From the end of the world

Chapter 784 VS Mountain Ryougi 3
Without a word, I manipulated all the surrounding flames, unleashing a new attack on Shan Liangyi. Seeing this, Shan Liangyi retreated again, avoiding the flames and retreating back into Earth's atmosphere.

He probably realized I had deliberately brought the battle to outer space, and therefore wanted to shift the battlefield back to Earth, where I was hesitant to act rashly, to gain a chance to catch my breath. If he had a clear advantage, he certainly wouldn't care whether the battlefield was on Earth or in outer space, but now that he was at a disadvantage, he had to humble himself and reclaim the "advantage of location" that he had once disregarded.

As the saying goes, "things don't happen more than three times," and this time I also tried to use the power of reversion to pull him back to his original position, but he nimbly dodged it. While the distance between us wasn't close enough was certainly a factor, the most important reason was that he had already personally experienced the same move twice. Being proficient in spacetime techniques, he was a master of evasion, and the gap between us wasn't so vast that I could repeatedly succeed in his most formidable area.

I also moved into the atmosphere and relentlessly pursued him. Suddenly, he turned around and unleashed a powerful attack, his Yin-Yang and Black-White magic transforming into a thick beam of light that shot towards me like a spear that could pierce through anything.

Flames coiled around my palm as I countered with a hand chop. The pillar of Yin-Yang and Black-White magical energy shattered like a high-pressure water jet hitting an indestructible reef amidst a deafening shockwave. Seeing that I had dealt with this surprise attack unscathed, Shan Liangyi's expression twisted even more.

His true spirit was mostly severely damaged, but the injuries were not fatal. Perhaps due to the advantage brought by his innate talent for manifesting spirits, his combat power did not show any significant signs of decline for the time being. However, his emotions had already begun to spiral out of control, and he felt that this trend was unacceptable.

Not long ago, I was utterly overwhelmed by his Yin-Yang Black-White magic; he held a decisive advantage, forcing me to constantly flee and dodge. Had it not been for the sudden indigestion of the Vermilion Bird Seed midway through, he would undoubtedly have defeated me long ago. But now, he is far stronger than in that battle, and the situation has reversed. Caught off guard, he was severely injured by me and is now desperately trying to avoid my attacks. He certainly hadn't anticipated this turn of events before the battle began.

He must have known that I, as a true manifestation realm cultivator, could continue to grow stronger, and he must have known that I might have had ample time to grow stronger in the void. However, he seemed to believe that he still possessed strength surpassing mine. The reason he had such confidence was probably because he didn't know two things.

One of them is that the Mountain and Yin-Yang principle is not a true manifestation of the divine. Perhaps he had seen other manifestations of the divine before, but manifestation is a legendary realm with a wide range of fluctuations, and different manifestations of the divine cannot be confused.

While Shan Liangyi certainly knows a lot about me, he doesn't truly understand my thoughts or the underlying soul upon which my manifestation realm is built. The principle of "adventure" isn't synonymous with "becoming stronger," but it has a very good compatibility with the concept of power. Facing crisis, overcoming it, and using any means necessary—a manifestation built on this purpose inevitably possesses a sufficiently high combat potential.

Thanks to the opportunities presented by time within the void, I have now realized a significant portion of my potential. This doesn't mean I'm absolutely unable to continue growing, but without a special breakthrough opportunity, I can basically be considered to have reached my current limit. If Yama Ryougi still thinks I'm the same person I was in the last battle, then it's like fighting a strong, healthy adult with the same carelessness one would show when dealing with a child.

Although the battlefield has returned to Earth, a place I never wanted, I have not shown any mercy. In past battles, I have never once held back against the enemy out of fear of being drawn into the surrounding environment. Since it is a life-or-death battle, everything must serve to defeat the enemy; it would be truly shameful to put oneself in a disadvantageous situation due to hesitation.

Soon, I found another opportunity to approach Shan Liangyi. The flames transformed into close-range artillery fire, striking him hard. This time, he focused most of his power on defense, avoiding being instantly destroyed again, but his body and soul were still severely injured, before beginning to recover at a visible speed. I didn't give him much of a chance to catch his breath, pressing my advantage.

After countless clashes, I simulated a spacetime teleportation ability similar to his, using the power of reversion as an auxiliary means to try and entangle him. Another point-blank barrage struck, and he was finally unable to parry or dodge, blasted to smithereens.

Immediately afterward, the spirit of Shan Liangyi was restored to its original, undamaged form. It let out a hysterical roar, dodging my attacks while trying to find an opening to counterattack. Its power remained at its full potential, with no apparent reduction in output.

Although I knew my attack should have caused him effective damage on a spiritual level, the lack of positive feedback was indescribable. Did I really inflict proper damage on him? I couldn't help but have that thought.

I used to think that innate spiritual talent was meaningless for the third stage of the Dao. Now it seems that was probably a misconception born from my own unappreciated good fortune. It turns out that once viewed from the enemy's perspective, innate spiritual talent is such a troublesome thing.

