Volume One, Chapter Seven: The Birth of the Son of Heaven

Chapter Seven: The Birth of the Heavenly Son

Seventy-two thousand years! On Earth, a hundred years pass for us, while for those dogs, it’s but a single night? Even a computer would take half a day to calculate that! Tu Zhe, never gifted at mathematics, was dazed by such an enormous number. Three hundred sixty-five days in a year, multiplied by a hundred for each day and night, then by seventy-two thousand—how many digits would that be? How long would you have to live for that? For them, living a single year is equal to our thirty-six thousand five hundred years—entire epochs from ancient times to the present on Earth swept away in one go.

So what are we, then? They sleep through a night and erase our entire existence. Oh my heavens. Tu Zhe, in fury and grief, bit his lip and asked himself: What are humans? Ants! Not even the cockroach kind. Tu Zhe desperately wanted to shout: Bring me a blade— I don’t want to live anymore. But then he laughed bitterly at himself; am I even alive? I’ve already died, thoroughly.

Before he could wallow further in self-pity, a thunderous crash hurled him into a place thick as mud, reeking of blood. Fortunately, Tu Zhe had fused with a fragment of Chiyou’s soul energy, attaining the first level of the divine eye. His sight was powerful indeed. He saw coarse walls of flesh all around, blood vessels as thick as barrels surging like rivers. Before he could react, blood sprayed from every direction, submerging him completely.

Fiery, scorching blood enveloped his soul in an instant. He felt endless streams of blood transforming into fibers of flesh, weaving themselves around his soul. Veins, tendons, and nerves sprang up out of nowhere, spreading through his entire form. As more blood was transformed, the flesh around his soul proliferated, growing thicker and denser at a speed faster than thought—skin and hair appeared and expanded, growing at a pace that outstripped Tu Zhe’s ability to comprehend.

Before he could steady his spirit, he sensed bones forming within the flesh: skull, shin, humerus, spine, finger bones, foot bones—each taking shape and growing stronger, radiant and luminous, illuminating the surrounding flesh. Next, blood rushed into the cavity formed by the skeleton, giving rise to organs: heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines, and the powerful vital energy began to circulate through the torso and limbs.

The organs unceremoniously shoved Tu Zhe’s soul into the skull, instantly transforming it into brain matter as white as jade. The thin soul energy of Chiyou, still vast though just a third remained, was pushed into the skull and swiftly invaded the newly formed brain. Agony struck; Tu Zhe cried out, “Just kill me already!”

Torn apart! Yes, torn apart. It felt as if every brain cell was being ripped by an unfeeling hand. The crackling sound of cells breaking deep within his soul made Tu Zhe think that perhaps being completely dead and feeling nothing might actually be bliss.

But with the pain came an explosion of clarity; limitless space expanded in his mind, celestial music buzzed, a marvelous sensation arose. His thoughts grew boundless. Countless silvery threads emerged from nowhere, weaving together in mysterious patterns, filling the space. Suddenly, they transformed into a sky full of stars, countless brilliant jewels hanging above, leaving Tu Zhe utterly entranced.

Blood reborn? Brain awakened? The unimaginable was happening to him, leaving him dreamlike, incredulous. Where was this place? His body continued to grow—one meter, two, five... ten, one hundred, two hundred, five hundred meters...

His body kept expanding at a frantic pace. Tu Zhe watched in terror as his own form grew, and the dog, Nightma, in his hand shrank ever smaller, now but a tiny speck in his palm. He howled, “Dog buddy—stop him—!”

In ancient times, the great gods of the West divided the Three Realms, splitting a thousand small worlds into three domains: the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Formless Realm. The Realm of Desire contained six heavens: the Heaven of the Four Kings, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, the Heaven of Yama, the Heaven of Tusita, the Heaven of Enjoyment, and the Heaven of Complete Freedom.

The Four Kings and Thirty-Three Heavens belonged to the terrestrial domain; Yama, Tusita, Enjoyment, and Complete Freedom belonged to the sky domain, their spaces carved out above vast clouds, dwelling upon the clouds. The beings of the Realm of Desire are sentient, meaning they possess flesh and blood, five desires, six senses, and seven emotions. The five desires are wealth, beauty, food, fame, and sleep; the six senses are sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and law; the seven emotions are joy, anger, sorrow, thought, grief, fear, and surprise. In short, they are living beings with flesh, feelings, and thought.

The second heaven of the Realm of Desire, the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, is famous among the heavens for its ruler, Indra, and the constant wars between the thirty-two minor kings and the Asuras. Mount Meru is divided into thirty-three regions, each with a minor king and his followers. Interested readers may consult the list, but the impatient may skip it: 1. Heaven of Good Law, 2. Peak Heaven, 3. Summit Heaven, 4. City of Delight, 5. Bowl Heaven, 6. Kutcha Heaven, 7. Miscellaneous Palace Heaven, 8. Joyous Garden Heaven, 9. Heaven of Light, 10. Polyeodo Heaven, 11. Heaven Beyond Danger, 12. Valley Cliff Heaven, 13. Jewel Hidden Heaven, 14. Heaven of Action, 15. Golden Palace Heaven, 16. Garland Heaven, 17. Soft Heaven, 18. Miscellaneous Ornament Heaven, 19. Wish-Fulfilling Heaven, 20. Subtle Action Heaven, 21. Song and Music Heaven, 22. Wheel of Virtue Heaven, 23. Sun Heaven, 24. Yamana Saro Heaven, 25. Continuous Action Heaven, 26. Shadow Heaven, 27. Wisdom Action Heaven, 28. Division Heaven, 29. Mandala Heaven, 30. Ascending Heaven, 31. Virtue Appearance Heaven, 32. Virtue Flame Light Heaven, 33. Pure Heaven.

