《Rebirth of The Kind Death God》 If Only (1) It was the 998th year of the Holy Calender, the eleventh month of the year and the first day of the month. On a quiet road in the plains, a figure was flying, following the stone path. A small wooden sign was next to the road, and printed on it was an arrow that pointed to the path, reading ''The Holy Church''. The figure''s handsome face was convulsed in a dreadful panic, as he used all his Dou Qi1 to fly as fast as possible in the direction of the path. His black clothes and gray robe fluttered against the wind, but he simply flew too fast for anyone to hear any sound. He had dark eyes and black hair, which the latter had stains of vermillion red. The figure appeared to be in his late teens or early twenties, but anyone who saw someone so young fly would be stunned, for it indicated a massive level of power and cultivation! "Yue Yue, Yue Yue... don''t leave me... please don''t leave me... don''t leave Ah Dai..." The figure''s cruel muttering held desperation and love in its tone. This figure was Ah Dai2, 3rd Generation Disciple of the Tian Gang Sword Sect, heir to the King of Hell, and infamously known as The Death God! His life was full of hardships, deaths, and tragedies - but Ah Dai still clung on to his final strand of hope and love, Xuan Yue3. After being separated from his first mentor, the alchemist Gliss, and witnessing the death of his second mentor Owen, he wound up as Yue Yue''s lackey in her escapade through the continent. As the holy daughter of the Holy Church and granddaughter to the Pope, Xuan Yue was a prodigy in magic and was spoiled rotten. Curious about the outside, she runs away from the Holy Church, bumping into Ah Dai as they attend a Magician''s exam. After forcing Ah Dai into traveling with her for a year, they set off on a journey to the Death Mountains. During the trip, both of them fell in deeply in love, but Ah Dai being inherently rather slow-witted and dumb, had not realized it. It was only until they were forced apart did they realize this, but even after 3 years of separation they still held onto their love. Then, after reuniting and returning to the Elven Forest, Ah Dai''s naive heart gets deceived by Ba Bu Yi, Xuan Yue''s arranged fiance. After running away from the forest, he goes on a suicidal rampage to avenge Owen, uprooting the entire Assassins guild in one year. After all of this mania, Ah Dai learned that Xuan Yue, now the 5th Red-robed Bishop of the Holy Church, has been arranged to be married this very day. Ah Dai''s heart still yearns to be with Xuan Yue, however difficult it may be and so is desperately rushing to the Holy Church, situated in the middle of the continent. Ah Dai furiously used his Shengsheng Dou Qi4, speeding up the journey as much as possible to catch up with the wedding. Even at his maximum speed, getting to the Holy Church would still take an extremely long amount of time, so every second was needed to get there. He didn''t know when exactly during the day it was going to start, and he had already flown all night in his great rush, so he had no idea of what time it was. An hour passed with his flying, the small road merging with other roads to create one main one, and then in the distance, he could see a massive, grand structure. Ah Dai recognized it immediately, unleashing all his Shensheng Dou Qi to rush there. His entire body glowed with the white Dou Qi, looking nearly ghost-like to an eyewitness. He flew closer and closer, the features of the Holy Church becoming clearer and clearer. The whole structure was adorned with gold and white, exuding a domineering yet holy aura. It was split into several different regions - A massive hall, living quarters, different shrines and more. Ah Dai had been here before, after his healing by the Pope, but didn''t stay for long. He soon arrived at the gate, being ivory in color and proudly guarding the Holy Church, but Ah Dai saw it as only a troublesome pest. Several of the Holy Churches knights, clad in silver armor and massive swords, had rushed out to stop the unknown figure. "Stop! Identify yourself and your purpose, and by the grace of God we shall spare you!" A knight fiercely warned Ah Dai. He didn''t bother to respond to them, merely sneering as he rapidly approached them. They readied their stances, instantly unleashing their Dou Qi, creating a powerful aura around them. But to Ah Dai''s eyes, this was mere child play, reaching for his gray Tiangang5 sword from his cloak, then unleashed his own Qi. The knight''s felt their bodies instantly weigh them down, the surrounding air compressing and suffocating them. Tinges of fear appeared on their faces, their previously emotionless appearance now breaking into cold sweat, and for good reason. Ah Dai''s cultivation in swordplay and Dou Qi had far outstripped theirs, so much so that fighting him was essentially a death sentence. But they were the Holy Church''s knights and was trained to fight for the Holy Church no matter what the odds were. They believed that God was with them, protecting them, and even if they give the ultimate sacrifice of death they would not suffer but be immortalized. They had nothing to lose against this intruder. Ah Dai swung his Tiangang sword at the knights, each of them preparing in pure defensive stances, for they knew that Ah Dai was too strong to actively fight against. Clash! Boom! His sword clashed violently against the knight''s swords, each of them blown away by the sheer strength in the slash. They felt as if a mountain had just been thrown at their bodies, unstoppable in force and power. The Knights coughed up blood but quickly readied to defend against the rapidly advancing Ah Dai. Ah Dai had no intentions of killing them, for he truly detesting killing people if not necessary, innocents even more so. But he needed to quickly gain information on where in the Holy Church the wedding is going to be held so he could stop it, so these knights were the best option. "Knight''s of The Holy Church, tell me one thing and I will spare your lives, where is the wedding of the Cardinal held at?" Ah Dai''s voice was soft, not deep nor high but like a gentle wave on a beach, soothing and pleasant. His voice also reflected on his personality, soft, kind, and still a bit naive. Even if he was not as kind, he had another good reason to end this fight as soon as possible, as he was is quite bad condition after flying at maximum speed for two days. He expected these knights to give him the answer quickly, but they were stubborn as a mule. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. "In your dreams, bastard! God shall punish you for your trespass of the Holy Church, and you will atone for your sins." Ah Dai sighed, responding to the knight''s determined and gruff answer saying: "I don''t wish to hurt you, truly I don''t. Please just quickly tell me, don''t force me otherwise." When they did not respond, Ah Dai readied his giant Tiangang sword to clash with them again, but another voice stopped him. "We''ll tell you, alright! Just don''t hurt my company anymore, please!" This was a different voice from the other knight who had responded originally to his question, sounding much more smoother and not as gruff. "Captain, you traitor!" The other knight shouted. The captain knight retorted. "Don''t be foolish. The intruder''s martial prowess far exceeds us, fighting him would only lead to more harm. The wedding''s location, anyway, is not even a secret by any means." The captain knight turned to Ah Dai. "You see that great big hall?" The knight pointed towards the majestic, gold colored structure. "It''s held in there. Please, let us go now." Ah Dai nodded, and without a word, swung his Tiangang sword at the gate, crumbling it, and rushed towards the hall. As other guards and knights realized his presence, they too came blitzing in an attempt to stop him. He had no time to waste on these knights, avoiding them if possible, with the occasional swing that sent them flying. Soon enough, Ah Dai arrived in front of the hall. There in front of the hall were white marble steps that lead up to a giant, golden framed door. The steps were so incredibly high, the steps seemingly endless in number. Ah Dai hurriedly sprinted up them, his breathing now very heavy from the exhaustion from flying so long. Even so, he kept going as fast as Ah Dai could, for his love of Xuan Yue was so deep that he would give up everything for her. Huff, puff... One step, another step... - Xuan Yue stared at the marble ground, hands tightly scrunched in grief. Her long, silk dress draping on the carpet, white as snow, woven meticulously and fitted perfectly on her. Xuan Yue lifted her head, her beautiful cerulean eyes looking towards her grandfather - the Pope. "Do you, Ba Bu Yi, as the most faithful of God, willing to unite with the woman beside you, the Red-robed Bishop Xuan Yue? Are you willing to use your life to respect her, love her, even pay with your life with no regrets?" - Huff, puff... Ah Dai took the tenth step, eleventh step, then the twelfth... - Ba Bu Yi''s face flushed red from the excitement. Replying loudly, and trembling slightly: "I am willing, I am willing to use all of my life to take care of her, and even if I must pay with my life I will never regret it. She is the only love of my life." - Huff puff... He took the forty-sixth step, then the forty-seventh, then the forty- eighth... - ''Is this it? Am I truly going to marry Ba Bu Yi? Ah Dai, oh Ah Dai, why have you not come? Does our love end with only a hopeless dream? Oh, Ah Dai, my heart is filled with pain and agony, let it be that I will be eternally loveless if I marry Ba Bu Yi.'' Xuan Yue thought with despair. The Pope turned to her, and through the pain and suffering, she too could see the unwillingness in his eyes. Xuan Yue knew he disapproved of her marrying someone she did not love, but she had no choice. "As the most faithful of God, are you willing to unite with the man beside you, the Holy Judge Ba Bu Yi? Are you willing to use your life to respect him, love him, even pay with your life without regret?" - Ah Dai was nearly at the top now. There were only a few steps separating him from his true love! His arm shook with a combination of exhaustion, yearning, and anxiousness. A few knights guarding the hall attacked him, but Ah Dai defeated them very quickly. - She paused for a moment, pouring all her hopes into Ah Dai coming. The silence reigned, one second, two seconds, three seconds, then Xuan Yue''s fragile heart shattered. "I am - " - He crossed the last step. Ah Dai rushed to the massive door, all guards converging on his defeated with a single swing of his sword. The massive door was magically reinforced, so Ah Dai chose to break open it with his sword. He smashed with all his might, all his Shengsheng Dou Qi poured into this attack. - "... Willing." "I now pronounce you husband - " - The door crumbled under the gigantic pressure and crashed downwards into the hall. The massive hall was crowded with people; guards, Imperial visitors, influential guests, all seeing the most important wedding in generations. Everyone turned to look at commotion Ah Dai caused, in utter shock and silence, but not before the Pope finished. " - And wife." Ah Dai''s heard this, and his heart broke. First shock, then denial, then pure rage and fury erupted. "NO!" - Unrelated to the story, but here are some notes to take care of (chinese prinicples you may not know of) 1Dou Qi - Translate to ''Battle force'' or ''Battle power''. In most wuxia/xianxia (as with this one), imagine this as the fighters equilivant to mana. 2Ah Dai - Our main protaganist''s name. Translates to litterally ''Dumb'', reflecting on his rather slow and naive mind. 3Xuan Yue - Another main protaganist''s name and also love interest. Translates to ''Mysterious Moon''. 