Devil Venerable Also Wants to Know

Chapter 44 – Primordial divinity

He set aside his questions for now and continued to read, hoping the third volume would contain more information about the Burning Sky Immortal.

Unfortunately, aside from the protagonists mentioning his name twice, nothing more was written about him. Wenren È quickly skimmed the third volume. A general overview of the story was that, after entering the divine realm, Hè Wenzhao was recognized by one of the gods as the reincarnation of a previous god. He made friends with the people he knew in his previous life, continuing to power up and beating up ascended gods. Everyone in the divine realm was now ascended gods, with the primordial gods all having long since fallen.

The first two-thirds of the story was fairly peaceful. Hè Wenzhao’s old friends and wives ascended to the divine realm one after another, while Hè Wenzhao continued to make new friends and take new wives. Baili Qingmiao, who had made plenty of appearances in the first volume, seemed to have all but vanished in this one. It was the Violet Spirit Master who followed Hè Wenzhao the whole way, getting along perfectly with his new wives.

In the last third, things went downhill quick . First, one of Hè Wenzhao’s friends suddenly deviated and became a demon, so everyone was forced to kill their own good friend. At the same time, the news came that the barrier in the Blood Hell had been broken. The 180 thousand demonic gods that had been sealed in ancient times had escaped and lain waste to the human realm.

Their friend who had gone mad had relatives in the human world and had been cursed using his bloodline, becoming corrupted.

First the cultivation world fell, then the immortal realm. The ascended gods put up their best fight, but the destructive power and corruptive influence of the demonic gods were too strong. Anyone who faced them were either killed and consumed, or deviated. In order to hold off the demonic gods’ invasion of the divine realm, Hè Wenzhao’s friends went to the immortal realm one after another to do battle. Hè Wenzhao, now the leader of the gods, also wanted to go, but at this moment, the master he had always trusted turned on him.

It turned out his master was a demon, the blood demon. He had taken so much care in guiding Hè Wenzhao in the past in order to steal his body someday. The Blood Demon Elder had waited patiently for all this time, until the worlds were in chaos. With the help of the demonic energy all around, he tried to take Hè Wenzhao’s body in one fell swoop.

When Hè Wenzhao was on the brink of succumbing, Baili Qingmiao, who had been hidden for over 800,000 words at this point, finally appeared. In order to protect Hè Wenzhao, she formed a soul bond with him. They joined forces to destroy the Blood Demon Elder once and for all.

But Baili Qingmiao had been heavily injured by the Blood Demon Elder. When she died, Hè Wenzhao, whose soul was bound to hers, should’ve followed. But Baili Qingmiao had done something at the moment before her death to protect him, so that he survived while she didn’t.

After Baili Qingmiao died, as Hè Wenzhao sat there weeping, the cosmos shifted and the three worlds crumbled. The human, immortal, and divine realms all became one. Most of the lives in the three worlds and the ascended gods were wiped out in an instant.

It was only now that they realized that Baili Qingmiao, in her past life, had been the last primordial god, born with heaven and earth. She had managed disasters, sending cataclysms to the human world, balancing the overpopulation of life and maintaining the equilibrium of creation and destruction. Such was Baili Qingmiao’s purpose.

She had already obtained her divine nature in the human world and could ascend, but because of her love for Hè Wenzhao, she had given it up. Without Baili Qingmiao controlling it, the divine nature had begun indiscriminately unleashing disasters. Because of the hate and blame of countless mortals, it was tainted by evil, eventually releasing the 180 thousand demonic gods from the Blood Hell.

Even so, Baili Qingmiao was still connected to the divine nature. Her existence maintained the order of the three realms. The instant she died for Hè Wenzhao and the last primordial god in existence fell, the divine nature broke free of all restraints. Following its original nature, it wanted to return the cosmos to chaos. It merged the three realms, using the demonic gods to absorb all the energy in the realms, aiming to transform the demonic energy into primordial chaos and return all existence to nothingness.

After understanding everything, Hè Wenzhao led all his wives and friends into battle. In the end, they all died, and even all of the demonic gods were consumed.

After the death of his last wife, the Violet Spirit Master, Hè Wenzhao was the only one left in the world. He stood in front of the ruined imperial temple, gazing at his surroundings filled with devastation. Alone, he charged into the mass of demonic energy which was being transformed into primordial chaos.

At the last moment before his body was dissolved into chaos, Hè Wenzhao’s soul bond with Baili Qingmiao took effect. He merged with Baili Qingmiao’s divine essence, gaining the ability to control the most primal force of the universe. In an instant, he became the divine emperor.

Nearly all of creation had already been reduced to nothingness. As the divine emperor, Hè Wenzhao had the power of creation and destruction. Following his memories, he split the cosmos back into the three realms, and recreated his friends and wives. The Violet Spirit Master and Baili Qingmiao were also resurrected. Everyone celebrated together and lived happily forever. The end.

Wenren È: …

This ending seemed satisfying. But the more you thought about it, the more terrifying it was.

