From the end of the world

Chapter 707 The Illusion of Dreams
I don't know exactly how the two principles of mountains and waters achieved this effect, but I can clearly observe what the effect is.

This is a temporal effect; the Mountain Yin-Yang has copied and summoned the damage it caused in the past into the present. Because the Water Master Xuanwu was previously injured by its magic, it now has to endure dozens, even hundreds, of similar instances of damage. Even a single instance would be enough to severely injure it, let alone so many. Death is the inevitable outcome.

Neither Meng Zhang nor I could stop Shan Liangyi's actions. We were unable to harm him, nor could we shield Shui Shi Xuanwu from attacks originating from within his body. We didn't even have the time to feel a sense of shared sorrow. After Shui Shi Xuanwu died, something seemed to rapidly move from that location to behind Shan Liangyi.

On that enormous, deep yellow wheel, two of the blank rings began to glow anew. One was a deep, dark black, the other a sharp, silvery-white. Clearly, the Black Tortoise Seed and the White Tiger Seed had been transferred to him.

Meng Zhang's eyes grew increasingly gloomy.

The situation is now likely completely beyond repair.

In the past, when the Azure Dragon descendant became stronger first, the Mountain Yin-Yang lineage changed its hunting order to prioritize obtaining the Vermilion Bird Seed instead of the White Tiger Seed, which countered the Azure Dragon descendant. This might be because earth generates metal, and the Mountain Yin-Yang lineage wasn't entirely at a disadvantage against the Azure Dragon descendant. By strengthening the Yellow Dragon Seed with the Vermilion Bird Seed, they could also enhance the metal element magic they derived from it.

Even if he could convert the metal element into magical power, the fact that he only possessed the Yellow Dragon Seed before was still undeniable. In some aspects, he might still not be able to effectively suppress the Azure Dragon successor. The reason Meng Zhang was able to dodge his surprise attack earlier was not only due to Meng Zhang's exceptionally strong strength and speed at the time, but also because the metal element magical power did not achieve its expected hit rate.

Now, that weakness no longer exists. The Black Tortoise Seed can completely counter me, and the White Tiger Seed can completely counter Meng Zhang. Having recovered the two power seeds, Shan Liangyi not only has a significant advantage in attributes, but its magical power fluctuations are also rising steadily.

I'm pretty certain that, setting aside the nature of his third gate, purely in terms of raw power, the Mountain Yin-Yang form was weaker than me in my Corona form and Meng Zhang in his normal state. It was only through the power boost from the Metal element that it reached a level comparable to us, and it surpassed us through elemental advantage. But right now, he truly surpasses both me and Meng Zhang in every way, to the point that it has created a unique effect.

I could clearly sense that the fire magic, which had initially only briefly become uncontrollable, was now becoming increasingly erratic. The more hostile I was towards the Yin-Yang of the Mountain, the more the power seemed to refuse to serve me. The flames that made up my corona-shaped body seemed on the verge of dissipating.

In addition, I was already severely injured, and my consciousness was so scattered that it affected my ability to control my powers, making it even more difficult for me to move. Just maintaining my Corona Form body took up most of my strength.

It's hard to imagine that just one blow could have left me like this, but perhaps that's how real battles are supposed to be. There aren't so many long, drawn-out battles; victory or defeat is always decided in an instant.

I cannot give up hope. I must think of a way, otherwise I will only become fish on the chopping block... But what can I do now? Even if I join forces with Meng Zhang, it will be difficult to come up with a strategy to defeat the enemy.

The chances of winning a direct confrontation are absolutely zero, so what about running away? That probably won't work either, since the opponent is the Great Impermanence, who is extremely skilled in the power of time and space.

Even so, we must not give up thinking. Since our lifelong ideal is to embark on a magnificent adventure, we should not give up easily in the face of immense danger. Think quickly. Even in what seems like a hopeless predicament, there may be a narrow path to survival hidden within.

I don't know if it's because my power is being disturbed by the "source" of the mountain's duality, or perhaps it's because my mental state is slightly dazed at the moment, but I vaguely perceive something deeper.

Deep within my soul, there seems to be a red light that is almost tangible, which at first glance looks like a luminous seed.

This red seed of light resides at the very center of my soul, and all the magic I possess seems to emanate from it. If my magic is the ceaselessly flowing blood, then this seed of light is the ever-beating heart.

