I Arrived At Wizard World While Cultivating Immortality Chapter 674: Fusion and Awakening

The intensity of the energy surges outside the Mirror Palace escalated dramatically. The very ground began to quake, fresh fissures webbed across the walls, and the suspended mist churned with fierce agitation.

Jie Ming shut his eyes, his senses extending beyond the Mirror Palace's confines to peer directly into the heavens. The already purple sky convulsed violently, resembling a tattered banner whipped by a tempest, with waves of disturbance racing from one horizon to the other without cease. It was evident that Austin was nearing the culmination of his efforts.

The eighth-ring Archwizard's integration with the plane's anomalous phenomena was approaching its climax. The plane's origin was undergoing a process of rending and reformation, which was nearly complete. Even the replica perceived these powerful tremors.

It ascended from its seated posture, the hem of its robe sweeping the floor without disturbing a single mote of dust. The replica’s gaze fell upon Jie Ming, who remained seated. The identical face displayed an expression of serene calmness, tinged with a subtle relief that bordered on regret.

“Give it your all,” the replica intoned softly. “Even with my accumulated experience, the Dao Integration remains a perilous undertaking. Do not be lulled into complacency by a success rate exceeding ninety percent. The texts we consulted detailed numerous instances where individuals relaxed their vigilance upon feeling secure, only to be consumed by the Dao.”

Jie Ming tilted his head upwards, a faint smile gracing the corners of his lips as he nodded. “Rest assured, I will exercise the utmost caution.”

The replica extended its right hand, its fingers slightly parted. It stood poised like a traveler bidding farewell, its hand offered in anticipation of a reciprocal grasp.

Jie Ming’s gaze fixed upon that outstretched hand, his pupils constricting almost imperceptibly. The synchronized train of thought between them allowed him to instantly comprehend the replica’s unspoken intention.

“Incredible! I never even considered…” Jie Ming paused for a fleeting moment before extending his own hand to meet the replica’s. He looked at the face so like his own, his lips curling into a smile that even he found surprisingly genuine. “I never realized I possessed such a capacity for assisting others.”

The replica remained still for a beat, then its own lips curved upwards. “Cease your jests,” the replica’s voice lighter, as if unburdened. “Were I capable of leaving this realm and exploring freely, I would undoubtedly demonstrate the true meaning of a desperate struggle for survival…”

The replica’s voice trailed off. While its smile persisted, the light in its eyes began to wane. “However, since my existence is confined to this plane,” its tone lowered, reverting to a calm, factual cadence, “undertaking such endeavors would be futile. In that case, I might as well imbue my conclusion with greater significance. Have we not always acted out of ‘selfishness’?”

Upon hearing these words, Jie Ming instinctively tightened his grip on the replica’s hand.

“Indeed,” Jie Ming affirmed, his voice quiet yet remarkably resolute. “We have consistently been ‘selfish.’”

Selfishness. Not in a negative connotation, but as an unwavering devotion to one’s personal journey. Every action Jie Ming had undertaken—his research, his dealings, his battles, his conquests—had solely been for his own benefit. For his own pursuit of knowledge, his own path to Dao Integration, his own continued existence.

Much like his interactions within this very plane: whether Eric, the Professor, or the Spirit Medium Association, they were merely fellow travelers encountered along his path, whom he aided when it proved convenient. However, should assisting them ever jeopardize his own foundation, he would depart without hesitation.

The replica mirrored this principle. It had not been persuaded by Jie Ming’s discourse on the Dao; rather, after meticulously weighing all possible outcomes, it had concluded this was the most optimal course of action.

Their hands tightened in unison. The replica voluntarily ceased all resistance. From the very core of its being, it dissolved its structural integrity, transforming into an energy matrix prepared for assimilation. Its form began to fade from the edges inward. Muscles, bones, skin… its entire physical manifestation instantly converted into energy particles, flowing through the conduit of their clasped hands into Jie Ming’s being.