However, this is still not enough to prove that the two aspects of the mountain can reverse the outcome.

At first, he seemed unable to process reality, but as he repeatedly experienced his disadvantages, his expression became increasingly frantic.

“Your biggest mistake was running away from me last time, Yama Ryougi. That was your last chance to defeat me,” I said.

"Shut up—shut up!" Shan Liangyi was furious.

However, his movements remained swift and decisive, unaffected by his extreme emotions. And after a series of exchanges, I observed some things I hadn't been aware of before.

Although both are beings from distorted worlds and could influence the world's restart, those of us from the Third Gate, like myself and the Old Fist God, whose origins lie here, are not affected by our own worldviews simply because we exist here. After all, our inner worldviews developed and grew here, so we can generally coexist harmoniously. The more I observe the power of the Mountain Ryougi, the more incongruous it seems. This confirms my suspicion that the Mountain Ryougi is indeed a figure who visited from another world.

Based on my speculation, the Third Gate, Great Impermanence, travels to different universes, making it difficult for it to truly unleash its full power. Just as a sprinter can hardly achieve the same speed on a track on rugged terrain, the Third Gate, while possessing the ability to distort the world and unleash power that violates the established setting, also means that it must first expend a portion of its own power to fight against the world.

Shan Liangyi seems to have defied even this principle; what he is showing now is clearly his full power.

Ultimately, I didn't see any elements of another world in him. The Four Symbols and Five Elements system, and the Yin-Yang and black-and-white magical powers reminiscent of Tai Chi, are elements that can be found in the culture of this world. Perhaps these cultural symbols exist in another world as well, but since he is a visitor from another world, shouldn't he also demonstrate some concepts that are beyond our comprehension?
Considering the extent of his current power, I quickly realized that the truth might be the opposite of what I thought.

It's not that the Mountain Yin-Yang system failed to unleash a power system that surpasses this world's, but rather that this world's power system has been tainted by too many elements of the Mountain Yin-Yang system.

The "reincarnation" of the Mountain Ryougi allows him to be reincarnated repeatedly in the history of this world, and in fact, he does just that. In this process, the history of the Witcher is constantly influenced and reshaped by the Mountain Ryougi.

This is an act of manually reshaping the worldview, which is completely different from the approach taken by the Divine Seal.

Liu Shuying created the concept of the Witcher, but it was impossible for him to meticulously define the history and power system of the Witcher. Such a vast and complex subject matter was beyond his imagination alone; he might not even be able to create a coherent framework. Much of this gap was likely filled by the otherworldly knowledge brought by Shan Liangyi.

Even the native demon hunters of this world inherited his power system, essentially giving himself, an unregistered individual, a legal identity. The "Twisted" power known as "Mountain Ryougi" has long been deeply ingrained in the world's background. From another perspective, he could even be considered the "Shadow Creator" of the current worldview.

However, this was probably not something he pursued from the beginning; it was more likely something he did passively.

Under the influence of the willow tree's shadow's wish power, this world was reorganized on the premise that there was no change in the surface society. The traditional culture related to Tai Chi and the Four Symbols and Five Elements is not only the foundation of the mysterious knowledge of the strange world, but also an important part of Chinese history in the world of common sense. In other words, before the two polarities of the mountain brought the relevant system to this new world, the old world already had the relevant culture, and it was passed down to the new world.

This may seem to contradict my previous assumptions, but there is still an explanation that allows both viewpoints to coexist.

Based on my speculation, it's highly likely that at the same time as the new world was forming, in order to transform things that were merely symbols of natural philosophy in the past, including Tai Chi and the Four Symbols and Five Elements, into truly powerful mystical entities, the power of the Divine Seal drew the Mountain Two Elements, which were in a state of reincarnation, into this worldview. In other words, it wasn't that the Mountain Two Elements actively participated in the creation of the world, but rather that they were captured by the power of the Divine Seal and became the cornerstone that allowed the new world to be established.

“I’ve heard this before…” I said with some insight, “Just like there are a large number of symbiotic bacterial communities in the human gut that help with food digestion, it is said that many parts of the human genome and immune system today are also made up of fragments inserted by ancient viruses.”

"I thought that the Great Impermanence of the Third Gate was just a threat to the world, like a virus, causing distortion, but it turns out that it can also form this kind of mutually beneficial relationship."

"Those who have received 'favors' from you are perhaps not only the successors of the Yin-Yang lineage. The vast majority of demon hunters in this world from ancient times to the present, and even many Great Impermanences, can be considered your disciples and descendants."

Upon hearing what I said, no pride appeared on Shan Liangyi's face; instead, an expression of extreme disgust emerged.

"What do you mean by bringing this up?" he asked coldly. "Now that things have come to this, are you suddenly recounting my misdeeds... are you trying to find a way to humiliate me?"

“I have no interest in humiliating my enemy. But since you expect it, I'll reluctantly grant your wish,” I said. “Yama Ryougi, why aren't you going to die yet? What are you waiting for?”

(End of this chapter)