Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

When Two becomes One, All shall become One as well.

That was the prophecy Alex had heard back in the 3rd Major Spirit World. After learning about the Divination God’s presence in the lower world, he had come to understand the aura of legitimacy this prophecy carried. Whether or not he wanted to believe it was an entirely different matter. If he was to believe one, then he had to believe the rest as well.

And yet, he was now hearing another prophecy that was exactly the same in the way it was phrased, and yet meant something entirely different.

When Two becomes One, All shall become none.

That spoke not of something fusing to become a single thing, or two things coming together to birth something new. Instead, this spoke of two things that would come together, and their meeting would bring forth a destruction.

All shall become none.

This was a prophecy that foretold the end of all things.

A prophecy of destruction.

’Will all become one? Or will all become none?’ Alex thought. Truthfully, he wasn’t even certain if these were speaking of the same event or not. However, considering how similar they were, he feared they were.

“When Two becomes One…” Bladedance said with a hint of a frown. “Do we have any idea what these two things might be?”

“It could be anything,” the Wine God said. “Two people. Two beasts. Two Daos. Two realms. Two concepts. We cannot even begin to understand the meaning of this one. It is perhaps the most cryptic prophecy that is in our possession.”

Bladedance nodded silently, her mind lost in her thoughts. After a while, she looked toward Alex.

“What do you think?” she asked.

Alex was pulled out of his own mind upon hearing her. He quickly straightened his back and shook his head. “I also don’t know what this could be referring to.”

Bladedance sighed.

“But…” Alex quickly added. “It does seem to be implying a destructive future, and given that I was claimed to be the Destroyer, it might be related to me.”

Bladedance shook her head, not even bothering to consider that as a possibility. “I don’t buy it.”

“She is right,” the Wine God added. “While you were claimed to be the Destroyer, it is also true that you were claimed to be important for the survival of this world. That was why you were allowed to live back then. As such, I cannot wholeheartedly agree that this prophecy speaks about you.”

Alex paused. “So you do not believe I might be part of the two?” he asked.

“No.”

Alex wasn’t really sure if he believed that the same way the two others seemed to. The only thing of significance that came with the presence of the number 2 were the two True Gods.

If the True Gods were to come back, would they lead the world to destruction?

’They already have once,’ Alex thought. ’Their intentions were good, but the outcome was disastrous. They destroyed the old world. What if, in an attempt to fix that, they lead the world to another destruction?’

That was a dangerous possibility, which he surely couldn’t let come true. He would have to—

’Wait,’ Alex thought, as something else came to his mind. ’The Moon Goddess is technically no more. The old one at least. So the two True Gods of the old times couldn’t possibly…’

He froze. ’Two becomes One. There were two. Now there is one.’

A deep sense of dread spread through Alex in that moment as he feared he might have stumbled upon the truth of the prophecy.

’Did Shumi getting rid of the old Moon Goddess send the world down a dark path?’ he questioned. ’Or did me sealing the Sun God rid the world of a True God, thus making the two become one? Is this not how the world is supposed to be?’

Alex had the terrible thought that in an attempt to keep on living, he may just have doomed the entire world. He didn’t want to believe that to be true, but it most certainly could be.

“What if it’s connected to the other prophecy?” Bladedance suddenly asked out of nowhere. “The Fake and the True one could be the two. When the Fake one gives breath to the True one, the Fake one is no more, thus leaving just one. And that one being the End.”

The Wine God raised an eyebrow. “I never considered that myself, but it could certainly be true.”

“What do you think?” Bladedance asked Alex.

“Umm…” Alex tried to answer, but his thoughts moved in so many directions that he couldn’t get a grasp on what to say.

If it was him sealing the Sun God that brought the doom, then how could it be that him freeing the Sun God would also bring the doom? The two possibilities clashed with such an opposing force that Alex couldn’t begin to find a way how those two prophecies could work under his current suspicion.

That likely could only mean one thing.

’I’m wrong, aren’t I?’ he thought. On at least one of those fronts, he was wrong. But which one was it?

“You’re awfully silent,” Bladedance said, her eyes turning curious. “What are you thinking?”

Alex struggled for a moment and then spoke up. “I’m trying to figure out if these prophecies could be related to me in any way.”

Bladedance frowned. “I can understand thinking that way about the Savior prophecies, since there is a layer of possibility of you being that. But there is nothing to even begin to hint that these prophecies might be about you, so why would you even consider it?”

Alex took a deep breath, considering what he was about to do next, and whether it was a good idea or not.

After a brief mental back-and-forth, he nodded and spoke up.

“To explain why I am so internally conflicted about all of these, I must first tell you of something I’ve never told you much about in the past,” Alex said.

Bladedance raised her eyebrows. “And that would be?”

“The Divination God’s prophecy about me.”