Chapter 118.2: Origin Divine Technique

Fully resolving himself, Qi Yuan pressed forward without hesitation. The stairway began to shatter behind him.

The dried corpse barred a twisted, sinister smile. "

Hahaha!

There’s no going back! You will sink into the Myriad Demon Gate just like me. You will be forever lost, becoming an inner demon!"

Yet those words fell on deaf ears. Qi Yuan radiated a domineering aura. The moment he stepped forward, a seventh of the mountain’s demonic corruption vanished.

In that instant, Qi Yuan condensed Pride’s divine power. "Arrogance — The Eye of Heaven!"

Various scenes flashed through his mind. Jiang Lingsu’s shapely figure beneath her loose robes. His master’s cold and lonely back. Ning Tao’s seductive legs, wrapped in black silk. Canary's petite, alluring frame.

He took another step forward, and more of the demonic corruption fell away. "Lust — The Crimson Lotus Inferno!"

Countless images surged in his mind as he advanced step by step, the corruption fading gradually.

The dried corpse's voice slithered into his ears, filled with endless temptation. "You think your inner demons vanish just because you turned them into divine power? You’re sorely mistaken! They’ll only draw closer to you! They’ll become you and you’ll become them!

Hahaha!

I once walked the same path as you. This road leads only to becoming a demon!"

Qi Yuan ignored him, focusing on forging his divine powers. Scarlet lotuses bloomed beneath his feet. A blood-red radiance shone from his back, like a Blood Demon Buddha offering salvation.

"Gluttony — Maw of the Devourer!"

"Envy — Endless Sea of Blood!"

"Sloth — Dream of Nothingness!"

"Greed — Soul-Eating Wraith!"

"Wrath — Heavenly Thunder!"

The Seven Deadly Sins condensed into seven divine powers. All the inner demons on Qi Yuan's shoulders vanished.

The dried corpse's grin twisted further. "

Hahaha!

You've become the inner demon itself!"

With a shriek, the corpse dissolved into one of the divine powers. Endless inner demons flooded Qi Yuan.

Expressionless, Qi Yuan fused the seven divine powers into one. "Ruler of the Void. Inner Demon Lure!"

The boundless tide of inner demons poured into Qi Yuan. His form began to change, mutating, warping.

The dried corpse's voice echoed once again within his mind. "From the moment you slew your first inner demon, you set foot on the path of no return! Pride fills your mind, Greed strips you of reason, Lust drives you into heat for every creature!

Haha

! Perhaps you've been suppressing yourself, forcing restraint upon your desires. But inside the Myriad Demon Gate, all those desires will burst forth like a raging flood! Your body, your soul, they've already begun transforming into an inner demon! Even the Supreme Buddha couldn't save you from damnation! You will become one of us!"

Just then, Qi Yuan's feet seemed nailed to the steps. The corpse's words were not entirely false. Ever since he began defeating demons and extracting their essences, something within him had begun to shift. Fragments of foreign images kept surfacing unbidden.

He secluded himself in the City of No Return, partly to guard it, partly to keep his growing inner demons in check. He killed and killed again, venting his desires through slaughter. Even in this life, he had done nothing but kill.

When he met Canary again, he had felt her charm more strongly than before. Was it a genuine feeling, or the inner demon's influence? It didn't matter. To Qi Yuan, thought itself was the heart.

Suppress desire? Embrace instinct? What nonsense. Kill, kill, and kill again—until rivers ran red and all were shattered beneath his blade!

The corpse's voice spread like poison in his mind. "

Become one of us! Merge with us! You have no way back!

"

Qi Yuan sat cross-legged upon the steps, bathed in blood. Slowly, inch by inch, he turned into a demon.

Within the Myriad Demon Gate, a colossal demon was taking form. Qi Yuan seemed completely oblivious to everything around him. He could no longer recall what he had been thinking a moment ago.

***

At the Ends of the Earth, the sea was blood-red.

Canary stared blankly at the Myriad Phenomena Gate. "Blood Drop, when will you come out...?"

