Lord of the Truth

Althera continued speaking in detail about the Great Chosen of Truth,

"...A massive number of the research topics currently active across countless civilizations—he was the one who initiated them.

He released them freely to the public, without seeking recognition or reward, then simply shifted his focus elsewhere.

And from those simple seeds, entire fields blossomed, leading to millions of years of refinement and advancement."

She then gestured toward him meaningfully.

"The same applies to the Body Cultivation Path. Before him, it was lifeless, forgotten, frozen in time for ages.

But what he did reignited it—breathed life into a dead concept—and triggered a development process that has lasted over fifteen million years.

That process is still ongoing, currently attempting to refine and stabilize the seventh stage."

She shook her head slowly, her tone growing colder.

"Yet sadly, it was never officially recognized as a viable route to power.

It came to be seen only as an auxiliary method—a supplementary path used by those who were already powerful to begin with.

Because of that perception, it was denied the honor of being called a proper cultivation path."

"I don't quite get it all…" Robin muttered, a slight crease forming on his forehead.

Althera patiently clarified,

"A cultivation path is only acknowledged as a true path when it allows ordinary cultivators—those without extraordinary resources or bloodlines—to reach a level of power comparable with a World Cataclysm.

That's the gold standard.

Even if a cultivator from the third Alchemical Path or the Fourth Energy Foundation Path,

has only a slim chance of breaking through—

even if their future is limited and they become the weakest among Cataclysms—

the mere possibility still grants the path legitimacy and recognition."

She continued without pause,

"But if a path caps out at the fourth stage or below, then it's deemed incomplete.

It might have value, yes, but it's not considered a full cultivation path—it can't stand on its own.

And if the path requires very specific conditions, such as bloodline purity or environmental rarity,

then it's categorized as a limited-use path—what we call a supplementary path or an auxiliary route.

It might help, it might even empower—but it won't lead anyone to true ascension on its own."

Robin frowned more deeply.

By that logic, his fifth path—the one he had poured so much time and effort into—was not yet a cultivation path either.

All his current research was aimed at solving how Martial Emperors interacted with laws, not at creating a clear breakthrough method to reach World Cataclysm.

He had never considered what it would take to push someone from that path into the next realm.

Even if he succeeded in solving every detail… his path might still end up labeled as incomplete.

After a quiet pause, Althera resumed,

"Now, regarding the Body Path specifically—the arming method created by the Great Truth Chosen, Thameron—was nothing short of genius.

It allowed complete cellular restructuring, turning a mortal body into something divine.

But the cost… was astronomical.

To achieve such a transformation, the practitioner had to bathe in a highly potent solution infused with dozens of ultra-rare elements,

each one harvested from dying stars, void storms, or the remains of long-dead Titans.

And to succeed, they had to absorb the entire bath in one go—leaving not even a single drop behind.

It's a one-time procedure, but the price?

Even among the children of Behemoths, perhaps only a favorite son or daughter—blessed with absurd wealth—could afford it."

"And let's not forget," she added, "those Behemoths' children usually possess Fundamental Laws that grant power directly.

They have no need to walk the Body Cultivation Path in the first place, so the method becomes obsolete before it's even tried."

"So it ended up being treated as nothing more than a supplement," Robin said with a resigned sigh, nodding slowly.

"An auxiliary power boost for those already strong… nothing more than an enhancer."

Now fully grasping the situation, he raised a question,

"But if it's that ridiculously expensive, then what exactly are Shaddad and the other Body researchers working on?

What do they spend their time trying to accomplish?"

Althera replied without hesitation,

"They're mainly focused on two things:

First, making the cultivation of the first four stages accessible—right now, it's still prohibitively expensive because it relies heavily on energy gems, which the common people simply can't afford or even find.

Second, they're trying to reduce the cost of the arming procedure itself—finding alternatives, cheaper resources, easier methods.

But they've run into a major problem."

"The more they simplify it," she continued, "and the more they substitute Thameron's original ingredients with lower-cost materials,

the more the result suffers. The arming becomes weaker, less durable, more flawed.

