—Feng Si!
Chu He seemed to suddenly hear something and whipped his head around.
However, behind him, the alternate dimension was empty, with countless mirrors reflecting the dark light.
Did I mishear?… Chu He turned his head back, his gaze falling on the mirror in front of him. The next second, he was startled to find that a figure had appeared behind him at some unknown time.
The person had a familiar face, a familiar smile. Even the subtlest details of his eyebrows and the corners of his eyes were exactly the same as in his memory, as if tens of thousands of years had not changed him one bit.
Chu He’s very eyeballs trembled slightly. He opened his mouth but couldn’t utter a word. After a long while, he finally managed to force out a sound of disbelief and uncertainty: “Sakyamuni…?!”
Sakyamuni took a step forward and placed his hand gently on Chu He’s shoulder.
—He was not a cold illusion in the mirror, but a real, tangible person. Even the warmth of his palm was clearly perceptible through the fabric of his clothes.
And that warmth was as scorching as the hottest fire, burning every inch of his nerves through his skin. The intense pain was mixed with an indescribable sensation, causing Chu He to tremble uncontrollably.
His trembling was so violent that he couldn’t turn his head even with all his strength. He couldn’t even turn it slightly, only able to stare at the mirror not far away, at the smiling Sakyamuni in the mirror, and at his weak self.
“Don’t turn back,” Sakyamuni whispered in his ear.
“Why… you…”
Sakyamuni smiled and said, “Little Phoenix, you’ve grown up.”
Chu He gasped violently, his nails digging deep into his palms until blood seeped out, flowing across the lines of his palm.
“You’re still… exactly the same. Why…”
“Why I’m here is not important. What’s important is, why are you still here,” Sakyamuni said with a smile. “But, at such an exciting moment of reunion after a long separation, let’s not waste time with boring questions like ‘why’.”
He paused, his tone carrying the same gentle seduction as in Chu He’s memories of his youth: “If you were with me, would you be willing to return to the Heavenly Dao, my dear… little Phoenix?”
The hidden meaning in this sentence took a full few seconds to slowly crawl into his mind, like a fine electric current along his nerve endings.
—If time could be turned back, if the years could be reversed, the Phoenix who had wept in the empty great hall that year would have surely believed he had received the greatest salvation in the nine heavens and ten lands. However, tens of thousands of years had passed, the clouds had scattered, and things were no longer the same. Chu He stared fixedly at his pale self in the mirror, unable to say a word.
“I… I won’t believe you again, Sakyamuni…” After a long while, his weak voice finally seeped out from the air, like ice breaking.
“You left too many doubts in my heart. Anger and resentment have completely destroyed me… Whether it was the things that happened on Mount Sumeru after you returned to the formless heaven, or the changes in the Heavenly Dao’s laws regarding the Four Evil Realms, or even your command to the later Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King—”
“You resent Trailokyavijaya,” Sakyamuni said with regret. “Sorry, I should have thought of that.”
Chu He swallowed, the root of his tongue slightly numb from extreme tension.
“So, after all these things, I can no longer believe in you with all my heart as I did before… But I have also tried my best to stay away from you, to avoid causing any Buddha’s tribulation. I’ve even kept Maha’s current situation hidden from everyone…”
“…I did everything,” he paused, gasping. “Except… I couldn’t destroy my own life.”
Sakyamuni raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You even tried that?”
“…Yes, many years ago.”
Sakyamuni seemed very interested and asked, “Then, what if it’s me who wants to take your life now?”
They stared at each other in the mirror for a long time. The space behind them was vast, silent, and eternal.
Chu He looked ahead, tears streaming down from his eyes.
He said, “I will resist.”
Sakyamuni seemed a little surprised, staring at Chu He for a long while, but the latter’s beautiful eyes were clear and resolute in his tears, with no room for wavering.
That unwavering determination was just like when he had prostrated his way up from the ice and snow to the mountain peak, just like when he had pulled out twelve bloody phoenix bones on the Sea of Blood, just like when he had stepped from under the Bodhi tree into the eighty-thousand-zhang-deep pond of blood lotuses, walking forward step by step, without hesitation, into an obscure, dangerous, and unknown future.
“You’ve really grown up…” Sakyamuni said, for some reason, with a hint of emotion. “But in some aspects, you really haven’t changed at all. Once you find a new path, even if you have to wade through the stinking, corrupt waters of the Sea of Blood, you’ll grit your teeth and walk to the end… So, was I too late?”
He extended his hand towards the thousands of floating mirrors in the distant space and tapped lightly. Countless bizarre and motley images appeared on the mirrors.
