The Path through the Heavens: A LitRPG Wuxia Series (The Heavenly Throne Book 6)

by Yuri Ajin

  “What’s this Heavenly Throne you mentioned?”

  “I don’t know,” Acilla replied with a shrug. “I tried to find some information in the library and ask my mother, but it didn’t give any results. It’s as if they’re hiding this information from me on purpose...” she added, looking resentfully at the wall behind him.

  The Pact says she’s telling the truth...

  “I see... But what power do they have? Why did the Spirits obey the Sinam Clan when they didn’t even use energy or Forces?”

  “What do you know about Ecumene? About its inhabitants and its appearance?” Acilla asked.

  Kai was taken aback by her question. Not having an answer, he kept silent.

  “Let me rephrase that. Have you heard of the First Ones?”

  Kai shook his head.

  “These were beings that surpassed the gods. According to legend, it was the First Ones who created the Ecumene, as well as all life in it,” Acilla began the story. “First, the progenitors of the Old Races were created, then the Younger Ones appeared, including humans. For some time, the First Ones traveled through galaxies, forming entire worlds or pushing them toward the start of life. But, in the end, the First Ones left the Ecumene. They did, however, leave a legacy. For example, artifacts that can raise the foundation to the ideal level or even reset one’s development so that you can start from scratch, but with the same knowledge and experience.”

  “I never heard about this,” Rune’Tan said.

  “Neither have I, old man...”

  “But what does the Sinam Clan have to do with it?” Rune’Tan asked Acilla, who could also hear him.

  During Kai’s breakthrough, Allecia was able to feel someone’s Spark inside Kai via their Pact and connection. It was then that she found out about Rune’Tan, after which they were able to establish a mental connection.

  “The First Ones had faithful servants who helped them in the creation of the Ecumene,” she explained. “They were the only creatures not created by them. They appeared on their own. Can you guess who I’m talking about?”

  “I see...” Rune’Tan said.

  “I do, too.” Kai nodded. “The Spirits...”

  “That’s right,” Acilla confirmed their guesses. “A few eras ago, the founder of the Sinam Sect found an artifact left by the First Ones that gave him the power to tame and absorb Spirits, as well as Shadows that had a similar nature. Actually, all five clans have a power associated with the First Ones. Sinam has a light blue eye on its mark. Why eyes? It’s through them that they use these powers.”

  “What about the Heavenly Hydra Clan?”

  “You don’t know?” Acilla asked, surprised. “Your bloodline is the legacy left by the First Ones. According to legend, the Heavenly Hydra was an immortal being the size of a sun. It was an experiment; the only of its kind. However, because of its strength and enormous size, it turned out to be detrimental to everything around it, as it absorbed too much energy. So powerful that it could destroy entire worlds, which made the First Ones kill their creation, incarnating its soul and depriving it of energy. As far as we know, the founder of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Hydra Clan found the beast’s remains, thereby obtaining its bloodline. Theirs is the green eye.”

  “What about the rest of the eyes? That is, clans?”

  “There black eye is the mark of the Heavenly Tamer of Death Clan. Their bloodline allows them to distort their Soul Shell and enter a half-demonoid state that makes their flesh many times stronger and creates almost ideal protection against spirit attacks. The only downside is that they slowly lose their mind the more they rely on their bloodline. I remember seeing them at the Tournament of Continents. Hardly a third of their opponents survived...” Acilla frowned as if remembering something very unpleasant. “As for the blue eye, its bearers disappeared in the war of the past era. There’s practically no information left about them. The bearers of the white eye still exist but I don’t know their name or bloodline. They are the strongest of the five, but very secretive. Even La’Gert rarely dared to boss them around. Bear in mind that all these are just rumors I’ve heard.”

  Kai thought about her words as he drank his tea.

  “I see,” he said. “But what about you? Why are you here? Why did you fight that guy? Was that really Kyros, the Soul Thief? And, most importantly, how do we get out of here?”

