Origin Divine Ability

The withered corpse was not actually physical. Even its cassock was formed from soul. The monk before Qi Yuan was, in truth, an amalgamation of inner demons. The moment it struck, it set the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons—the Gate of Myriad Manifestations—into motion, sending countless inner demons to tear and gnaw at Qi Yuan. "You and I are the same, harboring the world's ultimate evil." "Greed, pride, lust... sins of every kind. Sink into ultimate bliss with me!" Qi Yuan's blood energy surged violently, his crimson robe fluttering without any wind. A broken sword condensed in his hand. Upon its blade hung an aura dense with every sort of evil filth. After slaying demonic monstrosities, Qi Yuan's Monstrosity Origin had reached its absolute peak. "Sink?" Qi Yuan's ferocity was even more terrifying than the myriad demonic monstrosities around him, making him seem like an arch-monstrosity overlord. "A bunch of EXP packs actually want to drag me down with them?" The crimson sword in his hand was condensed purely from Monstrosity Origin. The wicked aura it radiated was stronger, not weaker, than that of the inner demons. "Become my nourishment!" Qi Yuan flicked his sword. Every inner demon that bit into him shattered into pieces. By viewing the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, he had gained the mutation ability. The Monstrosity Origin he had extracted by slaying demonic monstrosities shared a common origin with these inner demons, more or less. Slaying these inner demons converted them into his Monstrosity Origin. He advanced step by step. Inner demons sprang forth continuously, only to be cut down by his sword and absorbed as Monstrosity Origin. "No wonder the cultivation methods of the Canglan Realm all have flaws, turning cultivators into nourishment. "Extracting nourishment really feels great!" Ignoring their cries, Qi Yuan slaughtered them without pause. His Monstrosity Origin swelled madly. [You comprehended the origin. Mutation ability +9,999.] [You comprehended the origin. Charm +1.] [You comprehended the origin. Slacking ability +1.] As Qi Yuan ascended the flight of stairs, the withered corpse clung to his back, whispering in his ear. "One step forward is a ten-thousand-fathom abyss, the world of ultimate evil. "One step backward is a boundless demon realm, the world of ultimate bliss. "Sink into this Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, and assimilate with me into the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons!" As Qi Yuan trod upon the steps, countless pale hands reached out from the pitch-black, bottomless abyss, clutching firmly at his ankles and tearing at his clothes. The withered corpse on his back continued to whisper in his ear. Looking as far as the eye could see, demonic monstrosities stretched endlessly. Qi Yuan suddenly remembered a line of dialogue. "I am the sun!" Following his voice, a brilliance of ten thousand fathoms abruptly burst from his body. Qi Yuan intended to purify this demon realm with the radiance of the Great Sun. A sweeping wave of ten-thousand-fathom radiance surged forth. Qi Yuan thought this would surely restore peace and clarity to the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, annihilating every last inner demon! However... events unfolded somewhat outside his expectations, taking a slight twist. Upon witnessing his ten-thousand-fathom radiance, the inner demons showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, like moths to a flame, fanatical expressions appeared on their faces as they threw themselves toward his blazing light. "Hey, I'm not your daddy!" Fanatical as they were, Qi Yuan showed no mercy. As the ten-thousand-fathom brilliance swept through, every inner demon dissolved into his Monstrosity Origin. "I clearly hung like a great sun in the sky—why weren't the inner demons afraid of me?" "Could it just be because my light... is blood-red?" "You're practicing color discrimination!" Qi Yuan grew indignant. These inner demons clearly had no eyes, yet they still managed to discriminate based on color. Boundless light devoured the monstrosities. Like an all-powerful demon lord, Qi Yuan walked up the endless stairway corridor, ascending slowly. Countless insights and boundless wickedness flooded his body. If he wished, he could directly condense his origin divine ability right now. Gluttony—Throat of Taotie. Pride—Eye of the Firmament. Lust—Red Lotus Karmic Fire. ... Seven Deadly Sins, seven origin divine abilities, which would then merge into one. Once an origin divine ability manifested, it could sway the minds of all living beings, plunging them into the Avici Demon Realm. ... Divine Light Sect, Five Lights Peak. Kang Fulu stood outside a cave abode, his expression respectful as he looked through a water curtain. Inside the cave abode was the Peak Master of Five Lights Peak, Kang Fulu's master—True Monarch Taiguang. A raspy voice carried out as True Monarch Taiguang imparted the essentials of condensing a Golden Core to Kang Fulu. "If you wish to condense a Golden Core, you must first survive the Inner Demon Tribulation, then pass the Heavenly