541 Origin (1/2)
”Is the thing behind the Door...finally going to mature?”
Fang Yuan stood before the Green Bronze Door, deep in thought.
Obviously, the change that the purple crystal had brought to the netherworld was only the beginning.
Tantai Moye's act which propagated the curses to the Outer World was only part of the process.
But right now, the end was here!
In other words, the contamination and transformation of the world had reached a threshold!
”So...this is why the harvesting this time was so violent?”
”To be able to alter the world using its own strength...”
”If it had succeeded, the world would be plunged into an abyss of fear and sink into the sea of hopelessness...but technically, this was achieved unconsciously by the forces at work...or there might not even have been any consciousness involved at all!”
”A power like that...is indeed interesting!”
As Fang Yuan brooded, he placed his palms on the Door.
The Green Bronze Door had the roughest of surfaces and a hard chill emanated from its body. The true horror was that the ghostly carvings were flocking towards Fang Yuan's hands with their fangs bared and bit down savagely on them.
Crack! Crack!
Deafening metallic screeches filled the air but Fang Yuan's hands were unscathed. If anything, they had become stronger.
”Curse...unleash!”
Right now, Fang Yuan's power bar was fully charged at 50 points. This meant that in this world, he was practically invincible!
Boom! Boom!
With all the Tantais, Daoist Sanmu and Master Kuhai watching, the Green Bronze Door thundered and began to crack.
Light!
Light rays began to spill out from behind the door through the widening gaps. It was as if heaven lay behind that Door!
Abruptly, the light rays retreated, as if there was a black hole behind the door that was swallowing them up.
Jingle!
The Door swung open and shut continuously. Fang Yuan had disappeared.
At this moment, the survivors could feel their hairs standing on end. They could sense the presence of an indescribable and extraordinary entity.
...
”This is...the world behind the Door?”
Around him was nothingness. Bright light filled his surroundings. There did not even seem to be a notion of a ground.
Fang Yuan was unperturbed and strolled about in the void with his hands behind his back.
”A world in the process of being born? The product of a catalysis? Interesting!”
Even the sages among the dream masters could only upgrade their prosperous lands to Hollows, which were far from being worlds themselves.
Right now, before Fang Yuan was a complete little world, albeit one that looked slightly weird.
In contrast with the light was the richness of the curse's power, which rolled about in the void towards the unnerved Fang Yuan.
”This sort of ever-changing dream elemental force, let's call it cursed energy. It is the origin of everything...the invincibility of ghosts, their ability to create doppelgängers, alter memories, manipulate space and time, tamper with cause and effect, killing people in dreamworlds etcetera. They all stemmed from this origin!”
Fang Yuan walked towards the place where the curse's power was the densest.
Around him, the rich curse energy spread outwards and forced him to slow down. The clothes on his body began to decay and fall apart, revealing his taut skin and muscular physique.
Such...great power!”
Burn marks began to appear on Fang Yuan's face. It was like he had suffered a terrible sunburn.
”This sort of power is definitely tied to the Demonic Heart Realm, but it isn't dream elemental force!”
Occupied with his thoughts, Fang Yuan continued to walk about until a black dot suddenly materialised before him.
A suffocating sensation came over Fang Yuan.
Using his Fiery Golden Eyes, Fang Yuan could see that there was a skeleton sitting cross-legged at about 100 metres ahead. An object that looked like a purple diamond was firmly grasped in its finger bones. Dream elemental force radiated outwards from it.
The radiated dream elemental force was then absorbed by the skeleton. When the energy was released once more, it had already become the strange curse energy!
”Power from a higher plane?”
As Fang Yuan looked on, he let out a sigh. This was the truth behind the cursing of the world!
”It is in this state now because it swallowed something it shouldn't have. Even if this world still had the will to survive, it would be helpless...”
”Fortunately...even if it is in another universe, it must surely have a source. It cannot come from nothing!”
Fang Yuan took a few more glances at the skeleton.
Even though he was seeing it for the first time, it gave him a feeling of familiarity.
”It's Tantai Moye!”
Fang Yuan fell silent again.
Back then, Tantai Moye had sensed that huge developments were underfoot in the netherworld and had forced his way in, breaking a taboo in the process.
His unthinking act was the direct cause of the subsequent series of disasters that ravaged the Outer World.
Had the skeleton converted the pure dream elemental force into cursed energy?
Fang Yuan was beginning to understand.
”Originally, this purple crystal belonged to the Demonic Heart Realm. But no matter how powerful it was, it could only be used as a tool...Tantai Moye's arrival was the missing puzzle piece! It was either through Tantai Moye's death or examination that the purple crystal gained the ability to spread fear and death...after all, it needed someone who understood fear in order to help it unleash the curse!”
”Your centuries of waiting is almost ended!”
Fang Yuan took a few big strides forward.
”But it's a pity that...you met me!”
Swoop!