Chapter 703
The Rift of Yin and Yang
Eivass set up a simple altar in his bedroom and stepped onto it.
The altar was divided into three layers, constructed from three concentric rings.
At the four corners of the outermost altar, five rubies, five ambers, five blue crystals, and five emeralds were placed, symbolizing fire, earth, water, and wind.
In the middle ring, between earth and water, an ice was placed, signifying “cold”; between wind and fire, a flame essence was placed, meaning “heat”; between water and wind, a pearl was placed, signifying “moisture”; and between earth and fire, a loess was placed, representing “dryness.”
In the innermost ring, there was a perfectly round topaz.
It symbolized balance.
As the altar took shape, the power of balance flowed within it—a four-colored radiance, like the glow of sunset, flowed back and forth, causing visible anomalies to fill the room.
Only when Eivass ascended step by step did his presence briefly disrupt the power of balance.
“—I invoke the Hourglass, Deity of Sacred Number Five!”
With each step Eivass took, he loudly chanted.
“God who severs heaven and earth, God of all harmonious phenomena—
“The Hourglass of Balance!”
When Eivass stepped onto the highest layer of the altar and invoked the Hourglass’s sacred name.
The truly powerful force of balance immediately engulfed Lily and Selene, who were observing nearby—
Lily held her breath instantly.
She could clearly feel all the power in her body being sealed by a vast, formless, and colorless force.
This was a completely different experience from the forced sealing of the Path of Authority.
It was not like being locked with a sturdy lock, having a nail driven in, and being ordered not to do something…
…rather, it was a “perfect neutralization.”
For example, if one could control fire, an equal amount of cold would be added at the same speed. The power would still be used, but it would have no effect on the outside world… It would be like making someone step on their own foot with the other foot, or like trying to fish oneself out with a fishing rod, which is naturally impossible.
Extraordinary Power was overwhelmed by the overwhelming power of balance; all other powers in the entire space, except for the power of balance, were “forcefully neutralized.”
Within this domain, it was likely that any power would be ineffective… Any spell would automatically disintegrate before it could even form.
It was as if this were a world without any extraordinary power—
However, the presence of the power of balance itself overwhelmingly covered everything.
Eivass was enveloped in a four-colored radiance, his body bathed in it.
His consciousness, however, briefly entered the gap between the Material Realm and the Dream Realm.
—Yes, it was the house Morgan had given him and Isabel.
As soon as Eivass opened his eyes, he saw a thin old man in yellow robes, with white hair and a white beard, looking around, his brow furrowed slightly, with a hint of disdain.
“Young man, take care of yourself.”
The Hourglass criticized him, not too harshly or too lightly.
Eivass noticed that the Hourglass’s left hand was now on top and its right hand below.
This seemed to be the more stern and pragmatic scholar personality, which was less approachable.
Therefore, Eivass immediately got straight to the point: “I want to use the [Rift of Yin and Yang] now.”
“Your Path is very balanced right now.”
The Hourglass did not ask why, but merely reminded him.
“But after this… I will be wearing the Supreme Holy Crown.”
Eivass replied: “At that time, my Path will begin to become less balanced… And when I am asleep, I will no longer be able to summon you to divide me. That might cause some hidden dangers or instability…”
“With me here, that kind of low-level error won’t happen.”
The Hourglass said indifferently: “Even if you wear the Supreme Holy Crown, I can still finely divide another you…”
But the old man said no more, nor did he try to persuade Eivass.
He merely slightly opened his sleeve and spread his hands apart.
As his hands separated, that hollow thing, neither black nor white, like a rift in the world, reappeared from within.
“Specifically, how do you want to cut?”
The Hourglass asked indifferently: “It will definitely be to separate the Path of Devotion and the Path of Transcendence… Other than that, do you have any other requests?”
“I… have the blessing of the Twin Mirrors.”
Eivass hesitated for a moment before speaking: “It allows me to turn into another race. But as long as I suffer a severe injury, or am hit by a blunt object… the ‘mirror surface’ will shatter.”
“Hmm, Illusory Blood, I can see it.”
The old man said, not too harshly or too lightly: “Get to the point.”
“I want to… separate reality and the mirror image. That is, to make the me in the mirror become real…”
“You want to turn the avatar of the Path of Transcendence into a Child of the Moon? Is that what you mean?”
The Hourglass summarized Eivass’s needs and gave a more precise and concise version.
“It would be best if I could switch between three forms,” Eivass quickly emphasized, “My Illusory Blood has three forms…”
“There must be a main body. You can’t shatter into three when you’re attacked, can you?”
The Hourglass warned: “You can use the other form for daily activities. But there must always be a ‘true you’… And I must remind you, because you want to divide Yin and Yang, it’s best for the other you to be female, so that it can have Yin and Yang to divide. Otherwise, you might have to divide your personality… From my past experience, it’s best not to tamper with personality.”
“Hmm, I know.”
Eivass nodded: “Let the main body be… the image of Number 14.”
“That little girl, right? An adult male and female as avatars… I’ll confirm again, that’s how we’ll divide it, right?”
“Yes, I confirm.”
“What about your little cards? As powers of the Path of Transcendence, will they all be transferred to this avatar? Or will you divide them into Transcendence and Devotion as well?”
The Hourglass pressed on.
…That is, should he leave the Little Butterfly behind?
Eivass pondered for a moment and decided to take her with him.
It wasn’t about the danger he might face in the Church… but because the Illusion Cards could see the outside world through Eivass’s body.
If Eivass went to Star Antinomy, the Crow would follow and play with him; but if the Little Butterfly were left behind to be confined… Eivass felt that was not right.
“No, I’ll give them all to this transcendent avatar.”
“Alright.”
The Hourglass closed its sleeves again and simply said, “Then you can go back.”
“When will it be divided?”
Eivass asked.
But as soon as he spoke, he was suddenly startled—because his voice, at some unknown point, had turned into a clear girl’s voice. And another familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar voice sounded in the air at the same time… Unfamiliar because the voice he heard was different from the voice others heard.
“Eivass” suddenly turned his head and saw another Eivass looking at him just as bewildered.
“When will it be divided? Heh, it’s already done.”
The Hourglass’s lips curved slightly, but its tone became even more stern: “Who do you think I am?
“Go back… even if it’s only for half a year, remember to give yourself a proper name. A name like ‘Number 14’ is really not a human name.
“Remember, you are a person. Not some thing, nor a product or commodity.”
The Hourglass lectured sternly.
In the next moment, Eivass’s vision went black.
When he woke up again, an intense pain erupted deep within his brain.
His soul had never… Oh, there was a time. When he gave a part of his soul to Isabel, his soul was this weak.
Eivass felt his consciousness split into two at the same time—Eivass and Number 14 looked at each other, their fingers touching, feeling their perspective become dual, their touch doubled, and an odd sensation washed over them.
“Lily, I think I finally understand you.”
After a brief hesitation, two voices spoke simultaneously.
(End of Chapter)
