'What am I doing here in the endless winter?'
The lack thereof. Such was the definition of meaninglessness.
'You misinterpret everything, even the silence.'
Every answer has its questions, yet not all questions have answers. Was it still worth it to seek them if you are destined to find nothing?
'I am free and that is why I am lost.'
Freedom does not necessitate happiness. Captivity does not bring happiness, also. Both sides do not guarantee anything.
What is the meaning in life had it been like so?
How about if I sleep a bit longer and forget it all..?
And so I did.
My eyes remained shut. I did not do anything when my face slowly melted like a candle's wax. The deprivation of identity fueled my lack of purpose. I did nothing as my body turned into nothing but a puddle.
Just then…
The memory of a girl appeared in my mind. Her bright smile and dazzling eyes brought a momentary halt to my numbing mind.
'...'
Her lips spelled out words I could not understand. Yet, my heart skipped a beat.
A purpose emerged:
Longing.
The puddle of flesh and blood soon took the form of the girl. Her long white hair touched the ground. The crown tying her hair bequeathed a sense of elegance.
It hurts.
My longing grew stronger. It hurts so much, as if it is the knife I turn inside myself.
Was this… love?
Shatter-!
My consciousness regained its former clarity. My physical body reverted back to my normal appearance. The sense of desperation and being astray disappeared like bubbles.
The darkness crawling on the ground swiftly removed themselves from my body.
I…
Nihility.
It's Nihility.
I looked at my storage ring and found it was destroyed. All of my supplies, sundries, and artifacts disappeared. Only the sword I kept inside me survived. Even my spiritual garb was utterly destroyed. I recreated my attire with a thought.
Fortunately, I didn't lose much. I gave most of my fortune to Kiana before separating.
Nihility's influence grows stronger. I did not expect to get sucked into that kind of brain-numbing scenario.
Kiana…
She saved me.
If I wasn't able to create a flaw in that 'place', I would have fallen.
I am still too optimistic. I wasn't able to attain the ultimate grade Spirit Roots after all these years. I have to make do with what I have now.
Click-!
Zoom-!
One thought was all it took to remove the Theater's anchor. My surroundings no longer bore the classical theater, but pure darkness. I decisively separated the Theater from Earth.
It will take some time, but it will drift away from Earth nonetheless. I will never allow Nihility to succeed.
"Fu…"
I stood up. I disregarded my weakness. I cast the [Two Phase Art] and pierced a hole for imaginary energy to come into it. It soon turned into a sixth grade spirit vein.
Crimson red flames started to blaze around my body. The more lifespan I deposited, the more it turned golden. [Nine Lives Burning Samsara Art] allows someone to reach heaven even for a single second.
For me, it is ten minutes.
{Soul: Early Nascent Soul > Early Divine Transformation (Temporary)}
{Mind: Early Nascent Soul > Early Divine Transformation (Temporary)}
{Body: Early Nascent Soul > Early Divine Transformation (Temporary)}
My vast spiritual consciousness became more exaggerated as it turned into divine consciousness. My body can now shatter the barriers between dimensions with absolute ease. The amount of spiritual qi I could mobilize can rejuvenate a dead land in one go.
The golden flames carved out a golden halo atop my head. It is my Divine Realm, the ability bestowed to those who transcended their limits.
The sensation of being at the Divine Transformation Realm completed the final piece of my Tao Heart's breakthrough.
A sense of being inviolable swept through my very being. No matter what it was, they could no longer invade the divine without trampling them. It is the pride of a cultivator manifesting as a tangible guard against anything else.
{Tao Heart: Fifth Level > Sixth Level}
Click-!
The stigma space I was connected to fully manifested inside the Theater. The darkness possessed by the shadows grew stronger. The white spots covering my feet soon converged into my soul.
Crack-!
The crown atop my head began to be littered with cracks. My soul felt like it was a bursting balloon. My physical body exploded into a golden mist. My head swelled so much it felt hard to discern what was happening to me.
Cling.
My Tao Heart stabilized the Void Refinement Realm mental power I forcefully ingested.
{Mind: Early Divine Transformation Realm > Peak Void Refinement Realm (Temporary, Overloaded)}
My physical body reformed itself.
Hum-!
A bright pink light swept over my entire being. The tiny cracks on the very core of my soul disappeared. The power of Origin bore the backlash of carrying two temporary powers all at once.
All of these thoughts passed instantly.
The puddle of shadows beneath my feet turned into a familiar Tuna.
Karmic lines appeared in my sight. It holds the past, present, and future of someone.
My Tao Heart turned into a Divine Sword in my hand.
Click-!
Shiing-!
Seeing the shadow's form obliterated to pieces, my heart raged.
How dare you use my wife's image..!
The shadow sludge understood nothing. It took on a brand new form, but this time, it was Seele. My anger grew once more.
She's my wife too!
Shiing-!
Crack-!
The intensity of my attack caused cracks to appear at the Imaginary Space. The past, present, and future of IX's influence was cut down once more. Only, they recovered after a second. Its power dwindled ever so slightly. It could no longer use Kiana and Seele's forms.
Similarly, cracks appeared on the core of my soul—my spirit. It was healed again by Origin at the cost of its light fading slightly.
I shook my head.
Normal attacks won't work.
Slashing at it with the Divine Sword does nothing. It is similar to Kevin using his basic attacks against the Herrscher of the End.
I brought the big guns out.
The [Heaven Shrouding Karmic Projection Art], capable of summoning forth one's past and future bodies, made its first appearance in the real world.
Crack-!
Crack-!
Crack-!
…
Six translucent cracks appeared beside me. Space shattered like a fine mirror. Six figures similar to mine stepped out. Then, they merged into one. The figure's power grew exponentially stronger as a result. He reached the threshold of a Void Refinement Realm cultivator in one go.
My spiritual qi are consumed at a crazy rate. My mind swelled as my body leaked out golden blood. Sustaining its presence even for a few seconds took a huge toll on me.
My eyes met with my projection. He possessed zero independent thoughts, thus he did not respond.
With a zoom, he stepped towards the puddle and touched its karmic lines.
The Five Elements, Yin-Yang, Extremity, and Void merged into a perfect form. The Dao of All Creation that I sought was performed in full view!
The projection left something on its karmic lines before it dissipated into nothingness.
I felt a slight connection to the shadow sludge. It was the "karmic debt" left behind by my projection. The sludge has no intent to remove it, but its very nature corroded everything, rendering them meaningless.
The karmic debt's role was simple. No matter what attack I perform, its receiver must face it head-on. It would affect their very core, guaranteeing a severe injury once activated.
It would be troublesome to cast it on a cultivation world where everyone was accustomed to strange spells, but not in the world of honkai.
"One strike will decide victory and defeat…"