153. Light and Dark

Before anyone knew it, the third wave was over. Space Marines were now looking at Ning Bi with different gazes, ones filled with respect.

"She must be under the guidance of the Emperor…" The guard captain said. Making Han De seriously consider whether to end the illusion right there and then.

The fourth wave started with another, slightly bigger red beam of light. Same netherdemons as the third, just bigger, and slightly different skin colors.

While the Space Marines started their assault, Ning Bi stood still. It was as if she was comprehending something. Her gaze was vacant, but her red eyes were shining.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: (+5) 35%]

Han De glanced at the System pop-up with unease.

His first rule was to never underestimate an MC. His second rule was to always assume that he underestimated an MC. And his third rule was the same as his second rule. Deliberately repeated to emphasize its importance.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: (+5) 40%]

'… Did I seriously underestimate Ning Bi?'

Han De calculated the amount of time that passed, the number of demons she killed, and the overall progression of the illusion.

'Her score should be… around 6000. That's… in line with the fourth wave. Maybe a tiny bit higher than expected…' Han De breathed an internal sigh of relief. For good measure, he decided to make a fourth rule, same as second and third.

On the side, Yu Xian was finding it difficult to form a coherent thought. 'No wonder Han De dual cultivated with her…' He thought inwardly, again, unaware of the tragic fate waiting for him, should he ever mutter those words out loud.

But when he looked at Ning Bi's true body outside the illusion, he was surprised once more. "Enlightenment…" He muttered.

No one but him was surprised. No one. Liang Cuifen didn't know what Enlightenment truly meant, so she was focused on the screen, curious as to why the cheerful girl's eyes were closed.

And Han De? He wasn't at all surprised. Not one bit. He was intensely, not surprised.

But he did decide to add the 5th and 6th rules, just in case. That's how much he was completely unsurprised.

When Ning Bi finally opened her eyes, crimson flames gushed out. And in the next moment, she disappeared!

The camera didn't move for a few seconds for effect, then snapped on Ning Bi with a fast animation, showing that she was striking at the building-sized netherdemon in midair. Once her slash was connected, she disappeared again, with the camera lagging behind just enough to emphasize her speed and accuracy.

'… At least the illusion is technically perfect…' Han De the Grandmaster Illusionist meekly commented in his mind. He knew Ning Bi would be able to use her Breach skill inside the illusion eventually, so he had wracked his brains at the time to find ways to make it more impressive!

With every slash, Ning Bi appeared in another location, striking at the giant netherdemon's vitals. Then the screen went dark. Flames abruptly rose from Ning Bi's body, revealing slimy flesh walls all around her. Flames bellowed, and a muffled scream followed.

The camera zoomed out to show the giant netherdemon holding his belly in agony. Its bloodcurdling screams created a shock wave and threw the metal puppets into the air. Flames burst out of his mouth, and Ning Bi appeared right above its huge, black eye.

Ning Bi, being a fan of her father's stories, was fully immersed in the illusion. And this wasn't a random illusion either, but an illusion made by her Master!

The people here seemed to suffer every day, the guardsmen she fought with were all but dead. Somehow, she felt as if she understood her master's words. 'Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life.'

Did the guardsmen deserve to die? No, Ning Bi answered in her head. But dead they were. And the netherdemons were alive.

She felt indignant for the guardsmen. That indignance condensed into resentment. And the resentment solidified as a grudge in her heart.

Before she swung her warglaives made of bones and flesh, her voice drowned the netherdemons' screams of agony.

"For the Emperor!"

Crimson flames born from her slash hungrily devoured the giant netherdemon. The Space Marines all around shook, as if they woke up from a dream. Their resolute eyes started to glow, and they responded to Ning Bi, in kind.

"""For the Emperor!"""

Han De couldn't prevent himself from smiling. Just as he hoped, the little purifier of planes was enjoying the illusion!

He ignored the corny development, and agreed with the Grandmaster Illusionist. This illusion was truly perfect in every way!

Ning Bi, along with Space Marines whose vigor had been rekindled, relentlessly fought against the netherdemons. Centimeter by centimeter, step by step, they advanced. Once the final netherdemon was slain, the camera focused on the old inquisitor, who had a faint smile that was difficult to decipher.

That was the cue, and Han De ended the illusion.

------------------------------------------------

Name: Ning Bi

Difficulty: 13

Record Time: 34:04

Total Simulation Time: 34 minutes

Total Tries: 1

Progress:

------------------------------

1st Wave Cleared

2nd Wave Cleared

3rd Wave Cleared

4th Wave Cleared

5th Wave In-Progress

6th Wave Locked

7th Wave Locked

8th Wave Locked

9th Wave Locked

10th Wave Locked

11th Wave Locked

12th Wave Locked

13th Wave Locked

...

Evaluation

------------------------------

Final Score: 9071

Notes: Take the greatest cultivator, strip away the power, and what remains? They rely on it, depend on it, more than they know. Watch as one tries to hold a bow, as they try to hold a saber, and you will see nothing more than a woman — or a man. A child.

