I looked carefully at "Senti" who wore a high school uniform. Her short-sleeved sailor uniform and her 'short' skirt indicated it was worn during summer. It is mismatched in today's winter season.
Idle thoughts aside, my Divine Sword pinpointed it wasn't Senti. Warnings also appeared from my Hexagram Spirit, not to mention [Blade Mantra 2.0] itself. The last one is particularly strong.
Having reached the [Heart Intention] realm, I am very sensitive to imaginary energy. "Senti" lets out fluctuations of imaginary energy, but it is different from Blade Mantra's.
Coupled with her strange vibe, I have a guess as to who it was.
But…
Why is she looking at me like that?
A sense of deja vu swept over my entire being. Memories flashed right in my eyes before I pinpointed where it came from.
"Senti's" look…
It reminded me of Seele and Sin.
My first meeting with Sin was normal. I did not notice much from her until I forced her to enter our circle in the orphanage. I was inexperienced back then, but looking at it now, she reacted strangely every time we met. It was particularly prominent when I 'punished' her.
Having dealt with Seele's mental problems, I know Sin shares the same situation as hers. Seeing "Senti" possessing both Sin's and Seele's look is anything but good.
Snap-!
I used the Dao of Enlightenment to stop her daydreaming.
"How is your experience so far, Miss Griseo?"
My words served as a signal. "Senti" melted akin to different colored inks. The paints splashed on the ground, revealing Griseo's true appearance.
"It… has been a nice experience."
Her soft voice is on-point with the Griseo I know. It was her eyes that made me feel very strange.
What is she thinking?
I can answer this doubt with a simple divination, though I chose not to. I am not a perverted voyeur whose hobby is to intrude on others' privacy.
"What do you plan to do next?" I asked her.
"...I will become an immortal cultivator."
When she said it, I noticed how she hasn't awakened her Spirit Roots yet.
"Can you become my teacher?"
Griseo's eyes turned normal at this point. She looked at me with a hint of eagerness, nothing else. Thinking of her possible mental affliction, it is better to guide her myself instead of letting her go astray.
"I can."
"Then, please accept—"
"There's no need for the ceremony."
I immediately knew she got it from Senti. The apprenticeship ceremony involved doing three bows, nine kowtows and pouring tea for the teacher. I am not a fan of ceremonies.
"I, Shi Tian, will have you as my second student. I will awaken your Spirit Roots first…"
A few seconds later, a wide-scale Heavenly Phenomenon appeared in Earth's skies.
*****
"So noisy…"
The Heavenly Phenomenon's range depends on the level of one's Spirit Roots/Tao Body. High grade Spirit Roots correspond to the Void Refinement Realm. Its range spans all of the universe. The Heavenly Phenomena playing out on Earth can be seen throughout the entire solar system.
It is inevitable it will disturb some whose residences are not in full seclusion. The said state activates more than a dozen formations to isolate the residence from the outside world. Its downside is its exaggerated resource consumption, which is why most are simply in seclusion; major breakthroughs warrant full seclusion.
"It's rare to see you outside."
"Hum."
Queen Mei nodded to Sirin as a greeting. The Moon's vacuum environment could not affect her at all. She stared at the center of the Heavenly Phenomenon—Earth—as she was reminded of something.
"I am getting tired of waiting. When will he come?"
A hint of grievance could be heard from her voice. Sirin's expression changed as she defended Shi Tian.
"It's not his fault. A lot of things happened at the same time."
"Oh..?"
Queen Mei shifted her gaze to Sirin. Though Sirin looked the same, she saw her eyes soften with the mention of Shi Tian.
'Is she still the Sirin I know of..?'
Unbeknownst to her, Sirin's mind is still dwelling on the craziest three days she had ever experienced. A jolt of lightning went through her body once again. It took her all to stop herself from collapsing.
Thinking of the plays Kiana shared with her was enough to turn her into a nymphomaniac.
'I want it.'
'I want it.'
'I want it.'
'I want it.'
…
Sirin's outward appearance remained the same.
"I can't blame him… but it's partly his fault too. Hm, it's really hard to solve."
"Don't worry about it. I heard from Kiana that he's back on Earth."
"Oh?"
Queen Mei's eyes lit up.
"It's finally time. I… I couldn't convince her alone."
*****
Two sides of the same coin.
It is the most used description for those with a split personality.
Kiana and Sirin; Seele and Veliona; Fu Hua and Senti; Ji Xuanyuan and Hei Xuanyuan. All of them fall under this category. Their personalities may differ, but they have overlapping core traits. It is to say that one is a counterpart of another, and vice versa. Whatever you might find on Kiana, you might also find on Sirin.
This case applies to Mei and Queen Mei. The latter knows what the former is going through as early as seventeen years ago.
"I can't do anything."
These words came out of Mei's mouth. Queen Mei did not have a separate body at that time. She saw how Mei trained everyday until the final battle came. However, it wasn't enough. She wasn't exposed to dangerous battles. All she did was to train within her comfort zone.
She easily reached the Purple Mansion Realm prior to the final battle, but that was it. Her Tao Heart was stuck at the third level. Her Herrscher Core remained unawakened.
Mei's power was limited to cause huge changes.
The sense of dread and helplessness erupted during the final battle. She was the only Herrscher who remained on the sidelines. The Project STIGMA's imaginary space was shattered by Sin Mal and Hua. Kiana, Shi Tian, and Bronya took care of Kevin. All she ever did was to participate in the clean up.
That was where it started.
"I can't do it."
Mei broke through the Golden Core Realm with spiritual materials. Her talent as a high grade spirit root made her cultivation speed fast by default. It is her Tao Heart that had problems.
Seventeen years… and she remained at the third level.
Seventeen years.
Seventeen y…
Se…
…
"I can't do anything."
*****
A/N: Mei wasn't forgotten. It's going to be her arc now...