The Common Source

Director Tang slowly leaned back against her chair, the fabric of her clothes making a soft rustling sound. The light from the window seemed to dim for a moment as an invisible pressure condensed in the air.

Her voice was extremely soft as she calmly dropped a bombshell: "Starting from Rank 3, the boundary between transcendents and supernatural creatures is no longer clear."

"What?" Yue Shi asked, somewhat incredulous.

Tang Zhuhe asked instead, "Have you ever read zombie apocalypse novels?"

Yue Shi nodded.

Tang Zhuhe’s speaking pace was steady. "When the zombie virus breaks out, some people are infected and turn directly into zombies, while others gain superpowers after infection."

Yue Shi looked thoughtful. "What do you mean by that?"

"It’s just an analogy," Tang Zhuhe said, her voice clear and powerful. "You should know that originally, this world had no transcendents and no supernatural creatures. When the supernatural descended, transcendents were born at the same time."

It was as if thunder had struck in Yue Shi’s mind. He instantly grasped a key point, and his heart rate involuntarily quickened.

Tang Zhuhe continued without pause, "The power of both transcendents and supernatural creatures comes from the 'source.' Where exactly the source comes from, I don't know either. However, the source usually contains a certain primal will-imprint—a will that is often insane, distorted, and chaotic."

She slightly emphasized her tone: "A person who obtains and discovers they possess supernatural power is a Rank 1 transcendent. The process of moving from Rank 1 to Rank 2 is called the Exploration Phase."

"A Rank 2 transcendent is someone who fully understands the nature of their supernatural power and can use it skillfully and flexibly. The process from Rank 2 to Rank 3 is called the Control Phase."

"During this time, as the transcendent's power grows bit by bit, hidden dangers also sprout. The primal will-imprint contained within the source grows stronger along with the transcendent's strength, constantly influencing their will and character. When it reaches a certain critical point, it will awaken and fight for control over the body."

"The process of advancing to Rank 3 is a struggle between the human will and the primal will within the source. It is a matter of whether the human masters the power, or the power masters the human."

"Every transcendent will advance to Rank 3 once they have accumulated enough power. It is an irreversible process with no threshold. The standard for judging success or failure isn't the change in power after advancement, but whether the transcendent is still their original self."

"If the Rank 3 advancement fails, the transcendent's will is destroyed, and the primal will within the source gains the upper hand. At that point, the transcendent becomes a supernatural creature. A 'supernatural creature' is a pure, fully awakened carrier of the source! This is often accompanied by mutation and mental contamination. Their underlying logic is chaotic and disordered. Even if some supernatural creatures possess intelligence and a human form, they still act crazily and are extremely uncontrollable."

"A Rank 3 transcendent, on the other hand, is a symbiote that retains a complete human self-consciousness!"

"Some transcendents who fail the Rank 3 advancement don't turn into supernatural creatures immediately but fall into madness. This is the result of their will being severely damaged or contaminated during the struggle. These transcendents almost never have a good end, because the primal will in the source hasn't disappeared; it's just temporarily suppressed. When it awakens again, the mad transcendent will have no power to resist."

Listening to Tang Zhuhe's detailed and patient explanation, Yue Shi gradually fell into deep thought. No wonder—no wonder Zhu Qunqing had said there was no fundamental difference between supernatural creatures and transcendents.

However, Yue Shi quickly thought of his own special situation. During his Rank 3 advancement, there was only a slight loss of control over his power. He hadn't felt any struggle against a mad will at all. After a simple sleep, everything had fallen into place naturally.

Why was that? Was it the effect of that full moon stone tablet in the mysterious space?

Tang Zhuhe gave Yue Shi enough time to digest the information before slowly saying, "Rank 3 is not the end for a transcendent, but rather an unstable balance. The primal will within the source still exists, and there is always a risk of it awakening and striking back again."

"A Rank 3 transcendent must use their own will to gradually wear down and replace the primal will in the source, imprinting their own will onto it to completely escape its influence. When this step is achieved, the transcendent enters Rank 4. The process from Rank 3 to Rank 4 is called the Assimilation Phase—it is the process of completely assimilating the source into a power that belongs uniquely to oneself."

"Rank 1 and Rank 2 transcendents are all potential supernatural creatures. Rank 3 transcendents have a chance of losing control, going mad, and turning into supernatural creatures that attack indiscriminately. This is why the Investigation Bureau must keep information about Rank 3 and above secret. Some of the supernatural creatures in reality are actually transcendents who lost control. This terrifying truth, which could trigger widespread panic, must be kept hidden at all costs."

Hearing this, a subtle look flashed in Yue Shi’s eyes. He suspected he had skipped Rank 3 and gone straight to Rank 4. After all, he truly couldn't feel any interference from another will within his body.

Tang Zhuhe added, "As a transcendent masters supernatural power and grows stronger, that power will in turn affect their body, causing them to gradually converge with the source of that power."

"Therefore, after reaching Rank 3, transcendents often gain a second form in addition to their human form. This form is generally called the Transcendent Form; it is the manifestation of your supernatural power. Of course, some people call it the Supernatural Form. As you know, if a Rank 3 transcendent loses control, they will become a supernatural creature in this form. Some religious systems call it a 'Dharma Body' or a 'Mythical Creature Form.' In short, they all mean the same thing."

"There is an interesting saying—the source inside a transcendent is an egg. The process of advancement is the process of hatching that egg. Rank 3 is when the egg breaks its shell. The thing that hatches from the egg is the transcendent's Transcendent Form. It possesses a chaotic will, and you must conquer it, or you will be devoured by it."

"Transcendent Forms come in all shapes and sizes. They can be creatures, objects, or even natural phenomena like fire or shadows. More special Transcendent Forms are those of Mythical Species or beings from folklore, which often awaken unique innate divine powers."

"When a transcendent manifests their Transcendent Form, their power increases significantly. But there is also a risk; using the Transcendent Form at Rank 3 makes it easy to lose control."

Yue Shi suddenly understood, the confusion in his eyes completely dispelled. "I see. Director, thank you truly for your openness. I finally understand everything now!"

Tang Zhuhe waved her hand dismissively. "When I was young, I hated those people who acted all profound and spoke in riddles. Now that I'm an elder, I refuse to be a riddler. Answering all doubts and confusion clearly is much more beneficial for the development of the new generation, isn't it?"

"The Director is wise," Yue Shi praised sincerely.