Chapter 2: The Celestial Tiger
'Blue' waved his hand and picked Hazed up with his Energy before flying off at an unreal speed.
Before Hazed could even see that they moved, they'd already arrived.
It was much weirder than the teleporting when he came to this blue world because his eyes were completely fooled and he was unable to keep up with the movement but of course they still tried to, making for one strange visual impact.
As soon as his eyes caught up, the first thing he saw was countless Mythical Beings as far as the eye could see.
"You are to receive one mythical beast, a variant of said mythical beasts cultivation method, and the matching treasure required by the cultivation method. I honestly don't know how a new World Conscientious could afford all this. It's not until a world gains spirituality and creates an environment where The Heavens can survive and that people can cultivate can gain world resources to trade with The Heavens or earn Favor and Reputation for a loan or gift."
"You can get loans from The Heavens?! Wait, no, nevermind that, I think I know the answer as to why my world can afford it."
H
"Oh? Do tell."
"I think that unlike me who reincarnated, the world went through a rebirth. See there are already cultivators on the earth before the Earth 'Awakened', and from what I know that that shouldn't be possible.'
There are still some treasures with Energy that allow people to Cultivate up to the golden core realm and I'm assuming these come from the Earth's last time it was 'Awake'.
"Very interesting, you'll be rewarded for this information! Hmm, I can't let you lose out after getting me a Bonus. I know, take this!" 'Blue' said and then he passed over a Spatial Ring, which Hazed gratefully received but he didn't look into it right away.
"In case you're curious, you were rewarded by The Heavens through me, and then in return, I'll be rewarded by the Heavens. It believes in your hypothesis. Most likely the Earth faced a World Tribulation and failed but somehow survived."
"Does it really work like that?"
"Definitely. But don't bother trying to say anything else valuable, it'd have to be something so old that even The Heavens doesn't remember; because that's what just happened."
"I still can't get my head around how you talk about 'The Heavens' like it's a person, and a person you understand at that!" Hazed said with earnest respect.
"If you reach my level one day you'll be able to understand it too, and with everything that Earth bought you, you should have as good a chance as anyone to do so.
I might as well give you this too, it's completely useless in every way, except for one.
If you somehow make it back to the Divine Realm I'll be able to notice and contact you."
"Really?! Thank you! I know I might never make it but this makes me much more excited than the items earlier… I guess I assumed people in the Heavenly Realm would be elitist jerks and so you that you gave me this completely blew me away… I'm embarrassing myself again aren't I?"
"Haha, I like you kid but you're right. Most people will be elitist assholes but those people would never be selected to do this job. That's also one of the reasons I gave you that. When you arrive you will face prejudice or worse if you don't have any backing and I really don't want to see you become killed or enslaved the moment you make it here; like what happens to most people…"
"Looks like we're running out of time, let's hurry and go get you your Mythical Being."
"Eh? Were out of time but how is my comrade going to be decided?"
"You're smarter than most lower beings I've met. Not only did you say comrade instead of 'pet' but you didn't assume that you were going to pick. I'm starting to like you more and more.
You are being graced with the friendship of a mythical creature, something that's born superior to even my species, Heavens Hunters, which is one of the top races born humanoid in the Divine Realm.
You will be presented to them, and they will decide who will join you.
If two of them like you; the stronger one gets you.
Although they're Mythical Beings, they didn't lose their animal instincts.
They're the absolute best when it comes to choosing partners and although I don't think it'll do much, I plan to speak up on your behalf unlike usual."
"Really? Thank you so much, Blue! If one day I can repay this I will!"
"Haha, I'll hold you to that! I'll be alive for a few more billion years so take your time becoming as strong as me.
Remember to always stabilize your foundation and that finding fortuitous encounters are more important than any talent or birthright but you can only find them if you search! Don't just wait for them to come to you!"
What Hazed didn't know was that Blue planted a seed of much profound knowledge and even some cultivation insight into this basic teaching, by infusing his voice with his Deep Understanding of his Path of Power with his Divine Sense.
The most beneficial thing was that Hazed would be able to find his Path of Power much easier than others.
When he died he'd begun to touch upon the precipice of a Path of Power, but never fully succeeded.
