Queen Mei's words made me recall some memories tied to Honkai Impact 3rd's Part Two. I didn't have much interest in it back then. All I knew was that the Dreamseeker, the "protagonist" of Part Two, is another part of Leylah. The relationship of the two is similar to Sa and Vita.
Senadina is Leylah's mother figure. She is the one who brought her up, someone who taught her a lot of things. In my eyes, she would go crazy the moment she heard about any potential resurrection. Even though the Otto incident occurred, we chose to keep her in this loop.
I thought that was enough. Cultivating to the pinnacle of Void Refinement Realm is all it takes to attempt resurrection. Leylah's breakdown is completely unexpected. I looked at the empty swing, unable to make out her thoughts.
Soon, we landed on the clean surface of the cliff. Not a trace of force leaked out of our feet.
…
Tick.
My vision changed. The sky filled with faint-red mist disappeared. The skies returned to the familiar sky-blue. The breeze of air carried a hint of freshness, as evident from the greeneries planted beneath the cliff. I looked around and found Queen Mei and Senti had disappeared.
What caught my eyes was the red-haired woman standing beside the swing. Her long, red hair flowed smoothly to her waist. Her pure white dress hugged her body tightly, but not without exposing her slender waist. Her shoulders are draped with white cloth. Her dress reminded me of Kiana's Finality battlesuit.
Be not fooled by her appearance, however.
She does not belong to this time.
"It is our first time meeting each other, Miss Senadina."
"H..? You are…"
"Shi Tian. You may call me that."
Her startled look got replaced with confusion.
"You must be wondering how I arrived in this place, but I shall ask it back to you."
Her light-pink irises met mine. Their slight tremble did not escape my sight.
"How did you, a person from the past, arrive in the present?"
*****
The Dao of Time is considered as one of the most complex Daos to exist. They are above the basic, one-attributed Daos, but they are below the uniqueDaos established by talented cultivators. Leylah happened to be part of the latter group, comprehending the Dao of Unshaking Earth.
It states, no matter the circumstances, that the earth would remain supporting one's feet. It is the foundation of living and the dead. The anchor that separates the lack thereof from something. So long as it is present, the cultivator who comprehended it will never cease.
'...A person from the present.'
Senadina knew full well of her identity. She was a phantom that Senadina left during the unsuccessful embrace with the Cocoon. Leylah's heart demon caused her to affect everything within her surroundings. She, who remained dormant for a long time, was woken up.
"It all stemmed from her will to see me again."
"I understand."
Shi Tian saw through the plight hidden in her pink eyes.
"What should I do to reach her?" He asked.
Senadina couldn't respond. Her brain failed to follow his response. She expected skepticism and wariness, yet she received none of them.
"...I will guide you."
He nodded before asking another question:
"What about my companions?"
"Companions? I only saw you…"
One look was all it took to know she wasn't lying. Only the external projection of the mind was limited by the Sea of Data's corruptive nature. His Void Refinement Realm cultivation is still within him. Shi Tian could tell whether someone is lying with a look, going as far as to read their thoughts.
'It's all true.'
He stopped intruding upon Senadina's mind after confirming her words.
'Where did the other two go?'
Shi Tian set aside his worries. He was confident with their strength. Their eighth-level Tao Heart meant they could unleash the power of a Dao Integration Realm for a moment.
He followed Senadina down the cliff. A long, stone staircase led to the path below. It was something that couldn't have been done by mere mortals. If they were Pathstriders, and a dragon atop that, it wasn't that difficult.
She sensed his curiosity and began telling her story.
"We left our home in pursuit of Permanence's meaning. Everyone thought it was about living forever and retaining oneself in the most perilous times."
It was a rather cliched story about a Pathstrider finding out their civilization interpreted their Aeons wrong. The people from their civilization thought that living forever was the meaning behind Permanence. Senadina and her companions, however, found a different meaning.
"To exist beyond death, with one's ideals carried by another."
"..!"
Senadina's footsteps halted. She looked back at Shi Tian and stared at his bright golden pupils. Only now did she see the wisdom hidden beneath them. The eyes are the window to one's soul, which in this case, led straight to his eighth-level Tao Heart.
Briefly, she saw the illusion of a boundless sword covering the entire universe. She blinked a second later and found it was gone.
"Are you alright? You shouldn't be facing losses right now." He paused as he asked, "Would you be fine with me holding your wrist?"
"...Yes."
Upon receiving her affirmation, he reached out for her right wrist. Senadina was quite startled as he got in close proximity. The innate charm Shi Tian emitted made him irresistible to most women. The casual yet attentive airs he possessed grew more noticeable as time passed by. His presence was simply a critical strike against women—single women, to be exact.
'Who is he to her..?'
Pushing aside her evil thoughts, Senadina genuinely got concerned for Leylah.
'If he ends up with her… a perfect match. I am sure of it!'
Her mind was soon filled with all sorts of thoughts about her future son-in-law. Shi Tian took notice of her abnormal behavior, though he attributed it to trivial thoughts. His mind did a clean sweep of her body. Shi Tian focused on her conceptual status rather than her physical appearance, avoiding any embarrassment that may arise.
"It's the same as I thought. Stepping onto Leylah's vicinity would lead to your destruction."
"..."
Senadina avoided Shi Tian's eyes. Her face sported a guilty look.
'Why… is he concerned with me?'
"I will be giving you something. Don't be too surprised."
"..?"
Faint gray mists seeped out of his fingertips. They gradually entered her body. She immediately felt the difference. Her body became more tangible than before. The Dao of Time she was infected with got reinforced by the power of All Creation.
'This…'