Although Dan Heng had witnessed the scene of Bai Ming's ascension to Aeonhood and came seeking a chance of his own, the reality was much simpler.
If all he wanted was to erase the traces of Dan Feng, Bai Ming's mastery over Remembrance could solve it perfectly.
She didn't even need to use her other powers.
That said, while most Vidyadhara do not retain memories of their previous lives after reincarnation, fragments often remain. If one actively sought them out, they could even be fully recovered.
For the Vidyadhara, it was hard to say if these past lives held any real meaning.
As Bai Ming pondered this, she sipped coffee with Himeko while silently activating her power.
The Memoria was stirred ever so slightly, completely unnoticed by the two across from her.
The power of a Vidyadhara High Elder is passed down through generations. Though the person changes, it is essentially the same entity holding the mantle. This time, however, was different.
Dan Heng's predecessor, Dan Feng, had left the power of the Imbibitor Lunae to his reincarnation.
The problem was that in the original game's plot, Dan Feng hadn't made a clean break, leaving behind only a portion of his power.
So, in this current reality, had he given it all up?
The moment Bai Ming touched those residual memories—memories that sat in stark, distinct contrast to "Dan Heng"—she realized that although the Transmutation Arcanum had succeeded, Dan Feng had once again failed to pass on the power completely.
It was common knowledge in this world that if one were to scrutinize resurrection or reincarnation to see if an individual remained the "same," the key lay in whether the soul—the core consciousness—had changed.
This was slightly different from Remembrance.
To a Memokeeper, the soul was the most vital proof of an individual's identity.
For the Imbibitor Lunae, through cycle after cycle of rebirth, the memories changed, but the soul remained constant.
Well, at least Dan Feng and Dan Heng shared the same consciousness. Whether the even more ancient predecessors had undergone a shift in their core being remained unknown.
In general, the High Elder's power was essentially a manifestation of the Path of Permanence.
Since that power had belonged to the individual known as the Imbibitor Lunae from the very beginning, the "generational succession" was, put simply, just a person leaving things behind for their future self.
It just so happened that the Path of Permanence had an exceptionally strong physical expression.
This was why Dan Feng could use his own Vidyadhara marrow and flesh as a price to perform the Transmutation Arcanum and grant power to his successor.
But cutting it away cleanly? That was easier said than done.
After all, this was the manifestation of the Imbibitor Lunae walking the Path of Permanence.
You couldn't just slice it off and walk away. Dan Heng likely knew this, which was why in the game he loathed using his Vidyadhara powers, choosing instead to rely on the power of Trailblaze.
Bai Ming had no desire to snoop through anyone's secrets.
Although she had entered Dan Heng's mind, she merely took those "Dan Feng" memories that were tangled with Dan Heng's own, carefully picked them out, and bundled them up.
This was a task an ordinary Memokeeper likely couldn't handle, but for Bai Ming, it was a minor issue.
Furthermore, considering she was on good terms with Baiheng and the others, she didn't just destroy the memories. Instead, she kneaded them together, tidying and filling in the gaps of the somewhat chaotic fragments.
She fashioned them into an Imbibitor Lunae Light Cone.
As for why it was a Light Cone and not a badge... the latter was technology used by the Land of Light and hadn't been popularized yet. Naturally, she had to keep that card hidden.
To Himeko and Dan Heng, however, the scene looked quite different.
One moment they were drinking coffee, the work not even scheduled to begin, and the next, a Light Cone appeared out of thin air, shimmering right in the center of the table.
The image depicted on the Light Cone was unmistakably the previous Imbibitor Lunae.
As for Dan Heng, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his very soul. His mind felt significantly lighter, and his usually stoic, almost paralyzed expression softened a fraction.
Himeko leaned in, eyeing the image on the Light Cone with curiosity. "Is this Dan Heng's past life?"
The attire and the aura... he certainly didn't look like an ordinary person.
Bai Ming nodded. "I'm not sure how it happened, but there was a massive amount of Dan Feng's memory fragments lodged in Dan Heng's mind. That's likely why you were always dreaming about him."
"..."
Was it really that simple?
Dan Heng subconsciously scratched his head. A problem that had plagued him for centuries had been solved so effortlessly by someone else.
He had been wondering when Madam Bai Ming would get around to helping him, yet before he'd even finished his coffee, the job was done.
The "Cold Dragon Young" was, quite frankly, a bit shell-shocked.
"I've extracted all those memories. To avoid waste, I turned them into a Light Cone. Of course, the High Elder's power within you is still there. Since that's a manifestation of a Path, it can't be stripped away."
Dan Heng nodded. He was well aware of that.
In truth, with Bai Ming's abilities, she could have stripped it away—much like the mask she gave to Typhon, she could have replaced his body bit by bit. But there was no need.
Why go through all that trouble? Besides, unlike Typhon, Dan Heng was a cautious, serious man; he didn't exactly vibe with the Elation.
"Thank you for your help, Madam Bai Ming."
Dan Heng's voice was sincere. He even stood up and offered a respectful bow. He was nothing if not polite.