4Shengsheng Dou Qi - See above, but translates to ''Boundless Life Battle Force'' 5Tiangang - Translates to ''Sky steel'' or ''Heavenly steel'' If Only (2) The hall was silent. Everyone in it stared at the intruder, who was shaking in rage and fury. Ah Dai''s eyes were terrifying to be looked upon, for his pupils held horrifying agony and pain in it. "NO! NO! NO!" His screams echoed repeatedly throughout the hall. Xuan Yue, upon the pedestal, saw Ah Dai, and broke apart. "A-Ah Dai, you''re too late... you''re too late..." All the hidden emotions within Xuan Yue burst out at the moment, as grief and regret turned into tears. Grief in not being able to marry the one she loved, and regret in not stopping the wedding herself. Xuan Yue covered her eyes with her sleeve, turning away her head as she could not bear to see Ah Dai in such agony. The Pope too turned away his head, too in some distant regret and pain for his granddaughter. "T-this cannot be real r-right? This has to b-be a joke, yes, it must be! Yue Yue c-couldn''t have married Ba Bu Yi, she doesn''t love him, right?" Ah Dai looked around the hall, trying to see some sort of agreement upon his shuddering screams, but all was silent in disagreement. The crowd was terrified at the sight of his mad eyes, as the truth cemented onto him. Ah Dai felt all hope and joy leave him, and his heart felt as if it had been utterly crushed by a hammer. "You dare show such disrespect to God and cause such a scene here, bastard? I should have killed you the moment I found out you were the disciple of The King of Hell." A stern voice called out below the altar where Xuan Yue and Ba Bu Yi. The figure was cloaked in red, with long, golden hair, looking staunchly at Ah Dai. Ah Dai knew this figure too well, as he turned towards him a dark thought had started to form in his mind. "You... Xuan Ye..." Ah Dai''s previously painful and empty heart had started to fill up with something he had never felt before. Even when other of his most precious people died in front of him, Ah Dai had only felt extreme anguish and great regret. But now with the absence of every single of his most loved ones, Ah Dai felt his heart be consumed by raw hunger - hunger for destruction and chaos. His rational thought had started to be consumed by raw emotion and power. "Such a delusional oaf, aren''t you? Thinking that you could be with my daughter, of her status as his holiness the Pope''s granddaughter. Your position couldn''t be fit for shining her shoes yet you think that you had a chance?"The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Xuan Ye''s belittling words only quickened Ah Dai''s descent into madness. His face twisted into a cruel grin, the naive and kind boy now forgotten in some distant corner of his mind. "Me with Yue Yue? I knew from the start that you would not approve, but I believed her happiness would be the most important thing for you. Ha! What a fool I was, what a fool..." Xuan Ye sneered. "If you know that you could never be with her, then why are you here interrupting the most important event of her life? Did you truly think you could have done something? To stop the wedding?" Ah Dai''s grin died into a melancholic expression. It seemed as if the raw rage had passed on, and something else had taken control... "Why am I here? Tell me then, Xuan Ye, what is the purpose to a man''s life? What defines a man''s existence? What is it that makes a man, a man?" Xuan Ye did not answer Ah Dai, but narrowed his eyes. He felt something uncomfortable fill him, like as if he was experiencing the calm before the storm. "A man''s life... a man''s life... IS USED TO PROTECT THOSE HE LOVES!" Xuan Ye flinched from Ah Dai''s shout. There seemed to be an immense power behind Ah Dai''s voice now, and Xuan Ye could not help but feel smaller in front of him. He looked carefully into Ah Dai''s eyes, and when he saw the madness and insanity within, his breath hitched. Ah Dai continued to scream. "IF A MAN CANNOT PROTECT THOSE WHO HE LOVES..." Ah Dai paused as if gathering more energy. "WHAT A FAILURE THEY MUST BE!" Ah Dai was trembling now. Xuan Ye should have felt some relief at his trembling, but he knew that it wasn''t out of fear, but something much more sinister... "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!" All anger, hate, resentment, guilt, and heartbreak built over his life exploded outwards at this moment. Ah Dai clutched his head, like as if he was trying to control something inside him. His voice went much quieter, no longer a scream but a disturbing whisper. "Uncle Owen... Bing''er... Teacher Gliss... Ya Tou... Mie Feng... all gone, all dead because I couldn''t protect them..." The tension in the hall was extreme, so much so that the drop of a pin could set off a massive reaction. Xuan Ye gestured to the other Red-Robed Bishops. This Ah Dai was but a ticking bomb, ready to set off at any moment, and given his massive cultivation, posed a massive threat. "And now Yue Yue? Gone, like that? Gone because I couldn''t protect her happiness?" The Red-Robed Bishops, including Xuan Ye prepared to cast spells at any signs of aggression, but the Pope still simply stood there with lament in his eyes. Ah Dai tilted his head. "But she isn''t dead, Yue Yue is still here. I can get her back. Do you think I will let this slip?" All of the Holy Churches Knights, Ivory-Robed Bishops, and Inquisitors prepared for battle. The conflict was unavoidable - it was just a matter