Reaching the Pseudo-Formlessness stage went smoothly. The Divine Sword that used to be present inside my soul went to the Stigma Space. I ran the Blade Mantra, sensing a lot of 'concepts' that can be 'copied' onto it.
I chose not to have one for now.
Shushang left happily after that. I did not waste any time either. Sin and Bronya used the Nine Yin Locking Seal on themselves. It has to be relieved as soon as possible.
As to where to go first, it's not a question.
Can't I have both at once?
If I went to someone first, it would seem like I neglected the other. I haven't forgotten my resolve in opening up to a 'harem'. Every woman must feel they are treated equally.
Admittedly, my thinking had long adapted to my scumbag-like tendencies.
As for the fear of mistreating someone, I can fully accept its consequences. I can make it up to them. I am not that perfect. That's all I needed to know.
My figure moved amidst the Main Peak's residences…
*****
'Thank goodness I am smart! How am I supposed to enjoy this retirement in peace if I accept another term renewal..?'
Theresa's sudden growth into "Mega Theresa" shocked her fans more than a hundred years ago. Some of the minority remained as they were, "barking" for both the loli and mega Theresa. Some felt they lost a national treasure while others felt they gained one.
Funnily enough, the majority of these figures are women. The sex imbalance of Earth remained after a hundred years.
From 2017 to 2194, the ratio of men to women remained at an alarming 3:7. For every three men, there would be four women that will remain without a partner.
As a last ditch effort, they legalized polygamy, allowing men to have more than one wife. That was under the condition of being able to fulfill their legal and personal responsibilities. The Federation's Marriage Bureau became one of the most important offices as of the moment.
"...Humph."
Theresa's thoughts drifted to the man who started the trend.
Shi Tian.
Hearing he already has four confirmed relationships made her feel sour for some reason. The rather 'intimate' interactions they had affected Theresa greatly. Being Kiana's "Aunt" made her feel very guilty. But, she could not deny the affection that grew in her heart.
Her body longs for him (his blood).
Shi Tian also treated everyone well. He is their greatest hero. Theresa was no exception.
Just then, a notification rang. Her scarlet irises narrowed as she saw the 'Active' status beside his name. It was followed by a wave of excitement, and then confusion.
'What should I do..?'
*****
Earth has been under the influence of the 'Star Network' since it began as an immortal cultivation civilization. It is managed by Prometheus and Ai-chan. Its developers are the greatest formation masters on Earth—Bronya, Sin Mal, and Kiana.
Back then, they could only create a 'natural' formation that barely reached the seventh grade. Now, it has transformed into a star system wide formation with thousands of smaller formations under its control. It is the 'prototype' of the Project Hyperion.
Naturally, the 'Star Network' is designated as its core. The two special artificial intelligence lifeforms can perfectly harness the stacked formations. All that's left is to connect this super large formation to an eighth grade battleship.
This grand scale is connected to the 'softwares' used by the phones. The 'Seclusion List' app reveals those who are in Seclusion by determining their use of formations. One has to agree to a lot of terms and agreements to use it.
It was one of the most convenient apps made in the past century.
"Shishou is Active…"
Certain women love it well.
Kiana arbitrarily placed Shi Tian inside their 'close circle'. She may or may not have foreseen this happening.
The communication between Mei and Queen Mei spanned planets.
"I wonder why I am still helping you…"
The latter complained helplessly.
"Isn't it because of Shishou?"
"..."
Queen Mei stood still. She couldn't come up with a good rebuttal. Mei's words struck the core. She was someone 'created' to protect 'Mei'. Her protection, unlike Veliona's overprotectiveness, turned into might and power. Queen Mei wanted Mei to learn how to become stronger by herself. Whenever she made a 'dumb' choice reserved for weaklings, she scorned her.
Everything changed after Mei overcame her two-decade-long Inner Demons. She surpassed Queen Mei, going as far as to show crazy tendencies.
Queen Mei doesn't know if it was a good thing or not. However, she is sure that the Mei of today is strong. She was so strong Queen Mei nearly couldn't handle her. Their roles got switched. It was she who was passive and Mei who was active… aggressive, even.
"I asked Veliona about it. She said it was a special item used to strengthen the Innate Yin."
"Innate Yin…"
Queen Mei saw Mei's breathing become faster. Her realization was instantly seen by Queen Mei. A tinge of blush appeared on her face. It worsened once she caught wind of Mei's thought process.
'Oh no. She's thinking of a crazy plan!'
Out of the ones with similar souls, Mei and Queen Mei are the farthest apart. Mei turned into a genuine yandere. Queen Mei retained her strong and prideful persona. The huge gap between the two was the exact reason Queen Mei got relegated to the passive role.
"...Let's go meet Sister Kiana."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
The moment Mei left her residence, a puddle of water turned pitch black. It condensed into a human figure.
"Her colors… are in disarray."
Griseo looked at her "dishonest" senior sister. She faintly grasped Mei's thoughts.
Who else would she be crazy for?
She saw through her right at their first meeting. Mei did not bother hiding her affection for Shi Tian.
Griseo made a choice instantly.
To get closer to the Sun she admires…
Sou-!
…she is willing to become Icarus.
*****
The vast cosmos is home to countless phenomena. Numerous worlds are interconnected, but there are also some that remain disconnected. It was only with a 'cry for help' that one was recently discovered: the Infinity first seen by the Mirrors of the Garden.
It was functioning as normal. The Garden did not want to reveal this special world to the outside. They wanted to keep it to themselves, collect its memories as they will. However, intruding upon this Eternal Land brought nothing but demise to the Memosnatchers...
It remained operational, looping until it reached its answer. Its deepest crevices lay a huge secret, one that was destined to remain unfound until the destined time comes.
Hum.
Crack-!
A faint figure appeared outside Amphoreus. His golden eyes stared at the "Infinity". His form momentarily stabilized. His voice reached the solar system light years away.
Shi Tian, who was about to knock on Sin Mal's door, paused in shock. His gaze went beyond the imaginary barrier, a currently impossible feat, and met with his future projection's gaze.
His completely solidified form indicated a lot of things!
Before he dissipated, he left one sentence:
"Shatter the false infinity… and reach… immortal… ao."