After the two had finished speaking, Elissa and Al agreed to meet again in the fields of the Mortal Ring. Al was left alone inside his housing unit.

His mind wasn’t on the fact he might be fighting a Rakh-ahtan warrior by himself. Or on the unique long sword that was promised to him once he accomplished the next request of Elissa. Instead, his mind raced with questions about the next step after One, Five, Seven.

“She said Six birthed Seven, but that doesn’t mean Six is the next step. One, Five, Seven… They begin with One, which is Three. Three is the hidden source of the energy plane, and Six is the hidden source of the material plane. Three and Six are hidden." Al repeated in his mind, reaffirming his grasp of this arcane knowledge.

He gathered his scimitar and cheap long sword, tying them to his back. He then headed up the hard stone stairs to exit his housing unit.

"If Six is the inverse of Three and it is One, Five, Seven, the opposite would be even numbers. Maybe the next step after Seven is Eight?” Al pondered, striving to grasp where the next step might lead.

“Sun and Matter, Son and Mother... could the next step, possibly Two. One, Five, Seven, and then Two?” He dared not venture further into the next steps, fearing he might sabotage his current understanding, which felt like a treasure trove without the exact key.

He truly desired to ask Elissa what the next step after Seven was. The Physical, Mental, and Spirit Domains make up the Mortal Chasm.

“I thought cultivating Will was a bid for power to transcend the weaknesses of being human." He smiled, looking down at the road he was walking on.

"The cultivation of Will fundamentally leads to the development of an Immortal Spirit. I see why now. We are cultivating Will through nourishing our Body, Mind, which is the Soul, and Spirit, which is breath. We are creating a copy of ourselves born from our Will." He walked lost in contemplation. Cultivators passed him left and right. The 23rd Mortal Ring of the Supreme Leaf was quite busy.

"Midnight-Abyss and now my Heat Will... Do I have two Souls, two minds?” Al stared at the red leather bracelet on his left wrist, housing his Heat Will’s etheric shell. On the pinky of his right hand, a plain ring served as the etheric shell for his Stubborn Will.

“Three and Six...” He whispered before turning in the direction of the training fields. "Perhaps shedding these robes should be my next step. I could try donning light armor, like Elissa," Al laughed. After he had been sold to the Rakh-ahtan, he was stripped of everything. They had clothed him in plain white robes similar to medical robes.

As he strolled through, Al couldn't help but study the diverse garments of fellow Cultivators—vibrant robes that bore the marks of cultures from all corners of the world. "Maybe something Greek..." he mused, envisioning himself in different robes.

The colossal statue that dominated the center of the training fields came into view. A shirtless figure, a physical specimen that eclipsed even the most revered mortal athletes, stood tall and proud. With a smooth, hairless visage, his features were chiseled and prominent. His gaze held an intensity that seemed to place him beyond the confines of creation itself.

"The God Chasm a step beyond the Immortal Chasm..." Al breathed in awe, his eyes fixed on the statue. The Immortal Chasm was a concept he was barely scratching.

“Incredible, right?” a voice spoke to him from behind, causing Al to turn around. Elissa gazed with reverence at the statue, the pinnacle of Cultivation. “Only Six Gods ever exist at any given period. One day, I will have a statue just like that dedicated to me,” her eyes lit up, sparkling like diamonds.

“It takes almost 1,000 years to enter the Immortal Chasm. I can't imagine the years until one can potentially enter God Chasm. And you're thinking that far ahead? We might not even survive the Rakh-ahtan invasion,” Al said, sounding almost shocked by Elissa’s audacious foresight.

“Minimum one spends 5,000 years cultivating before the God Chasm is within reach. I'm not worried about the invasion of any enemies. Our Supreme God could destroy the entire world if he so chose to do so,” she said calmly as if the incursion was as inconsequential as an annoying fly that the master of the house could squash with a finger.

"If this man wields such immense power, why hasn't he ended the Rakh-ahtan and wiped out these cursed Dark and Light Acolytes?" Al's voice rose, carried away by his frustration, until he caught himself and swiftly regained his composure. Elissa offered a smile devoid of laughter.

"Al, I'm nearing 200 years of age. When I was born, mortal minds barely comprehended electricity. You, on the other hand, are at most 50. You're still young. Understand that everything unfolds for a reason, and the world doesn't owe you an explanation."