------------------------------------------------

"It's over 9000…" Whispered Yu Xian.

Han De closed his eyes and savored the moment. After some struggle, he finally used his index finger to prevent his lips from trembling.

What was Yu Xian's score? Han De wondered. His Primordial Light Qi was especially stable, and he could see some residue in Yu Xian's mind. Before he wasn't that interested, but now he was beyond curious. He accepted the risk, manipulated the remnants of the illusion in Yu Xian's head, and saw his score.

For a moment, he couldn't believe it. Perhaps the Qi had decayed too much, and the score was only partial. The illusion ran for as long as it could, and when the energy reserves were depleted, it would use its own structure as fuel.

Probably.

'… Surely his score can't be 8, right? Yeah, there's no way. Let's assume it was 800. Yes, that's more like it.'

"Master?" Ning Bi opened her eyes, disoriented and confused.

"The next wave takes 6 months to arrive." Han De smiled. "You've done well." A small bit of pride colored his expression. In truth, it took effort to contain it. But a small bit had to suffice for now.

"Did you like it?" Han De the Grandmaster Illusionist asked. Upon seeing Ning Bi's sharp nod, along with her shining eyes, he was content.

Meanwhile, Yu Xian was still looking at the final score. The illusion was over, but the screen was still there. And he saw the Note just underneath.

'Take the greatest cultivator, strip away the power, and what remains? They rely on it, depend on it, more than they know. Watch as one tries to hold a bow, as they try to hold a saber, and you will see nothing more than a woman — or a man. A child.'

Yu Xian thoughtfully pondered. Was this directed at himself? Did they know that his soul occupied another's body?

No, he thought. If they did, why wouldn't they try to snatch the little hammer within his soul? Wasn't it a heaven-defying treasure?

But Han and Long families were filled with higher beings. Their power was thought to be unimaginable before his death. Beings that stood above the natural and heavenly laws. Beings that had total control over the universe. Would they covet a treasure like that?

Yu Xian's world view started to go through a tectonic shift. His mind trembled, unable to produce a cohesive thought.

Treebeard was already in deep contemplation upon seeing the Note.

A child. That's how Treebeard felt like. He had lost his cultivation, lost his roots and the ability to cultivate. Afraid, desperately clinging to what he once knew, he waited. A child.

An inkling of comprehension traced within his closed eyes. What did it mean to cultivate, who was he without cultivation? What was his path, his essence?

Yao Qing detected the faint Dao ripples coming from Treebeard's body. She had lost her cultivation multiple times, and knew who she was. She glanced at Yu Xian, who seemed to ponder, not being able to grasp the essence of the Note. She faintly nodded; it was too early for him.

By now, Ning Bi, Jin Shu, even Liang Cuifen, who couldn't tell what was happening, but knew that something was going on, focused on Treebeard's body.

Han De slowly stood up and gestured his disciples to follow. The word "Guard" traced his lips without uttering a sound, knowing that Xin Meili would understand the message.

He didn't even want to send a voice transmission in fear of disturbing Treebeard.

What was he comprehending? Why was he comprehending? Han De had absolutely no idea. He just hoped that it wouldn't be something weird. But Treebeard's fate was to be the Virtuous Sage. That was positive enough to have hopes in the silent ex-lackey.

Once they made their way out of Ning Bi's palace, Jin Shu asked. "Master, the Note, was that a quote?"

Han De's walking pace almost came to a stop. His heart almost skipped a beat. He had been quoting video games for a while now. It was his best tool to appear profound! And the illusion itself was made before he even met Liang Cuifen!

But, all good things must come to an end.

Thankfully, he was prepared for this eventuality.

He "absentmindedly" nodded. "A quote, from a faraway place that does not exist, unbound by the understanding of our time. From someone who pursued understanding, through contrast." There was a bit of reminiscence in his voice, but his tone contained a casual finality. This way, his disciples would know not to dig any further.

Probably.

'I knew she was perceptive, but I didn't expect her to catch on this early…' Han De recited rules 1 through 5 in his mind once again.

If they were to ask again, now or at another time, he would just shake his head and refuse to answer. Especially when near the human lie detector, he could not afford to slip up, and let them know that quote originated from a fictional character!

Wouldn't his facade irreversibly collapse if they knew?!

Han De swallowed his panic and continued his perfectly paced steps.

'… I should probably prepare for that too. At this rate, it may be an eventuality…

'At least Liang Cuifen bought it, so that means vague statements work. That should buy me some time.'

Jin Shu ruminated over her master's words. There was something missing. He was hiding something, she was sure of it. The girl called Liang Cuifen didn't react to his words either. If Jin Shu's guess was correct, she had some sort of ability to discern the truth. And doing so caused an involuntary physical reaction within her body.

'A place… outside existence? Outside time?' She continued to ponder. Her instincts told her that this was a riddle. And since their master personally told them, it must mean he wants them to solve this mystery on their own.

Yao Qing came to a similar conclusion, but vehemently refused in her mind. Their cultivation was too low. And even if her power was at its peak, she was doubtful that she could pry the secret. Perhaps, she was never meant to. Though, she somehow felt the answer would sooner or later reveal itself. Her intuition warned her so.

