The Past of [Ashes], the Taixu Sect That Towered Over the World

Raiden Mei remained silent for a long time before she could process this fact.

One reason is that a crisis even more terrifying than the Finality occurred before the Finality of the previous era. Although it has a direct Karma relationship with the Honkai itself, it is essentially a calamity caused by the collective consciousness of humanity.

Secondly, it is simply unbelievable that such a superior being, which has far surpassed the technological standards and human limits of that time, could be hindered by [[Ashes]] alone, and even forced into a deep sleep.

Even at such a heavy price as to sacrifice one's soul and life, it was enough to prove that the opponent's strength was at the top level in that era.

Even, it exists independently of another social class, including Kevin's.

After all, according to Elysia, the Fusion Warrior present at that time could not even sense the arrival of Fuxi, and could only belatedly see the appearance of the original powerful enemy's core dust.

If we consider the swift death of the Herrscher of Binding, it's almost certain that [[Ashes]] intervened at the very moment Fuxi was about to make his move.

In short...

How exactly can one keep up with Fuxi's movements, who possesses an independent spacetime axis?

The most direct and acceptable answer is that [[Ashes]] also has its own independent spacetime axis.

That's why he was able to react and take action in such a short time, allowing Elysia, Hua, Kevin, and others present to survive and usher in the era of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers.

This level of character can be summarized by Elysia's previous description of Fuxi.

--That was like a god, existing in another dimension.

And it is clear that even Kevin Kaslana, 55,000 years later, has not reached this level.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so insistent on using the Stigmata Project to evade the Honkai's selection process; he could have simply waited until the Finality appeared and smashed it to pieces.

Raiden Mei understood that the power of [[Ashes]] must have some unique and unrepeatable aspect.

Perhaps, just as Elysia commented on Fuxi, the existence of [[Ashes]] is a miracle of that magnitude.

However, there is still too much history buried under dust, making many details unclear, and even now, the reason why Hua was not allowed to take him to see [[Ashes]] has not been stated.

Raiden Mei was curious about this question, but she chose to focus on the thought that resonated with her first and asked softly:

"So... that's why you call him [[Ashes]]."

"So the reason is because of the price he paid in that battle, right?"

Elysia was silent for a moment, then replied:

"Yes, that person didn't leave any remains. I heard that the team that arrived at World Bubble later found that the traces of their soul had also dissipated."

"According to Dr. Mei, there exists a scale deep within [[Ashes]]'s soul. If he so desires, he can use memories, emotions, the past, and everything else of a spiritual nature as bargaining chips to exchange for power of relative equivalent value according to this rule."

"We don't know exactly how many times he used this scale to gain power, but it's clear that on the last occasion he had no choice but to gamble everything."

"And the result was the removal of that Divine Key that had been abandoned in the main city of Australia before the war—that abyss that housed half the power of the Herrscher of Death."

"That person left nothing behind."

Raiden Mei finally understood the meaning of the [[Ashes]] mark. That person died in that era in the most decisive way, not only leaving no remains, but also, due to the special nature of the other party's ability, even the legendary and ethereal concept of reincarnation could not be established.

Judging from historical records, this event was not widely known. Perhaps the people at that time had lost the mental capacity to bear the thought of having escaped a calamity after being repeatedly attacked by the Herrscher.

Therefore, the Moth to Fire had to determine that it was more appropriate for the matter to be in a state of stagnation at the time.

This means that, apart from those directly involved and those associated with [[Ashes]], very few people know about it.

This may be the reason why the Flame-Chasers of the Sea of Quanta all harbored strange feelings for that person.

Even though these Flame-Chasers might be like Elysia, so unfamiliar with [[Ashes]] that they had never even exchanged a single word, they were all saved by it at this cost.

Thus, the existence of these thirteen Flame-Chasers serves as the epitaph for [[Ashes]].

Even though it remains unknown, its memory still exists within this Sea of Quanta.

This action has already proven that if the Moth to Fire were to ultimately defeat the Honkai, information about [[Ashes]] would be unlocked and revealed in that peaceful and prosperous era, allowing the world to lament and remember it.

Even if they ultimately fail, those who come after them will inadvertently discover this buried history.

Over the past six months, Raiden Mei has felt the significance of this facility more than once, yet she still feels particularly moved today.

Elysia also seemed to be talking about sex. The past of [[Ashes]] was quite sensitive for her. She had never been interested in reminiscing about this past with other Flame-Chasers before, but she had no qualms about explaining it to Mei, who needed this information.

