While Tom was wandering in the garden he had entered after crossing that gate
"It's a truly strange place" Tom's tone was full of wonder as he looked at the incredibly beautiful forest
"Tom, aren't you tired of looking at the garden?" a voice suddenly appeared, calm and beautiful, making you forget it contained an insult
Tom turned his gaze to find a beautiful greenhouse made of white and gold, full of beautiful, intricate, and contrasting designs. A woman of breathtaking beauty with long white hair and wide, light purple eyes was sitting inside. She was attractive enough to tempt any man, yet Tom felt no attraction towards her. It was more strange than a high mental and psychological power.
He felt as if he were looking at himself, and this brought a slight smile to his face.
"Alessandra or Xiao Qing, or more accurately, the Holy Yin. It's a pleasure to meet you." Tom's tone was calm, full of nobility and humility, unlike his sharp and serious tone with the Holy Yang.
"Hahaha, you are truly a refined person and know what to say in any situation. Good, then come into the greenhouse." The Holy Yin's tone was calm and beautiful as she looked at Tom, who was approaching her with steady, dignified steps like an experienced and noble gentleman.
As soon as he arrived, he bowed slightly before sitting on a nearby chair opposite the Holy Yin.
As soon as he sat down, the teapot and teacup moved from their place and went to Tom's spot, filling his cup with tea.
"How many spoons of sugar would you like, Mr. Tom Fraglessen?" Her tone was noble, as she originally came from the lineage of the inhabitants of the Central Continent, whose system of government was feudal or noble, so it was logical for her actions to resemble those of nobles.
"Just two, Miss Alessandra." Tom's tone was calm, his accent light, as if he had practiced it for years to achieve this perfect form.
A faint smile appeared on Alessandra's face. She moved her head slightly, and a spoon full of sugar moved towards Tom's teacup twice in succession before starting to stir the sugar in the tea.
Tom took a sip of the tea and found it bitter, disgusting, and undrinkable. However, he maintained his composure, placed the cup on the table, and a faint smile still clung to his face.
He turned his gaze towards Alessandra, who was looking at him with that calm smile that held no positive emotions behind it.
"Mr. Tom Fraglessen, how did the tea taste? Was it delicious, or did you not like it?" Alessandra's tone was calm as she looked at Tom's teacup with a hint of slyness, then turned her gaze back to Tom.
Confusion appeared on his face as he looked at her, yet he couldn't say it was bad, as it would contradict the qualities of a noble man and virtuous ethics.
"Yes, it's delicious." Tom's tone was calm as he took another sip, which made Alessandra chuckle lightly as she looked at Tom.
Surprise appeared on Tom's face as he looked at her with a look of incomprehension. Alessandra decided to speak to remove the confusion from Tom's mind.
"Strange, eccentric sentient beings. They are like you. Even though the tea is undrinkable, you said it was delicious and took another sip. That's life, and those who live it. Even if they taste bitterness, pain, and suffering, they always want to stay in this life. Like the teacup and the splendid greenhouse, it looks beautiful, but it is bitter, difficult, and full of filth like the disgusting tea and the withered fruits of the garden. Do you understand, Tom? Even in good, there is evil, even if it is the size of a particle. And in evil, there is always good, even if it is the size of a particle." Alessandra's tone was calm as usual as she looked at Tom, who leaned back in his chair.
Humans by nature love life. No matter how difficult and harsh life is, they will always prefer to stay in this world. And this world is for play and amusement, but it is short. No matter how long it is, they will want to prolong it.
Life is like a jungle, beautiful, but inside it lie lions and carnivores. Only the strong survive inside it. Thus, life is beautiful and sweet, but it looks ugly and bitter at its core.
"You are right, Alessandra. But when will your worthiness test begin?" Tom's tone was calm, but his patience had reached its limit. He had spent thousands of years in test 3, more than 800 years in test 2, and only 4 days in test 1. A long time had passed, so he wanted to finish it quickly this time.
Alessandra's expression changed from calm to a calm one with a hint of slyness and subtlety as she looked at Tom.
"Be patient. Patience is the key to relief, and change is the key to success." Alessandra's tone was calm as usual, but it carried some wishes for good luck.
Then the world began to shrink, becoming a small ball of light, which exploded a few seconds later.
.....
On Earth, what was considered a battlefield, the atmosphere was as if it were the final Ragnarok. That was the most that could describe the feeling emanating from this battlefield.
In the battlefield, several people stood, suffering from serious physical injuries and evident exhaustion on their faces, but they hid it with gazes filled with anger and caution towards the person in front of them.
"Zao Li, this is the day we will end this farce that began more than 700 trillion years ago. We will end this farce completely." Alessandra's tone was sharp, but it was filled with hatred and a desire for relief from this hell of death and life that did not want to end.
Again... and... repeat... again... and... repeat... again... and... repeat... this cycle of death and life was exhausting for her. They hadn't even lived their lives, and it was time to end it from the roots by ending their lives in the first place.
Zao Li remained silent for several minutes after Alessandra's words. Although it was true, they had to end the cycle of death and life they were trapped in, once and for all.
