Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1794 The Fifth path

”...The fifth cultivation path... has actually been completed?!” Robin slowly opened his eyes, as though waking from a long, heavy trance.

”......!!” Shaddad remained standing in place, utterly frozen, shock rooting him where he stood, unable to utter even a single syllable.

Even Jabbaʼs eyes widened to their absolute limit, and he hurriedly bent forward to re-examine the volunteers once more, as if desperately hoping to discover some hidden mistake... some tiny flaw that could make this impossible event make sense.

Maybe twenty years ago, when he had first stepped foot into the Academy, he would not have grasped the sheer magnitude of the accomplishment unfolding before him today. But after two full decades of expanding his knowledge, refining his understanding, and witnessing countless breakthroughs... it was impossible for him not to understand now. They had achieved something no being had ever succeeded in doing since the dawn of the universe itself!

”...!” Even Morgana placed both hands over her mouth, her eyes trembling in disbelief and awe.

”This... truly changes everything...” Robin rested his chin on his hand slowly, his expression deepening as his thoughts began to spiral, clearly sinking into a profound inner analysis.

”Yes... yes, everything will change!!” Shaddad lowered his gaze, his eyes wandering like someone still struggling to accept reality. ”Once this array is published, the whole universe will flip upside down. Body Cultivators walking freely in the streets will no longer be rare or mocked-it will become normal, accepted, respected! Entire clans and mighty Empires dedicated solely to the power of the body will rise. Other Truth Chosen will appear, desperately trying to simplify the array even further... truly, everything is about to change!!”

”I didnʼt mean that.” Robin waved his hand in irritation, as if swatting away a buzzing thought. ”Now that youʼve taken the rights to the fifth path, what will happen to my path-the one Iʼve been preparing all this time? What an inconvenience...”

”...?” Shaddad turned toward Robin, bewildered. ”What are you even talking about? This is the fifth path, and it bears your name already. Are you planning to create another one on top of this?”

”My name? I didnʼt do anything worth naming” Robin exhaled heavily. ”I was planning to launch the fifth cultivation path regarding the solution to the internal energy issue... but I suppose it wonʼt be the fifth anymore, will it?” ”Master, please donʼt joke like that! Everything you see-everything that exists here-happened because of you!” Shaddad replied instantly, almost emotionally. ”Youʼre the one who fixed all the design flaws I had before. Youʼre the one who handed me the work of the Second Heaven Chosen. Youʼre the one who introduced me to Elder Brother Jabba. Plus it was you personally taught him, guided him, and supported him until he obtained the Eye of Truth. And finally- youʼre the one who accelerated our path to the final formula by hundreds of years and even cut the cost drastically!”

”Those are all secondary contributions.” Robin waved again and again, dismissing the praise like dust. ”The credit is shared between you and Jabba- and with the Second Heaven Chosen, Dragan.” Then he furrowed his brows tightly, his irritation returning. ”...So does that mean my own path will become the sixth now?”

”What do you mean ʼsecondary”? Before meeting you, all I managed in all those ages was slightly reducing armament costs by finding a handful of alternatives. I never succeeded in adding anything of value-not in hundreds of thousands of years! Dragan was wasting his time exploring that useless tattoo system that never would have led to anything,” he pointed directly at Jabba, ”and Elder Brother had an array filled with flaws that was thrown aside the moment the Sky Opening City uncovered its issues... but now? Now we have a complete path-a brand-new path that never existed in the universe before!”

Then he shifted his gaze toward Jabba, urging him. ”Say something to your Master!”

”...” Jabba stared at Robin, silent. At that moment, Robinʼs brows were furrowed tightly, his expression clearly showing how annoyed and uncomfortable he was. Anyone present would assume he was annoyed because they had reached the Fifth Path before their master, and that was why Shaddad was desperately trying to convince him that he was part of this achievement... but he knew that wasnʼt true.

He knew very well-deep down and without the slightest doubt that his master was the kind of person who forms a plan in his mind and carries it out no matter what obstacles appear in his way. The kind of stubborn, quietly unstoppable person who-if he decided he was going for a walk tomorrow- would still go even if a war broke out, even if mountains collapsed, even if the stars themselves fell from the sky.

Most likely, Robin had long ago fixed in his mind that he would be the owner of the Fifth Cultivation Path and had built his expectations on that foundation. Having the name suddenly taken from him threw him into confusion, because he felt he had failed to accomplish the goal he had set for himself with such determination. ”Hey,”

”Hm?” Robin lifted his head toward Jabba, his expression lazy but his eyes sharp.

”In history, there are five Great Truth Chosen. That means youʼll soon become the sixth.” Jabba smiled a little wider. ”Donʼt you think the Sixth Cultivation Path would suit your name more-as the Sixth Great Truth Chosen?”

”What are you saying all of a sudden?!” Shaddad shouted at his elder brother, unable to accept the blatant twisting of logic.

Paah Robin clapped his hands together. ”Now that I think about it, thatʼs

actually very convincing”

The more he spoke, the more his grin stretched. Then, with a wide and almost predatory smile, he stepped closer to the array and began inspecting the people inside it with his golden eyes more carefully, as though he were preparing to devour them with his gaze, analyzing every ripple of power rising from their bodies.

”We werenʼt done talking-” Shaddad opened his mouth and took two determined steps toward Robin.

But paah Jabba grabbed him from behind, shook his head slowly, and sent him a mental message: (Heʼs extremely stubborn. The more you push him, the more stubborn he becomes. Heʼll see placing his name next to ours on this path as stealing credit from his students, and he will never do that.)

(So weʼre supposed to lie to people then?!) Shaddad responded quickly and angrily. (His contributions are greater than mine and yours-and certainly greater than Draganʼs! Itʼs absurd to pretend otherwise!)

To Shaddad, who had followed the entire history of the development of body strength and knew that hundreds of Truth Chosen and researchers contributed -each at least a little-to every step, and who himself was one of them... Robinʼs contributions to this cultivation path, no... to the world itself, were crystal clear. In truth, even if Robin had done nothing except bring the three of them together, unite their minds, and force their strengths to complement one another, it would have been more than enough to place his name above theirs!

(Weʼll talk about it later.) Jabba patted Shaddad several times, both to calm him and to cut off the argument, then opened his mouth: ”For now, letʼs see the

next step with the Master.”

”Iʼm talking about it because itʼs the next step!” Shaddad pointed toward the center of the hangar, his voice rising. ”Weʼve already created the Fifth Path- now we have to announce it and publish it for the good of the world!” ”...” Jabba suppressed his laugh with difficulty. His little brother was far too naïve, far too righteous for the world they lived in!

”Calm down big boy,” Robinʼs voice came out mocking and amused, his eyes still stalking the volunteers and observing what was happening to them as if watching a rare natural phenomenon. ”Who said anything about publishing the

path?”

”Huh?” Shaddad turned toward Robin in confusion, his face twitching. ”...Then why did we make it if itʼs not going to be published?”

”It will be published sooner or later, why the hurry? The people have been

waiting for tens for millions of years for this path, why not wait a little bit more?” Robin finally turned his gaze away from the center of the hangar, a wide and dangerous smile spreading across his face. ”But why donʼt we use it to take over a part of the universe first?”