76 Inheritance
*Things like sexism and racism are purely for worldbuilding and to make it more realistic. Thank you for your understanding.*
Qing Fang stared forward with his mouth almost agape as the figure materialised out of thin air following the booming voice.
The huge wall of golden runes that lit up the place with blinding light filled up the entire cavern and lit up Qing Fang's stupid expression as well as the Catsith's. The huge beast lay there bound, with its gaze falling upon the translucent figure with unimaginable fear and hatred.
The sudden presence of the figure caused the chains to audibly and visibly tighten, scraping along the grey fur of the Catsith and causing smoke to rise from grizzly burns that tore away the thick pelt of the beast! The chains around the head of the Catsith squeezed the maw of the thing permanently shut and only thick and strained breathing between the cracks in its teeth could be heard!
The huge yellow eyes even tightly shut in fear, not daring to open. The scene stupefied Qing Fang. Just how strong was the golden figure that wasn't even alive?!
The figure came forth with a burst of strong light that overwhelmed Qing Fang's entire bearing, causing him to fumble a few steps back in awe! The humanoid of golden light floated upon the air and swayed with pleasure as it looked down with the grandeur of a peak existence!
The entire figure was dyed golden as runes could be seen swirling violently on its surface, conveying a feeling of power above the world. Long hair that was dyed golden floated behind the figure almost as if he was suspended in water, the long hair shining as it swayed about mesmerisingly.
The robes formed of golden light seemed full of life as they granted a domineering presence to the figure, overlapping fibres creating a sense of majesty and purity. They hung down several meters past the figure's feet, giving a feeling of being unfettered by the ground!
A pair of gentle hands that couldn't be calloused emerged from the thick robes and spread wide, encompassing the air before it in a show of power. There seemed to be a terrifying might contained within those golden palms that frightened Qing Fang to no end!
He could feel that just a simple turn of those smooth and clean golden fingers could put him on his knees!
Qing Fang's eyes depressed as his expression sank. Although the figure didn't seem to be hostile, just one look at the Catsith beside him told him of a potential fate... A fate that he couldn't escape, even if he had all the luck of the heavens, even if he was blessed by the clouds, even if his cultivation was a hundred times greater!
The long hair met with smooth golden skin that made up the face of the figure. It was unblemished and pure, the gold tinge giving a feeling of royalty many worlds over!
A pair of firm but gentle eyes that streamed with endless golden runes fell upon the world, shaking everything into terror. Thin and delicate eyebrows lay above, giving the figure a gentle appearance. However, Qing Fang would not let himself be fooled.
To imprison a Catsith and seal its power, letting its flesh and cultivation wither away, was a fate many times crueller than simple death. A kind figure could never do something so torturous, to let its prey comprehend its eventual death hundreds of years before it arrived.
Full lips parted to reveal glinting teeth in rows so even, they seemed to be handcrafted by the heavens itself. That smile landed upon Qing Fang and would comfort a naive soul, yet someone so cynical as Qing Fang was only horrified!
The face would tell of an appearance of a little over forty years of age, yet the sheer majesty it possessed would make one feel that the figure had already transcended ageing itself. That was the power conveyed, enough to make the weak cry out in terror, and the strong keel over in helpless defeat!
Qing Fang didn't dare to meet the gaze of the figure as a loud crash resounded as he fell down onto his knees and bowed his head to the floor!
Death was so close, so real, that Qing Fang could taste it. He didn't want it to end here, yet he knew that his life simply wasn't his anymore. All the ambitions and pride he might've possessed were crushed into nothingness by the mere want to survive!
His eyes were lifeless as he gazed down to the floor, not even daring to perceive the world around him. His hands were outstretched with his palms to the sky, showing his submission and worthlessness. He had lowered himself to the absolute pits. At this moment, Qing Fang didn't think of himself as more than a mortal, to be used by others' whims.
He was defeated.
"Come, now. I am no longer alive and seek no power over you, inheritor. Though, your actions are much more satisfactory than your predecessor, who ended up in chains beside you and is destined to live until death grips him once more." The voice seemed to emerge from every direction.
A whisper, yet a shout. Profound, yet as ordinary as could be.
The words made Qing Fang shiver as he dropped all pretences. It seems like the Catsith beside him was the previous "inheritor", but was now reduced to a chained animal, rotting in its own skin until the day it died.
"A shameless inheritor, gaining no confidence from the strength he has cultivated. Readily kneeling at my feet for another second to live; a wise but dishonourable action. However, the wise life to see the ends of the earth and the honourable fill the pits of Hell, awaiting reincarnation as they regret dying for a cause that had remained in the plane of the living.
The wise is what I seek, inheritor! Sense and judgment cultivate the mind and unlock its potential. With a mind and conviction like yours, you have already proven yourself a scholar of the world. You decipher the untruths you have learned from birth and give rise to a new understanding, as a scholar seeks to do.
