Chapter 1593: Chapter 283: The First Pillar Gods
“Gemini Mirror…”
Aiwass murmured softly.
And Ayimar Nur gazed at this Mirror Lake, paying it a most reverent salute.
After that, all the Benevolent Lords also paid their respects to it.
Even Aiwass solemnly and gravely offered a salute to the remnants of the Gemini Mirror.
He disdained these Benevolent Lords, but it didn’t mean he would show disrespect to this ancient Pillar God.
To become a Pillar God, one must have some merits. As the Gemini Mirror, second only to the ancient Sun Path, even preceding the Candle Master, it surely holds its sanctity.
Now, perhaps, is the time to unveil that secret.
“In the age when the world was not yet born, in a state of chaos.”
Ayimar Nur spoke slowly: “There was no light in the world, nor any fire. There were none who died, nor any who were born.
“At that time, even The Sun did not exist, the sky had no stars, only countless rifts. Each rift was a malicious eye, each rift a greedy mouth.
“This world was silent, as if already destroyed by the gods. There was no above or below, no water or fire, no wind or earth. The world was murky and dark, only endless Sin Thorns twisted together. These were our ancestors, the sinners of the previous era.
“And at that moment, the Candle Master was born.”
This Benevolent Lord narrated the myth of the world’s dawn.
Should the aspect of “Void” be concealed, the true situation wasn’t much different from what he said.
“The Candle Master leapt from the largest rift, and the flames on its body ignited the Sin Thorns. That burning hole was called The Sun.
“The Sun is the old scar of the sky, and light and fire are blades that make the old scar bleed anew.
“The fallen scab is a black moon. It shattered upon the ground, turning into a lake. When light appeared, it remembered its name was ‘Mirror.’
“When the mirror awoke, the world found disparity.
“The separation of the material and the immaterial, the waking and the dreaming, thus separated the Material Realm and the Dream Realm—on one side was the waking world, and on the other reflected the Candle Master’s dream.
“The reality was dark, the dream bright. So light and darkness were separated. On one side was the dream, with reality on the other.”
Ayimar Nur murmured softly: “This was the first day of creation.”
Aiwass gazed at this fragmented icy lake and suddenly understood things that puzzled him before.
From the retrieved memories, he now knew that the Gemini Mirror had survived until the world was wholly consumed by the Void’s dusk transformation, remaining as a surviving Pillar God. Similarly, it was among the original Pillar Gods, yet it was unknown when it was born.
Now he finally understood.
[…Generally speaking, every world has its own barrier to prevent others from the otherworld from arriving. But at that time, the world had been devoured by the Dusk Species, with only a massive void left in the sky—like an apple eaten by worms.]
[This void is the ‘Tenth Source River,’ also known as the ‘Zero Source River.’ The Candle Master crawled into this abandoned world through that void… and discovered the Sin Thorns.]
Grey’s words emerged in Aiwass’s mind.
The records of the church, combined with the records of the Benevolent Lords, form the truth of that time.
No wonder the Gemini Mirror’s status was so elevated… even the Candle Master had to stand lower. No wonder when all other Pillar Gods were either eroded by the Void or perished, the Gemini Mirror still existed. Surviving from the previous era, which was devoured by the Void to the current era which was being devoured again by the Void.
—Because it was the barrier preventing entities from the Dream Realm from arriving, the scab protecting the wound from infection.
At the same time, it was this world itself, eaten by the Void and thus deceased!
This peculiar worldview of the Dream Realm and Material Realm reflecting each other was because this world was founded upon this mirror—
It is the Moon, and also the Lake; it is the Lake, and also the Mirror; it is the Mirror, and also the Doorway; it is the Doorway, and also the Wound.
The scab is the lock, and the blade is the key to unlock it.
The blade piercing through this lock, the elixir awakening the Old Gods, was the fire brought by the Candle Master, the light cast by the burning Sun.
After receiving the light from the Candle Master, the Gemini Mirror awoke once more. After all, without light, mirrors are meaningless. Demarcated by it, the murky and chaotic world once again had clear boundaries.
At that era, the Dream Realm and Material Realm had yet to separate. The two worlds were closely intertwined… and the way they were linked was by crossing this mirror. Or rather, crossing all mirrors. And it was the first mirror, the last God of the past era.
—Burning the Sin Thorns, creating all things from the Sin Thorns of yore.
—And distinguishing light from darkness, reality from dream, self from others through the mirror.
Creation and disparity.
Following these two, it was the first savior, the Candle Master—the Source River of civilization that was born therefrom.
…Then what about the Hourglass, Lord of Scalefeather, and Serpent Father?
This thought suddenly arose in Aiwass’s mind.
That history, too, was not recorded in the church’s records.
But perhaps the Benevolent Lords have writings regarding this matter…
And he directly spoke and questioned Ayimar Nur.
This Benevolent Lord known as the “Forgiver” did not make things difficult for Aiwass, but instead nodded gently.
He knelt devoutly and respectfully before the Mirror Lake, murmuring softly:
“When the firelight once again rises from the ground, new life gathers once more, awakening this once-sleeping world anew… the world then welcomes yet another external being.