In every single trial, Thameron's initial formula remains supreme—no version has surpassed it,

no shortcut has matched its results."

Robin sighed again, his voice weary,

"Then that's not development.

That's just… simplification."

"Maybe~ but at the very least, they maintained the same structure of bathing and arming,

and managed to formulate a sixth-stage bath. Naturally, I don't even need to point out—it's several times more expensive than the fifth-stage version…

At current rates, collecting the ingredients for a sixth-stage bath wouldn't cost less than ten billion energy pearls. That's the bare minimum."

"Ten billion?!" Robin nearly sprang to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Even an Emperor ruling over a thousand-year-old empire wouldn't be able to afford something like that.

Perhaps only legendary figures like Lord Morval and those of his stature could entertain the thought—and even then, they'd likely dismiss it as impractical.

Althera gave a slow, understanding nod.

"Shaddad's contributions in this domain are nothing short of remarkable—especially within the first four stages.

He didn't just imitate the method of the Great Truth Chosen, Thameron—he embraced it fully and began implementing it right from the first stage.

And since the first four stages don't require godlike physical transformation, the arming materials needed were far cheaper than the energy gems typically consumed for cultivation at those levels."

She lifted one finger, her tone growing instructional.

"That approach didn't just reduce the gem consumption—it also shielded the body from constant saturation by raw energy.

Overstuffing the body is a serious risk at early stages.

His method offered a clean, measured buildup, creating a stable foundation.

More importantly, it paved the way for anyone preparing to attempt the fifth-tier bath.

A body that has already undergone structured arming is far more likely to accept the bath ingredients deeply and efficiently.

That means you could collect a less expensive version of the fifth-stage bath materials and still extract tremendous results from it."

She lowered her hand with a small smile curling on her lips.

"Working with Shaddad is… exhausting. He's intense, demanding, sometimes frustrating.

But the man's a genuine genius. His work has improved the physical foundation of the students at Dawn light Stellat Academy.

It gave them a solid edge against their peers from other organizations, sects, and schools of thought.

If I said that Shaddad is one of the key pillars behind the prestige and rise of the Academy itself, I wouldn't be exaggerating in the slightest.

And I truly believe that one day, he'll discover a breakthrough to reach the World Cataclysm Realm through the Body Cultivation Path.

He might be the one who transforms it into a recognized, complete cultivation path—not just a side route for the strong."

Then she gave a subtle shake of her head, her voice softening.

"It might not happen tomorrow. It might not happen in the next ten thousand years—or even the next million.

But one day... maybe."

Robin nodded slowly, thoughtfully.

Shaddad could only perceive the fourth stage of laws, true.

But what he was doing wasn't law-combat—it was something more fundamental.

He was designing a road, building steps, discovering materials, laying the bricks of a new structure.

The fact that he couldn't see the fifth tier with his own eyes didn't hinder his progress much. His mind was what mattered.

Then Althera's voice rang out again, this time tinged with a quiet certainty.

"Do you know what would help him most?" she asked.

"A single idea—just one—from another Great Truth Chosen."

Robin frowned slightly, a trace of defiance in his tone.

"I'm not a Great Truth Chosen. Not yet."

The fifth path he had forged was already more than enough for now… more than enough to carry.

"It's only a matter of time," Althera replied, smiling softly.

"I knew it the moment I heard the announcement about the Breath of Ages—I was there when the bidding war broke out.

Then my suspicions turned to certainty when I saw you walking alongside the Cosmic Elder.

He's a man who's seen stars live and die—if he sees something great in you, then it's not by accident.

All you have to do now is stay alive long enough to realize your potential."

She leaned a little closer, her tone calm yet firm.

"And the Dawn light Stellar Academy can help you survive.

If you're serious about completing your paths… you should consider it. We can protect you. Remember that."

"...."

Robin furrowed his brows again, clearly catching on to what she was saying.

It wasn't just a casual suggestion anymore—this was a direct invitation.

"I appreciate your offer. It's generous… tempting, even. But I—"

Shoo~

Suddenly, a voice sliced through the room, annoyed and sharp:

"Hmm? When did my room become a public square?"