The shadow standing in opposition finally fell by Bai Ming's hand.
Since HooH the Equilibrium had personally intervened, Bai Ming didn't expect the chessboard to grant any rewards.
To her surprise, the board beneath her feet suddenly disintegrated, dissolving into swirling currents of blue and yellow energy that surged into her body.
Bai Ming felt a rush of power—strength directly from Equilibrium.
She instantly understood its purpose.
This was a gift specifically shared by HooH to harmonize the various Paths residing within her.
Between the overwhelming power of Elation and Permanence, the formidable strength of Propagation, Destruction, and Remembrance, and the compliant nature of Enigmata—all these conflicting Path energies were housed within a single soul.
While they didn't necessarily clash, Bai Ming usually had to wield them separately.
Even when releasing them together, she had to split her focus, managing each stream of power independently. It was a matter of keeping each in its own lane.
This was only natural; the Paths were usually distinct and incompatible.
Bai Ming's only requirement had been that they didn't tear her apart from the inside.
The power HooH bestowed was roughly on par with her level of Remembrance in terms of raw intensity, but its true value lay in its function as a mediator.
To put it simply, it acted as a lubricant between these disparate forces, allowing her to command them simultaneously in the future without taxing her concentration.
Of course, it served another purpose: keeping a clear line between Permanence and Abundance.
Equilibrium fully supported the fusion of Permanence and Propagation to permanently crush any chance of the Swarm's resurgence.
However, dragging Abundance into that mix would be a one-way dive into the abyss.
Thus, HooH granted this power as both a customary reward and a safeguard against certain "unfortunate" developments.
One had to admit, for the sake of universal balance, Equilibrium truly went to great lengths.
Bai Ming didn't mind these little designs. She had no real ambition regarding Abundance anyway.
Knowing a few tricks was fine, but truly mastering it was unnecessary; she had no desire to challenge Aeons, and it would be a bad look if the Hunt started breathing down her neck.
As she reined in her aura, Bai Ming felt the power of Equilibrium circulating within her.
It wasn't just balancing the Paths; it was actively refining her soul and the vessels she inhabited.
It connected her divine body, the form she manifested through the Authority of Trickery, and the Giant of Light linked to her soul.
Equilibrium's power threaded them all together, beginning its harmonization.
Bai Ming immediately felt her synchronization with Nexus skyrocketing. She sensed that before long, she would be able to use the giant of light as her primary host.
Her divine body was inconvenient for daily use, and a form conjured through Trickery was, ultimately, a construct of lies.
Besides, using the power of Elation as her foundation always felt a bit precarious. The Giants of Light from Noa's lineage provided a much deeper sense of security.
Feeling her connection with the giant of light tightening and the fusion deepening, Bai Ming looked back at the lingering presence of Equilibrium with a smile.
"Now then, let's talk about the agreement, HooH."
"..."
HooH remained as motionless as a stone statue, yet gave a slight nod, projecting silent approval through a mental link.
As for Aha... the Aeon of Elation had already left out of boredom before the battle even ended. Bai Ming hadn't fully committed to the Path of Elation, which left Aha disappointed.
The Joyseeker had departed full of regret, knowing exactly what would follow—and in Aha's eyes, such a development was dreadfully dull.
Bai Ming couldn't care less if Aha found it interesting. That god of chaos only cared about watching the world burn for a laugh anyway.
HooH's consciousness reached out tentatively.
The two parties began a friendly consultation regarding the day's events.
In truth, there wasn't much to "negotiate."
Equilibrium agreed to stop interfering with the metamorphosis of Long's Scions, while Bai Ming swore never to pry into Paths where an Aeon still presided, nor would she attempt to fully repair the Path of Permanence.
In exchange, Equilibrium would use its own power to help Bai Ming perfectly coordinate all the forces she commanded—not just her current ones, but any masterless Paths she might acquire in the future.
HooH didn't even mind helping her fuse them into a single, unified Path.
In the eyes of Equilibrium, Bai Ming was now at least half an ally.
If there were tasks HooH found inconvenient to handle or required assistance with, Bai Ming could step in.
Bai Ming didn't find the invitation distasteful.
Even if Equilibrium seemed like a fence-sitter constantly adjusting the scales, she looked at the chaotic state of the universe—both centuries ago and now—and realized things weren't exactly "stable."
Even the IPC only looked human compared to the more abstract players; in reality, their corporate greed was staggering.
Given how vast the cosmos was, Bai Ming figured that unless everything hit the Finality of all things simultaneously, Equilibrium was unlikely to cause trouble just for the sake of it.
After the brief but momentous consultation ended, Bai Ming took the vast power HooH had left her and departed from the void, returning to the material world.
From this moment on, the energy within her acted as a "partnership tag" from Equilibrium.
Other Aeons looking at her would realize she had reached an accord with HooH and would be less likely to try and snuff her out in her cradle out of fear of her future potential.
--+--
Before Bai Ming's return, news of two Aeons descending upon the Xianzhou Fanghu two months ago had already spread far and wide.
Most factions were simply curious as to why Equilibrium had intervened, but those close to Bai Ming were sick with worry.
For two months, General Xuanquan had been guarding the Vidyadhara within the delve who were stuck in a state of unfinished metamorphosis.
Her anxiety grew daily.
The clashes between Aeons took place far from the eyes of mortals; even a Xianzhou General couldn't catch a glimpse.
She could only endure the pressure and handle the aftermath, praying for Bai Ming's safe return.
Fortunately, the transforming kin hadn't suffered any ill side effects, or her anxiety would have turned into pure terror.
On the other side of the universe, Herta City was feeling a bit lonely compared to the Fanghu.
The divine body used for research had been taken by Bai Ming, leaving the projects at a standstill with no return date in sight.
Ruan Mei hadn't stayed long either, claiming she needed to organize her findings and prepare for the project on Permanence. Ruan Mei's departure returned Herta City to its usual silence.
However, as the mistress of Herta City, Madam Herta found that this familiar tranquility felt different than before.
"Tch, still not back?"
It was currently bedtime. Madam Herta had finished washing up with the help of her puppets and was lying in bed in a soft nightgown. She checked her phone messages.
The Herta of the past never had the habit of checking her phone before sleep, and monitoring new messages was usually left to AI Herta.
But recently, she felt the need to check personally every morning and every night.
At first, Madam Herta had only frowned, thinking Bai Ming had been gone a bit too long. But as the days bled into weeks, the mounting silence on her screen fueled a growing irritation.
Especially when she remembered that when Bai Ming appeared that day, she was still in that ridiculous chibi form. That thought alone soured Herta's mood.
This frustration had simmered for two months.
Looking at the silence on her phone today, Herta felt like reaching out with a giant hand, dragging Bai Ming back, and pinning her to the bed for a good thrashing.
"Where exactly did she go? Even a fight shouldn't be this quiet," Herta clicked her tongue sharply, the sound echoing in the empty room.
Realizing her mood was once again ruined because of Bai Ming only made her feel worse.
Herta didn't want to admit she was worried.
She had even spent half a day trying to rationalize it away, but the fact remained: her heart was tied to Bai Ming's whereabouts, and that annoyed her on every possible level.
She was annoyed that a brat who existed solely to push her buttons could make her this concerned.
She was annoyed that Bai Ming had vanished for so long without a word, leaving her wondering where she had crawled off to.
And she was most annoyed by the fact that even though Bai Ming might be facing off against Aeons, Herta—the great Herta—was powerless to even confirm her status.
Herta had tried to locate her, of course. But the universe was vast, and even when Herta searched beyond the material realm, Bai Ming remained untraceable.
She couldn't even be sure what kind of dimension Bai Ming had entered.
The only thing that confirmed she was still alive was the crude "game system" within the Originium.
Since that system was maintained by Bai Ming's power, its continued operation meant she was still out there. But knowing she was alive didn't mean Herta could rest easy.
As long as Bai Ming didn't return, there was no way to know if she was out of trouble.
And besides! To make the great Herta worry this much—if that girl didn't give a damn good explanation when she got back, she could forget about ever stepping foot inside Herta City again.
Herta rarely spent time reflecting before sleep. But lately, she found herself staring at the ceiling, wondering when Bai Ming would return and how she was going to give her a piece of her mind.
Thinking of this, she actually missed the version of Bai Ming that was still weak.
Back then, Bai Ming was a little thing she could poke and prod as she pleased.
Unfortunately, with Bai Ming's current abilities, those days of casual teasing were gone forever.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL