Chapter 160: Chasing Fantasies


    Snapping out of this fragment of Golden Cicada''s life, Harun observed Birandar with scrutiny, then shook his head. Who could imagine that the tyrannical Serpent Emperor who didn''t hesitate to set a Landverse on fire out of spite wouldter turn into a meek monk, and after Heaven-only knows how many reincarnations, be his obedient disciple?


    Atst, Harun realized why post-awakening Birandar faced him with such unswerving loyalty. This was no Birandar. The youth had died already, reced by Lord Revtionminus the immeasurable cultivation base. But though deep down, he''d realized this long ago, Harun still felt sour.


    Most lives across the omniverse are reincarnations. As long as they possess a soul, the likelihood that said soul has experienced hundreds of past lives is over 90%. Too few souls are born out of the void. Most just get recycled through the reincarnation cycle. Ancient sects and eminent houses treat Awakened Lifeforms as treasures, providing them with the best resources and treatment. Their senses, attunement to the Dao, willpower and luck often leave most geniuses in the dust. As for physiques, factions of that level can manufacture the majority, and so don''t value them. Among the Ancestral Land''s elite forces, "Better have an Awakened Lifeform than an Emperor-level talent," is amon saying. Harun learned this from the System, who from time to time, fed him anecdotes of the Ancestral Land.


    But Harun didn''t want an Awakened disciple, not so fast, not so soon. He''d much rather have a useless boy with no formidable backstory, driving only by an unwavering determination to reach the peak of cultivation. <em>That</em> was someone he could train and shape. Someone whose personal growth he could feel at every step of the way. Someone whose achievementswould undoubtedly delight him. Could he get the same feeling from Birandar, who was more thanplete already? Harun didn''t think so. But perhaps that shouldn''t stop him from trying. Harun thus settled on Birandar''s training program. The goal was simple: give him back the individuality he lost by bing Golden Cicada''s wless disciple.


    <em>"Why can''t so many people move on from Karma that doesn''t even belong to their current existence? My next disciple better note with past-incarnation baggage or I will drown the fool in the Abyssal River,"</em> Harun told himself.


    <em>"This sounds like Severing cultivator talk to me. You sure you didn''t miss student orientation?"</em> Unable to tolerate such words, the System chimed in.


    <em>"Don''t misinterpret my words. Acknowledging and pursuing are two different concepts. Living in the past disrespects the present. Not one incarnation should take precedence over another, for no matter how insignificant, they each possess an unquestionable value,"</em> Harun countered.


    <em>"So you''re saying that if youpleted your awakening, if you experienced Golden Cicada''s life in its entirety, experienced the bonds, joy and struggles as if they were yours, you would dismiss them without a second thought?"</em> Not willing to drop the matter, the System asked in a level yet inquisitive tone.


    <em>"Wouldn''t you? Although we disagree on about everything, you''ve always struck me as a rational being. Golden Cicada likely died millions of years ago. After him, I probably became a farmer, andlord, a doctor, a cultivator, a fish, a turtle, a dog, a celestial, a god, a toad, and so much more. Are you telling me that I''m supposed to retrace those thousands of lives, find all my significant others, alive or dead, and bring them back to my side? That''s absurd. Sometimes, you just have to let go.</em>


    <em>My name is Harun, not Siegfried. I wasn''t born in the Myriad Devil Pce as the son of the omniverse''s ruler. I do not have a golden silkworm embedded with my heart and soul. I am not a Transcendent Catalyst. I do not have Devil Essence. And though I still possess Sovereign Pupils, I wouldn''t hesitate to discard them if necessary. My story is an ongoing project; I am far fromplete and will not disrespect this chance of writing a memorable tale by chasing fantasies,"</em> Harun dered, and a weighty silence ensued. Believing that he was processing info unavable to them, Jiyan and co. didn''t interrupt him.


    <em>"Interesting, I''ve been called many things, but ''rational'' was never one of them. Matter of fact, in my younger days, the words shameless, petty and unreasonabledescribed me best,"</em> the System replied, then went silent. With a wave of his hand, Harun motioned for Birandar to return to his seat, then faced the assembly.


    "First, questions?" Harun probed, and as expected, Mehran was the first to speak up. "I have no problem with the n, but once Birandar bes Revtion the Usurper and you turn into True Lord Birusk, how will the change affect your faith collection. As we speak, the Abyssal River and Blood Matron Puppet are undoubtedly our most destructive cards. Can we afford to weaken the barrier?"


    "As long as the faith only fluctuates between Revtion and Birusk, I still have 100% control of it. This will not be a problem," Harun rified the situation, and no more questions followed. Satisfied, he carried on.


    "As you all know, I cultivate on a distinct bridge from other Birusk nsmen. My bridge isn''t suited to faction building, so I created another one for you guys. With each breakthrough to a higher realm, I must reincarnate in another world. Fortunately, I will not lose my memories, and after some adjustments, can always return to my Karmic Zone: the Birusk n. It just so happens that I''ve reached the peak of my first realm, and must prepare my breakthrough into the next. For that, I need 150 kg of Sr Ore. The Treasure Hunting Gang will handle the acquisition. Afterward, I will build a Star-zed Gate and step into a unique zone. This is an extraordinary opportunity, but not everyone can follow me. Those who can''t will have to stay in the Dark Stone Country."


    Sr ore was a unique mineral usually found at the core of the hottest volcanos. Some inheritance grounds also packed many. With his left eye, Harun could direct the mutants to those ces and have them harvest the minerals. The Heavenly Dream Land no longer had a way to process Sr Ore, but Dolma''s brain and damaged soul teemed with information Harun could harvest at will.


    To breakthrough to the Monstrous Realm, Harun first needed to refine a Beast Constetion. Therger the constetion, the better his next incarnation would be. But without a Star-zed Gate, Harun couldn''t enter the Monstrous Heaven Chart that contained all those constetions.


    As a faction leader, Harun couldn''t always hunt resources personally. It was time to put his elitebor force to use. In the meantime, he''d use his recent gains to strengthen his faction. But little did Harun know that as he discussed ns with his most trusted, Karma threatened to hit him like a crashing airne.


    Following Harun''s breakthrough to the Unyielding stage, the first major step on the path of Tyranny, the Tantric Ancestor of the Dharma Seeking Temple who''d been watching out for this precise moment, locked on the massive Karmic fluctuations and retraced Harun''s Landverse.


    "Hahahahaha! Master will be master. This cultivation speed is indeed not what the rest of us canpare to. However, how can an inferior ce such as the Heavenly Dream Land be worthy of your esteemed self? Only in my Tantric Exaltation Hall can you return to the peak at maximum speed!" The Tantric Ancestor proimed. His full-red eyes shed with a frenzied glint and, with a single step, he crossed several Landverses to appear in the Heavenly Dream Land.


    Just like the Devil Princes beforehand, the Tantric Ancestor couldn''t locate the exact world. But unlike them, he walked and exceeded the Six Incarnations Bridge. As long as he clung onto this karmic disruption, filtering the Heavenly Dream Land to find Harun wouldn''t give him much trouble.


    In a sh, the Tantric Ancestor''s overbearing spiritual sense swept the Heavenly Dream Land, making countless lives go mad and copse from fright.


    <strong>"Impudence."</strong>


    But not even a second after the Tantric Ancestor''s investigation started. Asteroids, celestial bodies, and the void itself trembled as one voice, one word, ripped the Tantric Ancestor''s mind asunder.


    "AAAAAAAAAARGH!" Defenseless against that single word''s might, the Tantric Ancestor grabbed his damaged skull and squealed in grief. Red veins pulsated across his herculean form, but no amount of muscle or power could free him from this mental trauma.


    "D-Devil Anceshow could thisaaaaargh!" The Tantric Ancestor couldn''t finish his words. Blood gushed out of all his orifices and cracks formed across his wless body.


    The rtionship between the new generation of Ancestors and the Devil was somewhat simr to mortals and the deities they worshiped. On the one hand, they believed him invincible. On the other hand, none had witnessed his might. Thus, many of those nigh omnipotent entities were starting to question his sovereignty. As Golden Cicada''s first disciple, the Tantric Ancestor ranked high among them, believing that his master would lead Saints, Refiners and Tyrants to end the Devil''s reign.


    However, his masterhe wasn''t.


    <strong>"Get lost,"</strong> the Devil Ancestor ordered, unleashing waves of irresistible might that bashed the Tantric Ancestor intearing through his indestructible flesh and bones to hurl him back into the Darma Seeking Temple!


    <em>"This Sovereign doesn''t have the time to squash all the insignificant bugs the omniverse has to offer. But should you misbehave once more, I do not mind reminding you all why my reignousts the stars."</em>


    The Devil Ancestor dered, and with one message, forced all Ancestors on their knees.