Chapter 203: Digestion, Shining in the Starry Sky!

That's how it is.

Amidst the scarlet heaven and earth where the Six Harmonies are indistinguishable, the black-clad youth plainly finished recounting all his affairs, finally letting out a faint sigh:

If we weren't all going to die this time, I would never want to say these things out loud...

Jingxin Daoren's twisted, ferocious face stared blankly for a long while, visibly so:

He had considered many possibilities, but never expected the secret to be this—Xue Xiaohei is no sage descended to the mortal realm… he's even more outrageous than a sage!

The protagonist, the protagonist who endlessly reincarnates and restarts!

Jingxin felt a dreamlike surrealism, finding it hard to imagine that the primordial heaven and earth were merely a 'tool' revolving around the protagonist……

After spacing out for a long while, Jingxin suddenly chuckled; although whatever smile he made now looked ugly, he was indeed smiling:

Fellow Daoist, if you truly can reverse time and space, please be sure to continue down this path of solving the mystery…… after dying again and again, it will eventually be solved.

I know, so next time I'll pay attention.

Xue Xiaohei sighed, yet his eyes held no sorrow—whether toward Jingxin or himself, because shortly he would be reborn at the previous save point.

But I promise you, once I restart and get out, we two won't come back in…… this time we've basically gathered all the information about the Immortal Realm; although I don't know exactly what's going on here, it's certain that the Immortal Realm is just a scam, and all the immortals lured in have killed each other in a state of dementia……

When I return to the previous node, I'll take you away from the Central State and no longer explore the Immortal Realm…… we'll return to the Western Wasteland to continue the slaughter; when we no longer wish to slaughter, we'll just self-destruct.

Xue Xiaohei slowly laid out his future plans, while Jingxin listened attentively and then added:

The slaughter's efficiency is too low…… if we replicate the Central State's symbiotic model in the Western Wasteland, that would be the proper way…… given the way the world is, symbiosis is not a bad means of continuing the Immortal Dao normally…… Fellow Daoist, your plan to exterminate the Immortal Dao is still too extreme……

Xue Xiaohei frowned a bit upon hearing that:

Central State symbiosis…… that's fine, as long as we can eliminate the Western Wasteland's dark situation, a gentle symbiosis that involves eating people…… is not unacceptable.

Perhaps after seeing much of the Central State's prosperity, Xue Xiaohei, who originally strongly opposed cannibalism, has gradually come to agree with the Central State's approach.

Since cannibalism is unavoidable and even brings more benefits to mortal life, there's no need to insist on exterminating the Immortal Dao.

In short, this trip to the Central State yielded great gains; although he didn't uncover the mysteries of the End of Dharma, the Heavenly Court, or Pangu, he did find a good remedy for curing the Western Wasteland……

Believe me, I will bring the you from the previous node to live on.

I believe you.

He gazed at Xue Xiaohei with a sense of relief, his reddish eyes revealing a complex look:

Actually, what he wanted to say was that, essentially, he at this moment and the so‑called 'him from the previous node' are not the same person; even if Xue Xiaohei truly wished to bring 'him' back to life, it would have nothing to do with a dead man like himself.

But… let it be death, after all, he'd already braced himself mentally, right?

Being able to make the bloodthirsty Xue Xiaohei, who is full of killing intent toward the cannibalistic heretical path, willing to spare 'him' also counts as not dying in vain……

【After waiting who knows how long, the scarlet qi between heaven and earth grew denser; stimulated by this, the tens of millions of True Immortals tore at each other ever more frenziedly, and the dead grew ever more numerous.】

【Countless True Immortals silently fell here, and the dead kept increasing: a hundred thousand, a million, ten million……】

【Under the ever‑thickening scarlet qi's catalysis, even if you are a Mysterious Immortal, you can barely hold on; to preserve your sanity, your vast mana is rapidly depleted!】

【As your mana gradually wanes, the violent intent you had suppressed begins to rise and intensify, causing you to exhibit various discomforts: bloodshot eyes, heavy breathing, twisted features, irritability and quick temper……】

【"Fellow Daoist……"】

【Having sensed your abnormality, Jingxin, who understood at heart, suddenly chuckled, then nonchalantly placed the seven‑colored little bird back on your shoulder.】

【Innate spiritual qi surged into your body, thus your earlier abnormality was suppressed again, your wavering sanity restabilized—this made you blink in surprise: "You……"】

【"No need to worry about me, a dying person!"】

【Deprived of the innate spiritual qi's suppression, Jingxin's condition plummeted, almost instantly turning blue‑fanged and feral, losing all human semblance, yet he still managed a weak smile: "I'll go on ahead."】

【Saying that, he fiercely struck his crown; in an instant, his Dao faded and his body perished!】

【Upon his death, his corpse, clothing, and treasures visibly melted into scarlet qi, drifting together with the scarlet qi of the other True Immortals in this realm……】

【Watching all this unfold, you instinctively raised a hand to stop it, but in the end did nothing, merely staring blankly at the spot where Jingxin had been: empty as can be, vanished like smoke.】

【An old friend who had accompanied you for thousands of years and formally introduced you to the cultivator circle just died so cleanly!】