“Like the Candle Master, He arrived from the other shore of the Dream Realm, leaping from the mirror into this world, filled with curiosity for this newly-born world. He was not particularly powerful and was exceedingly friendly, hence the Candle Master did not attack Him. However, it was precisely upon the external being’s arrival that the Candle Master and the Gemini Mirror realized the path was too easily traversed, allowing anyone from the otherworld to effortlessly reach here, so they joined forces to shatter the mirror. As if locking the door.
“From then on, Light and Darkness, Heat and Cold, the Void and Reality fused together like milk and honey, inseparable. Hence, the Candle Master and the external being could no longer leave this world.
“Yet the external being was not troubled by this. Enthusiastically, He taught the new life, and this action birthed a branch of Truth from the Source River. The Candle Master invited Him to become the Pillar God of the Fourth Source River, but He said—it was not yet time.
“Under His guidance, people began to ponder—what exactly are they? Where do they come from, and where do they go? Why do they exist, and why does this world exist?
“They pestered the external being, yet He only smiled without speaking; they pestered the Candle Master, who was not adept at answering. Thus, the Candle Master resurrected the gods of the last era from the Sin Thorn…”
“…The Hourglass and the Serpent Father, right.”
Aiwass had mostly guessed the truth.
Ayimar Nur nodded slightly: “The Hourglass symbolizes the passage of time. Since the Hourglass awakened, all order has revived; the Serpent Father is everyone’s father—He is the Feathered Snake, so the Winged Ones and the scale bearers are His descendants.
“However, the two Ancient Gods offered two completely different answers.
“One is the Law of Order, named Balance, claiming the world is constantly returning, hence the new world should restore the form of the old world to revive past civilization; the other is the Law of Change, named Transcendence, claiming the world is in constant flux, hence the new world should live its own life, as past civilizations are dead.
“In the dispute between the two Ancient Gods, the Candle Master abstained, the Gemini Mirror endorsed the Hourglass, while the external being supported the Serpent Father. Later, the Gemini Mirror also changed its mind and chose Serpent Father… thus, our world officially began from that time.
“Followers upheld different truths, creating conflicts and disputes. When Dream Realm and Material Realm mixed, these complex thoughts generated great power, liberating a new Holy Entity from the constantly burning Sin Thorn… that is the Heaven-eating Giant Beast and the Hunting King born together. The Heaven-eating Giant Beast possesses overwhelming violence, growing stronger from victory after victory; the Hunting King possesses inexhaustible Life Force, growing stronger from failure after failure.
“The Source Rivers of Adaptation and Violence stem from ancient human understanding of Balance and Transcendence. Hence, they respectively align with Balance and Transcendence, yet conflict with each other.
“—Later, the Winged Ones first abandoned seeking answers from gods. Their leader aimed to achieve the Pillar of Truth, thus built the Tower of Heaven. To gather all the world’s civilizations there, igniting the fire of Wisdom from the boundless force of civilization.
“But violence is always incompatible with truth—when the first fire of Wisdom was born, the Heaven-eating Giant Beast suddenly came crashing into the giant tower, destroying the initial crystal of wisdom.
“The King of the Winged was furious, launching this world’s first war against the Heaven-eating Giant Beast. Upon winning, the external being stole scales and feathers from the Serpent Father, slaying the Hunting King, seizing the position of the Sixth Source River, and became the Lord of Scalefeather.”
Ayimar Nur’s gaze on the Mirror Lake was incredibly focused: “This is ancient knowledge only passed down by the Parthia King and Vizier. Apart from Parthia, these truths are no longer stored anywhere. Even the Elf, born only after the Tower of Heaven’s second collapse, is a new civilization.”
At this point, he glanced at Aiwass.
As if he had already guessed something.
Or as if he had some ominous premonition—
Why does Aiwass dare to come here alone? Why does he seem not at all flustered?
And…
Why is the Chain of Friendship on his shoulder heating and shaking notably as Aiwass approaches?
Is he really just the discarded Snake Tail of the Serpent Celestial Marshal?
Or…
…is it a Heavenly Department Level arrangement and conspiracy?
Ayimar Nur’s gaze was deep, and he spoke every word clearly: “Therefore, I wish to entrust them to you.
“If after today, we no longer exist… at least there will be someone who remembers everything from the beginning of creation.”
“Forgiver—”
“How can you!”
Upon hearing Ayimar Nur’s words, the other Benevolent Lords immediately panicked.
But Ayimar Nur, draped in the Chain of Friendship, only silently felt the unusual heat and vibration from the “Chain of Friendship” on his shoulder, silently waving his hand vigorously, dispelling others’ worries and dissatisfaction.
No matter what, once the bow is drawn, there is no looking back.
—Having reached this point, he couldn’t possibly choose to retreat.
“The time has come.”
Ayimar Nur suddenly commanded.
He raised his staff, touching the Mirror Lake.
“I am Ayimar Nur, we are the guardians of the Holy Spring, guarding here for generations.”
He prayed solemnly and reverently: “Holy Spring, cleanse us.”
As he touched it, the cold Holy Spring suddenly steamed white smoke, like boiling lake water.
“All recite the hymn of the Gemini Mirror, until nine hours later.
“I will summon the water from the Great Abyss from the Mirror Lake—”