Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2275: The golden ability

"....."

Glatheon continued staring at Robin’s face for nearly a full minute, unable to look away no matter how hard he tried. Every attempt to redirect his thoughts failed almost immediately, as his mind kept returning to the same unbelievable conclusion over and over again.

What Robin had just said bordered on fantasy.

Not the exaggerated fantasies of ignorant cultivators who dreamed beyond their capabilities, but the kind of fantasy that directly contradicted principles that had governed the universe for countless ages.

If there were a manifestation of determination, it would be drawn in Robin’s image.

A manifestation that refused compromise, refused surrender, and refused to acknowledge limitations even when reality itself attempted to impose them.

And if there were a Master Law of stubbornness, it would belong exclusively to him!

What he had essentially said was that the Master Law of Causality had guided him toward certain death, and because fate was unavoidable, death had indeed come for Robin exactly as intended, fulfilling the role assigned to it by the universe.

But what had he done when death finally reached him?

He had not regretted his decisions.

He had not questioned his choices.

He had not panicked.

He had not screamed and surrendered himself to the agony of death.

He had not desperately searched for someone to blame.

Instead, he had begun studying the Fundamental Law of Death?!

And had actually discovered its key within mere seconds while standing at the very edge of existence?!

What kind of stubbornness and concentration was that?

What kind of absurd mentality allowed someone to remain focused on understanding a Law while death itself was claiming his life?

And why were you focused on discovering the Law of Death at a moment like that in the first place?

To take it with you into hell?

To satisfy your curiosity before disappearing forever?

Who would even think of something like that?

Who besides Lord Robin?!

The Master Law of Causality hated him?

No...

The more Glatheon thought about it, the less believable that idea became.

If the Law possessed consciousness, then it undoubtedly favored him.

And that Omen of Truth ability was proof enough.

An ability that granted warnings without cost, insights without sacrifice, and guidance that should not have been possible.

And even if it did not favor him, then the Law of Causality simply no longer knew how to deal with him, like an impossibly stubborn infant whom you could not punish, could not threaten, and could not force into obedience, leaving you no choice but to let him do whatever he wanted while hoping the situation somehow resolved itself.

Whatever the reason...

His Thread of Fate had ended the moment death arrived and completed its role.

The original future had reached its conclusion.

The original path had stopped there.

Everything that happened afterward was a variable.

A deviation.

An anomaly.

Something that should not have existed according to the original design.

And describing him as someone who should not exist was not very far from reality.

"...The more I hear from you, the more my respect for Your Majesty grows." Glatheon sighed deeply, his expression complicated. "And the more my contempt for myself increases."

"There is no need to think that way, Glatheon. No one is born a genius. Even I was once called Fishbones, and I suffered through some of the cruelest forms of torture imaginable and endured tragedy after tragedy." Robin spoke in an exceptionally calm tone while continuing to observe the board before him as though discussing a distant memory rather than his own life. "All a person truly needs is focus on their own path... and a good opportunity."

Then he smiled at Glatheon.

A simple smile.

Yet for some reason it carried immense confidence.

"And perhaps your opportunity is meeting me."

"...." Glatheon nodded firmly.

Those words represented the pinnacle of arrogance.

The sort of arrogance that would normally provoke immediate hostility.

After all, Glatheon was a Guardian and ruler of a millennia-old empire whose foundations had survived storms capable of destroying lesser civilizations.

And only now his opportunity had arrived?

Only now?

After everything he had accomplished?

Yet considering who had spoken those words...

Considering the person sitting before him...

He was probably right.

"Your Majesty," Glatheon hesitated briefly before speaking again, carefully organizing his thoughts so he would not waste the opportunity, "may I ask you something?"

"...." Robin glanced toward Pistu and Harper. Seeing that his drink was still being prepared and that neither of them seemed close to finishing, he returned to examining the board. "Go ahead."

"Thank you." Glatheon revealed a faint smile. Every additional sentence that emerged from that man’s mouth opened entirely new horizons before him while simultaneously tearing down old assumptions he had considered unquestionable truths. "May I ask... how can a Chosen of Truth in the Martial Emperor Realm possess the Fifth Grade of Spacetime? And can you actually use it?"

Glatheon’s eyes widened slightly.

His soul longed for this knowledge.

Not because he desired power for himself.

Not because he intended to imitate Robin.

But because understanding even a fragment of the answer would completely reshape his understanding of cultivation.

Someone capable of freely wielding the Fifth Grade of Spacetime could fight any Behemoth face-to-face.

Such a person would stand among the absolute monsters of the universe.

Distance would become meaningless.

Movement would become meaningless.

Entire battlefields could become extensions of their will.

If Robin merely understood the Law but lacked the ability to use it...

Well, that would still be astonishing.

A Martial Emperor possessing such comprehension would already be unprecedented.

But it certainly would not be the same thing.

Knowledge and application were entirely different realms.

"Heh~" Robin chuckled. "Why only Spacetime? There are five others, as you know."

