Chapter 193 - 191: Astral Tribulation - Eden & Void
"Now, the last two." Wei Wuyin pouted his lips slightly as he said to the Alchemic Eden Natal Soul and the Draconic Void Natal Soul. However, the next set of events that he thought would be wildly different and a struggle due to their differences from normal Natal Souls was completely unexpected.
When he initiated the Alchemic Eden Natal Soul’s Astral Tribulation, the speck didn’t appear within the world, but within his sea of consciousness directly. This sent him into shock as he was pulled away from his bodily connections and forcefully formed a Mental Incarnation.
As he floated above his sea of consciousness, he observed below and saw the Alchemic Eden Natal Soul that was entrenched within his sea of consciousness remain unmoved. However, it was slowly crystalizing. When he saw this, his Mental Incarnation trembled as he attempted to communicate with it.
Unfortunately, it seemed to have become dormant. Its roots, branches, and trunk and its image that resembled the Tree of Eden back in the Myriad Yore Continent was becoming crystal and solid, but there was a ghastly seven-colored mist emanating from every surface it had.
He frowned as he noticed this roiling mist was alchemical energy. When this thought echoed, he used his senses to attempt to fixate on the speck that should be the Mortal Star, but after searching for a while, he discovered he had no such sensation. While he had felt it briefly in the beginning, it seemed to have vanished the moment he was forcefully wrenched into becoming a Mental Incarnation in his own sea of consciousness.
’It seems the tribulation was completed.’ He wasn’t slow on the uptake. The Mortal Star must’ve been one that emerged in his sea of consciousness, likely due to the Eden connection to the Mind Dao. Taking this into consideration, he felt enlightened.
The Elemental Mortal Star affected the world’s energies, dominating what already existed, while the Saber Mortal Star converted its will on others, making essence into saber essence. This didn’t just relate to the Mortal Star’s exertion of force on the world, but reflected in their respective Intents. The Heart of the World, World of the Elements Intent allowed internal energies to be altered and changed, while Heart of the World, World of the Saber Intent converted and controlled external essence into saber essence.
All elements are a part of the Material Dao; All weapons are a part of the Weapon Dao.
’However, I don’t feel any Intent of the Mind Dao. Is this normal?’ As he pondered this briefly, he realized that the Alchemic Eden Soul was currently undergoing its transformative changes into an Astral Soul. This caused his thoughts to swirl lightly, but he kept these thoughts within his heart. With a thought, his Mental Incarnation dispersed.
After a deep breath, he regained himself and control of his body. Lifting his head, his silver eyes flashed with wondrously mysterious light that contained a heavy light of contemplation. After a long moment, he finally said: "The last one."
The third went completely against his expectations, but he wasn’t completely ignorant as to what happened and why. However, this matter was slightly complicated, so he didn’t pursue it. Instead, he kept his focus on fully completing all his Astral Tribulations.
"...My...It’ll be difficult." - Draconic Void Natal Soul.
Wei Wuyin frowned as he heard this message within his mind. The other three tribulations were simple and easy, so how difficult could this one be? In the end, couldn’t it just externalize and absorb the Mortal Star?
Oh, how wrong this thought was.
The moment he initiated his Draconic Void Natal Soul’s Astral Tribulation, his mind froze and he felt an all-consuming darkness wrap around his consciousness slowly. It was as if death was slowly gripping his mind, body, and soul, but it was slightly different. How different? He didn’t really know how to describe it.
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A glaringly bright light pierced into his eyelids, causing his eyes to hurt somewhat as he strenuously lifted them. When he did, he was accompanied by the sight of a young woman. Her facial features were delicate, gorgeous as the moon, as brilliant as the sun, and beautiful as the night sky. If fairies existed, she was the queen of them.
Those silver eyes that smiled as they met his own. All he saw lacked any form of vibrant color, being black, white, and shades of grey yet those silver eyes were completely clear as day, like a lighthouse seen after a struggling journey.
He reached out, only to notice his fingers were stubby and short, his reach unable to grasp onto that face that made his heart erupt with emotions he had long since suppressed in life.
With all his might, he wanted to speak, not caring about his shortened reach or stubby fingers. He wanted to tell this woman everything, to see her smile, to have her hold him as he cried.
’M-mother...?’
He heard a voice from her lips. It was like a cold drink on an unbearably hot day, refreshing to the utmost that one can forget about all their worries and pain in life.
