Neo POV

Neo was watching the scene with a disgruntled expression.

He was leaning on the door, arms crossed.

"So that's why the number 'Four' is special. For Martial Artists, it is considered the number of Calamity. They die upon reaching the Fourth Realm.

"For Cultivators, it is the number of Blessing.

"Upon reaching the Fourth Step, they are reborn into higher beings and get blessed by the Dao.

"Coincidentally, they can also hear the voice of the Dao from this rank," Veydran explained.

He was teaching a class.

The little children seated before him were listening quite happily.

Veydran continued teaching them calmly.

"What I told you is how 'rebirth' works for people like us who live in the True World.

"Those who live in the Cosmos of Cultivators are different.

"They follow the Path of a Cultivator. Generally, the Path these 'lesser beings' follow is divided into Nine Stages," Veydran said.

"Teacher, Teacher!" a child raised his hand.

"Yes, what is your question?" Veydran asked politely.

"Why 'Nine Stages'? Or can it be any number of stages?" the child asked.

"It can only be nine," Veydran said. "Nine is the number of 'True Rebirth'. So when a 'lesser being' completes all nine stages—nine steps of rebirth—they are reborn as a 'True Being' and are able to leave the Cosmos and come out into the True World.

"'Lesser beings' who go through True Rebirth start their journey from the Fourth Step as Cultivators.

"This is because it is considered that when they reach the Ninth Stage, the Dao approves of their hard work and allows them to go through rebirth.

"Since they can hear the Dao, they directly reach the Fourth Step," Veydran explained.

"Teacher, didn't you say 'Fourth' was the number of rebirth? Then how is 'Ninth' also the number of rebirth? Or do people like us from the True World and lesser beings from a Cosmos have different numbers for rebirth?" a child asked.

"Li Wei, you need to wait for permission before asking a question," Veydran lightly scolded, then explained. "Ninth is the number of 'True Rebirth', while 'Fourth' can be considered a 'Lesser Rebirth'."

The child, Li Wei, who was already standing, asked, "Then, if Martial Artists and Cultivators reach the Ninth Realm and Ninth Step, will they also go through a 'True Rebirth'?"

"Perhaps," Veydran said. "What you said is possible in theory, but no Cultivator has reached the Ninth Step in recorded history, and Martial Artists cannot go beyond the Third Realm.

"So we do not know what happens when they reach the number Nine and go beyond it.

"That's enough for today's class. Everyone can leave."

Contrary to what one would expect, the children began to complain, asking for more class time.

Everyone liked Veydran, and they wanted to spend more time with him.

Neo, who was watching everything from the doorway, clicked his tongue.

It irritated him to see a person he hated—and considered an enemy—receive so much affection from others.

Of course, there was also the fact that Veydran had wiped out countless universes and was what most would call an Incarnation of Evil.

But Neo had stopped dividing things into good and evil.

For one, he loved Moraine, who had wiped out even more universes than Veydran.

Knowing that supporting Moraine was considered evil, Neo had stopped judging people and labeling them as such.

Now, he simply categorized them as friends or enemies.

"Do you know I have gone through many 'Pseudo-Rebirths' as well?" Veydran said as he approached Neo while the children left.

Neo didn't respond.

Veydran continued, "Ranking up through each stage can be considered a 'Pseudo-Rebirth', while reaching the Fourth is considered 'Rebirth', and what comes after the Ninth is 'True Rebirth'.

"If you think about this, you would understand why a mortal reaching Stage 1 God is equivalent to the Fourth Rank of Demigods—the Paragon Demigod. And why Demigods rank up by threes and reach the Fourth Rank from their Awakener Path when to become a God and jump to Elemental God Path.

"This is because Elemental Gods transcend the existence of Demigods, and thus a rebirth—Four—is required," Veydran said.

"What are you trying to say?" Neo asked.

"Nothing. I was just musing on the meaning of rebirths and how all Paths relate," Veydran replied.

Neo looked at him, and the two walked out of the building.

They were going to meet the spy working in Apollyon's Palace.

This spy, named Paul, was the one who had helped Elizabeth hide from Apollyon.

Veydran was a spy as well, but he came later.

Paul had been there from the beginning.

For some reason, Elizabeth had told Neo to pick up Paul today when he arrived at the Sect.