For a brief moment, Glatheon thought he had misheard.

His heartbeat seemed to skip.

Then he continued in a calmer voice.

"Anyway, yes. I can use all of them through the Golden Patterns."

"The Patterns?" Glatheon asked, unable to hide his excitement.

"Mhm. It’s a special ability unique to the Golden Candidates, something the Seer gave me... more or less..." Robin explained while absentmindedly tracing a finger across the edge of the board. "I can use the Law of Truth to imitate the Golden Patterns of any other Law and employ it at any level, so long as that level is equal to or lower than my comprehension of the Master Law of Truth. As long as I understand Truth deeply enough, the patterns can serve as a bridge, allowing me to replicate what would otherwise be inaccessible."

"Then..." Glatheon muttered while trying to process the implications and rearrange everything he thought he knew about cultivation. "You can only use the Fourth Grade of Spacetime?"

Robin was still a Martial Emperor.

Which meant that, by all conventional logic accepted throughout the universe, he should only possess the Fourth Grade of Truth.

And using the Fourth Grade of Spacetime wasn’t bad either...

Of course, it was vastly weaker than the Fifth Grade.

The difference between the two was so enormous that entire civilizations could rise and fall without ever crossing it.

But it was still an extraordinary achievement that most cultivators could only dream about even after spending their entire lives pursuing the Law.

"Not exactly." Robin shook his head. "As I mentioned, the matter depends on my level of comprehension of the Master Law of Truth. I completely comprehend the Fifth Grade, and you could say I’m already preparing to explore the Sixth, so I can use the Fifth Grade of Spacetime. Of course, things would be easier if I personally stood within the World Catastrophe Realm, but the winds rarely blow as ships desire, and reality rarely arranges itself according to our preferred schedule."

"But..." Glatheon pointed toward Robin’s body with obvious hesitation, his expression revealing that he was struggling to reconcile what he had just heard with what stood before his eyes.

"Why am I still a Martial Emperor despite mastering the Fifth Grade? Why not just break through?" Robin chuckled as though he had heard that question countless times before. "Several reasons. I could make a list of ten at the very least, but let’s mention the most important one—I still haven’t found a suitable Stabilizer."

"...?" Glatheon looked puzzled. "But don’t your followers distribute high-level Stabilizers as rewards to their own subordinates? From what I’ve heard, even elite officers within your forces possess resources that entire empires would envy."

"And do I look like a subordinate to you, Glatheon?" Robin’s eyes turned slightly cold. "Do I use what ordinary people use? Do I follow ordinary paths simply because they’re available?"

"No, no... that wasn’t my intention..." Glatheon quickly withdrew his words in a calm and respectful manner. "I’m merely saying that anything should be within Your Majesty’s reach. Resources, treasures, rare materials... surely obtaining one shouldn’t be difficult."

"..." Robin returned his attention to the board. "I’ll find a solution."

Then, after several seconds of silence during which his gaze remained fixed on the countless patterns spread across the surface before him, he muttered quietly:

"...I’ve always found solutions, and this won’t be the thing that stops me."

Poof.

Pistu gently placed the hot drink before Robin and then bowed respectfully, careful not to disturb either the board or the conversation.

"O Great One, I feel that I’ve gained additional understanding in the Secondary Law of Sound, and I request a short leave so that I may harvest those insights as quickly as possible before the inspiration fades."

Pistu could barely contain his excitement.

His entire body seemed lighter than before.

Witnessing the Master Laws in such a manner was not something that happened every day.

Most Behemoths had never enjoyed such an opportunity in their entire lives.

Some had spent millions of years searching for enlightenment and never received a fraction of what had been revealed here.

And naturally, nearly any problem related to Law comprehension for those who had witnessed that phenomenon would become dramatically easier.

Concepts that once seemed impossible suddenly became clear.

Questions that had lingered for centuries suddenly possessed answers.

After seeing something like that, even bottlenecks should feel ashamed of continuing to exist.

"And I as well, Your Majesty. I request permission to withdraw and begin closed-door cultivation." Harper bowed beside Pistu, clearly experiencing a similar surge of inspiration.

"You may leave." Robin pointed toward Pistu without even looking up.

Pistu immediately bowed again and hurried away with visible excitement, looking as though he feared losing a precious opportunity if he wasted even another second.

"And you stay here. Are you joking?" Robin pointed toward Harper. "What did you come here for, and what are you leaving for?!"

"Oh!" Harper suddenly remembered the purpose of his visit, his expression immediately turning awkward. "I came to inform Your Majesty regarding the Endless Chaos Empire. They have officially joined as a wing of the Empire, both Guardians have recited the oath, and the armies are currently being merged while the agreed-upon privileges are being granted to them. The integration process has begun smoothly, and no significant resistance has been encountered so far."

"Hmm." Robin nodded. "If that’s everything, then you may leave."

"There’s one more thing." Harper spoke quickly before the opportunity disappeared, straightening his posture. "It’s regarding Marshal Sakaar."