Chương 8: The Greatest; The Weakest

Unmoved Yong Sheng stares endlessly into the nothingness of space. Time passes and his eyes begin to wander looking to a place far, far away, a place unknown to all. In search of an answer, he moved upon his aged face a bright smile rose, completely disappearing from the world, Yong Sheng had left this place, making his way to the place of his birth in search of something, in search of the timeless wood.

To figure out this oddity brought upon by a young boy Yong Sheng had left this forest going to the place where he was born. Only by returning to the world he had once abandoned would he be able to gain insight on this matter, for if this so-called timeless wood was truly in his possession as Yufang said, then if anywhere, it'd be their his homeland, the place of Yong Sheng's birth.

A world much different to their own, in a certain place unknown to man, a man appeared within an endless plain. This man carrying a bright smile moved in a light-hearted manner, his heart set relentless he moved forth, seeking to reach the center of a plain endless.

As fast as the wind he moved swiftly throughout bringing forth boundless grace, the demeanor of a true emperor followed this man around. With a mere moment passing, he had done the impossible, he had reached the center of a plain endless, this man that carried the demeanor of an emperor a man truly blessed by God did the impossible, however not only did he do the impossible he did what all thought was impossible in a mere moment. An undisputed emperor, true across all time, this was him.

There in the center of this plain, a grand pagoda sat looking down on all, reaching this place, the mans face changed, his bright smile, became one of a fool, smiling as one would when reunited with a lover long gone, he let out a smile of extreme glee.

His movement now ceasing, arriving directly before this pagodas entrance, he sighed deeply. Before this pagoda, he carefully placed his hand upon the door, muttering he said, "I've returned." An eerie message left to greet a friend of old. Saying this the man made his way inside, entering the pagoda.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

In the depths of the forest, a boy stood higher than life, this boy, however, was in fact the weakest, but in daring he was truly above all, going against fate, he a cripple stands taller than even God. This boy crazed for power consumed by hunger, shakes erratically, although this strongest his mind too

becomes clouded, crazed he screams, "AHH!"

Beside this boy a wolf, its mind clouded. For a greater chance at life this wolf gave up giving in to its primal instincts a mindless beast it becomes, a creature cursed to never have a will, a creature cursed to walk a path not its own.

Both this boy and this wolf, crazed. Almost simultaneously they moved as if instructed by the same instinctive though leaping into the air, they both take flight. These beings crazed and infinitely insane they put forth all their strength into a single strike aiming for the life of the other.

One of them a wolf and the other a child, their strengths incomparable, having greatly differed, but regardless of this fact they both fight with their life on the line.

Regardless of strength, they fight for a very simple reason, they fight for the glory, they fight for the gains, they fight for their future, they fight to satisfy their everlasting lust for power.

Hungered and their minds clouded, these predators thought no longer, crazed and fueled directly by instinct. Their minds clouded they became predators no longer, these two where now mindless beasts.

These beasts propelled tens of meters in the sky, looked to each other. Both of them wishing for the immediate destruction of the other, unwilling to wait any longer their palms reached out as they began preparing a strike.

The strike of each beast immense, however, for Yufang bear at the peak, and this wolf a being infinitely nearing the power of a drake, their powers incomparable, yet here today, a bear challenged a mountain for dominance.

With each impending moment, their strikes closed in growing near, gravity pushing them down tens of meters had now been traversed, now at this very moment they had finally reached each other, merely millimeters away, their strikes infinitely bordering collision.

However at this moment, across Yufang's face, a beaming grin rose, a grin ever so infernal it outshined even hell, the grin of a being demonic beyond recognition.

Following its arrival, a chaotic burst of psychopathic laughter followed, "HAHA HAHA-HA," this crazed laughter ringing out, tormented all those near. His laugh called upon the end, the end of this play, for the time had come, he had passed, his insanity and primal behavior merely a ruse, his act was over.

Here it was now his plan had succeeded and his visage finally could be put to rest, crazed and fueled by pure emotion he was not, his smile now grew ever so brilliant, as he recited that command, he recited that word of old, "Devour." Surging forth chaotic energy escaped from within Yufang surrounding him, space bombarded by foreign chaotic energy began to crack.

Stage one of the eternal void, this was it. To let one's emotions cloud their thoughts, to let one's emotions devour oneself. This was stage one of the eternal void, stage one to render prey a slave to primal behavior, a being that only wishes to devour. Only once all emotions have been given up and one becomes a primal being, can the eternal void display its true glory growing infinitely dominant, displaying the power of the god of scavengers; devourer of all.