The girl recalled the scene and couldn't help but sigh:

"For us at the time, everything happened too fast. It was a battle built on another dimension and level, completely separated from the spacetime axis of our Proper World."

"The Fusion Warrior present at that time, including myself, were all transferred by [[Ashes]] to the site of Ark Project. It seems that even he wasn't entirely certain whether he could put Fuxi into a state of dormancy."

"If [[Ashes]] hadn't been in communication with Dr. Mei, to everyone in that world, his death would have simply been a Polar day, gentler than the sun, occurring shortly after the death of the Herrscher of Binding. Nothing else would have happened."

Elysia's expression revealed a complex mix of emotions and nostalgia, an expression that seemed unlike anything one would expect to see on a person.

But Raiden Mei quickly realized that this was just her own prejudice. Perhaps, as the other person herself said, she simply loved everything in the world more than others and had a greater sense of curiosity.

However, this does not mean that she would be unmoved or unsadulterated by the loss of her comrades. Perhaps in this respect, she is simply better at concealing her emotions than the average person, but otherwise, she is not much different.

As soon as Elysia thought of this, she recalled the scene from that time.

In truth, the existence of Fuxi was like a bizarre and fantastical dream to the Flame-Chasers.

If it weren't for the core of the Herrscher of Binding shattering into countless pieces; if it weren't for the few breaths Fuxi and Su Qing'an exchanged in the pouring rain, and that person's gentle gaze sweeping over all the warriors; if it weren't for the sudden, spatial-spatial-like arrival in another realm...

At that time, she would only think that she was hallucinating.

That Polar day felt more like the end of a dream.

Only later did the girl realize that it was the embers of the other person's soul evaporating before death.

That's why that scene was so grand and magnificent.

Because this Polar day has now replaced the non-existent remains and souls, serving as the final trace.

She said:

In short, [[Ashes]] is dead.

"Three months later, the Moth to Fire found Hua unconscious at home for an entire day. When she Awakened, she had completely lost all memories of [[Ashes]]."

"Even when I showed Hua the videos I had recorded before, she couldn't see anything. The videos clearly showed the two of them having sweet dates and sharing their past, but all she seemed to see was a gray fog."

"The Moth to Fire conducted a thorough physical examination on her, and the final conclusion was quite subtle. Theoretically, Hua hadn't had time to pay the price for using Udu-dust, but in reality, her soul suffered a perfectly timed injury, so coincidentally that she completely forgot everything about [[Ashes]]."

"Moreover, every time [[Ashes]]'s real name is mentioned, it's like flipping a forbidden switch for Hua. She will try almost frantically to recall the blanks of the past and resist that inexplicable confinement and cage."

Elysia said softly:

"She was such a calm and composed girl. Everyone thought she would continue to get used to loss, like all warriors who become numb in despair."

"But she was stubborn and mad like a demon from hell, a demon who had forgotten why she was sad."

"In the end, the Moth to Fire had to use a special Pseudo-Herrscher Core to create the [Sin Lotus] connected to Udu-dust, which in turn completely sealed off our previous attempts to make her recall the [[Ashes]], thus completely sealing off all related information."

She looked at the girl in front of her, who seemed like a ghost or a god:

"So Mei, none of the Flame-Chasers here will tell you the name [[Ashes]]."

Raiden Mei thought for a moment and said:

"I remember someone once said that there was nothing we couldn't talk about."

Upon hearing this, Elysia feigned a sigh, then smiled and said:

"There's nothing we can do about it, isn't there? Of course, if it's my business, Mei can know whatever she wants."

She said meaningfully:

"And this is not only to protect Hua, but also... to protect yourself."

Raiden Mei asked:

"It sounds like Hua would be in danger if he heard [[Ashes]]'s real name."

Elysia remained noncommittal and said:

"Don't let Hua's Flame-Chasers appearance fool you; she's quite formidable, especially when she's wielding that incredibly beautiful sword."

"After all, she's mastered the [[Ashes]] technique thoroughly."

Raiden Mei was already used to this clever way of changing the subject, and she asked:

"Is it the Void Sword Qi?"

Elysia winked at her and smiled, saying:

"Yes, Hua had already reached the highest level of skill at that time."

She paused, then said softly:

"And Mei, didn't you notice a detail? The Hua Ke left here is a memory, a memory she left in the Sea of Quanta before she forgot [[Ashes]]."

"But... even the Hua people here have all forgotten [[Ashes]]."

"This led many at the time to suspect that the price [[Ashes]] paid for that balance might be far more extreme than we imagined, so extreme that it would affect the outside world most closely associated with it."

