Chapter 66: Patriarch v. Artifact Spirit
It is as you have said, Yao Shen continued. Too much time has passed. Dwarf Lord Vondar did not experience the hundreds of years of isolation you have and neither did he carry such hatred in his heart against the human cultivators that were responsible for the destruction of his true soul. It would be fair to say that you have become an entity distinct from Vondar, one capable of exhibiting strength at the Nascent Soul level.
Then you understand how futile your words and efforts are? The Artifact Spirit replied impassively, clearly unshaken by Yao Shens revelatory words.
Yao Shen shook his head. Yet you still persist in the mortal realm, long after the ever flowing sands of time have buried your name. Long after the demise of everyone you have ever known, ever desired to know. That holds meaning.
Sophistry will get you nowhere, The Artifact Spirit callously responded.
I believe that you will inevitably choose to follow the course of action that would best honor Vondars memory, Yao Shen replied, as a hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips.
Perhaps, The Artifact Spirit noncommittally replied. But even if your words held some modicum of truth, I do not see how cooperating with a despicable human; a member of the self-serving race responsible for my untimely demise, could ever be in furtherance of my goals.
You call humans despicable, Yao Shen began, Yet was it not the superstition of the Dwarven race that reduced the veritable genius, Vondar the Scholar to Vondar the Eccentric? He asked. If they had only heeded your words, the Dwarven Race would have gained access to an artifact that would enable them to trace the presence of lumenite ore even beyond their own borders ensuring prosperity for generations to come. Instead, they ignored you and the merit of your work, leaving you to fend for yourself in a hostile land. Surely you understand that the result would have been the same, if it was the Elves that had stumbled upon that land instead of humans?
A few moments passed by in silence as the Artifact Spirit ruminated on Yao Shens words.
And yet, it was humans that committed the sin of their own volition. Soul Emperor, I do not believe you to be as shallow as your statements seem to suggest. Cease this disturbance either attack and prove my judgment wise or leave me in peace and mayhaps in another millennium my opinion on your race will change.
You misunderstand me, Artifact Spirit. I am here to parley and to that end, I believe what I have in my possession is enough to sway your mind.
Oh? The Artifact Spirit uttered, a hint of surprise evident in its tone. Even in the ancient era, the weight of a Soul Emperors words was no trifling matter. Out of respect for your accomplishments in this forlorn era, I will at least extend to you this honor.
Yao Shen sucked in a deep breath of air and then nodded.
The Artifact Spirit was in fact, correct. Nothing he could possibly say would be enough to convince it, convince a hatred that had been brewing for hundreds of years.
There was only one card Yao Shen could play here a card that only he was privy to. One that he would guard with his life, in any other circumstances.
Without it, the situation was as the Artifact Spirit had described it- either he fought the Artifact Spirit and destroyed the Artifact in the process or he simply accepted his defeat and let the treasure of the Divine Mountain Sect continue its slumber.
There was no need to hesitate any further.
The memories of another world, he said.
Lies! The Artifact Spirit bellowed, its reaction almost instinctive. Much as Yao Shen had suspected, even if he had managed to put forward a compelling argument, the Artifact Spirits intense hatred would simply attribute it to the trickery and cunning the Human Race was both known and reviled for.
I thought I told you already, Yao Shen replied calmly. This realm belongs to the both of us. Nothing I say will reach you, I know. That is why I will show you, Artifact Spirit. Who I am. Where I came from. And what I hope to accomplish in Ionea in Eliria I will show you all of it! He declared with a laugh for in the realm of intersection, where two consciousnesses met, there could be no falsities or deception.
The Artifact Spirit could do nothing to interfere as Yao Shens Human Dao Domain gently faded away, only to be replaced by a different scene.
A scene that was no longer related to any Dao or Domain, a vista unbound by the Heavenly Daos oversight.
At first glance, it was little more than an ethereal blue marble suspended in the vast expanse that was space. Closer inspection, however, revealed large swathes of white swirls clouding over patches of vibrant green and earthen brown.
Then, with a flick of Yao Shens index finger, the scene transitioned.
His earliest memory, awoken in his mothers embrace. His first steps. His introduction to the worlds history; Earths history. A day spent in the classroom, spent studying basic arithmetic and an introduction to the sciences.
A transition, again. This time, focusing on technology. Skyscrapers that stood taller than entire sects. Beasts of metal that shot forward at speeds rivaling a Nascent Soul Cultivator, without causing any real discomfort to the mortals traveling within. An interface of glass and aluminum that allowed for real time communication to and from anyone in the entire world.
The final transition. The choices he made. The college he studied business in. The woman he fell in love with. The peaceful lives they led, the society they contributed to. Mere mortals and yet they lived untethered lives, free from the machinations of the Heavenly Dao.
The Freedom to live as one wished.
The peace that allowed it.
This is the world that I wish to create, Yao Shens words rippled with a power that could not be expressed or limited by Qi. A world where cultivators and mortals can live in harmony. A world that does not discriminate by race, free from the meaningless strife of war. A world that is large enough to shelter prodigies like yourself, giving them the freedom to pursue whatever path they wish. So tell me, Artifact Spirit. Are my words tinged with deception?
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