Al's brow furrowed, his pulse quickening, until a sudden wave of familiarity washed over him, cracking his stern expression into a smile and a soft chuckle. "I remember now why you manage to infuriate me so much. But being angry doesn't mean I'm right. Still, if I had known we have such overwhelming power, I wouldn't even have come here," he admitted, his face softening. Elissa returned his smile and shrugged her shoulders.

"I have pressing matters to attend to at the Task Center, so I'll keep this brief," she stated, redirecting her focus to the task.

Elissa began explaining what she needed him to do. “From the Dark Acolyte's descriptions, the ruins she spoke about are from an old-world city about 70 miles from here. Go there. All I need from you is to verify that the Rakh-ahtan are trading with the Dark Acolytes.”

Al nodded. After that, she handed him a small map and departed for the Task Center.

As Al approached the Supreme Leaf’s 23rd Mortal Ring exit, he mulled over the possibility of visiting the Collective stores within the pyramid building named after Romann. However, he ultimately decided to prioritize Elissa's request.

"After I secure the unique Longsword for my Stubborn Will and ask a few more questions, I'm leaving. Maybe I'll peek to see where Cesar, Jin, and Ellie ended up. Then, I'll search for a cave and attempt to break through into the Mental Domain with my Heat Will," Al strategized, treating the upcoming decades like mere days.

"If I want to become an Immortal, I need to start thinking like one," he concluded, his eyes gleaming with a similar determination to Elissa's.

He strode into the Arabian desert, the sun beating from its high perch. Al opened his map. He didn’t need a compass; the magnetic field was something any cultivator could feel once their A.R.C. began converting breath to Will. He began walking southwest.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“If I push myself, despite the sand, I might be able to get there in two days.” Just as he was about to launch into a sprint, a familiar voice called his name.

“Who the hell is behind me? And how come I didn't notice them?” he wondered. His gaze was fixed on Elissa's figure, who stood quietly behind him.

She was holding a longsword with an engraving on its base that mirrored the celestial pattern for Al’s Stubborn Will. Its tip had a peculiar outline, giving the impression that it could come apart.

"I almost forgot to give you the longsword you requested. I wanted you to have it before you set out as a token of my appreciation." Elissa explained, offering the longsword to Al, who accepted it with a cautious glance.

"Also, I'll be joining you," she added, almost causing Al to stare at her in confusion.

"Second in command, and without Romann here, she couldn't leave... Romann must have returned!" Al pieced it together swiftly.

"She doesn't want me to report back to Romann... Well, it doesn't matter. Their God can handle whatever happens. It's probably better. Now, I have her to myself for some time. Hopefully, she can answer all of my questions," Al reasoned swiftly, mirroring Elissa's broad smile.

"It's exquisite. I'm eager to see what it's capable of. Thank you," He expressed his gratitude genuinely and secured the special long sword to his back, making three blades he was carrying.

"No problem. I want this done quickly, so let's not waste time, please," she urged, taking a single step and seamlessly gliding over a few dunes. Al was taken aback, but he quickly sprinted after her, reaching her side within moments.

Elissa glanced back, noting Al's struggle to keep up, and pressed on. The sand proved a challenge, sapping his momentum. On land, he was faster than most cultivators in his Domain. He observed Elissa, who effortlessly covered the ground with just a few strides, leaving barely a trace in the sand.

"She moves as if the sand is nothing," Al marveled. He attempted to mimic her technique, taking smaller but more forceful steps and extending his strides to cover more distance. Elissa observed his efforts and slowed down to match his pace, recognizing his determination.

She said, "Start the movement from your hip and channel it down to your toes." Al followed her advice, directing his Stubborn Will from his hip to his toes as he stepped. With his newfound agility, he soared over several dunes. The duo gradually picked up speed.

"At this rate, we might reach there by nightfall," Elissa remarked, a note of encouragement in her voice.

As the sun descended, the two continued their journey in silence. It was clear that Elissa wouldn't initiate a conversation, so Al decided to break the quiet.

"So... you never did tell me what comes after Seven. I've been pondering it. It can't be Six, since like Three the both of them are hidden, Three is concealed by One, Five, and Seven," Al ventured.

Elissa turned towards him. Her eyebrows raised. "I see you've been giving this quite a bit of thought. Can you guess what might come next? I'm sure you've contemplated that as well," she inquired.

