Then suddenly, a voice sang—
"The heavens do not weep without cause,
Nor do the stars tremble without reason."
A voice that seemed strangely familiar yet equally distant, echoed in the depths of the cave. Its words reached the top, showering the temple in a bright light of truth.
The young monks knelt. The elderly bowed. For the light had descended from the place they so eagerly worshipped.
To them, it felt like their prayers had been answered. A reward of longevity had been bestowed upon their souls.
But, for some reason, the reward felt hollow. The light seemed empty-handed.
Their doubts grew, and so did their disappointment. Continuously, they asked themselves - "If the light truly belonged to the heavens, then how could the seed of doubt prosper in their mind?"
Then, the voice appeared once again. This time, more dreadful than before. Missing all of its elegance from moments ago.
"Yet on this day, the sky bled sorrow,
And the Dharma itself shivered in silence."
Hearing such words, their chants faltered. Hands froze mid-prayer, as if the air itself had turned into stone.
But the voice didn't stop there. It continued, each time deepening the wounds it struck over their minds.
"A shadow has stirred in an unknown land,
a demon wrapped in mortal flesh,
Reborn with a body long cursed by the ages."
"O disciples, engrave these words in bone and spirit:
When the void whispers and the wind grows still,
when temples quake though no hand strikes,
know that the scourge has awakened."
"Guard your hearts, restrain your desires.
Do not seek him, do not test him.
For even the Immortals above
lower their gaze in dread."
"Thus I, the Emperor of Dharma, command:
The world stands on the edge of ruin.
Bow in vigilance,
and pray the Demon does not find the gates of Heaven."
The next second, the golden light showering from the sky came to an abrupt end.
The statue's movements came to a halt.
Everything returned to its normal state.
The monks, however, stayed low.
Then, an uproar rose among their stunned eyes.
"Emperor of Dharma?!"
All shouted at once, for they remembered the name throughout their mind and soul.
The first to have understood the heavens' ways. The one who enticed others' hearts to worship the heavens. The founder of the path of Dharma. And the one who built the foundation of God's place, a seedling that grew to be called 'The Heaven-Worshipping Temple.'
The title belonged to their first master. The one they acknowledged to be heaven's embodiment.
However, more than that, they were far more concerned. Even if he truly was their first master, without a doubt, his words were but a warning.
A warning that an individual so strong, so evil, has been born that even heaven is concerned about his fate. Not daring to act hurriedly.
Multiple young and elderly voices thundered, raising ideas for the temple's next course of suitable actions.
"We shall find and purge the demon from this world!"
"We should heed the first master's warning and seal the temple."
The temple split—some cried for war, others for retreat. Unity crumbled in the face of dread.
At the end, two arguments split the monks. Both were reasonable. Both were satisfactory. At least, they thought so.
Unable to understand the gravitas of the situation, they merely argued. The old monk, who had been in the cave since the beginning, couldn't help but tremble.
"These fools..." His voice wavered, and cold sweat traced his forehead.
His body shook uncontrollably, trembling in fear. Blood surged and trickled from the crevice of his mouth. His long white beard had long since been painted in dark crimson.
"In a situation so dire that the heavens tremble in fear and immortals—who had cut their ties with the mortal world, leading their existence to be limited to mere bedtime stories—are forced to warn their descendants even after the path of Ascension has been sealed by the heavens... These fools dare to coddle with their stupid thoughts!"
*Bang!*
He stomped his fist into the ground, veins popping over his face. He clenched his jaws tightly, trying to withhold his anger.
The monk wanted to break off his seclusion. He wished to straighten the crooked ways of the new generation.
But even more so, he wished to hide. He wished to hide in a corner and pray—"May such an evil never be born."
However, he was unaware of the truth.
The truth that the one he wished to have never been born was about to descend into the world.
For the moment he does so, even the heavens shall pray for its safety!