Emperor's Reckoning

The journey toward Golem City continued, and as Lyon strode alongside the towering golems, Liu walked in silent contemplation by his side. Lyon's gaze remained fixed on the path ahead, his thoughts intertwining with the enigma that was Golem City.

Breaking the silence, Lyon inquired, concern evident in his voice, "What happened, Liu?" He awaited Liu's response, his attention still divided between the enigmatic golems and the unspoken burden that seemed to weigh heavily on his disciple.

Liu hesitated, his lips tightly pressed together before he found the courage to speak. "The day when all of you were gone... no... the moment I knew that fact, I was... crying." His words hung in the air, laden with a sense of vulnerability that mirrored the unspoken emotions that had gripped him during those trying times.

Lyon turned toward Liu, his brows furrowing as he observed the solemnity etched across Liu's face. It was a revelation that resonated deeply, the acknowledgment of pain and loss that transcended the boundaries of words. The echoes of Liu's unspoken sorrow lingered in the air, weaving an unspoken bond between master and disciple amidst the stoic march toward Golem City.

Liu's words unfolded like a haunting melody, a narrative threaded with the darkness that had surrounded him in the wake of the tragic events. "It was never cold in the shadows before... but at the time, it was," he confessed, his voice carrying the weight of unseen burdens. In those moments of profound loss, Liu found himself navigating through the shadows, a place that had once been familiar but had now transformed into a chilling realm of isolation.

His memories blurred, a testament to the disorienting pain that had gripped him. "And I can't remember much about what I did," Liu continued, a shroud of uncertainty veiling his recollections. "It's just that... I stepped out of the shadow... alight." The imagery painted a vivid picture of his escape from the encroaching darkness, a desperate flight fueled by grief and determination.

His jaw clenched, Liu recounted the desperate moments as he outran the magic of Paradise, a realm severed by tragedy. "I had my jaws clenched the entire time as I outran the magic of Paradise," he confessed, the strain evident in his words. "And managed to enter Hell before it was sealed by them... but I wasn't done." The narrative took an ominous turn as Liu revealed his pursuit of justice, a quest fueled by an unrelenting desire for retribution. "I seek their payment," he declared, the chilling resolve echoing through his confession. "Thus, as everyone was grieving, I wielded your skills and technique to behead Purgatory's ruler."

The gravity of Liu's narrative permeated the atmosphere, casting a somber hue over those who bore witness to his haunting words. Cecile, Selena, and Kesya, each in their own way, wore expressions of solemn empathy as if the echoes of Liu's experiences had touched their hearts. In the silence that followed, the weight of grief and the relentless pursuit of justice hung in the air like an unspoken truth.

Karina, on the other hand, bore a look of shock, her imagination painting vivid scenes of the horrors that Purgatory had faced at the hands of a vengeful phantom. The juxtaposition of her shock against the stoic faces of the others created a poignant tableau—a reflection of the complex emotions entwined within the tapestry of their shared journey.

Under the watchful gaze of Lyon, Liu poured out the lingering doubts that had gnawed at his soul. The weight of perceived weakness bore heavily on him, a burden that strained the very fabric of his being. Lyon, however, wasn't about to let his disciple succumb to self-deprecation.

"Once there, I couldn't see the reflection of my blade, all I saw was the shocked expression of the ruler once I entered his throne, but I failed... I'm weak," Liu confessed, his voice carrying the weight of unspoken turmoil.

"Wrong!" Lyon interjected with a tone of unwavering conviction. "Though I have not regained my memories, I believe that slaughtering Purgatory is not an easy task." Lyon's confident smirk conveyed a trust that resonated between master and disciple, a bond unbroken by the shadows of doubt.

Liu, looking up into Lyon's eyes, found solace in his master's unwavering belief. As Lyon nodded, signifying their shared commitment to the journey ahead, Liu was momentarily overwhelmed by the swell of emotion coursing through him.

"But I don't understand, why didn't they kill me..." Liu pondered, his voice revealing the perplexity that lingered within.

"Greed," Selena chimed in with a matter-of-fact tone. "You're a powerhouse, Liu. Of course, they want a taste of your service; that's why they chose conversion over death."