Pink Fairy Lady stopped recounting her horror story and instead said with a beaming smile:

"Of course, no one can confirm whether this matter is related to [[Ashes]]. In fact, I personally think the possibility is quite small. After all, three months have passed since he left. If it were a consequence, it would be more reasonable to strip him of this memory from the beginning, right?"

"But people always like to link incomprehensible realities to incomprehensible places, so they can accept them with a clear conscience. After all, everyone feels that if it involves [[Ashes]] that can confront Fuxi directly, it wouldn't be surprising if something outrageous happened."

"Back then, Mobius was so curious about this that she racked her brains trying to figure it out. I remember she was troubled by it for quite a while, and she even stopped doing the despicable thing of posting fake missions to lure ignorant teenagers into participating in experiments."

Raiden Mei was speechless for a moment, only realizing that Mobius must have been genuinely troubled and concerned at that time.

However, it makes sense to imagine that a scientist as obsessive and mad as her would not simply ignore the memory stored in her technology after a while, as an ordinary person would. She would probably adjust the relevant data again and again, checking for any anomalies throughout the entire process.

But judging from Elysia's somewhat gloating tone, it was obvious that the final result would be nothing.

She changed the subject, speaking in a rather gossipy tone:

"Actually, if Mobius were to conduct an interactive experiment between Hua and that memory, he would roughly understand some of the root causes."

"But, Mei."

"Mobius didn't do that in the end. She was very interested in Hua's physique before and kept trying to trick her into doing experiments with a high mortality rate, but after [[Ashes]] died, she was unwilling to even do experiments that slightly touched on the other person's psychological trauma."

She eagerly leaned close to the young woman and whispered intimately in her ear:

"Such a stark contrast makes one wonder what their relationship was like before. Aren't you curious?"

Raiden Mei felt the warmth of the breath on her earlobe and subconsciously pursed her lips. She quietly took a few steps back, clearly uncomfortable with the other person's occasional, natural intimacy and closeness. She immediately retorted, somewhat annoyed:

"Elysia, if you want me to go to Mobius and ask about her and [[Ashes]]'s gossip, just say so."

"Although my motivation differs from yours, which stems from curiosity, I also believe it's necessary to learn about [[Ashes]] from the other Flame-Chasers."

Elysia blinked and smiled, saying:

"Really? I thought Mei would go find Klein and prepare to meet [[Ashes]] directly. After all, your previous state didn't seem like you had time to learn about these old stories."

Raiden Mei said without changing her expression:

"Just as you initially told me, the Sea of Quanta presents a different side to each visitor, and now it is about to reveal a more complete picture to me, and I will not hesitate to spend just a few days there."

"Besides, Elysia, have any of the previous visitors seen [[Ashes]]?"

Elysia pondered the question but fell into a strange state of confusion. Suppressing this unease, she smiled and gave a vague answer:

"In reality, even if a visitor did see it, as long as he didn't reveal his experience, the Flame-Chasers wouldn't even know about it, would they?"

"But I think of all the visitors, you are probably the one who knows this past best, Mei."

"After all, everyone is very understanding of Hua. Regarding [[Ashes]], unless it's absolutely necessary, visitors might not even know of his existence from beginning to end."

"Even I, if it weren't for helping you get out, would probably have kept this a secret."

Raiden Mei said softly:

"That's it. Since it's a rare opportunity, it would be a waste not to seize it."

Furthermore, she was very interested in the past of Hua, an acquaintance from the outside world, especially... [[Ashes]], who had this connection with him.

Elysia was somewhat pleased; the corners of her eyes turned up slightly as she smiled and said:

"So, Mei, you've agreed to share these little secrets that we might hear later?"

Raiden Mei unconsciously took a step back and replied:

"If I could find out."

Pink Fairy Lady cheered with joy:

"Really? I knew Mei was the best!"

Raiden Mei, accustomed to ignoring this, said:

"In any case, I'll ask the other Flame-Chasers about their understanding of [[Ashes]]."

"But according to you, he was a rather withdrawn person who didn't like to communicate with others. Even you weren't very familiar with him, and Hua, who was most familiar with him, has lost all related memories."

"So, to avoid wasting unnecessary time, I'd like to ask among the other Flame-Chasers, who do you feel has a slightly closer relationship with [[Ashes]], or who knows more about him?"

Elysia thought for a moment, realizing it was indeed a difficult question to answer. After much deliberation, she said with difficulty:

"Hmm~ Kevin definitely knows a lot more than I do. I remember he always called [[Ashes]] 'teacher,' as if he had been taught something by him a long time ago. So, among the Flame-Chasers, his relationship with [[Ashes]] is probably the best, apart from Hua."

