When one awakens their origin, they are gradually assimilated by it, thus losing themselves and acting according to their true nature. Therefore, those with the power to awaken their origins will not leave their lives to unknown luck and fate. They will choose other ways to reach the Primordial Sea!
Those without power simply cannot awaken their origins. Thus, although origins are powerful, awakening them is extremely rare. And in this infinite universe, it is unknown whether any who have awakened have survived extinction...
Luck, fate—perhaps they are both on my side! I possess no power of my own; even though I am already dead and only my soul remains, I am enveloped by the power of the jade pendant, traveling upstream along my origin, reaching the Primordial Sea. And because of that noble power, I can follow the core of the world directly to the Sea of Origin, the place countless people dream of!
Even… because of this power, my origin has been reshaped! That voice's questioning was actually altering my very origin! I don't know what that voice, that power of the jade pendant, is, nor do I know its original origin. But now, I have gained tangible benefits, all because of that origin called "transcendence." As long as I follow this origin, I will possess the power to surpass everything!
Quietly feeling the blood-red flame burning on my body—this was the power embodied by my origin called "transcendence." Under the influence of the power in the mysterious jade pendant, I maintained this contradictory state of following my origin without being assimilated by it. While preserving my self, I was also able to pursue my true nature. I dare not say there will be none like me after, but it is certainly unprecedented.
The flames still burned. I gazed upon this place—a place without the concepts of time and space, a place filled with all that is right and wrong, a place countless people yearn for! Yet, I felt no joy at all. After all, I hadn't reached this place through my own strength; I lacked the corresponding "knowledge" and "power"! Even if I truly existed here, I couldn't utilize or control anything here, and thus, becoming a "god" was even more impossible!
For me now, this Sea of Origin was like advanced mathematics, university literature, and English. Understanding them would transform me into an almighty god! But I was like a toddler who couldn't even handle addition, subtraction, or Chinese pinyin. Without the most basic knowledge, how could I possibly comprehend all this?
…
Calming the surging emotions after rebirth, I began to think quietly. I could feel that although the power protecting my soul was noble, its quantity was too small. It was gradually being consumed by the power of the Root. If the power vanished and I remained here, the outcome was undeniable: I would be swallowed by this place, and all would be for naught.
Therefore, what I needed to do now was leave this place, enter a world, and train to master the power I had gained, to fully control it and obtain what I needed. In the end… I would rely on my own strength to return here. I believed that by then, I would be qualified to explore the power of the jade pendant and the voice that had once appeared in the depths of my soul!
…
Acting upon my thoughts, now that I had a goal, I had direction. My body began to move without direction. There was no concept of movement here, but in my perception, the "knowledge" around me was constantly changing. Though I still didn't understand it, I knew I was indeed moving!
…
There was no concept of time here. The only thing that gave me a sense of its passage was the slow flow of mysterious energy within my body.
I have no idea how long I've been wandering in this boundless "ocean," yet I still can't find a way out. The knowledge I gained while reshaping my body was mostly about the Root, but there's nothing about leaving this Sea of Roots!
Sensing the mysterious power within the jade pendant gradually fading, I began to lose my composure, growing secretly anxious! I had no clue what to do about this Sea of Roots!
I don't know how much time passed, but the Root power enveloping me remained unchanged. However, the power of the jade pendant grew weaker and weaker. A sense of dread started to spread within my soul. I had finally experienced this miraculous opportunity, and I hadn't even begun to live my new life. I didn't want to die again!
Suddenly, I sensed a discordance in the Sea of Roots, as if something unknown was regurgitating! Something seemed to be flowing into this Sea of Roots!
Although I didn't know what it was, given my desperate situation, I had to investigate. Perhaps it was a lifeline.
Following my perception, I headed toward the source of the unidentified object.
As I slowly approached, I sensed a shift. In this void, I "saw" something that shouldn't have been there. It was a mysterious space that had appeared at the origin of this place, pitch black. Yet within this darkness lay countless eerie eyes. Some laughed, some cried, some looked down, some were disdainful, some excited, some fearful. Within these eyes, it seemed as if all the emotions of living beings were contained...
But these weren't what attracted me. What drew me in was the figure at the center of that strange space. That figure was as radiant and beautiful as the sun in the empty cosmos.
It was a female soul, completely naked, with beautiful blonde hair cascading down her back. Her skin was as delicate as jade, and her exquisite face exuded both innocence and allure. Her long legs and dainty feet captivated me. But at the same time, I felt that she, like me, was slowly being assimilated by the Root, and her assimilation was progressing even faster than mine!
