The Sage of Six Paths

Just as Uchiha Cheng thought he was about to die again, he opened his eyes once more.

Before him lay an inexplicable space, with a surface beneath him resembling a lake. There was no light source, yet the pitch-black space shimmered with a yellow glow, allowing him to see his surroundings clearly.

He stood up, his body no longer feeling weak.

What was going on? He had been fighting desperately to protect his mother just a moment ago; how did he end up here so suddenly? Infinite Tsukuyomi? Brain in a vat?

He scanned his surroundings and saw, not far away, an old man with two horns on his head sitting cross-legged silently on the water, hovering in the air. Nine black spheres orbited his body, and a pitch-black staff floated behind his back. In his eyes, concentric purple ripples were visible.

Sage of Six Paths!

Uchiha Cheng immediately understood the identity of the person before him, as well as his own situation.

It seemed he was indeed close to death; otherwise, the Sage of Six Paths from the underworld would not have appeared here.

But why would the Sage of Six Paths appear before him? Could it be because he was a transmigrator, and the Sage had come to delete his account? He looked at his own body. Even though he had been an adult in his past life and his soul should have remained that of an adult, his current body was that of a child.

Uchiha Cheng made a firm resolution in his heart. No matter what, he would play along first.

"Are you the deity here to take me to the underworld?" Uchiha Cheng asked tentatively.

"I am the creator who established order, known as Hagoromo," the old man said calmly.

I certainly know you are the Sage of Six Paths, Otsutsuki Hagoromo; I was just testing the waters.

"It seems you aren't the deity here to take me to the underworld. Then, old man, why have you appeared before me? Could it be that you have died as well? Are you heading to the underworld along the same path as me?"

He feigned ignorance of the old man's identity and continued to press him.

"On what basis do you determine your own death? Your understanding of death differs from mine when I was alive. To treat life and death so lightly, despite your youth, you truly possess great spirit," the old man said.

This won't do. I could understand the first sentence, but the rest sounds too awkward.

"Old man, can you speak more simply and colloquially? I don't understand what you're saying!" Uchiha Cheng said helplessly.

"Is that so?" The old man pondered for a moment and changed his tone.

"There is a gap of eras between us. Through the changes of time, cultural traditions and concepts have undergone tremendous shifts. Every time I converse with someone who spans eras and the present world like this, I deeply feel the differences between us."

"That's better. Who exactly are you, old man?"

"I am the Sage of Six Paths."

"The Sage of Six Paths? Then you must be a deity; the stories say you are the god who created the world."

"I am not that great; I merely created Ninshu."

Uchiha Cheng gradually set his heart at ease. Regardless, the Sage of Six Paths had not exposed him. Whether or not he knew he was a transmigrator, he likely held no malice toward him. In any case, he couldn't resist him anyway.

"Old man, since you are a figure like the Sage of Six Paths, could you let me see the current state of my mother? I am quite worried about her."

"There is no need for that. Your mother is unharmed; the perpetrator has already left." The Sage of Six Paths tapped the water with his staff, and his mother's image appeared on the surface. She was seen shaking Uchiha Cheng's cold body, weeping hysterically.

However, seeing that the scumbag was no longer by his mother's side, he let out a sigh of relief.