Chapter 191
Kashyapa heard a hoarse voice enter his brain.
He didn't have the courage to refuse at all.
The fat immortal was still playing his earthen pipa not far away, chanting the hymn "Narayana, Narayana".
264 Go save them!
Spiritual Terrace, Square Inch Mountain, Slanting Moon, Three Stars Cave.
Beneath the Bodhi Tree, clouds rise and fall.
Hebe remained seated, with one foot on the ground, seemingly floating in mid-air.
Her flaxen-colored side ponytail floated against gravity in the air, almost blending into the surrounding clouds.
She grabbed a wisp of cloud and wiped her hands with it.
The Progenitor Daksha believed that by combining the calculation power of seventeen immortals, he could unleash a curse on Hebe.
However, Hebe only used the redundant computing power that was floating around Fangcun Mountain, and it made the brain of the Progenitor Daksha boil, and also burned out the computing power balance of the other seventeen immortals.
Kashyapa Immortal was a beat too slow to react, and thus escaped unscathed.
The reason why those immortals fell into the five signs of decay, with "glowing hair on their heads and darkness all over their bodies," was essentially because their computing power on the Pure Land server was insufficient.
Without Maya Illusionary Power, the Pure Land server reacted instantly, classifying them as users with poor asset management.
All the blessings they had received from the Pure Land were now being used to pay off their debts.
Of course, if Hebe wanted to stay there a little longer, she could also free up her hands and force a tense and exciting dark duel with the Kashyapa Immortal.
However, Kullong's ability to remain conscious was limited, and Hebe could not and did not want to remain there.
The girl's fair, delicate feet gently trod on the grass beneath the tree as she landed lightly and walked around the Bodhi Tree.
On the dark green tabletop, the card belonging to Kama is slowly being shaped within a semi-transparent square.
The card features an abstract depiction of a girl with long, deep purple hair, her profile enveloped in dark flames, her eyes filled with profound sorrow.
In the direction her eyes were gazing, a hand reached down.
It seems to be about saving something, or perhaps about giving something.
[Believer: Kamadiya the Invisible One.]
[The Path: Heavenly Demon. Boundless afflictions, endless sentient beings. Emptiness and ignorance, only love and freedom remain.]
[The principle: a cup. Representing the principle of desire, temptation, and suffering.]
[Rank: Daytime. The second level of the Path of Achievement.]
[Achievement: Holding onto love yet withering away, without attachment (unfinished)]
Kama was a sacrifice of despair, her fate being to vanish into nothingness in the flames. In the destiny of rising and setting suns and moon, has history ever been reversed? In the past, in by whose fingertips does redemption fall?
"World Honored One! World Honored One! I see scriptures between your brows, I see day and night on your eyelashes."
Your believers, students, followers, and possessions.
Hebe stared at the card.
She stretched out her left hand and pulled it out of the semi-transparent frame, then flipped her right hand and pushed it forward, pouring out the Kama that had been gathered.
The ball of flame, which had turned dark purple, rolled upon landing and formed Kama's translucent body.
Her appearance is unchanged from before, but her temperament is completely different.
That is the terrifying allure of the Heavenly Demon Path, a temptation that transcends gender and race, and also the degenerate nature of all sentient beings.
—This is one of the most treacherous paths under the rule of the July Archon Holy Grail.
Kama's willingness to sacrifice himself has already attracted the attention of the Holy Grail.
Her physical form turned to ashes in Kullong's flames, thus fulfilling the subsequent requirements of that path.
Of course, at this time Kama did not realize that his essence had undergone a tremendous change.
She remained kneeling devoutly on the ground, and according to the traditional Bharata custom, reached out to touch Hebe's feet.
Hebe frowned slightly, not because of the soft touch from her toes, but because of Kama's path.
Even a fool could guess that if Kama wanted to achieve great things, his target would inevitably be himself.
Hebe sighed inwardly, then his eyes hardened.
She was not even afraid of Eris, so how could she be afraid of Kama, who was not yet accomplished?
He could both save her and destroy her; and since he had saved her, he naturally had to bear the responsibility.
"Kama".
Hebe smiled and helped her up.
When Kama saw Hebe's appearance clearly, he was immediately taken aback.
"Vyasa...?"
"You see, I told you long ago that we were destined to be together," Hebe said. "Back then, among that group of children, you were the only one who didn't laugh at me."
"Ughhhhhh—"
Kama suddenly broke down emotionally. She hugged Hebe tightly, as if she wanted to vent all her grievances and pain through her tears.
Hebe gently patted her smooth back.
The emotional outburst didn't last long; Kama quickly calmed down and awkwardly stepped away.
Only then did Kama realize that his hands and feet were now translucent.
—It was as clear as crystal, yet it revealed an ethereal essence, with blue-purple flames flickering and swaying within it.
"This, this is..."
"This is a more orthodox path than the ascetic practices of immortals; it is called the Path of Ascension..." Hebe explained in detail.
Regardless of which one is the one who has transcended, they all establish their achievements by relying on their own desires and adhering to their own principles, and then prove the existence of the Golden Truth from their achievements.
Hebe has already completed the Path of Ascension, so he is naturally qualified to guide Kama as a great teacher.
In the real world, countless secret societies or apprentices would be willing to spend their entire fortune to attend this class.
What is even more commendable is that Hebe did not confine herself to the Path of Ascension, but instead stated frankly that there are other paths to take besides this one.
For example, the path of the Sword Saint in the Higashi, which focuses on destructive power, ends only at the Sword Intent, equivalent to the "twilight" of the Path of Ascension.