A profound dark golden luminescence erupted from within Jie Ming. As his true form was fortified by this influx of “self-awareness,” it instinctively broke free from its constrained state. The Mirror Palace’s dome was effortlessly displaced like a mere sheet of paper by the force of the unleashed light, causing countless mirrors to shatter and scatter.

The circular edifice imploded spectacularly. Debris and glass shards rained outward in all directions, tracing luminescent meteor-like trajectories against the backdrop of the dark golden radiance. Jie Ming’s physical form expanded within the glow, and in a mere instant, the thousand-meter-tall, dark golden Dharma Form once again stood imposingly upon the land.

The dark golden skin emanated a gentle yet unyielding radiance beneath the somber sky of the Hollow City. It was not ostentatiously bright, yet its presence was undeniable. Soon, subtle alterations began to manifest upon the two-faced Dharma Form’s visages. At the Dharma Form’s ears, liquid light, coalesced from the dark golden radiance, flowed continuously, eventually taking the shape of a pair of earrings.

The internal configuration of the earrings was incredibly intricate, resembling two compact cores functioning without pause.

Simultaneously, the golden vertical lines adorning the brows of both visages began to glow.

Moments later, these lines bifurcated from their centers. The skin on either side unfurled like eyelids, unveiling dark golden pupils.

This transformation meant the pattern on the true body’s forehead had evolved into a living eye—a veritable third eye.

Previously, Jie Ming’s utilization of fate-related insights necessitated the concurrent operation of the Fate Subsystem and the All-Purpose Eye.

Now, this vertical pupil maintained a constant, open state, devoid of any spiritual power requirement for activation, enabling him to perceive subtle shifts at the level of fate.

He tilted his head, observing his own dark golden palm, which he then clenched into a fist before unfurling once more.

Having assimilated another aspect of himself, his mastery over his very being had reached an unprecedented level of perfection.

If Dao Integration were akin to navigating a tempestuous sea, the former Jie Ming represented a colossal vessel, impeccably equipped and expertly crewed. Now, in addition to this formidable ship, he possessed an exhaustive nautical chart.

Furthermore, this chart wasn't a pre-existing document; it was one he had meticulously crafted himself, having personally traversed the depicted routes.

The final, crucial element preceding Dao Integration had now been put in place.

Jie Ming's Dharma Form stood majestically amidst the wreckage of the amusement park. Its profound golden luminescence radiated outwards, eradicating all anomalous manifestations within a radius of several hundred miles.

Illusory figures of pedestrians dissolved like snow and ice under the brilliance, revealing the desolate, empty ground beneath.

“Indeed, this is undoubtedly the most significant boon I have received since my arrival on this plane!”

Jie Ming mused internally. He now fully grasped the reasoning behind the fated paths that had guided his journey.

The rewards reaped here far eclipsed even those from the Hollow City itself.

Knowledge pertaining to fate is truly exceptionally convenient.

The instant this thought crossed his mind, the vertical pupil on his brow underwent a sudden shift.

The pupil contracted abruptly, narrowing from a widespread state to a mere pinpoint. Remarkably, its focus was not outward, but directed towards the deepest recesses of Jie Ming’s own consciousness.

Jie Ming’s body froze instantaneously.

He suddenly recalled the admonitions found within the Great Dao Book Pavilion.

Every foundational text concerning fate and numerology commenced not with the art of deciphering heavenly secrets, but with the discipline of controlling the urge to employ such knowledge. Even the introductory manuals on fate-related studies within wizard civilization bore explicit cautionary statements.

Those who place their absolute reliance on fate will inevitably find themselves subjugated by it.

This was not a moralistic decree, but a technical certainty.

Once one becomes accustomed to allowing fate to dictate the course, the ability to chart one's own path gradually atrophies.

And the boons granted by fate invariably exact a commensurate price, sooner or later.