She had also told him not to fight, which confused Neo.

Why would he attack someone helping them?

As Neo and Veydran walked toward the Sect gate, Neo suddenly asked,

"How did you meet Daniel?"

"Hmmm…"

Veydran made a thoughtful sound and looked at the sky.

His gaze turned distant as he spoke.

"I was a normal poisonous snake with no sentience back then.

"I was moving through the forest as usual when I found an injured man—master.

"I bit him, and by coincidence, the poison caused the weakened man to scream in pain.

"Later, he told me that when he felt the pain and screamed, he realized the scream was an instinctive reaction.

"It was the proof that he didn't want to die.

"That's how he, who had already decided to give up on everything, regained the will to live.

"He felt that I had helped him reach that realization.

"So he helped me—a normal snake—become a God, and I became his first disciple," Veydran said with a melancholic smile.

He clearly remembered how Ouroboros would grow excited and cheer every time he ranked up.

From Stage 1 to Stage 9.

Dueling (Small Serpent)

Lingchi (Spirit Lizard)

Chanshe (Molting Serpent)

Tengshe (Soaring Serpent)

Jiaomang (Flood Serpent)

Jiao (Proto Dragon)

Yinglong (Wind Serpent-Dragon)

Lóngmǐng (Source Dragon)

And finally: Veydran / Wei-Long (Perilous Dragon)

Veydran still remembered Ouroboros's words from back then.

"Hahaha! Stage Nine already! Veydran, you are the most talented person I have ever seen! If you keep training, you might surpass even Hades! Who would've thought that the random snake I met would become the greatest genius? I truly am the luckiest person alive! Hahaha!"

Veydran smiled, recalling his narcissistic teacher.

"He used to call me a true genius. Once, he even looked into my future and said that among all the disciples he would ever take, I was the most talented."

He glanced at Neo while saying that.

"But even so, I still ended up lesser than you who has a dog-like persistence to continue onwards," Veydran added.

Neo didn't respond right away.

For a brief moment, the surroundings faded from his attention.

He remembered Daniel.

He was only a fragment.

But still, he had spent tens of thousands of years with him. Guiding him. Arguing with him. Consoling him. Failing together, again and again, while trying to save Earth.

Persistence was something that defined Neo at his core. He might be proud of it. He might hate it.

But it was just the only thing he had left when everything else failed.

Before he could say anything, the two of them reached the gate.

Neo's eyes shifted immediately.

Someone was standing there.

The man who was supposed to be Paul.

Neo slowed down a fraction. Something about him felt… familiar.

'Why do I feel like I know him?' Neo thought.

Paul turned and saw him.

The moment their eyes met, Paul's expression twisted.

His face contorted with rage, and he stomped toward Neo without hesitation.

"You bastard! Is it true that you slept with my mother?!" Paul shouted.

Neo blinked.

"Hey, calm down—"

"Shut up, Veydran!" Paul snapped without even looking at him. "This is my family affair! Don't interfere!"

Neo stayed silent as Paul closed the distance between them.

Up close, the familiarity became more uncomfortable.

Paul stopped right in front of him and grabbed Neo by the collar, his grip shaking with anger.

That was when Heavenly Records spoke.

[Master, his Intent matches with the one named Paul de Beaufort. He was the spell-born child of Elizabeth who attempted to kill her—]

Neo didn't wait for the sentence to finish.

Ignition activated.

Power flooded his limbs in an instant.

His fist slammed into Paul's stomach.

The impact sent Paul flying backward, his body smashing into the stone wall surrounding the sect gate.

Cracks spread across the surface as he hit and slid down.

"I knew something was weird with the temporal strands of you and your sister when I grabbed them. Were they fake? How can you fake Temporal Strands— no, that doesn't matter."

Neo spoke with a chilling voice.

"Since you are here, I guess you were in cahoots with that bitch Julie? That would explain how your Trait when you were at awakened rank was able to fool even Elizabeth who was Exalted rank.

"Fuck. This bastard wasn't a stupid kid. Instead, he was someone who knew everything and yet tried to kill his mother."

"Shut up!" Paul roared.

He pushed himself out of the wall, veins bulging as energy surged around him.

A Technique Spirit began to blaze around him.

It was a Fighting Spirit, seemingly at Second Realm.

