As someone with profound research into souls, the term 'soul fusion' was not unfamiliar to Lord Solarius.〉
〈Erm... Lord...〉 He stammered, unsure how to begin.
〈Heh. The shock within me is a thousand times greater than yours. It all traces back to you shattering my Mind Fortress...〉
Lord Solarius's face flushed with embarrassment. 〈Lord, I...〉
Jake waved a hand to cut him off.
〈Upon reflection, you actually performed a great service. That Mind Fortress was not originally part of my sea of consciousness. I, too, was trapped within it.〉
〈How could this be? It wasn't naturally formed? What kind of being possesses such an inconceivable ability?〉 Lord Solarius was inwardly astounded; he had seen that fortress firsthand.
Even with his early-stage ArchMagus soul, attempting to breach it had felt like an ant trying to shake a mighty tree—a painstakingly slow grind.
It was crucial to understand: he had been casting spells with his soul's true form, bypassing the Ajna Chakra Node (the physical brow point).
This was akin to using a Barrett .50 cal to shoot a naked man peeking out from behind cover—overkill, targeting the most vulnerable point.
The Ajna Chakra Node, located at the center of the brow, is the first natural barrier protecting one's divine consciousness.
The Mind Fortress is the second, artificially cultivated barrier mages strive to build. However, cultivating a Mind Fortress is notoriously difficult for mages, as there are almost no relevant cultivation arts or techniques to guide the process.
〈Thus, the strength of one's Mind Fortress being determined by innate talent is nearly a universal consensus in the magical world.〉 Lord Solarius concluded.
Jake continued, 〈That wasn't necessarily the case here. I suspect it was still an act of the world's will, but one formed after my arrival. It must be related to this specific planes. 〉
〈Why does Lord say that?〉
〈In my previous life, I was a mage cultivator who had reached the realm of an Archon Magus. I was not originally from this world. My last blurred memory is of being besieged by enemies during my heavenly tribulation, then struck by a bolt of tribulation lightning over ten feet thick. I believed I had perished, never expecting my soul fused with my current life-young Jake.〉
Soly, upon hearing this, was nearly scared to death.
He knew exactly what an Archon Magus represented.
He himself was only at the initial stage of ArchMagus—a level that already allowed one to establish their own school of magic.
Above him was the Grand ArchMagus, and above even that was the Archon Magus.
An Archon was akin to a true god in such a plane! In the presence of an Archon, he was little better than a mortal himself.
Jake paid no mind to Soly's tsunami of inner turmoil and continued.
〈I theorize it may be because an Archon represents the highest realm this Ki-Energy-awakening mortal plane can theoretically accommodate.
Therefore, the world itself generated a Mind Fortress within me, attempting to confine my Archon-level soul to a mortal vessel.
Even now, after you shattered it, my restored memories are incomplete. I cannot remember anything about my previous life's identity or family.〉
〈So that is how it is! This lowly one believes Lord's conjecture is most likely correct.〉
As he said this, Lord Solarius's expression suddenly shifted into a spectacular array of conflicting emotions.
〈Wha—? Does that mean this humble one will be sealed by this world's will in a moment?!〉
Jake chuckled mentally.
〈There's no need to fear. You performed a Soul-Seize, not a planar traversal through your soul.
Your spirit didn't undergo the planar interface's conduction. Taking a ten-thousand-step retreat, even if you were to be sealed, I would have a means to breach your Mind Fortress.〉
〈This lowly one thanks Lord for your assurance.〉
〈Helping you is helping myself.〉
As they conversed, the group had already returned to the outskirts of the sanctuary.
Lifting their eyes, they could now see the massive black wall that stretched tens of kilometers north to south, towering over 500 meters high.
Although No. 79 was but a small city among many Sanctuaries, everyone who had just faced life and death let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing it.
〈We will split up soon. You return first to The Frontier Academy and familiarize yourself with the environment. I will contact you later.〉
〈Understood, Lord.〉
As they neared the city walls, Lord Solarius's expression turned stern.
"Alright, you may go on your own now. You are not to speak a word of this mission to anyone. Otherwise, I won't hesitate to reclaim your payment and ensure your permanent silence."
