Chapter 130: A Drastic Transformation in the Chaotic Sea of Consciousness

"Teacher..."

High above the chaotic sea of consciousness, Xu Wen had forgotten how he had even entered this place. Staring at Harman’s kindly face, his throat felt parched, and it took a strenuous effort to force those two words from the depths of his chest.

An illusion?

If he were not in his chaotic sea of consciousness, if this were not a realm of pure spirit, he would have had the urge to rub his eyes and look closer.

After watching him silently for a long moment, Harman finally spoke:

"I have broken my promise to you."

It was indeed Dean Harman—that familiar voice, calm yet tinged with a weary, desolate tone. The hot tears that had been welling in Xu Wen’s eyes could no longer be contained, threatening to spill over.

He remembered that over half a year ago, when Harman had formally taken him as a disciple before leaving for the Joseph family, he had said, "I will return in three months, six at the latest." But what followed was the invasion of the Dark Empire and the news of Dean Harman’s demise.

The wariness and panic in his heart vanished in an instant. Xu Wen hung suspended in the air, foolishly gazing at the Dean. Compared to that time, Harman now looked haggard, having lost much of his former vitality.

"It seems our bond as teacher and student is quite deep. My attempt at rebirth through fire failed, yet the Red Lotus Crystal happened to fall into your hands... I suppose heaven has not been unkind to me." Harman’s voice was filled with desolation and a touch of comfort as he continued to observe Xu Wen. "Fortunately, your 'illness' has been cured. A chaotic sea of consciousness, five-star, fourth-rank spiritual power... It seems the last time was merely an accident; it truly wasn't a problem with the channeling statue."

"Teacher..."

Xu Wen could no longer hold back. Though he did not know how Harman had appeared within his chaotic sea of consciousness, the authenticity of his identity was beyond doubt.

How else could anyone know of a verbal promise made half a year ago? And to remember it for so long... Even after meeting his end, Harman had not forgotten the promise he made to his disciple—that he would return to help him uncover the truth behind that accident.

"I know what you want to ask..."

Harman smiled at Xu Wen and said, "You must have seen the final magic spell in the manual I gave you."

Xu Wen nodded vigorously, slowly shaking off his initial shock. "Teacher... did it succeed?" Since Harman appeared here, it naturally meant he had not truly died.

"Succeed?"

Harman sighed desolately. "I do not know. But if I were given the choice again, I would wish never to have learned it in this lifetime. It is a flawed, erroneous spell. After casting it, the 'Red Lotus Fragment' that is born can protect my consciousness and force it into a dormant state, allowing me to absorb fire elements and be reborn after three months. But the possibility of a true rebirth simply does not exist. I feel that in the final stages, I would have to possess the body of another living being to complete the process. But that would no longer be me—it would be someone else."

"Possession?"

Xu Wen’s heart stirred, and a look of surprise crossed his face. This sounded somewhat similar to a forbidden art in necromantic magic.

Harman’s voice continued to echo above the chaotic sea:

"Once I realized I had become this, I was filled with regret. Just a spiritual entity, stored within the Red Lotus Crystal, without even the chance to cease existing..."

"By the way, how did you obtain the Red Lotus Fragment?" Harman asked.

Xu Wen recounted everything—the turmoil in the Qingyun Empire and his journey to the Joseph family territory to investigate.

"Sigh."

Harman sighed heavily. "Indeed, the Qingyun Empire could not escape this calamity." In truth, during the time he had been dormant, he had deduced what might happen. Having it confirmed by Xu Wen did not surprise him; rather, he was deeply moved that Xu Wen had gone alone to the Joseph territory to search for him.

If not for Xu Wen’s persistence, he would likely have already fallen into the hands of others—a pack of wolves with enough ambition to slaughter their own kind for the sake of treasure!

Watching Xu Wen with a look of gratification, Harman slowly recounted his own encounter... As he listened, the horror in Xu Wen’s eyes grew deeper!

So... that was what had happened!

The Dark Empire’s operation this time was certainly no simple, reckless act. When Harman arrived at the Joseph family, he was not just facing the one called "Soul Reaper"! There was a nine-star Dark Mage alongside the nine-star Magic Instructor.

Harman had been lured deep into the mountains and ambushed by the two. The battle ended quickly. Forced into a corner, Harman was compelled to self-destruct to trigger his rebirth through fire.

During the exchange, when Harman was driven to his limit, the Soul Reaper and his accomplice inadvertently let slip a piece of information. That was when Harman learned that they had been planning to attack the capital of the Qingyun Empire for many years, all to obtain a component of a divine artifact lost by the Dark Empire long ago.

To avoid alerting others and revealing the value of the object, only a handful of nine-star powerhouses within the Dark Empire even knew of the news.

"A divine artifact component?"

Xu Wen felt a chill. Divine artifacts—those were weapons of terrifying power. Records of them on the Soul Continent were extremely rare, but whenever one appeared, the world was plunged into flames of war, and social order crumbled to the brink of collapse.

