Soul Manifestation, Entering the Ascended State

Inside the Soul Hall.

The boy sat silently on the throne woven from bones and flesh. He raised his eyes and looked up at the emptiness and nothingness above the hall. The colors and spirals in his pupils seemed to intertwine into a chaotic mess, as if they would never end.

What lies beyond that?

Is it a higher dimension, a manifestation of mental imagery, a phenomenon of gene activation, or simply some kind of illusion?

The space for reflection gradually diminishes as thorns grow rampant within the body.

The degree of gene activation piled up to an unprecedented, dreamlike height under the massive amount of Honkai Beast corpses. Indescribable whispers and delusions continued to grow within [Nian] and the Soul Hall, seemingly gradually approaching the natural limits of the Soul Lifeform.

And this was exactly the result he had hoped to achieve, just as he had initially wished.

Only the level elevated by genetic modification truly transcends the essence of the soul.

Only after entering the Ascended State will this power not be swallowed up and crushed, turning into a mere illusion.

The price, however, was that the nearby Abyss Flower region gradually became shrouded in gloom and dust.

The Soul Hall is being polluted by the activated genetic consciousness. Pure black matter is flowing out from the cracks in every brick and tile, surging into the pure flower field and the clean hall like a crawling carpet, slowly sweeping towards the throne and the scales.

The murmurs grew louder and louder, and the ear-piercing screams and hallucinations became indistinguishable.

[Nian] initially couldn't understand whether the things presented within her vision and perception truly existed.

The thorns and vines between the thrones swirled between reality and illusion, Su Qing'an was constantly being eroded and corrupted by this consciousness, yet she couldn't discern where she should exert her mental strength to resist.

If this continues, he will eventually sink into the ocean of genetic activation, transforming into a monster who has lost himself and runs rampant in the world.

This is the situation we should expect.

As his goal moves toward success, he will naturally have to bear the consequences of the genetic modification exceeding the limits of his Soul Lifeform.

On the other hand, SU and Kevin observe things through the Thousand Worlds One Ride.

Su Qing'an herself has a deeper understanding and appreciation of this.

Initially, he believed that he was a unique being within the entire world line and timeline.

This is not arrogance about one's own birth, but merely an answer to the phenomenon of [time travel].

Although they possess nothing of value and have few special qualities, the fact that they originate from another world remains unchanged.

But during the process of sublimation, he suddenly realized that he had long been a part of this world.

Those parallel worlds observed through the projection of the Sea of Quantum are not illusory, and those "selves" within them are not counterparts of the Honkai world.

Rather, it was Su Qing'an's arrival in this civilization that triggered a massive butterfly effect after he was mapped into a large-scale recording mechanism.

Simply put, Su Qing'an's existence is recognized by the world's mechanisms, timeline, and even deeper levels of records, which naturally led to the birth of other "him" in parallel worlds.

The core reason why SU can observe other worlds where "Su Qing'an" exists is this.

This means that since Su Qing'an arrived in this Honkai world, every moment of his traces and actions has been imprinted on the large-scale recording mechanism of the world's basic rules. He has the same identity card as other humans, and naturally, he is subject to the control of the rules.

Since he was unable to transcend and was also within this network that naturally covers all things in the world, he could not possibly become a unique existence within the entire world line and timeline.

This is the reward and shackles that Su Qing'an received after absorbing everything from the doomed counterpart of herself.

The reward means that he will not encounter any real rule-based exclusion or malicious treatment.

The fact that the Artificial Stigmata implantation experiment failed to kill it immediately is itself proof of this.

What those shackles truly represent is something one only comes to understand after gradually elevating one's spiritual level.

But after truly learning all this, Su Qing'an didn't feel any longing for the unburdened version of herself.

The self that was initially unfused with the fragments of the same soul may have been a special and transcendent being, but that in itself is meaningless.

