Lord of the Truth

"Hoo~"

As Robin realized that his surroundings had changed, a long, relieved sigh escaped his lips.

"This might be the first time I've ever felt genuine danger from someone… yet not a single trace of hostility. What a bizarre creature."

Althera offered a subtle, enigmatic smile.

"That's what happens when you take someone from a hot-blooded race—one known for its volatility—and you isolate them in prolonged, solitary retreats. Years pass, and he become so unaccustomed to interaction that he lose all control over their emotional expressions and reactions. And yet... his hearts remain pure."

She then tilted her head slightly and added with a glint in her eye:

"As for his his power? Remarkable."

Robin nodded thoughtfully, gaze distant.

"...I noticed. His aura is overwhelming—dense, forceful, like a tidal wave pressing against the soul. And yet, his cultivation realm is still a Sage. Is all of that raw power truly from the Body Path?"

He had half a mind to analyze Shaddad thoroughly using the Eye of Truth—trace the energy lines from his scalp to the soles of his feet. But something held him back. He didn't want to risk activating the eye in front of either of them.

If they saw the golden hue shimmer across his gaze, they might start asking questions. And Robin was still haunted by his conversation with of the Cosmic Elder.

"You're absolutely right," Althera confirmed, nodding with quiet pride.

"Physical cultivation has been Shaddad's singular obsession ever since he was a child. His race—though born with immense physical power—chose to abandon their natural gifts. Like most other species, they shifted toward internal energy cultivation… and it led them to near extinction."

She paused, her expression hardening.

"Shaddad took that history personally. He vowed to find a way to restore the honor of his people, to reclaim the strength that once defined them. And through relentless effort, he made stunning progress—at a very young age, no less. Enough progress to alter the foundations of body cultivation itself. His results were so impressive that the Law of Truth itself acknowledged him."

"..."

Robin lowered his gaze and nodded slowly, several times.

Another man who had reached his achievements not by chasing the Law, but by walking a path so honest and resolute that the Law chose him.

He was likely one of those "false Chosen" the Cosmic Elder had spoken about—individuals who were acknowledged not because they sought power… but because they deserved it.

No wonder he was still stuck at Tier Three despite his age. Recognition of truth could not always be measured in levels.

Then suddenly, something clicked in Robin's mind.

"Wait… hold on." His brows shot up.

"There's a Body Cultivation Path? Since when?! Why has no one ever mentioned this?"

To his knowledge, there were only four recognized cultivation paths: one based on the soul, and three that centered around manipulating internal energy. Even when he was within the Soul Society—where knowledge was practically worshipped—he'd never once heard mention of a fifth.

Althera, ever graceful, stepped toward one of the few chairs in the room and sat down. She crossed one leg over the other with elegant indifference and folded her hands in her lap.

"That might have been an error in wording on my part," she said calmly.

"You could call it an incomplete path… an auxiliary path… or perhaps a path that cannot yet be walked in full."

Her gaze turned sharp, focused.

"Every stellar academy has its own interpretation of this path. Some refer to it as the last hope of humans. Others consider it the only chance for all of low-affinity races to compete for cosmic dominion. A way for the weak to rise, when the heavens deny them energy and soul."

"Can I ask for more details?"

Robin took two steps forward and sat down across from her, leaning in slightly.

"Is it really necessary?"

Althera sighed with subtle weariness, like a teacher tired of repeating what no one really cared about.

"Just wait until you meet Shaddad again. Ask him directly. He'll give you a comprehensive explanation—from beginning to end."

"But I don't know when that will be," Robin pressed, his tone firmer now.

"And now that you've brought it up, it's lodged in my mind like a thorn—I won't be able to focus on anything else. Can't you at least give me a brief overview? Just a summary… like, what exactly is preventing it from evolving beyond its current stages?"

Althera's calm demeanor didn't falter. She wasn't moved by his curiosity.

The reality was simple: the cosmos had moved on without a fifth path. No one cared about the struggles of lowborns or powerless races.

Sure, as an academic, she might be expected to support research into forgotten systems—but that didn't mean she cared.

She wouldn't campaign for it. She wouldn't fight for it.

