Chapter 2158 – Obsession Like The Abyss
When his spirit relaxed and his coolheadedness and rationality returned, Yun Che immediately noticed something that made very little sense. He rested his chin on his knuckle and pretended to think for a bit before asking suddenly, “If the ‘Fog Monarch’ is so powerful, and their premature awakening undoubtedly constitutes a huge threat… why are you so unconcerned?”
The “Fog Monarch” was the true lord of the Abyss. They were powerful enough to create the Endless Fog and even repair, no, modify two powerful devil artifacts. Assuming that an existence this terrible had awakened, it didn’t make sense for the Abyssal Monarch to act so nonchalantly… not to mention that they exchanged promises three million years ago.
Mo Su appeared completely unperturbed in Yun Che’s eyes. The man obviously knew that the question would occur to him sooner or later.
Instead of answering the question directly, Mo Su explained, “Neither gathering the abyssal dust nor repairing the devil artifacts were things that can be completed in a single day. Before the tasks were complete, I had made repeated contact with the Fog Monarch.”
“Over time, I discovered that they were distancing themselves from me in tandem with the receding abyssal dust. After the Endless Fog was complete, they only ever appeared in the Endless Fog. I confirmed one thing from this observation—the Fog Monarch could only exist in areas with a thick enough concentration of abyssal dust. It could not exist in places where abyssal dust is thin, much less a space where abyssal dust does not exist.”
He lifted his head slightly and said in a distant voice, “From then on, the ‘Pure Land’ came to be.”
Yun Che’s gaze froze for a short while before he exclaimed in realization, “So, the fundamental reason you created the Pure Land is to tackle the ‘Fog Monarch’?”
The Abyssal Monarch neither approved nor denied his statement. He continued, “There is no doubt that the ‘Fog Monarch’ is terribly powerful and anomalous, but their strength also seems to be limited in some fashion. Otherwise, they would not need to borrow the hands of a living being from beyond to achieve their goals.”
“Later, they fell into a deep slumber after they created the Endless Fog and repaired the devil artifacts. However, the world did not stand still simply because the lord of the abyss had fallen asleep. Instead, it continuously made dramatic changes over the years.”
He lifted a hand and touched the air with his fingertips. “Back in the day, both the Endless Fog and the Lands of the Living were far scarier than they are now. But after surviving in the Abyss for so long, I could vaguely sense that the ambient abyssal dust is diminishing.”
“It only happens once every ten thousand years, and the change is so minor that most would not even notice. However, it was definitely real.”
“Later, I realized that this change was happening due to the influx of something from the other world called the ‘essence of existence’. I learned about it when the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor taught me about the origin of Primal Chaos.”
He had addressed his father as the “Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor,” not “Father”. There was neither estrangement nor affection in his tone either. It was like he was talking about a random stranger.
“Later still—it’s around one million years after I arrived in the Abyss—the influx of ‘essence of existence’ suddenly increased dramatically. At first, its volume increased severalfold. Then dozens. Then hundreds. They were even mixed with primordial energy and the divine essence of various elements… Clearly, something dramatic was happening in the other world.”
“I eventually learned from someone who fell into the Abyss that the god race and devil race had finally gone to war against each other. Gods and devils died, heaven and earth shattered, and law and order crumbled in their wake.”
Yun Che: “…”
“The changes happening in the other world were also changing the Abyss. The massive influx of essence of existence had ‘neutralized’ the abyssal dust, and the primordial energy and the divine essence of various elements had both enriched the Abyss’ natural energies and dramatically increased the cultivation speed and strength of elemental profound energies.”
“These changes only began to decrease five hundred thousand years later, and more or less halted completely a million years later.”
Yun Che knew that was around the time the war between the gods and the devils had come to an end.
“Even now, the essence of existence is still flowing into the Abyss, but it has become as weak as it was at the very beginning. Today, the Abyss is nothing like what it was three million years ago, and I…”
“I am not who I was three million years ago either.”