The saying goes, "Only by engaging with the world can one transcend it." If one does not experience the hustle and bustle of life and instead lives in seclusion in the mountains and forests, then there is no rare and precious value in it.

At that time, Su Qing'an was merely no longer bound by the rules, but he did not possess any power or status.

Of course, it can also be understood using more accessible and understandable metaphors.

--Su Qing'an was born without a legal identity and was judged as a lawless outlaw by the rules of the world from the very beginning, but that doesn't mean he's awesome.

The path that genetic modification leads to today is to openly tear up the obtained identity card and completely ignore all rules and constraints with one's own power and existence, reaching a state of true unbridled recklessness.

That is, dimensional ascension.

Therefore, at this moment, Su Qing'an could clearly perceive that the "self" that had been born from her stepping into this era was slowly disappearing along with the continuous sublimation of her physical body.

This is a process of breaking free from shackles, breaking free from rules, and sublimating from the invisible record space.

In a more precise sense, the boy is not killing all his parallel world selves, but rather gathering all of [Su Qing'an] into himself through the reversal of Karma and the retracing of traces.

And when this process is completely over and everything has settled down.

Genetic modification will also come to a complete end.

But so far...

Su Qing'an couldn't help but begin to question one thing.

Could Planet-class Honkai Beast truly be beings from another dimension?

Is this spontaneous dimensional ascension a result of genetic activation climbing to unknown realms, or is it the path that the Soul Lifeform was destined to take?

At this very moment.

In the hazy, confused state of his consciousness, the boy recalled the thoughts that arose when he first witnessed Fuxi.

They arrive at the same destination but take different paths.

Thus, a completely new guess and answer were born.

If the ultimate goal of all evolution and sublimation is to ascend to a higher dimension, then genetic modification and opening the door to the Sea of consciousness will lead to the same end.

This means that as long as one chooses to break free of the long-sealed shackles, enters the Realm of Emptiness, completes the final step of soul manifestation, and ascends to immortality.

That would allow us to reach a higher dimension in another form or through another method.

Entering a higher dimension by treating oneself as the entire universe will ultimately lead to the loss of self.

From this perspective, Su Qing'an's methods have always been correct, yet also extreme.

Since this method of advancement is unacceptable, then we should simply follow the other acceptable paths.

In the end, the boy chose genetic modification, hoping to see other possibilities at the end of this path.

Thus, he reached the threshold of dimensional ascension in two completely different fields.

This has led to a situation that was not anticipated.

In other words, the downgrade failed.

--The phenomenon of dimensional ascension caused the self-restraining Realm of Great Void to gradually become unable to seal itself off, and the resulting chain reaction was that he would enter the Ascended State prematurely.

Su Qing'an's initial idea was to decide whether to enter the Ascended State after Fuxi Awakened, depending on the situation.

Given that there are other ways to resolve this crisis, he naturally wouldn't want to simply face a hopeless death.

Restart?

This effect, which never knows whether it will activate, can be used as a source of hope.

No matter how perverse the god's sense of humor may be, it is ultimately just a fleeting and illusory hope.

Even though Su Qing'an never believed he would be resurrected or restarted before each of his deaths, it still doesn't change the fact that he truly possesses a backup plan that no one else has.

The problem is that the effort required to pick up a coin and to lift a skyscraper are on completely different levels.

We all understand that gods are undoubtedly beings from another dimension; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to manipulate world lines and timelines at will.

But it's easy for beings from another dimension to manipulate life in lower dimensions, just as you can easily draw a circle around a stick figure on paper.

This activity itself doesn't consume much physical strength; drawing a dozen or so in a minute is not a problem.

Now, here's the key point.

--If Su Qing'an successfully ascends to a higher dimension, can the gods still resurrect him?

The answer is unknown.

From a pessimistic perspective, this almost signifies that the previously invisible escape route has vanished.

Moreover, if it is merely a matter of personality being directly lost between heaven and earth, whether it can be defined as death is a delicate question.

Therefore, it is only natural that we should treat this matter with caution.

Su Qing'an himself wasn't concerned about this issue. He didn't care what the outcome would be for him; he only cared that entering the Ascended State at this moment would waste the time he could have used to maintain himself, leading to the failure of his plan.

Whether Fuxi will awaken is entirely unknown to him, who is struggling in the Boundless Sea.

But let's set aside the question of whether refusing to advance to the Void Realm and raise the level of Soul Lifeform can resist the activation of consciousness through gene activation.

Su Qing'an lacks both the ability and the qualifications to forcibly terminate the dimensional ascension phenomenon.

Even if he could succeed, failing at this crucial moment would come at a huge cost.

The bottleneck in the Realm of Great Void completely disappeared after he recognized [thought].

At this moment, the final step of the soul's manifestation occurs, like ink spreading completely and staining the entire sheet of rice paper.

The mind-only organ named Sword Heart thus entered the Realm of Emptiness, and the heart ice that merged with [Thought] shattered into countless formless and colorless mists, returning to nothingness.

At the same time, the [Stigmata] that has always been by his side and enabled him to get to where he is today is undergoing drastic changes.

All my past experiences flashed through my Sea of consciousness like an oil painting that never fades.

Su Qing'an once wondered why the essence of [Stigmata] is a combination of soul matter and personal experience.

But now, everything has an answer.

The selves in parallel worlds are consolidated into one.

This is not just about erasing these "self" extensions of the rules, but also about plundering all traces and data belonging to the concept of Su Qing'an within the world record mechanism.

And what happens after the looting?

Must these things left behind simply vanish into thin air?

Even if it seems unimportant, he will still regret it in the future.

Humans can still remember and perceive warmth, and if they reach another dimension and still possess emotions, perhaps those genuine traces of themselves will take on a unique and special meaning.

This in itself is a counterargument.

If one hasn't reached the Realm of the Great Void, and hasn't taken the final step of soul manifestation, then this is likely the only way.

But now the [Stigmata] is undergoing a leap and transformation, and has escaped its semi-dead state.

The temperature etched into consciousness is more vivid and intense than ever before; it is transforming into a unique recording mechanism and mysterious organ, preserving and imprinting all that has been plundered.

The brilliance and gloom in the boy's eyes dissipated. He sensed the [Stigmata] permeating his soul and body, its textures and strokes flowing through him. A heartfelt warmth and satisfaction welled up from the depths of his [Thoughts], and he whispered:

"... Finally, it's almost over."

The journey I have experienced in this life.

The weariness accumulated in this lifetime.

The responsibility we bear this time.

Once the soul has been fully and completely materialized, the gate to the Sea of consciousness will open on its own.

The phenomenon of dimensional ascension in the Ascended State, and the phenomenon of dimensional ascension in genetic modification.

These two forces, in a spiraling, intertwined manner, will propel the young man to an unprecedented peak, but will also plunge him into an inescapable hell from which even the gods would find it difficult to restrain him.

Outside world.

The [Divine Kingdom] has been reduced to a small area of only one kilometer.

The Honkai Beast corpses that could be retrieved from the outside world have been exhausted, and no one knows what form this being, nurtured by reserves accumulated by the entire world over several years, will take.

The matter that was originally enveloped within it was completely devoured by Chi You's Gene Ability.

From the outside, all that can be seen is a sphere floating above the hollow continent.

The Seawater of the Atlantic Ocean surges forth from it, forming a tranquil, deep blue lake.

Judging from its size, it would be more accurate to regard it as a river. However, the angle and axis of the [Divine Kingdom] cutting the world are a perfect semicircle, making this new landscape, comparable to Lake Baikal, replace the original lavender homeland. It erases all the sad traces of war and corpses, as if it were a new life.

If you look into the distance, you can see that the interior of that huge sphere is like a reflection of countless broken mirrors. Occasionally, the reflection of a lake's water will appear inside, but more often, delicate and beautiful arcs of light will cover the reflected picture.

