Inner Destroyer

　Why do I have such a connection with zombies?

　Although Qi Xing wanted to complain, unfortunately, the beauty caught his attention in just a moment.

　As the saying goes, clothes make the man. If the Samael I met before was merely the hateful, arrogant brat, then the woman now sitting on the throne is the young Queen of Darkness. Her golden eyes, half-lidded, as if half asleep, are gorgeous yet endearing. If it weren't for the fleeting glance, her face would have resembled a sculpture of exquisite craftsmanship.

　Her aura, her eyes, and the hint of amusement in her mouth all made for a beautiful picture.

　This was the first time Qi Xing had to admit her beauty.

　Even though she was now in such a state, like a corpse on the throne, she was still beautiful.

　She looked like a child who hadn't quite reached adulthood yet, yet she was too young to be called a child. Yet, she was too young to be called a woman.

　Even though she had been killed, she still lived, sitting on the line between life and death, so beautiful that it was astonishing and awe-inspiring!

　Therefore, after being silent for a while, the first question Qi Xing couldn't help but ask was: "What are you?"

　"What is it?"

　This question made the corpse god on the throne laugh.

　"What is it? That's a very profound question."

　"It's different from asking me who I am. Just telling you my name isn't enough of an answer."

　"Then I'll put it this way."

　She opened her mouth and began to speak like a song,

　"I am Demiurge, the Creator God, the Maker of the world."

　"I am El, and

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　Elohim."

　"I am Brahma and I am Vishnu."

　"I am Ra and I am Ptah."

　"I am Yuanshi Tianwang, and I am Hongjun Laozu."

　"I am Black Mameni, the writer of destiny."

　She spoke softly. Qi Xing heard it all in a split second; he hadn't heard it at all. She spoke, yet she didn't. The very concept of language suddenly seemed ridiculous, as if it were detrimental to the balance of time, space, and reality.

　She spat out names, many names, a thousand different names for every creator god in all human cultures. These names echoed in the eternal wind, never ceasing. So many feelings were transmitted to Qi Xing, a primal and infinite power.

　That was the language of God. A language imbued with immense power. The words spoken by God, the Creator, were absolute, commands that creatures could only obey and carry out without hesitation. Disobeying, let alone ignoring, was impossible.

　This language is an absolute and ultimate command statement that can exercise power over everything in the world.

　The thing that can determine such norms is, of course, "God".

　Even though Qi Xing, as an "outsider," was outside her jurisdiction, he still had to acknowledge her authority in this world. Just like when you enter someone else's home, as a guest, you always have to give the host some respect; just like when you log into someone else's server, even if you're a living person and everything else is NPC, the server administrator still has the power to mess with you.

　"I am Yaldabaoth, the Archon of the Earth."

　"I have three other names: the first is Samael (the blind one), the second is Sakarath (the fool), and the third is Satanye (the one who resists God)."

　"I am Azathoth, the blind and foolish, Bastet, the blind and fish-eating, and Gmerti, the god of order and law."

　"He was also a foolish god who was cast down from the throne of the highest heaven by his own brother, fell into the deepest part of the underworld, and was imprisoned in his own corpse."

　"I really want to stand up and welcome you. You are the first visitor from outer space in two thousand years since Iesus Christos. But I'm sorry, I can't even stand up now-"

　How could she actually laugh?!

　As the saying goes, as long as you are thick-skinned enough, others will be embarrassed.

　Qi Xing was no fool. He could see that the goddess, smiling so kindly as she sat on the throne of darkness, was in a dire state. It was as if she had been shattered alive, like a paraplegic, half-dead.

　On the other hand, Qi Xing wasn't completely unlearned. While his knowledge of Western gods was limited, he was still a semi-immortal cultivator after all. He actually understood the Eastern immortals, gods, and Buddhas quite well.

　The family heritage he traveled through in this life originated from the legacy of the Shangqing Shenxiao Sect, which revered Yuanshi Tianzun as the supreme deity. As for Yuanshi Tianzun, everyone should know him. He is the head of the Three Pure Ones in Taoism, the Jade Emperor.

