He and It Chapter 232: Inquire Here (60)

Chapter 232: Inquire Here (60)

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: GaeaTiamat

 

The blood of the Supreme Evil was thick, mixed with both icy and scalding temperatures, almost like a writhing living thing. It splattered across Liu Fuguang’s face.

His pupils kept shrinking, and in a fraction of a second – or perhaps even shorter – he understood the key to the matter.

– “It would be better not to be the Supreme Goodness.”

– “If you don’t wish to remain the Supreme Goodness, then sever it.”

– “When the Supreme Evil disappears, you will no longer be the Supreme Goodness.”

Those were the words and promises from the divine.

He’d repeatedly stated that he no longer wished to be the Supreme Goodness, which made Yan Huan shed tears in agreement. Since the name of Goodness was shaky, and with the Supreme Evil behind him, how much longer could that soul remain trapped by Internal Demon?

There was no time to think further. The roar of the Internal Demon echoed through heaven and earth, as they uttered ancient proverbs, some of which Liu Fuguang could barely understand. The dragon language rumbled like thunder, and Yan Huan instantly sprang up to retaliate.

They both revealed the characteristics of the True Dragon of the Zodiac. Yan Huan’s skin cracked, and countless endless black arm and leg limbs erupted like dragon scales extending across his body. Nine eyes connected like vertebrae, forming a line that protruded like floating islands. Internal Demon had a ferocious face, sharp teeth and fangs that crisscrossed in a chaotic pattern, and tore straight through its chest. A single eye was set in the center of its skull, and every strand of wild black hair acted as tendrils whipping around.

The two giant humanoid beasts clashed violently, with Internal Demon’s arm still lodged in Yan Huan’s back, but it was swiftly torn apart by Yan Huan’s brute force.

At that moment, Liu Fuguang could only hold his breath, for breathing had become impossible. The death struggle between those two divine-level fighters stirred countless storms in the high heavens. They desperately drained all the surrounding energy to allow themselves to strike faster and more viciously at each other.

The magma in the red waters jumped and sprayed furiously before rapidly cooling into lifeless black stone. The fire element’s energy was drained entirely by them, and after they left, this place would have no life, no temperature, only endless dead land.

“Take him away!” Internal Demon roared. “Fulfill your promise!”

The Drought God quickly regained his composure, opened his massive lava-like hand, and lunged toward Liu Fuguang. Yan Huan let out a long indescribable howl, like the combined roars of a tsunami and an earthquake. The sound was a manifestation of hatred, madness, fear…and many other emotions.

“Do your thing, don’t worry about me!” Liu Fuguang shouted back, as he dodged the Drought God’s attack as if he were a jade butterfly fluttering gracefully away from some flames.

The Supreme Goodness seldom made a move, but when he did, he didn’t need any special weapon. However now, he faced the Drought God, the heir to the ancient female drought demon. In an age when the divine way had almost been severed, the Drought God was as powerful as a true god.

Liu Fuguang faced the blood-red giant and glanced at the dry, cracked ground. He then rolled up his sleeves and slowly reached down.

The Supreme Evil’s blood, Yan Huan’s along with that of Internal Demon, stained the ground. Among the countless scattered limbs, Liu Fuguang’s pale fingertips touched the surface, caused the black, tar-like blood to twist and spiral upward, and gathered the scattered limbs. Eventually, Liu Fuguang pulled out a long black blade shaped sword, though only one side was sharpened.

“A sword is a gentleman’s tool. I never knew the Supreme Goodness would use a knife,” the Drought God chuckled.

“What kind of deal did you make with Internal Demon?” Liu Fuguang asked. He knew that unlike Yan Huan, who was locked in an eternal struggle with Internal Demon, he still had some words to exchange with the Drought God. “His words can’t be trusted.”

The Drought God’s pupils were long and narrow, as if the years had withered them. Time had eroded his humanity, and Liu Fuguang had to scrutinize carefully to catch a glimpse of the once innocent king beneath the layers of time.

“Even if he can’t be trusted, he promised me a future that would not be uprooted,” the Drought God replied. “With that alone, I’m a hundred times stronger than both of you.”

Liu Fuguang couldn’t help but say, “Things don’t have to develop like this.”

The Drought God stared at him for a long while.

In the dim, vast sky, everything was drowned out by the apocalyptic clash of dragons and beasts. The heavens seemed dead, and the world below seemed doomed. That gaze from the Drought God felt particularly heavy.

