My Core is the Boss-Chapter 119.2: Am I Very Ugly? Why Wont You Come And See Me?
As Qi Yuan's thoughts settled, the corpse began turning transparent, as though it had never existed. As an inner demon, it couldn't simply vanish like that?! But it did.
"What are you...? How can you form another Origin Divine Technique after having one?!"
It could not understand. It refused to understand. Even the highest Buddha-sons of its world could not form two Origin Divine Techniques.
"What? I already had a Origin Divine Technique? I don't recall. This is my Origin Divine Technique."
The prototype of the Great Forgetfulness Sutra took shape.
Qi Yuan contemplated. Bodhi has no tree, the mirror has no stand. Originally, nothing exists, where can dust alight?
"Inner demons don’t really exist. I forget you. No. You never existed at all."
With those thoughts, the corpse turned completely transparent and vanished. Billions of inner demons screamed in terror. One by one, they faded away as well. Soon, the demonic domain became empty.
Qi Yuan sat upon the steps. "Forgetfulness is the most terrifying force in existence."
Doubt and confusion flickered in his eyes. Something important seemed to be slipping away. In the silent, boundless gate, a red-robed man sat, frowning in thought.
To forget others and even himself, such was the extreme of forgetfulness. He gradually turned transparent, as though he would forget himself, and thus cease to be.
The Heavenly Tribulation began, but Qi Yuan had forgotten.
He forgot who he was. He forgot where he came from. He forgot where he intended to go. He sat unmoving within the Myriad Demon Gate. He seemed ready to forget everyone and be forgotten by the world. He even sought to forget himself.
Suddenly, he twitched. "...Who am I?"
A flicker of color flashed through his eyes, then faded. He returned to his still, meditative pose.
Years slipped by like sand between fingers. He remained seated. The empty Myriad Demon Gate was silent. Aside from him, there was no other color. It was as if this world, too, intended to forget him.
Suddenly, a ray of light rushed in. Someone cried out anxiously, "Blood Drop! Blood Drop!"
The red-robed figure remained motionless, eyes closed.
"Blood Drop, I came personally to see you, and you won't even greet me... cough, cough!"
Blood dripped down. Terrifying markings crawled across the girl's face like serpent scales. Still, she reached out toward the blood-red figure. "Blood Drop! Blood Drop!"
She stepped forward, only to find a bottomless abyss.
A cry came from behind, "Canary! Don't step forward! Senior Sister Yanran said this is the limit. Any further, and you'll suffer pain like the Myriad Demon Gate!"
Canary didn't seem to hear. She staggered forward, trying to rouse the man. Stepping deeper, bone-deep agony tore through her.
She let out a bitter smile. "Blood Drop... so this is the pain you endured. I feel it too."
A monstrous demon [1]character crept across her skin, covering her face. She didn't want Blood Drop to wake up and see her like this.
She walked forward, one hand clutching her face, calling out, "Blood Drop! You promised you would come find me at the end of time! You couldn't do it, so I came to find you myself!"
An empty world. An empty heart.
Within the tribulation, Qi Yuan was absorbed in the Great Forgetfulness Sutra. and could neither see nor hear anything.
His Origin Divine Technique was too strong, the tribulation sought to transform him into a law of the world itself. However, since reaching Foundation Establishment, Qi Yuan's ears had picked up strange whispers beyond the veil of reality. That sense pierced even the tribulation.
Suddenly, the red-robed figure's eyes snapped open. "Blood Drop? Who is that? Who are they calling?"
He turned toward the sound, his gaze piercing the gate. Just then, he caught sight of a girl wounded from head to toe. For some reason, his heart twinged in pain.
[Canary. She is your childhood sweetheart. You especially dote on her.]
Qi Yuan's consciousness wavered. "Childhood sweetheart?
He looked within himself.
[Qi Yuan. You claim yourself to be the origin of all things. You are undergoing a Heavenly Tribulation. Your Origin Divine Technique is too strong. Heaven does not wish you to exist.]
Suddenly, clarity flooded his mind. "I am Qi Yuan?” 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
The tribulation dispersed. The Great Forgetfulness Sutra was complete.
At that moment, a special mark formed in the heavens. Qi Yuan watched it drift toward the gate, where countless strange symbols already crowded its surface like stamps on paper.
He paid them no mind. Instead, he stared at the abyss and beyond, at that faint silhouette. Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew who she was.
Qi Yuan's thoughts stirred. Forgetfulness is the dao. Canary is the exception. I don't want to forget, so I will not forget. Forget or not to forget. Forget the world, but not her.
"My enlightenment is complete... should I leave now?"
He sensed the Myriad Phenomena Gate would soon vanish. He would return to the present world. This enlightenment had given him a lot.
He now had two Origin Divine Techniques:
Ruler of the Void - Inner Demon Lure. A technique that spawns limitless inner demons.
Great Forgetfulness Sutra. Forgetting is the dao.
And this would likely be the last time he could enter this place. Never again would he see Canary, nor any who had awakened him.
He did not know the price they had paid, but he was certain it had been unimaginable.
"Canary... You and I are separated by tens of thousands of years. When we meet again, will dust return to dust, earth return to earth?"
He refused to accept that. Time, fate—he would conquer them all!
Then a black dot appeared in his palm. This was the most precious ability he had gotten since he entered the Myriad Phenomena Gate: reincarnation.
Only Yin Spirits could enter reincarnation. Some Violet Palace cultivators had a chance to.
"You awakened me. Hence, this power... I will give it to you. May we meet again in the next life."
***
On the Seven-Colored Peak.
Jiang Lingsu opened her eyes from meditation. She pressed a hand to her chest, frowning. "I feel like I’ve forgotten something...”
Suddenly, thunder cracked overhead. A flash of cold, white light erupted from the palace atop the peak, and collided with the thunder, dispersing it.
Jiang Lingsu blinked. "That thunder... was that heavenly lightning? Did Master take action just now? A pity, it was too fast, I couldn't even glimpse her strength."
She glanced toward the nearby wooden hut, which was quiet as ever.
"Senior Brother isn't sneaking off to play games again, is he? If he hides here gaming for decades, the Divine Radiance Sect might forget he even exists."
She resumed her cultivation.
***
At the Ends of the Earth. Hundreds of years had passed since the last appearance of the Myriad Phenomena Gate.
The place was now barren. By the shore, a small wooden hut now stood beside the great rock. It faced the sea, yet spring never came.
The ancient mirror atop the vanity had long shattered. Its broken shards reflected a snow-white, flawless face. The left side was concealed beneath a black veil.
The girl couldn't hold her brow bush steady
Her hands shook so badly she could barely hold the brow brush steady. She couldn't even manage her simplest makeup. She stared at the mirror as though concentrating with all her heart.
Suddenly, a stone smashed through the window. A seagull flew away, disgusted.
Her brush dropped from her fingers. She said, her voice faltering with sobs, "I'm so stupid. I can't even do my makeup right... I'm so... ugly!"
She covered the left side of her face, unwilling to look at it. After who knows how long, she finally finished applying her makeup.
Staring toward where the Myriad Phenomena Gate once stood, she whispered, "Am I very ugly? Why won't you come see me?"
1. 妖 ☜