of how many would die. "No! Ah Dai, don''t take that route! Whatever happens, don''t fight them!" A familiar male voice called out. Ah Dai ignored it. "If I cannot be with Yue Yue..." The Pope clenched his hands, and sighed. "...Then what is the point of living?" If Only (3) Ah Dai''s hand shot into his cloak, reaching for something within. The final straw had been taken All of the knights rushed at him, swords gleaming and ready to kill. The Ivory-Robed and Red-Robed Bishops chanted their spells, while all the Inquisitors and priests followed suit. Even Xuan Yue, with her troubled heart, had felt the fight be inevitable, and cried for some sort of peace. "No! D-don''t fight! Please don''t fight! Father, Ah Dai, we c-can talk through this... please don''t fight..." It tore her heart to see her most loved ones fight, with the Holy Chuch as her family, and Ah Dai as her love. Xuan Yue knew if they were going to fight, then it would end violently - and with almost certainty - death. Ah Dai turned to her, hands still in his cloak, and looked at her with boundless love and yearning, but then painfully snapped his head away. "Yue Yue... I love you... I need to be with you... if they won''t let us be together..." Xuan Yue''s beautiful eyes, stained blood red, could not cry anymore. She begged him to not go down that route, but Ah Dai''s mind had long gone mad, with only one goal left. "I''LL KILL THEM ALL. " Ah Dai jerked his arm, and in one fluid motion pulled out a sword from his cloak. This was not the grey Tiangang sword he had used to fight the knight, no this was something else. It was smaller than the Tiangang sword, around 60 centimeters in length, but was far more terrifying. It shone with a dark blue hue, while a skull marked where the hilt and blade met. Evil Qi spewed outwards from it, engulfing the entire room in it''s deathly veil. Ah Dai felt the dominating soul of the sword penetrate him, but he did not care at all for it - not even coating it in his Shengsheng Dou Qi to protect himself. "M-madman, what a damned madman..." Xuan Ye knew that Ah Dai was suicidal, not even caring for his own life - only his goal mattered. Ah Dai had completely transformed with the unsheathing of the sword - He was the God of Death, exuding such a horrifying aura that all the knights charging at him froze in terror and the crowd running away from the hall. The Pope narrowed his eyes, sending out his own magic in conflict to the Evil Qi. The Holy magic helped repel the Evil Qi, but the sheer force of the it made it hard to withstand even with the Holy magic. "Ming''Wang''Jian1... and to think the kind and innocent Ah Dai would walk down the path of inferno and devils..." Ah Dai weilding the Ming''Wang''Jian walked slowly towards the pedestal. Xuan Ye and the other 3 Red-Robed Bishops stormed towards Ah Dai, while the Pope tred down from the pedestal. They stood still facing each other; the Red-Robed Bishops cautiously glaring at them while Ah Dai stood silent and strong, like a spring coiling or a tiger preparing to strike. "Ming - Wang - " Ah Dai started to shout the mantra, while the Red-Robed Bishops quickly started to chant their spells. Xuan Yue looked with a horrifying worry - because the Ming''Wang''Jian, once drawn will spill blood and kill. If it did not kill someone before being sheathed, it would take the life of the user instead. It was a terrifying weapon, worthy of being one of the legendary ''Godly Artifacts''! "First - Flash -" The Bishops chanted faster and louder. If they couldn''t manage to unleash their spells to combat Ah Dai''s incoming Ming''Wang''Jian move, then death would be certain. "Heaven - Splitting - Earth - Crasher!" The Evil Qi in the air gathered towards Ah Dai, which he swung against the ground. The Red-Robed Bishops had also finished chanting their spells - four massive pillars of light descended upon Ah Dai, clearly Holy magic at the highest level.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Boom! The condensed Evil Qi exploded, crushing the weak floor beneath him while blasting the Red-Robed Bishops away. The pillers of light had evaporated in contact with the Evil Qi, not even touching Ah Dai, but using the Ming''Wang''Jian was not without cost. He spat out a mouthful of blood, and felt the Evil Qi invading his body, reaching into his mind. "Kill... Kill... Kill..." The Evil Qi shrouded his mind, supplying him with the eviliest of thoughts - To kill without mercy. If the kind and loving Ah Dai saw this, he would throw up in disgust, but the kindness was gone, gone with any shread of mercy he had for them. The Red-Robed Bishops, now scrambling to get up, coughed up a pool of blood. "Oh great heavenly gods, grant thy power to revive those suffer and wounded! I request thee! Divine Restoration!" Four balls of light flew from the Pope and into the Red-Robed Bishops chest. As soon as it made contact, the Bishops felt the magic resonate throughout their bodies, glowing a brilliant golden, as it repaired and rejuvinated them. The pain in their chest disappeared, repleaced by an unceasing holy warmness that destroyed the influences of the Evil Qi. Ah Dai maniacly grinned. "Level 8 Light Magic? How wonderful. No wonder the bastard Xuan Ye bends himself over to you - even the late King of Hell would not be confident in killing you." The Pope sighed, looking to the side in a mixture of anger, sorrow, but most prevelant disappointment. Disappointment in Ah Dai. Disappointment with Xuan Ye. Disappointment with himself. "Oh, Ah Dai, just how far have you fallen? Just how much the years have twisted such a pure and innocent boy into you? Did the deaths of them not show you how hatred and darkness corrupts? Does resorting to brute violence solve anything? They would be so disappointed