  “To answer your first question, we’ll need to go back a little,” Allica said and began her story.

  Ever since childhood, Acilla was aware that she was being kept under close watch. Before she turned eighty-six, she had never been outside the lands of her sect, except for visiting the Tournament of Continents. And even when she got out to special training zones, she was always under the supervision of several people. It didn’t take her long to become fed up with all this. Excessive control, which resulted in the restriction of freedom, angered her to the point that she decided to flee in order to see the world.

  For many decades she plotted her escape plan. And a few backup ones. She even allowed information about several of them to leak, misleading her mother about her true intentions.

  After reaching the Divine Stage, she finally fled. A close friend from the Tournament got a hold of a pocket inter-gate that she used once she had made sure that she had gotten rid of all the sect’s marks and possessions through which they could track her. Leaving her homeworld, Acilla not only received her freedom but she deceived several gods at once.

  She left the Central World and ended up in one of the neighboring ones. For several months Acilla traveled to different lands, enjoying her freedom, and exploring the world until she was eventually attacked. Her assailants turned out to be professional hunters sent by her mother to bring the girl back.

  Acilla was lucky to get away from the first ambush but it was becoming increasingly difficult to avoid her pursuers. When she was finally cornered, in an act of desperation she used the pocket inter-world gate again. Unfortunately, the second and last charge of the divine artifact didn’t have an attached mark. That is, no one could predict where it’d send its user. The only thing Acilla knew was that she’d be transferred to one of the worlds of the Ecumene. Having no other choice, she poured almost all her energy into the artifact.

  She couldn’t have imagined that this wouldn’t just transfer her to a Middle world, but also throw her inside an ancient dungeon. Since the demon’s powers had long been running out, it couldn’t stop the formation of a Divine-level portal inside the Pyramid.

  Inside the dungeon, Acilla met with the representatives of the Sinam Clan. As she was a Divine Stage cultivator (and probably their only hope of leaving this place), they accepted her with honors and respect.

  That was how she learned about their history.

  Acilla spent the next two months with them, studying the Pyramid’s structure in order to find a weak point and create a way out. She almost found it but she was interrupted.

  On that day, Kyros entered the dungeon and created that very crack on the surface of the Pyramid.

  “So it really was him then...”

  Acilla nodded.

  “He introduced himself as the emperor of a certain Niagala, as well as a disciple of the last head of the Sinam Clan,” she said, stunning Rune’Tan and making Kai experience slight surprise.

  “Isn’t the head of their clan sealed here? Has Kyros been to the Pyramid before?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “As I understand it, the last head of the Sinam Clan was so powerful that he was sealed away from the rest. He was buried alive. But even that wasn’t enough to keep him away. He lost his body, but his soul somehow managed to escape from the coffin,” she said. “His tomb was in this world, but the Pyramid was in a different one. It was he who transferred it to this desert. He couldn’t get past the demon but he seriously weakened it along with space itself. After that, the barely alive head of the Sinam Clan disappeared... If Kyros is to be believed, the leader’s soul found him, seeing talent in the then young
man. That was how he became Kyros’ mentor. But he couldn’t exist for long and ultimately died,” Acilla said with a chuckle. “To support this story, Kyros showed the cultivators the clan leader’s Ring, after which they began to obey him.”

  “It’s a rather strange story,” Rune’Tan thought. “Why didn’t this god find a more talented student? Maybe not in this world, but in neighboring or even more distant ones? He could’ve found a more gifted cultivator who could’ve used his divine knowledge to become a divine themselves. Or at least, have more than a pitiful barely eight points of foundation.”

  “The same confused me too.” Acilla nodded, smiling. “So I asked Kyros about it. He said that his teacher escaped from the tomb with only a particle of consciousness and spent all the Forces available to him to summon the Pyramid and fight the demon. Apparently, most of his soul remained inside the coffin, where it slowly disintegrated. He had no strength to reach other worlds.”

