Location: Celestial Interzone, Above the Mortal SkyTime: Hours After Arthis's Defeat
Rishabh sat on a lotus woven from light itself, suspended in a place where time stood still. The crowd below, the ruined arena, the bleeding Arthis—all had vanished.
Now he was in the Interzone, the waiting chamber of those chosen for ascension.
Before him stood three beings—System Lords.
Their bodies were built from living code, burning glyphs spiraling around them like orbiting moons. Their voices carried the weight of galaxies.
🧬 SYSTEM LORD: CODENAME — ARCH-KALPA"Mortal soul Rishabh. Karma-walker. Forbidden cultivator. You have breached Tier-2 of Dharma.""This cannot go unjudged. You have two paths."
🌓 The Offer: Ascend to Godhood
The middle System Lord stepped forward.
Unlike the others, his body was human-like—tall, lean, robed in white and stitched with golden code. His eyes were filled with eternal stars.
"Become a god," he said. "Right now. We will sanctify your system. Strip it of errors. Make you a True Immortal Codex."
✅ Benefits:
Infinite Qi.
Ageless body.
Mind linked to all cultivation paths across the realms.
Title: Eternal Judge of Karma.
But then came the price.
❌ Cost:
You must relinquish all personal karma.
Erase emotional attachments.
Memories of Ji Mei, your betrayal, your Earth life — all must go.
No love. No rage. No dreams. Only Balance.
⚖️ A Test of Soul: Simulation of Emotionless Eternity
They didn't let him decide immediately.
They showed him.
His mind was plunged into a simulated future:
He watched Ji Mei grow old, forgotten by him.
Watched monsters he once saved turn to dust, while he stood unmoved.
Felt the power of creating worlds, ending wars, shifting karma—and felt nothing.
"This is you without love," the System Lord said."This is the price of perfection."
💔 Rishabh's Inner Battle – Bodhidharma's Voice Returns
Inside the echo of eternity, a voice rose:
"What is the value of immortality... if it cannot cry?"
It was his old voice—Bodhidharma's voice, from the moment he was betrayed and left to die.
And then… a memory surged forth.
The day a little girl offered him rice on the street, back on Earth. Ji Mei. Her soul—before she even knew him.
A kindness with no cause.
It broke him.
🪷 The Refusal – Return of the Heart
Rishabh's golden lotus cracked.
He opened his eyes, full of tears—and power.
He stood before the System Lords.
"I refuse."
"I will not be your god."
"Let the heavens remain untouched. I choose to bleed."
Lightning roared across the Interzone.
One Lord stepped back.
Another readied a deletion glyph.
But the third... smiled.
🌌 Secret Reward – The Hidden Path
The smiling one was an ancient Dharma System Lord, forgotten even by the others.
"Only one in a million refuses.""You've passed a test none knew existed.""You've unlocked the Hidden Path."
✅ New Pathway Unlocked: [Immortal With Heart]🔓 Your emotions will now enhance your cultivation, not hinder it.✅ New Trait Gained: [Empathic Qi Pulse] – Your rage, love, and sorrow empower your techniques in unique ways.✅ Title Gained: "The Bleeding God"
The arena below flickered back into view.
Rishabh descended, landing gently beside Ji Mei, who lay sleeping under a protective qi dome. She whispered something even in her unconsciousness.
"…I knew you wouldn't leave me again…"
📣 Epilogue: The World Reacts
The Tournament was canceled.
Every major sect and kingdom began offering alliances, tributes, or assassins.
Arthis vanished.
But whispers grew.
"A cultivator rejected godhood... and became something worse—a god with heart."
Some called him the Hope of the Broken.
Others… the Doom of the Divine Order.
And deep in the void, a feminine laugh echoed.
"So the Dharma Boy still has his feelings," said a voice wrapped in void-silk."Let's see if he'll still smile… when I devour the girl next time."