【A feeling of sorrow welled up; even though you repeatedly told yourself "I'll be back soon," "no need to feel sad," you still couldn't help but wear a mournful expression……】

【After spacing out for a long while, you let out a faint sigh and continued sitting in place.】

【You weren't rushing to die; rather, you wanted to stay alive as long as possible to gain more useful information.】

【"Being alive is more valuable than dying……"】

【……】

【Time continued to flow, and you didn't know how long had passed.】

【You merely sat still in place…… perhaps it couldn't even be called 'ground,' for you were actually drifting within it, with no heaven nor earth.】

【During your wait, the True Immortals fought less and less, the dead completely merged into heaven and earth, indistinguishable from one another.】

【Occasionally a few tried to attack you, but you swatted them all away, letting them continue fighting……】

【Finally, as the last two disabled, demented True Immortals fought it out, the tens of millions of immortals finally died down to just two—him and you.】

【And it seemed to sense that only the two of you remained, the endless scarlet qi surged toward you both, catalyzing your violence and frenzy!】

【That fortunate True Immortal, provoked by this, roared and exploded on the spot!】

【But your expression remained unchanged.】

【Scarlet qi:?】

【They kept exerting force!】

【Still, your expression remained unchanged.】

【Scarlet qi: ……(Damn it, why don't you just go crazy and self‑destruct!)】

【Its catalysis was useless; under the constant supply of innate spiritual qi from the primordial force, you completely ignored negative emotions: self‑destruct? That doesn't exist—you still need to keep your life to witness the final moment.】

【……】

【After repeated ineffective catalyzations, the scarlet qi also gave up on you this hard bone, and began a further digestive process.】

【Yes, digestion!】

In your careful observation, you increasingly had a sense of déjà vu: this is a "digestion"……

Middle Heaven Gate is the "mouth", the Immortal Realm is the "stomach", blood-red light is "stomach acid"... and the food are those True Immortals, as True Immortals pass through the "mouth", reach the "stomach", and under the corrosion and catalysis of "stomach acid", they are bit by bit transformed into "nutrient": blood-red qi.

To verify your guess, you endured nausea and refined a bit of blood-red qi... As you expected, you easily refined it into cultivation power!

You were shocked by your discovery: the so-called Immortal Realm legend was merely false information spread by some existence to get a meal, as True Immortals eagerly came from all over the Primordial in pursuit of dreams, only to become food upon entry……

Your terrifying guess from back then, in a strange way, became reality: the Immortal Realm is indeed a man-eating conspiracy scam!

In your mind, a food chain has already formed: "mortals everywhere produce soul spirit qi, cultivators everywhere eat mortals' soul spirit qi to become immortals, and once they become True Immortals, under the command of dreams they spontaneously go to Mount Buzhou to feed the unknown existence……

What an eerie ancient conspiracy!

You couldn't help but wonder who the mastermind behind this was: Great Luo? Quasi-Sage? Sage? the Heavenly Dao?

……

The next step of digestion begins.

The "nutrient" in this heaven and earth begins to split into two parts, one going up, one going down, and you are also carried upward by countless nutrients!

In response, although you were frightened, you did not resist, because you wanted to see who the mastermind behind this really was……

The upward speed is very fast, far faster than your Mysterious Immortal's evasion, and you even feel that a teleportation array is nothing compared to this!

Moreover, in this high-speed advance, your Mysterious Immortal body gradually could not withstand such load, and after hesitating, you decisively attached your primordial spirit to the strongest item on your body……

The lively seven-colored little bird suddenly became even more lively, its gaze complex as it watched the body that had accompanied it for years gradually disintegrate under high-speed pressure, until it turned into blood-red qi like the surroundings.

After watching, you said nothing, only letting the bird's body be carried upward by the "nutrient"……

Perhaps after ten years, or perhaps after a hundred years...... the numb you was finally ejected together with the endless blood-red qi, after a bout of dizziness, you finally saw the light of day again!

But your primordial spirit had already been largely eroded by the blood-red corrosion, the remaining consciousness could not react much, only vaguely recording the surrounding scenery……

You saw the heavenly stars slowly moving, with a huge sun and moon, as well as the Northern Dipper and Southern Dipper……

You saw the Primordial land laid out before you like a huge sand table, the five regions and four seas, exactly as in myth……

You saw that Mount Buzhou is hollow inside, resembling a volcano that draws up blood-red qi from below and ejects it upward, and you are the one sprayed out from within……

Finally, you saw a huge crimson humanoid shadow floating in the boundless starry sky, holding two fiendish godly swords, fiercely pinning a magnificent purple humanoid shadow in the starry sky, both motionless……

Not moving?

No, they are both looking at you!

The blood-red humanoid shadow looked at you in astonishment; it did not know you, but you clearly noticed that its blood-red qi matched its aura, obviously its doing!

And that magnificent purple humanoid shadow seemed to recognize you, looking at you with delight; although pinned and unable to speak, you could see it was asking for your help!

Your remaining instinctively identified friend from foe……

The little bird dove down, lunging at the frightened blood-red giant shadow!

In an instant, a red fireball larger than the sun blazed in the Primordial starry sky!

……

(Chapter End)