CHAPTER 1498: CHAPTER 21: CONTINUATION OF AN ANCIENT STRUGGLE (PART 2)

"It’s been a long time, Tilan." The other person looked up and said when they saw Tilan.

"I have stored a few memories and thoughts in the pearl to convey some information this way."

"It seems I can’t talk to you directly." Tilan felt this method of communication was rather ancient, considering that interstellar communication methods are now quite common, albeit a bit expensive.

"Yes, but if you wish, Tilan, I can have the cult provide you with a special ’Sacred Seat Console’ so that we can communicate directly." It seemed the other person anticipated what Tilan would ask and provided an answer here.

"I will consider it." Tilan wondered if their thoughts were so easy to predict.

"Since you’re here, let me tell you a few things." Feruceline continued her narration.

"A long, long time ago, humanity had an extremely glorious era. It was the era of the fusion of the ’Mechanical Council’ and the ’Primordial Heart’ philosophies, also called the ’Transcender Era’ by later generations."

"In that era, humanity reached unprecedented heights, ruling the entire Milky Way, occupying the Aijieka Sea, and building the magnificent Throne of God at the Galactic Center as the foundation of their civilization."

"Unfortunately, this era didn’t last forever. The tides of the Aijieka Sea triggered a massive disaster, nearly wiping out the Transcender Form humans living there, and the fragments of consciousness and supernatural traits left behind mixed together to eventually spawn the virus-like monster known as the ’Chaos Phantom.’

"These monsters, evolved from remnants of soul consciousness, spread from the Aijieka Sea to the present world, causing thousands of years of darkness. The surviving humans returned to Earth, rebuilding their civilization, and these survivors were called the ’Divine Wings of the Sun.’

"Human civilization then reemerged, enduring through the First Epoch, Second Epoch, Third Epoch... all the way to now."

"Notably, the Fifth Epoch was an exceptionally chaotic and dark era. To combat the Black Sun, some survivors regrouped the Mechanical Council at Silver Heart, experiencing several cycles of defeat and rebuilding. The cult I belong to is one of its branches."

"Today, I want to convey to you that the descendants of the Fifth Epoch’s Mechanical Council are not limited to just my cult; other branches exist. They, like us, revere the Four Originals and aspire toward a more advanced and perfected future for humanity."

"However, although the ultimate ideal seems the same, the paths to reach it are vastly different. Before reaching the destination, no one knows which branch is on the correct path. Perhaps even the most pure and wise Pure Wind can’t penetrate the fog of history." It’s hard to imagine this is what the cult’s Saintess would say, considering such words question the authority of the highest reverence.

"The branch closest to our cult, which I’ve mentioned to you before, now supports Miss Blanchi, and their power and presence in the Western Star Region far exceeds the past."

"Though there is some hostility and mutual exclusion between us, when we talk about the core of our beliefs, it all originates from the ’Primordial Heart’ faction, which seeks to guide everyone together into a powerful core. This is also the origin of the Throne of God’s technology."

"Yet, at the end of the Fifth Epoch, due to the immense pressure from the Black Sun and the adverse outcomes it caused, many began to doubt and gradually distanced themselves from us. They firmly believed that in a vast civilization, having only one voice and will would inevitably lead to negative results. They thought maintaining multiple voices and diverse species were necessary, aligning closely with the historical ideology of the ’Tree of Life Sect,’ thus calling themselves its spiritual successors."

"It must be mentioned that the history of the Elves, Fairies, and Beastmen’s birth is the result of the descendants of the Mechanical Council adopting the ’Tree of Life Sect’ philosophy. The Divine Wings of the Sun created many new species during the Eden era."

"Thus, within the Federation, most Elves are believers of the ’Tree of Life Sect.’ The strongest product of the fusion of the ’Tree of Life’ and the ’Primordial Heart’ philosophies are the songstresses of the Federation, which fundamentally differs from the Black Sun’s fusion of the ’Mechanical Council’ with the ’Primordial Heart’ philosophy."

"Having said so much, are you a bit confused? In simple terms, the ’Four Great Sanctuaries’ and the ’Seven Virtues Cult,’ which supports Blanchi, although they have conflicting and different ideals, still fall under the spirit of the ’Primordial Heart.’"

"However, some branches are not like us. They have abandoned the ideal of the ’Primordial Heart’ and moved toward the ideology of the most opposed ’Deep Sea Alliance.’ They reject unity and central theories, being the most dispersed and freedom-chasing factions. Even if it means sacrificing power, they don’t enforce consensus but allow constant internal division and expansion, seeking an endless journey and wandering, never halting their steps."

"Throughout several epochs, the ’Deep Sea Alliance’ faction has never been strong, yet they persisted for a long time, even reigniting the spark of human civilization when necessary, making indispensable contributions at the end of the Fifth Epoch."

"However, with the formation of the Federation and the reunification of humanity, they gradually faded from the public eye. Now, you can only find followers of their faction among the Mermaid Tribe."

"Even though they rarely appear in the public eye, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Just like a faint lighthouse across the sea, when life is prosperous here, people don’t think of venturing across the sea to the other side. But once the social environment deteriorates significantly, that lighthouse across the sea becomes extraordinarily attractive."

"Some will detest the conflicts in this world. They would rather regress into fish and dive into the water, heading to the deep sea and leaving this noisy world behind."

"This is the divergence between the ’Child of the Sea’ and the ’Child of Man.’"

"Aside from branches influenced by the ’Deep Sea Alliance’ philosophy, another branch is quite special..." At this point, Feruceline’s expression became serious.

"They are the branch that fully inherits the ’Mechanical Council’ philosophy. One could even say that several of the Black Sun at the end of the Fifth Epoch came from this branch."

"They once briefly controlled half of the Milky Way, with the Black Sun of the Tianyi Four Clans being the most prominent representative among them."

"You might not understand why, even though they are the Black Sun, they still consider themselves followers of the Four Originals, aspiring for a more advanced and better future for humanity?"

"Because in their eyes, they are not wrong. They believe this is the most efficient and perfect model for civilization. Their strength is the best proof. Since they can never defeat the ’Black Sun,’ it shows the other side is correct. Thus, parts of the Mechanical Council embraced the path of the Black Sun. They even achieved significant victories initially, defeating the inferior ’Black Sun’ of the old era."

"That was an astounding feat for that era, attracting many members of the π Mechanical Council to join. Those who didn’t join were forced to form the ρ Mechanical Council to combat them, embarking on a similar path."

"Looking back, the Twilight Era’s various factional struggles have persisted until now. Currently, the Federation’s songstresses are the product of the fusion between the ’Tree of Life Sect’ and the ’Primordial Heart’ faction, and other factions haven’t disappeared. They have either concealed themselves or merged with other philosophical factions, forming branches with different ideologies."

"We all believe we are on the right path, and no one can truly know which branch can reach the final destination."

"Now, many factions that were in the background will come to the forefront of the stage."

"Tilan, I see shadows of past branches in you. While your unique constitution carries a familiar aura, I sincerely advise you to remain awake to yourself and tread carefully for everything that is to come."

"When true and brutal struggles inevitably come, I see the hope that you might become the gentle and simple light guiding all in this dark and jagged night."

——Feruceline’s Advice