Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

Wu Yuanxu currently stood quietly in one of the sub-dimensional rooms. He wasn't cultivating, resting, or excited. On his face, which seemed to have reverted thirty years in appearance, giving him the appearance of a mildly handsome middle-aged man, was simply shock splashed with intense surrealism.

He had died.

He knew this much.

Besides his most recent memory of the constant checks on the stability of his body by others, compatibility of his soul with it, and his mental state, he recalled his last memory. He was sending Yan Zaizen off. It was the boy he had much hope for, and he was supporting him in a venture to use the spatial platform.

After doing so, he felt a pinch in his chest and his body zooming backwards with an incredible momentum. When he got his bearings for the last few seconds he had of consciousness, he saw a blurry figure from afar and his chest with a vast hole where his heart and other organs should be.

So, he knew he had died.

He was shocked to know that, during birth, the Anima Syndicate had offered his parents an initiative to be a part of an experiment. In return, they paid them handsomely. The experiment was to create a second soul segregated from the main one. They would monitor his mental state from the Anima Syndicate Headquarters for research.

As a child born into the Anima Syndicate, he was shocked to discover this.

As for his parents, they've been dead for centuries and neglected to mention this. He knew...that splitting one's soul could lead to innumerable amount of issues to one's memory, psyche, and cultivation. He was told that his soul helped others understand that soul cultivation becomes difficult with a second soul.

However, this wasn't always the case. Those who could reach the Perfect Nascent Soul Realm despite the difficulties had zero issues afterwards. Which meant...his cultivation hindrance was due to their experiment.

He didn't know if he should feel mad. If it wasn't for them, perhaps he could've raised in cultivation, but if they didn't split his soul? He would be dead. He was beyond conflicted.

While he was still immersed in his feelings, Yan Zaizen arrived inside the sub-dimensional room. Instinctively, Wu Yuanxu looked at Yan Zaizen and said, "Another test? I feel fine." Yan Zaizen now was vastly different than the Yan Zaizen before.

His cultivation was pathetic, his aura was weak, his body was shorter, less handsome, and his eyes were vibrant amber in color filled with a basic intelligence - not amber-gold filled with confidence and greater intelligence. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen chuckled. Wu Yuanxu had also changed, looking younger but obviously easily distinguishable.

Suddenly, he walked up to Wu Yuanxu and gave him a tight hug. He had a strange feeling that if he didn't grasp Wu Yuanxu's physical form, it wasn't real. For sixty-plus years, he waited for this day.

"What…?" Wu Yuanxu was startled. Having a strong looking handsome man hugging him in a tight embrace felt odd. However, he felt an intense feeling of warmth and relief from this young man. Yan Zaizen's dao could still affect people's emotions if his are too intense to control. Due to this, he didn't feel anything but good feelings towards this young man.

After a while, Yan Zaizen separated, his eyes giving Wu Yuanxu a once over. "Haha, it seems they gave you a better body." Wu Yuanxu's body truly was extraordinary. It seems they nourished it with good materials. If he had to estimate his vital energies, he was at least in the Qi Unification Realm. This may seem small, but it was a powerful body by many standards.

Confused, Wu Yuanxu couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"The kid you invited to the Anima Syndicate all those years ago. I don't think I ever personally gave you my name, so I'll introduce myself properly this time." He said, coughing to clear his throat after. Taking a step back, he clasped his hand in a respectful greeting and a slight bow.

"Member of the Yan Clan, Grandson to the Yan Clan Leader, ninth disciple of Han Genji, Anima Syndicate Lieutenant and an eternally grateful friend: Yan Zaizen. It's nice seeing you again." His words were filled with respect and warmth. To Wu Yuanxu, he didn't feel any sense of superiority of a strong cultivator to a weak one. He felt like a junior speaking to a kind senior.

"Yo-You're that kid?" His eyes widened in disbelief. How could this be the case? From his memory, that kid was shorter, skinnier, had duller eyes, and a little bit stupid. He recalled being able to easily persuade him to joining the Anima Syndicate despite it offering barely any benefit.

He was also happy despite that. It was very strange...and only solidified that the boy was simply too young and naive. If he read his eagerness to recruit him, he could've negotiated for actual benefits, yet he accepted with no disagreements.

Looking at Yan Zaizen once more, he couldn't shake off his disbelief. Could it be…? The youth from before had an exceptional growth!

"I'm that kid," Yan Zaizen chortled. Wu Yuanxu eyes flickered and then he moved forward, he wrapped his arms around Yan Zaizen this time in a hug. In his eyes, he knew that the only reason he was alive was someone at the Anima Syndicate wanted his revival. Besides Yan Zaizen, who else did he know here? He was just an experiment. He wasn't even an successful one.

"I…" Startled initially, Yan Zaizen responded by hugging as well.

Two men, one old and one young, were hugging silently in the room with hearts filled with gratitude. One helped the other early by setting a path in his life to follow, and the other helped the other by saving his life after death.

"Sniff...sniff…" Tears dripped from Wu Yuanxu's face. They came out like a stream. Nobody will ever understand the terrifying pain, terrible regret, and cold loneliness he felt as he laid there dying. If Wu Yuanxu knew Yan Zaizen could somewhat relate, perhaps they would be even closer.

With a soft pat, Yan Zaizen felt relieved.

Several hours passed.

After their hugging sessions concluded, they sat down to enjoy various wines and talk. Yan Zaizen got to understand how Wu Yuanxu got a second soul, his past life before they met, and more. As for Wu Yuanxu, he got to know about Yan Zaizen's journey thus far, the fate of Han Genji, the fate of those who killed him, and more.

They exchanged good conversation over delicious wine. They even talked about their goals. Yan Zaizen wanted to explore the Xiantu Empire, then move to a different realm. Likely, he'll go find Ma Xiuren's Xiuhei Clan. As for after that? He hadn't decided.

Wu Yuanxu wanted to start his own clan. At his death, he realized that he never left anything behind. This was his most intense regret. He wanted many children, beautiful wives, and a clan that'll last forever. He'll start at Presba and move to make his clan deeply cemented into the entirety of the Xiantu Realm.

Who knew, perhaps in the future, his clan could one day rule this realm or another one? But that's what he wanted. Yan Zaizen wanted to convince him to travel with him, but the man's dream couldn't be accomplished with free travel. He needed to settle down, make a territory, and develop slowly.

Obviously, he wouldn't impose his own desires on him.

"How about traveling with me for a bit? When I pick up Tao and Bai Lufeng, we'll go about to Presba together. After all, I do need to find out who tried to frame me." Yan Zaizen offered. Initially, Wu Yuanxu didn't want to impose, but when Yan Zaizen said he could handle any cultivation expenses or needs he required during, he agreed.

He knew from Yan Zaizen stories that he had millions in low-grade essence crystals. If it was the him before, even a single essence crystal was unattainable. He only had a unrefined crystallized chair, but that wasn't even close to a real one.

"Haha, I can't wait till you meet Tao and Bai Lufeng, they are definitely characters." He said joyfully.

Little did Yan Zaizen know, both Tao and Bai Lufeng had their own struggles, and because of it, he'll be forced to step towards the heavens.