“You and the Supreme Evil entered the Mirror of the World. You must know my life’s story by heart,” the Drought God said. “You say things don’t have to go this way. Then tell me, what can I do to reverse my fate from when I was human?”

Liu Fuguang couldn’t answer. He knew there was no way. The Mirror of the World had given them a chance, but whether it was the Supreme Goodness or the Supreme Evil, neither could change the fate of King Chishui.

“Time cannot flow backward, and the past cannot be changed,” the Drought God continued. “We have exhausted all our schemes, and everything we’ve done was for the things that haven’t happened yet. Perhaps the flowers don’t have to wither, the homes don’t have to scatter, and people don’t have to hate each other so much.”

“So don’t say any more,” the Drought God said quietly. “He promised you as my spoils. Let me see what the Supreme Goodness can do!”

Liu Fuguang’s heart tightened, and he shouted, “This isn’t good!”

In the Mirror of the World, he had indeed figured out the “curse” to expel the Drought God, but the curse couldn’t be spoken without preparation. A curse that neither side could understand would be like playing music to cattle – it wouldn’t help at all.

His original plan had been to provoke the Drought God to continue speaking, at which point he could naturally use the curse to expel him. But the Drought God didn’t fall for that trick. Before Liu Fuguang could even finish his sentence, the battle had begun.

The drought god wasn’t skilled in magic and relied purely on his bloodline power to alter the course of time. He took a deep breath, and clouds of scorching blood mist shot into the sky, like tangible lightning and fire.

Instantly, his temperature was as hot as the sun, and the black rocks under his feet erupted into brilliant light before they melted into flowing liquid. The divine field expanded in an instant, like a blooming flower. The once withered surface, drained by the Supreme Evil, now burst forth with vast scorching light spots.

Liu Fuguang’s figure disappeared as he vanished into the Drought God’s domain, soundlessly and invisibly, like a lover’s parting turn.

The knife blade trembled through space, its precision impossible to describe. It slashed toward the Drought God’s neck, yet not a single fiery spark was disturbed. The most skilled butcher danced gracefully, while the least skilled assistant cautiously cut sashimi. Liu Fuguang’s knife contained the qualities of both – immense skill hidden in simplicity, a perfect creation.

The Drought God’s head flew off, and a column of magma shot into the sky.

Liu Fuguang’s eyes were fixed on the flying head. As he leaped up, preparing to strike again, the wind whooshed past his ear faster than he could move, and struck at his back.

That was the Drought God’s severed body, which had been beheaded by the Yellow Emperor yet remained alive. A mere decapitation wouldn’t stop him.

A giant hand, like a mountain, crashed down on Liu Fuguang’s head. He twisted mid-air, and desperately blocked with his sword, but the immense force bore down upon him instantly. The blade let out a sharp, screeching noise, and the back of the sword was embedded deeply into Liu Fuguang’s chest. The strike sent him flying over a hundred miles!

A series of shockwaves exploded in the air, and Liu Fuguang’s bones screamed in pain. Blood spurted from his mouth, but his opponent didn’t give him any time to recover. In just a few breaths, the Drought God’s head was reattached, with only a golden-red scar at the severed point.

“Not bad,” the Drought God said. “Far beyond my expectations.”

He looked around thoughtfully and said, “I forgot that you are of that bloodline from the land of the rising sun. You must have some resistance to fire.”

He turned toward Liu Fuguang and added, “Put down your weapon and come with me. I will treat you with the respect I would give to a teacher.”

Liu Fuguang froze. “You know…”

He suddenly thought, how could He not know? The Mirror of the World was the Drought God’s divine artifact, and everything that happened within it must have been clear to Him.

It seemed like the Drought God knew exactly what he was thinking. He grabbed Liu Fuguang and said, “Everything that happens in the Mirror of the World is like another life, vaguely etched into my mind. Of course, I know.”

A golden opportunity had come!

Liu Fuguang had crossed blades with the Drought God countless times. The sword’s edge hummed like a swarm of bees, and the powerful wind pressure pushed him back, as though hundreds of tiny blades were cutting at his face, robes, and arms. He gritted his teeth and said, “Since you’ve already acquired divine power, why don’t you continue to fulfill your ideals? Why drive humanity into the earth and send your followers to hunt them down?”

“Do you feel sorry for them?” In contrast to his own struggle and exhaustion, the Drought God seemed unbothered, as if it were all a game. “I forgot, humans are your kin, after all.”

