From the end of the world

Chapter 745 The Truth About Weapon Forging
The Yin-Yang, Black-and-White magic power seems to possess attributes similar to those of true spiritual power.

If we were to name the most effective force at harming me, it would undoubtedly be the power of the True Spirit. Not only can it not be neutralized by manifesting itself, but if my True Spirit is harmed by the power of the True Spirit, I will also suffer full damage.

The Mountain Two Elements are the enlightened beings of the legendary realm of "Reincarnation," and all legendary realms are closely related to the self-realization of one's true spirit. The Yin-Yang Black and White magic, as the true power of the Mountain Two Elements, may also reveal its core nature in this respect. Strictly speaking, I can determine that the Yin-Yang Black and White magic is not true spiritual power, but if one is directly harmed by it, it is best to consider it "equivalent to being harmed by true spiritual power."

Even though the manifestation of the spirit weakened the power I was enduring, the opponent was still using a power specifically designed to shatter true spirits. Against me now, it might only take three strikes, or even two if I was unlucky. This Yin-Yang Black-White magic is truly terrifying. Without the manifestation of the spirit, given the current power disparity, a single strike might have been enough to decide the outcome of the battle.

However, since Shan Liangyi is still using "power equivalent to true spirit power" rather than true spirit power itself at this point, it can be basically concluded that he is unable to directly output true spirit power in battle. To be precise, even if he could use true spirit power, its strength would most likely not be enough to influence this battle.

My current situation is actually quite similar. Although I have achieved "manifestation," I cannot simply output true spiritual power on my own. My true spiritual abilities are mainly manifested in the ability to continue living even after my body and soul have been destroyed.

The same applies to Shan Liangyi; his true spiritual power is likely concentrated primarily on the aspect of "reincarnation." Furthermore, he is also capable of intervening in matters related to true spiritual power, such as severing my connection with the fragments of the divine seal in the past.

I felt it becoming increasingly difficult to dodge the Yin-Yang attacks; he was about to hit me. My fire attacks were all blocked by his Yin-Yang black-and-white magic, rendering them ineffective. It seemed my options in the battle were gradually shrinking, and soon I would be helpless. However, at least I still had one option.

I immersed a portion of my consciousness into my soul, sensing its ever-evolving and strengthening structure, and then gazed into the distance. Although my internal transformation had not yet reached its limit, that limit certainly existed somewhere, and I could now more or less predict where it was.

That was a new extreme, a new door, something called the "Fourth Door." Since it was a formidable wall destined to block my path after I pushed open the Third Door, this idea shouldn't be wrong. Even in the midst of great uncertainty, the "Fourth Door" was something whose existence was doubted, and even more so, whether it could be pushed open at all. Even Shenzhao only confirmed its existence after directly questioning the Lord of the Divine Seal in the illusory realm.

In my current view, the fourth door seems incredibly far away. Even if I continue to evolve at the current pace, I don't know when I'll have the chance to reach that door. However, as a manifested and enlightened being, I possess a privilege here. A privilege that can be opened in an instant with just a decision. That is to completely liberate my existence, to truly "become anything."

Ultimately, iterating on one's own soul structure is not the fastest way to become stronger. No matter what the structure is, in the end, one must define internal and external boundaries; with structure comes limits and limitations. Therefore, by simply abandoning the concept of structure and truly merging with the universe, becoming one with all things, I can possess infinite power.

At that time, don't even mention a third or fourth door; there won't be any "doors" at all here.

With this in mind, I began to try to completely liberate myself. I vaguely sensed an endless power surrounding me, stretching from where I stood to the boundless distance, even to the ends of the universe. By simply merging myself into it, I could become this infinite ocean of power itself.

I can be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent.

There's absolutely no need for such miscellaneous things as divine seals; I will change everything, create everything, and destroy everything—

But... is this really what I need?
Is this necessary for my path?
Such a question arose inexplicably in my mind, and immediately a strong warning sounded in my heart. No, this warning may have sounded in my heart much earlier, but I was simply unaware of it before the question arose.

I immediately stopped my attempt.

I can't go on like this. It's a trap, a one-way trip. That's what my gut feeling tells me.

"Where are you looking?" Shan Liangyi's voice was filled with murderous intent. "This is the final blow. Turn to dust!"

As he made his declaration, a significantly stronger yin-yang black-and-white magical power appeared in his palm, far more potent than before. He was about to unleash a fatal attack. I immediately focused all my attention on countering this strike.

Just then, the Four Symbols and Five Elements Wheel behind him stopped spinning as if it had jammed.

The Yin-Yang and Black-White magic power in the palm of his hand also caused a huge upheaval, resulting in intense chaos and turmoil. It was difficult to maintain its proper form and was about to decompose into the previous Five Elements magic power.

