Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1109  Equal opportunities

("Are you insane?! Can't you see the treasure right before your eyes?!") Evergreen's voice erupted in alarm, carrying a mixture of disbelief and urgency. ("Right now, you have a forbidden land imbued with the essence of the Destruction Path! You can compare this phenomenon to the Poison Sea on the Poison Rock Planet. That sea gave birth to Durger the Devourer, attracted the attention of that impatient woman, and ultimately granted the planet its current significance. How can you even consider destroying such a place? No, this is even better than the Poison Sea! This entire region has been saturated with the fifth stage of the minor Law of Ashification— especially that abyss over there!")

Robin's eyes widened to their limits as he followed her words, turning to gaze at the gaping abyss left behind in the wake of the Shadow's explosion. Just looking at that abyss sent a shiver down his spine. It was as if it was staring back at him, swallowing light itself, whispering promises of annihilation.

Evergreen continued, her voice tinged with excitement, ("This area was nothing more than a barren desert before, but now, having been marked by the Destruction Path, its value has skyrocketed! No, not just this area—the entire planet has become more significant! Future cultivators will come here, seeking to temper their bodies and souls, searching for relics left behind by the thousands of emperors and millions of soldiers who perished in this battle. Some might even develop resistance to the Destruction Path, while others might give birth to children with a natural affinity for it!")

A faint whistle escaped Robin's lips. His bloodshot eyes darted around once more, now examining his surroundings with newfound clarity.

The land had been utterly ravaged by countless explosions, splitting open numerous volcanoes across the region. Rivers of molten lava surged beneath the earth, threatening to engulf everything in their path. However, whenever the lava cascaded into the abyss, it immediately turned to ash and vanished without a trace.

The Minor Law of Ashification that permeated the abyss acted as a barrier, preventing the lava from expanding beyond the sea of fire. Yet, at the same time, the constant flow of molten rock fed the law, strengthening The Minor Law of Ashification with each passing second.

Thinking about it more deeply… this place had transformed into a paradise for anyone walking the Paths of Destruction, or Fire!

"Hmm… you're right." Robin muttered under his breath, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "But won't Neri attempt to purge the fifth-stage law from the planet? Isn't that against the established rules or something?"

As he voiced his concern, his tone carried a hint of disappointment. Perhaps his joy at discovering such a powerful land wouldn't last long after all.

Evergreen scoffed. ("Nah~ She wasn't the one who brought a fifth-stage law here— she was a victim of it. Why should she go out of her way to remove it? If I were in her place, I'd leave it alone. And judging by the fact that she hasn't made a move yet, I'd say she's thinking the same thing.")

"That's… true!" Robin's eyes flickered with renewed excitement.

Then, a thought struck him. His expression tensed as he scanned his surroundings. "Wait… where is she?" His voice rose slightly. "Neri, can you hear me?! …Could something have happened to her?"

("I have no idea if something happened to her,") Evergreen admitted casually, ("But even if she's fine, she won't respond to you. The battle is over. She has no reason to maintain communication with you anymore.")

She paused for a brief moment before adding, her voice turning more solemn, ("That said… I wouldn't be surprised if her consciousness did fade. If I had fought an opponent of that caliber, I fear I might have been erased entirely.")

"…When I first heard about these rules, I thought they were absolute. But from what I've seen… If I hadn't interfered, that shadow could have wiped out the entire planet. What's the point of rules that bind both me and Neri in moments like that?" Robin shook his head in frustration, his golden eyes flickering with discontent.

("Power, my owner,") Evergreen replied seriously. ("Power gives you the ability to surpass all rules. That woman found a way to circumvent them by using a Soul Shard and the Cataclysm Sealing Cube. She didn't break the rules directly.")

She paused for a moment before continuing with an air of certainty.

("And it's not because the one who set the rules can't do anything about it—it's because they want people to find ways to bypass them. It's a system designed to encourage growth, to push everyone toward acquiring more power so they can exploit the very rules meant to bind them. It's one of the infinite means to achieve a single purpose!")

Seeing Robin's furrowed brows, Evergreen decided to illustrate her point.

("To make it clearer, let me give you an example. One of the most well-known rules prevents anyone from a higher belt from entering a planet in the Young Belt. Forget a Cataclysm level being for a moment— if even a Nexus level cultivator attempted to enter the atmosphere of a Young Belt planet, they would fail. If they tried to force their way in through a spatial gate, they would also fail. But… that same person could still destroy the entire planet from the outside without ever setting foot on it.")

"...?!" Robin's eyes flickered with realization. He was beginning to understand where this was going.

Evergreen's voice carried both gravity and concern. ("Can you imagine? That person possesses the strength to annihilate a planet but not the ability to step foot on it! Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?")

She continued without waiting for his response.

("Another example: If a Cataclysm level being tried to manifest in a Young Belt planet in person, the fifth-stage resistance would immediately activate and obliterate them on the spot. The planet's spirit wouldn't even strain itself doing so. But when that shadow or the Soul Shard appeared, barely a second-stage resistance was triggered… and the planet's spirit was left to fend for itself, utterly alone.")

Robin sat upright on the sea of molten lava, his expression grave. "Are you saying that whoever creates these rules… deliberately leaves loopholes in them?"

("Ask the right question,") Evergreen prompted slyly. ("You should be asking why Young Belt planets are protected in the first place.")

Robin's brows knitted together. "…So that we have time to grow and become stronger?" That was the only logical answer. After all, that was the fundamental difference between them and the Middle Belt.

("Correct. Now, think about this: What if someone who is already strong and powerful enough wants to destroy a Young Belt planet, no matter what it costs them? Would the rules kill that powerful individual over a mere planet whose inhabitants might not even make a difference in the grand scheme of things? Or would they offer subtle workarounds to allow them to achieve their goal without harming themselves?") Evergreen let out a playful chuckle.

("Don't forget— thanks to those loopholes, that impatient woman only sent a shadow. A shadow that you, a local, managed to defeat. If she had no other choice, she might have come herself!")

Robin's fingers clenched slightly at the thought.

("This is the brilliance of the rule maker,") Evergreen continued, raising her hand slightly as if gesturing to the invisible forces governing the universe. ("She was given an opportunity to intervene as a powerful entity, while we —the inhabitants of the Young Belt— were given a chance to survive. The same logic applies to the fact that those high-level figures are allowed to interfere in the Young Belt by communicating with you through Soul Shards, granting you techniques, and even opening spatial gates you can use to go to the Middle Planetary Belt. Technically, they are corrupting the Young Belt and draining its resources. But at the same time, they're also accelerating the growth of a portion of its inhabitants.")

Robin's expression twisted into something darker. "Oh no, no, no… These 'equal opportunities' are not equal at all! They favor the stronger side of the equation! What good is a so-called 'fair chance' if I'm not already strong enough to surpass the Young Belt myself? And what will happen if that woman returns, furious, and decides to erase this planet in her wrath?!"

His frustration boiled over as he groaned. "Damn it, Evergreen! You just ruined my peaceful mood! What a horrible conversation!"

Evergreen chuckled again, her voice carrying a playful yet knowing edge. ("Relax, my owner. That is impossible!")