Seeing that figure, so beautiful it seemed to embody all the essence of the world, this soul-body, which should have been heartless, seemed to possess a pulsating rhythm, accelerating the flow of energy throughout its form. That figure completely captivated me, not only because of its unparalleled beauty but also because of the idea that if I could merge with her, I might be able to leave this place!
I lunged toward her quickly, getting closer and closer, the impulse in my heart roaring like a wild beast.
Finally, my body made contact with that strange black space. It seemed to possess some kind of force, attempting to halt my advance. However, faced with the blood-red flames burning all over my body, it melted like snow, and I pressed forward. The closer I got to the center, the greater the resistance, but against the power of the Root, it still couldn't stop me.
I reached out my right hand, my fingertips trembling as they touched hers. It wasn't smooth and delicate but felt like a perfect blend of both! The touch of souls brought me an indescribable sensation! This feeling made me instinctively grab her arm.
Perhaps she sensed it too. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her eyes, once tightly shut like those of Sleeping Beauty, finally opened. A pair of beautiful amethyst-like eyes appeared before me, their gaze devoid of reason, filled only with suppressed instinct! In that instant, my mind exploded, and I lost myself in the entanglement of our souls. Finally, the two figures merged into one!
…
The Root is a place of contradictions, where light and darkness, yin and yang, right and wrong are indistinguishable. But I, a being representing yang, stand out here. Without the corresponding yin, I feel incomplete in this Sea of Roots, rejected by the Root. Fortunately, that girl, representing yin, and I met. Perhaps this is truly fate. The union of yin and yang completes us both, making us a whole within this place, and thus enabling me to leave.
The collision of two entities that shouldn't appear here but represent the yin and yang of all things finally brought change to this flowing yet tranquil space!
In the communion of souls, I felt the inclusiveness of the Root. Some inexplicable knowledge automatically flowed into my soul through the interaction of yin and yang, which also helped me understand the principles above. At the same time, I also perceived how to follow this flow to leave.
The fusion paused, and with a complex expression, I gazed at the ethereally beautiful girl beneath me. She could be said to be the first woman in my life. Although there was no physical contact, the connection between our souls made it seamless. But I knew that if I didn't leave quickly, we would both be consumed by the Root.
She also understood the situation. She slowly opened her enchanting eyes and stared intently at the person before her, as if wanting to imprint him in her heart forever, then pushed him away from her body without any reluctance.
In silent understanding, the two of us simply looked at each other quietly, but our bodies instinctively followed the flow of the Root and prepared to leave.
Leaving here, we would enter the world, but the world is as vast as the sands of the Ganges, and the chance of us meeting again is incredibly slim.
Finally, I mustered my soul to send my thoughts over, "...Your...name?!"
"Ya... Yakumo... Yukari!" She looked at me curiously, as if surprised. But her halting yet resolute words echoed in my soul! The moment this name appeared, I had a vision. Beneath a cherry blossom tree stood a young girl with long, slightly curled golden hair. She wore a gown resembling a Taoist robe but with a European touch. The front of her gown was emblazoned with the Bagua symbol. Her arms were adorned with red ribbons and lace cuffs. Her hands were clad in silk-like gloves. The umbrella in her right hand rested casually on the ground, and a folding fan in her left hand half-covered her face. Her crystal-clear eyes gazed at me.
This is... Gensokyo... Yes, the Gensokyo beloved by the gods, a paradise that had permeated my soul through fragmented memories, even when I was an otaku!
"So Gensokyo really exists!" Looking at Yakumo Yukari, I felt deeply conflicted. Gensokyo was a place I had longed to visit when I was still an otaku. I had fantasized about traveling there more than once, but now that I knew Gensokyo truly existed, I couldn't feel happy. This meant that the isolated nature of Gensokyo would make it even harder for me to find her!
The black space surrounding her gradually disappeared, and she herself grew increasingly transparent. However, she seemed to know what I was thinking and gave me a unique smile, as if encouraging me: "Be sure to come find me~!"
I pursed my lips and used my last bit of strength to respond to this expectation: "Yakumo! We will definitely meet again! We will—!!" I screamed desperately toward Yakumo Yukari, who had completely vanished. But the joy emanating from her let me know that she had heard me...
My consciousness gradually faded, and my journey was about to begin. I struggled to open my eyes and took one last look at the Sea of Roots. I finally had a clear goal: to find you, Yakumo Yukari! To find you, the place cherished by the gods—Gensokyo!