A smile graced Al's face, indicating that he had pondered this. "I considered that it might be Eight. But after reflecting on Three impregnating Six with Five to make Seven, it reminded me of the Sun and Moon. From Earth's perspective, they are a union of opposites. So, I guess that after Seven comes Two," he spoke, his words almost trance-like as he recalled the countless sunrises and moonsets he'd witnessed.

Elissa's smile widened, clearly pleased with his answer. "You're correct. It is Two. However, the union lies between Earth and the Sun. The Moon follows after Earth," she clarified.

Al felt a mix of satisfaction and intrigue. "What do you mean?" he pressed, eager to grasp this newfound insight.

Elissa, recognizing they had ample time, began to elucidate. " All I can say is my teacher said the union is between the Sun and Earth."

Al found himself grappling with a new and somewhat perplexing concept. "Is she suggesting that Earth is like a Sun to the Moon?" he pondered, tucking the thought away for later contemplation. He decided to continue their discussion.

"If we follow the pattern, would the next step be Four?" Al inquired, feeling somewhat confident in his guess.

Elissa looked at him with mild astonishment. "Yes, how did you know?" she asked.

Al responded calmly, "The union of the Sun and Earth gives us four seasons."

Elissa regarded him thoughtfully. "Simple, yet I never considered it that way. According to my teachings, as soon as the Father and Mother, which are Two, are created, the Son and Daughter, which are Four, come into existence. The Four are the points in each of the six squares that form the Void Cube."

Al's eyes widened in revelation at this intuitive understanding of what follows Two. However, one particular point was now bothering him. "Hold on, does that mean the Son, which is Five, existed before the Father and Mother?" he asked, slightly baffled.

Elissa hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

Al continued, delving into his memory. “I once had a brief teacher whose name was Benjamin. From all the cultivators I've met besides the mother of Ellie, my old companion. Benjamin stands out. He was disdained for reading the holy books of mortal men. He claimed it spoke about One, Five, and Seven. He said Five was perfection, and in that holy book, everything was made by and through the Son of God in the beginning. The Son is called the Word or the Logos, which is truth, and truth is perfection.”

Elissa seemed lost in her thoughts for a moment, murmuring to herself, "It begins with One, followed by Five, which represents perfection, nailed to Six, the open Void Cube, which gives birth to Seven. From the duality of Three and Six, Two emerges, followed by Four..." She suddenly snapped back to the conversation with a realization.

"I suppose, technically, everything unified was created by and through Five, which is the Son. Perhaps there's more to that book than I thought," Elissa admitted. The sun was now setting, casting long shadows as they delved into the intricacies of their cultivation.

"I might as well tell you the rest of the steps, but be warned, I mostly know them in name. After Four comes Eight, which I'm told represents the eight points of the Void Cube. Then, we return to One, symbolized as a small sphere within a cube. This brings us full circle, with Seven steps, six of them being individual digits and One repeating twice. This sequence of Seven steps, crafted from Six digits, is known as the Seven Emanations," she explained.

Al's mind whirled with thoughts as he absorbed the newly acquired knowledge. "So, that's how it is..." he murmured. Everything seemed to fall into place, and he felt a sense of enlightenment washing over him.

"You mentioned that Eight represents the corners of the cube... Father, Son, Mother, Daughter—those encompass all of humanity. The world's four corners extend across the globe to meet at the opposite four corners. The world is like a cube, and there are eight planets in our solar system. The brightest lights in the sky are the eight planets of our solar system," Al spoke to Elissa, his voice filled with revelation.

"Our destinies are intertwined with the stars, illuminating the darkness and guiding us when the Sun cannot. If Four signifies the human family, then Eight is the celestial bodies that hold our karmic fate?" he pondered aloud, his words carried by the wind.

Elissa listened intently, struck by the depth of Al's insights. It felt as though he had brought a newfound clarity to her understanding.

"Where did such a teaching even originate, and how is it that fragments of it are found in ancient texts meant for mortals?" His curiosity piqued.

Elissa returned from her reverie with a smile. "The God Leaves have existed for tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands of years. Our Supreme God is rumored to be over twenty thousand years old! His wisdom could fill hundreds of libraries, and in fact, most cultivation books in the Mortal Chasm are authored by ancient Immortals," she explained, shedding light on the ancient roots of their teachings.