"Secondly, it should be Sakura. She was also among the first group to become Fusion Warrior, and she participated in the war against the Ninth Herrscher alongside [[Ashes]] and Kevin. I remember that she had a fairly good relationship with her; at least [[Ashes]] didn't deliberately hide his presence when he was around Sakura."

She was immediately annoyed:

"But why do Sakura and [[Ashes]] get along so well? I'm a little upset. We're both beautiful pink-haired girls, so why are we being treated differently? Is it because Sakura has fox ears?"

Elysia continued speaking to herself:

"But maybe [[Ashes]] is a shy little boy, so it's understandable that he's too embarrassed to talk to me."

This topic, which left Mei somewhat speechless, didn't last long.

Pink Fairy Lady, back to the main topic:

"As for other things, I think Eden and Hua have a good relationship, but she has had very little contact with [[Ashes]]. She probably hasn't had any direct contact with [[Ashes]] either, just like me. You can try asking her, but don't get your hopes up too high."

"And then there's Mobius, right? I remember the High Command put Mobius on trial and punished, but the matter was quickly dropped. This seems to be related to why [[Ashes]] is so strong, but I'm not entirely sure about the specifics."

"Oh right, and SU too. He's always been very mysterious, and the Divine Key he uses is quite special. He might know a lot about the other person."

Raiden Mei counted and found that there were basically only five Flame-Chasers who could be associated with [[Ashes]].

Apart from one ice person and one hermaphrodite, everyone else inside is easy to talk to, so communication shouldn't be too difficult.

But ironically, the two people who know the most are the most difficult to get their mouths open, Flame-Chasers.

Kevin is alright; as long as he can withstand the double attack of the other party's indifference and silence, he can still get some information.

After careful consideration, the most troublesome person was indeed Doctor Mobius.

After all... Raiden Mei had just recently faced the crisis of almost having her body taken over by the other party, so the thought of communicating with them now naturally gave her a headache.

She sighed:

"I'll talk to Eden, Sakura, and SU first. As for the other two... I'm just glad that [[Ashes]] and Chrono-Chaos aren't very close."

Otherwise, Raiden Mei will face an epic level of puzzle-solving difficulty.

She then bid farewell to Elysia and traveled to the rest of the Sea of Quanta.

Even if you have a clear idea of who to ask, finding the right Flame-Chasers to ask is still an extremely troublesome task.

The Sea of Quanta is a world of memories, buried beneath the World Serpent, like an ancient building that has existed since the beginning of time, so vast that it's hard to believe such a spacious underground area exists.

Having been imprisoned here until now, she even suspects that this place was never the underground space of the World Serpent in the first place, but a miniature world floating in the World Bubble. As for the passageway, it is just an entrance to the World Bubble; otherwise, it would be difficult to explain why she would be trapped here.

In short, let's leave aside these uncertainties for now.

These Flame-Chasers, essentially entities of memory, possess an extremely high degree of freedom here. They wander through their own corridors of memory and nameless crevices, occasionally coming to sit in this golden palace, like travelers docked in a harbor.

Of course, most of the time, this place is empty.

Aside from Elysia, who seemed to be her initial guide, she rarely saw any other Flame-Chasers here.

Therefore, no matter how Flame-Chasers's personality is, finding the other person is not an easy task.

For example, Qian Jie, who enjoys Chrono-Chaos battles deep in his memories, almost always appears only on endless battlefields. Even if you find him, it will likely only start an extremely troublesome war, as he has no standing to engage in dialogue.

In every sense, the Sea of Quanta is a place where people with distinct personalities gather in large groups.

Among them, Sakura, Eden, and SU happened to be the most easy to talk to, which gave Raiden Mei a little confidence in this exploration.

And if Hua, who is the most talkative and not a riddle-maker, has related memories, he might have already seen [[Ashes]] under the other party's guidance.

Raiden Mei suppressed this delusion and sighed inwardly.

Finding someone in a space filled with memories is as troublesome as searching for a needle in a haystack when trying to find the imprint of [[Floating Life]] through the portal of memories.

Moreover, the [[Floating Life]] imprint will at least not hide from me, so obtaining this imprint is purely a matter of probability.

But the situation is uncertain for the other Flame-Chasers. Even if they were to find them, whether they could obtain any relevant information would be a challenge.

The girl didn't intend to waste too much time on this. After spending half a year in the Sea of Quanta, she had developed a perfectionist mindset and a curiosity about the past. Her anxiety and unease were growing stronger.

