The Herrscher of Origin is someone born out of impossible odds occurring at an impossible time, turning it possible. It should have never existed, yet it did.
It is an anomaly capable of granting one's wishes.
In the Previous Era, Elysia used it to alter the Cocoon of Finality, allowing the Herrschers of the Current Era to retain their humanity and fight for humanity.
It did not change the fact that Elysia was gone. Everything that returns to the Imaginary Tree disappears forever.
Nonetheless, a trace of her—of the Authority of Origin—remained somewhere. It is the use of Vill-V's compass. She passed onto Elysia's last will with her own words, and at the same time, allowed Raiden Mei to become the Herrscher of Origin.
Circumstances lined up well at that time, though it is different now.
Fortunately, the existence of the Bubble World Elysia allowed "Elysia" to exist in the living world once more. Coupled with Vill-V's compass and the influence of an immortal cultivator, we managed to pull through and attract the Authority of Origin to our side.
I looked inside my chest and found a dazzling core inside. Its light is tinged with gold, white, and pink.
My Tao Heart became extremely strong, too. From the beginning of the fifth level, it surged all the way to the edge of the sixth level. The opportunity of re-visiting my sincerest moment reminded me of why I fight.
The first three levels of Tao Heart nurture one's mindset. The fourth level signifies the ability to adapt to the ideas around them while creating their unique beliefs. The fifth level gives emphasis over the "self", making each Nascent Soul Realm cultivator possess an unbelievable mental state.
As expected, the honkai hacks are still absurd up to now.
I shook my head at these thoughts.
I decided to pick up on Elysia's offensive.
"I didn't want to assume back then. I only treated everyone as friends back then."
"So you are very dense!"
"Yes."
I did not deny it.
"I am the type to wait for them to make the first move."
"I thought you would be… bolder."
"There are a lot more to people than you see."
"...You remind me of someone."
"Eden?"
She nodded.
"Did you know her from the game?"
"Yes."
Elysia saw through my 'deepest' memories in my past life. Not that I cared much to hide it.
"There are a lot of things I would like to talk to you about, but now's not the time."
"You have a keen pair of eyes."
The two Elysias merged back into one. The process of guiding the Authority of Origin exhausted her. My burnt lifespan was nothing compared to her current situation.
Of course, I wouldn't let her disappear like that.
The power of wishes manifested on my fingertips. Origin is a strange power that is not tied to my current Nascent Soul Realm. It is affected by thoughts instead. The purer and more sincere it is, the more potent wishes become. My Tao Heart helps a lot in this regard.
Hum-!
Another five thousand years of my lifespan got burnt. My Dharma Avatar turned into a crown once again, granting me a one-time power over the Divine Laws—the Divine Realm.
The sense of weakness that appears after burning lifespan did not appear this time. Origin shouldered it alongside my wish to keep Elysia by my side.
The Dao of Yin-Yang involves destruction and creation. The power to nurture all things appeared in my grasp. Her dilapidated state disappeared. Replacing it is her prime state, as if she did not exert much power for Origin.
The crown atop my head dissipated into motes of light.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
"This power is more convenient than I thought." I commented.
"...If you say so."
Elysia held back saying something this time.
Just then, I noticed a supernatural seed sprouting within my Nascent Soul. The process of it turning into a supernatural power, and then its integration into my Dharma Avatar occurred naturally.
The seventeenth aspect of my Dharma Avatar emerged: the Dao of Miracles.
It began to resonate with the Core of Origin inside my chest. This connection only served to strengthen its power of wishes.
My heart skipped a beat.
I looked at it, and then to the vague connection between me and the almost forgotten Stigma Space I left within the imaginary space. The mental power of a peak Void Refinement Realm cultivator and Nihility's influence remained in an equilibrium, though the former grew weaker. A quick glance at the latter made me aware of an impending disaster—which came off as unsurprising.
After all, the major threat I readied ourselves for the past five years wasn't Kevin nor Project STIGMA.
It is IX.
Nihility's influence remained normal on the surface, but into the depths of the higher dimensions, it is calling for Nihility's gaze.
Once it happens…
The Black Sun will descend onto Earth.
*****
The Imaginary Tree is an "unreachable" existence; the concept of infinite applies to it. Even when it is but an inch away from the Imaginary Space, nobody will be able to reach it.
On the off chance they do, they will be instantly obliterated by the overwhelming higher-dimensional powers present.
Only the Herrscher of the Void possessed a loophole to turn this impossible task into a possible one.
Kiana did as she was told. She struck Otto with Void Renormalization, capable of temporarily turning the "infinite" into "finite". It is a conceptual attack that produced a loophole within the Imaginary Tree.
One thing went astray from the original timeline, however. Sirin destroyed his hopes of altering a branch. He died without being able to fulfill his life's greatest wish.
The battle between the four of them wasn't fulfilling. Otto's imaginary barrier inside the imaginary space was stronger than the one outside. He was empowered by the Will of Honkai, granting him unlimited reserves of honkai energy. The power of Binding he controlled through Domination nullified even the Golden Core Realm's attacks. He is the equivalent of a fully-awakened Herrscher of Binding without the restraints of a physical body.
In the end, Sirin dealt him the final blow and banished him from this world forever.
Fu Hua looked at the seemingly close yet distant Imaginary Tree with a complex gaze.
'Everyone is the result of their choices.'
She no longer said anything to Otto's or Sirin's final actions. The world is not just black and white. He caused millions of deaths directly, but he also saved millions with his actions against the honkai. He is a devil to some, but also a savior to some.
Sirin appeared to be in a daze as well. Only Kiana was seen experimenting on something.
Shiing-!
She utilized Void Renormalization once more and pierced through a gap to the Imaginary Tree. What was once unreachable is now within her grasp.
A powerful corrosive force instantly tried to destroy her. It stopped once she successfully cast [Two Phase Art].
Immediately, the surroundings were filled with the aura of thousands of different Daos.
She recalled her prior knowledge and roughly estimated the level of the Imaginary Tree.
'Tribulation Transcendence Realm…'
*****
A/N: To keep track, his Dao are the following: Fire, Earth, Water, Wood, Metal, Sword, Cloud, Causality, Yin-Yang, Extremity, Ice, Enlightenment, Life, Void, Permanence, Time, Mirror, and Miracles.