Zui Tian and Wujin Meng had transcended the bounds of even the most powerful beings, their very existence now reshaping the cosmos. Their power, vast and boundless, was no longer tied to the traditional cultivation methods or the intricate mechanics of the Dao. They were Ideas—embodiments of freedom and harmony, with the ability to alter reality with a mere thought.
But despite their newfound strength, they knew there was still one place they needed to visit. A place where even they felt the faint stirrings of awe: the Aether, the primordial source from which all things had sprung. And so, with a single thought, they summoned the First Darkness—the very first being of pure shadow, their eldest sibling who had hidden himself since the beginning.
The First Darkness arrived without a sound, his presence vast and unknowable. Though his form was small compared to the universe-shattering power Zui and Wujin now possessed, the darkness within him was ancient, as old as creation itself. He bowed slightly, a subtle acknowledgment of the sibling bond between them, but his gaze was inscrutable, as if measuring the weight of their ascension.
“You seek to return to the Aether,” he said, his voice like a whisper of wind through the void. “To the place of our birth.”
Zui Tian grinned lazily, his carefree demeanor hiding the gravity of what they were about to do. “Yeah, we figured it’s about time. We’ve got a few questions for… Mother.”
Wujin Meng nodded beside him, her eyes glimmering with the light of countless stars. “The balance of the realms is shifting. The Sea of Nihility threatens to consume everything, but now we have the power to destroy it with a thought. Yet we hesitate. The balance is fragile, and there may be wisdom in letting the chaos remain.”
The First Darkness said nothing, only nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the three of them vanished from the mortal and immortal planes.
They arrived at the Aether—the birthplace of everything and nothing. A place beyond time, beyond space, where existence began and ended, and where the raw forces of creation and destruction intertwined. The very air vibrated with power, and the concept of form was meaningless here. Yet in the midst of it all, a great swirling cloud of white energy, vast and immeasurable, floated serenely, encompassing the infinite.
As they approached, the Aether itself stirred, its presence welcoming but overwhelming. It was both nurturing and terrible—a mother that birthed the cosmos but could just as easily return it to nothingness.
“Welcome home, children,” the Aether’s voice echoed, not in sound, but in the very fabric of their being. It was a voice that resonated with creation itself, a voice that had always been present, even when they were unaware of it. “I see you have found your way.”
Zui Tian felt a strange sense of comfort here, a feeling that he hadn’t experienced in eons. It was a return to the source, to the place where he and Wujin had been born from the primordial chaos. “We came to ask for your wisdom, Mother,” Zui said, his voice quiet and reverent, a rare seriousness in his tone. “The Sea of Nihility threatens the realms. With our new power, we could erase it with a thought. But… should we?”
The Aether seemed to shift, its vast energy swirling in response. “The Sea of Nihility is an ancient force, one that represents the void, the absence of life and creation. It is not inherently evil, but it is a test. A test for those who seek to cultivate, to rise beyond their fates.”
Wujin Meng stepped forward, her gaze calm but questioning. “But now that we have become the embodiment of power and freedom, we have raised the ceiling of what the Infinite Immortal Realms can achieve. The very limits that bound beings like the Immortal Emperor and the Abyssal Master have begun to loosen. Should we continue to allow the Sea of Nihility to exist, or has its purpose been fulfilled?”
There was a moment of stillness, a pause as the Aether considered their words.
“The balance is fragile,” the Aether finally spoke. “The Sea of Nihility is a force of entropy, a counter to the life and power that the cosmos seeks to cultivate. Without it, there would be no challenge, no reason for beings to grow. But you are right—now that you have ascended, the balance has shifted. What once was an insurmountable threat can now be dealt with easily. The question you must ask yourselves is this: Do the realms still need this test?”
Zui Tian let out a long breath, his gaze thoughtful. “Power, freedom… we’ve become those things. But what does it mean if there’s no struggle? No fight to attain them? If we destroy the Sea of Nihility, will we make the realms complacent?”
Wujin Meng nodded in agreement. “Growth comes from challenge. But we also have the responsibility to protect those who are not yet strong enough to face such a threat.”
