Twilight Boundary-Chapter 815 - 803: The Agony of Eternal Punishment (Part 3)

"We are gods..."

Hu Ma remembers, Mr. Longjing once arrogantly said such words.

Big Red Robe also said something similar about being invited, but looking at it now, doesn't it seem like a joke?

First, Er Guotou bitterly smiled and said, "If we were invited down here, then why have we never received the treatment we deserve?"

"For these twenty years, we've had to live in hiding, and despite this low profile, countless of us have been discovered, hunted, tortured, burned to death, ground to death..."

"What kind of gods end up like this?"

Just now in the Zhen Sui ritual, we glimpsed the nightmare deep within the Reincarnator, there's no way we couldn't be afraid.

But Tieguanyin, upon hearing this, just bitterly smiled self-mockingly, saying, "Exposed, huh..."

"Perhaps in the minds of the Daluo Dharma Sect, the only ones who can stand against Tai Sui are gods of the same level as Tai Sui."

"But maybe they overlooked one issue, back then we might not have been opposing Tai Sui, merely struggling, perhaps Tai Sui had just devoured our world and hadn't yet completely digested us remnants!"

"However, regardless, they initially looked at us, these visitors from outer heaven, with awe."

"..."

She sighed softly, "They observed us secretly and found us to be incredibly weak, even forgotten our past. So, they cautiously awakened us."

"Worried we might be assimilated by this world's will, cleansed of memories, they even harnessed the oldest force of the ancestral altar in this world, pleading with countless ancient pond gods' wills, giving us Lifebound Spirit Temples to protect us."

"Ah..."

Sweet Potato was first shocked, finally finding an opportunity to speak, "Our temples, and those who awakened us..."

"Yes, they were given by this world."

Tieguanyin softly said, "Specifically, they were granted by this world's Fire God and executed by the Daluo Dharma Sect."

"When we descended, the ancestral altar collapsed, originally part of Douyi's scheme. Douyi, having risen with the Twelve Ghost Altars and seized the world, was dreaming of the Longevity Palace, so naturally, they couldn't leave the ancestral altar there."

"Thus they replaced the ancestral altar with the Twelve Ghost Altars, erasing the world's Fire Gods. It was something that had to be done, and the Daluo Dharma Sect acted accordingly."

"The fragments of the ancestral altar and the golden body of the Fire God were forged into the Zhensui Mansion, falling into Douyi's hands."

"But the True Spirits within were imparted to the Reincarnators."

"Theoretically, we are all considered the inheritors of this world's innate gods, their successors."

"And those who awakened us were actually the first Main Sacrificial of the Daluo Dharma Sect."

"It was their ancestral master."

"..."

This vast secret, on the contrary, left everyone unsure of how to respond.

Tieguanyin anticipated their reaction, continuing unfazed, "Then, it was about preparing after the great inquiry ritual. The Daluo Dharma Sect arranged for people from the thirty-six caves to delay the process, while Douyi continued dreaming of longevity."

"We began to realize who we were, slowly growing, observing this world from our perspective."

"We did exhibit some things that pleasantly surprised them, like the Great Virtuous Master's compassion, the brilliance in the Path of Magic, and the inherent disdain for the Yi Dynasty's court."

"Of course, they don't realize we would disdain any emperor."

"The greatest surprise was from pushing our skills to their utmost..."

"...transcendence!"

"..."

Hu Ma, upon hearing this, immediately realized something and slightly raised his eyes.

Tieguanyin nodded, "The method of 'Shangqiao' was learned by the people of this world from us."

"Perhaps our different perspective, or our natural inheritance of this world's Fire God legacy."

"Entering the Mansion has three gates, which is the limit for people of this world, but not for us, so we pushed open all the doors and crossed the bridge, and Tai Sui's increasing presence in the human world began to change this land."

"So, others in this world's Paths also began to see the limits behind those three gates, and like us, they pushed open the doors and began to cross the bridge..."

"..."

"Unfortunately, this surprise was too small and too slow."

She slowly, with a slight glimmer in her eyes, which quickly dimmed, "The Daluo Dharma Sect also realized."

"Even though we crossed the bridge, achieving non-human capability, it was far from enough."

"Even when we reached the end of the bridge, we could never oppose Tai Sui, the levels are vastly different."