You are worthy to stand tall before me!" The voice sharpened as a golden radiance flooded the cavern, embracing Qing Fang kindly as the figure continued to stare down with thoughts that only the worthy could understand!
"Come here, and try to gain my inheritance. Raise your head and stand tall, for you have yet to fail. Before then, you are entitled to my judgment!" The voice boomed with power and commanded Qing Fang to rise!
Qing Fang's palms hardened into a fist as he dragged them from out before him and back close to his chest! His weak and limp legs regained strength as they pulsed with the intent to stand! His ears heard the words told to him and commanded his head to rise!
His tattered robes desperately clung to his body as Qing Fang dragged his head from the floor, his fingers seeping deep into the earth as his body rose! His sprawled wings resumed their mantle proudly as they domineeringly hung over his head, the grand spears of bone a testament to his might!
He was strong! He was wise! He was resolved! He had been told he deserved to stand, and stand he will!!
The beautiful face of the golden figure twisted his face into a calm smile and his sharp eyes only emitted warmth as he looked down at Qing Fang and his strength! His arms spread wider, becoming warmer and more welcoming as he beckoned the rise of a fated inheritor!
The defined, large muscles of Qing Fang shone with approved strength as he arched his body beautifully, his head rising back up high, where it was commanded to be! He stood tall with clenched fists and a body bursting with might as he finally raised his head to gaze at the monarch of gold up above him!
"Beautiful eyes, inheritor! They are filled with power and determination, fused by wisdom! I have a good feeling when I look at you; you make this old master happy!" The golden figure bust with roaring laughter as he saw his inheritor ready to die proving himself worthy!
The tightly shut eyes of the peak Stage 5 Catsith opened a crack as he heard the words spoken, hiddenly gazing around. The chains continued to burn his flesh into mangled, pathetic weakness as he gazed around with hate and envy! His large, yellow eyes avoided the golden figure and stared at Qing Fang with killing intent and malice so great it could reach the heavens!
Qing Fang turned his eyes from the powerful eyes of the golden figure and met with the huge yellow eyes of the Catsith. He looked with an apathetic, yet somehow concernedly interested, gaze that made the Catsith want to swallow him whole and feel his flesh incinerate into nothing inside his stomach!
"The failure dares to look at his promising successor with ire? Such worthlessness must be punished with blindness. A fitting and fair judgment." However, the voice of the golden figure came from the void and seemed to whisper right next to the flattened ears of the Catsith!
And just as those huge yellow eyes widened in horror, thick chains of gold manifested and interconnected with the ones already wrapping its head! They fell directly over the open eyes of the Catsith and tightened heavily over them, squeezing the eyes and not letting their eyelids close!
"ROAR!" A terrifying screech of pain slipped between the cracks of the Catsith's sealed maw as it began to convulse pathetically! Hot smoke came gushing from its eyes as the golden chains incinerated them into worthless piles of moist, burnt flesh!
The roars eventually died out along with the gushing smoke, yet the golden chains remained! They tightly wound over the destroyed eyes of the Catsith and continued to tightly scrape across them and seal them! The eyelids tried to close over the destroyed eyes desperately, but they only touched those chains and opened wide to get away from them!
Qing Fang watched this with less of a reaction than before. He had heard the words of the golden figure itself.
It was a judge.
Crimes would be judged fairly in his grandeur, and success would also be judged fairly. Qing Fang had a steely gaze as he didn't shy away from staring at the pathetically convulsing body of the Catsith. It was a lesson, a lesson to him.
Qing Fang now knew more than ever that he had to prove himself. He had unknowingly walked into a stage in his life where he would be judged. If victorious, he could move forward. If he failed, his journey would end here.
And even though the solemnity of the event could be undermined as Qing Fang had simply stumbled upon it, that didn't make it any less serious. He had come here after benefits, and he had to pay the equivalent price.
The golden figure obviously had food for Qing Fang's wisdom and could grant him many things, however, it demanded an equal exchange. Oh, how beautiful equivalent exchange was. The Dao pursued harmony, fairness, and equal exchange was a wonderful interpretation of the Great Dao.
If he chose to retreat here, the golden figure would see him as forfeiting greatness and judge him to be a failure, just as his predecessor, the Catsith, had been judged to be. It was strangely fair, as the magnitude of greatness is always decided by judgment.
In one form or another, judgment was always taking place. And it seemed that the golden figure firmly believed this: that any form of greatness could be achieved by absolutely anyone as long as they were willing to pay the price!
It wanted to determine the price that Qing Fang was willing to pay. To determine the heights he wanted to achieve. Anything less than the peak was failure! Limitations didn't exist before a firm will!
Knowing this, Qing Fang was completely solemn as he awaited his judgment after the labour.
The golden figure turned to look at Qing Fang yet again, the light of his being encompassing all. He spoke calm words that held weight that many an ordinary person would never experience.
"It seems your wisdom has enlightened you.
Good.