"You’re...are you him from the..." As the woman’s warm smile was overtaken by a trace of confusion, her eyes abruptly went blank. Then, when she looked at him, she lost that warm feeling and only confusion remained. It was like looking back at a stranger.
"Not again! Not again!" A manly voice ran into the room with harsh steps, his voice reverberating with sorrow.
Before Wei Wuyin could catch a glimpse, he already knew who this voice belonged to, but his vision started to be engulfed by that familiar feeling of darkness. He tried to fight it, but besides a whimper and a tug at the air, his struggles accomplished nothing.
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His lower body felt a pressure that was rhythmic and vigorous. His eyes slowly regained its light as he regarded the two mounds of ample flesh that were rising and falling in the most alluring fashion. He saw the raw, naked body of a woman and her moans were vivid and lively.
He was laying on his back while she sat on him and seemingly losing herself to the exceptional pleasures of the flesh. He slowly lifted his gaze and realized whose face it was. His eyes quaked slightly as he bit his lower lip.
The woman, her violet skin, thin body, and her youthful face and vibrant eyes with a smile noticed his change. She slowed the pace of her rise and fall, "I-is there something wrong?" Her voice and face was mixed with a rushed flush of activity.
Wei Wuyin realized something. With a slight smile, he shook his head. "No. Nothing’s wrong, Yue’er. Absolutely nothing is wrong."
She gave an enchantedly lovely smile that could snare the hearts of many as she leaned forward, her lips seeking his own. Closing his eyes, he felt the warmth on his lips, and the flowing tears that unstoppably followed on his cheeks before the darkness enveloped him once more.
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"When you use a saber, you must ensure you always follow through. You should never unsheathe your saber unless you’re intending to take a life with it or protect a life with it!" A stern voice resounded.
Wei Wuyin was met with the tall, broad back figure of a young man that sliced his saber through the air as if he was claiming lives. Wei Wuyin didn’t say anything, merely watched and listened. Only a slight smile brightened his young, baby fat still having face.
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Wei Wuyin was met with several events of his past, as if he had projected his consciousness of the present into the past. It was strange and odd, but as he recalled the Dao of Void, he immersed himself through the process as he realized each event had exceptional significance in his life.
These events ranged from his birth, his first time, his first lesson with a saber, the first time he killed, the first time his elaborate plan was successfully enacted, or various other events, generally surrounding his first time experiencing one thing or another. It didn’t include all of his important events, just his firsts.
After nine of such events, he returned back to his present. His silver eyes opened to regard the familiar Sky Layer foundation and astral essence mist that was within his view. He had returned back to his courtyard, but his eyes were wet with tears.
It took him several moments before he calmed his beating heart and asked the Draconic Void Soul: "What was that?" His voice was eerily calm.
"...Dao of Void. The past." - Draconic Void Soul.
Evidently, it was undergoing its transformation, but it still struggled out this explanation. Wei Wuyin knew that it was connected to his emotions and vice versa, so it could feel the true depths of his emotional upheaval within. That’s why it responded and delayed its process.
"Was it...real?" Wei Wuyin asked in a voice that was little more than a whisper. He hadn’t even considered why he felt it or what happened while he was immersed in these events. While the Draconic Void Soul seemingly succeeded, he truly wasn’t paying attention to that fact.
"...I don’t...know." - Draconic Void Soul.
"..." Wei Wuyin closed his eyes, tightly adhering his eyelids together as if hoping the darkness would engulf him once more.
Unfortunately, it never came.
He realized he had paradoxically confusing memories within his mind at the moment. It was split into two events, the one where he acted normally, and the other where he acted differently, including the continuous memories regarding the consequences of such differences until a certain point. For example, his memory of his mother going blank wasn’t how it was originally.
Instead, she smiled and kissed his forehead with unfathomable warmth. Her incident only happened a year later. Yet, the events of both timelines and their consequences, he could remember it all.
How was that possible?
HOW WAS THAT POSSIBLE?!?!
He had two full sets of memories!
While they blended in after a while and inevitably led to the same point: here, they were still independent sets of events.
"Did I change the past? Was it an illusion? How can it be true? It’s not true; it can’t be." Wei Wuyin clenched his fists to the point his nails dug into his skin and his hand bled profusely. With his exceptionally powerful body, this was a very, very difficult feat.
"..." - Draconic Void Soul.
It soon descended into its transformation process, unable to further respond to any further inquiry.
"Can I go back?" Wei Wuyin softly spoke, even lower than a whisper at this point. But he realized that...right now, it wasn’t possible.