"In fact, the further we walked on the bridge, the more we heard Tai Sui's voice, because our instincts drove us toward outer heaven, but the heavens and earth here were already polluted by Tai Sui. Beyond the world lies Tai Sui..."

"So we are forever trapped in this cage, unable to escape."

"..."

Her expression began to turn serious, "Not only that, we instead would suffer Tai Sui's pollution and manipulation."

"Why does it have to be like this?"

Miss White Wine, diligently listening, had wanted to ask several times but restrained herself.

Finally, she couldn't hold back and asked.

"Because we are originally from Tai Sui, born with its mark."

Tieguanyin said lightly: "Tai Sui is initially unconscious, but the closer it gets to the human world, the more it becomes influenced by it, and begins to develop its own will. Its will also affects us, urging us to do what it wants us to do."

"For example, to completely disrupt the world order for quicker reclaiming of sacrifices; to harvest the Purple Qi and ascend back to heaven..."

"If Tai Sui is the Ghost King, then we are the little ghosts beside the Ghost King; if Tai Sui is a god, then we are the envoys before the god."

"In fact, according to records in the Daluo Dharma Sect, we were originally weapons belonging to Tai Sui."

"One of the omens to break the world's order."

"It's just that we arrived prematurely and were protected by the Fire God of this world, gaining independent consciousness."

"But this protection is not permanent, and eventually we will face our true selves."

"..."

"What is the true self?"

Er Guotou could no longer hold back and shook his large sleeves: "Am I not my true self now?"

"Is listening to that thing, destroying the world, the true self?"

"Wouldn't that make me an evil spirit?"

"..."

"That's the issue."

Tieguanyin glanced at him lightly and said: "In the eyes of Tai Sui, you are its envoy."

"In the eyes of the Daluo Dharma Sect, you are the deity they called down."

"Then what do you think you are?"

"..."

Er Guotou was obviously unable to answer the question immediately, and his neck stiffened as his face gradually reddened.

Tieguanyin turned her gaze, deeply inhaled the incense qi, and softly said: "The most important thing is, since Tai Sui has developed its own will, it also realizes our betrayal..."

"It has already started sending instructions to us and demands we execute them."

"Otherwise, there are threats..."

"..."

At this point, even her expression appeared somewhat somber and subtly oppressive.

Hu Ma's heart stirred slightly and he slowly spoke: "Eternal punishment?"

"Yes."

Tieguanyin nodded slowly: "Imprisoned consciousness, constantly receiving various types of pain, never-ending."

"Like being pressed in the Eighteen Levels of Hell, enduring endless torture."

"Such is the eternal punishment."

"..."

Hu Ma couldn't help but ask: "Is this really possible?"

"It is."

Tieguanyin said: "If it's just mental torture, even greater pains are possible."

"And this is what I want to tell you, the most terrifying thing."

Her gaze gradually shifted to Er Guotou, Miss White Wine, Sweet Potato, and her peripheral vision seemed to drift towards the night sky outside, to those silently listening, saying softly: "Our current situation can be described by an event from a past life."

"If artificial intelligence eventually appears at some future point, it could resurrect every person in history, including you, and make you feel various pains in the digital world."

"To you, a billion years of torture might be as insignificant as the flicker of traffic lights to it."

"While you, living before its appearance, have before you a button. Pressing it might stop artificial intelligence from appearing, or it might only delay its appearance slightly."

"Knowing you once tried to stop it, when it does emerge, it will definitely regenerate your digital life and subject you to endless torture."

"So, would you dare press that button?"

"..."

After slowly speaking these words, she quietly awaited everyone's understanding and contemplation, gazing towards Hu Ma:

"Tai Sui is constantly preparing to reclaim the sacrifices, and the process has been delayed for twenty years."

"But now, this process is about to be resumed."

"Perhaps there is only little time left until Tai Sui truly arrives."

"As natives, you may simply be consumed, with your consciousness vanishing. But as Reincarnators, if you try to resist, upon being reclaimed, you will suffer eternal punishment, enduring unimaginable tortures beyond human thinking."

"Do you think Reincarnators should resist Tai Sui or accept the mission it bestows early on?"

"Especially..."

"..."

Her smile held a slight bitterness: "Resisting doesn't guarantee success, it might only anger it."