"It was all perfect!" Paul shouted. "Mother would die, and Julie would reincarnate our family in a different universe! A peaceful one! Away from all this madness!"

The ground beneath his feet shattered as he launched himself toward Neo.

"But then you appeared!" Paul continued, his voice cracking with rage. "You interfered! You saved her! And now look at her life! Endless danger, endless suffering! And she still doesn't hate you!"

Paul's fist shot forward.

Neo met it head-on.

Just before their fists collided, a freezing wind swept through the area.

Both of them were frozen in place.

The air turned painfully cold.

A calm voice followed.

"Don't fight. Both of you."

Elizabeth.

Paul and Neo spoke at the same time.

"Mother! I can't follow your words this time! He must be punished for his crimes!"

"Elizabeth, I don't care if you let him live back then! I'm killing this fucker with my own hands!"

Elizabeth sighed.

They sounded like children arguing over something irreconcilable.

She knew that if she didn't settle this now, these two would stay hell bent on killing the other.

"Paul," Elizabeth said evenly, "he is going to be your father. Is that how you speak to your father?"

"What?! I'd rather choke on my spit and die than call this bastard my father!"

"Okay. Then die. Cool your head and come back."

Frost spread instantly over Paul's body.

His expression froze mid-rage.

Neo felt it.

Paul had 'died'.

Before Neo could analyze it further, the cold reached him as well.

It seeped into his body, forcing Ignition to shut down completely.

Power drained away, leaving him mortal.

Elizabeth voice reached Neo.

"How old are you? You should know better than letting your emotions take control."

Neo clenched his teeth but stayed silent.

"Just from what Paul said, you should understand that what he did back then was for my sake. He wanted me out of that suffocating place. He wanted to start everything over, somewhere new."

Her voice softened, though there was a bitterness to it.

"That's why he worked with Julie. That's why he tried to kill me, even while crushing his own heart. Even though the event traumatized him."

She spoke to Neo directly.

"Are you really going to hold something like that against him?"

Neo opened his mouth.

Then closed it.

No matter what he said, it wouldn't change the fact that Elizabeth had already forgiven Paul.

She had been working with him here. Trusting him.

"So," Neo asked finally, his voice tight, "you won't let me kill him?"

"No."

Neo clenched and unclenched his fist.

"…Alright. I won't kill him. And I won't attack him, since you've forgiven him."

Elizabeth watched him from her mediation hall.

She frowned.

She knew Neo well enough to know he was too stubborn to change his mind so quickly.

But she also knew he wouldn't lie to her.

"Elizabeth, can you defrost Paul? I want to apologize for what I did and said."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

"What are you planning?"

"Me? Nothing."

Silence followed.

Elizabeth stared at him.

This man was clearly planning something, yet he wore the expression of a benevolent saint without shame.

"…Alright. I'll remove the frost freezing his Life Flame. But if you two fight again, I'm freezing both of you next time," she said at last.

"Okay," Neo said simply.

Elizabeth snapped her fingers.

The frost shattered.

Paul collapsed to his knees, coughing violently.

His body trembled, whether from cold or rage wasn't clear.

He looked up, glaring at Neo with bloodshot eyes.

Neo crouched down until they were at eye level.

He smiled gently.

"Elizabeth told me why you tried to kill her. I'm sorry. It must've been hard on you too. And yet I treated you like an enemy."

He reached out and gently ruffled Paul's hair.

"I apologize for my earlier actions and words. I hope you can forgive me, and that we can be a good family. Oh, and you don't need to call me step-dad. Father is fine," Neo added cheerfully.

"Cough—! Cough! Th—this bastard!" Paul choked.

His face was completely red.

Neo smiled as if he hadn't heard anything and patted Paul's shoulder.

"Anyway, I heard you rushed here urgently. Did you already know you're getting a little sister?"

"W-what?" Paul froze.

Inside the hall, Elizabeth nearly spat out her tea.

Before she could stop him, Neo kept talking.

"Wait, you didn't know?" Neo asked innocently. "But you said you came here because you knew your mother and I were sleeping together. It's only natural there'd be a little sister soon."

"You—! You—!"

"Are you angry because we didn't tell you earlier? Don't worry. You'll get to name her."

Paul fainted from sheer rage.

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