Fang Xu met god.

  He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but know it he did. Perhaps that was the point of the ascension trial. Each step across the golden bridge that formed before his soul when the trial began – the waters of the karmic ocean lapping against the gilded posts holding it up – brought him closer and closer to that divine soul, the creator and parent of all.

  Each section of the bridge, of which there were seven, presented with it a new challenge. Yet chains held him back.

  First they were red and hateful, filling him with righteous indignation. Had he not already done everything asked of him? Had he not done his time? But he walked through it, the anger fueling him. Next came depression, sinister chains that curled around him and weighed him down, seeking to drag him to the ocean below with gentle whispers. Why keep going, if the future would be more of the same? He had done nothing but suffer, both physically and spiritually. What was it worth? What was he worth? Each step became leaden and despondent, but still he walked. Then the chains fell away, only to be replaced by an all-consuming apathy attempting to eat at his core.

  Though his movements became stiff and mechanical, still he walked.

  Finally he reached the halfway point, and was immediately swarmed with emotion. Desire and want and worry and fear and even happiness latched onto him as little green chains, pulling him every which way, tugging on his heartstrings. It took time to fight through this, to silence the chattering of his heart. Sometimes he had to take a step back, or move sideways, navigating through the invisible maze that led to his deepest desire – and, in the end, the myriad chains were cast off, a singular wordless purpose in his soul and a little red chain leading him on. He neared the end now, and joy swelled within him, stalling his feet for the first time with their gilded shackles.

  He looked out over the karmic ocean, sunlight glittering off the waves, and felt satisfied and joyous. From here it felt like he could see all of creation, as if he could glimpse the whole of eternity…

  It was his heart, so misguided before, that urged him on because this was not it. This was not the end he sought. He found his feet once more, but kept that appreciation and joy in his being. Learning to walk with it felt like placing a boulder upon his back, much as depression but in a different way, but each step made it lighter and lighter. This was the sixth – to learn to walk, with joy in your heart and all the rest of your emotions still within you. And finally, he reached the final section.

  This was the most difficult for him, for it was love.

  And love was painful.

  There were no chains that leapt up to bind him as he crossed the final section. He was free to run, the longer he stayed the more it hurt to be there. Love filled his being, urging him to run ahead, rush to the finish, it was right there! His mind agreed, knowing the pain to come; it was his heart, clutching that little red string that stretched from his chest and into the distance, that kept him from running. You can’t rush it. It told him. Or it will not be what you need, or what you want. He listened, and it killed him. Each moment that passed upon the bridge, walking as slowly as he could, presented with it a new pain.

  He saw loved ones, from this life and lives past, destroying themselves both physically and spiritually. He once again experienced the pain of knowing what they were doing to themselves, but unable to help for they wouldn’t listen. He felt the greatest of heartbreaks, his heart shattering as he heard the scream of his other half – not in pain, but in heartbreak upon his death, and allowing her soul to become encased in ice. All of this and more, he felt.

  Yet he would never have surrendered the ability to feel love to not feel the pain. The pain was part of love, and it was worth it. And it killed him. Inch by inch parts of him died, stripped away until only an inch remained. One inch, a single bit of himself that crossed the threshold, and was born anew.

  Light spilled from him in waves as his soul expanded, energy rushing in to rebuild his soul – scrubbed clean and fresh, pure as freshly fallen snow and rays of golden sunlight. The power at his fingertips was immense, the waves of the karmic ocean lapping at his feet as he stood atop the waters, and he marveled in the sensations.

  “You did well,” a voice said, and he turned to greet the newcomer. He was a dark man, with large, leathery wings and a thick, muscular tail. Fine black robes embroidered in gold draped over his form, and he watched Fang Xu with eyes that were neither judgmental nor calculating, but still saw him for what he was. He knew who this was, for there was a power radiating from him that was…indescribable.

  It felt like an ocean on a windless day. Calm on the surface, but raging power beneath.

  “Keilan, the Righteous Judge,” Fang Xu said, bowing his head. He had not expected to meet the ruler of the Karmic Realm, but…a part of him was disappointed to not meet the other. But such was a foolish notion. Even now he could feel it, that otherworldly presence, the divine soul – its gaze was upon him, shining down like a warm smile, filling him completely yet never overtaking his being.