***
"Let's head in."
Hazed nodded and then Blue started the show, he made both of them into massive giants making everything scale properly; The 'City' becoming a 'Room' and the 'Stadiums' becoming 'Pens'.
This instantly gathered all of their attention.
"Hello everyone, today I have a Reincarnated Mortal from the Lowest Planes. I highly recommend someone powerful joining him because not only is he a superb candidate but he's facing the Lightkeeper Race with inheritances from the Divine Realm so I hope that no one will pass up on him because they're worried that the Lowest Realms will be too boring."
"Blue I've never heard you talk up someone like this, what's going on? Is he your long lost son?" A fiery male nine-tailed fox joked with Blue.
"Eh, we had a good talk, he's proven to be smart and respectful, and my Spiritual Intuition told me to bet on him."
He laughed and added, "Is that not enough for me to speak up in his defense?
The Spiritual Intuition of anyone at Blue's Realm is a fine-tuned weapon that is hardly ever wrong.
A furious discussion broke out as a bunch of them wanted to join Hazed now that Blue had spoken up for him.
Suddenly a lazy and quiet voice rang out and mystically silenced the room, the voice was so powerful it momentarily suppressed space and stopped time as a result of being infused with the speaker's Qi.
"Blue are you being honest? Is he really 'smart and respectful'? Or are you just happy about the bonus?"
Blue was ready for this question but he never thought that it'd come from Luna, the Celestial Tiger.
Celestial Tigers were quite literally the top mythical creature, not even the strongest dragon could compare. The only problem was that Celestial Tigers could only have one child in their life and cultivating to become a celestial tiger is the hardest known path.
This means that if no one successfully cultivates to become a Celestial Tiger the race's population will always diminish or stay the same at best.
In fact, Luna has been the last Celestial Tiger in the Divine Realm for going on twenty thousand years now.
He took a deep breath and calmed himself.
"Of course I'm not lying. He's a Human, a race known for being widely varied but with more negative tendencies than most, but even without me saying anything he thought of you guys as comrades instead of pets but the most impressive thing is what I learned from The Heavens itself, he was practically the only human with substantial power that never betrayed his people or planet when in the face of bribes, threats, or even extinction. If the other humans would've taken a stand like him they might've had a chance but people selling them out at every chance they got ruined their chances."
Two large piercing eyes opened up in the distance and landed on Hazed, inspecting him down to his soul and allowing no secrets.
Hazed felt all tingly but didn't resist, he simply said, "Wow you have beautiful eyes…"
He wasn't lying, the eyes looked like galaxies themselves, it was unlike anything he'd ever seen before and he couldn't help but compliment them.
However, everyone else was shocked because even they would be terrified if they were looked at like that by Luna.
They felt 'killing intent' coming from her, but that was a misconception on their parts, or it'd be better to say that the energy Luna gave off was 'Killing Intent' for most people, but for the rest it was something else entirely.
"Good. I'll take him, or does anyone want to fight me for him?"
Dry and hoarse laughter rang out but no one stepped up.
Finally, one person worked up some courage to say something.
It was a black steel T-Rex and Hazed appreciated its aesthetic.
"Why take the risk of reincarnating into the Lowest World? If you die then the Celestial Tigers will go extinct…" The T-Rex asked nervously.
Boom!
The T-Rex was flattened and laying at Luna's mercy.
"Who are you to tell me what is too risky? Do you think waiting here forever for someone to Cultivate themselves to Celestial Tiger is better? It's been twenty fucking thousand years and no one was succeeded in passing the trail let alone in becoming a Celestial Tiger."
She roared and said, "I see my chance in him, so I'm taking it! That's it!" and prepared to finish him but a voice with almost no presence rang out and stopped her in her tracks.
"Stop! Don't kill him." Hazed said with displeasure.
"Oh? Why not?" Luna asked aggressively, growling as she did.
"Hmph don't growl at me!" His nonchalant attitude had everyone shocked again, even Blue.
'Is he just stupid or that brave? And I said he was smart…' Blue cried internally.
"I think he looks cool, isn't that a good enough reason? Your feud isn't that deep, don't be such a baby. If you really can't stay your hand then go lay back down and wait another twenty thousand years to find someone else; I won't have you."