　As for "Yuanshi Tianwang," early Taoism lacked the concept of a "creator god." It wasn't until the Eastern Jin Dynasty that Taoism absorbed the image of the deity "Pangu," calling him "Xiantian Daozu Yuanshi Supreme God," the creator god who opened up the heavens and the universe.

　Some Taoist texts believe that "Yuanshi Tianwang" is "Yuanshi Tianzun" (or the incarnation of Yuanshi Tianzun).

　Some versions also believe that "Yuanshi Tianwang" is just the son of "Yuanshi Tianzun". In any case, he is a deity of extremely high status.

　But now, this loli evil god actually told him——"I am Yuanshi Tianwang!"

　What expression should Qi Xing show at this moment?

　Then there's the ancestor Hongjun. Some might ask, "Isn't Hongjun a character in fiction?" This is certainly true; Hongjun is not a deity in the "orthodox" Taoist pantheon. Hongjun's fame among the general public stems primarily from the novel "Investiture of the Gods" and other novels from the prehistoric era.

　On the other hand, Taoism has always had its share of unorthodox secret sects. Especially in the Jiangnan and southern Shaanxi regions, there are indeed secret sects dedicated to the ancestor Hongjun. Xu Zhonglin, the author of "Investiture of the Gods," is rumored to have been a practitioner of this secret sect.

　The character "Hong" (鸿) means grand, while the character "Jun" (君) originally means a potter's wheel. Therefore, the name "Hongjun" refers to a great craftsman, the creator of all things and the deity who drives the great wheel of the universe. Today, a small number of Taoist sects still worship Hongjun, worshipping him as the creator of heaven and earth.

　But this little girl actually told Qi Xing: "I am Yuanshi Tianwang! And also Hongjun!"

　Then she said she was Azathoth. Is Azathoth so cute now?

　May you be blessed with infinite happiness! Go to hell!

　"That's a lot of information, and it's hard to believe. Could you please give me some details?"

　Qi Xing couldn't help rubbing his forehead.

　"And why would this venerable deity with so many names be paralyzed from the waist down and locked away at the bottom of the universe?"

　“This is domestic violence.”

　The evil girl looked innocent.

　"I was beaten by my brother."

　"Be more detailed."

　"Alright alright."

　Perhaps he had finally teased Qi Xing enough, Samael sighed leisurely and smiled.

　"Qi Xing, you are such a rare guest. I will let you hear the story of the God of this world."

　She's been tied up here for two thousand years, so it must be boring.

　The next second, the surrounding scene suddenly changed. The music box began to sing a wonderful background music, and paper figures rose from the ground and made

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　The scene, sound and light effects are remarkable.

　Samael began to tell her story.

　A story that is actually not very uncommon.

　-

　Long, long ago, before all things began—there was a God, ineffable, transcendent and perfect.

　He first created the multitudes of divine powers in eternity.

　He spoke to them, taught them all kinds of knowledge, words and songs, and reminded them of the themes and mysteries of creation.

　Then the mighty ones began to sing. According to the themes and music suggested by the Father, they used their own words and songs to give form to reality, creating countless universes, making the world start to move, and making time flow.

　The above part of the story is not unusual. In every universe, every world, every civilization, all living beings will tell similar stories in various ways.

　However, perhaps out of free will, or perhaps due to fate, among the many powerful beings, only one child had a strange idea.

　"Among all the powerful ones, I am the best and the most powerful."

　Samael said to Qi Xing proudly, boasting passionately,

　"I possess all the knowledge and talents that my brothers and sisters possess."

　"Michael? A fool who only knows how to fight. Is she as smart as me? She can't even make a human soul."

　"Gabriel? A villain who only knows how to use tricks. Is she as powerful as me? She can't even defeat the soul I created."

　"Raphael... I really don't understand what she's thinking. After a work trip, she actually brought a man home and fed him cake all day in a maid outfit."

　"They just follow their dad's instructions and create according to his themes. I'm not saying that's wrong, but that's their choice - why can't I create my own things and my own universe?"

