Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies

"27th Heaven? Chaos Era? Rebirth Era? Outlawed by the Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God?!" Yan Zaizen muttered and he felt his mind reel from this information. If before his horizons were slightly broadened, now he was truly enlightened. Shockingly, even Pinaka was shocked by this information. However, to her, what was important was that True Spirit was a path, and one that was outlawed by this heaven!

What did that mean?

Others may not know, but she clearly knew!

If the True Spirit Path was included into standard Heavenly Law, integrated into the Heavenly Domain, then she could transition herself into a conventional soul! She could cultivate, she could develop a physical body, and enter the samsara cycle! She could truly and thoroughly exist, not as an artificial existence, but as a heavenly existence!

If that's the case, then...Yan Zaizen's situation makes sense!

Earlier, her knowledge wasn't nearly profound to come up with a conclusion regarding Yan Zaizen's unique circumstance. After all, he was a Spirit Form that became a conventional soul! Spirit Forms were like the Essence Path to the Heavenly Path, a precursor in preparation of. They weren't subjected by the same limitations, but Spirit Forms could not be modified into true souls, this was a heavenly rule! If a Spirit Form were to gain intelligence, the heavens would descend and eliminate it!

Fortunately, it wasn't to the same degree as the Herculean and Infernal Forger Paths. They suffered tribulation, if they succeed, then they can exist without the support of heavenly law. But for those truly outlawed, they were subjected to Heaven Annihilation Light! Before it, none can survive.

If Yan Zaizen's creator exceeded heavenly law, then it was entirely possible for him to subject Yan Zaizen's soul by unique standards. An artificial soul may be artificial, but perhaps, at the very beginning, Yan Zaizen was a conventional soul with an artificial appearance. Thinking to here, she became excited.

As for Yan Zaizen, his brows were furrowed. His thoughts weren't focused on his situation, but on a more pressing one. If the Herculean Path was subjected to Heaven Annihilation Light, then...shouldn't he be dead?

"Unless…" His eyes lit up as he recalled the swirling black hole. Could it be...this unfathomable black hole devoured and consumed the punishment? If so! "Hehe." He snickered with a little pride.

Zhou Xiuhei didn't understand why Yan Zaizen was snickering so suddenly, but he found it somewhat funny. He too had the question of how Yan Zaizen survived. Fortunately, many of the reasons why Yan Zaizen could've survived would've meant he wasn't capable of knowing how or even remembering. Therefore, he didn't ask or care.

The present was all that held true value.

"Continue with your questions," Zhou Xiuhei patiently said.

Snapping out of his stupor, Yan Zaizen immediately barraged Zhou Xiuhei with many questions, mostly about the origins of Herculeans and deviation in methods.

The origin of Herculeans actually originated from an existence that reached the Heavenly Ascension Realm, establishing and enforcing his personal law unto all known heavens. In this way, all races with the proper methods could cultivate it according to universal law. This could not be stopped; it could only be impeded or dealt with harshly with punishment.

The deviation of methods for the first three levels, the Nascent Herculean Physique, Grand Herculean Physique, and Celestial Herculean Physique. After which, the last two levels for him were the Rebirth Herculean Physique and Eternal Immortal Herculean. For Zhou Xiuhei, his last two was the Hardened Sky Herculean Physique and Unbreakable Sky Herculean.

The naming sense aligned with their roads. However, he discovered an almost ridiculous fact! Zhou Xiuhei, a Royal Fiendgod, a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis expert dubbed as a Heavenly Commander, and aged in the hundreds of thousands of years in age was only at the third gate of the Celestial Gates - Gate of Sky Flesh!

Yan Zaizen initial reaction was extremely intense that Zhou Xiuhei didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Was opening a Celestial Gate, a core restriction among ALL heavenly law that was enforced onto all race and species of creation, so laughably easy?

However, when he learned that Yan Zaizen had already opened his first gate, Zhou Xiuhei, with his hundreds of thousands of years of experience felt his mind reel in shock. His expression visibly changed by such a notable degree that even a mortal could capture it. After, his expression was solemn.

The conversation after was filled with Zhou Xiuhei's expression becoming more and more solemn, disbelief surging into his face, then helplessness, then simply numbness. The conversation proceeded for several hours.

"I think...that's it." Yan Zaizen awkwardly rubbed his nose. If there was ever a thing as too many questions, this could be called an example. He had probably asked ten thousand questions, that wasn't even counting the follow-up ones. However, Zhou Xiuhei didn't seem impatient maintaining his calm as he answered each as thoroughly and completely as possible. If anything, appreciation would surge into his eyes from time to time in Yan Zaizen's thorough grasp in asking important and core questions that many would've subconsciously avoided.