If the original [Divine Kingdom] was like a vessel that nurtured evil gods.

At this moment, the giant sphere, where clouds as large as whales often appear, picturesque scenery intertwines, and the sunset glow dances with the twilight, is striving towards the universal meaning of these two words.

But the existence conceived within it can still only be described as indescribable.

In satellite images, the sphere is contracting again at a rate of 100 meters per second, then stops for a moment and expands strangely, before compressing into a more refined shape at an even faster speed.

It resembled the pulsating motion of a giant heart beating its blood, yet it was even more bizarre and exaggerated.

In the end, the originally enormous [Divine Kingdom] condensed into a strange substance the size of a gemstone in just a few breaths.

It presents an irregular shape yet possesses a natural beauty; the colorful patterns within the translucent material resemble a starry sea.

The [Divine Kingdom] hovered in the center of the lake, creating ripples.

A sword blade, exquisitely crafted like a work of art, appeared naturally in the next breath and then slowly descended into the depths of the lake.

Immediately, the power of [creation] was revealed.

Under the powerful control of a soul, the boy reappears in the world in human form.

[The Divine Kingdom] merged into this ever-fragile body in that fleeting moment.

Su Qing'an gazed at the vast, seemingly endless lake nearby, grasped the Black Abyss White Flower that had gracefully swam to her side from beneath the water's surface like a dragon, its Honkai Energy particles and soul matter intertwined to form a shape, and her expression remained serene.

The boy let his white shirt and black suit trousers cover his bare skin. He sensed the feeling of countless parallel worlds converging into one place, and the door in his Sea of consciousness slowly opening on its own. His pupils shimmered with an uncertain, colorful light.

I am still human.

Although this is only the most basic and outermost appearance, in reality, apart from the fact that his body has been completely reset to zero in terms of genetic fusion with Chi You, it is no different from before.

To be precise, Su Qing'an is not complete at this moment.

The initial foundation for genetic sublimation has been laid, and this [Divine Kingdom] integrated into the heart is the final result.

[Divine Kingdom] is merely an outer shell created after the Gene Ability went berserk. The true crystallization is the fruit of complete and directional sublimation, with its body as a furnace, Brahma, Mahakala, Maheshvara as a triangular framework, and Chiyou Gene as the central complete framework.

Without the manifestation of the other soul, or even the imminent advancement into the Ascended State as a form of suppression.

Su Qing'an will undoubtedly become an indescribable monster, but taking advantage of the gap in the barely balanced situation, he can still use the power of the Black Abyss White Flower to find a loophole and receive the final results of the genetic modification in his own way.

The boy muttered to himself:

"I can barely suppress it for a while; I must take advantage of this phase to enter the awakening period."

The massive amount of Honkai Beast corpses gifted by the Moth to Fire allowed the framework to take perfect shape, but this was only equivalent to cultivating an embryo with Planetary-class genes.

In short, this is somewhat like the stage where he has just entered a fusion state with Chiyou Gene and needs time to integrate. However, the difference is that he still needs to use more Honkai Beast corpses to help it grow.

However, if one wishes to reach the final stage perfectly while maintaining human form, then one cannot utilize even a fraction of the [Divine Kingdom's ] power beforehand.

His current situation is the result of compromises and entanglements among many factors, like a extinguished sun being placed in a glass bottle.

Seemingly frail yet extremely powerful, this subtle feeling is unsettling.

It must be filled with sufficient resources.

Can...

The gates to the Sea of consciousness were fully opened.

In an instant, the soul and [thought] are sublimated to the ethereal Manas consciousness.

The boy looked up at Australia in the distance, his pupils reflecting a dazzling array of colors, like the Milky Way and a sea of stars overlapping, ultimately returning to a deathly stillness and ultimate harmony.

Harmony between humanity and nature, and interaction with all things.

This is the Ascended State.