in you Ah Dai, they would think how -" "Don''t talk to me with them old fool! Don''t talk to me like you knew them - How they lived, how they cried, how they died - you know nothing of that!" Ah Dai snapped towards the Pope. His state of madness and fury was not helped by the reminders of theirdeaths. "Ming - Wang - " The Pope and the revitalized Red Roibed Bishops chanted their own spells while retreating before Ah Dai. Spells needed time to cast - and to a warrior distance would determine the winner of the clash. The longer the distance, the better it is for the Magician. "Flashes - Twice -" " - Grant me the power to eradicate those who desecrate and perverse these sacred lands!" "Ghost - And - God - Terrorizer!" " - Heavenly Retribution!" The dark blue Evil Qi gathered once more to Ah Dai, forming streaks of horrifying light that compressed into the Ming''Wang''Jian. Just as he was going to release the horrifying light, however, he was interrupted. A brilliant sphere surrounded him, encasing his entire body with golden light. Ah Dai felt the Holy Magic suppressing the Evil Qi, but even though it was not nearly enough to stop it, it would provide some protection for them. "YOU ARE UNDERESTIMATING ME!" Ah Dai gave everything to his offensive, now pouring in his own Life Force to drive the Ming''Wang''Jian to it''s full potential. He slashed with it, the streaks of horrifying Evil Qi slicing through the sphere like butter. After destroying the barrier, the light coursed through the air directly aimed at the Pope and his Red-Robed Bishops. Xuan Ye and the other''s had just managed to finish their chanting, and unleashed their spells in an attempt to stop it. Slash! The four golden pillars was summoned once again, but still proved useless against the terrifying might of the Ming''Wang''Jian. The Evil Qi consumed it, enveloping and absorbing it''s energy to fuel the onslaughting light. Just as they were about to hit them however, it suddenly swtiched target, like being forcefully pulled away by something. The light flew towards Xuan Yue, holding up a jewel carved with a phoenix on it. As the light was absorbed by the jewel, the phoenix cracked under the immense pressure, glowing with a brilliant vermillion in combat with the dark blue Evil Qi. When Ah Dai saw this, he could not help but snap back to sanity - even though only grief and betrayal plauged his mind. "Yue... Yue? Why do you do this? Do you truly not love me, was Ba Bu Yi telling the truth all along? Why, Yue Yue, why?" Xuan Yue looked at Ah Dai with those blood-stained eyes, red from crying and crying and crying. "Ah Dai... I love you... I love you so much... In this life I will only love you... but I still can''t let you kill my family, however much you hate them... Please Ah Dai, stop this madness..." Ah Dai paused, almost as if he was contemplating something. Xuan Yue felt hope rush back into her heart. Could this be it? Will Ah Dai turn back from the dark path he had plunged himself in? - 1Ming''Wang''Jian - Translates to King of Hell''s Sword. This item will be quite important in this story. If Only (4) Ah Dai scrunched up his fist, looking away in deep thought. A minute passed before he opened his palm and reached into his cloak. Ah Dai sighed in great grief, then took out a jade pendant, which on it was carved a magnificent dragon. "Yue Yue, I''m so sorry, but there''s no other way..." Ah Dai chanted mystically, while the jade pendant glowed with a brilliant blue. Then, a white light burst out of the pendant, expanding in the hall then compressing down into shape. The entire hall rumbled under the immense pressure of the shape, then a bellowing roar shook everything violently. A massive dragon took the light''s place, it''s scales obsidian with stains of scarlet and it''s colossal claws larger than bears.The dragon''s head too was crested obsidian and scarlet, the scales covering everything but the mouth - instead filled with enormous teeth that individually stood higher than a full-grown man. His body crushed the ceiling of the hall, debris tumbling towards the ground and dust kicking everywhere. ''Brother... what... what is this?'' Ah Dai looked at the dragon with his mad and grief-filled eyes. His feelings and memories were sent through to the dragon, and instantly the eyes of the dragon matched Ah Dai''s. He turned his head and growled fiercely at Xuan Ye, whose fear of the dragon was vividly evident on his face. Ah Dai shook his head, and instead looked at Xuan Yue. "Don''t fight him, Sheng''Xie, that''s my job. Stall Yue Yue for me - don''t hurt her." Xuan Yue looked alarmingly at Ah Dai, who now turned his head away and faced the Pope. "I''m sorry..." Ah Dai then unleashed all of the might - Shengsheng Dou Qi, stored Magic force, and Evil Qi all crushingly weighing on the nearby. "Sheng - Sheng - Transformation... " The massive swirling energies condensed into Ah Dai''s palms, turning into a dazzling mixture of silver and dark-blue. On the left palm was a silver sun, while the right palm held a crescent moon. Immense power radiated away from the two like the real sun and moon was truly held in his hands. Ah Dai gritted in pain - compressing all this energy put an unimaginable amount of strain onto his body, and he wasn''t done yet. He quickly activated something on his right arm, which shone brightly even through the dark cloak. Suddenly, 3 more Ah Dai''s appeared next to him, each holding a silver sun and moon, but noticeably weaker. Each bore the mad grin that terrified the Red-Robed Bishops. "Doppelgangers? Does Ah Dai have more Godly Artifacts? This is not good!" The Red-Robed Bishops stood in awe and terror at the power, until Xuan Ye snapped out of it and hurriedly gestured to the others. "Fools! Stop Staring! This