For example, the nine gods of Egypt and the spiritual system of Atlantis... In Hebe's view, although the Path of Ascension is orthodox, it does not mean that other paths are without merit.
"World Honored One," Kama said, pressing his palms together, "Which stage on the Path of Ascension is the 'Wrathful Lord'?"
"Kullong?" Hebe's expression was somewhat solemn. "In terms of rank alone, he is equivalent to Twilight. But that doesn't mean his rank ends there. Rather, it's because the upper limit in the mortal world is only Twilight. The destiny he carries is far greater than that."
Apprentices often confuse the Skyflint's Excommunication with the upper limit of the mortal world itself.
But in reality, Celestial Flint was targeting the fact that the Ascended Ones used their achievements to have a huge impact.
Excommunication itself only appeared at the end of Historic IV, after the end of World War II.
The upper limit of the present world itself was established at least in the First History.
Whether they are the Eternals who ascend to become stars and incorporate the Golden Truth into the workings of the world, or the Named Attendant who serve the rulers and are known as "Heavenly Lords" in Cathay... no matter how radiant and glorious they may be in the wilderness, when they descend to earth, they only have the rank and power equivalent to twilight.
This is why Arthur, stationed in Albion, has the confidence to fear no one—except, of course, those in power.
Even if Romulus were to parachute in, Arthur, wielding the Sword in the Stone, could still cut him back the way he came.
'But in earlier times, this upper limit probably didn't exist,' Hebe thought to herself.
But before the Path of Ascension the Celestial Flint, the Beast God held power, wisdom, and authority.
Among them are both colossal beasts and beings known as Beast Lord.
The Ascended Ones followed the Path of Ascension, while the Beast God acted in accordance with their destiny.
—The law of nature: survival of the fittest... This is the destiny of nature.
The former were regarded as living mountains and rivers by the barbaric people, and the Dragon Kind were also of the same kind as the giant beasts; the latter were once regarded as gods, but they fell from their positions of honor one by one. As the number of Beast God decreased, the destiny of the beasts began to concentrate on a few individuals.
Hebe deduced that August Archon - Crippled Wolf was the final Beast God.
He carries the destiny of ancient generations, so even Celestial Flint cannot kill him easily.
Some of the other Beast God, after falling from their positions, gradually lost their intelligence and became chaotic beasts.
For example, Sekhmet, the lioness who was once the god of war in Egypt.
Some Beast God, through a series of rituals and reincarnations, were successfully accepted into the Path of Ascension, retaining their status and wisdom.
For example, there was Bastet, the cat goddess of Egypt, and Anubis, the messenger god of the underworld.
"Kullong is not an ascendant walking the path of destruction, but rather bears the destiny of the beast," Hebe said to Kama.
In Hebe's eyes, Kullong was not someone whose will was twisted by Canlang later in life; on the contrary, he was Canlang's original reincarnation.
If Kullong were allowed into the wasteland, he would probably immediately become known as the wolf.
"But ordinary Named Attendant do not bear such a great destiny," Hebe said. "The destiny that Kullong bears is so great that it can almost be regarded as a certain aspect of the Wolves."
Before she could finish speaking, Hebe herself was slightly taken aback.
She remembered the Prophetess Sibyl.
Sibyl, a former Named Attendant of the Fisher King, had been tirelessly promoting the self-salvation of the April Archon.
But when the Fisher King was deeply affected by Eris and his condition became irreversible, Sybil was also powerless to help and was infected by Eris as well.
Hebe immediately recalled Eris's journey to the wasteland to aid the remaining wolves at the end of Atlantis.
'The worst-case scenario is that by August Archon, even the wretched wolf will be assimilated by Eris.'
Hebe's deduction was not unfounded, because Eris had been sowing the seeds of the myth of war and freedom in reality for a very long time.
Given his past as the Fisher King and the Gatekeeper, Eris might very well be able to do this.
Hebe raised her hand and gently rubbed her temples. She thought she roughly knew what the situation was like for the wretch.
In the wilderness, the soldiers launched the first attack. Due to the superiority of the Golden Truth, the Wolves were repeatedly defeated by the soldiers' offensive.
Eris then joined the battle, and although the remaining wolves barely held on, they may also have been affected by Eris in the process.
But the wretched wolf is a ruler with a strong self-destructive nature, so at this moment, it tore off the part of itself that had not yet been corrupted.
This part is Kullong!
It is the Wrathful Lord!
It's Shiva!
During the intense and exciting computational battle with the Progenitor Daksha, Hebe also gleaned much from the Progenitor Daksha's mind.
This naturally includes the grand plans devised by the "sages," and as Brahma's supreme representative, Progenitor Daksha also understood Brahma's will.
Brahma, or the Fisher King, has a will that is both vague and immense.
Based on Hebe's inductive reasoning, it can be summarized in one sentence. "Let Kullong enter the wasteland."
It also foreshadowed the future Vedic and Dharma era, as well as the future birth of the so-called "Vishnu".
Besides, the idea of sacrificing Bharata, or marrying Kama and Parvati as brides to Kullong... these were all the ideas of the Progenitor Daksha and the sages themselves.
Fisher King's idea wasn't bad; it was his subordinates who carried it out badly, right?
It was for this reason that Daksha clasped his hands together before his death, believing that Vishnu had already descended and was about to judge him.
Hebe sighed.
She now understood the Fisher King's intentions.
If Bharata Lostbelt is a game, then it wasn't until the Vedic Age that it was officially released.
It's still loading the expansion pack.
It can be said that Hebe had no need to change history; he could have done so in the Vedic Age.
Appearing too early inevitably carries the risk of being exposed to Eris's gaze.
"But..." Hebe raised her hand and stared at her palm.