I ?....

I thought the whole process was complete and I am free ,free from all that torture and pain but something else happened…

A new torture ,after physical pain came the mental pain,haahh.....

Right now, I was in a dark space. In front of me sat the 10,800-foot-tall Asura phantom, meditating in a lotus position with both hands pressed against his chest, cradling the very same lotus that had once manifested outside.

Somehow, the lotus, along with its roots, had been absorbed into my body. But how? The lotus was supposed to be a mere phenomenon—an abstract manifestation of enlightenment. It shouldn't exist in reality. Yet, here it was, embedded within me. I struggled to make sense of it, but my thoughts felt like a tangled mess. All I knew was that right now, within that lotus, my Asura phantom was meditating.

I was certain this was happening inside my consciousness. But if that were true, then why was everything around me pitch black? I had always heard that a person's consciousness reflects their true nature—so could only darkness represent me?

Black could mean many things. Perhaps it was space-the infinite cosmos itself? But space had stars, tiny pinpricks of light scattered across the vast emptiness. Here, there were no stars. Just infinite darknesskness. Maybe this was the void? But then again, what did the void even look like?

I didn't know.

And so, trapped in this abyss, with no sense of time, I kept talking to myself. It was the only thing keeping me sane.

Meanwhile, in the outside world…

My body sat in a meditative state atop the central pillar of the realm. From my back, green roots had sprouted, connecting to the pillar and absorbing the Origin Flames.

As time passed, the once radiant pillar began losing its luster, dimming ever so slightly. At the same time, the pink lotus started changing color—deepening into a rich crimson red.

I understood what was happening.

That greedy lotus was devouring the very source of the Origin Flames—the power that resided within the pillar. I had no idea how long this process would take or what would happen to the realm once it was complete.

But none of that mattered.

Back inside my consciousness…

I had been given a second life, yet I had survived not because of my own will, but because of sheer luck—because of a series of coincidences that had protected me.

I should have died countless times.

I tried snapping my own neck. I failed.

I tried suffocating myself. I failed.

I even attempted to self-detonate. Yet, again, I failed.

No matter what I did, something always stopped me.

I had read countless cultivation novels where body cultivation required an unbreakable will. Jiang Chen's memories confirmed this—he had undergone unimaginable self-torture just to strengthen his resolve. His will was unshakable.

But me?

I had no will.

I couldn't endure the pain like he did. Instead of persevering, I sought escape. Over and over again, I tried to take my own life, not because of some grand purpose, but simply because I couldn't bear the suffering.

What did that say about me?

Was I even worthy?

Protagonists in cultivation stories always had a reason to live—revenge, protecting loved ones, fulfilling their ambitions. But me? I had nothing.

Even those perverted protagonists with harem systems had a goal—they could endure any hardship for the sake of chasing women. Their sheer perversion fueled their willpower.

But I wasn't that perverted.

Shouting "Oppai!" wouldn't suddenly give me the strength to overcome my struggles.

So then… what was my reason?

Why was I still alive?

Why was I even trying to live through this pain?

I didn't want anything special from this life, so why didn't I just die?

When I first transmigrated into Jiang Chen's body, I had focused on survival. I lied, manipulated, and strategized to stay alive. But why? Wouldn't it have been easier to just die right then and there?

And even if I did die, I'd probably just reincarnate again.

Maybe I wouldn't remember this life, but that wouldn't be a problem, right?

I could simply be born again, live a new life, make new memories, then die and repeat the cycle for eternity.

So what was the point of suffering now?

Even if I survived this ordeal, I would eventually die someday. If death was inevitable, then why struggle at all?

POV Ends…

As Jiang Chen sank deeper into despair, he failed to notice something.

His eyes were slowly closing—not just his spiritual body's eyes, but his real body's eyes as well.

The moment his eyes shut more than halfway, his body stopped absorbing the Origin Flames. The green roots that had sprouted from his back recoiled, retreating into his body.

His body became unstable.

Then, it began to fall.

Inside his consciousness…

Jiang Chen suddenly became aware of a sensation—he was falling.

But his mind was already clouded with despair. He no longer understood what was happening.

"Why does it feel like my body is free?"

"Am I going in the right direction?"

"Am I… gaining Moksha?"