Raiden Mei is now like a hunter walking across a wasteland, making her final preparations to leave this lifeless land.

But all this preparation time was ultimately for the sake of leaving this wasteland more smoothly.

Raiden Mei wandered around the desolate and empty Golden Courtyard. After failing to find anyone, she went to the huge device below the center of the dome. Instead of resting, she walked straight into the door.

She believed that within the world woven together by the memories of those thirteen Flame-Chasers, there must be the answer she was looking for.

Unbeknownst to Raiden Mei, while she remained trapped in the Sea of Quanta, the world she knew had been completely destroyed.

Or, to put it another way, it would be more appropriate.

--Her existence, and even the Sea of Quanta itself, are what this world would mark as an abnormal outsider.

At this very moment, another being, who could also be called an outsider, is standing in a bizarre and bewildering city, lost in profound confusion.

Canghai City, Xiacheng District.

The Honkai Energy index here is so low that people with poor manners will turn into black ash after just one month without serum injections. For the people of the lower city who are unwilling to become Zombie, perhaps participating in the new type of prosthetic limb transplant in the laboratory to survive is more cost-effective.

If one wants to survive in this city even to the bare minimum, even if one can tolerate the smell of oil mixed with the stinking sewers in the monthly nutrient solution rations, one must regularly participate in trips to the breeding farm to dig up the required amount of subcutaneous crystals, otherwise one will face severe sanctions under the unified laws of the world.

The city's magnificent neon lights illuminated the overcast and rainy sky like Celestial Phenomenon falling from the sky, and countless virtual billboards were piled up on skyscrapers and in every corner of the streets and alleys, flashing endlessly day and night.

A colossal holographic projection stands between heaven and earth, resembling a magnificent bridge that flickers intermittently.

The beauty of the upper town is too distant for the people of the lower town, like a luxurious and hazy dream. Only by taking cheap drugs can they understand the true meaning of the emotion called pleasure in their temporarily banished and empty bodies.

The place is littered with garbage, debris, and waste. The passageways are always narrow and cramped. Various businesses monopolized by the government fill the streets, and every building is covered with crowded signs. The noisy and decadent light pollution at night is released to the extreme, as if it is replacing the hope in people's hearts and continuing to squander the energy extracted and transformed from the Honkai Reactor.

Whether in the upper or lower city, one can glimpse the mechanical bionic creations resembling the mythical Kunpeng, roaming the world, silently dominating any Celestial Phenomenon, whether harsh or clear, occasionally emitting hollow sounds that roar across the heavens and earth.

That was one of the palaces of the Taixu Sect.

The one from Canghai City is Kunpeng, while the one from Tianqiong City is Zhujiu Yin.

Each major city in Shenzhou, and even the rest of the cities, has its own unique Taixu Sect Palace. These palaces symbolize the majesty of the power that has held world sovereignty and the throne for hundreds of years, and also possess the armed strength to suppress any resistance at any time.

Each palace in those main cities houses a Soul Steel Doll powerful enough to rival Judgment-class. They were once the most outstanding disciples of the Taixu Sect, each shining brightly in their time. After their lives ended, they were reborn as weapons of war, only knowing how to kill, and now lie dormant in the palaces, like an ageless statue.

This is perfectly normal within the Taixu Sect.

The enormous Dragon Court, named [Fellow Daoist], floats on the surface of space, linked to several expensive satellites. Together with the massive Black Tower connecting all the cities in the world, it searches for all those qualified to be favored by the Taixu Sect. Almost as early as when these natural-born Stigmata holders are still infants, they are brought to their respective strongholds to receive the most comprehensive elite education.

Therefore, there is no force in this world that can be its enemy.

In the distant past, there may have been forces of resistance, but at least now these forces have completely disappeared.

But today, this Black Tower, standing in the center of the city and seemingly reaching to the heavens, has undergone an unexpected change. Its obsidian-like base gradually transforms into a gradient crystal, spreading a beautiful glow. Finally, this massive facility, which has stood for hundreds of years, connects to a palace called Kunpeng, transmitting several different coordinates.

One of them is located in the Xiacheng District of Canghai City.

"This... is not Saint Fontaine."

The girl put away her longbow, frowning as she ignored the cameras constantly turning towards her and the damaged constructs on the ground. Her gray eyes gazed into the distance at the ocean-like neon lights emerging from the darkness, adding a touch of melancholy to her expression.

Bronya barely hesitated before taking a step away from where she stood.

After more than a decade of fighting against Honkai, she is now more cautious and decisive than her initial, naive self.

Regardless of what kind of place this is, my intuition tells me that it's best to leave first.