measures soon attracted the attention of the Great Sacred Grounds... but it was already too late by that point. He had become an entity that surpassed them all through Peace. Before long, he even advanced onto the Supreme Ocean Palace after bringing peace to the Navy Tide Nation.
He sent a nuke straight towards the Supreme Ocean Palace, expecting it to explode and leave no trace. Alas, a powerful formation was erected... leading to the explosion only affecting the outside. The barrier, however, did take quite the hit.
"What will you do about the second?"
From the Gate of Peace, a nuke like no other emerged to redeem the first. Peace could only be denied so many times, after all.
BOOOOOOM.
The formation blew into smithereens, leading to the explosion seeping into the Supreme Ocean Palace. However, it was no simple nuke. An enormous amount of salt fell onto the Sacred Ground, turning all who were unfortunate enough to be touched by it into still statues. Gandhi then descended upon the ground himself... wielding the Sword of Peace and newly formed Rifle of Peace in the other hand. It resembled a musket in both appearance and usage, usually shooting one bullet per round. This bullet, however, had the Power of Peace condensed into it.
Gandhi knew that Sacred Grounds had plenty of valuables... so he did not rush to destroy everything immediately.
"Who is this... monster?"
Slash.
BANG.
Gandhi was soon surrounded by the countless remaining survivors, leaving him with quite the predicament. Then, an explosion from the other side of the Sacred Ground sounded. A mad man flew from one side from the other, killing anything in his path. He ceased right next to Gandhi, resting his giant sword on his shoulders.
"How could I, the Champion of Peace, let you fight this battle alone?" Yun Che questioned, taking the Divine Prophet's side.
"It is good that you are here." Gandhi acknowledged, smiling slightly. "I will spread the gospel as you fight."
"That's fine by me!" Yun Che stepped forward, forming a barrier around Gandhi. "Not a single one of them will lay a finger on you, you have my word."
"I am not as frail as I look." Gandhi chuckled. "People of the Supreme Ocean Palace, embrace the concept of Peace! Abandon your greed, your power and give everything to True Peace. I thod Universe, here is no greater purpose... nothing more gratifying than serving peace! Once you give your heart, mind and soul, you will be the strongest, happiest and most fulfilled version of yourself. That is the Gospel of True Peace!"
BANG.
BANG.
BANG.
Yun Che continued defending the barrier, blocking all who drew near. However, he soon realised that his efforts were... unnecessary. People weren't flooding the barrier to harm Gandhi. They wanted to be closer to him, they wanted to embrace the Gospel of Peace!
Yun Che ceased, observing the people crowd around Gandhi and chant his name.
"Peace has become this irresistible?"
"Peace has grown far beyond what it was before our crusade." Gandhi remarked, ordering the crowd to make way for him. He stepped forward, walking to the treasury. "The sacrifices of all those nations has allowed these people to live."
"Which peace is greater... the one where no one remains or the one where as many people as possible embrace peace?"
"Both achieve the same goal. If there is no one left to wage war, true peace is secured. Certainly... it would be brilliant to have everyone embrace peace. However, it is not necessary."
"Nuke everything until the people bend to your words alone." Yun Che remarked. "Would that not be best method?"
"You are catching on."
"I see..."
After raiding the Supreme Ocean Palace's treasury, Gandhi attained most of what he needed for Jasmine's new body. The only thing that was left was the flower. Learning of the 'dead' underground devil, Gandhi broke the seal and entered alongside Yun Che to see what Yin goodies were inside.
"That's precisely the flower that you need... it just hasn't bloomed yet." Jasmine remarked.
"Is that the corpse of the Moon Slaughter Devil?" Gandhi remarked, stroking his chin. He fired the Rifle of Peace... and watched it rise.
"Gandhi! Gandhi! Hail to the Divine Prophet of Peace!" The Moon Slaugjter Devil Sovereign chanted.
"It wasn't all that dead, after all." Yun Che laughed.
Gandhi observed Jasmine suddenly leave the Sky Poison Pearl. He followed, finding a deeper part of the nest where a manual stood alongside a wheel. Jasmine took the wheel, leading to Gandhi raising an eyebrow.
"Girl, return that wheel to where it was."
"It is too dangerous for use, you fool." Jasmine countered, shaking her head. "This is the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations, the second ranked Heavenly Treasure and by far the most terrifying."
"Too dangerous?" Gandhi questioned.
"It is often called the World Destroying Wheel... not only that but it also has a history of corrupting it's weilders and those around it."