This is the "Seed of the Vermilion Bird"—I instinctively recognized this.

At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Seed is attempting to detach from my body, moving towards the direction of the Mountain and Yin. Although it cannot truly detach for the time being, it is gradually shifting away from the center, and the connection between it and my soul is also gradually peeling away. My soul instinctively reconnects, achieving a kind of balance with the Vermilion Bird Seed's shift. It feels like a tug-of-war.

I took deep breaths, completing the full repair of my body and soul, but the tug-of-war between my soul and the Vermilion Bird Seed did not become smoother. Perhaps this was just a facade; I vaguely sensed that a large part of the Vermilion Bird Seed was parasitizing my true spirit. Otherwise, in the past, when I was shattered to pieces and my soul was scattered countless times, the Vermilion Bird Seed would either be destroyed along with me or detach from my soul.

My changes also caught the eye of Yama Ryougi.

“Just as I heard, Suzaku, you are a manifestation… or rather, an innate manifestation?” He stared intently at me. “Is it really possible? Someone who can attain enlightenment and manifest without any acquired cultivation… “No, that’s impossible… but you do possess the unique qualities of the manifestation realm, that’s beyond doubt…”

His eyes revealed a desire to possess me, and he didn't seem to bother to hide it, openly displaying his naked desire.

"Mountain Two Elements, where are you looking?" Meng Zhang said coldly. "You don't actually think you've already won, do you?"

"Oh?" Yama Ryougi turned to look at him. "Isn't that how it is? Or do you have some other insight?"

“I admit you’re stronger than me now, but that’s just my personal defeat. I still have ‘Shangri-La’…” Meng Zhang said. “You just severed my connection with ‘Shangri-La’ using the White Tiger’s killing power, didn’t you? But don’t forget, ‘Shangri-La’ is still here. Do you think you can rest easy so quickly? As long as you re-establish the connection—”

He raised his head and shouted at the blue sun in the sky, "'Shangri-La,' give me your power... kill Shan Liangyi and Zhuang Cheng!"

Shan Liangyi made no move to stop him, but simply watched Meng Zhang quietly.

Two seconds passed, and "Shangri-La" still did not react.

Its gaze was no longer fixed on this spot.

Meng Zhang looked astonished.

"'Shangri-La'... What's wrong with you?" he asked blankly. "Why aren't you responding to me?"

Shan Liangyi smiled and said, "Let me praise you, Azure Dragon... no, Lord Meng Zhang of Peach Blossom Spring. Otherwise, I really can't bear it. For you, no amount of praise is enough."

"'Shangri-La'... I must confess, this is a magnificent miracle that I could never create no matter how much effort I put in. It is truly the ultimate achievement that surpasses the realm of 'dream'. You are a genius who can rival my Mountain Yin and Yang. If the Vermilion Bird hadn't intervened, you might indeed have accomplished the great feat of creating the universe."

"It is precisely because of the existence of 'Shangri-La' that I must remain hidden until it temporarily focuses its attention elsewhere before striking, using the White Tiger's killing power to accurately sever your connection with it at the spiritual level."

"And you, Meng Zhang, despite being its creator, have always had a huge misunderstanding."

Meng Zhang stared intently at Shan Liangyi like a gambler who had lost everything, and hissed in a low voice, "Misunderstanding... what misunderstanding!?"

"Shangri-La is a self-contained universe, essentially a self-contained entity. It does not pursue possibilities outside itself, much less has the instinct to seek rebirth in the outside world," Shan Liangyi said. "In the end, how could a closed universe interfere with another universe? What truly manifests its power in this world is your own talent and ability, your mad obsession and faith that brought it to this world."

“What are you talking about…” Meng Zhang said through gritted teeth.

"If you can't understand this explanation, then I'll use a simpler, more straightforward one," Yama Ryougi said. "Escaping pain is human nature. If another world exists that promises eternal happiness, wanting to escape into it is understandable. So, creating infinitely beautiful dreams, letting those who suffer in reality indulge in them, voluntarily transforming into cells of 'Shangri-La' within that happiness—that's what you're doing, but…"

Why do you think that by linking together the consciousness of millions of people who escape reality and pursue dreams, you can create a consciousness entity that doesn't want to escape reality?

(End of this chapter)