In ancient times, the fusion of mind was extremely elaborate. It was often used to combine forces, receiving an exponential enhancement effect. Half of its usage came from combined formation techniques. It considers cultivators as formation nodes, to which they have to form and simulate the flow of one. It was the basis of Quanta, though it removes the need for the other party's input.
As for the other one, it was dual cultivation. The basis of a successful dual cultivation is a perfect 'fit' between the two parties. The fusion of physical bodies was merely half of it.
Fortunately, the contents held by the golden orb were extremely advanced. There were auxiliary techniques that did not require the first two, and Shi Tian learned it. So long as the other party did not resist, mental fusion could be done. Of course, the process would be better if they are familiar with each other.
Without another word, Leylah and Vita placed their hands in front of him, with their palms facing upward. It was Shi Tian's turn to fall into an awkward situation.
'They are quite eager to do this…' He thought, looking at the faint sign of pout on Kiana's cheeks. 'This is the worst time.'
"I will check on Leylah first for safety's sake."
Hearing this, the corners of Leylah's lips turned slightly upward. Being chosen felt extremely gratifying to her, greatly contrasting the time Entropy was chosen as a sacrifice.
'Was this why my future self liked him..?'
Leylah inwardly shook off her thoughts.
'There should be numerous other reasons…'
For now, she decided to explore the man that was Shi Tian.
He did not let her wait for long. Shi Tian straight up held Leylah's hand, which felt soft and supple. He closed his eyes, removing any distracting thoughts, before utilizing his Tao Heart.
Before long, his vision changed. Gone was the standing table, replaced by a sea of darkness. Faint light came out of nowhere. Its origin could not be determined. His foot stepped on the glass-like surface that reflected himself.
A moment was all it took to scan the entirety of Leylah's mind.
'Found it.'
Buzz-!
His surroundings seemed to remain unchanged, but that wasn't the case. Shi Tian moved from the moment he 'thought' of it. What greeted his sight was a small patch of grassland. A blue forget-me-not was planted on it. Its petals held traces of the 'invisible' string he had sensed before—the one belonging to Finality.
Strangely, Shi Tian could not sense its presence anywhere else. It had been at the forget-me-not's position, thoroughly destroyed by it!
'Something doesn't match up.' The partial memories he received from the future Leylah flashed one by one. 'She was the first to fall, so she possessed a special trait that made her no less than others… the ones who reached the Pseudo True Immortal Realm.'
According to her memories, there were a total of sevenPseudo True Immortals. They were beings who reached the pinnacle of Tribulation Transcendence Realm, only blocked by the third and final tribulation. The first tribulation was the threshold between middle and late stage. Meanwhile, the second tribulation was the checkpoint between late and pinnacle. So to speak, one could reach the middle stage of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm without facing any major tribulation.
As for the Pseudo True Immortals, they already have partial control over the concept of infinity. Through their Daos, they must contain the infinite, in turn removing any 'scale' attached to their existence. Even the golden orb did not contain as much knowledge of that realm. Shi Tian went through them all, hence he was very clear on their capabilities.
'Kiana is one of the Pseudo True Immortals, but she was affected by that string. Leylah, with her uniqueness that allowed her to match one, was able to sever it on her own.'
The two have similar strengths, yet Kiana could not do so. That was enough to tell Shi Tian something.
'Was Leylah telling me something? Or was it Kiana? If so, what was it?'
His mind circled around these questions back and forth, unable to find an answer. Absent-mindedly, Shi Tian crouched nearer to the blue flower. His fingertips touched it and sensed the familiar Dao of Blossoming Heart.
"We will destroy the future."
A gentle voice drifted to his ears. It was Leylah, and at the same time, it was not.
When he looked around, he found nothing. The flower on his feet disappeared completely, as if everything was but an illusion.
'Future… They still have one last card?' His heart skipped a beat, no longer scrutinizing them closely. 'Perhaps the fragmentation of memories is intentional. No, it definitely is!'
The golden orb contained anecdotes of the 'present' travelling to the 'past'. Time travel was a real thing once one reached the Dao Integration Realm. The severance of causality at the Void Refinement Realm led to the "free" state at the Dao Integration Realm, allowing one to traverse the River of Time without its restrictions. They only had to deal with its direct interference, that is, existential erasure.
Unfortunately, the future projections were mere 'possibilities'. They were connected to the 'present', chaining them with restrictions upon restrictions. They lost their "free" state, so to speak.
'They must have a plan. All I can do now is to trust them.'
Having resolved it, Shi Tian recalled his future self. He was the one who created that Sea of Suffering to force everyone to prematurely develop an eighth-level Tao Heart. He had lost everything, but at the same time, gained something.
'I must have reached the Pseudo True Immortal Realm too. If that's the case…'
He would need to prepare in the near future.
With a thought, he exited Leylah's mind. His vision went back to the luxurious reception room. The warmth of Leylah's hand was transmitted to him, and so was her gently squeezing his.
"It's settled."
"...Oh. Okay."
Her eyes flashed a reluctant look before letting go of his hand. Kiana, who was on the sidelines, felt speechless on how fast Leylah had changed since a dozen minutes ago.
'That must be it. The Tian effect!'
She could not get angry at her, for Kiana was like that too.
His presence was simply that addicting!
Shi Tian exchanged glances with Vita, to which the latter reached out her hand. Just as he was about to touch hers, he sensed a faint premonition.
A surprise awaits him.
He felt somewhat helpless.
'Since when did I host an Aeon meet-and-greet..?'