"Give it to me." Gandhi ordered, his eyes flaring red. "This World Destroying Wheel you speak of will aid in bringing peace to all."
"... No, I can't."
"Then you will never have the body you seek." Gandhi replied, drowning deeply. "I will not support those who deny true peace. If you continue to be an obstacle, I will throw you out of the Sky Poison Pearl and watch you choke to death from the illness that you've been trying to cure."
"..."
"You have the power to kill me... but I will return and keep returning until true peace is achieved. You? I cannot say the same."
"... Fine, take it." Jasmine tossed out the wheel and removed its seal. "Let's see how much it taints you and your ambition for true peace."
"My will is indomitable... no wheel will change that."
And so, Gandhi became the medium of the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations.
~
Yun Che went on to complete his duty, swiftly bringing peace to the entire Profound Sky Continent. He conquered the remaining nations and Sacred Grounds... killing some but converting getting countless more. He had evolved into the true Champion of Peace, becoming its second most devoted servant by far. Meanwhile, Gandhi was meditating and embracing his new power.
Or rather, he was converting the World Destroying Wheel... into a believer of Peace! Shockingly enough, he had done it.
Knock.
"Enter." Gandhi instructed, observing as Xia Qingyue entered his hall. "What is on your mind, child?"
"It is regarding the Power of Peace... why is it that Yun Che is capable of so much more than I am?" Xia Qingyue questioned, hesitating forward. "I want to contribute to true peace but I truly lack the power to make as much of an impact as he does..."
"Peace grants greater power to those who dedicate themselves. To those who truly believe in what they preach... Yun Che... is a beyond special child. All his gifts, from his legacies to his passionate soul, make him the perfect Champion for Peace." Gandhi remarked as he tried to read the manual. It all seemed like gibberish. "It would be difficult for anyone to match him."
"But not impossible?" Xia Qingyue questioned.
"Heh..." Gandhi stood up, looking into her eyes. "Why do you have such a strong obsession for power? And before you answer, do not say that it is for Peace. If it were, you would not be so weak."
"..."
"How do you expect to grow if you cannot admit to your faults?" Gandhi questioned, stroking his chin. "I want all my believers to succeed. From the poorest, weakest most 'pointless' and talentless people to those who have great gifts and rule over the masses. If you embrace True Peace, you deserve all that comes from it."
"I want to see my mother again." Xia Qingyue finally admitted, her indifferent tone beginning to sound softer. "However, she is in an unreachable place... known as the Realm of the Gods. I can't hope to ever reach her without your guidance and the true Power of Peace. After all... since it is your goal to bring peace to all, I'd assume you'd move your sights to those lands eventually."
"So... what of it? It is only a matter of time before you are reunited then." Gandhi replied, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you need power?"
"It's just... if I am too weak and become a burden, I believe that you would find no use in me and meeting my mother would be no more than an unreachable dream."
"You believe that I would discard you once you fall behind in strength?" Gandhi questioned.
"... Yes."
"This fear of yours... is precisely why you cannot embrace the true power of Peace." Gandhi closed the distance between them, his sandals making quite the distinct sound. He raised his hand and touched the side of Xia Qingyue's face. "Have confidence in yourself, the Power of Peace... and have confidence in me. A child who wholeheartedly embraces peace... can never die."
He dropped his hand, returning to his seat.
"I believe you have thoughts to meditate upon, no?"
"... Yes." Xia Qingyue took a deep breath. "Forgive me for wasting your time, Divine Prophet."
"If it is an act that brings a believer closer to enlightenment, it is hardly a waste of time." Gandhi replied, shaking his head. "The belief of true Peace... is my life's work. You are blessed with many gifts, Xia Qingyue, gifts that could greatly benefit the crusade for Peace. Do not hesitate in this life and waste them."
"Become the greatest form of yourself."
"Thank you for your insightful words." Xia Qingyue bowed her head courteously. "In the forthcoming battles, I will have no fear and wholeheartedly give myself to Peace... or die in the attempt."
Xia Qingyue left, slowly closing the door behind her.
"Silly girl... you make it sound like I've sent you on a quest to die." Gandhi thought out loud, shaking his head. "While one must be ready to die for Peace, that is not the goal. The goal is to overcome all the challenges that lie ahead and emerge with the Banner of Peace planted on the Universe. Immovable faith is all that is needed to accomplish that."
Xia Qingyue, standing on the other side of the door, heard it all.
Her faith in Peace... and the Divine Prophet had never been stronger as her bewilderment grew.