  “Righteous Judge? Odd title. Not sure I like it.” Keilan mused, stepping forward. In his hand he held a book, glowing with all the colors of the rainbow. “There is one final thing needed to complete your transformation. One last thing to fill in the circle. I doubt I will be able to greet all who choose your path in the future, but as you are the first…well. I can make an exception. Here.” He said, presenting the book to Fang Xu. He hesitated in taking it.

  “My lord…” he started.

  “Do not fear it. And do not be disappointed by Mother’s apparent absence; you will know why the moment you take this.” Keilan mused, pressing the book into Fang Xu’s hands. It instantly melded into his very being, a wave of information surging into his brain. He felt the warmth of Mother Statera’s love as She encouraged him, the strength of Father Luotian’s pride as He urged him forward, he remembered Their smiles, overlapping as if they were one and the same being, and Their face as They created him…and one other. The other first.

  And more. Fang Xu remembered, and the red string his heart still clutched bid him return to her.

  “Go now. Return to your loved one,” Keilan said with a smile, touching him on the forehead. The world swirled in his gaze, and Fang Xu awoke.

  A buddha. I should have guessed. The path of karmic ascension turned Fang Xu into something akin to a buddha – not in the common stereotype of the term, but someone who reached enlightenment on their own, not following someone else’s teachings. Besides my own. But, even with his newfound power, the battle was not yet over. Still, the impact of his awakening should not be understated.

  It was a galvanizing moment, when Fang Xu awoke, though no one noticed at first. Dei knelt to his left, blood dribbling from his mouth as he wrestled with spirit and beast alike, while Celene stood before him, a dome of transparent ice surrounding his body. The bodies of dozens of slain spirit beasts lay scattered around the hilltop – and though I wept for their passing, for the wanton slaughter that had happened tonight between all my children, I still saw it for what it was. Protection. And the beasts could not be blamed, either, for they had been manipulated. Yet I saw that the worst trial was yet to come, even for Fu Hao, my loyal angel, standing guard in the skies.

  Her plasmatic aura wavered weakly, eight spirit kings and three dark angels floating before her warily. Blood dripped from a dozen wounds, her golden skin stained with bruises and various other injuries. Yet stand she still did. Not once did she give an inch, lest they take a mile. Pride swelled within me for her actions – it had been her choice to be so fierce and protective.

  There were no more words exchanged between the parties. The spirits surged forward, intent on breaking Fu Hao this time as they knew their window of opportunity to take over Fang Xu’s body was closing, and she readied herself. The spirit beasts on the ground surged forward as well, instinctually following the will of the darkness that guided them, the defenders readying themselves for a final assault.

  Fang Xu stood in one smooth motion, breaking through the ice dome and qi cultivation surging upward, breaking through multiple realms in a single second as he smoothly drew his bow. The formations he had carved into the wood flared to life, an arrow of pure golden light, drawn from his soul, appearing upon the string. The light of the sun seemed dim in comparison, runes etching themselves into the ground around him in an intricate formation, and all beings froze at the sight.

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  Then the arrow was loosed, and it struck a dark angel like a thunderbolt from the blue sky. Golden chains leapt from where the arrow struck the angel, wrapping around it and encasing it in a golden cage of pure spiritual energy – each chain comprised of a dozen formations, each designed to suppress and contain. Fang Xu smiled as the spirits screeched in surprise, Fu Hao shouting out in triumph as she willingly threw herself into the oncoming horde, now unchained by Fang Xu’s meditations.

  “Sorry it took so long,” Fang Xu said, smiling at Celene, who stared at him in shock. Such was his spiritual presence that his karmic aura overflowed into the Physical Realm, appearing as an aura of golden light radiating from him. The formation beneath his feet finished and two more arms sprouted from his back, spiritual in nature and made of golden light, gripping an equally golden bow. “But I remember now. I remember you. Hello, Celene. I love you.”

  Celene’s face lit up at once, hopeful and pleased, almost ready to jump into his arms. The roar of a spirit beast drug her attention back to the fight and she resisted the urge, swords of ice sprouting everywhere as she stepped forth, ready to defend once again.

  “Hurry up and get to shooting, or there won’t be any left for you when I’m done,” Dei snapped, rising to a standing position and readying his spear, blood still dripping from numerous wounds. Three Greater Spirit Beasts – not quite sapient, as they were harder to manipulate, yet no less powerful for it – circled the group, unwilling to jump in unless they saw a clear avenue of attack.