"I know, but I will not die. I don't want to. If you don't want to live for ourselves, let's live for her. She has been waiting for us since that betrayal by Zao Li Yong, the cursed one. I named myself the same name as that cursed one to remember that despicable day. As long as I exist, then there is existence. Do you understand that?" Zao Li's tone was cold as frost, carrying no emotion of anger or anything else, just telling her about their goals and purpose.
Despite this, Alessandra aimed her sword at Zao Li, showing no intention of backing down from her goal.
In the battlefield, Tom looked at both Zao Li and Alessandra with a mixed expression of sadness and a sense of loss of self.
"So this is what will happen in the original timeline. Zao Li and Alessandra kill each other, and then the world perishes. This fantasy is forever. But what is their relationship? What does their existence have to do with the survival of this world? And where do I fit into all of this?" Tom's tone was full of confusion, yet he felt that his questions would soon be answered, and that these tests were just the beginning of something bigger.
Tom's expression turned to shock as he found himself in Zao Li's body. He remembered that he and Zao Li were in the same body, meaning that in the original timeline, he was Zao Li in the same body, fighting Alessandra, and this led to their deaths. If the soul dies, everything dies, no matter how many bodies. Zao Li and Alessandra will remain one soul, that soul or fragment of the sacred tree of existence, as Zao Li said in test 4.
Tom turned towards Alessandra, his expression hidden by his black hair that covered his face.
Tom's steady steps surprised Alessandra.
This applied to everyone present without exception.
When Zao Li crossed halfway, he threw his two swords, the Sky Pearl Sword and the Great Evil Sword, to the ground as a sign that he had no intention of fighting.
"You and the spirit have united, but where are you going with this action?" Alessandra's tone was full of surprise and slight tension from the change in the situation.
Alessandra's expression turned to shock when she found that Zao Li had hugged her. Her sword fell to the ground due to the shock, but she quickly regained her composure, not even a fraction of a second passed before she regained her senses and pushed Zao Li away, but he did not move an inch, as he held her wrists to prevent any escape attempt.
"I am sorry, Alessandra. Truly, I apologize. Life is beautiful and delicate. Everything in this existence is beautiful and delicate, and life is no exception."
"Life is harsh if those who live it are villains and scoundrels whose interests are above all else. And it is beautiful if its inhabitants are peaceful, trying to develop their world and themselves. You are like water that changes its shape according to the container you put it in. This applies to you. You create the world according to circumstances, and we live in a world where there is no place for weakness, filled with dirty fantasy world rulers. How can we not be dirty? A rotten tomato makes all the tomatoes around it rot."
Tom's tone was calm as he increased the pressure of his embrace on Alessandra, whose expression changed from suppressed anger to deep-seated sadness. She had seen death millions of times and didn't know who she was.
Both Zao Li and Alessandra felt absolute fear and pain within them throughout their lives, and this feeling increased with each life they lived.
Tears streamed down Alessandra's eyes as she buried her head in Tom's chest. At that moment, she lost all her pride and majesty as a creator of this world. In that moment, she was just a woman with delicate emotions, crying in the embrace of the person who understood her the most, who was herself or a part of herself. Only she could understand herself 100%. There was no one who could understand another, even if they suffered the same problem. Everyone has their own self, feelings, view of the world, and the nature of the life they live.
Tom's expression turned to shock as Alessandra stabbed him with her sword while wiping away petrified tears from her eyes, her cheeks reddened with a small smile on her face.
"Thank you, Tom, or spirit. You have completed test 5 successfully. I congratulate you, and you must return." Alessandra's tone was calm as she looked at Tom, whose expression was filled with satisfaction.
Then the world began to turn black again.
Tom opened his eyes again to find himself in front of Alessandra, sitting on her chair.
Alessandra looked at Tom with her usual smile, stirring sugar into her tea and drinking it.
"Congratulations, Tom. You have successfully completed five tests. But there is something else after the test is finished."
"So, it's finally over after all these hardships and sacrifices. However, I do not regret what I did or what I will do in the future." Tom's tone was calm as he looked at the ceiling of the greenhouse with a sarcastic smile on his face.
"Well, Tom, you can finish the test by passing through this door."
Alessandra said this while pointing with her hand towards the gate, which looked like the gate he had crossed to enter the first and fifth tests. However, that phrase was not written on it as before; instead, there was another phrase:
[O transcender of the fifth trial, prove your worthiness to be the Supreme Ruler, the symbol of annihilation, and the creator. Complete your path to the power you have rightfully earned by building your fallen kingdom and restoring it. Make it the highest path of infinite power, but remember, there is no path without sacrifices and risks.]
He turned his gaze back to Alessandra to find that she had disappeared from her place, but he was not surprised, as before. He redirected his gaze towards the gate, which would be the end of the first stage among hundreds of other stages on his path to absolute power.
He opened it with complete ease. The runes on the stone gate glowed with a dazzling golden radiance, unlike the previous two times when no light was emitted. However, Tom's expression did not change as he entered the gate, behind which he would meet whoever would answer his questions or not.
"I have overcome an important stage to build the foundation that will allow me to achieve my goal." Tom's tone was filled with determination and confidence to overcome the impossible summit.