Pathway 29 The Threshold's Twiligh

He looked around and realized the magnitude of the place. Vastness with no sign of the living nor the dead, only filled with endless light from the sky. The eeriness of the place was too unnerving for him. This was no place of comfort for him to be. This was no normal twilight period. He had read something like this before, if only he could remember. Yes, he finally remembered.

The threshold's twilight.

It was suppose to be a myth. It was recorded in the ancient mythology. He had thought it was a form of fear instilled in the heart of cultivators.

"Welcome, young mortal."

Jufeng turned to the source of the voice in apprehension. He saw, floating in the mid-air in a lotus position was an old man in pure white robe with long flowing white hair. The sight was that of an ancient ent.i.ty. He appeared to be harmless but Jufeng knew instinctly that this was an existence above everything he had seen, combined. His eyes were closed but Jufeng could feel their soul piercing gaze. The feeling of his soul being seen through a light gla.s.s that could cause his soul to explode if he got too close.

He instantly felt a primal fear. A cosmic divine?

He quickly knelt down and bowed his head low.

"Greetings senior."

"Rise up, young mortal. I don't indulge in your ways. Nonetheless, I've been waiting patiently for you to finally wake up."

The old man opened his eyes to look at Jufeng. A little fragment of the weight of the past dead souls caused his legs to become undone and he collapsed on the ground.

"Ahhhh."

He raised his head towards the direction of the old man and could only see his eyes. The terrible things he saw in those eyes. Things that shouldn't be seen by mortals like himself. He began to have the feeling that his eyes were on fire and started clawing his own eyes when he couldn't take it anymore.

"Senior, please help. My eyes. They are burning."

"Don't worry. You'll be fine."

With the sway of a strand of his hair, the old man relieved Jufeng's pain.

"Mortals."

Jufeng quickly stood up and bowed deeply.

"Thank you senior. Thank you."

"Nothing against you, young mortal. It is the law of creation for a soul at the threshold to experience a strand of the burden of the past deeds. It's a beacon of Karma on your soul. If you happened to leave this place and you go back your world to induce yourself in more Karmic sins. This beacon will be a witness that you have experienced the burden, been warned yet you decided on your own to do more Karmic sins. The consequencies will be on your head not on mine. You only experienced a strand of the burden for the level of your strength."

"Senior, how can i stand things so terrible."

The old man shook his head slightly.

"Mortals. Very fragile yet what a burden they bring. It's alright, young mortal. This is the reason why I have always been using the shadow scales. Without the shadow scales, how can you stand a strand of reflections of the threshold's truth? The truth of the burden of inumerable number of souls, G.o.ds and mortals alike? Even the G.o.ds can't withstand it."

"Even the G.o.ds?"

"Yes, even the G.o.ds."

"Senior, am I dead?"

"Are you dead? The ultimate question every soul ask me eventually. Well, you are at the threshold of death and I believe that will be me. You are not dead but you are dying."

The old man pointed to a ball of light hovering a distance away from them.

"Can you see that light? That is your life force. If it fizzles out, it means you, I prefer using "you" by the way since your soul is the true you, it means you can't go back into your body. The life force is the link between your soul and your body. So, once the life force is severed or broken, your soul must simply leave your body. And you will enter reincarnation or limbo. I know it's hard for many people to take but it's the truth."

The old man glanced at Jufeng who was still standing nervously.

"I tell you young mortal, life can be cruel but with me, you be at peace with yourself and the world. You will have your solitary solitude to reflect on your deeds until your reincarnation if it comes to it. Come, sit down and let's continue talking while we wait."

Jufeng slowly went to sit beside the old man. Solitary solitude again! He would forever be wary of the words and anyone saying them.

"Senior, what do we wait for?"

"We wait to see if your life force will fizzle out or get stronger."

Seeing the utter fear and apprehension in Jufeng's eyes, the old man let out a near silent breath.

"There's nothing I can do to help you, young mortal. Life is trying to hold on to your life force but there's little she can do. Maybe if you have woken up earlier before coming to my presence, it might have been different. But you are here now. If it fizzles out, I will have to guide your way into the cosmic array that will take you to the Acheron realm for your reincarnation. But, if it gets stronger, the force of attraction will get stronger between the two of you. Then, I will have to bide you farewell and we will go our seperate ways."

Jufeng cautiously glanced at the old man. He cautiously observed the old man and found that there was no aura or light of any sort coming from the old man but Jufeng knew this was an ent.i.ty beyond imaginable existence. This was a terrifyingly powerful ent.i.ty. Since they were still waiting after what seemed like forever, maybe he should ask who he was. But, was that not courting death? He was dying anyways.

"Senior, please forgive me for asking. Are you a cosmic divine?"

"A cosmic divine? No, young mortal. I'm no divine. Your immortal G.o.ds and your cosmic divines are ent.i.ties created from the universe. I am a law of creation. Anywhere there is creation, I exist there. This universe, the chaos and the void. My existence is in all. Ent.i.ties call me, Death, with disdain but they call my sister, Life, with pleasure. This I accepted because they know no better. Young mortal, if I tell you my name, your spirit will explode and you will cease to exist. Let me tell you something young mortal, we are two siblings. Me and my sister, Life, are laws of creation."

