“I just, one day, intend to correct the distortions of this entire world.”

"Since that is the final destination, I'll use this place to test the waters this time. It just so happens that there are lab rats, so there's no need to owe me any favors."

"I want to start from this step—to prove that the BUGs and loopholes in this world are not unfixable."

After saying this, he looked up at Sasa.

Sasa also curved her lips, revealing a meaningful smile.

[Erasing the laws already written on this land and rewriting them with your own rules is actually a very simple matter—haven't you two been playing with this for the past two days?]

Her gaze swept over Qi Xing, then over the hesitant Phosphorus,

[Re-enact the myths, re-establish earth, water, fire, and wind, and reshape the heaven, earth, sea, and soil.]

[You, who dragged the Sun Goddess Amaterasu out of the rock cave, can certainly do it; absolutely.]

[Because you have already proven that you can play the role of a "god more noble than Amaterasu."]

She paused for a moment, her eyes looking at the golden light still drifting in mid-air,

[—The Black Snake God who rules over the chaotic ocean.]

What does that mean?

Qi Xing didn't quite understand this allusion and didn't react immediately.

But as soon as Sasa finished speaking, the surrounding golden light shook violently, as if stung.

Following this was the voice of Yaobikuni, carrying a momentary, unbelievable hesitation.

[…Why…?]

Her voice sounded as if her throat had been gripped, and her tone even rose in pitch.

[Why!? White God… True God…! Why would you rather—!]

The emotion in that voice was intertwined with astonishment, anger, and even despair,

[Rather than letting your own apostle play the [Black God], you would destroy the eight hundred years of painstaking accumulation I have built, and destroy the truth of you that I have wholeheartedly manifested on earth?!]

Her voice trembled, as if struggling, but it no longer contained even a trace of the composure and wisdom it had before.

[Don't talk to yourself.]

And Sasa just glanced indifferently at the golden light,

[How could a true god possibly care about myths?]

[Only humans, and the gods created by humans, care about myths.]

Yaobikuni finally choked.

It was not out of unwillingness due to failure, but because she finally understood: all her efforts, from the very beginning, had never been seen by this "god," and had never been accepted by her.

Because Samael, although she is foolish, although she is wicked… she still has an insistence on and an aesthetic for the sacred.

These people who mess around, these people who dare to use evil arts to toy with her Giant Spirit, are just like the primitives who play with meat armor; they are things she has always deeply detested.

[That's enough. You have worked very hard.]

Sasa said this while gently stroking the head of [Mahamayuri] as if petting a dog.

[Just sleep peacefully.]

The Giant Spirit closed its eyes as if at ease and stopped moving altogether.

Volume 3: Shrine Maiden of the Black God: 114: Reshaping Heaven, Earth, Sea, and Soil Today

Three hours later,

Qi Xing and Phosphorus, bringing [Mahamayuri] and the forcibly restrained Yaobikuni, returned together to that chaotic void which was once Mount Hakkoda, once the abandoned [Sugisawa Village], but now had been "formatted."

[Why did you forcibly bring me along too?!]

Yaobikuni, who was already close to dissipating, appeared exceptionally terrified at this moment.

"Hey, if you don't punish the heart, what's the point of just killing someone?"

Qi Xing grinned, unceremoniously pinning her remaining soul with the [Qi Prohibition Technique] and taking it along.

He had also contacted the Onmyoryo in advance, contacting Gojo Masamichi, and falsely claimed that [Mahamayuri] must be sent back to the "formatted area" to complete the final "sealing."

There are few people in the world who truly understand the mysteries of the Giant Spirit, so naturally, whatever [Master Leipu] says goes. Gojo Masamichi didn't even suspect a thing.

That's perfect.

Because Qi Xing couldn't tell them—that he intended to personally modify the basic laws of this land.

No one would agree with such a thing. Except for Elaine, no one would stand by his side without reservation.

If most people heard of Qi Xing's plan, they would only be confused or even opposed to it. They would say: Since Yaobikuni and [Mahamayuri] have both been eliminated, hasn't the problem been solved? The crisis has been resolved, so why meddle with the "rules" of this land? Isn't disturbing the foundation an unnecessary move? If you mess it up, who will be responsible for the consequences?

