Prime Originator

"Oh? I haven't heard about any village being around these parts of the Divine Snowland Region. It might be a mortal village," Heinrich Escladus wondered before he said, "We will head over and check it out."

"Since the village were locals in the area, they might have some helpful information regarding the entrance location to the ruins of the ancient buddha sect."

"What about these baby Snow Tigers, father?" The boy asked.

Heinrich Escladus glanced at the four tiny Snow Tigers that could barely walk properly for a moment before he said, "We will take them with us. Since you have killed their mother, you have to be responsible for raising them."

"Can't we just leave them to grow up on their own?" The boy asked.

"No," Heinrich Escladus shook his head before he explained, "If we leave Snow Tiger Cubs here like this, they will not survive for long in this wild. Most likely, they will become food for other beasts before they starve to death."

"Either way will generate bad karma. As such, they are your responsibility now, understand?" Heinrich Escladus glanced at his son seriously.

"Oh…" The boy lowered his head in contemplation before he nodded, "I understand, father."

"Good," Heinrich Escladus smiled.

Shortly after, Heinrich Escladus waved his hand before the four Snow Tiger Cubs were picked up by formless traces of Divine Power like they were being grabbed from the back of their necks by invisible hands.

The Snow Tiger Cubs meowed like cats in protest, but they could do nothing to resist Heinrich Escladus's Divine Power.

"Let's go," Heinrich Escladus urged.

The boy wanted to be carried by his father again.

However, Heinrich Escladus shook his head and refused his son's simple request with a stern look, "No, you have to walk and reflect on your mistake."

"Uu… Yes, father…" The boy answered with his head lowered.

It did not take long before they reached the entrance of the small village.

The wooden buildings and humble houses were covered in thick layers of snow, while some were half-buried, and not a single human could be spotted.

"Seems like this place have been deserted for some time now," Heinrich Escladus sighed with disappointment before taking his first step into the village.

The Snow Tiger Cubs were dragged along in midair while little Leon followed not too far behind Heinrich Escladus.

However, after a few steps past the village gates, little Leon tripped and faceplanted into the thick snow.

"Are you alright, son? Be careful with your steps. The snow is quite thick in this area." Heinrich Escladus said.

The boy quickly shook his head and said, "There's something in the snow, father,"

"Oh?" Heinrich paused for a moment.

Shortly after, he scoured the entire village with his powerful divine sense.

Numerous bodies belonging to both the young and the old laid frozen and buried underneath the thick layers of snow with sword wounds all over their bodies.

"So this village was raided by bandits," Heinrich Escladus sighed at innocent lives lost.

Suddenly, he picked up a weak breath coming from one of the houses before he said, "Come, son. Seems like there's still a survivor."

"Yes, father." The boy nodded.

…

Leon quietly observed the memory of his past from a distant hill.

"This was where I met Aria and cured her under father's instruction," Leon sighed with desolation as he recalled that none of them were alive anymore.

As for the four Snow Tigers that were raised, he had no idea how they are.

They were still some distance from the Divine Beast Realm as he last recalled leaving them in the care of another person.

Either way, Leon did not grieve anymore.

He was way past that point already. Even so, Heinrich Escladus and Aria White's deaths were forever voids in his heart that can never be filled.

"Is there a reason for me being taken back to this point in time?" Leon began to ponder, "I feel like I missed something important."

He felt like his conversation with his father was much longer than what was shown before him.

"Strange, why is it so hard to recall these memories," Leon frowned.

In fact, if not for the world replaying his past memories to him, Leon would not have been able to recall them so vividly.

Even so, he could not get over the feeling that something was missing.

Leon began to ponder hard.

…

Suddenly, the scenery changed.

It was still a world of snow, but with an extra companion added to the father-son duo's trip in search of the ancient buddha sect's ruins.

"Father, why is it that even though Divine Practitioners have so much time compared to mortals, they don't spend their time living life but instead spent most of it in secluded cultivation for even more time?" Little Leon asked.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Heinrich Escladus chuckled softly while carrying a little girl on his back, "In fact, there's no definite answer to this question."

"Some seek to become the strongest and reign over the Divine Realms like Divine Kings, some seek the truth of the Everlasting, and some simply don't wish to die."

"Why do I feel like mortals live more fulfilling lives than we do?" Little Leon asked.

"Because they do. Mortals know their time is limited, so they make the most of it to ensure they live without regrets. While Divine Practitioners have so much time, we don't really know what to do with it except grind for more time to figure out exactly that," Heinrich Escladus chuckled.

Shortly after, he stared at his son solemnly, "Maybe there will come a day when you will be able to figure it out for everyone and save our pour souls from this vicious loop of chasing blindly."

"Can I really do something that others can't?" Little Leon queried doubtfully.

"That's hard to say, son. However, your existence in itself represents a hope that anything could be possible," Heinrich Escladus rubbed his son's head warmly before gazing into the distant north with a longing look.