Bai Ming accepted the gesture without an ounce of modesty. "Do what you like with this Light Cone."
At her current level, the sliver of High Elder power within the Light Cone didn't really interest her anymore.
Dan Heng remained silent for a moment but didn't pick up the object. "I have already benefited enough. How could I take more? It may be a small gesture, but please, Madam Bai Ming, keep the Light Cone."
Bai Ming shot him a look. She figured he simply disliked Dan Feng and didn't want the reminder.
After all, the Light Cone contained Dan Feng's complete memories—Dan Heng spent most of his time running away from that past, let alone wanting to carry it in his pocket.
"Fair enough. So I can do whatever I want with it?"
"It is entirely at your disposal."
Bai Ming nodded in agreement. Since Dan Heng put it that way, she planned to give the Light Cone to Baiheng.
It was a Light Cone with a bit of power; it wasn't enough for top-tier combat, and there were better options for research. Might as well give it away as a favor.
Giving it to Jing Yuan didn't feel right, and there was no point in giving it to Jingliu.
After thinking it over, Baiheng was the best choice. Baiheng had seemingly inherited some Vidyadhara power anyway, so the Light Cone would suit her perfectly.
She tucked the Light Cone away and suddenly asked, "So, Dan Heng, have you decided to stay on the Astral Express permanently?"
"Yes. Since I have no fixed home, joining the Astral Express seems the best."
After experiencing it for himself, Dan Heng felt the Express was a good fit. He was like a rootless weed; wandering the universe with the train was far better than drifting alone.
Himeko sat nearby, smiling as she sipped her coffee. Dan Heng was even more capable than she had imagined, and he was steady and reliable.
As the Navigator, she was naturally delighted to have such a permanent member join the crew.
"By the way, those two Nameless on Penacony told me before that they wanted to rejoin the Express. Did they mention that to you, Himeko?"
Bai Ming casually asked about Mikhail and Tiernan.
Hearing this, Himeko gave a helpless shrug. "The two seniors did mention it to me, but they can't leave Penacony just yet. They said they'll come find the Express once they have successors to take over."
"Those two old men sure are poky," Bai Ming said, shaking her head in mock annoyance. Mikhail was the slowest of the bunch; Tiernan was much more decisive.
Wait, speaking of which...
With her current power, would she have a chance to fish Razalina's consciousness out of the Sea of Memoria?
Although Aha never did anything decent, the power given was the real deal. Things she couldn't do before might be worth a try now.
Once she had decoded most of the Elation Equation, she could take another trip to Penacony. It was a bit of a shame that the trio of Nameless from back then was still missing one person.
Bai Ming kept these thoughts to herself. Himeko, hearing Bai Ming's critique of the two seniors, just lowered her head and suppressed a giggle.
As a junior, it wasn't her place to comment on the veteran Nameless. Still, she had heard that their lives had been saved by Madam Bai Ming. If she wanted to nitpick them, she had every right.
"Actually, Madam Cerydra and Madam Hysilens from Amphoreus have also expressed interest in boarding the Express," Himeko added.
Himeko hadn't expected those two to want to travel.
One was a legendary tyrant in the history of Amphoreus, and the other was a cold knight. Neither seemed like the type to possess a wandering spirit.
"That sounds about right. Cerydra expressed a desire to explore the stars a long time ago; she was just held back by her responsibilities."
That said, it was a bit surprising Cerydra didn't just build her own ship.
Given her thirst for control, Bai Ming wondered if she could handle not being the Navigator. She'd probably stay for a while but wouldn't be a long-term passenger.
"By the way, Madam Bai Ming... regarding this thing... is it real?"
Himeko had been hesitating, but she finally found the resolve to speak. She pulled a piece of Originium from her pocket.
She had seen far too much of this stuff lately. At first, the major factions tried to regulate it, but they soon realized the things were being tossed around as commonly as wild animals on the side of the road.
Eventually, they just gave up. Himeko had picked one up herself.
Seeing the Originium, Bai Ming gave Himeko a mysterious smile. "Himeko, you know about the 'Phantasmoon Games' held in Planarcadia, right?"
"...I do. That's my home."
"Wait, what? You live there??" Bai Ming blinked.
"You didn't know, Bai Ming?" Himeko blinked back. She thought every major faction knew by now.
"I had no clue... When I met you, the Express had already traveled several stops. How was I supposed to know where you came from?"
Bai Ming scratched her head.
"Anyway, since you know that, why are you asking? We're playing for high stakes—the winner ascends to Aeonhood. If Aha can do it, so can I."
Bai Ming's words made the Originium in Himeko's hand feel suddenly hot.
How could those be the same? Being an Aeon for a minute versus being an Aeon for life—those are two very different things!
"Of course, my stakes are even higher than Aha's. He only dared to give a minute; I'm giving the whole thing!"
"..."
Even Dan Heng couldn't help but gulp. It wasn't that he was interested in the power, he was just stunned that this thing was real—and that it was scattered all over the universe.
The sheer audacity was beyond anything he had imagined.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL