Little Feather Has Become Sentient

Two hours after the death of the Herrscher of Flames, the mechanical soldiers, following the tributary with floating ice fragments and temperature detection, found Kevin's location in an underground river in the ruins.

When he was unearthed, the scarred warrior survived within a solid block of ice, like a lifelike statue, his life as faint as a candle flame.

The Herrscher of Flames incinerated most of his internal organs, and was subsequently engulfed by the central explosion. The last layer of defense formed by the cold currents only withstood the initial attack before melting away, dismantling his limbs into pieces, leaving only most of his torso...

The Fusion Warrior's vitality was too strong. At the critical moment, Parvati's genes absorbed the extremely dense Honkai Energy around him, healing his injuries while continuously creating cold currents to preserve the host's life force in a frozen form until now.

However, the spontaneous freezing of the Parvati genes is ultimately not as effective as the cold current that halts molecular processes. The Fifth Herrscher was able to continue fighting until it was broken by external forces, but Kevin undoubtedly does not possess such an ability.

The ice is merely a physical phenomenon caused by the cooling effect of underground rivers and Honkai Energy. Only the ice layer on the body surface has a special low temperature, but it will gradually melt as time goes by and the activity of genes decreases, eventually extinguishing the flame of life completely.

When Su Qing'an arrived, the underground river had become nothing more than a cold spring with a low temperature. The ice around the warriors was gradually showing cracks, and the remaining life force that had been frozen was slowly fading away.

The [Creation] power that Fu Hua had cast three hours earlier seemed to have had some effect, preventing the overall trend from a straight decline, which gave him the option to use the Black Abyss White Flower to continue sustaining his life.

After roughly stabilizing his life, Su Qing'an, unable to see the other party's specific physical condition, chose to temporarily stop out of caution. Like Carole and Shiyu Qiluo, Kevin's condition required a professional medical team to assess before continuing to use his powers for treatment.

To easily and directly heal such a chaotic array of injuries, the user of Black Abyss White Flower's powers must have a precise understanding of the body's internal structure, specific condition, and even the use of its powers.

The difficulty level instantly shifted from a simple coloring game to requiring the creation of exquisite landscapes and portraits, even surpassing previous levels.

Su Qing'an was not incapable of such precise control. He had a good understanding of the physical structure data of both Fusion Warrior and normal humans. Using close-range [potential] changes to create subtle wavelengths for ultrasound-like detection, it was not difficult for him to simulate the specific condition inside the wounded soldier's body in his mind.

However, by leveraging the power of the Black Abyss White Flower without any cost, one can only achieve the precision of a coloring game. Anything beyond that requires the soul to bear a heavy burden.

He is currently unwilling to do so unless there is a compelling reason to do so.

After all, using the power granted by Seele was not exactly a pleasant thing for Su Qing'an.

Furthermore, compared to one's own actions, the experience and precision accumulated by the mature medical technology of modern civilization are more trustworthy.

For example, Carole's completely shattered spine would at best result in paralysis in the later era, but in the Previous Civilization, it would only leave her with some sequelae.

If the rehabilitation goes well, it wouldn't be surprising if they returned to the battlefield.

Su Qing'an watched as the transport plane carrying several medical pods and Fu Hua gradually disappeared from view. Although he couldn't drag Little Feather up to work this time, and he was currently unable to fight against Honkai Beast, he still held great significance for Australia, which was now plagued by disasters, thanks to the [Stigmata] and the Black Abyss White Flower.

Whether it's rescuing the wounded or stabilizing the perpetual Honkai Energy phenomenon, both are measures that can only be carried out on a large scale by combining these two aspects.

The boy walks through the clouds filled with corpses. He sits high above Australia, looking down at this absurd and bleak world. The cross in his hand floats naturally, and the nearby black corpses are ground into finer particles and naturally gather into them. A large tombstone is gradually being born.

How many people actually died?

Countless.

Perhaps, as Fu Hua said, those who perished like weeds amidst the chaos of Honkai need a solace that will not be forgotten, a medium for future generations to commemorate and remember them, and... a tombstone.

Several hours later, the sun, seemingly so close yet so far, cast its glow on the white clouds, painting them with a sunset glow. Su Qing'an gazed at the afterglow falling beside her and the azure sea below, her expression complex.

He successfully cleared the clumps of Honkai Energy on the edge of Australia. Although it was still insignificant compared to the calamity on the entire continent, it still cleared a new route that allowed vehicles other than advanced warships to reach Australia.

Su Qing'an understood from the very beginning that even if he used Udu-dust as a medium for the [Stigmata], it would be impossible for him to purify the Honkai Energy environment of the entire Australia on his own.

[Stigmata] is ultimately just a half-finished product residing in the third stage. Even with the help of Udu-dust to expand its capacity and efficiency, its constraints and limits cannot be changed much.

The Honkai Energy accumulated in Australia is almost equivalent to three percent of the world's total Honkai Energy environment.

Currently, apart from the Herrscher of Flames, whose maximum output, after accumulating over a period of time, might be able to cover the entire continent, no other Herrscher can achieve a similar level.

To make an inaccurate comparison, the [Stigmata] combined with Udu-dust's capacity can only sustain the output of other Herrscher for a short time, but in the situation in Australia, even Herrscher cannot reach it on their own.

Therefore, attempting to erase it with the limited capacity of [Stigmata] and Udu-dust is no less futile than the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains.

However, Su Qing'an had a vague idea: the incompleteness of the [Stigmata] gave him hope worth anticipating. If he were to enter the Realm of the Great Void and the [Stigmata] were truly completed, he might be able to reach a higher limit than his current self.

He could even single-handedly solve the Honkai Energy phenomenon facing the entire country of Australia.

But that's a long, long way off. Given the current fragile state of the Clear Mirror Sword Heart, it's fortunate it doesn't get worse; how can we even talk about the Great Void?

The accumulation of emotions and experiences may increase the progress of the Void Sword Qi in the past, but in essence, it is only adding water to the container. When it reaches the point of overflowing, if the conditions are met, one will step into the next realm.

Just like the day the young man achieved the Clear Mirror Sword Heart in the Nine Nether, it was a natural and inevitable outcome.

This means that as long as the hidden requirements are not met, the pain and despair that Su Qing'an experienced are meaningless in the Realm of Emptiness itself.

On the contrary, these hardships may cause the container itself to break, rendering all previous efforts futile.

But at this moment, he didn't care about these future troubles.

Before the boy descended from the clouds to the azure sea, he had been fascinated by such scenery since his time in St. Freya.

What was originally just a cross on a tombstone was transformed into a black iron tower by its own will, and thus it stands silently on the edge of the coast, facing the ebb and flow of the tide, bathed in the twilight.

Su Qing'an placed his hand on the cold surface of the monument, seemingly sensing the faint murmurs of the departed spirits within. He slightly raised his eyes, gazing at the horizon where the sea met the sky, listening to the gentle lapping of the waves, and whispered:

"Your deaths will be remembered."

"Humanity will not give up the fight against the Honkai."

"I... I don't know how either."

Three days later.

Su Qing'an silently gazed at the little girl sitting upright on the sofa, her expression subtle.

For some reason, her fair face was flushed with a faint blush. Although she tried her best to suppress it, her expression still revealed a strange look. Her blue eyes were clearly trying to look directly at the face in front of her, but her gaze still became unsteady.

Ever since Fu Hua Awakened, she has been in this limp and strange state.

However, since the boy could sense that her soul seemed somewhat abnormal, coupled with the negative effects of her three-day slumber, he didn't think there was anything wrong with her.

In Su Qing'an's view, a major reason for this is that the link established between Udu-dust and the other party not only affected the former himself, but also had a wonderful effect on Fu Hua.

He considered his words carefully and asked:

"Is Udu-dust still sleeping in the Mind Lake?"

The little girl was stunned for a moment upon hearing this. She was about to respond when she quietly swallowed the name Chi Yuan back down her throat. This name belonged to Master Su's master. Although he had never responded directly, she felt that her guess was probably correct.

Would he be unhappy if I used that term of address at this moment?

Ever since establishing a connection and channel with Chi Yuan, it seems that a dreamlike and profound emotion is constantly pulling me into a higher world. The soft and timeless Seawater hums gently in my ears, enveloping me in warmth and guiding me towards a tranquil world...

Even in her dreams, Fu Hua constantly sensed this emotion of unknown origin, initially feeling confused and unclear about its source.

But when Awakened and saw Su Qing'an, everything became clear.

After half a year of separation and gradual adjustment, she has adapted to the distance between lovers and no longer feels shy easily.

But the moment Awakened and saw him, the girl inexplicably became even more nervous than before. The joy and love from within pounded her heart like a drum, making her feel almost dizzy, and her face involuntarily flushed.

Damn it, just how much does Chi Yuan like Master Su?

Fu Hua, who attributed the source of this emotion to the Little Feather, felt a little uneasy. Fortunately, the influence was gradually fading, proving that she would not stay in this state forever.

But at least for now, the young girl finds it difficult to stand up to Su Qing'an.

So at this moment, she just said dejectedly:

"Hmm, still sleeping."

Su Qing'an frowned and said:

"There are some unusual fluctuations in your soul aura."

Fu Hua thought for a moment and asked:

"Is it similar to what I perceived in Yakarta?"

Su Qing'an denied:

"That strange feeling was akin to the soul having been superimposed with something else; 'incongruity' would be a more apt description."

"Your soul's energy wavelength is simply abnormal, like an internal problem. Initially, this abnormality was mixed with the emptiness after the depletion of your Soul Essence, which prevented me from noticing it."

"But after you recovered from the damage caused by your soul resonance with Udu-dust, it began to show itself."

"So I'd like to ask about your own experience. Did anything strange happen during your sleep?"

Upon hearing this, the girl's mind went into a subtle state of stagnation.

What to do, what to do, what to do?

To be honest would be a declaration that I've accepted Udu-dust's feelings, and that I've grown to like you more, which has made me so shy that I don't want to talk, and even feel hot and uncomfortable all over... etc.

But lying doesn't seem like a good idea either.

Finally, the little girl, her face flushed, chose to give an evasive answer:

"I feel like something has been taken away by Udu-dust."

Su Qing'an pondered carefully, focusing all his attention on this phenomenon and not noticing the other person's strangeness, only muttering:

"If it's related to unusual fluctuations in your soul, but it's not about extracting the Soul Essence, then it must be about taking away other matter?"

"This situation seems..."

The boy recalled the composition of the [Stigmata], remembering that one part of it was soul matter. Thinking about it, it seemed to have something in common with the current situation.

He continued to extend his thinking: if Udu-dust could achieve evolution by absorbing the soul matter of others, could that explain Udu-dust's changes?

From the very beginning, this feather was merely one of the countless incarnations of the Divine Key Udu-dust.

Although it possesses a sliver of the power of the Divine Key, it is not essentially an independent entity. However, after being reborn through death, it gains its own spirituality because it is linked to the soul and restarts with itself.

The true Divine Key, as the original entity, lacks any self-awareness or spirituality. So how could a feather, which can barely be considered an avatar, achieve this?

At the beginning, Su Qing'an attributed it to the result of three factors: death, restart, and even Soul Link.

Since all of the above involve unknowns, answering the unknown with the unknown is the most convenient and easily accepted approach.

However, it seems more appropriate to attribute this to the fact that during the gap between death and restart, when the Soul Essence expanded several times, Udu-dust unconsciously absorbed some of its soul matter, thus causing a strange change.

Su Qing'an, who had been with Little Feather all along, also understood that its intelligence was not so high from the beginning. In the early days, it only had a little intelligence. During the Canghai City period, it was almost like a kitten. Upon careful consideration, it had grown to its current state almost unconsciously through the years of getting to know each other and spending time together.

This can also be explained as the fact that in daily life, the Little Feather is slowly and unconsciously absorbing its own soul matter, which is why it has become more spiritual.

At the same time, because the rate of absorption was slow and minute, he was unable to discover it.

Thinking about it this way, suppose that in order to restore its depleted Soul Essence, it was unable to continue absorbing soul matter during the six months it was in a coma.

If that incident hadn't happened, Little Feather might already be able to solve advanced math problems.

In conclusion, if all the above arguments hold true, it means that Hua's unusual soul is not something to worry about, as evidenced by his own experience of having his soul matter absorbed several times under passive circumstances.

But this made Su Qing'an even more curious about what changes would occur to the Little Feather this time.

Previous changes were gradual and not easily noticed, and the changes only became apparent over time. But this time, they are clearly different from the past.

Because Fu Hua and Udu-dust had a mysterious connection, it was hard for him not to attribute it to this, which led to her soul matter having a greater effect on Little Feather.

After exiting this time, will it be easier to recover from the damage inflicted by using Little Feather to enter [Udu-dust • Critical Point] again?

Will my appearance change?

Could it turn from a single feather into a bird?

If that's the case, it would definitely be adorable, and brushing its fur would be even more fun.

With this thought in mind, Su Qing'an lay down on the girl's lap amidst her extreme shyness and reluctance to leave. He turned his face close to her soft abdomen, specifically the dantian, wanting to further perceive the condition of the Little Feather located in Fu Hua's Mind Lake.

The sword heart shaped by the Void Sword Qi is a hypothetical organ of metaphysics and idealism. However, in accordance with the martial arts concepts that were prevalent in Shenzhou at that time, the immortal placed the concept of the sword heart in the dantian, which exists in all martial arts in the world, making it easier for later generations who were deeply influenced by the local culture of Shenzhou to shape this hypothetical organ.

Therefore, it is mysterious and profound. Being close to this place allows one to more clearly perceive that the Little Feather is sleeping soundly in the Mind Lake.

But aside from realizing it was fast asleep, Su Qing'an gained nothing. He asked earnestly:

"What does Hua think it will be like when it Awakened again?"

The girl suppressed the rubbing of her thighs together to ease her tension, pursed her lips, and said:

"Why does Su Qing'an think it will definitely change?"

Su Qing'an sensed the crimson threads gradually surrounding the Little Feather and said softly:

"Because it is forming a cocoon in the Mind Lake."

The little girl paused for a moment, gazing at the scene reflected in her Mind Lake. As if lost in thought, her face flushed, and she angrily ruffled his hair, complaining:

That's so weird!

Su Qing'an tapped the watch face, pulled out the screen, retrieved an image, and said earnestly to Fu Hua:

"It's alright. If Little Feather turns out like this, then it's not a loss, right?"

The girl gazed at the chubby, adorable bird, halting her wild imagination. She then contemplated the pleasure of petting such a Chi Yuan, and finally, somewhat dazed, banished her strange feeling, responding to the other's words:

"Really."