"Who invented this method?" Han Xuhan asked Shangguang Ce.
"What? The recipe for the blue crystal? No idea." Shangguang Ce shrugged, adding, "Hong Wei bought it from one of her channels. You can try asking her when you meet in the future."
"When?" Han Xuhan remarked in a questioning tone.
"Yeeeah, you're gonna meet again, for sure. Let's return to our prime objective of this conversation, shall we?"
"And what is that?"
"Getting you to familiarize yourself with the Consciousness Matrix, of course. How else are we going to meet in the future? I can't just barge into your sect every time we need to talk, now, can I?"
BOOOM!
A blinding white bolt fell right beside the cave-like depression they were sitting in, illuminating Shangguang Ce's face.
Han Xuhan was about to respond, but the words got stuck in his throat because he realized that Shangguang Ce's body had grown transparent.
"You know what? That stuff can wait. First, tell me why your face is transparent right now," he said, somewhat shocked at the twists and turns taking place tonight. He was practically growing numb to sudden, horrific surprises. That would not do his sanity any good, at least what remained of it.
"Transparent?!" Shangguang Ce yelped in shock. "Dammit! That was my dramatic departure move!"
Han Xuhan wore a confounded look on his face.
"Wait a damned second...how the hell did you-- Did your original vision return?! Impossible!"
Shangguang Ce jumped to his feet, his expression abruptly morphing into disbelief.
"Tell me right now! What's the state of your vision? Don't leave any details out!"
Feeling another trouble incoming, Han Xuhan took a few seconds to reply. "I can see both modes of vision. My original vision was only gone for a while when you first appeared. It has mostly returned back to normal now. Seems like it acts up temporarily only when another unusual person is nearby. Now the secondary vision your crystal caused is at balance with my normal sight. I can see your colorful Consciousness Matrix version, superimposed upon your physical body which is rapidly losing its tangible state. I can even see the wall of the mountain through you."
"....No fucking wonder," Shangguang Ce mumbled after a few seconds of absent-minded, open-mouthed daze.
"Fire away, brother Ce. I'm ready for more terrible news, super ready," Han Xuhan plainly declared.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
"No, no, no terrible news for you tonight, brother Mu Ran...or something." Shangguang Ce began to laugh loudly, uproariously, as he waved off Han Xuhan's growing blood pressure.
"The heavens' plans are truly twisted. You don't even want to know how I'm feeling right now, man." Shangguang Ce covered his face with a palm, a complicated expression dawning there. Vexation, happiness, surprise, fear...Han Xuhan lost track of how many changes his face went through.
"Turns out all of my efforts were for naught. That crystal was wasted on you."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Han Xuhan asked Shangguang Ce in trepidation. The youth merely smiled morosely.
"Depends on how you look at it." Shangguang Ce's nearly invisible body began to pace around.
"Alright. How do I begin...Damn, this is going to be complicated.
Let me put it in the most simple way- You, Han Xuhan, are a natural-born ghost cultivator."
BOOOM!
"Woo. Cool."
That was Han Xuhan's reaction. He didn't quite trust that last sentence, because the last time someone made a similar declaration, it had turned out to be a massive trap to turn young, naive youths like him into mind-controlled puppets.
From the beginning of this current chain of events, the flow has been controlled by Shangguang Ce. The crystal, the new vision method, the revelations...it was very easy to entrap an ignorant cultivator like Han Xuhan using such a setup. Even he, who relied on schemes to eliminate his obstacles, would perhaps not think of a method so roundabout.
Shangguang Ce also seemed to clearly realize this from Han Xuhan's flat tone and impassive face.
"As I've said before already, the crystal lets one see the consciousness matrix, which is a realm only ghost cultivators have access to."
"Ghost cultivators...like you?" Han Xuhan said slowly.
"Yes, like me, like us, natural ghost cultivators. We have an inherent ability to perceive this other realm, this Totality where a certain aspect of all sentient existences resides. We are born with this power, and cultivating on the path of ghosts is how we really tap into the full potential of this ability. Think of the meridians which we need in order to cultivate our physique. For ghost cultivation, this inherent ability is as crucial as a set of working meridians! As without meridians, you cannot become a human cultivator, without the Ghostsight, you cannot become a ghost cultivator!"
"That is enlightening and all...but I, Han Xuhan, have never been able to see this consciousness matrix Totality before eating your crystal. This inherent ability of natural ghost cultivators you speak of is not inherent in me at all."
Shangguang Ce chuckled, replying, "that's because you're a late bloomer, or your lineage is weak! I've read about this phenomenon before. When your inherent ability is suppressed due to internal or external factors, it will take a very long time for the ability to manifest, sometimes even decades! I guess consuming the crystal stimulated your recessive vision and made it rebel against the artificial chemicals trying to take its place. That's why your original vision was restored so fast and your Ghostsight was suppressed. One of the disadvantages of using the crystal is that the chemicals react only in the presence of powerful influences from the matrix, like the presence of other ghost cultivators, making it suppress a person's natural sight. In your case, your body naturally revolted against the change! You're already close to controlling and changing your modes of sight!"
"I see."
Han Xuhan's head became mired so deep in these new revelations that his expression turned even more blank compared to before.
Shangguang Ce's explanation was very logical, at least he couldn't find any gaps in his logic. The phenomenon he had described perfectly lined up with Han Xuhan's experience after consuming the blue crystal. The second mode of vision, 'Ghostsight', had indeed taken over his normal vision back when Shangrguang Ce had made his appearance nearby. Similarly, he had seen the vision act up when Tun Shi Tian came near him. Although Tun Shi Tian wasn't a ghost in the same sense as Shangguang Ce, being a soul locked up in an undead body did fit the traditional concept of a ghostly existence.
Now, both of his modes of visions were equally perceptible, superimposed over each other, but under his control and focus."
Unfortunately, Han Xuhan's paranoia had reached a stage where even the most logically concrete explanation would not escape his suspicion.
Of all things, a ghost cultivator?
Really?
"Oh, I know that look," Shangguang Ce remarked, throwing his hands up in the air. "You don't need to be this cautious with me. We're pretty much an extinct branch of cultivators. If I thought of you as an interesting acquaintance before, that status of yours has evolved to the level of family now."
Han Xuhan maintained a neutral expression and asked a question that had arisen in his mind just now.
"Brother Ce, was the phenomenon of the shooting star caused by you?"
Looking put off by his lack of enthusiasm, Shangguang Ce mumbled his answer. "Yes. It was to attract your attention so that I don't have to look too long for you."
"With that spectacle, aren't you afraid that my whole sect will come looking for you?" Han Xuhan asked, finding it rather odd.
"Haha, that's the awesomeness of having access to an all-pervasive Totality like the consciousness matrix," Shangguang Ce spread his hands around and laughed cheerfully. "Other than another person with the inherent ability to see this realm, NO ONE CAN PERCEIVE US!"
Right at that second, Shangguang Ce's physical body disappeared from Han Xuhan's original sight.