will kill us if we don''t counter it! We''ll have to use that!" They too now snapped out, and the four Red-Robed bishops quickly stood back behind the Pope, holding hands and closing their eyes. None even berated him for indirectly calling the Pope a fool - the situation was too dire for meaningless banter. "Oh, great heavenly god! I ask you, grant us the power of the divine!" Holy light surged throughout their bodies, as they prepared to muster all their Magic to stall for the Pope, who was chanting another spell. They chanted out precisely in time with each other, connected by the light and magic coursing through their bodies. "The Light of Healing! The Light of Restoration! The Light of Judgment! The Light of Purity! The Light of Luck! The Light of Blessing! Condense into the power of the Divine Might, and fuse to smite the evil!" Under the chanting of the spells, the holy light surging around them turned into a pure white, forming an arrow and shooting towards the four Ah Dai''s. Boom! The four Ah Dai''s could not dodge the level 8 spell barrage and had to take the full force of it head-on. Their physiques were tempered enough to be able to handle the brute force of them, but even so, he felt the warm blood seep out of their wounds. He breathed in deeply, finding himself struggling to control all the turbulent forces in the 4 suns and moons. This was supposed to be used with only Shengsheng Dou Qi, but he had condensed all the Evil Qi in the air with it. Ah Dai was burning his Life Force to control them, but to him, this situation was all or nothing. Why live when there is nothing left of your heart? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. "Crossing - Lightning - Blast!" The suns and moons flew out of Ah Dai''s palms, the doppelgangers bodies dissipating after all their energy had evaporated. When the suns and moon touched, the sky boomed and heavens shook with great thunder! The blue skies were now covered by the Evil Qi clouds, dark lightning hurdling everywhere with great force. Ah Dai felt all the energies of the world bow down to him, his Qi unstoppable and utterly domineering. But the Red-Robed Bishops spells had ultimately given the Pope enough time to cast his own spell. "Oh holy light of the great God, come to the human realm and bless us with thy Divine Power! I, Xuan Yuan, shall use thy Divine Power to purge the evil back into the cycle, so grant thy the ultimate light! Erupt, awaken,Samsara''s Light! The Popes'' eyes glow with white light, his entire body emitting misty gas. His body had now become the vassal of God''s Wrath - the summoning of God''s judgment. The holy aura permeated the room, then twisted back into his body, absorbing and transforming the God''s Wrath. The originally white aura turned into a golden-blue, then into a light blue, and finally into a faint blue, now exuding a deathly aura, not unlike that of Ah Dai. It was almost an oxymoron - a veil of death coming from the purest of lights. "Samsara''s Light?! No! You can''t use that! No!" Xuan Yue''s eyes widened with fright. As one of the Red-Robed Bishops, she knew this spell all too well. From its creation till now, it had only ever been used 3 times, and those three times could only be described as pure and utter annihilation. With the 4 Red-Robed Bishops supporting, the Pope could unleash a power that nothing could rival - not even the former 3 spells combined could match the staggering amount of Magic Energy poured into this. In front of the Pope, a beautiful six-winged golden angel materialized, wielding a magnificent sword that shone with an eerie death aura. The dark lightning shooting from the sky consolidated then sent flashing towards the Pope. It produced a hideous shriek, like tortured souls begging for release, the Evil Qi unleashing the countless spirits reaped with the Ming''Wang''Jian. The six-winged angel intercepted the lightning, slashing at the lightning with her sword. Boom! Boom! Boom! In those moments, in Ah Dai''s eyes, he saw everything - the lightning striking the angel, her sword struggling against it, then the lightning being overwhelmed by pure force. He froze. It was over, the angel appearing before the defenseless Ah Dai. She was merciless in her final slash. Ah Dai looked down, his clothes split wide open, the wound slashed from his chest to the end of his abdomen. The angel, emotionless, dissipated as he collapsed onto the floor, his blood pooling underneath him. A loud crack was heard as he dropped the Ming''Wang''Jian onto the ground. Pain racked his body, but the tiredness numbed everything. Ah Dai was tired of it all - all the sufferings, death, falsehoods and separation that pervaded his life. He was tired everything. "AH DAI! NO! AH DAI!" Ah Dai barely registered the painful cries of Xuan Yue, who rushed towards him. Sheng''Xie was too shocked from the sudden development, and so didn''t stop her from running away. She grasped his arm, pulling his head onto her lap. Ah Dai''s face was as white as paper, blood all bleeding out from his wounds. All of his Life Force was drained, and not a shred of Shengsheng Dou Qi was left. Xuan Yue knew there was no more hope, but she just could not accept it. "Don''t leave me, Ah Dai! AH DAI! Don''t leave me, you''ll be fine, you''ll be fine..." Her voice trembled, eyes staring in horror at his inactivity. Then, to her relief, Ah Dai coughed violently, blood spurting out everywhere onto her face. The Crimson, warm liquid dripped down her chin as he spoke. "Yue... Yue..." "Don''t speak! Rest there, Ah Dai, you''ll be fine! Yes! Everything will be all right..." Ah Dai bitterly smiled. "No... Yue Yue... don''t... hurt yourself... anymore... Ah Dai is going... to leave now... Ah Dai... is going to.. finally... meet up with