—It was the ferocious beast roaring under the Golden Bell of the Heavenly Dao, refusing to kneel even under the threat of blades and axes. It was the demon in the vast Sea of Blood that would not be saved, standing alone while all other beings submitted. It was the man who walked from the cracked and smoking earth against a backdrop of a gray sky, kneeling on one knee on the battlefield, saying in a hoarse, blood-tinged voice, “I have come to propose to you…”
In a more distant place, the mirror reflected a warm white light. Everyone was gathered together, everyone was happy and complete, with neither cold loneliness nor sad waiting.
“Is this your belief now?” Sakyamuni whispered in his ear. “Is this the love you have finally come to recognize?”
The Phoenix closed his eyes. Tears streamed down his pale, transparent face, turning into thousands of fine, shimmering fragments in the void.
“You don’t dare to admit it.” Sakyamuni laughed, seeming to find it extremely amusing. “—You actually don’t dare.”
He lifted the hand that was on the Phoenix’s shoulder and pulled down his collar.
From his neck to his collarbone, from the slightly protruding bones of his shoulders to the large expanse of skin on his back, all were exposed to the air, shimmering with a soul-stirring faint light in the darkness. It looked so cold, like jade, but to the touch, it had an unimaginable warmth, fineness, and softness, like the fragile, vulnerable heart of the owner of this beautiful body, wrapped in layers.
“Then, that little Phoenix who once had the courage to confess his love to me…”
Sakyamuni released his hand, and one side of his white robe trailed to the floor.
“…is he still here?”
He lifted the Phoenix’s long, flowing hair and pressed a kiss on his bare shoulder.
Chu He tried to push him away with a backhand motion, but his fingers trembled so violently that he had no strength. Sakyamuni easily caught his hand in his palm, their fingers intertwining in a lingering, tender gesture.
“Do you still remember that thousand years of kneeling and chanting sutras under the Bodhi tree? The forbidden land of the Heavenly Dao, the twin Sala trees, why did you choose to be there?”
“If I didn’t see you, would you have knelt for tens of thousands of years, until you knelt to death?”
Chu He couldn’t answer, his lips slightly parted, trembling uncontrollably.
Sakyamuni laughed, reached from behind to cover his scattered, unfocused eyes, and felt the wet eyelashes flutter in his palm, like the last butterfly struggling in a snowstorm.
“That thousand years of kneeling and chanting…” he gently kissed those soft, cold lips and asked with a light laugh, “…under the Bodhi tree, what were you thinking about?”
“…”
“Was it all about me?”
“…”
Their lips and tongues intertwined, their breaths mingling. The whimper in his throat was gently but firmly blocked, sounding like a kind of secret weeping. After a long moment, Sakyamuni held Chu He’s chin, causing him to turn his head slightly, and said softly, “Answer me.”
They looked at each other like this. In the vast, dark alternate dimension, countless mirrors cast a cold light. The mortal world disappeared, and all eternity was silent. It was as if only the two of them were left in the universe, and all the past events of tens of thousands of years had turned to dust and vanished.
“…That was too long ago…” After a long while, Chu He finally said hoarsely, every word laced with the tearing scent of blood.
“I… don’t remember anymore…”
Sakyamuni paused slightly.
The next instant, the long spear materialized in Chu He’s hand. He turned decisively and swept it horizontally, shattering countless mirrors with a violent tremor!
—Bang!
Billions of fragments flew and shimmered, like an explosion of stardust, a tsunami that swept through every inch of the vast space in an instant. Sakyamuni’s figure was instantly thrown a thousand meters away. The next second, he was back in front of Chu He, his form swelling like a ferocious bird about to strike its prey—
The energy tide melted away the last shred of his disguise, revealing the face of Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King!
He looked down at Chu He and smiled faintly. “—Long time no see. I trust you’ve been well, Your Highness Phoenix?”
With that, he kicked Chu He squarely in the chest, sending him flying!
A series of deafening booms followed. Chu He flew horizontally, smashing through a huge mirror, his momentum not slowing at all as he crashed through seven or eight more mirrors in a row. He was then caught by the throat by Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King, who had followed close behind, and with a bang, was pinned firmly to the top of a smooth, giant mirror!
“How did you recognize me?”
“…” Chu He gasped and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood. After a long while, he finally said hoarsely, “I didn’t recognize you.”
—His calm voice hadn’t changed at all, but the meaning behind the words was so clear that Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King instantly felt a bit absurd. “What did you say?”
“I didn’t recognize you. It was just a coincidence.” Chu He’s throat was gripped by an iron-like hand, and his voice sounded very strange, even with a hint of slight mockery. “But I recognize you now.”
Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King stared at his face, which was exactly the same as he remembered, and finally saw that it was not a lie.
It wasn’t because his tone was natural or his expression was real, but because of his disdain—the disdain of someone who was too lazy to use lies to cover up.
He finally let go and took two steps back. Chu He fell from the smooth mirror surface, stumbling a few steps upon landing before he could barely stand firm, and coughed up another mouthful of bloody foam from his lungs.
“Your style is as direct as ever… but there’s no need to look at me with such disgust. I specifically withdrew my Dharma form just to come and see you.” Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King looked down at him as he curled up and coughed, and asked with a smile, “Is it because what happened last time caused you too much psychological trauma? So much so that it’s hard to forget even now?…”
“You’re overthinking it,” Chu He said, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips and straightening up as he pulled up his collar.
“Oh? So you’re not even surprised to see me?”
“I’m only surprised that you dare to desecrate the Buddha’s incarnation.”
Unexpectedly, Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King did not move, nor did he retort. After a long while, he said leisurely, “You think I desecrated the Buddha… I don’t think so. I was just treating you the way Sakyamuni did all those years ago. See, you didn’t even notice any flaws. This proves that you yourself know—”
Chu He turned and threw a punch!
But in a flash of lightning, his wrist was blocked in mid-air. Then, with a bang, Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King slammed him against the cracked mirror behind him, and fragments immediately rained down to the floor!
Chu He shouted sharply, “Are you sick?!”
“Perhaps,” Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King showed a strange smile. “But it doesn’t matter. You probably don’t know yet, do you? I have already fallen to the demonic path…”
Chu He’s first reaction was that it was ridiculous, but he didn’t actually laugh, because in the next moment, Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King reached out and unfastened his own cuff.
—On his arm, near his elbow, black demonic markings formed the symbol of an Asura Path secret mantra. It was truly the mark of having fallen to the demonic path!
Chu He stared straight at the black demonic markings, his face a rare blank from extreme astonishment.
“Before this became a mark, it was originally a wound… Yes, a wound on me, one of the five orthodox Wisdom Kings of the esoteric sect. You probably don’t know, do you? Why no one on Mount Sumeru got close to you, why no one spoke to you, and why later everyone looked at you with disgust and fear, whispering behind your back in corners…”
Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King leaned closer to Chu He, his tone almost malicious. “Do you think it’s because you were born inauspicious, bearing the mark of extreme evil? No, it’s not like that.”
“From the very first day you came to Mount Sumeru, a curse was placed on you. Except for a specific person, anyone who got close to you would encounter misfortune and disaster. Some even fell from the Thirty-Three Heavens because of it, suffering the pain of reincarnation in the six realms… And the wound on my body suddenly appeared on my arm the day after you made your vow to save the Sea of Blood…”
Chu He’s ears were ringing. He couldn’t hear what Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King was saying at all. He even forgot to struggle free from the hand that was restraining him.
“…Over time, those who originally wanted to get close to you came to see you as a sign of misfortune. And in this environment of alienation and indifference, you could only become closer and closer to a specific person…”
“Do you understand, Your Highness Phoenix Wisdom King?”
“You can continue to be so arrogant and proud, holding onto your sad hope and being stubborn. You will never know those bloody truths and rotten secrets, forever trapped in the illusion that others have carefully crafted for you…”
“Enough!” Chu He roared, violently shoving Trailokyav’s Wisdom King away!
Caught off guard, Trailokyavijaya stumbled back several steps. He saw Chu He step on the countless fragments of broken glass in the void and stride into the distance.
His sleeves and robes billowed behind him with the wind created by his steps. From this angle, his hair obscured the side of his face, making it impossible to see his expression.
However, Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King suddenly remembered a similar scene from many years ago. The Phoenix had cut his long hair under the twin Sala trees, stood up, and, stepping on endless lotuses, walked towards the vast, red-misted Sea of Blood. At that time, the youth’s back was so straight, as if he could overcome all future hardships, no matter what fate awaited him, no matter how ferocious a smile it showed.
If that naive courage had been worn down by tens of thousands of years, what was it that gave him an even stronger and more complete faith now?
“—Are you trying to find Zhou Hui?” Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King sneered. “It’s too late. This entire setup was to hunt and kill him. Now, outside the Thousand-Degree Mirror World, the deadly Sea of Death Qi is everywhere—”
Chu He’s steps faltered, his expression changing drastically.
“In the Sea of Death Qi, all things corrode, flesh and skin melt away. The claws and flesh of demons turn to foam, and they fall into the Sea of Blood, never to rise again for all eternity.”
Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King pointed to the distance. Images appeared on the countless floating, broken mirror surfaces, and at the same time, the earth-shaking, furious roars of a demonic beast sounded!
“Or we could make a bet, how long can this demonic beast last in the Sea of Death Qi…”
A slightly mocking sneer appeared on Trailokyavijaya Wisdom King’s face. “Since he was born in the Sea of Blood but represents the Heavenly Dao, you can come and see—this time, whether it’s the Sea of Blood or the Heavenly Dao, who else can step in to save him?”
