Ascension of The Unholy Immortal

After emerging from the Thunder Gate, Kai's vision blurred. Before he could fully gather his bearings, the world shifted again.

When the light returned to his eyes, he was already standing before the final gate.

The Gate of Silence.

Shrouded in eerie black mist, it loomed without sound, as though even the heavens dared not breathe in its presence.

Kai did not hesitate. With the same calm composure he had carried through the first two trials, he stepped forward and vanished into the veil.

Outside, atop the Dragonbone Platform, Wu Jiang remained still, arms folded behind his back. A faint gleam flickered in the depths of his gaze as he stared toward the vanishing mist.

"Interesting… This boy passed the first two trials far easier than anticipated," Wu Jiang muttered to himself, a rare note of approval in his otherwise detached tone.

A trace of surprise crossed his face as he recalled Kai's mirror battle. "To suppress one's own reflection without flaw... And his martial intent… it has no gaps. It is as though his entire path was carved in stone before he ever began."

He narrowed his eyes. "And to think… he is merely a split soul, not even whole."

Wu Jiang's expression grew contemplative. He had seen many prodigies, some who rivaled gods in potential, yet even among those, Kai felt… different.

"The Heaven Severing Mortal Unity Scripture…" He exhaled slowly, a hint of unease in his breath. "Truly a strange and dangerous thing."

He had studied many techniques, even forbidden ones , but this scripture… defied reason. It cultivated unity through severance, ascension through paradox. The very idea of merging two opposing halves of existence was sheer madness.

"No sane man would attempt such a thing," he murmured. "Only one who had already cast aside fear of death."

Though admiration stirred faintly in his heart, Wu Jiang quickly crushed the notion.

"If no accident occurs, he will likely pass the final trial as well…" His voice trailed off.

A strange light flickered in his eyes.

"Should I take him as a disciple?"

But the thought lasted only a moment before he shook his head.

"No. Offering my Fate Aura is already a great karmic tie. To become his master…" His gaze turned distant. "That is a burden I have no wish to bear."

Karma was not something one like him could take lightly.

Even Sia, with all her plotting and pride, had refrained from formally accepting Kai as a disciple. That alone spoke volumes.

In their world, to teach a man was to be tied to his cause—his rise or fall, his sins and merit, all bound in invisible chains. For someone walking the edge of life and death like Kai, the karmic toll was simply too steep.

Wu Jiang sighed, his figure unmoving beneath the crimson sky. His gaze lingered upon the silent gate, lost in thoughts.

The moment Kai stepped through the Gate of Silence, the world around him collapsed.

There was no flash of light, no sudden burst of power—just a gentle folding of space, as if reality itself had blinked. The next instant, he stood alone in an endless expanse of gray mist.

There was no wind or spiritual energy here. Time seemed to stretch and bend strangely. He couldn't tell whether moments were passing or days.

Kai frowned slightly and took a cautious step forward.

The sound of his footfall never came.

It was as though the world had swallowed all sensation. Even divine sense felt numb.

He immediately stopped and sat cross-legged.

No use rushing. This was the Trial of the Heart, not one of strength or technique.

Kai closed his eyes.

He allowed his breathing to slow, his consciousness to settle. His spiritual sense sank inward like a stone into still water.

Suddenly, a faint voice echoed in the depths of Kai's mind.

Too distant to grasp at first—like a whisper carried across an endless valley.

He frowned, focusing inward, trying to make sense of it.

"Why do you cultivate?"

The words gradually became clearer—or at least, Kai thought they did.

He didn't answer immediately.Instead, he asked himself silently:

Why do I cultivate?

A simple question.

And yet… as the thought echoed in his mind, he found no easy answer.

His brows knit together.

"That's strange… why have I never asked myself this before?"

He had cultivated every day for years—pushing through pain, resisting temptation, surviving near-death encounters.

But had he ever truly asked himself why?

"You see?" the voice spoke again, softer this time.

"You have no answer." Its tone wasn't mocking. Just… sad.

Kai's heart stirred. The countless days he spent watching others rise while he clawed for scraps beneath them.