the... others... again..." "NO! Ah Dai, you can''t leave me! I only love you, I can''t live without you!" Ah Dai stared into Xuan Yue''s eyes, oh those eyes! Those eyes he loved, eternally captivating and enchanting, and never would he ever forget them. It pained to see her beloved eyes twisted in such suffering. "Silly girl... Ah Dai loves... you too... and only... you... in my... life... Ah Dai want.. you to live happily. Promise me... promise Ah Dai... you will live happily... even without me... yes?" "No! Ah Dai, I can''t live without you! You promised me to be my lackey for my entire life!" Ah Dai brought his hands up towards Xuan Yue''s face, caressing her cheeks and touching her for the last time in this life. His blood was smeared all over her face. "Yue... Yue... then... I will... have... to be... your lackey... in my... next life..." Ah Dai''s arm dropped. Xuan Yue felt life drain away from her. She laughed manically, the sounds echoing through the destroyed hall. "AH DAI! AH DAI!" Her heart was utterly crushed. Xuan Yue''s face fell into a crazed grin. "If I can''t be with Ah Dai this life... then I will join him in the next!" She picked up the Ming''Wang''Jian lying next to Ah Dai''s body. The Evil Qi instantly started to take away her soul, the Qi permeating her body, greedily sucking at her Life Force. Xuan Ye, drained of magic, could not hope to reach to her in time. His daughter had gone utterly mad. "No! Yue Yue! Don''t do it!" Xuan Yue faced her father. The edge of the Ming''Wang''Jian pointed directly at her chest, both hands grasping at its hilt. "Father... this is the end..." She plunged the blade in, the Ming''Wang''Jian tearing effortlessly through her flesh. Xuan Yue felt the tip of the blade come out of her back, and collapsed onto it, driving the blade completely through. Her pool of blood mixed with Ah Dai''s. - Ah Dai was thoughtless. Emotionless. Powerless. All he felt was falling... Falling... Falling... The void greeted him with an open embrace. Alive (1) "Mendorne... Mendorne..." The void whispered to Ah Dai, holding and caressing him with its touch. "Mendorne... you have suffered too much with the mortals..." Ah Dai remained silent and still, seemingly dead and cold. A yearning sigh could be heard in the background. "Child... I should not have sealed your power, oh how I wish I had never done that mistake!" A bright flash suddenly erupted within the void, as massive chains appeared wrapping around Ah Dai''s body. They exuded a massive aura, but even so were shaking at the raw power they suppressed. A silhouette of a beautiful woman appeared above the chains, looking at him with love-filled eyes. She tapped a single finger on the chains, instantly shattering them, breaking away into the cold void. A thunderous boom resounded, as a veil of darkness erupted from Ah Dai. "Go... return and claim your destiny..." Ah Dai disappeared, and the void closed with him. - "Ah Dai! Ah Dai!" "...Mmm...?" "Wake up now! Uncle Li is going to get mad if we don''t catch enough fish today!" Ah Dai felt tired. Very, very tired indeed. His body did not hurt, rather there was a subtle phantom ache throughout his mind. Ah Dai felt an energy charge through him, rapidly energizing him, yet he did not wish to wake. However, something about the voice was familiar, too familiar - and hearing it made his mind jolt with old memories long forgotten. Ah Dai forced his eyes open, then blinded by the sudden light, raised his arm to block it. He found himself in a lying position on an extremely hard bed, where there was no mattress under him. Ah Dai got up and looked right, then stared shocked at the girl beside the bed. She was thin, clad in barely enough clothing to cover her, while messy raven-black hair covered most of her face. The girl looked 9 or 10 at the oldest, but it was hard to tell through the dirt and messiness of her appearance. "Ya...Tou? Is that you?" Ya Tou smiled brightly, eyes twinkling in relief. She jerked his arm, pulling Ah Dai off the bed and onto the ground. "Of course! Who do you think it is? Let''s go now, it''s nearly noon! Uncle Li will beat us if we don''t get anything!" Ah Dai looked blankly at Ya Tou in complete disbelief as she pulled him out of the house and onto the streets. Only now did he shockingly realize that everything seemed to be extremely tall - the people, houses, stalls all towered over both himself and Ya Tou. ''What happened!? Why are we back in Ninuo city? Why is Ya Tou here? Ya Tou... this cannot be real - She died years ago! And why are we so young?'' Ah Dai thought confusingly to himself, so shocked that his mind seemed to just not work anymore. Ninuo city was one of the places he loathed the most and where he spent most of his childhood at. It was a small city, situated at the very northern extreme of the continent. The weather was harsh and unforgiving, with short days and frigid nights. Most people worked here in the icy seas for a living, and the icebergs floating all year round produced a wealth of walrus and seal fur beloved by the aristocrats. However, Ah Dai and Ya Tou lived here not as fishermen, but thieves. ''Catching fish'' referred to stealing things, and they barely sustained themselves on the prettiest of thievery. Uncle Li headed the group of roughly ten children, each picked up from the streets as orphans. Ya Tou had originally lived with her grandmother, struggling but managing to pass through the harsh days. When Ya Tou''s grandmother passed away from an illness, she had lost her means of survival and had to beg for a living. Uncle Li took her in because he was interested in the house her grandmother left her, because after all, in the frigid Ninuo city, what is better to keep out the ice and snow than a house?