The current situation, while not perfect, is good enough; why take the risk?

—Their fundamental problem lies in the fact that they have never imagined that "rules" could be different.

After all, for eight hundred years, the rules of this land have long since taken shape; no matter how filthy the source, as long as people "can survive," that is enough.

They won't understand what Qi Xing wants to do because they have never seen a world with "different rules."

The righteous path of this world would agree that Yaobikuni used evil arts; they would morally oppose various forms of forced behavior and loathe sacrificial cannibalism—but they wouldn't feel there is anything wrong with [phenomena] like "I voluntarily become a womb perpetual motion machine" or "infinite prostitution + production cycle" themselves.

Perhaps these [phenomena] and these "laws" themselves truly do not have a distinction between good and evil; it only depends on the person using them; used for good, it is good; used for evil, it is evil; killing a villain is a good move, killing a good person is an evil move… These clichés are probably not wrong,

However, the problem is, just like someone who is used to earning a lot of money in an instant through prostitution or gambling can hardly bear to work step by step… on a strange land where you can infinitely farm magic power just by giving birth to children and then sacrificing them, it is almost impossible to ask people not to have crooked thoughts at all.

If primitives could get endless food just by constantly engaging in certain behaviors and sacrificing infants in the tribe, then obviously this system itself would cause problems.

But these phenomena, in their eyes, are just "the way the world is."

And to make them understand that it is not "the way it was meant to be" is like trying to explain "what is dry" to a school of fish.

…Therefore, Qi Xing is destined to be lonely in this world.

Even if Elaine supports him, she cannot truly understand him.

As for Phosphorus, she cannot even agree with his choice. However, leaving Qi Xing alone would only put him in greater danger. So she can only follow along helplessly.

The excuse Qi Xing gave the Onmyoryo was not entirely fabricated. Although [Mahamayuri], under Sasa's command, has flown back to the "formatted area" with Qi Xing, Sasa herself is still in a paralyzed state and cannot input new commands to the Giant Spirit.

This land is still evil by Sasa's standards, full of the [cycle] laws that Yaobikuni spent eight hundred years carving into the land layer by layer. Once Sasa leaves, [Mahamayuri] will continue to judge this place as a land of lewd evil, just like Sodom and Gomorrah, still meeting the standard of "deserving destruction."

Sasa is holding the Giant Spirit back now, but if the battle starts again, frankly speaking, Qi Xing and Phosphorus might not win, or at least might not be able to achieve victory without both of them dying.

Moreover, Qi Xing has to admit that the Giant Spirit's judgment is not entirely wrong. It's just that this "sin," since it was forcibly implanted by people, must be cleared by people.

Since no one can change it, he will change it himself. Not to save anyone here, but so that one day—he can master the "world."

This will be his first attempt.

This is Qi Xing's choice.

They flew into that formatted realm of nothingness.

There is no heaven or earth here, no wind or rain, no temperature, no color, as if they were in the initial state of the universe that had never been touched by creation, everything still chaotic and undifferentiated.

[Mahamayuri] floated silently behind Qi Xing. It was waiting, waiting for the "creator" to issue new instructions.

Phosphorus looked around, saying nothing. She could adapt to this nothingness, but she could also feel the repulsion of this sea of non-life towards "humans."

Qi Xing flew towards the center of this void—the starting point where Yaobikuni originally set up the ritual, the source point where [Sugisawa Village] and Mount Hakkoda were first formatted.

There is no perceptible structure here. But Qi Xing already knows that this is the place of origin.

On this primordial sea with no time, no space, and no definition, Qi Xing opened his palm and released the light of the [silver coin] from his fingertips.

"Let's begin."

The Silver Coin of [Illusion] appeared in his hand.

The next task is not fighting.

"At the beginning of chaos, heaven had no name."

"Stars were not yet born, the earth was not yet established—the sea was already there."

"Come, Primordial Sea (Yam), shape my true form!"

"I am Yam! The Lord of Origins, the Dragon-Serpent King who rules over the chaotic ocean!"

Holding the silver coin and chanting loudly, the chaotic sea extended up along Qi Xing's legs, winding upwards, and engulfed him in an instant.