Each person saw the world differently. Having read both Abusive Romance and God of Annihilation, Wenren È was especially clear on this fact. Hè Wenzhao’s memories of his friends and the three realms couldn’t possibly be the real realms and his real friends.

If at the conclusion, Hè Wenzhao had chosen to accept everything and allow the merged world to recreate itself and give birth to new life, it would’ve been a new start. But was this world that he had resurrected from his memories a happy ending, or Hè Wenzhao dreaming for uncountable eons, alone aside from his fantasies? Was his choice the beginning of a world, or the end of one?

Wenren È wasn’t the only one with these doubts. Even the readers of God of Annihilation questioned this ending.

[I don’t care how many girls the MC gets. I’ll follow as long as the plot’s good and the MC is strong and kicks ass. But this conclusion… are you sure it’s a happy ending?]

[Flipping to the cover and reading the words ‘God of Annihilation’, then flipping back to the conclusion, I got a chill.]

[Not gonna beat around the bush here. I like harems, I like watching the MC get all the girls. But I prefer the wives to be real people, not imaginary! Even if Hè Wenzhao has the power to create life, isn’t he just creating his fantasies?]

[I’ve been thinking about the ending for a long time. Is it incomplete? It doesn’t seem that way, everyone came back to life and all. But… how come it just doesn’t feel right?]

Of course, there were also people praising the author for writing a satisfying ending, and tying in the title perfectly. But mostly, the reviews expressed doubt and confusion.

Wenren È also wondered—would the divine emperor’s mind remain intact after spending thousands of years with his false creations? Would he not deviate? The story could end there, but would the people in it really be happy forever?

At the very least, the Violet Spirit Master didn’t think so.

Wenren È was now practiced in reading long novels and didn’t need to spend seven days and nights studying it, as he had with Abusive Romance. He had learned to read several lines at a time and quickly grasp the main points. With his powerful cognition, he finished skimming through the third volume in a few hours, with the Pavilion Master still lying on the floor in front of him.

Seeing Wenren È lower the book and look at him, he said, “This book mentioned that in the cultivation world, you were killed by Hè Wenzhao, and I also had a hand in it. I didn’t want you to know, so I didn’t dare hand the book to you.

“This Venerable knows that. If you’re trying to provoke this Venerable with that, you can forget it,” Wenren È said.

Ever since reading Abusive Romance, he had known his fate—that is, the conclusion the authors had written for the Lord of Demons. He hadn’t minded in the least.

Wenren È fought his way down the Path of Slaughter and had already let go of life and death. In life, he would struggle with all his strength. Meeting death, he would calmly accept his fate. If it was possible for him to change destiny, then he would set out to accomplish it. But if his death was predestined, then there was no need to worry over it too much.

“Is that so?” the Pavilion Master said, seeing Wenren È’s expression. He smiled bitterly. “But I’m not like you. I fear death. I especially fear being ‘recreated’ by someone after my death, living out someone else’s notions. Main wife? I understand myself. If I married Hè Wenzhao, it’d be because I noticed Baili Qingmiao’s obsession with him, and was trying to manipulate her feelings and kill her to steal her divine nature.”

Too bad the divine nature was bound to Baili Qingmiao and could not be taken. No matter how the Pavilion Master harmed Baili Qingmiao in the book, she couldn’t kill her. And Hè Wenzhao, who she’d once had in the palm of her hand, grew stronger and stronger until he surpassed her. She was forced to keep up the act, continuing to be the kind and forgiving main wife. At least, she could follow Hè Wenzhao and benefit from the things he got, and was able to gain power quickly, so she managed to bear it.

“But forget about all that now. If I’d already known there were so many upsides to forming a soul bond with Baili Qingmiao, I never would’ve clinged to Hè Wenzhao. I might as well possess a man’s body and marry Baili Qingmiao myself. At least I won’t be like Hè Wenzhao, taking dozens of wives. I’ll dedicate myself to Baili Qingmiao alone, so in what way am I not an improvement over Hè Wenzhao? And then when the time comes, the divine nature will belong to me, I’ll become the divine emperor, and the one who survives in the end will be me!” The Pavilion Master’s handsome face twisted. With his agitation, the gu parasites in his body became more active, making him twitch all over in pain.

“You’re actually pretty rational, coming up with a plan like that,” Wenren È said.

The Pavilion Master was quite a ruthless person, willing to change sexes in an instant. It was too bad that the woman described in God of Annihilation had been a false identity all along. Yet the readers had all thought she was a considerate wife with no complaints, much better than the rebellious Baili Qingmiao.

Of course she held no resentment. She never held any love in the first place. She was just at Hè Wenzhao’s side to benefit from him. She was actually happy for Hè Wenzhao to take more wives, so he would bother her less.

Baili Qingmiao had been the one with pure intentions, yet the readers had called her a naughty child.

Things were rarely as simple as they appeared. The surface of a still pool hid innumerable secrets, and few people were able to see through to its depths.

Wenren È put away the book. With a glance at the pitiful Pavilion Master, he said, “This Venerable never goes back on his word. Since you handed over the book, you won’t be killed. But this Venerable has another request. I’m rather interested in this possession technique of yours that can take anyone’s body, male or female.”

Since the Pavilion Master had already revealed his biggest secret, he gave up on resisting and easily gave over the technique. Wenren È, upon hearing it, knew it wasn’t suitable for him. A wandering immortal’s possession technique involved transforming one’s own body into immortal energy, then driving out the target’s soul and entering their body through the Baihui acupuncture point[1]. That way, one could obtain a flesh body while keeping all the power of a wandering immortal.

It was a fine technique, but it only worked for wandering immortals and had no use to Wenren È.

He sighed to himself, then called in Altar Master Miao and told him to remove the Pavilion Master’s parasites.

Altar Master Miao looked devastated. He bitterly walked over to the Pavilion Master, grumbling quietly, “Can’t you be a little more stubborn? Can’t you hold out for a few more days?”

The Pavilion Master: …

What was wrong with everyone in Xuanyuan Sect?

“Venerable, should this person be killed or crippled?” Altar Master Miao said, acting like an eager subordinate.

The Pavilion Master gritted his teeth. “Wenren È, you said you’d let me go after I handed over the book!”

“This Venerable is true to his word, but this Venerable agreed to leave you alive, not let you go,” Wenren È said coldly.

The Pavilion Master could keep her act up until the divine realm in the book, and could instantly swap genders after knowing the plot. Wenren È himself was impressed by such fortitude, but that meant he couldn’t let her go easily.

After some thought, he said, “Give him to Protector Qiu. In her time undercover at Shangqing Sect, she has… maybe not shown any results, but certainly some effort. Since she’s lost her subordinates in the Hellfire Altar, this Venerable might as well give her a bonus.”

The Pavilion Master: …

After the Pavilion Master was handed over to Protector Qiu, it was none of Wenren È’s business whether she killed him, turned him into a ghost immortal, or made an agreement with him to assassinate the Lord of Demons.

Altar Master Miao was dejected, but he didn’t dare go against Wenren È’s orders, and took the Pavilion Master to Qiu Congxue.

Wenren È led an even more silent Yin Hanjiang than usual back to his room, considering his next move.

The third volume’s events had told him that Baili Qingmiao could not be allowed to die, and also had to successfully merge with the divine nature and be strong enough to control it. Otherwise, all life would be wiped out and the three realms would return to chaos.

Baili Qingmiao had to cultivate the Path of Indifference.

Yet, there was some hidden force that constantly obstructed Baili Qingmiao’s enlightenment. Each time she underwent a heavenly tribulation, she was totally brainwashed, her obsession toward Hè Wenzhao the only thing remaining in her head. What was doing this? Heavenly law, or Hè Wenzhao’s previous incarnation?

It couldn’t be either.

It was impossible for Wenren È, unable to understand love, to answer this question. He couldn’t help asking the one next to him, “Sect Leader Yin, how can someone tell themselves to forget a person over and over, yet fail to do so? How can they resolve to do so every time, yet keep making the same mistakes, keep being trapped again?”

He was just asking a casual question. After all, Yin Hanjiang didn’t understand love either.

He didn’t have any expectations for a response, yet Yin Hanjiang answered. “They themselves don’t want to forget[2].”

Wenren È turned around in surprise, seeing Yin Hanjiang’s gaze focused on him. As their eyes met, Yin Hanjiang pressed his lips together. “This subordinate…”

“You’re right, Sect Leader Yin!” Wenren È said with a clap of his hands. “You reminded me!”

The only one who could control Baili Qingmiao was she herself. The divine nature had always been part of her, and after separating from the primordial goddess, it retained its own consciousness. It was born of the cosmos and shared its nature, and could use the power unleashed by heavenly tribulations to affect Baili Qingmiao’s mind, forcibly filling her with love toward Hè Wenzhao.

The nature of the cosmos was emotionless and without love, and the primordial goddess had been the same. If all of Baili Qingmiao’s affection was focused on one man, there was no way she would be able to merge with the divine nature.

At the end of Abusive Romance, Baili Qingmiao had already obtained the divine nature, yet suddenly thoughts like “Shixiong doesn’t want me to kill”, “The sect taught me to consider the common people” appeared in her head. This was actually proof she wasn’t able to subdue the divine nature.

She needed an unwavering will, the pure Path of Indifference, and a true compassion that viewed all life the same, in order to truly merge with the divine nature. Baili Qingmiao had tried to forcefully take it in before she was ready and failed, thus bringing about everything that had happened next.

No one was affecting her. The one holding Baili Qingmiao back had always been herself. Or it could be said that it was the cosmos.

Baili Qingmiao must cultivate the Path of Indifference. If she couldn’t merge with the divine nature, it was better to kill her immediately, not letting her form a soul bond with anyone. Better the cosmos be recreated, than the conclusion of the book come to pass, where a single person dreamt up the world, alone.