The Blade Mantra's Formlessness stemmed from the Imaginary Space. To be more specific, it was the stigma space that was automatically created once someone reached Taixuan. It was cut off from the Imaginary Space. Then, it is to be anchored inside the user. It is similar to the concepts of 'A World Within'. The seventh or eight-level Tao Heart serves as its anchor, fusing it with the cultivator. Through these actions, a special 'space' is born. Formlessness utilizes that space as a container for the Imaginary Tree's authority—the exact same thing the Aeons are based on.
Simply put, Formlessness allows someone to pioneer a new Path towards Aeonhood. At the same time, it also allows them to usurp an existing Aeon's authority. Shi Tian chose to do the latter for one reason:
Fuli wasn't born yet.
THEY once existed, yet at the same time, THEY have not.
It was why Shi Tian dared to simulate the Path of Remembrance to its fullest. Since 'Fuli' hasn't even been born yet, how would THEY stir up trouble for him?
When he reached the end of Amphoreus, Shi Tian obtained Cyrene's 'memories'. He used them to obtain the 80% authority over the Remembrance Path, reaching the level of an Emanator.
In Remembrance's case, 'Emanators' are the so-called Pure Child of Anasrava. These beings are devoid of karma, beyond the scope of any 'mortal' calculations. They have no future, for they are the future.
Shi Tian didn't benefit much from that karmic concealment. The nature of Void Refinement Realm detached their karma from the rest of the world. The Xianzhou Alliance won't be able to find anything about him. Only the fabled Stellaron Hunters could do so.
As a Pure Child of Anasrava, however, they possessed another unique characteristic.
'Memories.'
Their dominion over memories is second only to Fuli THEMSELVES.
Shi Tian's fingertips touched the faint white traces floating over the future Leylah's body. They were separated by a single step, but that distance proved to be farther than anything he had traversed in his lifetime. The small chasm spanned a nigh-infinite distance he could not hope to cross.
This is the struggle for the final step.
The three golden Dao Lotuses above his head flickered. The overwhelming surge of power that pulled his true body from the brink of extinction began to wane. The recondensed purple scales also suffered the same fate. The Small Universe that contained the strong medicinal power became unstable. The highest peak of Shi Tian's power was threatened by this final step he could not cross.
Looking at the sword in his right hand and the overflowing memories in front of him, Shi Tian made a choice. The power of his Tao Heart erupted at this moment. His will to rewrite endings appeared at this exact moment!
Swoosh-!
Sou-!
The first downward strike challenged the inviolable concept of 'nigh-infinite' imposed by the tribulation. It could not allow anyone other than Leylah herself to face it. The power of Shi Tian's Tao Heart impacted it, but it could not completely rewrite it.
Hence came the second strike.
Hum-!
A low, whizzing sound rang across the void. It contained great sorrow, disdain, and self-loathing. All of it came from the future Leylah.
Shi Tian's Tao Heart rewrote the concept of nigh-infinity!
The moment he succeeded, its power dissipated. The surging tribulation energy, seemingly challenged by his attempts to meddle, rushed forth straight towards him.
Cling-!
A black fountain pen appeared in his right hand, replacing the sword. Its metal tip touched the faint white light containing all of the future Leylah's memories. The world contained within Shi Tian's heart lit up.
The anchored imaginary space trembled as it was about to welcome the next line of this story—
'This ending has to be revised.'
—the forsaken future's second chance.
*****
"Things have reached a turning point."
The future Kiana showed no signs of fatigue or consumption. She looked at Kiana. The latter's Venerated Dao had just dissipated. Evidently, she succeeded in learning the move her future self taught her.
"Turning point? Was it her?" Kiana asked.
"It is her."
Kiana didn't have much of an impression of Leylah. She is the current Goddess of Mars. Her status was inherited from Senadina, to which she gained from the Cocoon. Although the Embrace failed, it left her with this status.
"Out of everyone, she was the first to fall. More importantly, she is deeply tied with the Honkai." She paused before adding, "Just like us."
"I don't feel anything strange."
The confusion in Kiana's eyes couldn't be hidden. Her connection with the Cocoon of Finality remained even inside the chaotic Mars. She was able to utilize its power to defeat the construct made by her future self.
"You will not feel it now, but in the future."
Hearing these words, Kiana fell silent. She understood what she meant by that. The construct her future self made was a formidable opponent she would face in the future. Coincidentally, it was a being connected to the Honkai—
The Commander of Will.
Unlike the Cocoon of Finality, its instincts were hell-bent on bringing destruction. Thus, when the fusion of three worlds came to being, it caused countless losses throughout the cosmos. Only through their shared efforts was it defeated. Nobody wanted to see Shi Tian desecrated.
His corpse, at least.
"The Imaginary Tree, the Universe of Honkai, and the world where the Throne of Heroes lies. It is a time of upheaval Finality wanted to badly prevent, but to no avail." The future Kiana explained with a melancholic look. "There will come a time when all three Goddesses will form a connection. One of them is you. The other one is Leylah. The last one is Vita."
She heaved a sigh as the void atop her palm became disjointed. White lines emerged, forming a thickly-woven cocoon. Once they dissipated, it revealed a jade slip. Strangely enough, the world did not react on the future Kiana's transgressions.
Rather, it wasn't able to react at all!
"After the River of Time was established, the temporal flow of this world will reach the standard. The past remains etched deeply. The present remains constantly moving. The future is a result of the present branching out towards countless possibilities. Most dissipate, reaching their natural end, but a select few survive."
It served to reason that the present cannot be affected by the future, yet it was able to do so. The main reason behind it was the weight behind each Supremes. Even as mere possibilities, they possess the ability to influence the present. This depends on the level of power they reached on the 'futures' with the highest probability of occurring.
Almost everyone reached the second major tribulation, allowing them to step onto the late-stage of Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Leylah's fall was the most drastic out of all.
However, there were others who reached a level unheard by most. It was the 'peak stage' of Tribulation Transcendence Realm, a level used to describe the cultivator who reached the maximum threshold for a certain realm. Simultaneously, it was also dubbed the 'Pseudo Realm'.
"These futures have limited lifespans. The best they could do is to reach the present and grant their legacies to their present selves. No one is an exemption—"
Not even someone at the pinnacle of Tribulation Transcendence Realm.