The select few wizards Jie Ming had encountered in the wizard world who displayed mastery over fate laws all exercised their foresight with considerable restraint.

It stood to reason that those who lacked such moderation had likely already met their demise.

“It even possesses the auxiliary capability of illuminating the mind and revealing one’s true nature? What an exceptional divine ability…”

Jie Ming drew a profound breath. The vertical pupil on his brow slowly receded, transforming back from an open eye into its previous state as a golden vertical line.

The moment the vertical pupil closed, the comforting sensation of “complete control” was supplanted by a subtly disoriented clarity.

The Dharma Form concurrently began to diminish in size.

Within the profound golden aura, Jie Ming reverted to his standard human proportions.

A golden vertical line reappeared at the center of his forehead.

As the surrounding light and shadows shifted, this vertical line gave the appearance of an eye in perpetual motion, opening and closing.

Jie Ming casually gathered nearby debris, utilizing his Alchemy Technique to fashion a wizard robe, which he then donned.

His body ascended gracefully into the air, suspended as his gaze surveyed the entirety of the Hollow City.

The disruptions in other sectors had already subsided. The residual combat energies that had pulsed throughout the city were now confined to sporadic flares. Occasionally, a burst of light would erupt at a street's end, only to swiftly vanish. It appeared the wizards had concluded their containment of secondary anomalies in their respective zones and were now converging towards the city's core.

Figures emerged from the ground one after another, ascending to hover above the Hollow City.

Each individual was accompanied by a varying number of sealed containers, either floating alongside them, held in their grasp, or positioned near their feet.

The luminescence emanating from these containers intertwined beneath the deep purple sky, creating a variegated tapestry of light and shadow.

Every gaze turned towards the city's absolute center, fixing upon the Hollow City itself.

This particular anomaly was indeed fundamentally distinct from all the others encountered.

From the city’s administrative limit to the central plaza, the anomaly’s full expanse spanned over a hundred kilometers – a city unto itself. Observing this colossal anomalous metropolis, the assembled wizards’ expressions took on a grave hue.

This presented a significant challenge…

If they opted for slow, low-output grinding, the sheer magnitude of the Hollow City and the anomaly’s inherent resistance meant it could endure for an extended period. Based on the environmental shifts noted during their earlier assault, reducing the anomalous energy with the strength of a third-ring wizard would necessitate several months for complete eradication.

However, the wizards were critically short on time. The celestial purple was noticeably fading from intense to faint. Austin's fusion process was rapidly approaching its culmination.

Once that eighth-ring Archwizard finalized their preliminary lifeform metamorphosis, the wizards would inevitably be expelled. On the other hand, if they resorted to high-tier sorcery for a forceful breakthrough, the destructive potential among the wizards was such that obliterating the entire city, along with dozens of kilometers of the underlying crust, was entirely feasible.

The complication lay in the nature of anomalies; they were, in essence, sentient, not inert matter. Confronted by overwhelming power, this vast urban anomaly would highly likely recoil instinctively to evade, leading to immense dissipation of the wizards’ broad-spectrum attacks.

Such an event would precipitate a catastrophic chain reaction in the world’s environment due to the resulting energy backlash. Their objective was the anomaly’s containment, not the world’s disintegration.

Should fortune favor them and the collateral damage remain minimal, Austin might impose a lenient penalty – a reduction in their remuneration and immediate removal. But if misfortune struck and the aftershocks from their attack disrupted Austin’s fusion, causing the eighth-ring Archwizard’s transformation to falter…

None present desired to face the repercussions of an enraged Austin.

A seventh-ring Archwizard’s voice, deep and resonant with a metallic timbre, echoed through the heavens: "Does anyone possess a viable strategy? Our window is closing."

A profound silence descended. The gathered wizards were not devoid of methods to address the situation; however, implementing sealing arrays or similar countermeasures would demand a considerable duration, especially given the limitations on their output.