"You!' She roared at him feeling humiliated.
Many others voiced their rage.
"Insolence!" A massive mountain of a mythic beast roared angrily.
"Watch yourself ant!"
"You guys think I fear you or fear death? I just died less than an hour ago from my perspective, and on top of that I was already not that excited about reincarnating, but now my only help is going to be an overpowered baby, who's too strong for me to control, but obviously can't control their fucking temper. So what? Do I have to watch all of my loved ones die again? Cause that'd be the result. Fuck that, I'd rather you just kill me now."
He scoffed and then turned to his 'audience'.
"You guys look down on ignorant humans who call you pets, but you think of them as slaves, doesn't that make you worse? At least pets are loved. Isn't it supposed to be 'comrades', 'partners', or 'equals'?"
"Or do you really believe that my world decided to pay you to enslave me?"
"You need to be able to show some humility and do so with grace like someone at the top should. Why does a 'lower life form' like me have to teach you guys that?"
Complete and utter silence prevailed after Hazed finished his rant.
The only sound at all was his panting.
Until Luna broke the silence, "Well then I guess you're lucky you 'look cool'."
Then she flew over to Hazed and said, "Let's go." as if nothing happened.
Hazed nodded and smiled happily, even reaching out to pet Luna's head nonchalantly like she was a fluffy teddy bear instead of a Mythical Being leaving everyone completely speechless one last time.
"Blue?" Hazed asked the stunned Godlike being with a smile, he couldn't lie, leaving them speechless felt good!
"Ah, right. Let's go." Blue regained himself and then brought Hazed to a massive well, of what looked like liquid light.
"Wow this is gorgeous, what is it?"
"The Well of Reincarnation, You and Luna need to go through it together."
"Are you saying that I'm reincarnating… again?"
He smiled and laughed, "Kinda, it's better to think of it as using your reincarnation as an anchor to reincarnate Luna.
Otherwise, a Mythical Being can't descend to that low of a Plane.
By the way, the Time in Heavens Store is one of nine places that isn't affected by Time in any way.
Which means that I'll remember you, time will continue without 'rewinding' for this place and the eight other places, but time will 'rewind' for everywhere and everyone else."
"I hope someday I become powerful enough to understand how all of this works and explore all nine of those places or maybe discover a tenth."
"Don't worry, I believe in you. The Celestial Tiger has another name, The Space-Time Tiger, so understanding how all of this works will be no problem for you if you manage to cultivate the Celestial Tiger Art."
Hazed nodded and thanked him before walking into the well with Luna.
***
After Hazed left a large Tribulation Thunder Cloud appeared above Blue.
~You've broken the rules and helped him not once, not twice, but thrice. Do you know your crimes?~
Blue smiled at the 'Cloud' like he was looking at a friend and said, "My intuition told me to bet on him, and it's hardly ever wrong. You know that as things stand I have no chance against the others…"
~Fine, for old times sakes I'll give you a lenient sentence, but because you said that your father, I, The Heavens, could forget something…~
Blue laughed and interrupted the cloud, "Ahaha, but you did forget didn't you?"
Suddenly the thunder cloud seemed a few shades redder.
~*Cough* Just pray that he reaches the Divine Realm; your future now completely rides on it.~
"Ha, that just adds one more then. There's already Luna, his Earth, and all of his people too right?"
"..."
***
Blue stared up at the sky after the Thunder Cloud departed.
"I can't believe Luna finally picked someone, and it was a lowly human mortal from a cornered weak world…"
He sighed as he thought about how the world worked. Countless beings had come before Luna, some of the highest birth came and directly pleaded for her but she never even opened her eyes.
However, this brat even said, 'I won't have you' at one point, and she still left with him. Or maybe it's exactly because he seemed unfazed in front of her that she left with him. I don't think my words changed anything, it takes much more than not fearing death to be able to stand up to Luna like that.'
If he knew that his life was riding on that kid before Luna picked him he probably would have regretted the intuition that got him to help the kid thrice. However, now he couldn't help but shiver with excitement as he thought, 'Friends with a Celestial Tiger…'
***
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone