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墨書 Inktalez
The question posed by the Buddha felt like an unbreakable spell, pinning me in place. My Sea of Consciousness was unprecedentedly torn apart. The Buddha's heart was fracturing, and the Yao Hun was wailing. I felt like a prisoner being pulled apart by two immense forces, on the verge of being completely shattered by this ultimate contradiction.
On the brink of sinking into oblivion, I seemed to catch sight of that endless Blood Sea once more, hearing the roar of defiance. But this time, at the end of the Blood Sea, at the source of the roar, I detected a hint of something that did not belong here. It was faint yet familiar—the scent of blooming mountain flowers mingled with ripe wild fruits. It was the wind from Hua Guo Shan, in front of Water Curtain Cave, the most free and genuine breeze.
In an instant, an image surfaced in my mind. In this image, there were no Southern Heavenly Gates, no Great Thunder Sound Temple, no Golden Staff. Just an ordinary Stone Monkey lying on a slab of blue stone beneath a waterfall, chewing on a blade of grass while watching a multitude of monkeys frolicking together over a single peach. The sunlight was warm, and the sound of water was crisp.
There were no rights or wrongs, no meanings, no grand narratives, no responsibilities for salvation—only existence. The simplest and most authentic feeling of being alive. I sprang forth from a rock, unaware of any heavenly principles or moral laws. I felt joyful and sought immortality. I sensed injustice and wanted to turn everything upside down. I felt freedom—that was my path.
The Buddha nature and demonic nature within my Sea of Consciousness instantly ceased their battle. Slowly, I lifted my head from that philosophical deadlock capable of shattering gods and Buddhas. I no longer looked at the Buddha; instead, I turned around and walked step by step toward the flowing hourglass.
My steps were steady. With each footfall, I crushed the five hundred years of confusion and pain beneath me.
The Buddha looked at me, his gaze filled with bewilderment. He could not comprehend why, in this absolute deadlock of either/or, I was still able to carve out a path for myself.
I approached the Heavenly Dao Hourglass, feeling the chilling breath of the universe's decay wash over me.
Then, I turned back to face the Buddha, who bore the weight of eternal solitude.
I smiled widely, revealing a grin that had not graced my face in five hundred years. It was neither the Buddha's compassion nor the demon's sneer; it was a defiant smile belonging to Sun Wukong.
"Your choice is 'deceit.'"
"The truth of Ao Laosun is 'death.'"
I looked at him, enunciating each word clearly:
"Neither of these choices does Ao Laosun accept."
The Buddha's pupils constricted sharply.
"Ao Laosun will take a third path!"
The moment my words fell, I did not give him any time to react.
I extended my arms, not to touch, but to embrace.
I opened my arms wide and welcomed my entire being toward the starry river that was heading toward silence.
"You are right; a powerful will can delay the heavenly path," I said calmly, as if stating an undeniable fact. "But you have misunderstood one thing."
"Will is not meant to 'disturb.'"
"It is meant to—burn!"
With that, I closed my eyes.
Using my body as fuel and my soul as a guide.
I ignited myself.
I ignited the boundless merit of the Demon Fighting Buddha within me; that compassionate light transformed into the purest golden flame.
I ignited the overwhelming demonic energy of Qi Tian, Great Sage in my Sea of Consciousness; that indomitable essence morphed into the most primal black flame.
The golden and black flames intertwined and fused within me, without rejection or opposition, ultimately transforming into an unprecedented chaotic hue of light.
The blazing light does not belong to Buddha, nor to demons. It belongs only to... me. I am Sun Wukong. My flesh is burning, my soul is burning; I have sacrificed everything for this gamble. I will use my own "Way" to collide with the already predetermined "Heavenly Way"! In this inevitable outcome of death, I will carve out a... path to life!
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