In unison, Rolly and Sam hurriedly replied, "No, no, not a chance! Boss! Our lips are sealed tighter than a vault!"
Lord Solarius waved a hand dismissively. "Off you go."
Sam offered a quick word of thanks and turned to leave, but Rolly piped up again. "Boss, uh... do you think The Frontier Academy might take us in? I mean, we were handpicked by you, after all..."
"Heh. You? The lowest-tier membership fee starts at 500,000 a year. Can you afford that?"
Rolly's jaw dropped open, and he stood there speechless for a long moment. He was just about to slink away in embarrassment when Jake's voice sounded in Lord Solarius's mind.
〈It might be acceptable to take them in. You successfully initiated their spiritual awakening, and their MSR aptitude seems passable. They are worth cultivating. We will need capable personnel for our future endeavors.〉
Upon hearing this, Lord Solarius immediately turned back.
"However... you two did pass the trial. Tell you what—I'll give your membership cards a 70% discount, and I'll allow you to work part-time at my academy to cover the cost. How does that sound?"
When Rolly and Sam heard this unexpectedly good news, they agreed without a second's hesitation. Afterwards, Rolly even tugged on Jake's sleeve.
"Boss, Jake here is way stronger than both of us. You gotta take him too, right?"
Lord Solarius saw Jake give an almost imperceptible nod and accordingly agreed.
"Very well. All three of you, return home for now. Staff from the academy will contact you with details on when to report."
"Awesome! Thanks, Boss!" they chorused.
Upon hearing this unexpectedly fantastic offer, Rolly and Sam immediately agreed without a second thought.
After all, The Frontier Academy was renowned in the Outer City for hosting the only after-school tutoring program that could genuinely boost college entrance exam scores.
Just as an elated Rolly was about to leave, he turned and saw Jake standing there still, not making any effort to advocate for himself. A thought flashed through Rolly's mind:
[In the Boss's eyes, I must really be the more impressive one! Hmm, this Jake guy isn't bad though. Doing him a favor now might pay off later—maybe he'll even acknowledge me as his Boss!]
He tugged on Jake's sleeve. "Boss, Jake's pretty solid too! You should take him as well!"
Lord Solarius saw Jake give an almost imperceptible nod and accordingly agreed.
"Very well. All three of you, return home for now. Staff from the academy will contact you with details on when to report."
"Awesome! Thanks, Boss!" they chorused.
-------
After passing a strict inspection at the Outer City entrance, Jake finally stepped inside.
The Twilight-79 Sanctuary's Outer City was a chaotic yet vibrant spectacle.
Crooked, densely packed high-rises leaned against each other, vibrant holographic advertisements flickered in every color imaginable, and countless anti-gravity vehicles weaved through the air lanes.
It was a place of disordered vitality.
But Jake's heart was a turmoil of conflicting emotions.
The dissonance of two lifetimes and the overwhelming flood of resurging memories had caught him completely off guard.
Had it not been for the immensely powerful soul of an Archon Magus, anyone with lesser cultivation would have had their spirit and soul shattered by the impact, likely succumbing to outright madness.
Jake shook his head, forcibly pushing these thoughts aside.
Home first. Deal with this later.
Because Soly also needs time to digest the experience of being a person of two lifetimes, Jake hadn't yet mentioned the matter of searching for his mother to him.
Even with the partial return of his memories as an Archon, this desire had paradoxically solidified into his greatest, most deeply held obsession.
For a reason that he didn't even know.
If his longing for his mother on Blue Star had once been a profound yearning, now she felt as vital to him as his own flesh and blood, as essential as his own beating heart.
"Where did she go? Is she safe?" Worry, longing, and anxiety surged within him. With the mental fortitude of an Archon, he suppressed all negative emotions and regained his cold composure.
He tapped a point on the back of his hand. Moments later, a driverless anti-gravity vehicle silently pulled up beside him.
Looking at that thing, Jake couldn't help but stand still for a moment, until the unmanned vehicle issued a reminder:
"Respected passenger, welcome to 'ChickRun Express'. Please board the vehicle."
What was once utterly mundane now felt profoundly surreal to Jake's newly awakened perception.
He couldn't help but sigh.
〈Though both are mortal worlds, the differences between them are vast... Heaven has truly played a monumental joke on me...〉