The Aether’s voice softened, almost tender. “You, my children, have become the embodiment of what the realms strive for—freedom, balance, harmony. But do not forget that the power you hold is not yours alone. It is reflected in all who seek it. If you annihilate the Sea of Nihility, you take away the possibility for others to rise, for others to discover their own Ideas.”
Zui Tian looked over at Wujin, and for once, his grin was gone. There was only deep contemplation in his eyes. “So we let it remain. As a test. As something for them to break through.”
Wujin nodded slowly. “Yes. But we must also guide them. Now that we have ascended, it is our responsibility to help those who seek to rise above their own limits.”
The Aether pulsed softly, its energy wrapping around them like an embrace. “You have chosen wisely. The Sea of Nihility will continue to test the realms, but now you have become the light that others will look to. The ceiling of power has indeed been raised, and with it, the potential for greatness.”
Zui Tian, ever the wanderer, felt a sense of satisfaction. Not the kind that came from victory in battle or overcoming a challenge, but the deeper understanding that he and Wujin had finally reached their purpose. They were no longer just cultivators. They were the Idea itself—the force that would drive others to push beyond their limits, to seek freedom and power in their own way.
As they turned to leave, the Aether spoke once more. “You will face many choices, my children. Not all will be easy, and not all will be clear. But remember this: You are not just rulers or protectors. You are the embodiment of the possibility that lies within every being.”
With that, Zui Tian and Wujin Meng, along with the silent First Darkness, left the presence of the Aether, their minds clearer, their purpose now fully realized. They would not destroy the Sea of Nihility, but they would stand as the guiding force for those who sought to break free from the bonds of fate and destiny.
Meanwhile, across the Infinite Immortal Realms, the changes were already being felt. The Immortal Emperor and the Abyssal Master, among others, could feel the loosening of the shackles that had once bound their cultivation to a ceiling. The Ideas of Power and Freedom that Zui Tian and Wujin Meng had become now rippled through the realms, offering new possibilities to those who sought to transcend their limits.
For the first time in eons, there was a sense of hope—not just for survival, but for true ascendancy. And as the cultivators of the infinite realms gazed into the unknown, they knew that the path forward had become far more challenging, but also far more rewarding.
The realms were shifting. The Ancient Ideas trembled. And the cosmos itself would never be the same.
The Paracausal Ideas of Freedom and Harmony had been born, and they would shape the fate of all existence from now on.
Zui Tian had always had a love for wine, but this time it was different. He had become something far greater than even the gods who once revered him. He had transcended into an Idea, an embodiment of Freedom and Power, and with that transformation came a new purpose.
To commemorate this ascendancy, he decided to do what he did best: create wine—but not just any wine. This would be a series unlike anything the Infinite Immortal Realms had ever seen. It would be a collection of essence, drawn from his newfound power, and from his bond with Wujin Meng.
One evening, after his conversation with the Aether and his decision to leave the Sea of Nihility as a test for the realms, Zui Tian stood before his sister in the courtyard of the Celestial Tavern. Wujin looked at him with quiet curiosity, sensing that he was ready to do something momentous.
“I’m going into seclusion,” Zui said, his usual carefree smile softened by a rare sense of purpose. “I need to create something special.”
Wujin Meng raised an eyebrow, though she knew exactly what he meant. “Another wine, Zui? After everything we’ve just achieved?”
Zui chuckled, taking a swig from his endless flask. “Not just any wine, sister. A wine that carries the essence of what we’ve become. Something to mark the beginning of this new era.”
Wujin smiled knowingly. “Of course. What else could it be?”
Zui Tian retreated to a secluded mountain deep within the Infinite Immortal Realms, a place where time and space bent to his will. With a flick of his wrist, he created a time barrier, allowing him to speed up time within the mountain without affecting the outside world. Here, what might feel like ten years to the realms would be the equivalent of ten billion years for him.
He sat at the peak of the mountain, the wind swirling around him, and began to focus. His mind, now unbound by causality, stretched across the realms, gathering the purest essence of freedom and harmony. These weren’t just concepts to him anymore—they were Ideas that he could touch, shape, and bottle. He would condense these Ideas into something tangible, something that could be tasted and experienced.
His first task was to create 100 bottles of wine, each representing the balance between Freedom and Harmony—the two aspects that he and Wujin had come to embody. These wines would be more than just beverages; they would be imbued with the essence of their transcendence, capable of unlocking the potential of whoever drank them.