Tribulation. With a vessel treasure as your core, your spiritual energy will solidify, uniting to form the Golden Core. "Now that heaven and earth have changed, the Heavenly Tribulation no longer manifests. One need only overcome the Inner Demon Tribulation to attain the Golden Core. "The Inner Demon Tribulation is difficult... yet also not difficult. "The stronger one's obsession and the firmer one's temperament, the harsher the Inner Demon Tribulation becomes. "Acting according to your true nature, open and uninhibited, may instead leave your heart free of inner demons, making it easier to pass. "Just like that Qi Yuan of Seven Colors Peak—obsessed with a single thing, his heart utterly free of other distractions, he would actually find it easier to pass. "Remember above all: do not be bewitched by inner demons. You must slay them!" "This disciple understands," Kang Fulu said, standing before the cave abode and pondering his master's words. The Inner Demon Tribulation... ... Inside the Gate of Myriad Manifestations—the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, as the corpse called it—every kind of inner demon imaginable ran rampant. A rich crimson light radiated from Qi Yuan's body, and endless inner demons piled upon him. Carrying what seemed like a small mountain of inner demons, he climbed arduously toward the topmost door. With every passing second, thousands upon thousands of inner demons tumbled from the mountain, turning to ash. Yet even more surged forward, clambering onto Qi Yuan's back one after another. It was as if he were the most delectable delicacy in the world—as if he were the Demon Lord! "Right now, I look like an oversized inner demon myself," Qi Yuan chuckled softly. The Seven Deadly Sins generated countless emotions that flashed through his eyes, turning them red. Shouldering endless inner demons, he climbed the stairs step by step. These inner demons were his nourishment, destined to become Monstrosity Origin. Suddenly, feeling a stir of inspiration, Qi Yuan bellowed aloud. "All inner demons ought to become my nourishment! If I want you to live, you live; if I want you to die, you die!" [You comprehended the origin. Power of Samsara +1.] When the prompt appeared, Qi Yuan froze. In all the time he had spent comprehending the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, this was the first time he had gained such a profound, high-tier ability. Could it be... spouting grandiose boasts was enough to gain enlightenment? At that thought, he hurried to speak. "I govern the Great Void, omniscient and omnipotent, the origin of all things! "When I close my eyes, an epoch passes, all things perish, and the universe shatters; when I open my eyes, an epoch begins, all things revive, and the universe restarts! "Time is a strand of my hair; space is the gap between my locks; the Heavenly Dao is my meditation when dozing off; matter and spirit are mere figments of my imagination!" Qi Yuan exhausted his vocabulary to describe himself in the grandest terms possible. He felt thrilled. If he could truly comprehend such mighty powers, he would make an enormous profit. [You comprehended the origin. Bragging ability +1.] Qi Yuan: "...Just this?" Qi Yuan felt immense regret over wasting so much time. He had ended up with nothing more than a useless bragging ability. The withered corpse's voice still lingered beside his ear. "Turn back. If you step any further, you will fall into a state of eternal doom, utterly sinking into the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons!" The withered corpse's voice caused a ripple in Qi Yuan's eyes. "Endless inner demons are all my food. What is there to fear?" "No living being can withstand the monstrosity burden of an entire world! "Not even an Arhat, not even a Buddha could achieve it!" the withered corpse shrieked. Endless inner demons crawled up from beneath the stairs in an unbroken stream. Qi Yuan's eyes had turned entirely red. Even his skin had taken on a crimson hue. He raised his head and looked at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Was his Dao... Monstrosity Origin? Should he condense Monstrosity Origin into his origin divine ability? One could possess only a single origin divine ability; once chosen, there was no regret. Did he truly want to tread this path? Yet under the suffocating weight of endless inner demons, Qi Yuan also felt tremendous pressure. Even he found it difficult to endure, desperately in need of a release. After all, this was thousands, ten thousand times more terrifying than the Divine Reflection had been. He took a step forward, pondering his true essence. Yet he could not recall it—he could not recall it at all. Suddenly, enlightenment struck, and a smile broke across his face. "Since you worship me so much, I'll be merciful and condense you into part of my divine ability!" At that moment, Qi Yuan made up his mind to forge ahead without looking back. The steps behind him began to shatter. The withered corpse wore a ferocious grin. "The path back is severed! Hahaha! You will sink into the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons forever just like me, turning into an inner demon!" Qi