Cultivator of the End: I Refine My Own Death-Chapter 100 – The Final Ascension

Rin stood at the precipice of nothingness, the vast, infinite expanse of the Essence of the Void stretching out before him. There was no sky, no earth, no stars, no dimensions—only a boundless emptiness, an expanse beyond the boundaries of existence and non-existence. It was a place where the concept of time held no meaning, where space had no shape, where thought itself seemed to dissipate into the vastness.

It was not an absence but an essence—a place that defied all laws of reality. Here, in this uncharted expanse, every possibility that could ever exist converged, every future yet to be written was born, and every potential outcome echoed into infinity. The Essence of the Void was where the seeds of the cosmos had sprouted and where they would one day return. It was both a birth and a death—an eternal cycle of creation and destruction, the very foundation of all existence.

Rin's steps were silent as he moved through the space, feeling the weight of nothing press against him like the deepest void of space. His body, no longer bound by the constraints of flesh, existed in a state beyond form, a spirit unshackled from the mortal plane. His mind, having journeyed through countless planes, realities, and dimensions, now stood before the final test—the choice to transcend everything or forever remain within the bounds of what it meant to be alive, to exist. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

The truth he had sought—no, the truth that had found him—was clear now. His journey had not been one of destruction or even redemption; it had been one of understanding. He had broken the heavens, dismantled the false constructs of the divine, and freed the universe from the tyranny of eternal cycles, but now... now, he was confronted with the ultimate paradox. What would follow? Could anything truly exist beyond the final death of everything?

As Rin pondered, a presence emerged from the void itself—a figure formed from the shimmering fabric of reality, but one that bore no shape, no form. It was an entity that transcended the mortal understanding of being. It was neither light nor dark, neither malevolent nor benevolent. It was simply the essence of the Void, an entity that existed in perfect harmony with the infinite nothingness around them.

"You stand before the Essence of the Void, the ultimate source of all things," the entity's voice echoed, though it lacked any true sound. It resonated deep within Rin's soul, reverberating through his very essence. "Here, all paths converge, and all decisions hold the weight of eternity. You have reached the end of your journey, Rin Xie. Now, you must choose."

Rin's gaze was steady. "Choose? What choice remains for me?" he asked, his voice distant, as if detached from the confines of time.

The essence swirled around him, its presence tangible, as if the very air he breathed were imbued with cosmic energy. "You have ascended beyond the mortal realm, beyond death, beyond the heavens. But there is one final step. You can transcend this cycle entirely, sever yourself from the world and become one with the eternal void, free from creation, free from destruction—free from all things. This is the path of true liberation, but it comes at a great cost. It is a sacrifice beyond measure."

Rin's chest tightened as the weight of those words sank in. The sacrifice—the price of ultimate freedom. He had felt the pull of that freedom many times before, the lure of leaving behind the pain, the conflict, and the endless struggle. But now, in the void where all things converged, he understood the deeper meaning of those words. True liberation meant detachment—detachment from everything. To lose himself entirely in the emptiness was to forsake everything he had ever known, every connection, every moment of growth, every struggle. It would be the ultimate end of his journey, but also the end of his purpose.

The Essence of the Void continued, "Alternatively, you can choose to remain bound to the cycles of existence. You may become the eternal guardian of this universe, watching over the birth and death of all things, guiding the cosmic flow. You will preserve the balance between creation and destruction, life and death, for as long as time endures. You will never know true peace, but your will shall shape the very fabric of the cosmos. The burden will be yours to bear alone, and yet, in your vigilance, you will find purpose. But this, too, is a sacrifice—one that will never cease."

The choice was laid bare before him. Rin's breath was steady, but his mind raced. He had spent so long seeking answers—answers about death, creation, destruction, and what it meant to transcend. In his heart, he had always known that it was never about simple annihilation or eternal peace. The heavens were false because they forced a singular, stagnant existence on the cosmos, but was that not the same as abandoning all existence? Was there truly no space between the extremes of eternal freedom and eternal guardianship? Was there not a path that could encompass all things?

The vast emptiness around him seemed to hold its breath as Rin reflected on his journey. He had shattered the heavens, broken the shackles that bound the cosmos to an eternal cycle of despair. But it was not destruction that had brought him peace—it was understanding. Understanding that to destroy the heavens had only been a necessary step. To sever the cycle entirely, to sever everything, would bring only emptiness. His path was never about ending it all. It had been about change. Transformation. Rebirth.

The void stretched endlessly in all directions, offering no answers, only the infinite expanse of possibility. Every thread of reality hung in the balance, waiting for a decision. Rin closed his eyes, feeling the weight of every soul, every existence, that had crossed his path. His journey was never about becoming a god or a destroyer. It had always been about seeing the universe for what it was—a complex, living tapestry of infinite threads, all woven together in delicate harmony. To remove himself from that tapestry, to sever the threads entirely, would be to ignore the very heart of what he had become.

"I see it now," Rin whispered, more to himself than to the essence surrounding him. "The choice was never between destruction or salvation. It was never about ending the cycle. It was about understanding it—about becoming the keeper of the balance, not the one who breaks it."

The Essence of the Void pulsed in recognition, and Rin felt the ripples of understanding vibrate through the very fabric of his being. "You have chosen," the entity said softly, its voice like a deep, resonating hum. "You will take your place as the eternal guardian, not as a king of gods, but as a shepherd to all existence. You will walk between the realms, weaving the threads of creation and destruction as the world flows forward. You will carry the weight of all cycles, but you will also shape the future of all things."

A wave of cosmic energy surged through Rin, lifting him from the groundless space, pulling him upward. His body, his soul, became one with the infinite currents of time and existence. In that moment, he felt the pull of all that had ever been, all that would ever be. He was no longer just a man. He was the culmination of all realities—past, present, and future. He was both an observer and an architect, both a creator and a destroyer.

Rin's heart pulsed with the rhythm of the cosmos, his mind expanding with infinite knowledge. He felt the pulse of the universe, the heartbeat of creation. The weight of his decision was monumental, but within him was a peace that he had never known—a peace born of understanding, not of detachment.

He had transcended the cycle of death and life, and now, he would guide the universe forward. The heavens had shattered, but the fabric of the cosmos was stronger than ever, and Rin would be the one to weave it anew.

With a final, resounding breath, Rin ascended, not into nothingness, but into everything—the eternal guardian, the eternal balance, the keeper of the Essence of the Void.

To be continued...