Was it really just about power?

For a long while, he sat in silence, struggling to find a reason. Eventually, he opened his mouth.

"For longevity.."

The voice responded without hesitation.

"You're lying."

Its tone was disappointed. Not accusing—simply disappointed, like a teacher watching a student answer wrong after already knowing the truth.

Kai lowered his head.

"Then… for power."

The voice came again, calm and indifferent. "No. That's not it either."

Kai's chest tightened and a strange feeling crept up from within—like a truth he'd buried deep was starting to stir.

"Just say it," the voice sounded again.

"Say that you don't know."

Kai remained silent because he realized—It was true. He didn't know.

But the truth was… it wasn't just him who didn't know, It was Liang—the original Liang.

Back then, Liang hadn't stepped onto the path of cultivation by choice. He had been pushed—thrust into a world of spirit stones, bloodshed, and ambition before he could even question what it all meant.

The world had shaped him.

The sects, the rivalries, the narrow brushes with death… all of it had carved his path long before he ever took his first true step on it.

If someone had asked Liang then, "Why do you cultivate?"—what would he have answered?

Probably nothing profound.

Perhaps he'd have said: "Because it was convenient."

Because that was what everyone around him did.

Because those who cultivated lived longer. Had power. Earned respect.

Because to not cultivate meant being left behind, used, or killed.

But was that a reason… or just a reflex?

Kai's thoughts deepened.

Does one really need a reason to cultivate?

For some, it was to avenge loved ones. For others, to seize glory or defy fate. Some simply feared death, while others longed for the heavens themselves.

But most… didn't have a reason.

They cultivated because the world demanded it, because not cultivating meant becoming a speck of dust in someone else's storm.

Because the path of cultivation was the only road that did not end in quiet, helpless death.

But is that truly enough? Kai wondered. Is fear alone enough to carry one through tribulation lightning, soul tempering, and the endless weight of ascension?

Somewhere deep in his mind, the voice stirred again.

"Now you begin to understand…"

Kai opened his eyes slowly. The gray mist remained unchanged, but something in the air had.

"So tell me," the voice continued, "if not for fear, nor ambition, nor convenience… then why do you continue forward?"

The voice faded into silence again. But this time, it was not the stillness of emptiness—it was the calm before a tide.

A ripple passed through the mist and without warning, a figure stepped forth from the fog.

Kai's eyes sharpened instantly.

It was a man clothed in plain robes, the figure was him.

But not the him of now—this was a younger version. This was the version of himself before the soul was split.

Before the Scripture and before Kai.

This was Liang.

He looked at Kai and tilted his head slightly.

"You're still looking for reasons?"His voice wasn't mocking.

"It's not too late to realize the truth, you know," the old Liang laughed, stepping closer. "You were pushed onto a rollercoaster, and you never got off. You didn't choose this path. You just… survived."

"You didn't want to die," Liang continued, eyes narrowing. "That's all it ever was. Fear. Instinct."

Kai's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Indeed....no one wants to die."

The mist pulsed faintly around them, responding to the conversation as if it were alive.

"Then admit it," Liang stepped closer," Everything you've done—every breakthrough, every battle—it was all a reaction. ."

Kai's gaze flickered.It wasn't easy hearing that from your own mouth. Especially when it rang true.

"You were dragged into this world," Liang said, voice growing quieter. "You never wanted to ascend. You just wanted to live long enough to see tomorrow."

He paused. "And that's not wrong."

Kai's eyes widened slightly.

Liang turned and looked out into the mist.

"People chase immortality as if it's glory. But for most, it's desperation. They don't want to die… they just haven't found a reason to live that's strong enough to accept death."

He looked back at Kai.

"Can you deny that?"

Kai remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No. I won't deny it. In the beginning… that was true."

"But things have changed," Kai said quietly.

"Oh?" Liang raised a brow. "Have they?"

Kai took a step forward.

"You feared death. And I did too. But now… I don't cultivate because I fear dying."

"I cultivate… because I want to understand what it means to truly live."