He had been filled with fighting intent when he kicked open the door.
He had wanted to fight. He had wanted to break the attacks of his enemy with his sword. He had wanted to slaughter his enemy with his sword. He had wanted to dominate them and make them look at him in despair.
But, he had been cheated when he saw the unconscious members of the Wang Clan.
That. Had. Been. A. Let. Down!
So, naturally, his fighting intent had disappeared and he had wanted to end this farce as soon as possible. So, he killed the Wang Clan patriarch without even bothering to speak a single word.
Duncan felt his emotions at that moment. There was disappointment. There was anger. There was even a sense of dissatisfaction. And then, there was a numb feeling. Seeing those defeated by him, he had only felt contempt at that moment.
Was he arrogant?
He was. But, he had the capital to be arrogant at that moment. He had annihilated an entire clan. One year ago, this clan was a behemoth he didn't dare offend. Now, the situation had reversed. Since he progressed so much, why can't he feel arrogant about it?
That didn't matter much. And it wasn't the feeling he was thinking about either.
Duncan cleared his mind once more and immersed himself in that moment once again. He knew that it was at this moment he had felt something profound. He just needs to grasp it once more and comprehend it slowly.
Time passed slowly. Duncan felt as if he had touched upon that feeling several times, but he was never sure. It was like an inspiration. A flash of lightning in the sky. A small glimpse of the sun hiding behind the clouds. It was only a moment. But, it was something profound that would take him a long time to understand.
Now that he had missed that moment, recalling it was becoming hard.
Duncan put away his impatience. He put away all his distracting thoughts and went over that moment again and again. He knew that this was the moment he felt it. It was just that his current mindset wasn't right. He was being too objective now.
So, Duncan let go of his senses and immersed himself entirely in that moment completely.
Slowly his awareness of the surroundings faded. Slowly, his consciousness became light. He didn't deliberately pursue it. He just drifted in that moment once more hoping to catch that glimpse again.
Duncan didn't know how long he remained in that state. Suddenly, his heart stirred. He looked around at the bodies that were lying everywhere around him. He looked at the blood of the Wang Clan Patriarch. And there it was.
It was like a bolt of lightning!
Suddenly, two sentences appeared in Duncan's mind as if they always existed in his mind.
Slaughter is the beginning. Slaughter is the end.
Boom!
Duncan's mind shook and those words engraved itself into his soul. Duncan's surprised eyes opened for a moment. He felt that profound feeling again when he saw those words.
"Slaughter is the beginning. Slaughter is the end."
Duncan spoke softly and savored those words. Slaughter was both the beginning and the end. What did it mean? He knew that he shouldn't take those words at face value. There was something hidden in those words.
Beginning and end.
Didn't people say that dao is the beginning and end of everything?
Why did those words mention slaughter as the beginning and the end? Slaughter… slaughter… does it refer to the slaughter dao? Duncan felt that his thinking was right. But, he didn't think that it was the right thing to focus on.
Duncan trusted his instincts and focused on the meaning behind each sentence.
Slaughter was the beginning. That would mean all things begin with slaughter. How can that be? That didn't feel right. So, what did it mean? Slaughter as beginning to something perhaps…
Duncan suddenly felt his instincts stir at that moment. So, he paused and pursued that line of thought. Slaughter as beginning to something. It meant slaughter was the origin point for something. No, that was too absolute. There are no absolutes in the world. Even heaven always leaves some path open.
Can it be rephrased?
Slaughter can be the beginning of something. Hmmm, this felt right. Slaughter can act as the beginning. Hmmm, how can this apply to his situation? He needed to savor it slowly.
Likewise, slaughter can also be the end of something. Huh, didn't my slaughter of the Wang Clan end my feud with them? No that is too general. There was something he was not connecting here. Duncan felt as if he had truly touched the core point.
Suddenly, another sentence flashed past Duncan's mind.
Severing Karma With Slaughter.
