Chapter 505: Covenant

Morrigan had faced the scorching soul flames of reincarnation an unfathomable number of times and endured the experience of having her memories, knowledge, love, and pain stripped from her. For regular souls, the torturous experience wasn't remembered, but Origins never forgot. Fragments of their dormant memories were returned to them slowly through the heavens' whispers, which were actually echoes of their pasts harvested by the heavens during their reincarnations. For the cultivators, the whispers sounded like anguished torments that contained hints of truth, but for every Origin, they did nothing but haunt them.

Except for Morrigan.

As the Origin of the Void, the heavens couldn't harvest her. It wanted her to leave—to return to where she belonged. She was usually tortured for what felt like an eternity until the heavens' soul flames ran dry, and she was hurled back into reality with the grace of titan spit. While the other Origins were only haunted by fragments of the past, she remembered each and every moment.

Yet she endured it all because she had no other choice. Robbed of the peace death granted, only the silent void awaited her should she give up. Year after year, century after century, life after life, she kept going, putting one step forward despite knowing nothing but pain and misery awaited her. Her existence was nothing but eternal torture. Which is why, as she faced off against Kaida's formation by shedding her memories, she felt something she had never experienced before—freedom. Specifically, from her past self.

Until that moment, she had never understood why the heavens refused to harvest her memories and left them intact. Her running theory had been that the heavens didn't want to introduce the void affinity into reality and therefore kept the heavens' whispers regarding the void at a minimum. However, now she understood. Her memories had been left intact to crush her under the weight of her past in the hope that she would give up and return to the void.

This realization filled her with nothing but blood-boiling rage.

Why did I suffer for all these eons?! I could have stripped myself of these accursed memories and lived on in ignorant bliss, floating aimlessly in the void for all eternity. That would have been far better than all of this!

Morrigan roared in her mind as her soul continued to boil.

Soon she would go supernova, killing Elaine and her unborn children. With nobody left in the Nine Realms for her to overtake, she would be cast into the void for all eternity—just like the heavens had always wanted. That part enraged Morrigan, but she was done fighting the inevitable.

I just want to be rid of all these memories... I don't want to fight anymore. I'm tired. So, so tired. Morrigan thought as she continued to cast away the lingering connections to lives she had once lived. Perhaps it was her nature as the void—the innate desire to return to nothingness. She had been cosplaying as an entity with a purpose and dreams for too long.

"Morrigan!" Stella shouted out to her. She didn't want to listen.

"Stop fighting. You don't have to be scared anymore. If you work with us, you will never have to fear the void again."

Morrigan paused, turning her attention to Stella, who was standing defiantly in front of Elaine. The girl's words... they were simply too laughable.

"Stella, do you forget who—what I am?"

"I'm well aware that you are the void given consciousness," Stella replied, crossing her arms.

"Exactly," Morrigan replied. "So what is there to be scared about? I'm simply returning to where I belong."

Stella snorted. "Out there, in the vast nothingness? Where neither Elaine nor her children can reach you?"

"What does Elaine have to do with this?" Morrigan snapped back. Elaine was nothing but a vessel she had raised—one of many she had nurtured in the past.

Stella narrowed her eyes. "She has everything to do with it. There's nothing more important than family. A daughter deserves to have her mother around, and her children will ask where their grandmother is. Until now, you have lived for nothing but yourself. Why not try living for others for a change? Trust me, your future will be far brighter for it."

"Future? There is no future for me here. Whether it's today or in the next eon, the heavens' desire to return me to the void will inevitably come to fruition." Morrigan looked up at the millions of strands still sprouting from her boiling soul. "For the first time, I'm going to take matters into my own hands and end it on my own terms."

"The heavens' will is only inevitable if the heavens exist," Stella countered, causing Morrigan to pause. "Should we topple the heavens, you can be allowed to exist. Until then, let us bind you to our own afterlife to shield you from the heavens' tyranny. Please, Morrigan," Stella bowed ninety degrees, her blonde hair falling over her face, "don't go out like this. Forget the past and enjoy a future with us—with Elaine."

"Stella is right."

Morrigan glanced at Maple, the Worldwalker holding her soul in his hand. His deep golden eyes bore into her.

"As the embodiment of the void, you fear the void more than anyone—and for good reason," Maple continued. "Listen to Stella. Live on here in reality under Ashlock's canopy. Don't give in to the void's call."

"But..."

"Mom!" Elaine shouted out.

Morrigan slowly shifted to look at her daughter. Elaine's expression contained no hatred despite having been told she was nothing but a tool. Instead, tears streamed down her face, and for the first time in eons, Morrigan felt those motherly instincts to cradle her distraught child. Was it because she had burned so many tortured memories? Or was this situation revitalizing her empty heart?

"Please don't go," Elaine said, collapsing to her knees and pleading. "My children's lives won't be the same without you. Can't you stop this and stay?"

It was you lot who pushed me this far, Morrigan felt like reminding them. While she could understand their desire to protect Elaine's future from her, if they hadn't attacked her like this, she wouldn't be going supernova... nor would she have come to these realizations about her life.