Yuan turned a deaf ear to the corpse's voice. An overbearing, domineering aura radiated from Qi Yuan. He took a step forward, and one-seventh of the monstrosities piled upon him vanished. "Pride—Eye of the Firmament!" In a flash, he condensed the divine ability of pride. Across Qi Yuan's mind flashed the graceful curves of his junior sister Jiang Lingsu beneath her loose robe, the cool, solitary silhouette of his master's back, Ning Tao's bewitching, slender legs wrapped in black silk, and Canary's petite, alluring form. He took another step forward, and the monstrosities upon him diminished once more. "Lust—Red Lotus Karmic Fire!" Countless images flashed across his mind as Qi Yuan advanced step by step. The monstrosities clinging to him slowly disappeared. The voice of the withered corpse carried through, laden with endless seduction. "Do you think transforming inner demons into divine abilities will make them vanish?" "Wrong! Utterly wrong! They will only draw closer to you!" "They will become you, and you will become them!" "The path this humble monk walked back then was the very same as yours! Haha... this is the path of turning into a demon!" Qi Yuan paid it no heed. He continued condensing his divine abilities. Blood-red lotuses bloomed beneath his feet, one after another. Upon his back, a crimson light shone as though offering universal salvation, making him resemble a blood demon Buddha! "Gluttony—Throat of Taotie!" "Envy—Endless Sea of Blood!" "Sloth—Dream of Inaction!" "Greed—Soul-Devouring Spirit!" "Wrath—Nine Heavens Divine Lightning!" The Seven Deadly Sins condensed into seven divine abilities. Every inner demon on Qi Yuan's shoulders vanished. A ferocious smile stretched across the withered corpse's face. "Hahaha, you have become... an inner demon!" With a feral snarl, it too dissolved into the divine abilities. Boundless inner demons filled every part of Qi Yuan. Expressionless, Qi Yuan united the seven divine abilities into one. "Virtual Realm Sovereign's Inner Demon Summons!" At that moment, countless inner demons flooded into Qi Yuan's body. His flesh also began to mutate in that instant. The voice of the withered corpse rang out within Qi Yuan's mind once more. "From the moment you slew your first inner demon, you stepped onto a path of no return!" "Pride fills your mind, greed robs you of reason, and lust makes you desire every creature of the opposite sex!" "Haha! Perhaps at first you suppressed yourself, forcing control over your desires!" "Yet once you entered the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, every desire surged like a torrential flood pouring down from the heavens!" "Your flesh and your soul have already begun to demonize! Haha, even if a supreme Buddha stepped in, he could not pull you back from the depths!" "You will become one of us!" Following the corpse's voice, Qi Yuan's feet seemed nailed to the steps. What the corpse said was indeed true. Ever since he began slaying demonic monstrosities and extracting Monstrosity Origin, Qi Yuan's temperament had undergone a subtle shift. Scenes he had never considered before would inadvertently surface in his mind. Confining himself to a single city and rarely interacting with others had been partly to guard the City of No Return, but also to prevent inner demons from taking root. He had slaughtered relentlessly, using slaughter to dissolve his desires. Comprehending the origin anew and arriving in this lifetime, he had continued to slaughter without pause. Seeing Canary again, he had noticed a different charm in her than before. Was it born of his true heart? Or the stirring of inner demons? It did not matter. To Qi Yuan, actions were the heart. Suppress desires? Liberate nature? Bullshit! Slaughter until rivers of blood flow, shattering everything with a single sword! "Turn into an inner demon! Merge with us!" The withered corpse's voice spread relentlessly within his heart. "You have no way back!" Qi Yuan sat cross-legged upon the steps, his entire body soaked in crimson. His flesh was demonizing continuously, turning into monstrosities inch by inch. Within the Gate of Ten Thousand Demons, a terrifying giant demon seemed to be taking form. Qi Yuan turned a deaf ear. Whatever he had been thinking, he could no longer recall. ... At the Ends of the Earth, the sea had turned entirely blood-red. Canary stared blankly at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. "Blood Bead... when are you coming out?" Eleven years had passed since Blood Bead entered the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Throughout these eleven years, she had waited outside. Five years ago, a strange change had overtaken the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, dyeing all the surrounding sea red. Now, the red had begun to spread, creeping right up to Canary's feet. Shang Yanran appeared beside Canary and said with deep worry, "He will come out one day." They had no way of knowing what was happening inside the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Yet Shang Yanran had already sensed that an all-powerful demon was brewing within it. Once it succeeded and emerged, this realm would be plunged into