#919 - Neither Being nor Non-Being (Part 3)
“Bald donkey.”
On the other side, the illusion array of Yun'an Temple.
Just as the young man was heading this way, intending to take Wei Changtian's life, Wei Changtian was not idle either, still making one last struggle in this final bit of time.
He simply shouted, and the air around him began to twist slightly, then transformed into the appearance of Pu Xuan.
“Young Master Wei.”
Looking at Wei Changtian, who was covered in blood, Pu Xuan sighed softly, his eyes filled with pity.
“Alas, this monk told you long ago that you cannot escape this illusion array.”
“I know.”
Wei Changtian shook his head, his expression no longer desperate: “Now it seems that I was indeed too arrogant.”
“Young Master need not be distressed.”
Pu Xuan earnestly advised: “At most, only a handful of people in the world can escape this illusion array. Young Master, you are already very impressive to have achieved this much.”
“A handful of people?”
Wei Changtian was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly: “I thought there wouldn't be even one.”
“Young Master, there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens.”
Pu Xuan did not mock Wei Changtian's arrogance, but gently sighed: “The world is vast, and there are far more capable people and strange individuals than you and I can imagine. If you haven't witnessed it with your own eyes, you naturally won't believe it sometimes.”
“It's not that I don't believe it, I'm just a little surprised.”
Wei Changtian glanced at the golden Buddha statue in the distance, which was indeed standing still, and suddenly changed the subject, saying a nonsensical sentence.
“Bald donkey, if nothing unexpected happens, I will die tonight.”
“This monk knows.”
Pu Xuan nodded earnestly: “It's just a pity that this monk is only an illusory being and cannot deliver Young Master's last words to your family.”
“Last words?”
Wei Changtian's eyes paused, then he shook his head: “I'm not talking about that.”
“Bald donkey, have you ever thought that after I die, you may never be able to be free.”
“...”
Pu Xuan's eyes suddenly widened, and his body trembled.
He stared at Wei Changtian in disbelief, wanting to say something, but the words got stuck in his throat.
Wei Changtian smiled and slowly continued:
“Being trapped in a temple for three hundred years.”
“Although I don't know how you came to have consciousness, I do know how much you've suffered during these three hundred years.”
“Bald donkey, you've actually wanted to end it all for a long time, haven't you?”
“I...”
Pu Xuan opened his mouth, his face unknowingly filled with a trace of unspeakable pain.
Indeed, as Wei Changtian said, ever since he awakened his individual will, every day in Yun'an Temple had been filled with endless torment.
It was just that he was unable to control himself and could not decide his own fate, so he could only repeat the illusory days, day after day.
From this perspective, perhaps “not having thoughts” would be better, at least he wouldn't be disgusted with such days.
So... is it better to suffer in consciousness or to sink into numbness?
Just like Shakespeare's line “To be or not to be” from the previous life, this question was difficult for Pu Xuan to choose.
He just lowered his head to look at his incredibly real, yet incredibly fake fingers, then slowly raised his head to look at Wei Changtian.
Pu Xuan didn't answer, but it seemed as if he had already given the answer.
“As expected.”
On the other side, Wei Changtian breathed a sigh of relief, his expression becoming sincere and serious.
“Bald donkey, you must know what the weakness of this illusion array is.”
“Tell me, and after I get out, I will definitely destroy this array, and you can be free.”
“I know this is difficult, but we don't have much time left.”
“Help me, and help yourself.”
“This is the last chance.”
“...”
The last chance.
Without a doubt, from Wei Changtian's point of view, this was indeed his last hope of escaping the illusion array.
And for Pu Xuan, if he missed this time, he didn't know how many years he would have to wait before he could once again encounter someone like Wei Changtian who had the ability to destroy the illusion array.
Struggle, pain, confusion...
Countless complex emotions surged into Pu Xuan's heart, causing him to take half a step back as if to escape.
Then, in Wei Changtian's disappointed gaze, he turned around and walked away step by step.
Had he ultimately failed?
Wei Changtian looked at Pu Xuan's back, saying nothing more.
He didn't know why Pu Xuan was unwilling to help him.
Perhaps, compared to “liberation,” the latter was more afraid of “death.”
Or perhaps he was unwilling to betray the illusion array that gave birth to him.
In short, Pu Xuan walked away step by step, without even looking back at Wei Changtian.
The golden light emitted by the golden Buddha statue fell directly on him, casting a long shadow behind him that seemed shouldn't exist.
Then, he slowly stopped, standing at the foot of the huge golden Buddha statue.
Compared to the Buddha statue, which was more than ten feet tall, Pu Xuan, like Wei Changtian, was as insignificant as an ant.
However, in the next moment, his body slowly floated up, higher and higher, until it was level with the Buddha's head.
One Buddha and one man, the two who were born from the illusion array, just looked at each other like this...
This scene looked quite absurd at first glance.
Pu Xuan's entire body was not even as big as the golden Buddha's eyes, but Wei Changtian could feel that they were indeed looking at each other.
And because Pu Xuan was facing away from him, Wei Changtian couldn't see his expression, he could only see the Buddha's eyes facing him.
The golden pupils vaguely reflected Pu Xuan's figure. Wei Changtian saw him shake his head as if he said something.
Pu Xuan's voice was very small. At first, Wei Changtian didn't hear it clearly.
However, when he repeated it over and over again, and gradually changed from a murmur to a roar, Wei Changtian's eyes instantly became surprised.
“Enough! Enough!!”
“Enough!!!”
“Enough!!!!”
The venting roar did not seem to come from the Pu Xuan who had always been very calm, but it was indeed his voice.
And what these “enoughs” meant, Wei Changtian was of course very clear.
“This...”
Wei Changtian never expected that things would take another turn, and he didn't know what to feel for a moment.
At this time, Pu Xuan's body suddenly burst out with a vast and equally dazzling golden light, and then, in a golden glow, he raised his right fist.
Compared to the many grandiose moves that Wei Changtian had previously displayed, this punch was undoubtedly very simple.
But it was this punch that made Wei Changtian feel a sense of invincibility.
In a flash of lightning, Wei Changtian didn't have time to think too much, he just opened his mouth and watched Pu Xuan swing his fist fiercely, as if using all his strength to rush towards the huge Buddha's head.
Pu Xuan didn't tell Wei Changtian that this illusion array had no weaknesses, and that the only array eye was this golden Buddha. Only by defeating the latter could he leave the array.
Pu Xuan also didn't answer Wei Changtian's question about “consciousness or numbness.”
Because everything he was doing now was not to save Wei Changtian.
This punch, he was only trying to save himself.
“Bang!!!!!”
In the sound of an avalanche-like explosion, the golden fist hit the Buddha's head.
Under this blow, the golden Buddha, who had never fallen despite Wei Changtian's various attacks, suddenly leaned back.
It's just that the latter didn't really fall down. The golden Buddha just staggered back a step, and then straightened up again.
Then, it slowly raised its giant hand and casually fanned it, smashing Pu Xuan from mid-air into the ground.