~
Once the Profound Sky Continent knew Peace, Yun Che was ordered to bring Peace to the rest of the continents. Gandhi, using the Gate of Peace, had built a flying ship which easily traversed the land. Through that ship, supporters of Peace had crossed into the Illusory Demon Continent.
"The Divine Phoenix Empire's princess was a pretty cute girl... she'll be quite the beauty when she grows up." Yun Che remarked as the ship landed, glancing at Xia Qingyue. "You know, I remember exactly what you said when we got married. I can do whatever I want, right?"
"Yes, you can." Xia Qingyue reaffirmed, speaking in an indifferent tone. "That has never changed."
"Hm... so why do you act jealous all the time?"
"Who ever said anything about jealousy? I've found Peace. You can lay with every other woman in the vast Universe and I would not bat an eye."
"Including your mother?" Yun Che grinned slightly.
"... You are far too unrestrained these days."
"Uh-huh. Even though it does sound like quite the goal to strive for, Peace is countless times more important and I will not rest until it is achieved." Yun Che shrugged his shoulders. "Regardless, you might want to sit this one out. The Illusory Demon Realm has overlords and plenty of monarchs in the city. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."
"Speak for yourself." Xia Qingyue shook her head. "I will fight for Peace and no one is going to stop me."
"... Jeez, talk about a headstrong woman. I won't be babysitting you the whole time so you better carry your weight or I'll throw your ass back in the ship."
"Hmph..."
Yun Che took the ship straight to the Demon Imperial City, leading the newly fortified forces of Peace. His second-in-command was Xuanyuan Wentian, whom he had enlightened earlier, followed by the three Sword Attendants. He had three other lieutenants, each leaders of the Sacred Grounds. In terms of hierarchy, Xia Qingyue didn't fit anywhere... she was more of a freelancer.
She moved ahead of the forces, deciding to tackle an area of nonbelievers by herself. It was one of the Duke Palaces, which had plenty of thrones and overlords within.
"Why are you here?" One of the Dukes questioned, glancing at the massive spaceship floating above. It was a female Duke. "Are you here to invade?"
"Invade? We have merely arrived to spread the Gospel of Peace."
"... Gospel of Peace?" The Duke scoffed, shaking her head. "Get out of here, stupid lass, before you regret ever coming here."
"So you deny peace?"
"Peace? War... everyone participates in war. Are you braindead? Besides, what are you going to do if I 'deny peace'? Cry your eyes out?" The Duke replied, keeping her eyes on the spaceship. "Bugger off already…"
"All who deny Peace will find it in death." Xia Qingyue replied, her black eyes shining with killing intent… almost turning white.
"Stupid bitch, don't say I didn't warn you." The Duke descended, slamming her foot onto Xia Qingyue's back and pushing her into the ground. The difference in strength, speed and everything in between was simply too great for a contest.
"Mother, you shouldn't hurt a beauty like that." A younger man approached, being drawn in by the commotion.
"Stop thinking with your third leg, dumbass. This bint has completely lost her mind." The Duke replied. "I will put her out of her misery… slowly."
Jealousy… had endless power over all people, especially when one saw that someone had attributes which they could only dream of. Xia Qingyue's beauty had such an effect. And so, the duke started making Xia Qingyue's face unrecognizable with several mighty blows to the face.
"Peace…" Xia Qingyue muttered. "Is eternal."
"You can still speak? It's almost admirable…"
The duke went on to rip off all of her limbs in brutal fashion, leaving only her chest and head. Then, she drew a sword and aimed to cut off her neck. In her last moments, Xia Qingyue looked towards the shining sun. The afterlife… was that true peace? When one can rest at ease, having completed their lives.
But… there was still so much she hadn't done yet… all her life had been so far was striving for strength and nothing else.
Slash.
BANG.
Alas, it was all over… and Xia Qingyue embraced death willingly. If Peace didn't grant her the strength to overcome its enemies, maybe it just wasn't meant to be.
She opened her eyes to an endless white void until… she saw him, the Divine Prophet.
"You did well, in the end." Gandhi remarked, smiling slightly. "Fighting an opponent you know you couldn't beat is as courageous as it is foolish. But… the fighting part is the most important of all. If one does not challenge the tyranny of the world in fear of its strength… nothing will ever change!"
"How can I fight again… how can I help bring Peace…"
"Take my hand…" Gandhi offered his hand, which she grasped.
"And fight again!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
"Deniers of Peace, accept its cold embrace."
Xia Qingyue rose, reborn with the Power of Peace. Her limbs were restored instantly as she soared into the skies. Like Yun Che, she grew wings except hers were as still as ice. Her expression was immovable, like a statue as she raised her hand and sent down dozens of colossal glaciers of ice onto the Demon Imperial City… freezing a great majority of it within a single minute.