"Luckily, they were into greed," Cecile added, her smile carrying a hint of reassurance. "They don't understand the power you held, Liu."

"Conversion?" Lyon furrowed his brows, seeking clarification on the intricacies of the path they traversed.

"Yes, the path of cultivation is not as straightforward as it seems," Cecile explained, her words echoing the complexities hidden beneath the surface of their shared journey.

As Cecile delved into the intricacies of cultivation, the veil shrouding the enigmatic world of mortals began to lift. Her words, like a beacon in the mist, illuminated the obscured truths that had long eluded comprehension.

"Cultivation is not as great as it seems; it's a ploy to fool the mortals, all mortals," Cecile declared, her revelation punctuating the air like a resounding truth.

"What?" Lyon furrowed his brows, grappling with the revelation that shattered the illusions surrounding the revered path of cultivation.

"I see, you've figured it out," Minx remarked from his perch atop Lyon's head, his presence a whimsical addition to the unfolding discourse.

"We did teach Lyon about this," Rui chimed in, her words carrying the weight of shared knowledge as she playfully nudged Minx aside.

"You did?" Lyon raised his brows, a mixture of surprise and curiosity etched across his features.

"Yeah, the first time you did cultivation," Shen clarified, offering insight into Lyon's past encounters with the elusive realm.

"Huh?" Lyon furrowed his brows, his memory struggling to grasp the significance of those early experiences.

Cecile, with a patient demeanor, guided Lyon through the revelation. "The only way to become a Seraph is to actually cultivate in Paradise, and the only way to become a Devil is to cultivate in Purgatory. And only those that reached peak Celestial Realm could convert."

As Cecile continued to unravel the intricacies of the celestial hierarchy, Lyon found himself submerged in the realization of a deeper, more elaborate cosmic order.

"And the Seraphs or Devils will obey the command of the highest one in the hierarchy, their all-fathers, whilst their ranks are based on their wings," Cecile explained, her words sketching an ethereal tapestry of celestial governance.

"However, there was another path, the path that the Torga family spoke of," Selena interjected, her contribution threading seamlessly into the narrative.

"Zenith," Cecile clarified, and the resonance of the word hung in the air like an arcane chant.

"Zenith..." Lyon muttered, his mind processing the newfound revelations that expanded the scope of his celestial heritage.

"Rakumtatak is one, Elandril is as well," Cecile continued, her gaze shifting to Lyon, and she pointed with a teasing smirk. "You were one."

As Cecile pointed toward Lyon, the fabric of time seemed to ripple, and for a fleeting moment, Lyon's current form was overlaid with the ethereal silhouette of the Zenith Cultivator. The regal attire of a celestial sovereign adorned his figure, merging seamlessly with his modern countenance. The juxtaposition of his ordinary existence against the grandeur of his celestial heritage created a mesmerizing tableau—a cosmic dance of past and present.

In that brief interlude, Lyon glimpsed the majesty he once embodied as the Zenith Cultivator—the wielder of twelve blessings, a celestial force that transcended the limitations of mere mortals. The shock etched across his face mirrored the profound realization that his journey extended beyond the mortal coil, intertwined with the celestial threads that wove the tapestry of existence.

The revelation echoed through Lyon's consciousness, resonating with the forgotten echoes of his celestial lineage. The recognition of his past self, draped in the title of Zenith, brought forth a flood of memories that danced on the fringes of his recollection.

The celestial hierarchy unfolded before Lyon like an ancient scroll, revealing the interconnected paths traversed by beings of immense power. The implications of Zenith, a title once held by Lyon, stirred a profound understanding of his role in the celestial tapestry—a role that transcended the mortal bounds he had once known.

The memories of his celestial self flickered like stars in the vast expanse of his mind, hinting at the cosmic feats and responsibilities he once shouldered. The weight of the regal outfit on his celestial form carried the echoes of a time when Lyon stood as a beacon in the celestial hierarchy—a time now rekindled by Cecile's revelation.

As the ephemeral vision dissipated, Lyon found himself standing at the intersection of his mortal and celestial identities, grappling with the implications of the celestial lineage that coursed through his veins. The journey ahead, toward Golem City and the mysteries that awaited, seemed even more intertwined with the celestial destiny that awaited him.