  “There are still some holes in that story,” Kai muttered. “First, he says that the soul was released from the coffin, and then that it was only a part of his consciousness...”

  “I noticed that it doesn’t add up. But there was nothing I could do to prove that he’s lying...” Acilla shrugged. “I think the Sinam Clan understood that, too, but decided to obey him because of the Ring. I think they wanted to get the relic back and use Kyros to help them get out of here.”

  “And why does he need them?”

  “Strength and knowledge.” Acilla chuckled. “Kyros plans to start a war in this world, so he exchanged oaths with them. He promised to release them from this place and return the Ring in exchange for being granted access to their techniques... And for them to serve him for the next ten years. They only appear weak inside this Pyramid. Once they get set free and cleanse themselves of Yin, they’ll become an invincible force. A dozen of their Holy Lords would be enough to drown several hundred middle worlds in blood. He just needs to give them time to gather their Spirit armies,” she explained. “It’s believed that in the great war, it was the Sinam Clan that was the most dangerous opponent. This was probably why they were the first to be destroyed.”

  “So, Kyros and you weren’t enemies at first, correct?” Rune’Tan asked.

  “Yes. We had a common goal — to get out of here. But the more time passed, the more impudent Kyros became. So much so, that he tried to boss me around. I had to put him in his place with a couple of good smacks.” Acilla smiled mischievously. “For the next seven months, I carried on my research of the Pyramid, thinking he wouldn't dare to confront me. He was quiet and extremely polite, so I failed to notice the moment when he activated some of the Ring’s power. Its Forces shielded him from most of my attacks while also strengthening his techniques. That was why we were on an equal footing in that battle you saw. But if it weren’t for the Sinam Clan supporting him, I would’ve defeated him.” She sighed in frustration. “So that’s the story.”

  “All right... It’s time we move to the most important question: how will we get out of here?”

  “Oh, I think you’ll like my plan.” Acilla smiled wide.

  ***

  In the center of the city, once built by the ancestors of the Sinam Clan, was a tall building. In it, sitting in a lavish and spacious hall, Kyros observed a three-foot-long crack in space sparkle and buzz. It was the only connecting thread between this dimension and the outside world.

  I’ll get through you eventually... he thought when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

  But he didn’t care about the visitor, too focused on the spatial crack that stood before him. It allowed anyone from the outside to enter but killed those who tried to leave. And Kyros didn’t want to be one of those unlucky ones.

  “My Lord, everyone is ready,” said a decrepit old man. He was the leader of the representatives of the Sinam Clan. “Should I let them in?”

  There was no answer. The man turned his gaze to the glittering crack in the air. Even though he had lived for more than fourteen thousand years, he experienced indescribable excitement when looking at it. With difficulty, he managed to calm the trembling in his soul, caused by the realization of the approaching freedom. How many hundreds of thousands or millions of years have their clan already spent imprisoned?

  The old man closed his eyes and then looked at Kyros. His glance involuntarily slid down to his left hand and the Ring with a seal on it. No vibrations of energy or Forces emanated from the object. The System didn’t say anything about it either except for its rank. But the elder didn’t need any clues to identify one of the most important relics of their clan — the founder’s Ring, the source of the power of the clan’s leaders.

  The Ring was a powerful artifact with a mysterious rank, but it was currently marked as a Low-quality Divine-rank artifact since it adjusted to its wearer.

  According to the laws of nature, he couldn’t use it. The creation of Divine-rank items required Forces enhanced by advanced Spheres, which usually only the gods possessed.

  At his level, despite all his strength, Kyros couldn’t wield even pseudo-Divine artifacts, unless they were charging ones. However, the Ring on his finger was a special item as it contained a few grains of true divine power, left by the Sinam Heavenly Clan’s founder, as well as each subsequent elder. With this kind of power, even a mortal could use the Ring albeit it wouldn’t be as strong as it was now. To wear it, one had to fulfill one of two conditions: either to be the head of the Sinam Clan, chosen by the rest of the clan members or to be the person to whom the last acting head had given permission to use the Ring.