He was immediately taken aback, and his body retreated at high speed along an irregular path, quickly glancing behind him.

On that majestic wheel of the Four Symbols and Five Elements, the Vermilion Bird Seed began to struggle violently for some unknown reason. It was like a component embedded inside an industrial machine, out of place with its surroundings in certain shapes and details. It was not noticeable when the machine was running at a low speed, but once the efficiency increased, the conflict with its surroundings would be amplified, and the load it bore would exceed its limit, causing the entire machine to malfunction.

"What's going on..." Shan Liangyi muttered, "The Vermilion Bird Seed is malfunctioning? Wait, this isn't a malfunction... The Vermilion Bird Seed has been distorted by some kind of force?"
"No one can distort my power elements under my nose, unless..." Unless the problem with the Vermilion Bird Seed occurred before he retrieved it.

As a manifestation of the Dao who can integrate consciousness into all things, my perception has become unprecedentedly profound. Combined with the experience of Xuanming that I have fully absorbed, as well as my own series of past experiences, I was able to analyze at a glance what kind of distortion this Vermilion Bird Seed had undergone, and the major question that had troubled me for so long was finally revealed.

The Vermilion Bird Seed was distorted by my innate gift of manifestation.

Compared to my current manifestation, the innate manifestation I possessed in the past was at best an incomplete thing, a mere embryo or embryo. Although I still don't know why I possessed that unprecedented talent from the very beginning, even an innate manifestation, however incomplete, was still part of the legendary realm.

As a seed of power that appears alongside the cycle of the Mountain and Yin-Yang, the Vermilion Bird Seed can also be seen as a manifestation of a part of the legendary realm. Just as neither I nor the Mountain and Yin-Yang can undeniably overpower the other, the Vermilion Bird Seed cannot undeniably overpower the innate manifestation.

Thus, while my power was distorted and limited to "flame," the Vermilion Bird Seed also suffered excessive burden and distortion.

The specific result was that, despite being a seed of power that should have manifested as "the power of fire and weapon forging," it only manifested the "fire" aspect, while the "weapon forging" aspect became merely the ability to refine souls into slag. Although I later transformed the slag into practical slag weapons, that was just turning waste into treasure; the slag itself was not worthy of being called a result of weapon forging.

All my power was undoubtedly taken away beforehand, along with my innate spiritual talent, all transferred to that Four Symbols and Five Elements Wheel. However, this "taken away" was not complete; remnants remained within me. For an extremely brief period of time, I maintained my original state. Just as my fiery body would immediately collapse and explode after losing the Vermilion Bird Seed, at least in the instant before this "immediate" moment, I still retained the form of the Great Impermanence.

It was during this extremely brief window of time that I became a true miracle, opening the third door.

After becoming a spirit, one can recreate any talent and power lost in the past by changing one's own soul at will and becoming any being.

Now the problem lies with the Vermilion Bird Seed. Because it has consumed too much, the seed has not only become distorted in shape but has also fallen into a state of indigestion.

Since an indispensable part of the Five Elements cycle has become like this, the Mountain and Yin-Yang principles have naturally become difficult to exert their full power.

"It seems neither of us is at our strongest right now," I said.

"Stop rambling!" Shan Liangyi's face darkened.

Unlike me, who can continuously evolve in battle, his problems cannot be solved while fighting. Presumably, if given some more breathing room, even if he cannot immediately digest all the gains from the Vermilion Bird Seed, he will at least be able to adjust his condition back to a level where he can fight at full strength. However, I am not so gentlemanly as to give him that kind of time.

If conditions are right, I would naturally want to grow to my peak state first and defeat the fully-formed Mountain Ryougi head-on.

But I'm not a seasoned boxing legend, and I won't force that. If the opponent isn't at their peak, that's their problem. My usual approach in such situations is to strike while the opponent is down. I'll use any means necessary to win, and that's always been my approach.

I attacked him at high speed, and Shan Liangyi retreated repeatedly, seemingly having made up his mind. At the same time, he looked extremely humiliated, as if he wanted to grind all his teeth to dust.

A large amount of deep yellow magic power rapidly gathered in his hand, forming a familiar-looking black sphere.

I suddenly remembered that this was a terrifying spacetime spell that Huang Quan had used in the real world, which had once banished me to nothingness.

I never expected that Shan Liangyi would also know this move... No, thinking back, it's probably more unusual that Huang Quan knows this move. Perhaps Shan Liangyi is the "source" of this move.

Shan Liangyi threw out the black magic sphere, which expanded in the air in an instant, bursting out with boundless attraction, trying to banish me into nothingness.

(End of this chapter)