The Mu before him was merely a snapshot from her long life, which was why she kept saying she was Mu yet not Mu.
Yang Kai had never imagined that anyone in this world could accomplish something so bizarre — it practically overturned everything he thought he knew.
He couldn't help but marvel inwardly. Truly worthy of being the strongest among the Ten Martial Ancestors. Her cultivation and her comprehension of the Great Dao must have far surpassed the others.
Mu's identity was now clear, and the secret of the Primordial World had been laid bare before Yang Kai's eyes. This place was both the birthplace of Mo and the very heart of the Primordial Heaven Grand Seal — a location of supreme importance.
"With Senior's power, you still couldn't destroy Mo back then?" Yang Kai asked, suppressing the turbulent thoughts swirling through his mind.
That Mu, so incredibly powerful, had ultimately been forced to resort to sealing Mo within the Primordial Heaven Grand Seal — the realization sent a chill down his spine. By comparison, just how powerful must Mo be?
Mu did not answer the question. Instead, she said, "In truth, Mo's nature was not evil."
Yang Kai looked surprised. "What do you mean?"
Mu's expression turned reminiscent as she continued, "Since you've met Cang, he must have told you some things about Mo."
"Senior Cang didn't say much back then. I only know that the ten of you and Mo once had some sort of relationship, but later, due to certain circumstances, things fell apart."
Mu smiled faintly. "It wasn't quite like that. It was simply a matter of differing stances. When the first ray of light was born between heaven and earth, darkness came into being alongside it. Eventually, a trace of sentience was born from that darkness — that was the original Mo. Yet even after enduring countless ages of solitude and cold, Mo bore no resentment upon his birth. He was innocent and ignorant, with a completely blank understanding of the world around him, like a newborn infant."
"At that time, the ten of us — myself, Cang, and the others — had already attained enlightenment beneath the World Tree and comprehended the art of splitting heaven open. The human race had risen to power, defeated the demon race, and ushered in a glorious era. Unfortunately, Mo's appearance made that glory all too fleeting."
"The nature of all living beings is curiosity. Mo had developed his own sentience, and with it came a natural desire to explore everything unknown. He descended upon a certain World, and that once peaceful and harmonious realm soon became his dominion. Mo's power carried an irresistible corrosive effect on all living beings, and Mo had no ability to restrain his own strength — he didn't even realize he needed to! When every creature in that world bowed before him in submission, his heart, which had known solitude for countless ages, found immense satisfaction."
"That was a very unfortunate beginning. So he began spreading his power from one World to the next, like a mischievous child showing off his abilities, seeking the approval and attention of more and more beings."
"Then he encountered us. The ten of us possessed deep cultivation and had attained enlightenment beneath the World Tree, giving us a natural resistance to Mo's power. This only made Mo more curious and interested in us. Our involvement with him began at that point."
"Though we recognized his true nature, his power was fundamentally something that could not be allowed to exist in the world. We ultimately decided to act against him. But by that time, Mo's strength had grown enormously compared to when he was first born. Even the ten of us working together could not completely destroy him. In the end, we had no choice but to forge the Primordial Heaven Grand Seal and seal him within it. Mo sensed our intentions, and in the final moments he commanded all Mo Disciples to launch a counterattack. That was how it devolved into this mess that has lasted a million years — and even today, it still hasn't been cleaned up."
After hearing Mu's words, Yang Kai was silent for a long time.
So the conflict between humans and Mo that had persisted since the Ancient Era was ultimately nothing more than a farce caused by a bratty child?
A farce that had lasted a million years, claiming the lives of countless humans along the way. The irony was staggering.
"Existence itself is the greatest original sin!" After a long while, Yang Kai finally let out a sigh.
"That may sound cruel, but that is the truth," Mu agreed.
"You mentioned that Mo's power grew. Does he understand the art of cultivation?" Yang Kai asked.
Mu shook her head. "He is an existence born alongside heaven and earth. He needs no cultivation technique. The darkness within all living beings is the source of his power. That is why, after he gained sentience, left the Primordial World, and used his own power to claim dominion over numerous Worlds, his strength grew so dramatically."
Yang Kai's mind trembled. "The darkness within all living beings?"
"Any scheme, betrayal, bloodlust, cruelty, malice, resentment, slaughter… anything that gives rise to dark emotions in living beings can strengthen his power."
"What kind of logic is that?" Yang Kai asked, bewildered.
"There is no logic to it!" Mu said gravely. "Just as that first ray of light was born and then departed freely, leaving behind only that darkness to endure its solitude and cold. All beings love the bright side and despise the darkness beneath the light. But darkness was born precisely because light came into being, and so that darkness naturally feeds on the darkness within all living beings to grow."
Yang Kai's head throbbed. He was about to say something else when a thought suddenly struck him — "The Primordial World is the heart of the Primordial Heaven Grand Seal. Then the darkness of all the beings in this world…"