Chapter 30: Land of Time Forgotten
Why does it have to be so hot here? Huxian thought as he ran across the barren plane. The landscape didn’t resemble the cracked clay near the city, nor the flat rock near the plateau and the monks. Here, the flat land was covered in dusty earth in much need of rain. Fortunately, there was more than a light dusting of the substance, else his paws would slip due to the greasy and intrusive nature of it; it was packed six feet deep, more than enough to bear his weight.
The dust, though annoying, didn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. What mattered was its source: the blistering sun and its scorching red light. It never seemed to grow closer, but it did grow larger. What had started off as big as a large coin was now the size of a mountain. It loomed over him, singeing his fur and evaporating his drool. His eyes were red, both from exhaustion and the lack of humidity.
A few months ago, even a week’s worth of walking would have barely increased the sun’s size by a sliver. Now he saw its size visibly increase after only an hour of running. He could also feel a soft humming presence from the sun. It wasn’t the usual pulsing you’d expect, but rather a burst of heat frozen in time. That same heat that burned his fur and seared his flesh. If not for the ample demonic qi in the air to replenish his stores, he would have become a roast dish weeks ago, a delicacy that even heavenly emperors would fight over.
Thank the heavens I don’t have to worry about sun blindness, he thought. Apparently it was a problem for humans and some lesser species of demons. Somehow, demonic evolution had determined that such an immunity was essential to their development. Greater demons like him could stare at the sun all day long, as long as they could bear the pain.
After traveling for a half hour more, Huxian finally noticed something that wasn’t a massive sun or a dusty plain. A figure in white appeared along the horizon. Having not seen a living thing in months, he ran toward what ended up being a diminutive man in white robes. The man had black hair tied up in a topknot. He was clearly a scholar, but he was young and had an air of naïve curiosity. Most importantly, he was neither ghost nor buddha. He was a human.
Hello! Huxian called out to the man. To his relief, the man looked back in surprise. He smiled and waved at the fox. Unlike his fur, the man’s robes were pristine, untouched by the dust beneath them. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old, and his cultivation realm was at the peak of qi condensation. Huxian wondered how the man could possibly be standing here unharmed where the sun was so hot, but he remembered that many things here didn’t make sense. Everything was twisted and mystical, like a deep lesson prepared by a senior for a junior.
“Greetings, fellow traveler,” the man said, waving. “I am Yang Mu, a scholar of minor repute. What might I call you, esteemed monarch of the demon realms?”
I am Huxian, Monarch of Light and Darkness, Huxian said, quite pleased at the man’s respectful tone. He was, after all, an important demon on the plane he came from. What are you doing here, so close to the sun? It’s dangerous in these parts, especially for one so weak. The heat will burn you burn your body and destroy your soul.
“Dangerous?” the man asked, perplexed. “Not at all. I’ve just begun my journey, so how could I possibly be feeling the heat?” Indeed, his robes were still pristine despite all the dust around him. His skin was pale and unblemished. He looked less an adult and more a child, unaccustomed to the hard ways of the world.
And what do you hope to find on this journey? Huxian asked.
“The origin of the sun,” the man said proudly. “My master once told me that to grow as a scholar, one must journey thousands of miles and see many things. He cautioned me, however, against focusing on the many. Instead, he said to focus on the one, the origin of all things.” He held his hand up to the sun. “To me, his meaning is obvious: I should chase the sun, the origin of everything. If I find the origin, will I not be able to see the many from the one, the multitude from the origin? Will I not see the Dao?”
Huh, Huxian said. I suppose I never thought about it that way. Inwardly, he was groaning. The kid would learn a swift lesson in humility. If cultivation was such a simple journey, would there not be heavenly emperors aplenty? As far as Huxian knew, his journey wasn’t just foolish; it was dangerous. Immortals, gods, and demons alike pursued the peripheries as they deepened their understanding. The truth of the origin was so powerful, so all-encompassing, that it could shatter the mind and burn the soul. Even the Jade Emperor was only just beginning to comprehend its immensity.
You might want to be careful on your journey, Huxian said. To my knowledge, this path is dangerous and forbidden. Countless have died walking it, and none have ever succeeded.
The scholar smiled and bowed. “Many thanks for your advice, Huxian, Monarch of Light and Darkness. My heart is set on the matter, however. There is no deterring me.”
He turned toward the sun and began walking. Dust immediately began to stain his immaculate robes, and the heat suddenly came bearing down on the man. He cried out in agony after only a few steps, then crashed down on his knees.
Huxian shook his head.