In truth, the Drought God didn’t need technique or agility, by simply wielding his power through his arms, he could split the heavens themselves. The divine domain collided with pure, ultimate energy, which triggered blinding arcs of lightning. Liu Fuguang forced the blade to vibrate like flowing water, which barely managed to deflect the god’s attack.

“Answer my question!” He shouted, his voice sharp. “Are you afraid to face your past self?!”

The Drought God’s laughter was hollow. He retorted, “Afraid? No, on the contrary, I despise my former human self! In that regard, the Supreme Evil was right. There’s so much human suffering that only by witnessing or causing others’ misery can one gain a small sense of release. I never understood that. My youth was consumed by fear and illusions, and it wasn’t until after death that I achieved true enlightenment and freedom.”

“Why do humans always kill each other, fight each other, and are never able to understand one another?” He asked, each question accompanied by a punch more forceful than the last. “Why go through all this trouble to create an ideal kingdom? It’s only when facing a great enemy that humans can unite!”

Liu Fuguang suddenly understood.

“This is your way…” He murmured. “To realize your concept of ‘good,’ you’ve become the greatest evil of the age.”

“I was twenty-one years old that year,” the Drought God said. “I had no idea that, over ten years later, I would become the Drought Demoness, the root cause of all suffering, and die in a ritual of mutilation. Why? The ultimate good? Humans are your kin, then you answer my question. Does it matter whether the influence of the Ghost Dragon Sun Devouring God is ignored? The rumors are spread, but is it because I was foolish, a king whom all despised, or because I was different, someone they had never seen before?”

Liu Fuguang feinted and escaped from the suffocating heat of the Drought God’s blows, his clothes singed and fluttering in the wind.

“I don’t know,” he admitted truthfully. “I really can’t answer your question.”

The Drought God scoffed triumphantly. Just as He was about to close in, Liu Fuguang spoke again.

“But there is one thing I can tell you.”

The Drought God stopped in his tracks. Curiosity and suspicion flickered in His eyes.

“Since you say that everything that happens in the Mirror of the World is like another life of yours, then I guess this artifact doesn’t have the power to kill or alter the past. It can only change your future.” Liu Fuguang said.

The deity squinted, half skeptical and half confused. “So what?”

Liu Fuguang replied, “But you’ve already found your ‘path’ and firmly believe in it. So, no matter how many times the Mirror of the World shows your life as a human and king, it’s all in vain.”

“Yan Huan and I entered the mirror as the Supreme Goodness and the Supreme Evil, respectively. Those were the last two attempts of the artifact. I taught you the ways of ruling, to make your kingdom strong and your mind clear, but with the arrival of the black sun, you eventually died at the hands of a mob. Yan Huan taught you the way to sever love and emotion, leading you into Core Formation, becoming a being no mortal could match, but even the black sun’s radiation couldn’t save your cultivation base. In the end, you met the same fate.”

He faced the Drought God, and used his blade to sketch a Tai Chi diagram of yin and yang.

“Yin and yang are the source of all things,” he said. “Yan Huan and I are the two extremes of the great path. Drought God, the Mirror of the World has already shown me how to expel you. Do you want to hear it?”

The Drought God’s expression changed suddenly, His triumphant demeanor vanished in an instant. He finally realized, he should never have listened to the words of the Supreme Goodness.

He roared angrily, took a step forward, and charged at Liu Fuguang like a wild beast as he ignored everything in his path.

Liu Fuguang locked eyes with Him, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Divine Path!”

Instantly, the Tai Chi diagram trembled violently, and split into a black-eyed white dragon and a white-eyed black dragon, like two towering hurricanes or sharp steel spikes, that pounded into the Drought God’s chest!

Blood erupted like lava, and the Drought God’s body was like a volcano that spewed a sea of blood, and the red steam engulfed the land. His roar turned into a howl of agony as he was sent flying and traveled thousands of miles in an instant.

Thousands of years ago, Shujun had begged the Demoness, saying, “Goddess, please move further north.” ¹ The Demoness did as asked because, to the north, there was still a place for her. 

At that moment, Liu Fuguang told the Drought God, “God, leave this place, and never return!” The Drought Demon must retreat, for this world no longer had a place for it. The two extremes of the great path had both tried to help it, but it refused to change its stance.

The ground cracked open, and formed deep ravines like a creationist copper bull dragging the yoke of the sun, moon, and stars across the barren land. Below, magma and dark rivers churned with a low, sorrowful sound, like a hesitant whimper.

