Black Swan had seen Shi Tian's silhouette numerous times. From the moment he interfered with Amphoreus down to the moment he used Remembrance's influence to rewrite the universe, she has seen it all. Her connection with Remembrance… or rather, Fuli's fragments is special. Numerous circumstances led to this moment—of this exact meeting.
Her secrets are destined to be uncovered by Shi Tian's encompassingeyes.
'...I see where it went wrong.'
Black Swan is powerful during certain circumstances. She could get caught off guard, such as the Astral Express' time in Amphoreus. However, it does not diminish her capabilities to locate specific nodes in fate. That was why she temporarily joined the Astral Express, and in the four choices presented amongst them, she egged them on to choose the least dangerous, Amphoreus. The remaining three would have led to one tragedy after another—Herta becoming Irontomb's head, the Xianzhou Alliance's Divine War, and the Astra Express crossing paths with the most dangerous Lord Ravager, Zephyro.
With all said and done, Black Swan could not compare to destiny's slave. That power of hers, while supporting her feat of rebelling against the behemoth that was the Garden of Recollection, is limited.
After all…
It is not hers to begin with.
"Remembrance is destined to become the Fourth Finality at the end of times. That we are aware of." Shi Tian paused before asking, "What did you see with those eyes, Miss Black Swan?"
"..."
Black Swan went silent for a moment. Her purple irises met his gaze. She wore a pensive look, as if she was afraid of telling a horrific vision. Only after she made a decision did she heave a deep sigh.
"This world… has strayed further from the outcome it wanted to see."
It was Shi Tian's turn to be silenced, ushering in a moment of contemplation.
'Remembrance… It is very similar to mine.'
Black Swan's power was reminiscent of his use of Blade Mantra. Shi Tian 'copied' Cyrene's authority over Remembrance, gaining all of the power she was granted. She is a bonafide Pure Child of Anasrava, born out of a world's lament and grief. This meant that his capabilities over Remembrance remain limited within Cyrene's limitations.
One special aspect of the 'Paths' is their exclusivity. There are Emanators who do not share the same capabilities as others. Black Swan's 'power' is related to sight while Cyrene's entails the process of creation. There are things Black Swan could do that Shi Tian cannot; and vice versa.
"Let me take a guess. Is it because of me?"
She nodded slightly.
"Your presence brings untold changes to the universe. New futures it hasn't seen before. However, it also carries untold amounts of destruction… and ends nobody dares to see…"
Not even the universe itself.
"I wanted to hear of your plans… to ascertain its future."
At this moment, Shi Tian saw Black Swan's delicate position. She is ready to go against him at a moment's notice, but at the same time, finds his power appalling. This wasn't the only thing that he realized.
'Calamities…'
Immortal cultivation provided the way to transcend heaven. To become an infinitesimal being whose power knows no bounds. To become someone who waits at the end of time.
A True Immortal's might is boundless, but the same goes to its prerequisites. Starting from the Dao Integration Realm, one must embody a Dao, comprehending it until they have reached their limits time and time again. Then comes the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
It is what comes after the perfection of one's Dao. Three major tribulations, each capable of taking not only the cultivator's life but also their beloved, would descend out of chaos. It is a test initiated by their own Daos, challenging the will of myriad things. Withstand all three and it shall prove that their Dao is worthy of embodying the infinite. Otherwise, they would find themselves turned into brown dust, returning to insignificance.
Shi Tian surpassed the first tribulation. It is a 'man-made' tribulation he was pushed onto when he was a mortal. His unchanging nature prevailed over Nihility, clearing the first challenge to his Dao. As for the second tribulation, he could feel it coming closer as his self-coronation drew near. It was, yet again, a tribulation that prematurely broke out.
Finally, there was the third tribulation. Shi Tian could not even begin to fathom its nature, much less its difficulty. It is the final hurdle between his Tribulation Transcendence and the True Immortal Realm. Wendy's divination revealed that the second tribulation attracted the attention of all eighteen Aeons of this world. That includes Finality, the most special of them all—the endpoint of this universe given form.
'The second is to create. The third spells extinction.'
Black Swan's words gave him an idea as to what his third tribulation might turn out to be. The first two involved this universe's strongest forces. The second, in particular, involved Finality. The third tribulation is bound to be stronger than the first two, lest it would be undeserving of its position.
What could be stronger than Finality?
At the very least, Shi Tian could not think of anything like that in this world. Thus, it only meant one thing:
'It shouldn't be from this world.'
Only a moment passed after completing his preliminary guesses. His complex thoughts amounted to nothing in the face of his current Void Refinement Realm cultivation.
"I will be here to witness the world's future. Whatever tribulation it may face, I will be there to support it. I guarantee it in the name of my Dao."
The moment he finished speaking these words, an ethereal and suffocating pressure emerged out of nowhere. Black Swan's eyes widened as she saw them envelope Shi Tian completely. Though it lasted for an instant, she instinctively knew the weight of it—the implication of the Dao Oath he had performed just now.
It is one of the few binding 'contracts' high-level cultivators may opt to use. They no longer speak in the name of Heavenly Dao but that of their own. Breaking oaths formed in this way would affect their future cultivation. That was the reassurance Shi Tian decided to give to Black Swan—and to everyone else who would ask him the same question.
"I hope this reassurance is enough, Miss Black Swan."