In an instant, he turned into a dragon.

A seven-headed dragon-serpent, the ancient god of the primordial sea—the Dragon King Yam.

The primordial sea god leisurely stretched its body in the chaos.

Phosphorus, wearing her red and white shrine maiden outfit, sighed.

Although she was not very willing, she still raised her kagura bell and swung it. The sound of the bell was crisp and melodious, echoing in the chaotic void, as if awakening the sleeping heaven and earth.

She looked up at the endless void and chanted aloud:

"At that time, a snake god appeared crossing the sea. The god sat in the eight-fathom palace of the Black Tide, coiled around eight hundred and eighty-eight whirlpools, transformed into the Heavenly Jeweled Spear to stir the salt-filled tide, and proclaimed:"

[Soul of the Barrier God, recreate the Reed Plain, purify the land and cast away filth, solidify the land of Kashihara!]

In an instant, the void of chaos began to shake. At first, it was an imperceptible ripple, which gradually evolved into violent fluctuations.

The chaotic sea churned ceaselessly, preparing to welcome new creation.

And just as the chaos was churning, [Mahamayuri], which had been silent like a statue until now, finally opened its eyes again.

Three faces and six eyes opened slowly at the same moment, like the eyes of the firmament perceiving all phenomena. [Yata Mirror] was also held high, and endless radiance emerged on its surface, reflecting the long-accumulated hidden filth and distortions in all things between heaven and earth in northeastern Japan.

Why does Qi Xing have such power now? What is he playing the role of now?

Does the chaotic great ocean dragon king of ancient Canaanite mythology have any connection with the [Black God]?

Actually, there is.

When Qi Xing secretly contacted Elaine to ask about this, she was very surprised, but still explained: "It is rare for anyone to mention this, however, the devil is worthy of being called a devil, even capable of doing this reverse-cultivation mythology."

Reverse-cultivation mythology?

"It is recorded in the ruins of Canaanite mythology that the original name of Yam, the King of the Primordial Sea, was 'YW'."

"In the opening of the Ugaritic epic, Yam is described as the most favored heir of El, the King of Gods, having received the support of many gods, and is described as 'El's most beloved,' having received the name 'Yam' from El to replace his original name, YW."

"Therefore, the second generation King of Gods in Canaanite mythology is not just 'Baal,' whom later generations have all heard of."

"Many linguists and mythologists believe that this YW might refer to our Lord… Yahweh (YHWH)."

Qi Xing: "…"

Yahweh (YHWH), which is Jehovah (Yehowah), the ineffable name of God.

—In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

—The earth was void and chaotic, darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The scripture does indeed say so. Jehovah is the God who walks on the waters, the God who is eternal king over the great waters, and the enemy of Baal.

"Although this is only a deduction of archaeology and mythology, it is indeed sufficient as a foundation for practicing magic."

"As long as we combine your power, Qi Xing, and Miss Phosphorus's angelic power, perhaps we can play the role of the Lord in the play as Yam, and reproduce the miracle of creation on a small scale."

Elaine said so.

Don't you yourself feel this is too heretical?

Qi Xing held back and didn't make a snarky comment—but actually, as Sasa said before, a true god wouldn't care about the myths compiled by humans.

Conversely, applying it now is just right.

The Giant Spirit was originally a tool used by Samael to monitor world distortions and system loopholes.

Now it holds up [Yata Mirror], and where its radiance reaches, it is no longer scenes visible to the naked eye, but a horizon that transcends time and causality.

The mountains, rivers, plains, harbors, ancient trails, and ruins of northeastern Japan, and even the broken bones and severed fingers buried underground, and the karmic bloodlines long forgotten between people, all appeared one by one in the mirror—as if the soul of the entire land had been peeled open, every fold of rules and order had nowhere to hide, dissecting bit by bit the rules and order that had accumulated on this land for thousands of years.

Vaguely, Qi Xing could see a large amount of text—that was a stream of code composed of hundreds of millions, trillions of lines, or even larger, incalculable amounts of high-density divine words.

This was the first time Qi Xing, in a language that humans could not understand, faced the bottom-most laws of the world directly—and this was only a corner of northeastern Japan, still far from the structure of the entire world.

[How is it?]