Recalling the fierce battle he'd won against the Immortal Spirit, Al meticulously cleaned both swords. He found himself within a stoned room designed to cultivate Wills within the energy plane.
His thoughts were consumed by the memory of the intricate sword dance he had acquired while wielding Midnight Abyss. Though those movements were now beyond his reach, the lingering sensation still coursed through him, urging him to form his imitation as perfectly as his recollection would allow.
"Lapaptzli... What kind of enlightenment could a sadistic psychopath attain?" Al pondered, his mind drifting into its darkest corners. But his contemplation was abruptly interrupted by a series of knocks echoing through the room.
Al set aside his swords and walked up the stairs to the entrance of his housing unit. Elissa stood there, her demeanor impatient. She had no dragon mask this time, revealing her face framed by long, jet-black hair. As a cultivator within the Spirit Domain, the passage of time had been kind to her, preserving her youth.
"You ready? I don't have much time," Elissa stated bluntly, her tone brimming with urgency.
Al gestured for her to enter, and as they descended the stairs, he glanced back at Elissa. "I guess my first question has to be, what's up with the skimpy armor?"
Elissa emitted a soft chuckle, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "It allows for better movement. Why? Does my choice of dressing distract you?"
"A little, yeah," Al admitted, a slight grin tugging at his lips before he led the way into the room illuminated by the soft glow of light stones set into the ceiling. Elissa paused in the middle of the entrance, striking a pose that accentuated her curves. "Well, take a good look because it's never happening," she declared with a playful wink.
Al turned towards her before laughing loudly. It had been a long time since someone had managed to draw a laugh from him. "The path of Will is best traveled alone. A cultivation partner proves counterproductive," he replied, a small, genuine smile gracing his features.
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. For some, a partner is helpful to their cultivation," Elissa quipped, sauntering into the room and taking a seat across from Al. "Anyways, what other questions do you have for me?" she asked, steering the conversation back to more serious matters.
Al had taken some time to ponder his questions, and in the end, he had just one burning inquiry. "Have you ever heard about One, which is always three, becoming Five, which creates Seven?" Al asked.
Elissa's eyes sharpened. She was surprised that Al possessed any knowledge of this esoteric concept.
"You have the last part wrong. It's Five splitting into Seven, not creating it. Six is the one that creates Seven," Elissa corrected him.
"So you've heard about this?" Al exclaimed, astonishment coloring his voice.
Elissa nodded before elucidating. "In the God Leaves, a recognized disciple is designated a cultivator in the Immortal Chasm to guide them regarding the 48 laws of the Mortal Chasm. Our 23rd Supreme Seed's teacher is none other than the Supreme Immortal King Godfrey,"
As Al absorbed this newfound understanding, the pieces of a puzzle he'd long contemplated began to fall into place. Yet, amidst this clarity, a question took root: who taught Benjamin? He wasn't a recognized disciple of any God Leaf and was merely in the Mental Domain of the Mortal Chasm.
Elissa mirrored Al's curiosity. Her eyes fixed on him as she voiced the question that echoed in his mind. "Where did you even hear about such a thing?" she inquired. Al took a moment to contemplate before responding, "It doesn't matter. So, you say Five splits into Seven. How so?"
Seeing that he had settled on his next question, Elissa shed light on the concept. "The way it was explained to me was that the Sun represents One, the Five embodies Light, and the Seven are the individual colors that form that Light." She paused to make sure what she was saying was correct.
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"When Light passes through a glass pyramid which is Six, the Seven are birthed. These Seven, combined with the Five, result in the Twelve aspects of the Sun, which is the one. Adding the One, which is always three, you obtain the entirety of the Sun. This is called the 16-Rayed Sun, which we understand as the energy plane," she expounded.
Elissa's explanation presented a paradigm starkly different from his existing comprehension. Yet, in this apparent contrast, a strange resonance seemed to emerge.
"You also mentioned that Seven is birthed by Six. What did you mean by that?" Al persisted, his determination akin to a boxer unwilling to throw in the towel. Elissa was taken aback by Al's interest in something she knew he couldn't possibly comprehend through a single conversation.
"Six is all matter, but we call it the Void Cube. When Three enters Six, Six becomes pregnant with Five. Five opens and fills the Void Cube with light. Opened six becomes a cross to which the light is nailed. Seven is born from the splitting of light when the illuminated cube closes. Five, the Light, serves as a sacrifice, splitting itself into the six faces of the void cube. The void cube, Six, all matter is the source of the material plane. This Alexander is the sacred union of the Son and Mother, Sun, and Matter," Elissa expounded, her words carrying a weight of profound significance.
As she spoke, the room seemed to hold its breath, enveloped in the gravity of her revelation. The esoteric knowledge hung in the air, pregnant with a sense of ancient wisdom and an amalgamation of connections that Al could only begin to grasp.
Al's mind was no longer a whirlwind; it had been tossed into a blender and reduced to liquified pulp. Yet one sentence stood out with crystal clarity: "This... this is the source, the material plane and energy plane where our Wills are rooted..."
Elissa beamed at him, her eyes shining with enthusiasm. "Yes! Most cultivators spend decades pondering over this before it even begins to make sense. We refer to them as the entities Ai and Oou, but the true understanding is Three and Six."
Her excitement was palpable as if she had relished the opportunity to delve into such esoteric matters. "What grants us the ability to grasp the 48 laws that compose the Mortal Chasm is the Threefold principle and the Seven emanations."
Al gently interrupted Elissa, his voice urgent. "Please, give me a day or two to breathe. This is all a lot to process. Before today, I only had One, Five, and Seven to contend with," he requested his tone earnest.
Elissa's smile was understanding, her eyes reflecting a shared contemplation. She, too, had only recently begun to fathom the intricacies of the threefold principle, while the seven emanations remained unknown to her.
"Well, with that out of the way, let's discuss what exactly I'm going to need from you," Elissa stated, her tone more serious. Al nodded his focus completely on her.
"Approximately ten years ago, during the Rakh-ahtan's second attempt to invade Earth, the architect of the Nation of New Ark, 'A.R.M.', managed to gather intelligence on the approximate numbers of the invaders. They number just over 2 million. They plan to weaken Earth before their final assault," Elissa explained, providing a crucial context to the period during which Al was held captive.
He sensed Elissa's direction and interjected, "And you want to try and reduce their numbers to earn some credit with the God Leaves?"
Elissa stared at him, a mixture of confusion and disbelief on her face. "What? No, that's idiotic and suicidal. But if we can uncover how, where, and when they will try to cripple Earth's defenses, I can then inform King Godfrey. Those in the God Chasm will decide the final invasion. The only thing we can do is ensure there are no unknown surprises." She spoke with a conviction that left no room for doubt.
Al nodded, realizing that his perception of the God Leaves and Elissa might have been skewed from what he had initially assumed.
"If we stumble upon something that proves pivotal in indirectly aiding the six Gods, it won't go unnoticed. And if nothing comes of it, that's fine. But nothing risked, nothing gained," she stated a determined glint in her eyes.
As Al gazed at Elissa, he could see the resolve burning in her eyes. The question that had lingered had been answered, but there was something he desired even more than answers. To kill Lapaptzi. As long as she lived, his mind would never find peace.
"If I help Elissa, I might just end up running into her," Al contemplated silently. He then turned to Elissa, a smile playing on his lips. "Well, whatever you need, I'm willing to assist. However, I'm going to require better compensation," he stated firmly, clarifying that his aid would come at a price.
Elissa gazed at Al, her curiosity piqued. "What is it you want? I can arrange for an abundance of merits," she offered, but Al shook his head, declining her offer.
"No, I know those who are Recognized disciples of a God Leaf have access to rare items. Things like secret breathing techniques and such. I want a unique longsword crafted for someone with Stubborn Will, like myself," he declared.
Elissa's grin stretched from ear to ear. "You got it!" she exclaimed. In the Supreme Leaf, one of the most Common Wills was Stubborn Will, making weapons designed for it relatively easy to obtain. She already had a particular weapon in mind that she had reserved for him on his next mission.