Ever since Blood Drop entered the gate eleven years ago, she had been waiting. Five years ago, the gate changed and the surrounding sea bled crimson. Now, the red tide was creeping toward her feet.

Shang Yanran appeared beside her, clouded with worry. "Someday... he'll come out."

They had no clue what was happening inside the gate. Nevertheless, Shang Yanran could sense that a terrifying demon was taking shape inside. If it succeeded, the entire realm would fall into endless ruin. And that demon was likely the Blood Master.

"Don't comfort me, Sister Yanran." Canary's delicate face remained beautiful, her makeup flawless. "Those who enter the gate become demons."

Shang Yanran sighed softly. The Blood Master had sealed his fate by entering the gate. For the sake of the world, he’d fed himself to the demons and became one.

"If he ever comes out, I’ll be here waiting," Canary said with a bright smile. "Just like at Nine Plate Mountain, I want to be the first person he sees."

Shang Yanran said nothing.

The Blood Palace had begun to retreat from the Ends of the Earth, its people migrating away.

"Even if he's become a demon," Canary murmured, "I just hope he’s still good-looking."

At that moment, Bai Ze appeared, exhaustion written on his face. He raised his hand, revealing the ancient stone. "The Slate of Fate has been found."

Shang Yanran glanced at it without joy. "It’s too late."

Now that the Blood Master had turned into a demon, even the slate couldn’t save him. Had they discovered it upon his first entry, there might have been hope. The slate showed only one path: the demon-slaying.

Bai Ze fell silent, guilt filling his eyes.

Shang Yanran said softly, "Canary, we'll be leaving this place soon."

"

Mhm

." Canary said firmly. "Don't try to persuade me, and don't try to forcefully take me away, understand?"

Shang Yanran looked at the gate, then nodded. "Alright."

When they left, only Canary remained at the Ends of the Earth. She settled on the same boulder where she and Blood Drop had once sat together, gazing at the gate.

Her voice trembled with a sob. "Blood Drop, even if everyone else has given up on you, I’ll keep waiting for you!”

The world dictated that whoever emerged would be a demon. Even so, he remained her childhood sweetheart, her Blood Drop. She waited for him to return once more, just as she had at Nine Plate Mountain.

Years passed. The Blood Palace and the nearby cities were deserted.

The Ends of the Earth grew cold, the crimson frost covering the ground. Even the sea had frozen into blocks of blood-red ice. Only a dozen people remained in the Blood Palace.

The old man from Nine Plate Mountain had traveled thousands of miles to be here. Seeing no sign of his master, he sighed. "Did Master truly never mention my name? Is it too ugly-sounding?"

The Foolish Daoist shook his head. "Master put the world above all. How would he have had time to say your name?"

South Palace Big Dog looked down, crestfallen. They stared silently at Canary with heavy hearts. Tomorrow, they’d leave this place for good, leaving her behind.

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Bai Ze said with reverence, "

Haa

... Master bore the weight of the world, yet was slandered by Violet Heaven Maiden. She was scarcely punished for what she had done, while Master had to sacrifice himself."

Everyone present was moved. They gazed at the Myriad Phenomena Gate, as if to take one last look. Just then, there was a change.

Shock filled their faces. "What's happening?"

The endless sea of blood reverted back to water. The crimson frost on the ground melted and vanished.

Canary's frostbitten hands felt a trace of warmth, and her face turned pale with fear. "Blood Drop... his aura. It's gone!"

The dozen remaining followers flew to her side, staring at the gate with disbelief and sorrow. The crimson frost was gone, the world bright and clear once more. The demonic aura within the gate was fading rapidly, vanishing forever.

Shang Yanran was grief-stricken. "The Blood Master awakened a shred of humanity, destroyed his own heart, and chose to vanish from this world."

Not even the Buddha could reclaim his humanity. Instead, he became a great demon within the gate and was lost forever. How could they not be moved to tears when the Blood Master suffered the same?