The old man looked at Jufeng with closed eyes. How could this young mortal know the shadows that trailed his soul at a distance? Shadows that had gone through length and will go through longer length. He felt a bit of sympathy for Jufeng which made the lids covering his eyes glowed fervently.

Jufeng staring at the lidded eyes, realized that this was an existence beyond the universe. He couldn't control the chills that ran down his spine in qiuck succession.

"Let's talk about life, young mortal. Do you think life is truly beautiful? And I don't mean my sister."

Is life truly beautful?

He remembered his mother and grandparents. The faces he knew from birth. The love they've been showing him, the beautiful things they've shared together and the near-death experience they also shared together.

How could he ever forget uncle Primus, the powerful t.i.tan lord who had bought him his spatial sac.

The memory of his friends at the Last-Sword sect, the concern he felt with the troubled Yingjie, how seeing the faces of the two siblings Chenric and Daxia made him smile, the feeling of weirdness he recieved when observing the strange Callidora. Not to mention elder Wuxia, the ever gentle speaking light Daoist or the grand elder who would say "Remember , study hard and train harder" and would look at them as if they were about to face the G.o.ds. That was awesomely funny.

Or when he had been sent to Charat planet by senior Hypatios. Ah, senior Hypatios, the ancient gatekeeper. He remembered partic.i.p.ating in the trials as if he was a member of the outer sect. Although it was by accident, it was fun all the way despite the threat of solitary solitude. He had meet his three roommates, the beautiful Genji and had his own hillock.

Life was indeed beautiful.

True, we are exquisitely aware of the terrible, threatening and scary things in life. The enormity of all these terrible awful things could make the universe seemed to be devoided of light. The awareness is just our ability to survive. The beauty in life could never be denied.

"Senior, I believe life is truly beautiful."

"And why is that?"

"Because I have people who love me."

"What about people who don't have anyone to love them?"

"We have people or things we love in life."

"Mhm, true. But what happens when the people or things you love were taken from you? Do you still find beauty in life?"

Jufeng bowed his head in thought. If he was to loose everyone who loved him and he loved? How could he even think of living? Would there be beauty in life then? Part of him screamed "there would be debt to be paid" while the other part shouted "peace with the world". A crossroad.

"Senior, It's so difficult to answer with honesty but I still think the ultimate beauty in life is the gift of it."

"Yet you are here."

"Senior, I believe it was an accident. Sometimes accident happens."

"Oh yes, you walking into the force-field and stepping on the heavenly seal was an acident. I agreed. I mean, If you find so much beauty in life, why are you still here in this threshold?"

"Because I'm dying?"

"Do you really want to die?"

"No senior, I don't want to die. Please."

"Then, why are you still here?"

"I don't know what to do, senior. Please help me."

"Isn't that funny? You want me to help you against death? But, I will help you. Your att.i.tude and your Karmic virtues intrigued me."

The old man turned mid-air to face Jufeng.

"I know who you are Jufeng Amynthas. I know about the shadows that trailed you. It's true that i don't get involved in these matters because of my creation, but as long as I don't go against creation itself, none of these ent.i.ties have anything over me. So I will tell you this once, I have a sister and we are laws of creation. The understanding of this is left to you. As for your current predicament, think about all the reason you find beauty in life and push them into the thread of your life-force. Only the thread, if you still want to live."

Jufeng did as he was told and his life-force started to get stronger.

"Farewell young mortal, may we meet in the future if you are strong enough."

Jufeng slowly opened his eyes to see elder Ju Long sitting very close to him with his eyes closed. He slowly turned his head around to find out where he was. Alright, he was at the Misty Fountain. His injury must have been a severe one at the least. He tried to move and the sound made elder Ju Long to open his eyes.

"You are awake, Jufeng. Stay for now, let me quickly inform grandelder first."

Elder Ju Long quickly located the grand elder through his spiritual sense and informed him about the development through the mind voice.

In an instant, the grand elder appeared at the Misty Fountain and arrived beside Jufeng in one step. With an easy smile on his face, he restrained Jufeng who was trying to bow his head with difficulty while still lying down.

"Grrrand elder."

"No need Jufeng, I'm happy to see you have recovered. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine grand elder. Only having an headache."
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"That's fine, it will go with time. At least, the worst is over."

"How long have I been here?"

"Four hours without moving a muscle." Answered elder Ju Long who was still attending to him.

"I remembered walking into some sort of energy and was trying to get out when i stepped on something and I though I saw myself flying. That's all I remembered, grand elder."

"That will do. I believe you stepped on a seal which is why you are still alive. Although, you could have died easily, it gave you a chance at survival. If you were stuck inside the force-field with the revenant, you would have been dead by now. We are fortunate you are still alive. Get some rest, when you are feeling better, elder Ju Long will bring you to the haven."

"Yes grand elder. Thank you, grand elder."

He turned to elder Ju Long.

"Thank you elder Ju Long"

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.