eternal doom. And that demon... was very likely the Blood Lord. "Sister Yanran, you don't need to comfort me." Canary's face remained exquisitely beautiful, her makeup delicate. "Entering the Gate of Myriad Manifestations means turning into... a demon." Hearing this, Shang Yanran let out a soft sigh. Entering the Gate of Myriad Manifestations had sealed the Blood Lord's fate. For the sake of all living beings, the Blood Lord had entered the Gate of Myriad Manifestations to seal it shut, feeding the demons with his own body. ...And turning into a demon himself. "If he comes out, I will be waiting for him right here," Canary said with a bright smile. "Just like Mount Jiupan, this young lady wants the first person he sees to be me." Shang Yanran said nothing. The Blood Palace had already begun withdrawing from the Ends of the Earth. The people living here were steadily migrating away. "If he still looks just as handsome after becoming a demon, that would be nice," Canary murmured. At that moment, Bai Ze appeared, his face worn with exhaustion. "The Slate of Fate has been found." He reached out and brought forth the Slate of Fate. Seeing it, Shang Yanran showed no excitement in her eyes. "It's too late." By now... the Blood Lord had clearly turned into a demon. Even the Slate of Fate could not save him. Had they possessed it when the Blood Lord first entered, they might have used it to find a way to rescue him. Now that the Blood Lord was a demon, the Slate of Fate would only reveal methods to slay him. Bai Ze fell silent, his eyes filled with self-reproach. Shang Yanran spoke up. "Canary, in a few more days, we will be leaving this place." "Mm." Canary's voice was firm. "Don't try to persuade this young lady to leave, and don't knock me out to carry me off, understand?" Shang Yanran glanced at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations and finally nodded. "All right." Shang Yanran and Bai Ze departed, leaving Canary alone at the desolate Ends of the Earth. She sat upon the giant rock where she had once sat with Blood Bead, gazing at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Her voice carried a hint of tears. "Blood Bead, even if no one else waits for you, this young lady will!" The world claimed that whatever emerged would be a demon. Yet that was also her childhood sweetheart—her Blood Bead. She watched the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, just as she had on Mount Jiupan, waiting for that childhood friend to appear once more. Time was fickle. By now, the Blood Palace and the surrounding cities were virtually deserted. The Ends of the Earth had grown freezing cold, with blood-red frost congealing over the ground. The sea water had frozen into crimson blocks of ice. Within the Blood Palace, only a dozen or so people had not left. They were the only ones remaining in this place. The little old man had traveled thousands of li from Mount Jiupan, only to find no trace of the Blood Lord. Looking at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, disappointment showed in his eyes. "Did Master truly never mention my name? Could it be because my name sounds too awful?" Daoist Yu shook his head. "Nangong Dagou, Master placed the world above all else. How would he have time to mention you?" Nangong Dagou looked somewhat crestfallen. Standing there, they looked toward Canary not far away, visibly moved. Tomorrow, they would depart this place for good. Only Canary would remain here. "Alas, Master prioritized the common people, only to be slandered by the Mystic Maiden of the Purple Sky. "No sooner had the Mystic Maiden been slain than Master entered the Gate of Myriad Manifestations for the realm's sake, feeding the demons with his own body." Bai Ze's eyes held deep emotion and profound admiration. Everyone present was moved to have such a master. They looked toward the Gate of Myriad Manifestations, wishing to take one final glance. Yet at that very moment, a sudden change occurred. "What is happening?" Shock appeared on everyone's faces. Across the boundless sea of blood, the frost vanished, returning once more to water. The blood-red frost on the ground was also disappearing. Canary's red-chilled hands felt a wisp of warmth, yet terror seized her face. "Blood Bead's... aura... why has it vanished?!" The dozen or so people flew toward Canary, gazing at the Gate of Myriad Manifestations with expressions of shock and complex emotion. Now that the crimson frost had vanished, the mortal world seemed to have regained its clarity. The aura of the giant demon within the Gate of Myriad Manifestations was rapidly decaying, as if that monstrous entity were about to disappear from this world forever. Shang Yanran spoke with profound grief, "The Blood Lord... even after transforming into a supreme inner demon, he managed to awaken a final shred of humanity, severing his own heart meridians to depart from this world forever." Back then, the Buddha had transformed into an archdemon and entered the Gate of Myriad Manifestations. Even the Buddha had sunk into darkness, unable to reawaken his humanity and end his own existence. That the Blood Lord was able to do so—how could they not be moved?