"Now, I have a question, young one." Zhou Xiuhei's words perked Yan Zaizen's ears.

"Go ahead," he had no qualms with Zhou Xiuhei, and even felt a warm inclination towards this middle-aged great grandpa. Whenever Yan Zaizen referred to Zhou Xiuhei in his mind, he would just replace his name with Grandpa Xiu.

"What is your relation with Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora?" A flash of light suffused within his violet pupils, but the intent was malicious, but more so concerned.

"Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora?" Baffled, Yan Zaizen tried to connect the name in his memory. Besides a faint trace of familiarity that seemed both real and unreal at the same time, there was no one he knew by that name. "Who's that?"

"..." Zhou Xiuhei sharp gaze caught all of Yan Zaizen's reactions, but he couldn't help but feel skeptical. He looked towards the ethereal sub-dimensional ring on Yan Zaizen's finger. This ring was something he was wholly familiar with. After all, he and Ezekiel, as well as the other top-tier experts on the realm, held a connection that couldn't be denied.

The truth of the matter?

"Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora. This name, you will most definitely hear of it one day, but it's also a person I think highly of. I bestowed the Immortal Herculean Method to him." Zhou Xiuhei was calm as he stated.

"!!!" Yan Zaizen nearly exclaimed aloud in shock. Was this the person who was absorbed by the swirling black hole? The owner of the sub-dimensional ethereal ring?! The owner of the Meteor Ring?

"Who is he?" The sheer amount of curiosity caused this question to explode with anticipation. To him, Ezekiel was both his attempted murderer and greatest benefactor. It was due to him, due to their fate, that Yan Zaizen could stably walk his current path.

"..." Zhou Xiuhei softly sighed. Yan Zaizen's genuine reaction of ignorance then surprise likely meant that something happened to Ezekiel. It's possible that Ezekiel had bestowed Yan Zaizen his sub-dimensional ethereal ring before death, leaving him his legacy and other materials. It explained why he had the Regalia of life and death in his possession.

"Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora is…" a flash of remorseful light flickered in his gaze, "...was the direct descendant of the Chaos Origin Heavenly God. An extraordinary, heaven-defying talent that could've rivaled or even exceeded his family's legacy. After the death of the Chaos Origin Heavenly God, Ezekiel had departed with his entire race, which was outlawed beneath the 27th Heaven of the Rebirth Era as decreed by the Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God."

"A hundred or so years ago, he suffered an unfortunate, unforeseen incident; his fate unknown. Before then, he had come to steal an object from the Black Sirius Heavenly Commander - Syi, directly stealing from the White Sirius Heavenly God's Palace, and enraging his entire lineage. This object was an offering from the current Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God, a unique Regalia of Life and Death." His eyes gazed deeply into Yan Zaizen's as he explained.

"..." He understood. Ezekiel had stolen the Regalia of Life and Death from this realm. As the possessor of a Herculean Physique with both of these laws refined into his body, he must've had a direct connection with Ezekiel. After all, Yan Zaizen didn't have enough strength or backing to obtain a Regalia, let alone one from the current Heavenly God of the 27th Heaven!

There was also something bothering him if that was the case.

As if knowing his thoughts, Zhou Xiuhei said coolly, "As a Guest Elder of my Xiuhei Earthly Moon, no one in this realm shall dare touch you without my explicit permission."

Feeling somewhat comforted by this, he still became lost in his thoughts. A question popped into his head. This question kept itching at his brain. "...How strong was Ezekiel?"

"...Ezekiel was a top-notch talent. The last I saw him, his Heavenly cultivation base reached the sixth-floor. However, if you defined him by just this, you'll be sorely mistaken. Mastering two World Laws to the Sovereign-level, Creation and Destruction, including the Mortal Law of the Sword. He was also a quad-cultivator, cultivating in Heavenly, Fiendgod, Source Soul, and Origin Path." As he explained, his tone was filled with an inherent tone of respect.

"Soul Source Path? Origin Path?" Yan Zaizen was startled for a second, but he recalled the first. The Soul Source Path must be the conventional soul path that relies on introspection and development of one's soul. As for the Origin Path, he wasn't sure.

"Beneath the myriad heavens, paths are numerous and mysterious. The Origin Path is something even I can't properly explain, but it dealt with cultivating one's Origin Source and True Origin. Even to this day, I have yet to touch upon my True Origin. Even my Origin Source was only a tiny trace of it enhanced countless times by my own effort, but as for my complete Origin Source, I have yet to truly grasp it." He deeply sighed, understanding that the Dao had a close connection to one's origin.

"This world truly is vast and awe-inspiring," Yan Zaizen marveled.