A/N: Here is an extra for the readers to be entertained. Also, there are major backstory for MC and his character in this, take your time digesting them.
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The frigid breeze of the tundra swirled through the land like a creeping vine as winter's peak loomed ahead.
Around this time of year, many would prefer to relish the warmth and comfort of their homes, as Mount Firmament often turned into a frozen hell during the height of winter.
Yet, for the common folk, comfort was a luxury. Duty compelled them to rise before dawn, braving the cold for their livelihoods.
For the unemployed, however, the day was merely another—one spent in idle observation, making silent judgments about the world around them.
One such observer was not of flesh and blood, but of steel and code: DEVA.
A sentient machine, a marvel of engineering, and one of the greatest constructs ever forged.
She was built with the essence of Resonance, designed to be nothing more than a tool—a vessel to be wielded by a Resonator.
And yet, by an anomaly of fate, she had come across a reincarnator: Dan Kyorin.
From his infancy, she had observed him, though for many years, she had remained unaware of the truth of his existence. But after forging a pact with him, she came to know his past—his history spanning lifetimes.
Yet, despite possessing this knowledge, she could not comprehend him.
Her logs, meticulously updated, detailed his preferences, habits, and behavioral patterns. But as time passed, they grew inconsistent. Traits once firmly established shifted unpredictably, forcing revision after revision.
She ran simulations. She calculated probabilities. She sought patterns within the data.
None of it sufficed.
And whenever she sought his guidance, Kyorin would answer with the wisdom of an overqualified sage—articulate, insightful, decisive.
Yet, not long after, he would act in a manner so utterly idiotic—no, so irrationally childish—that her processors flagged it as an anomaly.
Illogical. Contradictory.
A human who possessed immeasurable knowledge, yet chose, at times, to behave like an impulsive child.
"Why?"
She reran the question through her systems. A hundred theories. A thousand recalculations.
No satisfactory conclusion.
A paradox, wrapped in flesh, cloaked in laughter.
Her most frustrating mystery.
And her most fascinating one.
Today again, it was yet another new perspective for DEVA as she watched her Resonator—Kyorin, whose hands were firmly held by Xia—one hand gripping his wrists while the other held a stick.
A fierce expression donned her face, prompting Kyorin to be unable to meet her eyes.
"Why did you eat snow?" she scowled.
"I was curious about the taste," Kyorin sheepishly replied.
From the sidelines, Xuanmiao and Changli simply watched this drama unfold.
Prior to some weeks ago, the two were initially planning to leave back to the mountains, but Xia allowed them a place to stay, resulting in them becoming a part of the family.
Though Xuanmiao was hesitant at first, Xia's insistence—along with his disciple's clear fondness for Xia—he surrendered.
However, he had added one condition: Kyorin had to accept Changli as his elder sister and treat her as one.
Yeah, that was simply a charade to protect his disciple from distractions.
It was not that Xuanmiao did not want Changli to have a partner, but instead, he did not want her to be distracted during this growth period by such relationships. After all, to him, she was like his daughter as well.
However, anyone could see that it was an obvious ploy by Xuanmiao—he was unnecessarily fearing that Kyorin and Changli would develop a romantic relationship.
Xia, too, understood the old man's hesitation. As much as she respected his wishes, she ultimately decided to leave everything to fate.
Back to the present, Xia raised her hand for discipline, prompting Kyorin to shut his eyes in anticipation of the hit. Yet, it never came. With all her rationale, Xia held herself at bay.
Though it was merely a simple threat, why would someone like Kyorin—who once stood unfazed before all the villagers in Yang Niu—be terrified of Xia's mere act of raising a disciplinary stick?
More than that, why was Kyorin, a man who had lived for many years, still allowing himself to be a child?
DEVA recalled Kyorin's past childhood from his previous life—how in both lives, he had been orphaned and endured a terrible upbringing.
Yet, she never believed, even for a second, that Kyorin was acting like a child simply because he wanted to experience childhood.
No, that may have been a reason, but it alone could not be the only one.
"Why would a man of his stature choose to be a child?"
DEVA's wonder was valid. Yet, for its answer, perhaps only a few knew. Among them were those who had survived the Great Flood…
Within the endless expanse, there once stood a planet whose lands had long ceased to exist.
A world rich with history, yet one figure stood out among the many—the Cataclysmic Sentinel, Zhen Jyu, or as many called him, the Great Demon.
"Teacher, I have a question." Wei Ren, a fifteen year old young cultivator asked the old man seated on an old wooden stool, Elder Jian.
Elder Jian, the 7th elder of Green Vajra Sect, and a man of age and wisdom sat with a porcelain cup held in his hands like a fragile egg.