“I see…” Yun Che seemed to get what he was saying. “You’re saying that the Fog Monarch is no longer a threat to you, even if they had awakened?”
Mo Su still did not answer him directly. Perhaps he did not care if the ‘Fog Monarch’ could threaten him at all. He said slowly, “Even if the current them were to relinquish their control over the Endless Fog and fill the Abyss with abyssal dust once more, they could no longer truly interfere with me.”
“Moreover, they had awakened earlier than expected, so their power must be lacking in some ways[1]. In fact, that is the truth. Despite detecting an ‘abnormality’ and awakening prematurely, they chose to curl up in the Endless Fog and hoot instead of punishing me as they said they would. For the past couple of years, they were not able to take a step out of the Endless Fog either, much less approach the Pure Land.”
“Every time they appeared, every time they hooted, they were simply expressing their impotence and helplessness. Since the Eternal Pure Land is near, why would I need to spare them my attention? Do they even deserve my attention in their current state?”
Yun Che’s heartstrings were turning cold like they were slowly sinking into an ice-cold ocean. When Mo Su said, “relinquish their control over the Endless Fog and fill the Abyss with abyssal dust”, his expression was calm, collected, and utterly devoid of pity.
There wasn’t even indifference, for indifference at least acknowledged that there was an existence to feel indifferent about. It was as if the countless lives that would definitely be met with a tragic end amounted to absolutely nothing to him.
Yun Che wanted to ask: Are you sure the current Fog Monarch is the lord of the Abyss you encountered back then? And what was this so-called ‘abnormality’?
He chose not to after weighing the pros and cons.
“I understand.”
Yun Che nodded slightly. “You mentioned it before. Right now, you can only bear to carry one thing in your life.”
Mo Su cast him a sideways glance and curled his lips into a small smile. “Correct.”
Right now, all of his thoughts were focused on that one thing. Everything else… Even if the “Fog Monarch” had awakened, even if the world was going to collapse, even if the entire Abyss would cease to exist… as long as it did not interfere with his work, he did not care one bit.
Mo Su had looked Yun Che directly in the eye when he gave him the affirmative reply. He was telling Yun Che frankly that he would never surpass that one and only in his heart, even if he was Ni Xuan’s successor, even if he was the brother he acknowledged and the most wonderful pleasant surprise he had received in ages.
He could be Ni Xuan’s reincarnation, and he still would not surpass that one in his heart.
For several breaths, the duo just stared into each other’s eyes. Then, Yun Che opened his mouth and said with perfectly serious eyes, “When you were able to create a small but complete world with the specks of the Creation God’s divine power you wielded, you must have understood that you have touched on the boundary of the Creation God.”
“Although the Creation Gods were special existences crafted by the Ancestral God herself, and no living being could ever hope to become them, only approach them, the fact that you are able to make contact proves that your strength and level far surpass all living beings in the current world, including the eleven True Gods of the Abyss. Obviously, there is even less of a chance that there exists a living being in the ‘Eternal Pure Land’ who can surpass you.”
“In other words, you are unquestionably the most powerful existence in Primal Chaos right now. You are so powerful that even the awakened ‘Fog Monarch’ did not deserve to receive a sideways glance from you.”
“Given your strength, you should have been the freest man in the entire world. No matter what you set out to do, no one can stop you; no one would dare to defy you. There is nothing you cannot obtain, nothing you cannot achieve.”
“So… why do you insist on locking yourself up inside a cage? Why do you refuse to give yourself, the absolute champion of the world, any freedom, or even the room to breathe?”
“I’m sure you’re well aware that an absolute champion like you possessed the leeway to be distracted even while you were pursuing a certain goal with all your might.”
Only a tiny minority of people actually pursued power purely to advance the way of the profound. The far larger majority pursued power to stand in a higher place, to receive the admiration of others in arrogance, to look down on weaklings and toy with their fates, and to satisfy their desires to their heart’s content.
Mo Su was literally the most powerful existence in Primal Chaos right now, so much so that he was close to the level of the Creation Gods. Despite this, he had woven himself a cage of endless loneliness and infinite sorrow, never leaving for even an instant.
