888 The Monastery's True Mission
“What? Your master made the prophecy?” John exclaimed with disbelief.
It was such an ancient prophecy that the idea of someone writing it almost seemed wrong to John, even though that didn’t make sense. The Grand Abbot smiled softly and nodded his head.
“Yes. A very long time ago, when I had just arrived to this world to assume my post as his disciple,” the Grand Abbot said, his gaze slightly distracted as if he were thinking of the events of the past.
His normal gaze returned a moment later.
“If you want to ask more about it, I’m afraid I can’t help you much,” the Grand Abbot said, noticing John’s expression. “My master was skilled in the arts of fate and prophecy, while my talents lie elsewhere. I only know of the prophecy, as well as the existence of the Asura. I do not know much else.”
John nodded his head after a moment of silence. He was disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Then, do you at least know how strong the Asura is?” John asked curiously. “If I’m destined to fight it, then I’d like to know how strong I need to be before I start that battle,” he added.
“Quite strong I’m afraid,” the Grand Abbot said, and thought about John’s question for a moment before shaking his head sideways.
“As for how strong you would need to be, I cannot answer that question.”
John frowned. The Grand Abbot noticed the smile, and provided further clarification.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help, its that I can’t without potentially effecting the outcome in a negative way. Asura’s are formidable, unpredictable foes, and their combat prowess is unmatched. The Asura was gravely injured a long time ago, and has been recovering from those wounds in hiding ever since. I do not know how much he has healed to this date, or where his combat prowess lies at the moment. As for you,” the Grand Abbot paused for a moment.
“You are also an enigma,” he said, smiling lightly. “Your combat prowess defies logic, and yet I have the feeling that you still had more to reveal. I cannot judge your combat prowess accurately, nor can I predict how it will change as your cultivation advances. With these two things added together, predicting where your strength would need to be is a wild guess at best.”
John frowned, but nodded his head in agreement after thinking over the Grand Abbot’s words. He decided to change the subject slightly.
“Just now, you mentioned Asura’s, plural, and also said they are formidable foes. Does that mean you’ve fought Asura’s in the past?” John asked curiously.
“I have,” the Grand Abbot nodded in confirmation, while John’s eyes widened slightly.
“Then, if you fought them in the past and survived, aren’t you strong enough to fight this Asura then?” John asked curiously.
The Grand Abbot smiled, as if John’s question was from a child who knew nothing.
“You’ve fought humans in the past,” the Grand Abbot said, his words seeming to stray from John’s question. “And yet, if I asked if you could fight your Sect Leader, Daoist Thunderzen right now, would you be strong enough to beat him?”
John remained silent for a moment, and then nodded his head in understanding. The Grand Abbot’s words were somewhat vague, and yet very specific at the same time.
‘So the Grand Abbot is telling me that Asura’s are like humans. Some are strong. Some are weak. They are as varied as humans strength wise,’ John mused internally. Another question entered his mind as he thought about this.
“So, if you’ve fought Asura’s before, but refer to the Asura on this world as a singular, that means you’re quite certain he’s the only one of his kind remaining, at least on this world. So, was there some kind of battle that happened? Does this relate to the ancient calamity that nearly destroyed the world?” John asked, putting the puzzle pieces together.
The Grand Abbot remained silent, and took a sip of tea. He placed his cup down, and then shook his head lightly.
“Some things I can tell you, and other things I cannot.”
John frowned with displeasure.
“Fucking Karma,” he grumbled, not caring about his crass language infront of the Grand Abbot. He knew that was the reason the Grand Abbot didn’t want to tell him. It was always Karma.
The Grand Abbot raised an eyebrow.
“You know of Karma?” he asked curiously.
“I do,” John confirmed, and then asked his own question. “So when can I learn things regardless of Karma? I’m starting to get pissed at all this dancing around the important information I need,” John grumbled.
His mysterious father, Celestial Soulrend, the ancient beast in the Divine Trial. They all refused to answer some questions due to the Karma it would invoke on John, which they claimed was too dangerous.
“When one ascends to the Holy Manifestation Realm, they achieve the ability to hide their threads of Karma from scrying eyes, at least from normal scrying means,” the Grand Abbot said, providing John with some useful information at last.
John pursed his lips in a line, but nodded in thanks nonetheless. At least that information was better than nothing.
“So, if I can’t ask about things like that, then I’ll ask this at least,” John said, changing the subject again. “If the Asura were to attack me, would you be able to help?”
“I would not,” the Grand Abbot sighed, as if he were truly unhappy about his reply.
“Why not?” John asked. “Your mission was to guard the World Dimension Seed until one can obtain it. Surely allowing the one who obtained it to die isn’t beneficial for your mission, whatever it may be?”
“I’m afraid my hands are tied by the core tenets of my monastery,” the Grand Abbot sighed again. “My mission is to provide opportunity. An opportunity for growth. An opportunity for ascension. That is all I can do unfortunately, is provide that opportunity. Everything else is in your hands.”
“Why? That doesn’t make sense at all?” John asked, still not satisfied with that answer. “You spent half a million years guarding the World Seed, and yet you would allow it to be destroyed just after being claimed? If that’s the case, then your mission is secondary to some true mission, one important enough to allow a World Dimension Seed holder to be destroyed. What is that mission?” John asked, his voice firm.
The Grand Abbot remained silent for a moment, as if considering what he could tell John, and what he should keep secret. He sighed again.
“With your level of talent, I’m certain you’ve gone through many great ordeals, possibly life and death ordeals to get to the level you are at. Am I correct in that assumption?” the Grand Abbot asked.
John had not been expecting a question to his question, but nodded his head.
“You are correct,” John replied after thinking it over.
If he had not had his near death experiences in the Yuan Continent ancient realms, in the Bloodfiend Sect, in the Jade Dragon Empire trials, he would not be nearly as strong today as he was. Those events had pushed him past his limits several times already, causing his strength to grow explosively.
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The Grand Abbot nodded, satisfied with John’s honest self-reflection.
“That is why I cannot help you,” the Grand Abbot said. “Life and death events are necessary for one to achieve their true potential. If I were to interfere in one event, if my actions caused you to survive, you would not grow from that event. And if I was wrong in my judgment, and you would have been able to get through that life and death event on your own, I would have starved you of an incredible opportunity for growth. And while saving you from a sure death event appears to be the smartest choice, where can I draw the line between life and death, and sure death?
With all these questions, my monastery made a decision long ago, far before I was born. The monastery was born of a singular mission, and with that singular mission in mind, the core tenets were adopted. And one of the tenets is that none from the monastery can actively interfere with any events whatsoever, other than to ensure the safety of the opportunities we guard. That is why I cannot help you, as much as I would like to,” the Grand Abbot finishes, sighing as if he were truly sorry.
John stared at the man in silence for some time, and then nodded his head. He was not disappointed or angry. He knew the Grand Abbot’s words made sense, and he had not expected others to help him up to this point, and would not expect the Grand Abbot, who he had just met, to fight something like the Asura for him.
However, he did have one remaining question, one that had been on his mind since the beginning. He didn’t know if he would get an answer, but wanted to try nonetheless.
“I understand, and I do not hold it against you at all,” John said, relaying his feelings of the situation. The Grand Abbot smiled warmly, satisfied with John’s reply. “But I do have one more question.”
“Ask away, although I’m sure I already know the question you wish to ask,” the Grand Abbot said.
“What is your monastery’s true mission?” John asked. Everything they did was for that mission, and since it now involved him, he wanted to know as much as he could learn about it.
The Grand Abbot replied without missing a beat, confirming that he knew this was the question John wanted to ask.
“Our true mission…is to raise a Divine.”