The original plan was to raise everyone's realm to the pinnacle of Void Refinement Realm. With the Nine Lives Burning Samsara Art, they could temporarily step into the Dao Integration Realm in the worst case scenario. Its cost would be their 'future'. Their breakthrough would become harder, so as to speak.
For those with ultimate-grade spirit roots, it is 'simpler'. All they have to do is to consume the essence of their spirit root. They would lose the breakthrough effect of the spirit root (i.e., granting them direct access to their unique Dao), though everything else will remain unchanged. It was lighter compared to a direct increase in breakthrough difficulty—its randomness made it unpredictable.
Fortunately, the accumulation of resources gave them another option through an auxiliary technique, Causal Transfer Art. So long as they have a Dao Artifact that matches their Dao, they could pass on the forbidden technique's cost. They would no longer have to suffer increased breakthrough difficulty or lose the essence of their spirit root.
Everyone already has a capability to clash head-on with the Aeons. The biggest concern that remained was the intervention of those Aeons who surpassed the 'average' Aeon. They remained wary towards these entities. After all, the Imaginary Tree's realm is at the pseudo-Tribulation Transcendence Realm. No matter how incomplete, it was something they could never fight right now.
"Okay."
Seele was the first to express her approval.
"I'm in too."
Veliona was the next to agree.
It wasn't long before all nine who came inside Mars agreed to it. The only one who couldn't speak was Leylah who remained unconscious in Shi Tian's arms. He felt guilty forcing everyone else to risk their lives outside, but he also knew that everyone was waiting for a time like this to arrive. No matter how well they concealed it, he saw through their desire to step up. It was more evident now, perhaps caused by the Mars ordeal.
"Everyone should recover first. We will decide the deployments later…"
*****
The twelve Void Refinement Realm Star Lords experienced a massive increase in their power. It was something that wasn't hidden. Learning a Venerated Dao is enough to face a Dao Integration Realm level of attack once. Having it and not having it is a big difference.
"It is about time to settle who is the senior between us, old timer."
Senti met Fu Hua's flat stare, prompting her arrogant looks to collapse. She knew what the latter wanted to say—that it is better to set aside trivialities like this now that they are facing a major event.
Moreover, something within Senti prevented her from losing face. She didn't want to be embarrassed right after she agreed to Shi Tian's plan.
"Alright, alright! Let's do it next time."
Surprise appeared in Fu Hua's eyes as she watched Senti disappear to their Cave Heaven.
"...She shouldn't lock me out again."
She learned her lesson back when Senti locked the door on her. Fu Hua asked Bronya to create another formation key. If Senti repeated it, she would simply teach her a lesson.
Her mind flashed back to the subtle abnormality Senti had while they were talking.
'She wasn't like that before. What did she face inside Mars?'
Her heart felt heavy at the thought of it. Senti's carefree and unburdened self was the exact opposite as Fu Hua's. Now that she experienced growth from the Mars incident, Fu Hua found herself filled with doubts once again.
'Did I make the right decision?'
Her doubts turned into the sharpest questions that pierced her heart. Fu Hua chose to stay in the past while Senti looked eagerly at the present. Her life went still after her death at the hands of her disciples. She could not find a reason to look at the future, more so with the Honkai's defeat.
The majority of Fu Hua's life was dedicated to fighting the Honkai. That was how it was when HIMEKO rescued her from Sapphire City. That was how it was when she became a Flamechaser. Things remained the same even after the Herrscher of the End's defeat in Kevin's hands. Fu Hua was the first to wake up, yet she was dead last in terms of seeking a resolution.
Kevin died knowing the future would be stable in the hands of Shi Tian and Kiana.
Su betted everything on Shi Tian, and when his soul was taken away from the solar system, he knew humanity is in good hands.
Only Fu Hua lacked a resolution. Living in the past is fine in itself. She could not fit in with the present. That was fine too. What wasn't fine was how she allowed her past burdens to remain bottled up inside. She could not let go of her doubts—of her mistakes.
It wasn't just a simple matter of resurrecting those she lost from the Honkai. Fu Hua questioned the very nature of her actions. Her burdens stemmed from her actions, not their consequences.
'When did I make the right choice?'
She thought long and hard… until she found nothing.
She didn't make a single right choice.
In Fu Hua's eyes, she was an utter failure. She couldn't save her best friend, Carole. She couldn't do anything when HIMEKO turned into a Herrscher; she couldn't share her burdens prior to its occurrence. She wasn't able to leave a strong mark in Fire MOTH unlike the others.
Fu Hua's prized work, the Blade Mantra, ended up accelerating the advent of the Honkai in the Current Era. As if it wasn't enough, she ended up dying at the hands of her disciples. Having been eroded by the Discipline engraved unto her mind, she turned into a cold-blooded killer of the Honkai. She failed the expectations of her friends, Fuxi and Nuwa.
When Otto Apocalypse came, Fu Hua aided and abetted in committing sickening crimes by turning a blind eye to it. She did not say anything when Otto killed the strongest Valkyries of Schicksal… and it happened twice!
Discounting everything, all that was left was a person who lacked initiative. She lost trust in herself, and in turn, to her choices. How could someone who lost trust in their choices have the capacity to make the right one?
Hum-!
The desperate cry of a sword resounded in the void. A loud screech soon followed. An invisible entity condensed from her most painful wounds emerged to reality. Unlike Leylah's, it did not seek to destroy her outright.
'Let me.'
She gave Fu Hua temptation. Her whispers drifted to Fu Hua's ears.
'I will show what you should have done.'
Only silence ensued after that. Fu Hua closed her eyes. When her eyelids were lifted, her temperament underwent a 180-degree change.
'That is right. Just sleep. Leave everything to me…'
Unbeknownst to everyone, the Immortal Jingwei of Shenzhou triggered a Heart Demon!
*****
A/N: It'll be very different from the Mars arc that had just been concluded.