Chapter 154 - Summit of the Human Realm

Weeks had passed since Harun fell into his coma. At first, the Dark Stone City's mutants mostly followed their initial pattern, either praying at the palace's gates or at the various statues' feet. By now, few could still connect this ill.u.s.trious example of devotion to the polite fiends ripping off cultivator heads as if their lives depended on it. But as time went by, the devout mutants evolved in a direction Mehran had not seen coming, and started contributing to the mortal society they hailed from. Out of the 8.5 million uninfected citizens, the most dedicated to Lord Revelation's worship received the protection and assistance of the mutants, who often set aside five hours per day for manual labor and mystical healing. Using their unusual understanding of poisonous arts, the 1.5 million mutants handled many afflictions, even going as far as increasing the energy and lifespan of those mortal citizens by breeding inoffensive, Vitality Worms. 

Soon enough, the Salvation Hall, which now brimmed with Vermilion Brides, was out of work. With their overpowering numbers and worm-breeding arts, the mutants solved all problems the mortal citizens confronted at a lightning-fast pace. Lord Revelation's name strengthened the masses, leading to a sense of love, kinship and unity between the mutants and their fellow devouts. Mehran and Gulseni's propaganda efforts supported this trend, enabling the citizens to see the mutants' victims as a necessary purge. The Hisyar royal clan, the aristocratic houses, generals or loose cultivators, as long as they couldn't claim a healthy tie to Harun, all perished. At the same time, the ever-increasing supply of faith expanded the barrier across the First Range. Ignoring the Soul Refining Hall's ruins or other such places lacking any faith connection to Harun, the First Range had fallen to the comatose plaguebringuer's control. Needless to say, Gulseni and Mehran didn't hesitate to loot the fallen sects to the last penny. 

Meantime, Birandar roamed the First Range's cities, towns and villages, seeking the places without helpful mutants or a substantial number of Vermilion Brides. Low-level cultivators and mortals interacted all the time. Some even led entire mortal houses. It would be naïve to think that the mutants' rampage only affected cultivators, and even if it did, did they all deserve their fate? Birandar didn't think so, and after a brief reunion with his parents, the youth left the capital to track down the mournful and provide them with all the help his Karmic Wheel could give.

To Mehran, it almost seemed as if the boy felt guilty or ashamed for what went down—an unsettling reaction. Leaving the demagoguery to Mehran and Gulseni, Jiyan and Mukri stood by Harun's side, watching the coiling serpent expand at an alarming rate. 

By now, they'd gotten used to the incense-made beast and its growth, but while Mukri no longer found it worrying, as she stared at her inert love, Jiyan often twiddled her thumbs while biting her lower lip. And if she often considered forcing her way through the serpent to douse Harun with some of her Abyssal River, knowing that he no longer suffered from any physical damage, she restrained herself. But as time flew by and Harun's condition showed no sign of improvement, restlessness clashed with Jiyan's optimism. The first twitch of Harun's eyelids rewarded weeks of patience. 

The coiling serpent burst into a rain of light, giving free access to Harun's floating body. Multicolored light radiated from his flesh, giving it the exquisite l.u.s.ter of a heavenly being.

Unbeknown to the world, from the Second Range to the First, from the fallen Divine Kingdoms and mutant-crowded cities, billions of pearl-white Karmic Strands rose and flew toward Harun—fusing with his Karmic Tree. Unaware of this, Jiyan rushed to Harun's side, watching his eyes open with rapt attention. But feeling unsettled, Mukri took several steps back. Granted, the bull was renowned for his lack of courage, but there was no reason for him to tremble and recoil before Harun. Yet, Mukri couldn't suppress that distressing sensation pushing him back. 

If Jiyan felt the same, her face showed none of it, and as she reached for Harun's hands, his golden and purple double pupils turned into miniature stars—forcing both Jiyan and Mukri to shut their eyes close. In the instant his eyes opened, Harun felt as if he'd stepped into a new world. His senses stretched far and wide, connecting to the hearts, minds and souls of all humans across the First Range. From the tiniest heartbeat to the feelings driving them. Passions, concerns, woes, d.e.s.i.r.es, thoughts; Harun could sense and withstand the torrent of emotions emanating from the First Range's human lives while staying tolerant to them—viewing the mortal plane with an unyielding heart and welcoming all around him. 

Mind-reading, emotion theft and so much more. Even without artifice, a natural holy glow enhanced his presence, and before the current Harun, human-based entities could no longer conceal anything. Better, Harun had the firm conviction that—to say nothing of mortals—under the Ascending God Realm, no divine cultivator could resist his commands. The purple orb keeping Harun in suspension broke down, enabling the risen expert to nimbly drop onto the ground. Dissatisfied by his tattered clothes, Harun clapped, dressing himself in a long-sleeved, green robe—the color only made Mukri feel more restless. 

…

"Father, I'm confused. Why is Little Six's Right so different from imperial mother and eldest brother's?" Asked a white-haired, bespectacled youth who sat at one side of a walnut chessboard, with the Devil Ancestor facing him. Equipped with a mild and studious look unusual within the Myriad Devil Palace, the youth would have seemed out-of-place if not for the eyes and looks that unmistakably marked him as a Devil Prince. 

"Is it? I suppose that's not incorrect. Traditional Rights are bridge-independent and exceed all their norms. Little Six's Right of Tyranny, though, was tailor-made for the Six Incarnation Bridge and is closely linked to Samsara Dominion. Besides the other perks, whoever wields and master it can command all life forms connected to the Six Incarnation Bridge. Mortals, Celestials, Monsters, Ghosts, Yamas, Asuras, and even the two others.

Once the Right's owner reaches the Samsara Grasping Tyrant Realm and comprehends it to the fullest, all cultivators of the Six Incarnations Bridge or members of those clans will belong to him. And as Rights overshadow most tricks, unless you have one of your own, you can't resist them. Last but not the least, it's also an ingredient of the Cosmic Law. Thus, to reach the true limits of the Six Incarnations Bridge, the Right of Tyranny is a must," while leaning on his t.h.i.g.h, the Devil Ancestor explained, making his bespectacled son nod in understanding.

"Oh, I see. A pity that Little Six's current form cannot harness the Right's true powers. I'm sure it'd make his life much eas—wait, wait! Why did you leave such a terrifying tool in the hands of that insane baldy? Fortunately he never mastered it." Feeling that he'd missed the crux of the matter, the fifth prince probed, making his father roll his eyes in exasperation.

"Give me a break. How is such an insignificant ant worthy of your father's attention? As long as he doesn't interfere in matters that don't concern him, I won't crush his skull," the Devil Ancestor casually replied. 

Speechless, the fifth Devil Prince readjusted his glasses. He wanted to say that if the Tantric Ancestor of the Dharma Seeking Temple was an ant, 99.999% of the Myriad Devil Palace's experts weren't worth dog-shit. However, he realized that once separated by a certain altitude, men no longer saw the same world. In the Devil Ancestor's eyes…who wasn't an ant? 

Again, the fifth prince couldn't help but envy his younger brother, first and last to put the Eternal Sovereign's Omnipotence Paradox to the test. Snapping out of his reverie, the fifth prince lowered his eyes at the chessboard, but was instantly confused by what he saw.

"That is so not where I left my rook."