Schicksal, Far East Branch.
Fu Hua's deployment to the Far East branch as an instructor was approved one month ago.
Formally, she is to teach the young valkyries of the Far East branch and get their performance rating up. Otto's true intentions remain hidden, however.
Nonetheless, Fu Hua's deployment in the Far East made it convenient for her to react to sudden crises. A Foundation Establishment cultivator can fly as fast as planes.
Most importantly…
'...SAKURA.'
She went to the shrine not far outside Nagazora City. It is a dilapidated shrine. The city preserved it for tourism. If they hadn't, it would have been nothing but an empty lot.
Nobody could have expected that the devastating twelfth Herrscher from fifty thousand years ago would be sealed underneath.
Fu Hua used her spiritual consciousness beneath the ground. There, she saw a black box covered in soil.
Memories flashed in her eyes. Fire MOTH soldiers going out of control, the nuclear warheads killing most of humanity, Dr. MEI's swift response…
The hectic past remains as nothing but memories.
Just then, she sensed someone. Her body tensed up, ready for a fight.
Fu Hua looked back and saw a familiar friend. His cold eyes alone seeps through his surroundings. Every mortal who comes across him will be scared to move. His strong presence will be etched to their very minds until they die.
Kevin's presence within the Sea of Quanta is huge. The same happens on Imaginary Space; and so does on Earth.
Fu Hua from before does not have any confidence in holding Kevin for five minutes. She would be lucky to hold him for a minute.
It is different now.
"...So you are here too."
Kevin's eyes showed a hint of surprise. A trace of emotional fluctuation appeared on his face. The only time he will show them is when meeting old friends.
"You are here not just to pay respects, no?"
Her deep yet clear voice resounded.
"It is time to resolve the problems of the past."
"..."
Kevin's early release led to the Key of Corruption, the Jizo Mitama, to remain as it was fifty thousand years ago. It is a source of evil until the events of Gratitude Arc happen, allowing it to become a complete Divine Key.
Buzz-!
Rumble-!
The instant Kevin's presence was known, the ground shook. It was not a natural phenomenon, but one out of someone's anger.
The Black Box which was supposed to keep the Previous Era's Herrscher of Corruption sealed shook. The sheer malice caused by Kevin's arrival was so huge the box nearly broke.
Fortunately, there was a reason why it was able to hold the Herrscher of Corruption inside for fifty thousand years.
"Are you running out of time?"
Fu Hua looked at him and asked. He did not shy away from it and nodded.
"One year. I will be enacting the Project STIGMA at that time."
The implications are clear: come if you want to stop it.
Kevin continued his explanation:
"There is not much time left. I intend to deal with what I left in the past."
Fu Hua looked at him. The old friend she knew had become so inhumane. The last bit of his humanity lies in his will to defeat the honkai.
Ironically, she happened to see her previous situation with him. She lost herself in the path against the honkai.
The precious friends, good memories, warm emotions…
Cling-!
The [Sword Nurturing Pagoda] responded to her thoughts. Her will turned firm as she acknowledged what she wanted—to follow her heart.
"I will not let you do it."
The Water's Edge appeared on her grasp. Its tip pointed upwards, the flat side of its blade in front of her face. She swung it downwards diagonally.
Sou-!
A whistling sound ensued. The ground cracked all the way to Kevin's feet. The next second, the invisible sword intent collided with a layer of ice. Kevin's 'authority' is far higher, at least in the fourth grade. The second realm of sword cultivation could not match it.
Fu Hua does not plan to rely on sword cultivation alone.
'To shatter Eminence, one must leave their misconception.'
Renewal.
It is not a foreign word to her.
After all…
Hum-!
Bam-!
…she is Shenzhou's Immortal Jingwei (Phoenix).
*****
The large honkai energy readings caught the attention of St. Freya.
"It could only be her."
The mature woman's hurried footsteps echoed atop the metal floor. Himeko's long crimson hair swayed as she ran to the armory.
Unsurprisingly, she met Theresa along the way.
"It's Fu Hua." Theresa said. "The last time I heard from the bridge, she was moving farther away."
"An enemy like that…"
Himeko prepared herself. Fu Hua is an A Rank Valkyrie on-paper, but the two know of her Foundation Establishment Realm. That was a completely different level, with S Rank being the minimum rank.
Shi Tian awakened their spirit roots half a month ago. That was the "surprise" he was talking about.
Himeko awakened middle grade fire spirit roots. It was Theresa that shocked him—high grade Moon spirit root.
For someone who wasn't chosen as a Herrscher, she held a talent that points straight to the Void Refinement Realm.
There was something incredulous that happened, to boot.
…
..
"Dear, you want my hand? There is no need to be shy."
"...It's for my practice."
"Hum."
Himeko is a boss when it comes to teasing. The number of failed dates behind her back exceeds a dozen.
School crush?
She never experienced it.
A proper date?
She never had one.
Heck, her first kiss was initiated by her—to a man that ended up rejecting her thereafter. Nothing goes past her first dates. Everyone chose to ditch her.
The desperation of a woman facing her romantic crisis enables her to be bolder.
A few seconds later, Shi Tian managed to establish a connection. The [Xiutian Art] acted and bound them together. She became the seventh partner—the first one with middle grade spirit roots.
"You too, Principal."
"Me too?"
Although bewildered, Theresa reached out her hand. Her small palm felt the warmth coming from Shi Tian's palm.
Then…
Another connection was established.
The eighth partner was acquired like that.
'...Xiutian Art's judgement comes from the establishment of special karma…'
He wasn't dumb to not decipher [Xiutian Art]'s purpose. Just the line about "life-long oath suppressed" points out to those people whom he will have romantic intersection with.
It did not work with anyone else because they have no "interest" in the present, and as such, no future together. With enough interest, the technique judges whether they could be life-long partners or not.
'I have a future with her..?'
..
…
Feeling her three dantians on the verge of breakthrough, Theresa felt this battle was her chance to complete it.
'But… It feels very strange around him. Why…'
Thinking about immortal cultivation inadvertently leads her to Shi Tian. She is confused why she feels strange facing her future son-in-law.
Shaking these thoughts off, the duo went to their respective positions. Himeko is responsible for heading the Hyperion while Theresa is to set off to help Hua.
Riding a smaller jet, St. Freya's Principal went off to meet her ancestor.
*****
A/N: MC is playing with fire... literally and figuratively. Will he cook or be cooked? Let's find out ;)