His silvered beard cascaded down his chest, and his sharp, discerning eyes seemed to pierce through time itself.
Elder Jian, taking a slow sip of tea responded. "Speak."
"In history, there were many demons—the Demon King, the Demon Wraith, and even the legendary Demon God who ascended into godhood." Wei Ren paused, deciding his next words before speaking.
"But despite all that, we still place the name of the Great Demon above them. Why?"
Elder Jian's lips thinned, his eyes reminiscing some dreadful tales. He placed his cup down, his fingers tapping lightly against the rim.
"The answer is simple, child. All those beings—the Demon King, the Demon Empress, even the Demon God—'are but demons'."
"But the great demon Zhen Jyu…" He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering, "he was the only one worthy of being called the 'Great' Demon."
[A/N: Zhen Jyu was Kyorin's name in his first life.]
Wei Ren furrowed his brows. "What makes him a great demon? Is it because he once drove all life on Earth to extinction?"
Elder Jian let out a small chuckle, his gaze drifting toward the peaceful sky. "Extinction, huh?"
Momentarily, only the crackling of the nearby brazier was the sound between them.
"If that were the case, then why did none of the others succeed in such a feat?" Elder Jian pointed.
"Take the Demon God, for example. He ascended to godhood, yet he failed to bring about extinction as the Great Demon did." He added. "Furthermore, the Great Demon never ascended to godhood."
He turned his sharp gaze back to Wei Ren, his voice steady but weighted with meaning. "Tell me, what do you think the Great Demon was truly known for?"
Wei Ren swallowed. His fingers curled slightly as he processed his master's words. After a long pause, he spoke. "His infamy."
Elder Jian nodded slowly, his eyes gleaming in the dim lantern light. "Yes… but that is only the surface. The truth, child, lies far deeper."
"What is it, Teacher? Please enlighten me." Wei Ren sought answers, yet the next words from Elder Jian left him even more confused.
"Because he is the creator of this new world." Elder Jian explained.
"The creator of this world?" Wei Ren asked, confusion evident in his voice. "Did he not bring destruction?"
Elder Jian nodded. "He did, but he also brought forth a new era. The history of this world begins with him as its source."
Wei Ren's brows furrowed, his young mind struggling to reconcile the contradiction in his teacher's words. "The creator of this world? But… didn't he bring destruction?"
Elder Jian let out a deep, thoughtful sigh, his gaze distant as if looking beyond time itself.
Slowly, he nodded. "He did. But he also brought about the birth of a new era. Every record of this world's history begins with him as the source."
Wei Ren's lips parted slightly, but no words came. The weight of what his master was saying felt immense.
He had expected to hear of a monster, a calamity, a figure of pure ruin. But to call him the creator? With just that single word, his entire understanding of the past had been turned upside down.
Observing the turmoil in his student's eyes, Elder Jian chuckled. "I see you are struggling with this, as all who hear this truth do. Let us shift the topic a little."
"Tell me why do think Zhen Jyu was given the title 'Great'? And why is his name revered more than someone who became a god?"
Wei Ren frowned, his mind searching for an answer. He remembered the written legends, the tales of Zhen Jyu's calamity-inducing deeds, the fairytale of his strength, and the dissolution he had wrought upon the world.
Yet, none of it explained why he was called "Great."
"Because of the destruction he caused?" Wei Ren ventured cautiously. "Because he succeeded where others failed?"
Elder Jian shook his head, his expression unreadable. "No. Many demons have caused destruction. Many have brought ruin upon kingdoms, slain heroes, and left history in flames. Yet none were given the title of 'Great.'"
Wei Ren's fingers curled into his robes as he searched for an answer. "Then… is it because he changed the world?"
Elder Jian smiled. "Now you are thinking." He gave a nod of half approval, yet his eyes remained stern. "But there exists a bigger reason. Say disciple, why are people remembered."
"For their deeds?" Wei Ren confidently answered.
"Yes. And do you know what his biggest deed was?" Elder Jian asked.
"Destruction?" Hesitantly, Wei Ren spoke.
Elder Jian shook his head and then said, "It was Renunciation."
"Renunciation?" A confused Wei Ren questioned.
"Yes. Renunciation" Elder Jian explained.
"You see, the Great Demon was also referred to by the name 'Cataclysmic Sentinel.' This was because he was adept in water elemental arts, and his powers were based on that."
Elder Jian then closed his eyes before a memory resurfaced where he recalled the words of his great-grandmother.
This was around the time when the Demon God had ascended: "Only the Great Demon was the one who truly walked the path of spirituality."
"We, as cultivators, cultivate the path of Tao, yet in this path, we become tangled, and we all become intoxicated by the Heavenly Tao."
"It is a given for all cultivators to be intoxicated, yet it was the Great Demon who always remembered Tao, and truly sought it."
