Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

"To die as a mortal beneath Heavenly Law. Then, to ascend as an existence no longer tethered, no longer be subjected, no longer forced to abide by its restrictions. Open the sky, exceed the heavens!" Yan Zaizen recited the profound words written within the Immortal Herculean Method.

The eight celestial gates denoted two aspects of opening and ascending, the first gate and eighth gate respectively. The other six revolve around the bodily limitations imposed by the heavens.

When Shin Xuanji cultivated bone and blood laws, he felt they were profound and interconnected with vast similarities beneath the heavens, capable of rivaling World Laws or greater. This was true. Unfortunately, heavenly law restricts it from being so. In truth, all Mortal Laws were restricted. As the laws increase from World to Imperial, the fewer restrictions it has.

The gates were as follows from first to eighth: Gate of Sky Opening, Gate of Sky Skin, Gate of Sky Flesh, Gate of Sky Yin & Yang, Gate of Sky Bone, Gate of Sky Mind, Gate of Sky Source, and Gate of Celestial Ascension.

These were the eight celestial gates that opens and removes the limitations that the heavens placed on all physical existences. Each opening has its perils, especially the first and eighth gates. Each went directly against the heavenly laws.

"The method describes experiencing true death, but is it possible?" Yan Zaizen questioned. Supposedly, one dies and then is reborn. It shouldn't be much of a struggle, but he suspected that his regalia wouldn't allow such a thing.

It's possible that opening the Gate of Sky Opening would call heavenly retribution to descend. After all, this wasn't a tribulation but a direct attempt to undermine the heavens. If so, was this why he needed to die?

"I don't think you can," Pinaka responded with uncertainty. "However, you'll have to try."

Yan Zaizen helplessly sighed. To die and avoid heavenly retribution, but what happens if he was unable to stimulate actual death. This truly felt bothersome. It went directly against the concept of the Unyielding Flame of Life.

"Fine. However, if Heavenly Retribution descends, I can't be here." After saying this, he conjured his true-essence to encapsulate the realmship. This should keep it consistently within increased time-flow for a few years at least. He felt horribly drained afterwards, but he still persisted. After some more preparations, he departed to a far-off empty area of chaotic space.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be in my soul in case something goes wrong." With a worried tone, Yan Zaizen warned Pinaka. However, Pinaka didn't respond. She maintained her silence and thus her stance.

He felt warmth in his heart. During the sub-realm collapse, Pinaka didn't regret that following him led to her demise. She stayed with him till their presumed end. Since then, their relationship couldn't be described in the same vein as before. It was far closer than normal and Yan Zaizen completely trusted Pinaka to his very soul.

"Haaa!" He released a deep breath and steadied his mind completely. To open the first gate, one had to first locate their bodily core restriction. It was an area that kept the body under heavenly limits. Typically, it was situated in a singular location depending on species.

Herculeans isn't a term defined by species, even beasts or spirits with physical bodies subjected to heavenly restrictions can cultivate the art. Therefore, the location could change drastically based on species.

Fortunately, for the species of humans, the restrictions were located in their core connector: the upper spinal cord. This didn't change based on race and was described in the Immortal Herculean Method.

Yan Zaizen breathing followed the Immortal Herculean Method, it stimulated a deep and loud thrumming sound from every cell of his body. His cloudy, white blood seethed, sky-blue brain pulsated, bright white heart thumped, and his inky, black lungs expanded and contracted.

His entire body was being galvanized to its utmost maximum in functionality. If any other herculeans were to perceive Yan Zaizen at this moment, they could die from shock and disbelief.

Yan Zaizen had somehow refined four regalias into his body in peaceful unification. Even if the creator of the method were to see him, they would tremble in aghast!

Shortly thereafter Yan Zaizen's body was slowing down, from the flow of blood, to the pulsing of his brain, to his cells coming to a stop. He could feel his senses dilute and his thought process slowly die. It was hard to conceive a single thought let alone access his memory.

"Was this...this...all heavenly law?" Despite his state, he felt a profound realization circulate rapidly. The sky emphasized the body, but to think it even incorporated mental thought and physical senses. From the beginning, he knew the brain was interconnected to the soul, but he didn't see how much till now.

He couldn't use his spiritual sense!

No, to be more accurate, his spiritual sense could be sent outwards but he received distorted imagery and sounds. However, this was temporary. His Aurora Astral Star erupted with iridescent light.

His senses became clear and no longer restricted to his brain. It was as if his soul became a brain itself that conformed to the heavenly law. While his mind and senses were clear, his thoughts fired out like blazing fireworks, "If the soul is interconnected to the heavens, then what does it mean to reach the divine? Could it mean...another path outside the heavens? Is the Divine Soul Realm similar to True Spirits and Herculeans?!"

He felt that he touched upon brief enlightenment. However, it was still unclear and heavily doused in a misty fog.

"Return!" He felt Pinaka's urgent intent as he was lost in his thoughts. He turned his attention back to his body. It was limp and even the lifeforce was non-existent. His physical body was dead.

"Wait? I astral projected?" He came to a shocking, sudden realization at that moment. "Of course! Astral projection segregates the body and soul, this allows the soul to exist alone. To reach a realm where the soul and body can exist separately. The limits of the heavens! To become divine is to exist beyond these limits. Then…"

However, before he could continue this line of thought, Pinaka's intent became so urgent that his astral form shivered. He returned to his body post-haste.

His five senses were now dead. His sixth, seventh, and eight sense was all that existed at the moment, his purest of instincts that was uninhibited, his interpersonal sense, and his heavenly sense. This state of death was absolutely phenomenal!

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to indulge in this wondrous sensation. "Find the gate!" His soul shivered and his eighth sense relating to the heavens thoroughly surveyed his spinal cord.

