Tower of Heaven

Skyrend Mountain was once known as the tallest mountain in the entire Desolate Dragon Continent and the entire Mortal Realm the continent was a part of. Its peak stood many tens of thousands of kilometers high. It was a place that was impossible to reach for most.

On a day, long ago in the forgotten past, two men stood together at the peak of this mountain.

"Is it not amazing?" A gruff voice flowed from one of the men's mouths. Despite the crassness of his tone, his words were filled with exuberance.

His companion's eyes remained on the horizon. Below, the entirety of the Desolate Dragon Continent was splayed out before him. From the Warring Plains of the East to the Frozen Land of the West, nothing could escape his gaze.

But his eyes remained dull nonetheless.

"It might have been amazing at one point, but my eyes have become accustomed to this view after a thousand years of gazing down upon it. Can it still be called amazing?" He finally replied.

"Hahahaha!" The man laughed.

"Of course it can! The boundlessness of the Heavens is met with the finitude of the Earth. Gazing upon their dichotomy from the point where they connect; how can it be described otherwise?"

"You are always speaking in riddles. Instead of obsessing over the Mysteries of Heaven, why not instead pour me a glass? Last I heard, you were hiding a jug of Hundred Flower Dew Wine within your chambers. I have always desired to taste the craftsmanship of the elves."

"Tch. It seems like you only ever come visit me for wine."

"If not wine, then what? I have no desire to look at your hideousness any longer than I must."

"Ah, so you came for a fight! Come, then! Defeat me and I will feed you wine until you collapse!"

"Hahaha! Remember that promise when the time comes, Kallos!"

Just as the words fell, two fists connected and shattered the Heavens.

***

"Say, have you ever wondered what lies beyond?" The man suddenly asked.

The location was different. He sat with his companion on an endless plain, far away from the Desolate Dragon Continent.

After Skyrend Mountain was destroyed in their previous clash, he decided to travel the world in search of a new Holy Land to reside in.

Perhaps it wasn't as grand as Skyrend Mountain, the scenery best described as mediocre, but the man could never dispel the beautiful view of the starry sky he saw above this plain from his mind.

"Beyond?" His companion asked listlessly.

"What lies beyond the Heavens…I have no desire to know."

The man shook his head in dismay.

"A man should have ambition! How can you stand here and tell me you are content with life when you are still so young?"

"Yet, content I am. There is nothing more in this world that I wish to achieve, there is nothing beyond this world that I wish to see. Tell me, Kallos, for what reason should I continue this arduous path when everything I could ever wish for is within my grasp?"

The man looked at his friend silently. In the end, he could only sigh.

What could he argue? The man truly had everything he could ever want, and if he desired it, anything in the world was within his reach.

This was the so-called peak that all beings strived for.

…or was it?

He gazed up at the night sky in wonder. No matter how powerful he became, he was never able to touch the shining stars that lay beyond.

But he wanted to.

Perhaps his companion lacked ambition, but despite his old age, he was filled with it.

"I cannot agree with you this time, my friend. My goal, my ambition is to stand there myself. One day, I will stand above the Heavens and look down on all creation with my own eyes."

He made a vow with burning determination.

And his companion smiled as he watched.

"When that day comes, I hope you do not forget me. After all, you still owe me a debt."

"Ha! You have always had a talent for shattering the atmosphere. It had already been 300 years, yet you still dare covet my wine?!"

"Hahaha! Until the day I die, I will hold you to that promise."

The two men laughed together on that plain. Their minds were clear as if nothing in the world could bother them. At least, as they sat together on this plain, they were free from the shackles that life placed upon them.

Perhaps they brushed over the solemn conversation that could've happened, but neither of them cared in the slightest.

They had known each other for thousands of years, and they would continue knowing each other for thousands more.

They were brothers unrelated by blood. Even if they overlooked a topic today, they could always revisit it in the future.

Because the bond of brothers they'd formed was inseparable.

***

The man sat alone.

He sat atop a throne overlooking the stars.

"The peak is still far from my grasp, but I can already gaze down upon the illustrious stars. If only…"

He sluggishly brought his hand to his mouth and took a sip from the jug he held.

Hundred Flower Dew Wine. With his current cultivation, its effects were negligible.

And despite the flowery bliss that used to fill his soul when he drank it, he could only taste bitterness today.

"If only you could witness it as well."

He sighed. So long had the past been gone that the world no longer remembered his brother's name.

Thousands of years had passed since that unfortunate day.

"I wish…I wish I could have been there…just how much did you suffer? Just how much did you bleed? If only…if only I had given up on this pitiful ambition…!"

The jug in his hand shattered from the pressure of his grasp. Space trembled in fear of his rage.

"One day, I will get revenge for you…"

Flaming breaths exhaled from his nostrils. His reptilian eyes pierced the Heavens with their killing intent.

"My friend, one day, I will force the world to once again remember the name of the Heavenly Emperor."

***

"Im…impossible…"

Atlas sat collapsed on the ground as he looked up at the Beast Soul in front of him.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" He roared.

But regardless of his words, regardless of his actions, nothing changed. Nothing could possibly change.

The Beast Soul within the cage continued to mindlessly rage without a target. It didn't even acknowledge Atlas' existence.

It couldn't recognize that he was present at all.

Atlas' body shook. He could barely force the words out of his mouth.

A torrent of emotions overcame him. Fear, rage, despair, misery, desolation, an uncountable number of feelings clouded his vision.

Memories of the past seemed to flood his mind in waves, disallowing him from denying reality.

He looked up once more.

The Beast Soul's eyes were soulless. Any consciousness that might've been behind them was long extinguished.

His trembling hands grabbed onto the cage's cold bars.

"How…" Atlas muttered shakily.

He gazed in anguish into those soulless eyes he knew all too well.

"How did you become like this…Kallos?!"

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