Before Han De could initiate his Profound Teacher exit, Jin Shu raised her and asked once more. "Master, what will be the name of the new sect?"

Han De's feet stopped. This was an excellent opportunity to both reveal the sect name, and make an even more Profound Exit. After his usage of video game quotes was revealed, he felt he needed to reinforce the Profoundness of his facade!

But… He couldn't decide on a name!

There were so many obvious choices that he couldn't make a decision!

'… Should I seriously just roll with Mount Hua?' He frantically thought as the legendary thinking fast technique manifested itself once again. 'But if I name the sect Mount Hua, there needs to be a Mount Hua. If this was when we landed on the planet fragment, I could've just named a random mountain as Mount Hua…

'… What about Kunlun? Or Heavenly Sword? Or Martial Peak? Or Azura Clouds? Or should I go with something original? Something long, and impressive? Actually, the name should have the word "Violet" somewhere, now that I think about it.'

Unbeknownst to Han De, Ning Bi's mouth was already open just as his legendary fast-thinking skill activated. As he went through hundreds of increasingly long sect names, he heard the enthusiastic but shy voice of Ning Bi.

"…Imperium?"

Han De snapped out of his dilemma and slowly turned his gaze toward the eyes filled with excitement and hope.

The word Imperium was just… too un-Xianxia! How could it compare to something like Ancient Divine Heavenly Six Reversals Violet Threshold Sect?! A working title, perhaps, but one that caught the essence of Xianxia!

However, looking into Ning Bi's eyes, Han De realized he wanted to relent.

Yes, she was just impressed by what she had seen, it was natural for her to suggest something she liked. People on Earth named their kids after novel characters all the time, after all.

'… Imperium… feels a bit bare… What if I change it to… Imperium of Light?' Han De had Light element roots, so it made sense. 'S#$%, I don't have the regular Light element roots anymore…' The last conversation with his grandfather came to his mind.

Soon, perhaps very soon, he wouldn't just have Light element roots!

'Calling it just Imperium of Light would be awkward then. No, no…' Han De inwardly shook his head. 'Imperium of Light and Dark? Hmm… feels a bit long for a non-Xianxia name…'

He went through a few permutations, but nothing seemed to stick.

'Wait, I have that Primordial Whatever Dragon bloodline. Should I just go with Imperium of Chaos?... Feels a bit… Ominous, negative…'

And slightly chuuni. Perhaps more than slightly. But, since it had the word Imperium in it, Han De convinced himself that it was the perfect choice. Despite sounding chuuni. Despite!

'Well, it's just a throwaway sect, so the name shouldn't matter that much. In the future, I might make a new one, and call that Mount Hua or whatever.

'It's a pity though, The Imperium of Light had a nice ring to it…'

Han De cast his eyes downward, as if he was considering the word Imperium. He smiled before looking up. "Not bad. Let's go with Imperium of Chaos."

Seeing the nearly bursting excitement in Ning Bi's eyes, Han De chuckled and patted her head. "Everyone, go rest. You'll be busy in the future."

The time was ripe for a Profound Exit. Han De looked into the horizon and activated Through the Starlight scripture. With just one step, he was gone.

Jin Shu stared at her master's previous location. 'Outside of existence, should be Primordial Chaos.' She theorized.

* * *

Months ago. In a land far, far away from both the Forgotten Realms, and the Whispering Realms.

Hearing sweet chimes from a distance, that's how Kong Huan woke up. "… Man I overslept again?" He murmured, feeling a cold that he never felt before; did he throw away his cover while sleeping? As he tried to adjust his eyes to the bright light, songs from strange birds filled the silence. The sound felt strange, exotic almost. Did he leave HeroTelly open last night too? Kong Huan's eyes wandered in search of his jade slate.

Recognition came a moment later. The ground under his feet was cold, hard, some residue stayed with his feet when he moved. The sunlight wasn't coming from the windows, rather from the thin gaps between the bamboo walls. A slight draft brought in the scent of soil, almost cleansing his own stench of sweat.

"What the F#$% did I drink last night." Kong Huan spoke in disbelief. Gone was his bed chambers, replaced with a rickety bamboo shack. Tattered hemp clothes were barely hanging on his body. No wonder he felt cold. No wonder his body ached, as his bed was nothing more than some hay on a layer of bamboo.

And his body… Kong Huan immediately held his abs. Yes, he had abs, and hard ones at that. He had no talent in cultivation, neither in refining spiritual energy, nor in tempering his body. Zero. Then how did he get abs?!

"If this isn't a dream…" Kong Huan's eyes started lighting up. "Then did my soul… transferred to another body?"

"Kong Huan!" An old man screamed outside. "Kong Huan!! Come out! We're leaving for the Fragrant Dragon!" The voice sounded frustrated, but determined.

The name, Fragrant Dragon, jolted something in Kong Huan's mind. It was the name of a city from a SlateNovel he read a few days ago. "No way…" Kong Huan muttered while standing up.