Mo Su smiled, turned away from Yun Che, and resumed watching the emptiness in front of him.
“If Big Brother Ni Xuan saw me right now, I am sure he would give me the same advice. However, only I know that I have no right to.”
“What do you mean?” Yun Che asked.
Mo Su slowly closed his eyes, blocking their divine light for a moment. Then, he reopened them and said, “Back then, if Xiaodie had not blocked in front of me with her body, I would have perished in body and soul three million years ago. Today’s Mo Su, Abyssal Monarch, and the abyssal world would not have existed without her.”
“The combined protection of two devil artifacts managed to preserve the last wisp of Xiaodie’s life, but this sliver is nothing compared to her death wish.”
“It’s because she could not forgive herself.”
Mo Su’s words and expression remained perfectly calm despite speaking of his most painful past. His voice did not tremble, and his emotions did not fluctuate. However, a well of unspeakable sorrow soundlessly emerged from the bottom of Yun Che’s soul and spread to every corner of his soul sea, unceasing.
“The Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror is the Original Nether Devil Clan’s core devil artifact. It contains the devil race’s greatest spatial power. Xiaodie was the Original Nether Devil Emperor’s favorite child. In order to ensure that no harm will ever befall her, and no accident will ever catch her off guard, he gave her his race’s most important devil artifact, the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror.”
“The Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl is the Nirvana Devil Clan’s core devil artifact. It contains the greatest time power of the devil race. It is powerful enough to resist the god race’s Eternal Heaven Pearl. Back then, everyone thought that the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl must be held by the Nirvana Devil Emperor. In reality, even in the devil race itself, less than ten people knew that the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl was carried by the Nirvana Crown Prince.”
“Xiaodie is one of the few who knew about this. Although she and the Nirvana Crown Prince do not belong to the same race, they grew up together and shared a bond that is closer than even blood-related siblings. Xiaodie called him the person who treated her best in the entire world.”
This was the moment the tone of Mo Su’s story changed dramatically.
“The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor had intentionally released the news that he intended to execute me in the God Realm of Absolute Beginning. He did this to lure Xiaodie out. With the spatial power of the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror, she had a huge chance of saving me even from his hands.”
“The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor wanted to execute me because of helpless reasons and circumstances. As for Xiaodie, he hated her to the bone. He wanted to kill her and even get his hands on the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror if possible.”
“Xiaodie is an intelligent woman. Of course, she was aware of his motives.”
“She still showed up, though. She didn’t just bring the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror, but also the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl.”
Yun Che had already learned about this from Ni Xuan’s memory fragment, but hearing it from Mo Su’s own mouth brought completely different feelings.
“The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor wasn’t expecting the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl. The combined flash of spatial and temporal power was able to temporarily seal even his Creation God’s divine powers. However, right before we would escape to safety, he extinguished all of our hope with the Ancestral Sword.”
Mo Su lifted his head slightly, eyes seemingly peering into an infinitely distant spacetime. “Back when I was just a young man, I once harbored infinite yearning toward ultimate power. I asked him what situation it would take for the Ancestral Sword to shine its divine light once more.”
“He told me that would happen only where there is no other choice. He told me that he would rather never have to use the Ancestral Sword for as long as he lived.”
“That day, I finally witnessed the power of the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword with my own eyes. It was a power capable of destroying even the heavenly law.”
“And he chose to use that power on me.”
Only Mo Su could know what he was feeling at that moment.
“The Ancestral Sword destroyed the time and space seals and severely damaged both the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror and the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl. It also sent me, Xiaodie, and the two devil artifacts into the Abyss of Nothingness.”
“It was during the hopeless fall that I learned that she had escaped from her clan while carrying the Original Nether Void Breaching Mirror. As for the Nirvana Devil Wheel Reversing Pearl, she had stolen it from the Nirvana Crown Prince by manipulating his absolute trust in her.”
“She did all this… for me.”