And she certainly wasn't going to lobby for a research budget just because someone might resurrect the path someday.

"..."

She looked around the dim-lit room, as if seeking an excuse to not answer. But eventually, she gave in with a shrug.

"Why not. A short summary won't kill anyone—it might even help pass the time."

Then, with her usual scholarly tone, she began:

"The Body Cultivation Path does exist—up to Stage Six. Not only that, but the road to Stage Seven has already been paved. It only lacks the final connections."

She looked directly into Robin's eyes.

"Shaddad is currently at Stage Five within this path. That means, purely in terms of physical power, he possesses strength on par with a World Cataclysm entity and not fall behind."

"What?!"

Robin exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief. The revelation struck him like a thunderclap, rattling his thoughts.

"Wait… are you saying the path is actually complete? If that's the case, then how is it possible that I've never even heard about it before?!"

Althera didn't hesitate. Her response came immediately, crisp and decisive.

"Because it's not practical. Not in the long run."

She crossed her arms, her tone gaining an edge of finality.

"There are dozens—if not hundreds—of different body cultivation techniques that can elevate someone to the power of a Martial Emperor. But all of them share the same fatal flaw. They store energy directly into the flesh, into the bones, and even within each individual cell of the body."

She raised a hand, gesturing as if tracing the outline of a human form.

"Such a method turns the cultivator into a walking fortress—a moving tank filled with concentrated natural energy. It's like inflating a balloon with volatile fuel. Sure, it's strong. It's explosive. But every balloon has a bursting point."

Then her eyes narrowed.

"And in the case of humans and near-human races, their biological structure simply cannot handle enough energy to push them past Level 50. It's a hard limit that no one has ever overcome using those methods."

"..."

Robin nodded slowly, processing her words with growing clarity.

She had described the Body Strengthening Divine Tattoo system in exact detail. That ancient and risky technique functioned by flooding the body with raw energy—but at great cost.

It made perfect sense that others before him had discovered it. After all, with so many intelligent minds across the stars, it was inevitable.

And clearly, some had refined it far beyond the crude versions he had seen.

He also realized: if those enhanced methods drained planetary resources the way the tattoo method did, they would've been banned—or even erased from history—long ago.

What she was saying lined up with reality.

And as for the limits she mentioned… they weren't exaggerations.

There was only one person in known history who had reached a level equivalent to Level 50 using a broken body cultivation path—

Holak.

An anomaly. A natural monster. Someone whose cellular capacity for energy was beyond comprehension.

Althera didn't wait for him to speak. She continued, her tone steady and informative.

"Roughly fifteen million years ago, a Great Truth Chosen named Thameron made a groundbreaking discovery. He devised a method to bypass the natural energy limits of organic bodies. His solution? To not merely strengthen the body… but to weaponize it."

Her voice lowered slightly, adding weight to her words.

"By doing this—by reconfiguring the body itself into a weaponized vessel—an individual could vastly extend their natural limits. Extend them far enough to rival a World Cataclysm in strength, all while maintaining their original racial form and core essence."

Robin's eyes widened as the implications set in.

"That's… amazing."

He leaned forward slightly, excitement coloring his tone.

The phrase weaponizing the body might sound straightforward, even simplistic—but it held unfathomable complexity beneath the surface.

Creating such a path wasn't just difficult—it bordered on the miraculous.

"So… are you saying that this same Great Truth Chosen —Thameron—was the one who built the Body Cultivation Path all the way to Stage Six? And he even laid the groundwork for Stage Seven as well?"

Althera let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head.

"No, not quite."

She tilted her head, her expression distant—almost nostalgic.

"Thameron is well-known in historical circles, not for what he completed—but for what he began. He's often called the Origin of All, yet the Finisher of Nothing. Or, as some scholars say… he's the one who spins the threads, but never weaves the tapestry."

She leaned back in her seat, crossing one leg over the other with calm elegance.

"To give you an example—Thameron was also the pioneer of the so-called Fourth Path, the one based on constructing foundations directly from the Law of Energy. A revolutionary concept."

She exhaled faintly.

"But after outlining the first twenty levels of that path… he got bored. Lost interest. Walked away. Just like that. He shifted his focus to something entirely different."