The commotion was so immense that even Internal Demon and Yan Huan stopped fighting to look down in disbelief.

Internal Demon, wary, and Yan Huan, overjoyed, never expected Liu Fuguang to have such a final move.

“What are you so pleased about?!” Internal Demon growled, his frustration boiling over as he snapped at Yan Huan, “The Supreme Good grows stronger, and you only weaken. Look at yourself! Do you really think you can beat me?”

He was right. Yan Huan was severely weakened, yet he still stood against Internal Demon, who had both godly strength and the heart of a dragon. It was nothing short of a miracle. However, Yan Huan was now a shadow of his former self. His dragon blood flowed like a waterfall, his eyes were muddied, and most of them blinded by Internal Demon. The crystals of his eyes exploded and turned to sludge. They resembled broken, deformed flowers.

When he saw that, Internal Demon immediately had a new idea.

“Supreme Goodness!” He grabbed Yan Huan’s nine eyes by the spine and shouted down to the ground. “If you don’t want me to devour your entire being, come find me in the world’s sea! Remember, my patience is limited, and time is even more so!”

With that, he lifted Yan Huan’s broken body, and with a howl, a massive black hole tore through the clouds, and connected to the outer worlds as it scattered stardust.

Internal Demon and his physical form vanished.

Liu Fuguang gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. He needed to act quickly. He charged toward the Drought God, who was now on the verge of being banished.

He had to remove this anchor point. He had to…

In the massive crater that resembled a fallen meteor, the Drought God was still alive. Scalding blood and steam sprayed out continuously. His chest was completely sunken, and his limbs and bones cracked. Even if he were to be reborn, it would be an extremely slow and difficult process.

“Do it…,” he said, his mouth full of blood, his words muffled. “Decapitate me, take my head…I will gradually disintegrate, and no longer exist in this world. Do it now…”

Liu Fuguang, limping, raised his long knife and aimed it at the Drought God’s neck, the same spot he had previously struck.

He thought of the vast desert, boundless and endless. The Drought God had made himself an inescapable ruler for the people here. They were alive, but they lived in fear of Him. He had claimed that only by facing a unified, great enemy could everyone come together. However, was that really true? If people could so easily set aside all their differences and conflicts in the face of common fear, then why did the Zhuangliu God still appear?

The blade was raised high, but Liu Fuguang suddenly froze.

…Still it could not be denied that King Chishui had done nothing wrong. On the contrary, his wish was genuine, and his efforts were real. Everything was manipulated by the will of the heavens. He shouldn’t have died, and the Drought God shouldn’t have manifested in this world. It was the actions of the people that had brought about the birth of such a monster.

The blade shifted slightly. Facing the severely injured Drought God, Liu Fuguang was caught in a dilemma.

Yes, it was indeed the people’s sins, but death was like the extinguishing of a flame. Should the sins of the dead be passed down to their descendants, forcing future generations to pay the price? Even if the curse was passed down, how many generations would it take for the Drought God’s revenge to be satisfied? Thousands of years had passed, and King Chishui was innocent, while the Drought God was undeniably guilty.

Liu Fuguang raised the knife a second time, but for some reason, a breath was swelling in his chest, and he refused to release it.

If that was the case, the law of the heavens demanded karma and balance. All mistakes must fall on Yan Huan’s head. It was the Supreme Evil who had sparked the tragedy. He had crossed over with the Xuan Sun, which triggered the evil in everyone’s hearts…And I, too, was imprisoned in a coffin, unable to hear the cries of the world, the endless sorrow.

The knife wavered again, and Liu Fuguang quickly tightened his grip on the hilt.

No! Stop thinking like that! Good and evil are distinct. For the greater good, I must remove the anchor point and render Internal Demon helpless, or else all my efforts will have been for nothing!

He raised the knife a third time, but at that moment, he was lost in thought. The only thing left in his mind was that final image.

Yan Huan.

He had already been weakened beyond measure. If he struck down the Drought God, he would have no strength left to defend himself. Internal Demon could kill him in an instant.

…Yan Huan.

Liu Fuguang raised the knife three times and lowered it three times.

Finally, he made up his mind. He looked at the Drought God and softly said, “I’ll leave you here. I’ll settle the score with you later.”

The Drought God was struck with utter disbelief at the unexpected turn and exclaimed, “You…you are the Supreme Goodness! How can you not strike me down?!”

“I am not the Supreme Goodness,” Liu Fuguang said as he turned to leave, his voice low. “Not anymore.”