This time was no different... Just a single component had caused the entire Qingyun Empire to go into turmoil, with dozens of cities slaughtered by beast tides and tens of millions of innocent civilians dead. If the Dark Empire were to gather the full set and possess the complete artifact, would the entire Soul Continent not be plunged into a new dark age?!

"No, I must hurry and tell Dean Nordin so he can notify the Qingyun Empire to prepare!"

"It is too late," Harman waved his hand lightly. "If they could turn the Erisel family and enter the Qingyun Empire under the cover of darkness, they can naturally find an easy path to leave as well."

"Furthermore, you said it has been four months since the incident in Qingyun City. The Dark Empire’s follow-up actions must have already begun; whatever they needed to prepare, they likely have. Speaking out now would only make the situation worse. Besides, how do you intend to make them believe your words?"

Harman’s last sentence left Xu Wen confused. His eyes flickered, and he quickly understood: "Could it be that they wouldn't believe what you said, Teacher? Or is it that you..."

Hearing this, Harman knew his disciple was even more brilliant than he had anticipated. He smiled slightly, offering a bitter comfort:

"I can no longer meet with anyone. Before I die, that heaven allowed me to see my disciple one last time is enough to bring me joy."

"How can that be? Teacher, isn't your consciousness stored in the Red Lotus Crystal?! How could something happen to you?" Xu Wen was frantic. Having finally seen Harman, he still had so much to say, but the tone suggested that Harman would never appear again after this.

"The consciousness can be stored, but it cannot come and go at will. The only reason I could leave the crystal this time was because of your spiritual power; it provided the bridge for me to enter the chaotic sea of consciousness to tell you this. I cannot return to the Red Lotus Crystal safely now."

Xu Wen fell silent. He understood this much... The Red Lotus Crystal was a special crystal formed from the condensation of magical elements at the moment Harman initiated his 'rebirth through fire.' It could carry and store a consciousness, but once it had left, returning was not so simple. After all, this was not as easy as visiting a neighbor’s house.

Moreover, the spell itself had significant flaws!

"Child, do not be sad."

Seeing Xu Wen’s dejected expression, Harman laughed. "In this life, to have taken on a disciple like you, I am satisfied. You need not be too distressed. Study the magic insights I have given you well, and let the world remember me a little longer."

"..."

Xu Wen’s heart felt incredibly heavy; he did not know how to respond.

"Come to think of it, aside from that worn-out manual, I don’t believe I’ve given you much else... Let me give you one more gift."

Harman mused for a moment, and a powerful wave of magical energy began to rise from the chaotic sea of consciousness.

Xu Wen sensed it instantly!

Looking down, the chaotic sea, which had been spinning rapidly, suddenly began to rotate at an even greater speed. If the previous speed was merely like a whirlpool forming in a river, now they seemed to be standing upon a turbulent, stormy ocean. The giant vortex beneath their feet, churned by a powerful force, created a conical depression in the sea that seemed bottomless, while the borders of the chaotic sea expanded toward unknown horizons at an astonishing rate.

Xu Wen was startled. Dean Harman was actually using this method to directly elevate his cultivation from within!

In less than half a minute, the chaotic sea became far more abundant, its range expanding by more than a small margin, and the capacity of his spiritual power rising to roughly the ninth rank of the five-star level.

It was a good thing, but as the chaotic sea expanded, Harman’s figure gradually became blurred and indistinct...

"Teacher!" "Stop! You will exhaust your energy and vanish!" Xu Wen shouted.

He could not accept having Harman sacrifice his life to elevate his cultivation.

"This is the last gift I give you... and it will be a gift that accompanies you for the rest of your life. Accept it with peace of mind. As for the future of the Soul Continent... I fear your generation will hardly have another chance to practice in peace..."

Harman’s voice had lost its previous vigor, becoming increasingly ethereal.

Xu Wen shook his head with a bitter smile and suddenly said, "Teacher, you could actually use your consciousness to forcibly seize someone else's body." With the consciousness of an eight-star Great Mage, combined with the spiritual power he had just absorbed, he could easily seize control of his body in an instant.

"You are my disciple... I have lived for ninety-four years; I have lived long enough. To leave this world having left behind a good name in the Qingyun Empire... and to have such an excellent disciple to carry on my legacy... what more could I be dissatisfied with?"

"Are you truly content to leave like this? Without a single regret?" Xu Wen asked suddenly.

Harman let out a weak, intermittent, and aged sigh: "Speaking of regrets... there is only one... that I could not see you become a Magic Instructor with my own eyes... That is my... greatest regret in this life."

"Then live on with your disciple."

In the practice room, the Xu Wen who had been lying on the floor suddenly opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. A light of absolute determination burst from his gaze as he muttered to himself:

"Even if you blame me in the future, I will have no regrets..."

He flipped his hand, and the black crystal ball appeared in his palm.