Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

When the fog vanished around Sunflare, his eyes ignored everything else and immediately sought his god. The moment his eyes fell on the massive tree that grew on top of a mountain, his eyes widened, and he slowly knelt before the tree, prostrating fully before its mightiness.

For many seconds, he simply remained there, bowing in silence. Then, he began praying.

”Blessed be the Lightmaker, Creator and Destroyer, Father of flame, breath, and life. Dragon of heaven, Tree of radiant roots, Man who walked beneath the sun. Three forms, yet one eternal being.”

”From your light comes Vitality. By your warmth, life endures. By your radiance, falsehood takes form, and illusion becomes as truth before mortal eyes.”

”By the First Yang, Creation. By the Ninth Yang, Destruction. By all Nine Yangs, Perfection.”

”May your light purge corruption. May your flame cleanse impurity. May your Vitality restore the weary. May your illusions confound the unworthy.”

”O Sun Father, O Divine Dragon, O Sacred Tree, Bearer of all Nine Yangs, we bow beneath your eternal light.”

The world inside of Alex was silent for a long time after Sunflare finished his prayer. Bladedance watched the man with her eyes wide open, a similar expression to what Alex held on the outside.

This man knew the truth. This man knew a truth that the Celestials of the Beast realm, who were supposed to be blessed by these gods, did not. The Dragon Father was not something people just knew to be the Sun God as well. That was a piece of knowledge that Alex believed only he and a few others were aware of.

And yet, the man had spoken it outright in his prayer.

The man finally looked up after a while and glanced around the world. The wall of fire that rose to the sky had caught his eye long ago, and finally he had the luxury to be distracted by it.

”What is this fire?” he asked. ”I feel a strange sense of understanding coming from it.”

”It is the Sun Fire,” Alex explained without much emotion in his voice.

”Sun Fire?” The man sounded surprised. ”Are you sure? That is a Fire that belongs only to the Sun Crow. And the Sun Crow is supposed to have died a long, long time ago.”

”Yes, it is,” Alex said.

The man remained silent, openly musing about something. ”Did you gain this fire too when you ate the fruit of the God?” he asked. ”Based on my own understanding, the Sun Crow had to eat this fruit too from another tree in the past, and that was how it gained its name.”

”Not precisely, but I’m not sure I wish to discuss how I gained it,” Alex said. ”Instead, may we speak a little about your prayer?”

”About my prayer? What of it?” Sunflare asked.

”How do you know about the connection between the Dragon Father and the Sun God?” Alex asked.

The man’s expression immediately changed from idle surprise to a sharp glare. ”Could you elaborate on what you mean?” he asked.

Alex paused for a few moments before speaking. ”I do not think it will benefit either of us to try to assume the other doesn’t know something we clearly know they do,” he said. ”I had heard that the Nine Yang Court was a very old organization, likely from before a certain something happened. Do you have reports of that event?”

Sunflare failed to hide his surprise. ”If you don’t mind, could you tell me what event it is you are talking about? Just so I am aware you are not fishing for information.”

Alex answered immediately. ”I am speaking of the breaking of the world.”

The surprise that came upon Sunflare at that moment was one Alex had failed to see in him until this day. Even the fact that the Nine Yang Divine Tree was growing inside of him hadn’t elicited a reaction this big.

”How... how do you know that?” Sunflare asked.

”I just do. Just like I know about the original Nine Yang God Tree, which then became the Dragon Father, who then became the Sun God,” Alex said. ”And I’m assuming the Nine Yang Court is perfectly aware of this as well.”

Sunflare didn’t answer immediately. His mind raced with thoughts instead. After a while, he said exactly what he could.

”Members of the Nine Yang Court are made to take certain oaths, which stop me from answering any of your questions. The only time we are able to talk about these things is with our superiors, and as such, I will unfortunately have to refrain from answering any of your questions.”

Alex frowned slightly. He wanted to learn quite a lot more from this man, but this refusal to answer was, in a way, an answer in and of itself.

”When I visit the Nine Yang Court, would it be possible for me to look up any of these records then?” Alex asked.

”Not unless you are a member of the Court.”

Alex had no intention of being bald anytime soon. ”Has your doubt as to the fact that I am the Sun God waned even a bit since you met me?” he asked.

Sunflare didn’t answer.

”Do you at least believe that I have the Sun God’s body?” Alex asked.

This time, he answered. ”If what you have told me until now is the truth, there is a chance it may be. There is no proof, though.”

”It is, but it’s fine if you don’t believe it. Does the Nine Yang Court at least hold information about my body?” Alex asked. ”I can do things that I do not have names for. The Demons hold archaic records for the Moon Goddess that have all the information about her. Meanwhile, I do not. Please tell me I could get something from the Nine Yang Court should I visit it.”

Sunflare looked around for a bit. ”I cannot say for certain, but there is a good chance it can happen. I would hold on to that hope.”