The Peak Master of the Divination Peak fared like the others. Wendy’s first thought when she was transported into an unknown place was to bring out her hexagram. She held back from exerting her power beyond her limits. The lifespan she spent to divine Shi Tian’s future still hasn’t recovered. Whenever she receives a backlash, it becomes more difficult to deal with. It could be said that her current injured state reduced her usual capabilities by 20%.
‘This place…’
Her thoughts halted as her mind projected externally. She scanned her surroundings in an instant, recognizing this familiar place. She stood on an island filled with various high-end infrastructures. A clean path made of marble was carved amidst it. The towering trees and the flowers that occasionally fell formed a picturesque sight.
Wendy failed to appreciate this scenery. After all, this was the same place where she almost lost her future.
Swoosh-!
A gust of wind blew by. Her white dress swayed to the left, exposing the white expanse on her hips. It was at this moment that Wendy sensed someone else standing behind her. She turned around and saw a woman identical to her. She also wore the pure white dress that left much to the sight of others. Wendy dealt with this by casting a permanent spell that reduced her presence to zero. She never showed herself to the outside. It was another reason that pushed her to become a recluse.
Wendy’s attention soon turned to her eyes. It also bore the same color as hers---vibrant green---but the lack of luster within them was extremely evident.
“What happened to those eyes?”
“They are gone.”
“…”
Although Wendy had a feeling that was the case, hearing her admission felt different. Curiosity gnawed on her heart madly. Her unease grew as she faced her future self.
“What did you see?” She asked.
“Everything.” She pursed her lips. “I was the first to die amongst others.”
Just as she said those words, anomalies appeared.
Buzz-!
Everything around them flickered as they turned translucent. Some trees turned into dry husks. The leaves they bore turned bright yellow. Several buildings looked unfinished as if they were left unattended in the middle of construction. Other buildings looked worn down and weathered. The time inside this space grew chaotic as past, present, and future kept changing like a rolling die.
Amidst it all, Wendy remained calm. Void Refinement Realm cultivators are karma-less. The moment they severed their causality from the world, they are unaffected by most space-time phenomena. They possess an innate resistance against Daos that controlled Time. Moreover, she had also majored in Time herself. She understood well what was going on.
‘The temporal backlash is striking hard.’ She thought. ‘Projections are only possibilities, after all.’
Between unfulfilled possibilities and tangible reality, the latter takes the higher ground. Their future projections are severely limited in the influence they could exert. The tangible temporal dimension had a violent reaction when it sensed the future Wendy’s intention to transmit deep and complex information. The gradual suppression increased sharply at that very instant.
“I consumed every bit of my lifespan to divine the one left out by heaven’s will.” She paused before adding, “It brought me to this present.”
Buzz-!
The temporal backlash grew stronger. She did not show any concern regarding it, still.
“The first wife left this world for others, seeking salvation contained within.
The holders of samsara sought hope in despair, plunging this world amongst countless others to drastic changes.
The one who rebuilt everything walked her own path, leaving marks across myriad realms.
The one with Double Pupils created worlds upon worlds, searching for an answer to the final tribulation.
The darling of the stars used all worlds as a formation, attempting to subvert reality.
The accursed vampire fell to evil ways, leaving a bloody trail behind her shadows…”
BUZZ-!
RUMBLE-!
The world around them turned nil. Everything ceased to exist, fully submerged in time’s wrath. The world around them was forcibly turned into the most primal chaos.
The future Wendy’s visage turned translucent. This state caused her to stop speaking of their future. Still, it failed to earn an ounce of hurry. She looked at Wendy, who seemingly guessed what she wanted to do.
“The essence of Unfettered Gale is to be unrestrained. Provoking heaven’s wrath is but an inevitability. One must learn to adapt and go with its flow. Using it to one’s advantage, they hold equal position as heaven itself.”
Fwoosh-!
A transparent viridescent gale swept through the two of them. The machinations of time halted. The terrifying power aimed to crush the future Wendy was carried by the winds she summoned forth.
She could now control this terrifying power!
When the winds died down, the world around them turned to normal. They were no longer at the Schicksal Oceania Base, but at the mountain peak housing her residence.
Her soft voice rang, asking her gently:
“Have you seen it?”
“…Not yet.”
Wendy looked at the terrifying power floating around her. She clearly felt her battle intent brewing strongly. A fight between the two is inevitable.
“Then face it.”
****
“I wonder how she’s faring…”
Anna felt a tinge of worry towards Wendy. She knew her friend was extremely tough. Being able to surpass the turbulent emotions brought by the Sea of Suffering was more than enough proof. Still, she couldn’t help but feel like that.
After all, Wendy was someone she took care of for the entirety of the solar system’s isolation. She is her best friend.
Crack-!
Anna’s thoughts halted when a crisp sound rang throughout her surroundings. She looked around and saw translucent pale blue cracks appear. The faint red mist around her dissipated like an illusion. It wasn’t long before she was brought upon a world with nothing but ice.
The breeze that swept by made her shudder slightly.
‘This place isn’t ordinary!’
She immediately activated her self-defense mechanism. A pale blue light coated her entire body, isolating it from the rest of the world. It was a product of the physical cultivation technique she practiced. Anna could place her true body in a state of stasis. She wouldn’t be able to consume spiritual qi, but she won’t be affected by anything else. Once she reached [Perfection] mastery, however, this restriction disappeared. Her true body became in perfect harmony of heaven and earth.
Anna thought this would be enough.
‘A chill penetrating the depths of my soul…’
Amidst the snowstorm, a silhouette emerged. The woman bore extreme similarities to Anna. She instantly caught a familiar sensation. Memories of the time inside the Zixiao Palace resurfaced.
‘A future projection…