  Fang Xu snorted and levitated off the ground, four arms drawing and firing in conjunction. His physical bow was a marvel, each arrow striking true; the first four shots landed upon the enemy formation markers, miles away, disrupting their dark design. The gathered cultivators, many of whom were merely opportunists, trying to thwart a rival as opposed to true devil cultivators, scattered, scrambling away as the arrows exploded, rendering their work moot. Even the shots he "missed" had a purpose, each arrow acting as a marker for a formation – he sought to end the fight by trapping all the hostile beasts within a defensive formation of his own design. As for his spiritual bow, it struck proud and true. Spirits fled the golden bolts, leaving streaks of light in the air as they passed, dark angels forced to dodge lest they, too, become sealed. Fu Hao fought like a mad beast, harassing all the spirit kings and dark angels with a ferocity very much unlike the normally composed angel. But her work was necessary – she was protecting Fang Xu, distracting their enemies from the formation he was building.

  There was only so much one angel could do, and she was doing the absolute maximum.

  For the moment, it seemed the tide had turned, though I wished for it to end soon. It brought me neither joy nor satisfaction to see my children kill each other, even if Fang Xu and Dei’s company fought in self-defense; even if Fu Hao fought to protect and guard. But those present constantly rebuffed my hand, willing, as it always was, to aid in the only way I could. Fu Hao was lost in her emotions, allowing my influence through but not in any way that would immediately end the conflict. And disaster was fast approaching.

  Fang Xu had galvanized the defenders with his aura, his very presence healing wounds and bolstering the qi of his allies, helping to banish the rapidly fading, maddening effects of the devilish formation. But they were overextending. Celene was lost in her joy – her fated one had finally returned, she wasn’t crazy, it had been real! – her icy heart still warding me off, tentatively happy though it was. And she had pushed too far into the beast horde, confident in her own power.

  Even Fang Xu resisted my hand reaching through the Dao, grim and determined, rebuffing me for the same reason Elvira had – it was to prevent me from dealing with a fight between my children, to see it through himself. He had a sword in his heart and memories to deal with; Keilan’s gift, ironically, new as it was, was preventing him from fully accepting my Hand. His painful death, and the sound of Celene’s screams of pain and grief, still rung in his ears and mind.

  Only Dei seemed receptive, but just barely. He heard the warning I tried to give him, a feeling of danger touching his mind, and took a few steps back from the advancing horde to glance around. Three dark Spirit Kings fell, bound by Fang Xu’s arrows, and while he could sense them he could not see them. That was not the danger. The danger came from…

  His eyes latched onto Celene, too deep in the spirit beast horde, and the three leaders of said horde slowly closing in on her. His own people were too scattered to help, she too far to hear…

  “Celene!” he bellowed, leaping forward spear at the ready. Only Fang Xu heard, his eyes snapping to Dei, then his fated lover. The greater beasts were closing in; Dei dodged around the lesser beasts, leaping into the air to tackle one, a four-armed gorilla, with his spear. But there were still two more. Fang Xu saw the danger, and once more I tried to reach to him. But fear clouded his heart as he saw the same situation that had killed him in his past life, not fear for himself, but fear for Celene, and I was rebuffed.

  His arrows thundered, striking true, even as he flew as fast as he could to her side.

  The frigid woman turned and met the outstretched talons of one of the greater beasts with a sword of ice.

  The great hawk was repelled with a tremendous screech, an arrow striking it in the side but not killing it as it flapped back upwards, fear throwing off Fang Xu’s aim.

  The third charged, a boar with tusks the size of trees and flames spewing from its nostrils, and Celene turned.

  An arrow pierced its side, but its armor was too thick. Ice tried to coat its legs, but its charge was too great. And Fang Xu once again threw himself in the beast’s path to save his lover.

  He tackled her aside, the boar’s tusk spearing his gut and tearing a hole in him that would have instantly killed a lesser man. Flame seared his flesh, and Celene scrambled out from under him, eyes wide and panicked. The dark angels screeched in triumph, Fu Hao roaring in rage and desperation as she tried to get to Fang Xu; but she was waylaid by the very forces she sought to keep back.