Awakened and ready to devour once more the eternal void span endlessly. In the past, Yufang a demonic God had perished, but even in death, this void remained. Since the beginning of time, this void was first, this void a living entity separate from Yufang, in the entire universe there was only one void like this no replicas could be made, the only void was the one he had used in the past, this current void before him was exactly that, although this void incomparable to its previous glory now

merely a fragment of what it once was, nevertheless this void was indeed it the void of old.

For countless years this void remained dormant, waiting for Yufang to call it once more, waiting for its next meal.

Having finally been called after so long, and before it, a meal it had desired for so long, like a dormant beast awakened from its slumber having smelt a trace of blood, crazed it surged forth devouring all. This wolf to Yufang a mountain, yet before the void, a mere mountain was nothing. In an instant this mountain, completely engulfed.

To go through with this plan, to merely satisfy his hunger, Yufang had deceived himself. Giving in to emotions, Yufang became a mindless fool in exchange for power. Truly in this world, Yufang was the only one that dared to do so. For, to go through with such a plan was purely idiotic, to use such a power a backlash was always in place, for this his price Yufang paid with his sanity.

Although having complete control over the situation, a part of his sanity that day was lost.

You would have to know that during this crazed play if Yufang had lost focus for one single moment while putting up this act, he'd end up a crazed fool fated to wander the world without a path, fated to live the life of an idiot. He'd live the life of a being devoured, wandering the world without emotion, aimlessly he'd walk without a path. Living life without joy or strife, this type of life Yufang would rather not live yet regardless of this fact, Yufang made this bet.

Forsaking his path, this wolf had sinned. A reclusive and wary creature having strayed from its path giving in to greed crazed it grew wishing to devour all. Giving up its way of life, surely it brought death upon itself.

Giving into greed this wolf had brought upon its death and to die to someone much weaker than itself, truly here Yufang although insane enough to pull off such a scheme was not the idiot for the title of the true idiot belonged only to the wolf.

To be bamboozled by one below you, truly this wolf was foolish.

A crazed smile arose upon Yufang's face, as surrounding him an unknown number of predators crept up leaving behind the protection of the darkness to attack.

Seeing this Yufang's smile running cold, and an infernal God he became, ferocious and more demonic than all Yufang's now unable to trick the void any further began running back to his trap, part 2 of the plan had now begun capturing countless at once.

In the shadows, thousands, perhaps even millions followed chasing Yufang desperately. Having witnessed Yufang's power and although one of their own died being defeated in a mere moment, this boy before them running away in a desperate fashion in their eyes was identified.

To them, Yufang was merely a snake wishing itself a dragon, pretending to stand above all, truly this being that dared to devour those above it wasn't worthy of there care, identified as weak they chased after this boy.

Chased Yufang imitated the movement the old man had used carrying him here, his movement grew calm and steady, as if gliding across the ground, his once rugged movement grew swift, and with time a slight distance between Yufang and the predators was created.

* * * * * * * * * *

In another place, far, far away an old man entered a pagoda. Inside, a clear look of grievance began to show upon his face.

What he had seen caused tears to fall. Before him, inside this pagoda, a separate realm, his eyes piercing out, what he saw, was an endless desert barren of life. In the past, where this desert now sat, there was once an endless forest that engulfed the entire world, the sky, even devouring the stars and the sun.

A world of life it once was, but before him, it was not the absence of the forest that made him cry, for there in front of him, a tree stood tall. This very tree, it was him, or you should say it was part of him, it was what he used to be.

Back then, countless years ago, the universe although limitless lived under the shadow of a tree, the whole world belonged to this very tree, that tree that had once covered all life, a tree so great it was once revered a God by all species. However here today this tree had fallen, this tree that was once so great today could barely even provide proper shading for itself.

Endlessly tears fell, for this tree, he had abandoned it, no! He had abandoned his place as a God, he had abandoned his place overlooking all life.

Emotions within this man began to stir overwhelmed he became. Tears now fell unrestrained, thinking back he remembered the days when he was merely but a tree. Although a tree, he was eternal, a being above all, a being fated to one day exceed all life becoming a true God. His existence so grand, it was truly destined that one day his roots would reach throughout the whole universe, and he'd finally see all places.

Although back then, his interest was peaked elsewhere, he no longer cared to reach all places. Back then a new species was born, this species small and insignificant yet their greed endless, always aiming for a higher level, this race managed to reach the sky beyond the sky.

