475: Unshaken Resolve

Unshaken Resolve

John fell into silence upon hearing this name, as he could tell the name was quite foreboding. His name was Asura of Annihilation, but Annihilation was a mostly neutral word which could change how it was perceived based on the actions of the one carrying out the annihilation. Annihilation of good would be considered an evil act, while annihilation of evil could be considered a good act.1

However, Anguish was pretty straight forward as to whether it was a good or bad thing. There was hardly ever a moment where causing anguish would be considered a good thing.

"Quite an impressive sounding name," John spoke up after a moment of silence. "So, if I'm the Asura of Annihilation, what does this Asura of Anguish have to do with me? John asked.

He could tell that Thunderzen was working towards that part but wanted to ask and make sure he got the answer.

Thunderzen glanced at the Grand Elder for a moment, and the two of them seemed to be having a sound transmission communication, before the Grand Elder spoke up once more.

"As I said before, prophecies are complicated and very easy to misinterpret, and knowing more about this prophecy may not be a good thing for you right now. Are you sure you want to know about this prophecy?" the Grand Elder asked.

John nodded his head without pause, as he was truly curious now as to what this supposed prophecy said about him. However, regardless of what it said, it would not change his path forward.

The Grand Elder sighed lightly before speaking up once more.

"I can't reveal too much about the details of the prophecy, as that could influence your actions in a negative way. The more one in a prophecy knows about the prophecy itself, the more it can take hold of their lives and dominate it. For example, if a prophecy told you how you would die, you would do everything to avoid that death and lose sight of everything else. However, becoming aware of the generalities of this prophecy may aid you in the future, and as such, I will give you a broad summary," the Grand Elder elaborated, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"To summarize, the prophecy mentions the rise of the Asura of Annihilation and the Asura of Anguish, at roughly the same time. Both your actions will shake this world, and throw it into complete chaos. At the very end of it all, only one of you will remain, either you, or the Asura of Anguish. The one who remains will reign supreme over this world, with much different consequences for the rest of the cultivation world depending on which one of you lives at the end," the Grand Elder explained.

The room fell into silence as those who knew of the prophecy allowed those who were hearing it for the first time to comprehend the weight of the Grand Elder's words. Thunderzen in particular focused closely on John, as he knew this type of news must be a complete and utter shock to him.

It wasn't everyday that one found out they were part of a prophecy, and one that had as many consequences as the one they had just revealed to him. Some cultivators would collapse with fear at learning about such a future, while others would break down in nervous messes, unable to handle the pressure of it all. Afterall, the prophecy spoke of either his demise or the Anguish Asura's demise, which was pretty straight forward.

John stood there in silence as he thought over everything he had heard. It truly was a lot of new information, as well as shocking information, to take in at once. 

"Are you going to be alright, child?" Thunderzen suddenly asked, his voice soft and warm with understanding.

John's gaze shifted from the floor below him to Thunderzen, as a relaxed expression appeared on his face.

"Why wouldn't I be?" John replied casually, his voice lined with confidence. "From what I can surmise, the prophecy most likely speaks of an ultimate showdown between me and this Asura of Anguish, upon which one of us will reign supreme over this world?"

His thoughts shifted to that of his true parents, and everything they had revealed to him, before he focused on the topic of discussion once again.

"Well, my goal from the start was to reach the pinnacle of this martial universe, as I'm sure we're all aware of the existence of worlds other than our own. Reaching the pinnacle of this world was already my plan from the start, and if it means I have to kill this "Asura of Anguish" in the process, that makes no difference to me. It's just one more body to add to the mountain of corpses I will pile up on my way to the top of the martial world."

John's words, which were clearly lined with absolute self-confidence, stunned all those that were listening. The only one not stunned was Lilian, as she knew John the best, and knew his unwavering confidence more than anyone. She had very early on learned about his desire for absolute strength, not by his own confirmation, but by his actions and persona.

After a moment of stunned silence, a loud and hearty laughter boomed out, shaking the walls of the palace from its might.

"Hahahaha, that's the spirit a true warrior should have," Thunderfist boomed out loudly as he walked up to John. "If there's an enemy in your way, just cut them down. All other troubles will disappear if you do so."

Bang! Bang!

He slapped John on the back a few times in merriment, as John felt a wave of pain course through his body from the force of the slaps. However, he remained steadfast on his feet, his actions slightly surprising Thunderfist. He had expected John to at least stumble a bit.

"Not only did you raise a ferocious daughter like her," Thunderfist said as he glanced at Lilian. "You somehow were also blessed with a disciple like this. The universe truly is blind for gifting someone like you with these two warriors."

Thunderzen rolled his eyes at his brother's comments, but a smile appeared on his face as he heard John's words. He had been worried about revealing the truth to John, as most would struggle to bear the weight of the prophecy, and some would collapse from just hearing it.

However, John had not been slightly disturbed at all, revealing how strong and formidable his will was.

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