Wasn't the reason he went to annihilate the Wang Clan because of this? What about applying this here? If I applied it here, then the sentences would become…
Slaughter is the beginning of karma. Slaughter is the end of karma.
Duncan suddenly felt enlightened.
Slaughter can both be used to form karma and end karma. He used slaughter as a means to end his karma with the Wang Clan Patriarch. This was severing karma with slaughter. This can also be called ending karma with slaughter.
But, didn't he also sow karma with his actions?
Duncan smiled as he realized this. His actions had made him an enemy of that kid. That kid would never forgive him. From his point of view, he was the demon who annihilated his clan. This kind of enmity can't be forgotten or forgiven.
One day, that kid will come in search of him seeking vengeance. The karma he sowed by slaughtering the Wang Clan members will lead to a confrontation in the future. This was what was meant by slaughter is the beginning.
His action of slaughtering the Wang Clan members both severed his past karma and sowed future karma. Slaughter was both the end and beginning of everything. Whatever happens in the future, it will be because of this karma sown.
Duncan felt as if his mind became more clear at this moment. Suddenly, he felt his cultivation at the peak of the Spirit Sea realm sublimate. Even before this, he didn't have a bottleneck to break through to the Violet Palace realm.
He had been long ready to take that step. But, he had felt that it wasn't time yet. It was as if something was missing. Something integral. So, even though he knew that it was possible to establish top-tier foundational pillars, Duncan hadn't broken through to the Violet Palace realm.
Now, with the sublimation of his spirit sea, Duncan knew that the time has come. The feeling he had at present was one of utter stillness inside his dantain. Duncan knew that with just a thought he can start establishing the foundational pillars for his violet palace.
The restlessness in his spirit sea had calmed down. It was the right moment to advance. Duncan knew intuitively that the foundation he would establish would be the legendary foundation. But, Duncan wasn't in a hurry. What was his will always be his.
Rather, he focused his attention on his black heart once again.
The moment he understood the meaning of those words, Duncan felt his heart throb once more. After awakening his bloodline, this was the first time Duncan had felt this feeling again. So, Duncan sent his consciousness toward his heart.
The moment his consciousness enveloped the throbbing heart, the heart calmed down and his consciousness was once again engulfed in a vision. Duncan felt as if he was freefalling somewhere.
The moment he neared the land, his figure slowed down and he alighted softly.
He wasn't in the red grasslands he visited first. This time he was on top of a small hill. A large valley spread out below him. Duncan scanned the surroundings from his vantage point and found two armies camped at either end of the valley.
Both armies were already mounted. Their preparations were already done. It was as if they were waiting for the signal. A battle was imminent. Duncan watched calmly. He knew he was in a vision. There wasn't anything he could do to affect the outcome. He was a bystander.
Roar!
Roar!
Hearty roars echoed from each side. The next moment, both armies dashed toward each other. The battle began. Duncan watched the battle from his vantage point. He wasn't biased toward any of the sides. He dispassionately watched the slaughter that was happening below.
Compared to what he had experienced so far, the battle below was far more brutal. Heads and limbs were flying all around the battlefield. The ground was covered in blood. Both armies fought as if they didn't have the intent to stop at all.
Soon, one side emerged as the victor.
The leading general of the victorious army beheaded the general of the losing army. The vision froze at this point. Duncan had a panoramic view of the entire battlefield. He felt as if this was a true slaughter.
Soon, the surroundings blurred.
The next vision showed the prosperous kingdom headed by the victorious general. The kingdom flourished. Time passed. Soon the kingdom became bloated and people started to indulge themselves. Corrupt officials and inept nobles were everywhere.
Unrest followed. People wanted change. But, those in power wanted to maintain the status quo. Contradictions rose. The unrest among the people began to fester more and more. People began to become violent.
Soon, a rebel army was formed. A general emerged among the rebels. He led them to victory after victory against the kingdom. Finally, the two armies once again met in the same valley where the first battle had occurred.
Things have come a full circle.
This time the rebel general won.
A new prosperous kingdom was born.