"In our pride, in attaining strength, we forget Tao, seeking the material rather than ascending above it."
"Godhood is indeed a tempting thing. You will have a very long life and become immortal, but that is nonsense. Immortality of gods is nonsense, little Jian."
"The immortality we think we can gain by becoming gods is nothing but an illusion. In truth, it is simply the preservation of self and the pursuit of material permanence."
"The Great Demon, who had become one with water, became someone who could only be killed once all the waters from Samsara were destroyed."
"Yet, he let go of that notion and rose above the material seeking of immortality. To top it all off, he gave up all his strength and surrendered it to the Heavenly Tao."
"He was impervious to water, and water from any realm could not harm him. But it was water that took his life, as he also surrendered all of himself to seek Tao."
"This is the true showcase of greatness as a cultivator, little Jian."
"We, who are intoxicated by Tao and cannot see through the illusions Tao creates, seeking material permanence instead of eternity, are all but seeking strength and the preservation of our meager selves."
"Say, if a being takes birth, is it not written that they will have to die one day?"
"But wait, great grandmother how do you know all this?"
"Because, little Jian, this is what our ancestor had witnessed. A true cultivator."
"A true cultivator, eh?" Elder Jian thought inwardly, unable to help but entertain the thought. 'I wish I knew more about his character.'
He wished thoughtfully, yet as many say, someone else's dream may be someone's reality. There existed a pursuer of Sword Tao who, now weary and old, gazed at the brilliant starlit blanket.
He was famed for being the one to slay the Wraithblade Sentinel, someone who was considered the great hero. Yet, perhaps after aging, he had finally begun to understand.
Having a firm heart, he never regretted any decision. But perhaps there was one—a regret of being blind.
Yoon Jun, the Demon Eradicator, had been so engrossed with simply eradicating Dan Kyorin that he had overlooked many things about this man.
When he remembers the encounter he had with him as a spy, he still regrets it. He had once, in an attempt to reach the same level as Dan Kyorin, renounced the notion of godhood.
But a pity that he could not reach the greatness of Dan Kyorin.
"I still remember that conversation," Yoon Jun thought, recalling the time when he was working as a spy and saw Kyorin talk to Tao.
"It was you, wasn't it?"
"I have gained power, but I was not given it nor handed it out."
"You tested me and granted me these, yet I am aware that these powers do not belong to me. They are yours, and I have merely been granted permission to use them."
"But I have earned that permission, and hence, I will use them. I understand that I had been stagnant in my own delusion for too long."
"Instead of doing anything with these powers, I had been focused on pondering and pursuing self-knowledge, of which I proudly declare: I do not know, but I do not know much."
"And you, seeing your powers not be used, have been provoked by my passiveness."
"You wish to punish me by orchestrating such a fate, effortlessly sowing dread in the hearts of many, making them see me as someone with great power and thus someone who cannot be trusted."
Back then, Yoon Jun had simply overlooked these words, thinking that the Wraithblade was just a psycho.
Later, before the great war between the world and Wraithblade, he had said some words.
"Whether by my hands or feet, whether by my words or silence, whether by thought or action—if my existence brings a hurdle, then forgive me."
"If what I do is righteous, let it be done. If what I do is wicked, let it be done. I do not seek pardon, nor do I seek condemnation. I only walk the path before me."
"Glory to the No-End's Path."
"Glory to the Eternal."
"Glory to the Tao."
A true follower of Tao. No, to Yoon Jun, as he aged, Kyorin had become more; he had become Tao. After all, he had his reasons to believe Kyorin was Tao.
The attack Yoon Jun had hit him with was the Tao of Killing, and no one should have survived it. Yet, Kyorin had survived.
Though Yoon Jun believed Kyorin had used his cultivation to stop the attack, it was not so. Kyorin had struggled, but not against the attack—he struggled against himself.
Kyorin, as the follower of Tao, had his focus on Tao and only Tao. But during that fight, Kyorin had renounced his devotion to the Path-Tao. And thus, he had become a mortal.
But him becoming mortal was not a bad thing; rather, it was the ultimate victory. Gods, as they may be, are still cultivators, living the life of a higher cultivator.
But Kyorin had lived through cultivation and was successful in living as a cultivator. Hence, he was able to go beyond cultivation, becoming mortal because he had finished cultivation.
He had reached the ends, which had no beginning and no end.
To be continued...
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A/N: I feel like I've been making the story of WuWa more like a cultivation novel, so I think this will establish a clear boundary that the fanfic is not about the MC's cultivation journey, as he has already finished his cultivation.
The story is about Kyorin reaching eternity by mastering the peak of Resonance, as WuWa is not a story centered around cultivation.