Chapter 594 - 547: Lantern Bearer

The question was quite direct.

’As a member of the Pillar Stone of Truth, you participated in the betrayal of the god and carved up His authority. Now you want to hunt other usurpers to activate the Heart of Chaos...?’

’Doesn’t that make you a hypocrite, even worse than the other false gods?’

Amonev’s expression remained unchanged; she didn’t shy away from the question.

She walked over to a mercenary terminal in the Ten Thousand People Square and released a wisp of Spiritual Power, activating the divine creation, a relic from 120,000 years ago. On her personal terminal interface, in her commission list, Shi Ming saw an unfinished commission.

[X-Rank Commission: Legacy of Will]

[The god’s fall is destined, and the Cosmic Country’s demise is inevitable. But you, my Friend of the Secret, shall bear the duty of carrying on this will. You will light a lamp in the silent darkness, and the day the Starfire burns eternal will eventually come.]

[...]

[Commission Reward: N/A]

[Commission Deadline: Indefinite.]

"Originally, besides the W-rank title [Friend of the Secret], I also held an X-rank title granted in a time of crisis: [Lantern Bearer]. Because of this, I was qualified to accept this X-rank commission, which was hidden from the other New Gods. Unfortunately, the will of the newborn Cosmic Country enacted a new policy. All Mortal Titles were given expiration dates. [Friend of the Secret], [Lantern Bearer], and all the other Mortal Titles I possessed expired and can no longer be displayed."

Shi Ming was speechless.

The moment he saw the X-rank commission, he understood the role Amonev played and the true meaning of ’Friend of the Secret’. As for the expired Mortal Titles, it couldn’t be helped. If they hadn’t done that, the other false gods would have likely launched a direct assault on the Primordial Star on the very first day of the new First Civilization Cosmic Country.

"My third question is, back then, what was your sister Ali’s reasoning for pulling me from the Pyramid on Earth into that mysterious space to inherit the Civilization Prologue?"

’In other words, with so many capable people in the Star Sea, why was I chosen?’

To this day, Amonev still didn’t know that the Eye of the Divine was on Shi Ming.

"The Inheritance Space is a false starry sky, separated from the Sea of Fallen Stars. It houses the Heart of Chaos, as well as the Inheritance Slates formed from the twelve great arteries."

"Every ten thousand years, or when the old Inheritor dies, those slates offer a new chance for inheritance. This is tantamount to personal guidance from the god. Even Bertutan, who wields the authority of Enlightenment, cannot replicate such a comprehensive inheritance. Of course, you are not the only Inheritor. Before you, there have been nearly seven similar inheritances. The chosen Inheritors all came from Native Star Realms that had a faint connection to the god’s destiny. This both fulfills the guidance of fate and avoids the direct gaze of the other false gods."

"The authority I possess allows all this to proceed smoothly and secretly. For the first ninety thousand years, I was responsible for finding Inheritors. Thirty thousand years ago, after Ali reached the New God realm, we shared the responsibility."

"At first, the threshold for an Inheritor was reaching the Legendary Tier with 1,000 points of Spiritual Power."

"Later, we found this condition too harsh, so we lowered the threshold to 200. As long as someone’s Spiritual Power reached 200, they could resonate with certain items we had scattered, triggering a passage to the false starry sky."

"But even so, most Inheritors would spend years learning the Civilization Prologue in the lonely void, only to prove unequal to the great responsibility. In the long span of 120,000 years and eight inheritances, besides you, only one reached the Holy Hall Tier. None reached the Nirvana Tier. Now, all of them have turned to dust in the river of time."

...

...

...

"I have another question..."

"..."

Amonev had spoken more in one day than she usually did in a month, but it was clear Shi Ming wasn’t done with her yet. Having finally found such an ancient witness, Shi Ming still had many questions.

Amonev had anticipated this.

Because for all the questions she had answered, he still hadn’t asked the most crucial one.

For instance, the most important thing, the one she was sure Shi Ming would be curious about—the "Heart of Chaos." The young man hadn’t mentioned it at all.

The Heart of Chaos is one of the four Divine Remains.

It contains more than one powerful Divine Skill, as well as an unbelievably potent authority. Any Nirvana Tier expert, even a New God like Bertutan who stands at the apex of the Star Sea, would covet it. It was impossible not to be interested.

’Doesn’t he want it?’

’He has already slain a usurper, making him a better fit for the Heart of Chaos than Ali or myself. Why does he act so nonchalant about it? Have these young beings not yet shed the emotion called ’restraint’? Or is he trying to avoid suspicion? Does he think taking the qualification is like stealing something I cherish? Does he not understand that after 120,000 years of attrition, I’m already overwhelmed by these duties and emotions?’

’Interesting.’

Amonev waited with great interest for the young man to ask such a question.

It was like watching a creature in its larval stage experiencing its first love—that subtle, contradictory psychology of being both eager and playing hard to get. Truly amusing.

’There’s plenty of time.’

’No need to rush.’

"I have one more question... Besides Void, Time, Life, Concealment, and Silence, do you have any information about other Numbered Nirvana Skills?"

"???"

’How did the topic get so sidetracked?’

Indeed, for Shi Ming, the most important thing right now was to complete the third task given by the Eye of the Divine: the Ascension Ladder. This meant finding the Nirvana Skill numbered 18, fusing with it, and using it as a catalyst to evolve his Eye of Destiny into its complete form.

Compared to that, the Heart of Chaos was not important.

He had already fused with one type of divine body, which had helped him immensely. But if he got greedy and fused with a second or third, he would inevitably repeat the old god’s path. The Ascension Ladder’s principle was ’those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die.’ To break through the Nirvana Tier and ascend to true godhood, he had to forge a new path.

Although she had her doubts, Amonev still gave him an answer. Now that the [Lantern Bearer] and the [Heir of the Gods] had each claimed one of the god’s final commissions, it was inevitable that they would support each other.

"Numbered Nirvana Skills are rare, and each one is linked to a fundamental principle of reality. Excluding the newly born [Borer], there are a total of 39 in the Star Sea. Many have never appeared, and their whereabouts remain a mystery."

"The ones I know of are as follows."

"Number 01, [Zero]. It originally belonged to the god. Now, it seems you have acquired it."

"Number 02, [Light], belongs to the Sovereign of the Third Civilization Cosmic Country."

"Number 03, unknown."

"Number 04, [Void], belongs to Bertutan. It originally belonged to a unique creature in the Star Sea, the [Void Dragon]. Bertutan obtained its essence after slaying it."