Shi Tian’s mind went as far back to the memories passed onto him by the future Leylah. They did not contain their personal moments, but rather, the major events that occurred in this world. He skimmed through them during his week-long recovery.
The second tribulation, as his future self had stated, was as follows:
The second is to create, but the answer lies not in becoming a world.
Repeated pondering pointed towards the hurdle of his Dao Integration Realm breakthrough—the creation of Amphoreus. Everything was there. Shi Tian planned on creating Amphoreus with his own hands, giving form to the ‘stories’ this world held. Essentially, he was turning ‘fiction’ into ‘reality’.
As for the ‘not becoming a world’, it warned Shi Tian of a dead-end path. At first, it was something born out of his tendency to put his life on the line. That was a thing of the past, however, as he had learned to trust others who are with him.
Having known their threats, Shi Tian had long prepared himself to deal with them.
The future Leylah’s memories caught him off guard, erasing almost every preparation he had done. His second tribulation did not come during his Dao Integration Realm breakthrough, but rather, when he reached the pinnacle of the Dao Integration Realm!
Unfortunately, the future Leylah’s memories had been too fragmented by the tribulation power as well as the present time itself. Most of them were vague, leaving him speculating.
As it happened, the answer presented itself now.
‘Remembrance is a pitfall.’
When he attained the ‘Aeon’ status for the Remembrance authority, it served to reason for Finality to start moving, yet all it did was to shake the enhanced imaginary barrier. The thought of it directing moving against him left his mind. To affect the thoughts of a Void Refinement Realm cultivator, its prowess far exceeded what he had expected.
‘It’s not just Finality, too…’
Shi Tian’s awakening allowed him to catch onto the origin of what affected his mind—two Aeons. One was Terminus, responsible for driving the universe to a finite end. They are the reason why the cycle filled with restarts and dead-ends occurred in the first place.
However, a ‘cycle’ wasn’t enough. Something needs to support this cycle, maintaining perfect balance until the most ideal present is reached.
Equilibrium.
For reasons unknown, their presence was the least conspicuous in this universe. There are some who spied upon how they operated, but they were far and few between.
Shi Tian’s lips turned into a frown, his brows furrowing. He stopped walking, prompting the two to notice his abnormality.
“It’s Finality. They affected me through the Remembrance Path.”
“Finality?!”
No more words needed to be said. Kiana swiftly checked out on the status bestowed by the Cocoon, only to find nothing. Seeing this, Shi Tian roused his Tao Heart, intruding upon her true body. The latter did not resist, actively receiving him as she had always done. The fusion of body and mind with each dual cultivation session raised their compatibility to the highest.
With the tacit cooperation of two Tao Hearts, they found something. The string held no form nor substance. It did not exist physically nor metaphorically, but they knew it was ‘there’. It was filled with so much contradictions its existence was nil. It should have been destroyed long ago, but it has been remembered, thus imposing co-existence.
They no longer hesitated. Their Tao Hearts’ might descended, forcibly cutting it off from Kiana.
Snap-!
No visible changes occurred right after. Only the sensation of striking upon something was left as a trace that it existed.
“I didn’t even sense its presence…”
“It should be because I am not from this world.”
Her purple star-like irises stared at his pair of clear golden pupils. She hasn’t noticed them before, but his attainment of Formlessness revealed a smooth, glass-like texture within. Beneath them were shadows of a millstone enclosed with a grid-like net. A faint milky light seeped out of the millstone’s exit, causing heart-stopping palpitations.
“Its mechanisms will affect me the least.” He said. “Not to mention your close proximity with them… so I am planning to give you more safeguards.”
“Hum…”
The duo soon turned their attention to Vita.
“I might ask you for a favor later.” Shi Tian spoke. “Leylah is involved too.”
“Alright. A favor, it is.”
Just like that, he managed to brush it off for later.
The feeling of being a third wheel wasn’t as fun as Vita thought. It felt like the two beside her had a world of their own. The urge to seek for fun was inherent in Vita’s bones, evident to Aha choosing her as a ‘special’ Pathstrider.
‘What if I…’
A sudden idea put a smile on her lips. What mattered in that plan wasn’t whether she would be exposed or not, but rather, Shi Tian’s reaction. When she thought more about it, being a third wheel felt a bit more bearable.
It did not take them long to reach the reception room after several turns. They walked across these lengthy corridors, and greeting their eyes was a brightly-lit room akin to a royal reception. Dozens of round standing tables were placed across the room. This was not a mere reception, but a venue for a grand party!
“I hope it is to your liking.”
Tap.
Tap.
Leeylah’s soft-heeled boots made a rhythmic tapping sound as she walked towards them. She wore her usual form-fitting black outfit. Her sharp look removed the impression of her earlier stutters, albeit momentarily.
Vita did not stand in ovation. The moment Leylah approached on the standing table they chose, her face turned serious as she asked:
“Did Sa leave something to you?”
Hearing that made Leylah pause, recovering a while later. Her eyes flickered, as if thinking of something, before giving out a response.
“She only left us a blueprint for the anchor’s construction. Sena… she did not adopt them completely. She did not trust her fully, so she recreated it on her own.”
Vita did not doubt Leylah’s words as she let out a nod. The relief in her eyes was subtle, yet it could not be hidden. Having her matter settled, she gave Shi Tian a look telling it was his turn.
“Finality left subtle influences on the two of us, me and Kiana. I am afraid it might be the case for you two, especially Miss Leylah.”
It wasn’t just the two of them. Shi Tian was afraid every single Star Lord was compromised. Of course, that possibility was lower compared to them who had direct contact with the Paths of this world.
“I will need to merge with your minds to momentarily fuse my Tao Heart with your true bodies.” He paused, arriving at the most awkward part.
The reason why it went smoothly with Kiana was due to their repeated dual cultivation sessions. The fusion of body and mind given by the [Sun-Moon Creation Art] helped them establish an unbreakable connection. If he had to do the same for others, skin contact was necessary.
In this case…
“I need to hold your hands.”
…handholding.