"But fine," she said, surprising even herself. "I will give in to the formation and let Ashlock capture my soul. It can't be worse than heaven's torture or the emptiness of the void."

Morrigan forfeited to the mighty formation; it didn't even take a few seconds for it to burn a Soul Anchor to the Grove of Eternal Rebirth deep in her soul in a flash of blinding gold. Over the immense power of the formation, all she managed to see was a glimpse of Elaine's relieved face before her world was plunged into darkness—as Maple consumed her. In the void of the Worldwalkers' stomach, her unstoppable supernova reached its completion, and she was obliterated. A spectral form of her soul floated up against her will—an experience that had terrified her the first few times. Without a vessel tying her to reality, the cycle of reincarnation was calling.

Yet the Soul Anchor in her soul activated, and instead of aimlessly drifting away, she was pulled down toward the valley lying between the two great cities of the Ashfallen Sect. The vague barrier between life and death that separated the Eternal Grove of Rebirth from reality warped around her, and she was welcomed by the canopies of nine immense bodhi trees towering in formation with a central space between them. It was this space she was drawn to, and she soon settled on a strange pedestal surrounded by flowing spiritual water that seemed to snake between the trees.

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As Morrigan curiously looked around, she was surprised by a voice behind her.

"Lady Morrigan, I didn't expect to see you here."

Turning to face the voice in her spectral form, she was surprised to see the spectral form of a person she had met once.

"Grand Elder Blightbane, what happened to you?"

The spectral man appraised her with eyes that looked like fading embers. "I'm enjoying an intimate life with the border between life and death and managing this grove. For a devoted practitioner of death and believer in the All-Seeing Eye, I couldn't enjoy a greater honor than this," he said, spreading his arms. "Welcome to the Grove of Eternal Rebirth. I hope you enjoy your stay."

Morrigan slowly nodded. "Thank you... This place certainly seems more preferable than burning in hellfire for a thousand years. So, what now?"

"Well, for everyone else, I would analyze their soul and place it in something compatible, such as a tree or animal. However, you seem to have retained your memories, meaning you are the Origin of the void?"

Morrigan nodded.

"I see, then you're a special case. As an Origin, you keep your memories after death, meaning you can effectively live on despite residing in a realm of death. However, your cultivation..."

Morrigan looked within herself and verified what she suspected would happen. Her soul—and all the stored Qi inside—was gone. Now in Maple's stomach, she had returned to square one.

"Can I cultivate to my previous strength?"

Grand Elder Blightbane shifted uncomfortably at the question. "The Eternal Grove of Rebirth is an artificial afterlife sustained on death Qi. There aren't really other Qi types in here, and cultivating void Qi may harm the ecosystem we have established. However, I don't see a reason why you would be incapable of returning to your previous strength, although it may not serve you well here. The Grove of Eternal Rebirth is separated from reality, meaning the two realms cannot directly interact with one another."

Morrigan crossed her arms and stared down at the Grand Elder. "So, what should I do? Accept being stuck in a tree or animal and live out a pointless existence in this prison?"

"This is why keeping your memories is troublesome," Grand Elder Blightbane said as he stroked his chin.

A portal suddenly rippled into existence, and Stella, Elaine, Kaida, and Khaos stepped through.

"Mom! You're alive!" Elaine said, running to give her a hug.

Morrigan went to accept the hug, only for Elaine to phase right through as if she were nothing but a cloud of fog. Elaine came to a stop and looked down at her hands in confusion.

"As I said, this is the realm of the dead," Grand Elder Blightbane reminded them. "Just because you can see and speak with one another does not mean you exist in the same place."

"Is it possible for Mom to get a new body?" Elaine asked.

Grand Elder Blightbane shrugged. "That I'm unsure but don't worry, she won't be going anywhere."

Morrigan let out a sigh. She didn't know how to feel about this whole situation. While it's nice to be able to still interact with people, I'd rather go through torture so I can reincarnate in a vessel. This place is already feeling like a prison. Her gaze focused back on Elaine. But that option is impossible now. I'll have to make do with this.

From the shadows of the great bodhi tree, Anubis rose. "Elaine, do you still wish to enter the Eternal Realm? Douglas has already entered."

Elaine reluctantly nodded. "I do, yes. Mom, I have to get going now. See you soon."

"You're going in there despite being pregnant?" Morrigan asked, a hint of worry in her tone.

"While there are certainly risks, I wouldn't worry as General Khaos will be guarding her,"Ashlock reassured her through Anubis.

"Still, is there a reason to send her in there?" Morrigan insisted. Everything she had heard about the previous Mystic Realm made it sound potentially dangerous, and the Eternal Realm was likely on another level.

"With war on the horizon, I need everyone to be in their best form. The Eternal Realm will speed up the pregnancy and hopefully confirm a theory I have that children born in higher layers of creation can cultivate faster."

"It's okay, Mom," Elaine added. "I want this. If I don't go, I'll fall further behind everyone. Besides, this way you can meet your cute grandson and granddaughter sooner. A win-win, right?"

