Chapter 457 The Last Scar
Mazao and I returned to the Luoshan headquarters to discuss how to proceed with future activities.
Although the mission was to investigate Peach Blossom Village, this was only a general direction; how to implement it in practice proved to be a major challenge. Luoshan held a dominant position in the world of demon hunters, and Peach Blossom Village, as its adversary, naturally couldn't be openly established. Its various strongholds were far more secretive than the Humanitarian Bureau, and the village lord himself was elusive, rarely appearing in public unless he himself made a move; his actual location was rarely traced.
Xuanming was no different. No matter how upright and honest he was, he had to remain in a state of concealment when faced with the threat of Luoshan's multiple unpredictable forces. If he rashly stepped forward, he would be mercilessly destroyed.
During the discussion, I also took the opportunity to confirm another matter with Asahi.
That is about the great impermanence of the apocalyptic era.
In the apocalyptic era, the Great Impermanence is usually referred to as "human gods." Asahi naturally cannot answer how many human gods exist in the Evangelion, and the total number of human gods and Great Demons in the apocalyptic era is also a question that cannot be answered with a specific number. However, even a general answer would be acceptable, such as whether there are more than ten, more than twenty, more than thirty, etc.
Of course, more than thirty is still too many. Logically speaking, even if you add up all the powerful individuals of this level in the modern world and the apocalyptic era, it shouldn't exceed thirty... No, that's not necessarily true. I remember Asahi also mentioned that there is no phenomenon of loss in the apocalyptic era. In other words, the Great Impermanences who were lost in history may very well return in the apocalyptic era.
In Zhu Shi's words, this should be called "power expansion," right? That thought popped into my head for no reason.
Whether those lost, unpredictable beings return in the form of gods or demons, they will undoubtedly cause immense turmoil in the apocalyptic era. Individuals with such a strong presence should leave a lasting impression, even if the survivors of the apocalypse are prone to forgetting things.
However, Asahi gave an answer that did not meet expectations.
"The total number of gods and demons still existing in the post-apocalyptic era wouldn't exceed ten... No, the word 'existing' is wrong. It should be 'up to the time I transmigrated,'" Asaho said uncertainly. "As for the number of gods and demons in Fukuinin, although I can't recall it accurately, it's definitely not as many as in Rozan... From my vague recollection, at most two or three? If it's four, five, or six, then it deviates from my perception..."
"As for the great demons of the end times, although I have said before that there are no more than ten of them, it seems that some of them have already been defeated... probably by the combined efforts of the gods and men of the Gospel House? I can't say exactly how many have been defeated, and I can't even give a definite answer as to whether there have actually been any cases of them being defeated."
"Moreover, in my impression, the Great Demons seem to be immortal and indestructible. Even if their bodies and souls are destroyed, they will strangely revive at some point in the future. However, I've forgotten where I learned this knowledge; it was probably at the Evangelism Institute."
"As for whether there are lost gods and humans... or lost great impermanence returning, I have no recollection of that. Before coming to the modern world, I had never even heard of the concept of 'lost,' let alone 'the existence that returns from the lost.'"
"Combat strength" doesn't seem to have inflated as much as I imagined... After listening to Ma Zao's words, this thought in that direction inexplicably popped into my head again. The more I chat with Zhu Shi, the more it feels like there's a Zhu Shi living inside my head, responsible for my吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criticism).
If we accept Ma Zao's unclear account, I can only think of three possibilities for now—first, the Great Impermanence who were lost in history have indeed returned, but most of them died in the great calamity of the end times.
Secondly, this is also based on the premise that the lost impermanent beings have all returned. Faced with the apocalypse that is about to befall this world, they have all basically chosen to escape to the deep space of the universe.
Third, although the phenomenon of the Lost Ones disappears in the apocalyptic era, this only means that there will be no more Great Impermanences to be lost in the future, and does not mean that all the Great Impermanences that were lost in the past will be able to return smoothly. It's like a civilized society enacting a law, which is generally not used to retroactively apply to the past—I don't know if this analogy is accurate.
Oh, and there's another possibility: the apocalypse isn't the future, but the afterlife.
If that's the case, then those Great Impermanences who didn't die but were merely lost certainly wouldn't have appeared in the "apocalyptic era" that Asaho experienced. However, if this possibility holds true, then the Great Demon of Calamity, who is suspected to have been transformed from Xuanming or me, and the Great Demon Xuanwu, who seems to have been transformed from the Water Master Xuanwu, become inexplicable.