Mount Meru stands amid vast oceans. Below the water’s surface, eighty-four thousand yojanas; above, another eighty-four thousand yojanas; each yojana is over eleven kilometers. It pierces the void like a giant torch. The first layer is guarded by four Yaksha kings; halfway up, four great heavenly kings; the summit is the top of Meru. At the summit’s center is Indra’s City of Delight. Around it are various palaces, temporary homes for the thirty-two minor kings to visit Indra.

The relationship between the thirty-two minor kings and Indra varies, some close, some distant. The closer ones have palaces up to ninety yojanas wide, then eighty, seventy... down to thirty, twenty, and the smallest is twelve yojanas. The smallest palaces belong to the two brothers: Jinmu, king of Heaven Beyond Danger, and Jinji, king of Valley Cliff Heaven.

These brothers are not favored by Indra because they are not natives, but outsiders. Being ostracized and unwelcome is to be expected. The Jin brothers hail from the Eastern Heavens, sons of the western constellation Dog of the House of Lou. The western seven constellations lie at the far western edge of the Eastern Heavens, bordering the Western Heavens, sent to Meru to learn advanced techniques and battle experience, becoming two of the thirty-two minor kings.

In appearance, the Jin brothers are impressive, at least not inferior to other minor kings. Each stands a yojana tall and half a yojana wide, imposing and mighty. Yet, as outsiders on Meru, the elder manages the heavenly herds—horses, sheep, cattle, pigs, and so on. The younger, Jinji, is nominally the ritual officer for heavenly ceremonies, but his greatest power is arranging venues, handling sacrificial implements, like a mere porter.

Among the billions of heavenly beings, these two are the most frustrated. One day, the Jin brothers were chatting in Jinmu’s palace. The Yaksha leader, Shoutuo Luo, brought forth the heavenly Sudra wine at their command.

Jinji, seeing Shoujialuo personally serving them and no maidens in sight, asked, “Shoutuo Luo, where are the maidens?”

Shoutuo Luo opened his mouth, as if to explain, but seemed unsure how, looking awkwardly and bitterly at Jinmu.

Jinmu sighed and smiled wryly, “Brother, you know well, on Meru, we two are outsiders, mocked and slighted daily. The Yaksha maidens can’t hold their heads high. Seeing the followers of other minor kings, they are envious and not very respectful toward us...,” he looked up and saw Shoutuo Luo sweating and smiled apologetically, “Shoutuo Luo, I don’t mean you, don’t take it to heart. Water flows downhill, people climb upward. The maidens are here unwillingly, with few rewards, so they’re lazy and inattentive. I suppose they all claim it’s their time of the month, too lazy to find another excuse.”

Jinji, swirling the crystal goblet, snorted twice as he prepared to drink, but suddenly changed expression, spilling the Sudra on the ground. He shouted angrily, “Even a mere steward from the Fragrant Heaven nursery dares insult us?”

Jinmu, knowing his brother’s resentment, comforted him, “Let it go, it’s just a jar of heavenly dew.”

Jinji waved his sleeve, “Just a jar of heavenly dew? Ha! Three thousand blossoms, three thousand fragrances, three thousand jades, three thousand fruits, three thousand dragon elixirs, three thousand Buddha relics—all blended to make this Sudra wine. Three thousand cups grant a dragon’s strength—what minor king doesn’t drink three hundred a day? They fear our skills will surpass theirs, so even a dirty nursery steward dares slight us. This ink-black wine, maidens don’t even touch it. Let them be, someday...”

As Jinji raged and sat back down, he saw his elder brother’s figure stiffen, his expression strange, as if something was happening.

Hmm? Jinji looked at Jinmu, questioning. Ah? Shoutuo Luo looked at Jinmu, astonished. Ha! Suddenly, Jinmu’s face lit up with joy, crying out, “Brother, quick, quick, I’m about to have a son! Ha ha ha—” He hurriedly lifted his robe, revealing thighs like heavenly pillars. On his knee, a bulge grew rapidly, soon as large as a small hill.

Jinji exclaimed, “Good heavens, it’s happening!” He rushed to help his brother tie the robe around his waist. He shouted to Shoutuo Luo, “Quick, fetch the Water of Healing—I’m about to have a nephew! Ha ha...”

Shoutuo Luo dashed to the side hall, returning with a jar of Water of Healing. By then, the swelling on Jinmu’s knee had begun to rupture. In less than ten breaths, the skin split, divine light soared skyward, enveloping the heavens, celestial music resounded, colorful clouds moved, myriad flowers danced, birds sang, and exotic fragrances filled the air. Such phenomena were rare even among the birth of minor kings, startling all thirty-two minor kings and their courts, and even the great Dragon Elephant King, Iravata, who gazed at the spectacle in deep thought.

Indra, meditating in his palace, suddenly opened his eyes and ordered, “Someone, go see what’s happening.”

At that moment, from the split on Jinmu’s knee, a radiant figure nearly six kilometers tall, appearing about twelve years old, leapt out. The figure landed, cradling a half-foot-long puppy. It was the reborn Tu Zhe and Nightma.

The golden light gradually faded from Tu Zhe’s body. He looked blankly at the three figures around him.

What in the world is going on? Nightma, however, seemed unfazed, glancing at Jinmu, Jinji, and Shoutuo Luo, and said in a soft voice,

“Hey, rogue bro, looks like we’ve arrived at Mount Meru. You’re almost certainly the Heavenly Son now—hee hee.”