"Another has awakened." Gandhi remarked, lowering his rifle as he kicked away the body of the duke and looked up. The duke's head had been blown open by a single bullet already… so there was little contest. "Good, very good."
"Divine Prophet…" Afterwards, Xia Qingyue descended to see Gandhi chilling by the frozen duke palace. "I thought you were meditating."
"I knew you would do something drastic in hopes of awakening the true Power of Peace. Alas, it seems that you were deemed worthy through your sacrifice." Gandhi smiled. "I expect great things from you moving forward."
"I will not fail you." Xia Qingyue nodded.
"... You did it too?" Yun Che joined them, frowning slightly.
"You're not the only one with the true Power of Peace, 'Champion'." Xia Qingyue remarked, almost with a sarcastic tone.
"Hmph… doubt you'd beat me in a fight, though." Yun Che shrugged his shoulders before looking around him. "I doubt freezing almost the entire city was the best idea you've had. In fact, I was just on my way to converting the Little Empress… and then she froze. What do you want me to do with that?"
"Such a pity… it seems that the Power of Peace did not see her as a believer." Xia Qingyue remarked indifferently as the ice across the city began to crack… and shatter.
"..." Yun Che rose to the sky, watching all the people break into little crystals. "She was cute, too."
"Maybe you're not as dedicated as you think you are." Xia Qingyue remarked, turning away. "You should take a break from crusading for Peace and take care of all your women. While you're at it, maybe you should seek out new ones? You have a child now, too. Leave everything to me… I will carry out Gandhi's ambition now."
"You're not taking my title from me." Yun Che countered, shaking his head. "I am the one true Champion of Peace!"
Gandhi, seeing this, couldn't help but laugh. "Xia Qingyue could take up another title, given her status."
"A new title?" Yun Che raised an eyebrow.
"An Angel. The Angel of Peace." Gandhi replied, stroking his chin. "I think it is rather fitting."
"It's wonderful." Xia Qingyue nodded, her eyes lighting up. "I shall be the Angel of Peace form henceforth."
"There's still plenty of ground to cover on this continent." Yun Che raised the Executioner of Peace. "I'm going to complete my duties."
"I didn't think that he had such a strong ego…" Xia Qingyue remarked. "Imagine being insecure about a title."
"I see it as a simple, friendly, rivalry at the end of the day. So long as it contributes to Peace, I have no issue with it." Gandhi replied. "Yun Che is wholly dedicated… so seeing someone do better than him is quite unusual."
"As always, your wisdom knows no end." Xia Qingyue nodded, her Power of Peace dissipating. The wings from before cracked and dispersed into crystals. "I thank you for everything that you've given me."
"Oh, I merely introduced you to Peace. The strength of your faith and what came from it… that is all on you."
"You are too humble sometimes, Master."
~
Eventually, the entire Blue Pole Star fell under the Banner of Peace. With the joint power of Yun Che, Xia Qingyue and the growing forces of peace, storming the Azure Cloud Continent was all too easy. Gandhi had also explored the Cloud's End Cliff where he managed to grab hold of the Netherworld Udumbara Flower for Jasmine thanks to the little girl down there. He also gained the Evil God's seed of darkness which he gave to Yun Che. As for Yun Che, he experienced great growth; attaining the Lightning Seed, complete legacy of the Golden Crow and Darkness Seed. He also found his love from the previous life… things were going great for him.
As for Xia Qingyue, she wholly dedicated herself to Peace. All the feelings she had turned to Peace… which meant that any feelings she had for Yun Che had dispersed completely. They had become more so rivals than husband and wife. Yun Che, himself, had grown less interested in women… dedicating himself to Peace more and more so he wasn't bitter with the change at all. He saw dedication to Peace as a great virtue, if anything.
Once the Blue Pole Star was united, Gandhi seized the remaining power of the Phoenix and Dragon God for himself… enhancing the Power of Peace and all his other abilities as a result. Afterwards, he began to seek out the Realm of the Gods he had heard of from both Jasmine and Xia Qingyue.
He didn't rest for countless weeks, exerting endless energy and almost killing himself on multiple occasions…
That was the indomitable will of the Divine Prophet.
In the end, it was all worth it as he built the ultimate spaceship to traverse the stars and bring Peace to the Universe;
A Star Destroyer!
"It is done…" Gandhi finally stopped, admiring his work with a massive smile.
"Peace… is on the horizon."