Morrigan wasn't convinced, and she was hardly an impatient person, but she could see the determination on Elaine's face, so she didn't press the issue.

"I'll be off now," Elaine said, giving her one more ghost hug she was unable to even feel.

"Bye, my... daughter," Morrigan said, almost stuttering on the last word. It was a term she had called so many in the past, but in the back of her mind, the phrase daughter and son had been synonymous with vessel.

After giving her one last smile, Elaine left with Khaos, leaving Kaida and Stella behind.

"You made the right choice," Stella said. Snapping her fingers, the void rippled, and one of the four weaker void Ents appeared beside her. "We don't have any other vessels on standby, but do you want to try taking over this Ent?"

"Sure." Morrigan floated over and paused before the Ent. Placing a hand on its head, she closed her eyes. To her relief, she still had a solid connection to the void despite being stuck in this death realm. Although she had no cultivation level to speak of, she still retained her past knowledge. Unfortunately, she was unable to enter the Ent's soul, so the Ent resorted to wearing her like a spectral coat.

"You look suitably horrifying," Stella said, taking a step back.

"Mhm," Morrigan hummed in agreement as she flexed the Ent's claws and wandered around the pedestal. "This isn't quite what I had in mind."

"Try and see if you can leave the Eternal Grove like this."

Morrigan nodded. Pulling on the Ent's stored Qi reserves, she managed to convince it to use Void Step to the edge of the grove. Stella effortlessly followed in a flash of white flames and watched curiously from the side.

"This should be the border," Morrigan mused as she reached forward and hesitantly tried to reach beyond. The Ent's claw passed through without issue, but her hand turned to steam instead. Quickly pulling back, she was relieved to see her hand reform.

"So that didn't work," Stella said as she tapped her chin, and Kaida floated down and came to a stop beside her. "Any idea on what we could do, Kaida?"

Kaida appraised Morrigan for a moment, his golden eyes gleaming with interest.

"I can think of a few possibilities, such as wrapping her in a spatial array that effectively allows her to exist in two places at once, but she will need to recover her cultivation for most solutions to work."

Stella agreed with Kaida. "Yeah, I can also look into crafting a golem body of some kind, but if you have no Qi to work with, it will be difficult."

"I see," Morrigan sighed as she detached from the void Ent. Looking beyond the border, she could see thousands of stone houses belonging to Darklight City. Meanwhile, behind her was an immense forest dominated by the canopies of the nine bodhi trees in the distance.

Whether she liked it or not, this was going to be her home from now on—possibly forever if the Ashfallen Sect never managed their nearly impossible goal of toppling the heavens.

"I'm going to go insane if I don't have something to do besides cultivating," Morrigan murmured. While she had grown lazy in recent centuries, it was because the Voidmind family was well settled in the Blood Lotus Sect, and she didn't have anything to do besides lounge around all day.

Stella chuckled. "I know the feeling. Do you have any ideas?"

Morrigan crossed her arms and thought deeply as she stared up at the nine bodhi trees. What could she do in her current state?

"The only way to interact with the outside world is through words until I get a body, so I could fill my time by taking up a leadership or teaching position of some kind. Though I've spent a lifetime dabbling in pointless politics and wasting my time on trivial matters like city management, which grows dull after the thousandth time," Morrigan mused aloud. "I want to help protect this place, Elaine, and also defeat Ashfallen's enemies somehow." She glanced at the void Ent and then at Stella, and an idea bloomed in her mind. Something she had never done before. "Let me lead Ashfallen's assassins."

Stella tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"You said the Ashfallen Sect is going to war soon? Let me be the first to tell you, once you get to the upper stages of cultivation, nobody wants to fight, and wars are typically fought in meeting rooms or end when the central figures are assassinated," Morrigan explained as she floated around. "Take Vincent Nightrose, for example. Once he fell, the Blood Lotus Sect fell soon after. The Celestial Empire would be the same. Should you take out the Council, the Empire will fall."

"I suppose that's true," Stella said, nodding to herself. "Alright, if that is what you want, I don't see an issue. Who were you hoping to join your assassin group?"

"Any void users, including General Khaos, the void Ents, and Elaine, would be ideal. The numbers shouldn't be too high, as this will be an elite hit squad that Ashfallen can deploy against their enemies to end wars before they start."

Stella smirked. "I like the sound of it. Did you have a name in mind?"

"Let me think," Morrigan said, pausing. "What about keeping on the theme of the All-Seeing Eye and calling it the Covenant, as all who join make a deal to wield death for Ashfallen?"

"The Covenant," Grand Elder Blightbane said as he materialized beside them. "What a suitable name! I'm sure the All-Seeing Eye would approve of your devotion."

Morrigan smiled in response. While she didn't mind the Ashfallen Sect and its leaders, her devotion was to the mission.

To topple the heavens.

"I agree, that is a great name," Stella nodded. "As of today, the Covenant that will be feared throughout the realms is founded with Morrigan as its head."