Again, his voice and tone sounded terribly calm. It was because those images, those voices, and all that despair and pain had cut and ground his heart and soul to paste again and again for several million years. No one could know just how many scars and wounds were carved into the strongest soul in the world… all of them bleeding and never healing.
“I asked her if it was worth it.”
“She told me that she did not regret doing this for me. She also said that she no longer deserved to live. She could die and be reincarnated to suffer ten thousand lifetimes of purgatory, and she still would not be able to look any devil in the eye ever again.”
Yun Che tried sucking in a deep breath, but his chest remained so heavy that it was suffocating.
“My father went so far as to use the Ancestral Sword to defend the right he believed in, and my Xiaodie… for my sake…”
He paused and turned to look at Yun Che. Still, Yun Che could not find any emotion in those eyes. “This is why I don’t have the right. Do you understand now?”
Yun Che was silent.
“So what if I possess the ultimate power?”
Mo Su’s voice softened, and he said seemingly to Yun Che, but probably more to himself. “What I pursue is, to ordinary mortals, but a mere trifle.”
“If she can wake up safely, power, lifespan, status… I can discard or sacrifice anything and everything I have.”
Yun Che sighed inside his heart and replied calmly, “There exists no one in this world who can truly empathize with you. So, the only one left who can console you is… I’m sure that, for your sake, she will awaken no matter how much she desires a peaceful rest.”
Mo Su smiled again, and this time his smile was infinitely warm. “Of course.”
He raised his right hand and gently tapped the black bracelet on his left wrist. Every single finger was swiping through the air with endless yearning and love.
A red light suddenly appeared in front of Mo Su. It was a ball of fiery light that drew the picture of a bird. It disappeared the next instant.
“Ling Xian is visiting. This is a rare occurrence.”
Mo Su sighed. “I thought she would never set foot in this hall again.”
High Priest… Ling Xian?
Yun Che saw the opening and said, “In that case, I should take my leave. Caili is probably going to get worried if I linger any longer.”
Yun Che regretted his words as soon as they tumbled out of his mouth… the hell were you thinking?! You’re practically poking Mo Su where he is hurting the most!
Mo Su said with a smile, “Of course. I have watched over Caili since she was a child. She is as innocent as she is pure. Since she fell in love with you, she will never betray you. You should never betray her love either.”
“Of course not,” Yun Che turned around and replied with a smile.
Mo Su raised his hand and touched Yun Che’s shoulder. The space in front of them contracted rapidly, and the next thing Yun Che knew, he was standing in front of the entrance.
Mo Su did not linger. He stepped out of Eden’s Temple together with Yun Che. Dugu Zhuyuan had been guarding the entrance all this time, so when he saw Yun Che and the Abyssal Monarch stepping out of the door shoulder-to-shoulder, he blanked out for a good few breaths before he rushed forward to salute the Abyssal Monarch.
Even so, the tidal waves in his heart were raging like a thunderstorm. After all, not even the Chief Priest would dare to walk side-by-side with the Abyssal Monarch.
Yun Che was just about to bid Mo Su goodbye when Mo Su said, “As your big brother, I should remind you about something.”
“…?!” Dugu Zhuyuan shuddered. He was going to drop to one knee, but Mo Su’s words nearly caused both of his knees to hit the floor with a resounding crack.
“Please enlighten me, big brother.”
Dugu Zhuyuan nearly lost his balance after just catching himself.
Dugu Zhuyuan wasn’t just the number one abyssal knight; he was also a close attendant of the Abyssal Monarch. Therefore, his position was more special than most. Yun Che did not wish to publicize their newly sworn brotherhood, so the Abyssal Monarch would obey his wish. However, there was no need to hide this from Dugu Zhuyuan.
Mo Su said evenly and calmly, “Shenwu Yanye desires to kill you.”
1. Yeah well, that would be true… if your opponent isn’t the bloody other half of the Ancestral God. If anything, I’m pretty sure that the influx strengthened her, and she’s closer than she ever was to becoming whole. And that is most likely what the AG on this side wants—to become whole once more. ☜