　Qi Xing already had some idea of ​​what she would do next.

　"So... this world is..."

　"This universe is the one I created outside the Tree of Life, in the void, after leaving the upper realm. Your soul simply fell from the Tree of Life and happened to land in my world."

　Samael grinned.

　"This is my own original universe. I have unquestionable ownership of it."

　"Now do you understand why you can't use the scales to judge me? Because I am the legitimate creator of this world. I am the root of this universe, and I am the order and laws of the universe."

　"The physical laws of this world are all kept running by my gears. From every cell to every human soul, they are all created by my engine. As the creator of this world, whatever I do to it is of course "just."

　Qi Xing was really speechless for a moment.

　Because...if what she said was true...then it would be really hard to refute.

　If the world is viewed as a book, then the author has the right to decide how to write, how to set up the book, and what plots to let the characters encounter.

　If we view the world as a work of art, then if an artist suddenly gets mad and wants to smash a vase halfway through her work, that's her business. As long as she doesn't smash it on someone else's head, no one else can interfere.

　You can call her a fool for making such a rubbish, but she still has the power. Everyone has that power.

　If you are very capable, you might be able to go and beat the author up - Qi Xing suspects that Samael is now being beaten half to death, maybe because of a similar situation - but that assumes that you and the author are both real people in the upper world.

　No matter how much the characters in a book do, they can't do anything to the author, and no one can fight for the human rights of the characters in the book. Can you judge the author for writing the characters to death, destroying them, and ruining them? It doesn't make sense.

　But as he listened, Qi Xing still felt that two things were particularly strange.

　"Since this world is yours, then why..." Qi Xing gestured at his clothes and magical tools, "Why are the things in this world not much different from those in the upper world?"

　Except for the fact that everyone's head seemed to be filled with a thick white liquid. Aside from the magic and superpowers, this lower world didn't seem much different from Qi Xing's original upper world. Even the gods and myths were the same, and even the history was so similar. Qi Xing even wore the same brand of clothing as in his previous life.

　"That's because, of course, the basic structure, blueprints, and underlying code of this universe were all copied from the upper world by me."

　Samael answered as if it was a matter of course.

　"I added my own designs to this basic structure. I wrote new rules myself, and built the engine of the universe myself. Although sometimes the two systems are not very compatible and bugs may occur, I spent a lot of time adjusting and putting them back together, so..."

　it is good.

　Say no more.

　Qi Xing now understood everything. He knew why the world was so rotten.

　He really wanted to complain about her former demeanor as a peerless powerhouse, where did it go? How could she fall so quickly? Qi Xing was now about to rant, "How dare you, you idiot, call this your own original world?!"

　-

　[A small mythological sidebar that is not suitable for inclusion directly in the main text]

　Possible question 1: So is there really Hongjun in Taoism?

　Answer: In the genealogy of orthodox Taoist gods and immortals

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　There is no Hongjun Patriarch. However, because Hongjun is truly famous, and even today there are still folk Taoist sects who believe in him, he is certainly more than just a "fictional character."

　Possible question 2: What are Demigod, Ptah, etc.?

　Answer: These are craftsman gods and creator gods from myths and religions around the world. Their commonality is that they all created the world or humanity through craftsmanship. Hephaestus was a blacksmith, and God was a carpenter. Many myths also link humanity's origins to the craftsmanship of the gods. They shaped humanity from clay, much like pottery, and then breathed life into their creations. For example, Nüwa.

　Craftsmanship—creating miracles from raw materials—is one of the world’s oldest metaphysical practices. The same is true of the so-called miracles of modern industrial technology.

　Possible question three: Why do you always write about protagonists who mix together different religions and different methods of practice?

　Answer: The world is so big, how boring would it be to just write about a protagonist who practices one method? Besides, I have always believed that many religions and mysteries in the world have commonalities.

　021: Why don’t you repent, you evil creature?

　A long, long time ago, Samael, with the knowledge and power given by her father, left home and sneaked to the edge of the Tree of Life, creating her own universe in the void outside.