Newcomers Have Arrived-Now That's a Big One

Two months later.

"Tamaki, you really are a genius. In such a short time, you've learned both shape and nature transformation for earth, water, and yang Chakra."

"That's all thanks to your excellent teaching, Lord Jiraiya."

"Don't be so modest. At your age, with talent like that and the ability to turn it into strength, you've earned the right to be proud."

"Then I really am a genius."

"Hahaha, Tamaki, you really are interesting too."

"All right, that's enough training for now. I'll be waiting for your good news."

"Thank you for all your help during this time, Lord Jiraiya."

Jiraiya waved a hand without saying anything more.

That night, Tamaki prepared to go up and check on Brother Potted Plant again.

When he arrived, several people were already there, including quite a few newcomers.

"What's going on?"

"We got newcomers tonight."

"Let me see."

With that, he squeezed his way forward.

He saw three figures up ahead: one with a saber, one with a sword, and a sleeping... baby?

"What's going on? Now even newborns aren't being spared?"

"Share our memories and you'll know."

"Mumyō Jinpū-ryū? Jin Yong's martial arts world? And the Chaotic Ancient Era?"

"I haven't read Samurai Deeper Kyo."

"None of us have. Mumyō Jinpū-ryū is the only thing I know about that world."

"It's fine. I use a saber too, so we can exchange pointers."

"As for Jin Yong, I've only read a few of his most famous books."

"Though I've read plenty of certain Huang Rong txt files and the like."

"Watch your mouth. Do you have a death wish?"

"Then let's talk about the last one first. What's the situation with this Chaotic Ancient Era? It can't be the one I'm thinking of, can it?"

"Yeah, it's the one you're thinking of."

"Who's talking?"

"Look down."

"I see you. If I hadn't paid attention, I'd have thought you were a dwarf."

"The dwarves' Book of Grudges is already running out of room. Don't add another entry."

"So you really went to Shrouding the Heavens?"

"Yeah. I started off with the Seven Heroes of Chaotic Heaven wiping out my family. I don't even know how I'll survive when I go back."

"What a sad story."

As they spoke,

the One Person, Marine, and Soul Master guys all arrived.

"How come we've got such a full house today?"

"I don't know. I suddenly had a feeling I should come up and have a look."

"Me too." ×2

"Exactly nine of us. Is something big about to happen? Is the golden finger going to evolve?"

"Keep dreaming."

As they spoke, the enormous screen of light, which had shown no activity all this time, began to change.

"Requirement one for activation confirmed: the number of heavens has reached nine."

"Requirement two for activation confirmed: contact has been made with an Eternal-level great world."

"Causal Artifact of the Myriad Heavens and Worlds activating."

Hummm—

The light rippled like water, and a simple electronic face appeared on the enormous screen.

-_-

"What the hell is that?"

"So the screen itself is our golden finger?"

The screen seemed to hear their conversation, and a mechanical voice sounded.

"You all seem confused, so I'll start with a brief explanation."

"I am an artifact spirit, one of the resurrection contingencies created by a transcendent existence."

"My purpose is to establish karmic connections for Him across infinite time and infinite worlds, making His presence felt so that one day He can be resurrected."

"You may ask questions now."

"Why was I chosen?"

"You were selected from infinite possibilities as the one most likely to achieve the goal."

"I died after slipping on a banana peel. Was that your doing?"

"No. According to my calculations, such an act would negatively affect His return."

"Then can we go back?"

"Yes, but you do not currently meet the requirements."

"What are the requirements for going back?"

"Possession of an Immortal Soul."

"What's an Immortal Soul?"

"One of the marks of a Heaven-level existence."

"Now a Heaven-level existence has popped up. What the hell is that?"

"The supreme Heavenly Venerates divided worlds and realms into seven levels: suffering, mortal, spirit, profound, heaven, eternal, transcendent, and beyond transcendence."

"The Heaven Realm is sufficient to give birth to immortal existences. Immortality is divided into the Immortal Body, Immortal Soul, and Immortal Will. Heaven and earth may decay, but body, soul, and will remain immortal; as long as a single breath remains, or in the end, one may return."

"That sounds a bit like an Immortal Emperor from Shrouding the Heavens."

"It's also a bit like the existences of the Other Shore in The Lord of Mysteries of a Lifetime."

"So what do we have to do?"

"In your respective worlds, make your presence felt as much as possible and occupy the possibilities of those worlds."

"You are spread across the heavens with my help. The stronger your presence, the easier it will be for that existence to return."

"Who exactly is that existence?"

"I cannot say. Speaking His name would alert others to His return."

"How can we trust that he won't return through us?"

"There is no need, because you are already part of Him."

"Transcendents are beyond comprehension. They possess the Indestructible Golden Nature, which neither increases nor decreases and remains eternally unchanged. It is through this property that you can spread across the heavens, and it is also the source of your ability to share power with one another."

"If He completely devours you, then the instant He returns, you will become His weakness and could even turn around and devour Him instead."

"Alternatively, you and He will merge completely and become a new existence."

"I see."

"You understood that?"

"Put simply, it's like the Golden Mother in The Lord of Mysteries of a Lifetime. At the instant she returns from transcendence, cause and effect can be reversed. The Indestructible Golden Nature would still exist, but the master at the origin of spacetime could be replaced by someone else."

"Now I get it too."

"If this Indestructible Golden Nature is so powerful, why can't we share all our power directly, or use the power of other worlds in our own worlds?"

"Because He has not returned, the Indestructible Golden Nature is incomplete. Also, I dare not let that little bit of golden nature produce such a great effect. Our enemies would discover us."

"You keep mentioning indestructibility, so why did He die? Wasn't He supposed to be indestructible?"

"Indestructible means He will eventually return, not that He cannot fall into dormancy."

"Then what did His enemies gain by killing him?"

"Worlds and time are infinite, but the worlds and time a transcendent can occupy are finite."

"Got it. They're fighting over territory."

"But can't transcendents change the past at will? As long as he comes back, the entire past can be changed."

"That involves a contest between at least two transcendents. Ownership of a world is not so simple; once it has completely changed hands, it is difficult to take back."

"All right, all that's too far off. Let's talk about something else."

"How much can you do now? How much can you help us? And what counts as making our presence felt and occupying possibilities in a world?"

"Now that I have awakened, I can let you share the power of your bodies and souls without further hindrance. But concealing you from heavenly secrets so you can directly use the power of other worlds comes at a great cost and could lead to our discovery."

"However, I possess some ability to extrapolate. I can help you use abilities from other worlds as quickly as possible, but due to the level and rules of each world, this ability has its limits in every world."

"As for occupying possibilities, that means possessing as much of a world's future as possible."

"So, defeat everyone and set ourselves up as the founders of our own schools?"

"That is one way. Another is to ensure that your ideas, your wishes, and your reputation are passed down forever."

"Got it. Material and spiritual."

"How much do we need to occupy before that existence can return?"

"The greater the quantity, the better. The higher the world's level, the better."

"Then you'll have to work hard, Shrouding the Heavens. Stay strong and stay alive when you go back."

"I want to, but I'm afraid the Seven Heroes of Chaotic Heaven won't play fair. They might camp my corpse and wait at my respawn point."

"Never mind all that for now. So we can use the Eight Gates Released Formation, Life Return, and all kinds of martial arts techniques as much as we want?"

"Looks like it."

"Now we're really taking off."