Back then he was merely a reclusive tree distant from the world, but this species caught his attention, for countless years he watched afar observing the world, but as he a tree could not move, nor could he communicate, all he could do was grow endlessly, watching the world age with time and seeing species rise and eventually fall.

Reclusive he was, never before interested in any matters of life, but this species dubbed human was an oddity, they were different. He a being above all watching them from afar, began to year, he began to wish for something greater than he currently had, he wished for what these humans had grasped, he wished to reach that sky beyond the sky, he wished for an undying will, he wished for a voice inside that told them never to give up and to always push forward, he wished to do the impossible accomplishing what no species had accomplished before.

This species, although born small, although born insignificant, although born without any benefits. It was this very species that rose above all challenging the whole world, changing it as they saw fit. Challenging all life eventually even the divine Gods, the ancient demonic Gods, and countless timeless deities perished at the hands of this species dubbed humans. This accursed species, the human race had risen above all before defying fate they challenged God gaining the title of God itself. The human race, a race although weak, their fate limitless allowing them to rise above all before them.

Although he a tree stood above all, he wished for something more, he wished for a destiny apart from his own.

A tree destined to be rooted for eternity he wished no longer. His desire for the human race immense, no longer did he wish to be a tree, no longer did he wish to grow.

His desire to live a human's life overcame his desire to stand above the world. Abandoning his fate, this tree separated his soul from his body and created an ethereal form and shaping it into the body of a young child, from there his life began anew.

Since that day, he left this place and not once did he return, but here today this man, Yong Sheng had returned.

However, having abandoned his previous vessel, in theory without a soul, it should have died and withered long ago, but here today although incomparable to its previous self, this tree remained standing tall. Against fate, it had survived for countless eras.

From Yong Sheng, a deep laugh rang out, "Ha-ha-ha..." A laugh of pure despair.

Across Yong Sheng's face, tears began pouring out. This tree, it was half of him, the half he had left behind, for an eternity relentless it survived against all odds. This tree he had understood it, he had understood why it had waited all this time, he had understood its grievances, he had understood everything, greatly disheartened Yong Sheng bowed.

Letting out a dejected mutter, his voice greatly disheartened he said to this tree, "So you waited? You waited for this day. You waited for the day I'd return here and join you once more." His voice carrying forth an immense sadness, he continued, "I'm... I'm sorry. But I can not join you... Although the life of a human is rough, nothing ever goes according to plan, and that in this life I'll certainly never reach godhood, however, this is my path, this is the path I had chosen long ago, I will not return."

Upon this barren land a long, ceaseless wind blew, with the wind, the tree rustled continuously as if to communicate, amazed, Yong Sheng stopped bowing to look up, before him, this tree had understood Yong Sheng's feelings in response it began to shake side to side endlessly, ripping apart the plane.

Watching all this unravel before him, in tears a great feeling of pain evoked Yong Sheng's as he remembers back, grieving before this tree he bowed once more before speaking out, "I've come to ask for a favor."

For a moment, the world ceased and replacing it a resonating sound rang out, an endless melody of sound was created as the wind flew through the tree. A melody of old, a melody of new, a melody that Yong Sheng knew very well, for he was the very creator of this melody.

Although unspecified as to what he wished for, this tree understood Yong Sheng's grievance, it understood his pain just as Yong Sheng understood it too knew, it knew from the very beginning it had understood what Yong Sheng returned here for, this tree had understood that he didn't return here for him, what Yong Sheng had returned here today was for the timeless wood.

Swaying side to side, this tree moved as if joyfully playing in the wind, singing a hymn of love, a hymn of sorrow, and a hymn of loss. Against fate all this time it had survived, surely after so long it was tired, tired of waiting, tired of suffering, and tired of living. To reach this point many sacrifices must have been made, with time this tree's days having been no longer eternal grew numbered, however, even with this the tree remained, wishing to reconnect with its other half once more.

Once more this tree shook, before withering and returning to nothing. Its remnants one with the wind were carried away and what was once a tree so grand it was revered a God here today was swept and carried away by the wind to a land far, far away.

Gone, this world had no meaning, and so it too cracked and died withering into nothing. Crying and now kowtowing here upon this barren, a great feeling of grievance overcame Yong Sheng, as he watched what he had once been, wither and die.

Unable to cope, he screamed out, mourning over the dead, and into a deep sleep he fell.

Around him, a new world grew a world immense, filled with life boundless, a world green. Before his sleeping body, a tree grander than life itself, stood tall rooted to the ground, smiling over him.