At the upper part of his spinal cord, between the second and third vertebrae, a small, almost atom-sized, golden light radiated. He felt that, unless his body died, this would've been impossible to perceive.

Wait…

He searched for his Unyielding Flame of Life in his heart. His existence trembled violently! It was silent. No, to be more exact, it was atomized in a similar fashion to the gate! It had shrunk to the point where it seemed to be sealed.

The white flame wasn't the only item that turned this size. The orb of death and soul also shrunk inside his body. There was also a cloudy, white mist that seemed to linger as if it was everything and nothing simultaneously!

If that was it, he wouldn't be so incredibly shocked! There was a dark-grey dot in his stomach that seemed to contain the concept of rebirth, soul life, soul death, and an infinite cycle!

If his thoughts weren't so restricted, he would've realized this was the law of Samsara! To be exact, it was the concept of Source Cycle of Samsara! A combination of all three specific concepts!!

"The Gate!" His instincts shouted as Pinaka's intent once again urged. If it wasn't for her constantly reminding him, Yan Zaizen would've failed several times by now. In truth, his mind was far too curious and pure. This made it easy to get lost within the profoundness of the heavens.

"Open! Shatter the Celestial Gate! Shatter the First Celestial Gate!! The Gate of Opening Sky!!!" He roared with his entire existence as he rumbled toward the atom-sized golden light. He abandoned his soul and existed as only a strand of his three external senses. This state of existence smashed heavily into this light.

When he did, he submerged into it.

The world changed before his eyes!

Before him, a golden world appeared. Underneath this golden world was earths and skies. The earths and skies were planets, suns, moons, outer space, chaotic space, and so, so much more! However, above it, Earths and Skies were king! They had similar traits but seemed far greater in intensity and immensity.

As he tried to lift his existence to stare at this, he felt a needle-piercing pain. It hurt even greater than the Warhammer Trial! He couldn't help but look away.

The area before him was a single gate. It had a rectangular appearance with a long vertical. The double-door reached a height he couldn't perceive. Its width was narrow, however. It was covered in inscriptions that looked less profound than his Herculean or Sky Shatter's inscriptions, but they radiated a simplicity that held all!

"Push! Push forward!!!" Pinaka's intent kept urging him to continue. It was as if all that Yan Zaizen experienced, she did as well. Quivering, Yan Zaizen's existence radiated a deep amber-brown. He was no longer without form, but took the shape of his original form, but atop his head was a kingly crown! He dressed in a dark-amber Imperial Robe.

This wasn't Yan Zaizen! Not completely. However, he stepped forward with his eyes that were as dazzling as the stars. Towards this gate, his gaze contained deep contempt and disdain. With a cold snort, he lifted up his palm.

His index finger and thumb connected softly.

"Limit me? Hmph, even if all ninety-nine of you decided to stand before me, would I flinch or would you tremble with fear?" Yan Zaizen was inwardly shocked into disbelief! He wasn't saying these words. It was more like these words were the deep intent and belief of his existence! Of his Mortal Dao!

Also, ninety-nine? Ninety-nine heavens? He was deeply confused, but he didn't stop.

He took another step forward…

Snap!

His fingers snapped. The gate trembled, the earths and skies beneath his feet grew silent and the world above heightened with vibrant activity! It released a shrieking sound that could cause the heavens to collapse.

Boom!

The gate exploded. Bits and pieces of its existence turned into dust, but it didn't stop. Yan Zaizen's Sovereign form shifted to his original formless one, but at the center of this was a black hole that swirled.

The bits and pieces of the heavenly gate were drawn into the black hole and vanished. Yan Zaizen felt a gushing aura flare all around him. "Return!" His thoughts and instincts retreated. As he did, he resumed occupancy of his dead body.

His skin was decaying, his eyes were greyed, and his blood went stale. However, the moment he reconnected with his body, a profound aura seemed to emanate from it. Slowly, the white flame returned, the sky-blue orb resumed its light emissions, and the dark orb continued to spin and siphon all creation!

"Haaa…" his first breath left him feeling refreshed. His dead skin flaked off his body, his eyes resumed their amber-gold color, and his white blood seethed and flowed like a grand river.

After several hours, he was returned to his original state, but he was fundamentally different than before. Yan Zaizen clenched his fist slightly, without vital energy, chaotic space contorted! His fingers were grasping at nothing and crushing it!

"My physical body...it has been refined?" He remarked with a little shock. He could feel limits on his lifeforce, soulforce, deathly aura, and white blood removed. However, his vital energy didn't increase nor did their respective abilities. It was as if vital energy had nothing to do with the Herculean Path.

"Your soul absorbed something, this energy circulated through your body. What was it?" Pinaka immediately questioned. She had been pushing Yan Zaizen every step, but she truly didn't see or feel anything besides Yan Zaizen's faint emotions at the time. Therefore, she didn't see the Sky Heaven Gate be shattered and absorbed by the black hole or his kingly state.

However, when the black hole absorbed the heavenly bits, it converted that into energy for the body and only the body. The energy was vast and powerful, the refinement was quick and unbelievable, but the effects were evident.

"!" Yan Zaizen was a little shocked. He remembered what happened earlier, but his feelings became more complex. He felt another soul bleeding incident when he faced the Sky Heavenly Gate. He turned into a king! No! He turned into a sovereign!!!

All beneath him turned silent! All before him trembled! And all who watched him cheered in excitement!

It was shocking to the absolute extreme!

Then...the black hole manifested and consumed the heavens limits!

"...Who created me...and...what did he mean by ninety-nine of you?" From his knowledge, there were only thirty-three heavens!

The world just kept becoming more and more mysterious. One day, he'll find all these answers.

This, he swore.