If Ash was awake, he would definitely be shocked, because this was basically the manifestation of his own Soul Space, the dark sea and the Soul Tree, everything was just the same, only the way it was being shown to the outside world was different.
But that was not the end, as that web of runic symbols shrunk once again with only one fourth of its total form remaining as compared to its first appearance, and with that reduction its density and brilliance only grew stronger, making the space around it feel heavier.
-RUMBLE!!!!!
The moment that contraction completed, the entire phenomenon seemed to reach a strange harmony, as if everything that had appeared until now was waiting for something to complete it, the golden radiance above and the endless darkness below settling into a quiet balance that felt both fragile and absolute.
Then, without warning, a new change appeared.
Within the vast projection, above the towering projection of the golden tree, a faint circular outline began to form in the sky above Ash, right at the center where the beam of light passed through, aligning perfectly with the flow of the runes.
At first it was barely visible, just a soft contrast of light and shadow, but slowly it became clearer, dividing itself into two halves, one pure white and the other deep black, both flowing into each other in a perfect, endless cycle, neither overtaking the other, yet never breaking apart.
Its size was enormous, large enough to stretch across the entire sky above, casting its silent presence over the whole dark sea below, creating a zone that felt untouchable, as if no being would dare step into its domain even if they could.
The symbol rotated slowly and with that movement it felt as if the Realm of Eden itself was falling into a strange Harmony that can’t be put into words.
As that symbol became complete, the surroundings reacted once again.
Countless ripples started to form all around the dark sea manifestation, spreading outward in smooth, overlapping circles that carried a calm yet undeniable force, and from within those ripples, something suddenly broke through the surface.
Fishes.
Black and white in color, countless fishes jumped out of the dark sea and fell back into it, their bodies gliding through the air in smooth arcs before slipping beneath the surface once again.
At first, their movements felt scattered, each fish moving on its own path without any fixed direction, but slowly, that began to change as their speed and direction started to align.
Black and white fishes found each other.
Pairs began to form, a black fish moving closer to a white one, their paths adjusting as they began to circle around each other, their movements becoming more controlled and steady with each passing moment.
As they moved, their paths traced perfect circles on the surface of the dark sea, and with each completed motion, a small Tai Chi symbol appeared, forming clearly visible patterns that stood apart from the natural darkness of the sea.
At first there were only a few.
Then more pairs formed.
Then countless.
Soon, the entire dark sea was filled with these small, rotating symbols, each one formed by a pair of black and white fishes moving in perfect harmony, their motions steady and balanced, as if guided by the same unseen rhythm that moved the larger symbol in the sky.
The darkness of the sea and the blackness within the Tai Chi symbols were completely different, as if they belonged to two separate existences, one being a deep and endless void, while the other carried a defined presence that stood out clearly even from afar, making the contrast between them even more distinct and easier to perceive.
Above it all, the massive symbol in the sky continued to rotate slowly, while the golden tree stood unmoving in its vastness, and Ash remained suspended within the pillar of light, as if everything that was happening was centered around him, yet far beyond his awareness, continuing on its own without needing his conscious control.
At the same time, a deep, resonating presence filled the sky, as if something ancient had awakened and was now observing everything in silence.
Two enormous forms began to emerge from the Tai Chi symbol above the towering golden tree projection, their outlines slowly becoming clearer as they descended from that perfect balance of black and white.
From the left side of the projection, a black dragon appeared, its body long and seemingly endless, its scales dark like the deepest abyss, swallowing every trace of light that touched it.
From the right side, a white dragon emerged, equally vast, its body glowing softly, its scales shimmering like polished light, each movement calm yet carrying an overwhelming presence that spread quietly through the surroundings.
Both dragons circled around the central beam of light, dyeing the golden beam into black and white shades as they moved, their presence blending into it without breaking its form, as if they had become part of that flow.
Their movement was slow, yet it appeared as if they were moving very fast at the same time, creating a strange illusion where their presence could be felt everywhere around the beam, as if they were observing, guarding, and acknowledging the being at the center of it all.
Their bodies coiled around the projection of the golden tree, weaving through its massive branches without disturbing them, passing through the golden lines as if they were not separate from them, moving in perfect synchronization, one following the other, their circular paths forming a larger, living Tai Chi around Ash.
The contrast between them was absolute, yet their movements were perfectly aligned, not opposing each other, but completing each other in a way that felt natural and inevitable.
As if they were two sides of the same coin, one could not exist without the other, and the moment one disappeared, the balance that held everything together would break.
Their sheer size, coupled with the pressure they carried, made the entire space feel suffocating, as if any being that witnessed this would instinctively lower their presence, not daring to even breathe loudly in front of such a scene.
Below them, the change within the dark sea reached its next stage.
The pairs of fishes that had been circling each other began to slow down further, their rotations becoming tighter and more focused, as if they were being gently pulled inward toward a single point.
Then, one by one, each pair began to merge.
Their forms blurred as they came closer, black and white blending together without any resistance, flowing into each other smoothly, their movements no longer separate as they became one.
From that fusion, something new began to take shape.
Petals.
The merged forms expanded outward, unfolding gently as if blooming, until they formed a lotus with 25 petals, each petal carrying both black and white within it in perfect balance.
A complete lotus formed from that balance of black and white, stable and whole.
Across the dark sea, this transformation repeated again and again.
Wherever pairs of fishes had formed and followed each other, a lotus now appeared.
Countless lotuses spread across the surface, each one made of 25 petals, each one carrying both black and white within it in perfect harmony.
At the center, Ash remained suspended within the pillar of now black and white light, yet his body was still shining with a golden brilliance that hid his form for now, the light wrapping around him in layers, making it impossible to clearly see him, while the runes continued to flow from his glabella without pause, feeding the entire phenomenon as if they were the very source of everything that existed around him.
Everything existed in Harmony.
The dark sea below, the countless lotuses floating upon it, the towering tree stretching across the sky, the circling dragons moving in silent balance, and the endless stream of runes flowing steadily, all of it bound in a strange harmony, where nothing clashed and nothing stood apart, creating a sight that felt both overwhelming and strangely peaceful, as if it was not meant to exist, yet had always been there.
And then suddenly the web of runes shrunk for the last time as those floating symbols finally vanished from the surroundings, converging inward without leaving even a trace behind, forming a single petal inside Ash consciousness, and at the same time a black symbol of a Lotus petal appeared on Ash glabella unseen by anyone.
Silence.
Absolute silence filled the surroundings, one that carried a heavy presence, as if everything that had been moving until now had come to a complete halt at the same moment.
Dark clouds started to appear in the sky, gathering from all directions and crowding the area of the whole projection in an instant, swallowing the open sky above and creating a dark atmosphere where the brightness and brilliance of the golden tree seemed to stand against that darkness, its glow appearing even more intense as it pushed back against the heavy clouds.
And then, from within those dark clouds, purple lightning streaks started to appear, thin at first, quietly flashing across the sky before disappearing, but with each passing moment they grew more frequent, more intense, illuminating the darkness in sudden bursts that made the entire scene feel unstable.
Indeed, the fifth step after the formation of the First Order Immortal seal was something no one could avoid.
One needed to withstand a Heavenly Tribulation.
The calm and balance that had existed until now began to shift under that looming pressure, as if the world itself had taken notice of what was happening here.
And those who were watching everything from the sidelines felt numb seeing all these scenes, their thoughts slowing down as they tried to process what was unfolding before their eyes, and with the appearance of the purple lightning tribulation, everything that once felt harmonious now seemed to stand on the edge of breaking, as if the next moment would decide whether all of it would remain or be torn apart completely.
***