  “No, no, no, not again. I just found you,” Celene breathed, staring into Fang Xu’s eyes. The man smiled up at her, not dead yet, but grievously injured. In the middle of battle, surrounded by enemies, it was a death sentence. And he would not reenter the reincarnation cycle if his body died here; no, he would ascend to another role, another realm of existence. Celene would have to meet him there.

  “It’s ok,” Fang Xu whispered, putting a hand on her face, bloody though it was, his golden aura dimming. Powerful though he was, his qi cultivation had yet to catch up. A wound like this was slow to heal, and almost fatal. “It’s ok. I go now to the Mother’s embrace. I’ll always be with you.”

  Celene sobbed as the flame boar turned once again, ready to charge, the hawk descending from above with talons outstretched.

  “I’ll come with you.” She cried. “I won’t be separated from you again,” Fang Xu’s expression twisted, tears beading the corners of his eyes. He knew better. She would have to be reincarnated again, and perhaps again before she reached his level and they could be together. It was enough time that there was no guarantee the red string would hold.

  Salvation came from neither of them. It came not from the angel, nor from the lover, nor from the newly-created buddha. It came from the man who watched, who understood his own powerlessness. The one who rebuffed all guidance and aid to walk his own path, who doubted all.

  Dei’s wish, his prayer, was selfless and quick.

  “Please,” he said, seeing Celene’s face filled with grief and hearing Fang Xu’s words, his admission that he was Celene’s long-lost lover. “Don’t let them be separated again.” And he surrendered himself fully to the Dao, as one might surrender themselves to a river.

  My power flowed through him gently but instantly, spreading out to encompass all in a blinding wave. My divine love filled the battlefield, spirit beasts stopping in their tracks and lying down, men laying down their weapons, spirits losing all the rage and pain they felt alongside their connection to the Dark. Even as far away as the village, suffering from the horde all the same, the conflict ended, the hidden devil cultivators fleeing or falling to the same fate as all the others - setting down their weapons, the sword in their hearts gently taken from them as they ambled away from it all.

  Fu Hao stood in the midst of it all, basking in my light and watching with a proud smile as an invisible ray extended from Dei’s chest, touching Fang Xu, his lifeforce stabilizing, the pain easing even as he lapsed into unconsciousness. The dark angels around her tried to flee, but they found their movements sluggish and tired, as if all that had fueled their actions was not but dust in the wind.

  Fu Hao beamed up at the heavens, at me, disappointed in herself but proud of those she guided.

  “The seeds bloom this day,” she breathed. “And the trees will grow.”

  I am proud of you. I told her. Be proud of yourself, who I am proud of. And so it was.

  Alexander rumbled in content. “Once again we are reminded that Father will never truly leave us.” He said to the spirits still assembling around him. None had seen the great battle that had just commenced, for they did not have his sight, but the words still pounded through them.

  He watched as the battle wrapped up, spirit beasts wandering back into the forest while cultivators crowded together around Dei, Celene, and Fang Xu, the former of which was still in shock by what had just happened, and began licking their wounds. Many still basked in the lingering touch of Father’s presence, the feeling of the divine soul leaving a lasting impression upon many of them. The angel Fu Hao suppressed the remaining dark angels – only one managing to flee back to its master – and dark spirit kings. Rain fell from the skies, washing away the blood, while the souls of the fallen were gently swept into my river to be returned to the cycle of reincarnation.

  Love. Profound, boundless love touched each and every one of them, many dark spirits choosing to repent then and there; Father’s touch gently guiding them into the spirit river to return to Keilan, to be born anew. Even the foul cultivators, who bloomed demons in their hearts, found themselves questioning their motives as they slunk away from the battlefield.

  "That’s cheating.” The Shadow complained, and Alexander smiled to himself.

  “There you are,” he said, watching as the last remaining dark angel fled into the distance, vanishing with a ripple, revealing where the Shadow was. For the first time he met the Shadow’s eyes, all eight of them, gleaming with hatred and rage, as they widened in shock. Alexander rose to his full height and bared his fangs. “Found you.”

  The Shadow cursed loudly. “Cheating!” it accused the heavens, pulling itself back into its little hole and closing the door. Alexander did not have a way to open it, but now he knew where they hid. And that meant countermeasures could be made.

  “Be ready,” he promised. “For my siblings and I will be ready for you.”