I'm not in a hurry for an immediate answer. As long as I keep following the clues about Peach Blossom Spring and the Gospel Monastery, the answer will eventually come to me. Carrying many mysteries and the expectation of the answer, I will walk forward with my head held high, facing danger and enemies. This is the path I hope to take.
As our conversation progressed, I noticed a hint of worry creeping onto Asaho's face. While others might not have noticed this subtle change in expression, having spent so much time with Asaho, I could easily perceive it, a fact that filled me with a small sense of pride. I then inquired further about Asaho's concerns.
She told me honestly.
"—Do you feel like you can't get stronger?" I asked.
“Yes… Lately, I’ve been trying to find ways to become stronger. I don’t expect to become a Great Impermanence overnight, but I hope that I can at least reach a point where I won’t distract you on the battlefield,” she said. “But now, no matter what I do, I can’t become stronger. It’s like I’m being pulled back to the spot by something heavy.”
"Could it be that we've encountered a second door?" I wondered.
The second gate, which is also the second limit for Witchers, is the decisive chasm between the Great Completion stage and the Great Impermanence stage, a barrier that is theoretically impossible to overcome.
“No, I don’t feel like I’ve reached the limit of my soul,” Mazao said. “Those who have reached the Great Completion stage, like the Water Master Xuanwu and the Great Demon Yinyue… they are the ones who have truly touched the second gate.”
"While I am confident that I can defeat Chenlong and Shenqiang in a head-on battle, and even if they join forces, I am not without a chance of winning, I am still far inferior to that human and demon."
I once used the ability to create a fake moon in the water to share some of my memories with Asa, allowing her to personally experience the power of the Water Master Genbu and the Silver Moon. Therefore, she has a clear understanding of that human and demon.
“I think… though it’s just a guess, the problem lies in my soul,” Mazao continued. “The Divine Elixir of the Water Master Xuanwu only healed my soul to the point of near perfection, not a complete cure. I can feel that there are still imperceptible scars inside my soul.”
"Although this scar won't affect my life or my battles, it has prevented me from becoming stronger. I also asked Zhu Shi about this, and she said that I might have damaged the foundation of my cultivation."
"I've heard that after reaching the Great Completion stage, every centimeter of progress becomes incredibly difficult, requiring immense willpower to squeeze out potential even from nothing. In such circumstances, even the slightest damage can become a decisive obstacle."
"I see..." Now I'm at a loss for a solution.
I had previously consulted with Lu Chan and Elder Zhu about how to completely cure measles. Since I'm already a high-ranking official, I have access to countless resources, so theoretically, there should be more ways to treat measles. However, things aren't so optimistic.
My perspective is now so much broader than before that I truly understand just how rare and valuable the Divine Elixir handed over by the Water Master Xuanwu really is.
In short, it is truly a miraculous elixir of the highest order.
If Yin Yue rivals Da Wuchang in the realm of illusion, and Yu Chi rivals Da Wuchang in the realm of formations, then Shui Shi Xuanwu rivals Da Wuchang in the realm of alchemy. To produce a miraculous elixir with healing effects surpassing Shen Gui Ling Dan, one would either need Shui Shi Xuanwu to become Da Wuchang, or find a Da Wuchang specializing in alchemy.
Such great impermanence has existed in Luoshan's history, but they have all been lost. Shuishi Xuanwu is the greatest Daoist master in modern times.
While formations or other methods can be used to heal the soul, their effects are not as good as those of alchemy.
"If all else fails, try asking Yuchi. He can use the power of the Divine Seal Fragment, and maybe he can do things that even the Divine Elixir can't. If that still doesn't work, then try other methods; perhaps quantitative change can lead to qualitative change." I said, "Ma Zao, do you have more knowledge about healing the soul? As long as it's safe, we can try them one by one."
After pondering for a while, Ma shook her head: "No, I basically know nothing about this. And in the post-apocalyptic era, very few people would need this kind of knowledge and skills."
"Why is that? Do blessed cultivators in the apocalypse not need healing even if their souls are damaged?" I asked in surprise.
Damaging the soul is not an obscure attack method. On the contrary, as long as one infuses their magic with the intention to harm the enemy's soul, even a high-ranking witcher can do it with ease. Even low-ranking witchers possess many curses specifically designed to damage the enemy's soul, and there are countless strange entities that pose a threat to the soul itself.
It's impossible that soul damage is rare in the apocalypse, right?
"No. The reason is that in the apocalypse, blessed cultivators and karmic demons are the same; they both possess the power to kill and refine souls," Ma Zao said. "Blessed cultivators can automatically devour the souls of those they kill, repairing their own souls while becoming even stronger."
(End of this chapter)
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