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Ah Dai had been with Uncle Li since he could remember - everything before was hazy and clouded. He had always been a slow-witted child, his mind being quite naive and frequently forgetting things. Ah Dai, however, had a lot of determination, and through his time with Uncle Li, had practiced the move ''Pass Smoothly, and Lead Away the Goat'' till perfection. Every day he would hone his hand to become faster and more nimble, and so had become so good at ''Catching fish'' that everyday, purses could be said to almost walk to Ah Dai. He was Uncle Li''s golden goose, and was the most ''doted'' on child in the thieves den, and was always given one or two cold hard mantous1 everyday. Ah Dai''s ''comrades'' always felt envious, but as the kind person he was, always gave a portion to them even when they responded only with scorn. Ya Tou''s mind is the complete opposite of Ah Dai, learning fast and efficiently, and had learned all the skills Uncle Li taught her in a month. Yet despite this, she is the only kid in the thieves den who hasn''t caught a single fish up to date. It was not because Ya Tou was lacking in skill, no, rather it was because her heart would never allow such a feat. Quick-witted she was, Ya Tou''s heart was the same as Ah Dai''s - too kind for their own good. Because of this, Ah Dai and Ya Tou became friends almost immediately, himself shielding her from the beatings that Uncle Li intended for Ya Tou with his own back. They were also the only yellow-skinned kids in the thieves den as well - their skin to pale to be from the United Tribes, yet too shaded to be of the northerners who are pale skin was as white as snow. A combination of these made them unshakable friends. As the duo made their way deep into the city, they arrived at a bend connecting a few minor streets to the major one. Here, Ah Dai had made this his prime fishing spot. The minor streets were just sparsely populated that he wouldn''t be suspicious, and just large enough so that targets were obvious and hard to miss. The major street was perfect for Ah Dai to steal, as the crowds made it so that even if they noticed their purses missing, they would not notice an honest-looking child far away and hidden. Coming here was second nature to Ah Dai - almost always would he leave with a fat purse and a merchant none the wiser. Ah Dai pulled both himself and Ya Tou into a corner. his mind still racing with confusion like never before. His brain was certainly unlike that of his younger self - years of training and honing both martial and magical abilities tuned his mind to quite a fast pace. Yet Ah Dai would always have the naivety and slight dumbness that never left him. Ya Tou turned at him, then gave a shocked look at him that sent his heart racing. "Ah Dai, is there something wrong? You''ve seemed odd since you waked up. And you seem... sadder." Ah Dai quickly shook his head, quickly splurting out a response. "I-It''s nothing. I think I''m just tired. I didn''t sleep well last night." "What are you talking about? You got such a fever yesterday! You slept almost the whole day!" Ah Dai panicked. His eyes darted around, then spotted his escape - a well-dressed, fat merchant whos side was almost bursting with the massive purse. He put his hand over her mouth and hushed her. "N-never mind, we have fish to catch. The merchant there looks good." Ya Tou immediately quietened. She didn''t have the heart to steal anything, so it would be up to Ah Dai to do it. However kind he is, Ah Dai was too dumb at this point to understand much of right from wrong. He slowly followed the merchant, staying away around 6 meters while he was still on the minor street. As soon as they both crossed the major street, Ah Dai immediately crossed the distance to barely 1 meter. With the merchant preoccupied in his oblivious daydream, Ah Dai quickly took out a small knife and crashed himself against the merchant. As the merchant stumbled, he sliced the purse''s string connecting to the merchant''s belt and slid away the fat purse and knife tucked away into his clothes. As the merchant recovered himself, he merely sneered furiously against the poor-looking child. Ah Dai apologized over and over about the accident, and when the merchant saw the honest eyes of Ah Dai, decided that he couldn''t be bothered with a beggar. He did not think twice about it, turning around then leaving with a pompous look. Ah Dai hurried back to Ya Tou, and as soon as he ran back into the corner that she was in, learned of the wall to catch his breath. Ya Tou looked conflicted in the thievery, clearly uncomfortable with something that would cause someone else such distress. Ah Dai gave her a smile, and quickly whispered out: "Ya Tou! Let''s go now!" Ya Tou snapped out of her conflicts and followed Ah Dai back towards the thieves den. Ah Dai was still confused, his old ways felt unnatural after being abandoned for so long, and the whole situation simply was ridiculous. But it felt so real. The stone walls, the icy breeze, and the clinking of the coins screamed reality. It was familiar, yet not. But if so, then what happened? What happened on that day where he lost everything? Why was he back to the beginning? Something told him that forces were at play far greater than he thought. - Far away from Ah Dai, far, far away in the middle of the continent, lay a holy palace. And deep in the palace, lay a chamber in white, windows stained blue and without a single sound within. The songbirds sang outside and greeted the warm morning with vigor and happiness that their chicks too responded. The bed in the white chamber stirred. "Where... am... I?" - 1Mantou - A plain, steamed bun and is absolutely delicious. Is Ah Dai''s favorite food and has a special place in his heart.