I can see you understand your own purpose as well as mine. Greatness can only be accomplished at a great price. If you are ready to pay it, step forward. If you are not, understand that your future is fruitless and accept your status as a failure right here and join your predecessor." The voice carried favour and warmth unto Qing Fang, yet the meaning was as impartial as the heavens.
The golden figure was a great scholar and it could be seen in how he separated himself from anything less than profundity he had found in his long life. He had clearly never learnt the same lesson twice; a testament to his wisdom.
And after living many years, he had the aloof and impartial nature of a lofty cultivator to validate himself. Those years he lived had not been wasted it seems. A thousand years of life had given him a thousand years of intelligence and wisdom.
Qing Fang heard the words, yet he did not need to. He already understood.
And thus, his gaze hardened as he took a step forwards.
The golden figure just floated there like an impartial spectator, a judge that could not be wavered. It hovered before the great golden wall of runes that seemed to pulse in a renewed rhythm as if it had received an order.
Qing Fang walked onwards silently as the entire cavern was filled with the violent thrashing of the Catsith, however, it was just background noise. Qing Fang was incredibly focused as he continued to take heavy steps until he stood below the golden figure, and a single step from the great runic wall.
"Although you seemed resolved and understanding, I will allow you some questions before your judgment. The worst way to die is to die without true meaning, the purpose behind it all unknown to you." The golden figure said with a smile.
Qing Fang looked up and saw the lofty golden being staring down at him with what could be interpreted as entertained eyes. However, Qing Fang knew that the golden figure was above that. In his arrogance, he viewed himself to be a representative of the Dao and its unlimited meanings.
"May I ask who senior is and where he came from?" Qing Fang asked first. The figure had already proclaimed himself to be dead, and Qing Fang had an inkling of what form of life he was now, but he wanted to be sure.
The golden figure nodded magnanimously before speaking wistfully.
"My name was Da Shi Fu Wen when I lived.
I was born in the sealed corner of this planet, where we currently dwell and lived my entire life here until my death. I had never once tasted true freedom and seen the sky in its entirety, however, I believe my wisdom spans worlds.
I belonged to the Hidden City and cultivated for two thousand years before I broke past the worldly realms and ascended to the sky. It was a joyous occasion for my past self, and the time when I took control of the Hidden City and aimed to carve my name into history.
Looking back, I craved validation and something to show for my mighty cultivation. The realisation that I was trapped in this gorge even though I had the power to traverse worlds never settled until my death." The golden figure, Da Shi Fu Wen, monologued with an introspective tone. His words gave light to new information that Qing Fang did not know yet, concerning him.
"All my life, I considered fighting power only secondary and sought to amass knowledge in hopes of unlocking my human essence and increasing my order of being to another level.
I religiously studied the mystical art of formations and even had some minor attainments in Armament Forging and Pill Forging. Though, I always considered myself to be a Formation Master at heart.
I was a genius in the art; deciphering new formations and raising others to new realms. Unknowingly, my battle power that I did not seek became a class of its own due to my many attainments. I could create beasts of runes the size of mountains, manipulate elements outside my cultivation due to the power of runes and build entire cities.
However, the day when I unlocked my human essence never came, and I died from an early tragedy..." Da Shi Fu Wen suddenly had a thread of hate in his voice, however, he dispelled it before regaining his impartial aura.
"Senior Da Shi was killed?" Qing Fang asked with some incredulity.
"Indeed. Betrayed. By the one I considered closest: my student. I imparted most of my knowledge of formations unto him and his talent did greatly surpass mine. I envisioned giving everything to him when the time was right, but alas...
Ire was created between us when I sentenced his brother to death for grave sins. After that, he seized the inheritance I cultivated for him and he used its power to kill me in my sleep.
However, I had not completely died. A great, powerful formation was cultivated by me that allowed me to leave this." Da Shi Fu Wen pointed at himself.
"A remnant consciousness of myself that contains a stronger inheritance in the art of formation, one that has all the knowledge I ever amassed." Da Shi Fu Wen spoke with a sad smile. He seemed hurt by his student's actions, but also seemed to not blame him for killing him.
'As I thought... A remnant consciousness of legends. Only Stage 6 cultivators and above can leave them after death with the help of formations.' Qing Fang thought. There was a place in the Qing Clan that contained the inheritances of tens of thousands of past Qing cultivators. And nearly every great figure in the Clan had seized one of them in their youth.
"An inheritance that you have stumbled upon, inheritor." Da Shi Fu Wen smiled unceremoniously as he looked down at Qing Fang.
Qing Fang nodded seriously. He decided he would ask Da Shi Fu Wen about more things if he managed to survive the judgment, or trial, of the inheritance that he had left.
"If that is all you wish to ask, step forth and let yourself be encompassed by the runes."
"Yes, senior." Qing Fang said before taking the final step and vanishing into thin air as soon as he reached out and touched the great golden wall of runes.
*3,172/3,000 words*