  The current head of the Sinam Clan actually despised the bastard who couldn’t use the true power of the Ring and still dared to touch the clan relic. But he couldn’t do anything to Kyros. And even if he could, he still wouldn’t dare to oppose the will of the Ring that allowed Kyros to use some of its power upon his arrival to this dimension. However, once they were out of here and finished their service to him, the old man would deal with him and expose him as the liar he was.

  Kyros eventually stopped concentrating on the crack and nodded to the elder without turning around.

  “Let them in.”

  The old man bowed and then gave the order to the others through an artifact. All six hundred members of the Sinam Clan entered the hall one by one and took their seats.

  “My Lord,” the elder asked quietly, “how much before the passage is created?”

  Kyros winced.

  “There are two or three more rituals to be performed, not counting today’s one. The crack is almost wide enough. You’ll get out of here soon. Aren’t you glad?”

  “Of course, I’m glad, sir,” the old man replied with a smile.

  “Then go and get ready,” Kyros replied and waved his hand dismissively.

  When everyone was finally in their place, Kyros raised his hands to the heavens and then turned them toward the crack. At the same time, an unusual barrier formed around the anomaly.

  “Get started!” he shouted.

  Using the element of Space, everyone attacked the crack. Regardless of their desires and predispositions, the elders forced the younger cultivators to spend time mastering this element and this element alone. Whether they wanted it or not, trying to find a way out was the responsibility of each member of the clan, and for that, the Forces of Space were critical.

  Techniques of various ranks hit the barrier that absorbed all their power. Kyros remained in control of the process, so every grain of energy and Force was redirected to the crack with precision.

  He attacked the crack as well, using the most powerful techniques in his possession.

  Too bad Acilla destroyed her soul in that battle, he thought, regretting such a loss. If I had it, I’d easily widen the crack today, and use the rest of her soul’s power for myself. What a waste...

  Through all the noise and sparking of techniques, no one even noticed a figure standing nearby. With his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against th
e wall, Kai observed the ritual with great interest. The pseudo-divine Mask was making him invisible to everyone present.

  As for Acilla, she was hiding inside his Living Storage, a technique that allowed him to create pocket dimensions of very high quality even inside his body. Thanks to this extremely stable and energy-efficient mini-dimension, he could now forever forget about Rings and the Night Space.

  Having mastered seven volumes of one of the most complex techniques at once, the quality of which was honed by thousands of great masters and even gods, Kai could now create stable, durable, and very large pocket dimensions without spending a lot of energy. In addition, unlike with Rings, Living Storage could contain sentient beings and living things, which made it possible to create a garden with rare Spirit Plants inside.

  “You seriously need to decorate your pocket dimension,” Acilla said via the Spirit Connection Technique. “There’s nothing but air here! That’s nasty! How about you put a piece of land with a real forest, and add a lake with a palace?!”

  Kai said nothing. Decorating the interior of his pocket dimension was the last thing on his mind right now.

  A few hours later, the ritual ended. The exhausted Sinam Clan began to disperse. Soon, only Kyros and the old Holy Lord remained in the hall. They had just started talking when the sound of a powerful explosion came from afar, and the hall was filled with the power of a Divine Stage cultivator. Kyros swore under his breath, as he instantly recognized Acilla’s aura. He, as well as the members of the Sinam Clan who could help him against her, was exhausted but he had no choice but to go and confront her.

  Watching them quickly leave, Kai approached the crack and released Acilla from the pocket dimension.

  “Let’s start,” she said quietly and then added, “...you look funny with that Mask.”

  Rune’Tan took control of Kai’s body. Fortunately, during the breakthrough, while he still had an infinite amount of spirit stamina, he created a new supply of soul energy for Rune’Tan. So now he was almost five times stronger than when he took the artifacts from Bane.