For ten billion years, Zui Tian worked in complete seclusion. The passage of time meant nothing to him now, and yet every moment was filled with purpose. He drew upon the chaotic energies of creation, tempering them with the stillness of balance, crafting the perfect fusion of opposites in every drop of wine. He poured his heart, his soul, and his newfound understanding of paracausality into each bottle.
As the centuries passed within his time-bubble, Zui Tian perfected his craft. He infused each bottle with the power of his own Idea of Freedom—the raw, unshackled force that allowed him to move through existence without constraint. And from Wujin’s Idea, he drew the delicate balance of Harmony, the equilibrium that made all things possible.
Each bottle was unique, but together they formed a set of 100 perfect bottles, each carrying a piece of their transcendence. These bottles weren’t just wine—they were the distillation of the Ideas themselves. Anyone fortunate enough to drink them would gain insights into the nature of freedom and harmony, glimpsing the path toward transcendence.
But Zui wasn’t finished.
He knew that his estranged older brother, the First Darkness, had been watching from the shadows for eons, waiting, observing, but never fully stepping into the light. Zui, ever the sentimental soul, felt a deep bond with his brother despite the distance between them. And so, he decided to create something special for him.
The Darkness Wine would be a reflection of the First Darkness himself—pure, enigmatic, and unfathomable. Zui drew upon the dark energy of the cosmos, the same primordial chaos that had birthed his brother, and condensed it into a liquid as deep and endless as the night sky. This wine would be a gift, a recognition of the First Darkness’ role in the cosmic order, a reminder that even in the shadows, there was power and purpose.
He crafted ten bottles of Darkness Wine, each one holding the power of the first void, the original darkness that existed before creation. These bottles were unlike any other—they didn’t glow with the vibrant energy of creation like the Freedom and Harmony wines. Instead, they seemed to absorb light, pulling in everything around them like miniature black holes, yet within them lay the key to understanding the essence of darkness.
As Zui Tian finished his task, the mountain glowed with a faint ethereal light, and he looked at the bottles arrayed before him.
The 100 bottles of Freedom and Harmony stood in perfect formation, each shimmering with a balance of radiant light and gentle shadows. They pulsed with life, with the potential to awaken new paths in any cultivator who dared to partake.
The 10 bottles of Darkness Wine were different—silent, still, and imposing, like secrets waiting to be uncovered. They would be for his brother alone, a gift that transcended time and space.
Zui Tian smiled softly to himself as he wiped the sweat from his brow. “I think I’ve outdone myself this time.”
After what felt like only a moment in the outside world, but countless eons for Zui, he returned to the Celestial Tavern. The weight of the bottles he carried was nothing compared to the significance they held. Wujin Meng was waiting for him in the tavern’s courtyard, as serene and graceful as ever.
“You’ve been busy,” she said, her voice filled with amusement.
Zui grinned, setting the bottles down carefully. “You could say that. I made something to mark the occasion.”
Wujin’s eyes flickered over the bottles, immediately sensing the immense power they held. “Freedom and Harmony… distilled into wine?”
Zui shrugged nonchalantly. “Seemed appropriate. I thought we’d share them with a few… worthy individuals.”
Wujin chuckled softly. “Always the sentimental one.”
Zui raised an eyebrow. “Speaking of sentimentality, I made something for him.” He gestured toward the ten bottles of Darkness Wine.
Wujin’s expression softened. She knew who he meant. “You’ve always looked out for him, even though he’s kept his distance.”
Zui nodded, his usual carefree expression replaced by a rare moment of sincerity. “He’s still family. And family deserves something special.”
With the bottles of wine laid out before them, Zui Tian and Wujin Meng sat together, the weight of their ascendancy still fresh in their minds. The Infinite Immortal Realms would feel the ripples of their creation soon enough, and those lucky enough to taste the wines would experience the power of Freedom, Harmony, and Darkness in ways they could never have imagined.
But for now, the two siblings were content. They had raised the ceiling of power for the realms, but they had also left a piece of themselves behind—wine that would inspire and awaken those who sought to walk the path of cultivation and transcendence.
The Era of Ideas had truly begun.