Lord of the Truth

Chapter 2068 Fall of the regime

”....” Robinʼs smile slowly faded, the corners of his lips stiffening as his expression grew more serious. ”The Fifth Path, huh?”

”Hehe, what?” Temari laughed lightly, clearly amused by his reaction. ”Did you really think it was still a secret? The Fifth Path has already produced around fifty World Cataclysms affiliated with the Grave Empire, and the number keeps rising as the array continues to be refined and optimized. We follow everything that happens there very closely, almost obsessively. A new path doesnʼt appear every day. If it did, there wouldnʼt be only four of them in existence throughout the entire known cosmos.”

”Hm,” Robin nodded several times, his gaze distant as if calculating something far deeper. ”Shaddad is diligent, without a doubt. He pushes himself harder than most people ever could.”

”Stop already-” Temari waved her hand with a playful smile, her tone teasing but her eyes sharp. ”Even he has stated more than once that you are the one behind the Fifth Path, and that he is merely an assistant who helps with implementation and refinement.” Then she stared directly into Robinʼs eyes, her voice lowering slightly. ”So? Donʼt you have any intention of making it public? Maybe you invent a small array inside a disc that strengthens the body, something portable and easy to use. Or perhaps you build fixed arrays and charge a fee for each injection session, turning it into a large scale public service.”

”...Do you really think that would be a good option?” Robin smiled again, but this time the smile carried a strange depth, one that made it hard to read his true thoughts.

Had Soul Society really reached the point where they knew what Shaddad said to his assistants? Every single one of those assistants had sworn a severe oath of secrecy, binding their souls and wills. What exactly was happening behind the scenes? How deep did their information network truly reach?

”Of course!” Temari clapped her hands enthusiastically, clearly excited by the idea. ”This would take the era of lone cultivation to a completely different level, a level the universe has never seen before. Especially if the price of armament injections is affordable, it will open more and more doors for selling to lone individuals. Entire markets will shift toward individuals instead of organizations. The age of clans and empires will come to an end forever, and the old structures will crumble from the inside!”

”....” Robin maintained his smile, but his eyes had grown colder, more calculating.

No wonder Soul Society supported this direction. Now he understood why they had accepted his four projects so easily the first time, claiming they supported the new trend without hesitation. Who wouldnʼt want to erase the major powers and deal with scattered individuals instead? Who wouldnʼt prefer a fragmented world over united forces that could stand together against any threat?

If this era had begun long ago, the cursed Behemoth would have faced no resistance when trying to overrun the Mid Sector 101. But now, it was suffering terribly against the combined great powers of the sector and their massive unified armies, armies that were able to coordinate, mobilize, and strike as one. Yes, Soul Society did not want to see its enemies united. It wanted the spread of lone trainees and the chaos that comes with them. The absence of organized power makes everything easier, simpler, and far more controllable.

This is how regimes are broken.

Make the people feel oppressed. Make them believe their leaders are consuming their wealth and futures. Give them hope that they can live better lives on their own, outside any structure or authority. Offer them an alternative that looks tempting on the surface, an alternative that functions as bait, shining and beautiful from the outside.

Then, boom, the regime collapses, and the people collapse with it.

The enemy enters the land without firing a single arrow, without waging a single open war. It enters a land inhabited by a fragmented people, chasing a dream that was never truly theirs to begin with. A dream they will never reach after their land is swallowed. The new owner of the land will make sure of that, carefully and methodically.

Yes, Soul Society clearly supported this direction. Dealing with individuals was more profitable, more flexible, and far easier than dealing with governments, empires, and large political structures.

And for him, as a conquering emperor, a man who sought expansion and dominance over entire sectors, this was perfect too!

Robin exhaled slowly, the breath heavy with thought. ”The price of armament injections is far too high for the public. Even the cheapest one costs thousands of Pearls, and constructing the array itself costs billions. It isnʼt ready for mass use yet, not even close. For now, only my imperial guards and a small number of exceptionally talented individuals can use it.”

Then he nodded slightly, his expression firming with resolve. ”But I will find an alternative. I will think of something that encourages this general trend, something that fits the flow of this era without breaking my own foundations.”

”Excellent!” Temari clapped her hands loudly, her expression bright with genuine excitement. ”When I inform Lord Morval of your decision, he will be extremely pleased. He might even add several new capabilities to your private network for free, hehe.” Then she waved lightly, her tone relaxed but purposeful. ”If you donʼt need anything else, I can start preparing the announcement and the network immediately.”

”There is something, actually!” Robin took out a soul sphere and passed it to Temari with a calm, deliberate motion. ”I want this recording to reach every corner of the universe, inside Soul Society and outside it. I believe you already have the means to distribute it to those who do not enter Soul Society. As long as you have ways to monitor my followers outside, I trust that you can handle the spread. Deduct whatever is needed directly from my balance, without hesitation.”

”Hm?” Temari did not deny anything. She accepted the soul sphere with both hands, curiosity clearly visible on her face and in the subtle tension of her movements. ”What is this exactly? What is this supposed to be?”

She ran the contents through her mind quickly, a wide smile forming at first, full of intrigue and interest.

”.....?!” Her smile slowly faded, turning into pure shock and then horror. ”This...?” She looked back into Robinʼs eyes, confusion and fear mixing in her expression. ”Do you realize...” She stopped, as if the words themselves failed her. ”Do you realize the consequences of this announcement?”

”I have a general idea,” Robin replied with a confident smile, placing his hands behind his back as if everything were under control.

But behind that calm posture, he was clenching them tightly, forcing himself to stay steady and composed.

”No, no, no,” Temari waved both hands rapidly in panic. ”You canʼt imagine what will happen. If you truly had even a partial idea, you would never have asked me to publish this recording!” Her voice rose sharply. ”The Cosmic Elder withdrawing trust from the Stellar Academy? Do you realize how earth-shattering that is?” She pointed at him, her voice trembling. ”And he didnʼt stop there. He personally inserted you into the announcement and mentioned you by name!” Her voice rose again, almost in disbelief. ”What will your situation be with the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academies? How will you deal with the Syndicate after this?”

”Can you do it or not, Temari?” Robin sighed, his voice low but firm.

”...” Temari looked away, then replayed the recording once, twice, three times, biting her nails in visible anxiety, her thoughts clearly racing. Then she began to mutter, ”...I cannot refuse to publish something the Cosmic Elder himself wants released. We cannot oppose it, and we will even do it for free, but...” She looked back into Robinʼs eyes, serious and troubled. ”If the timing is in your hands, reconsider. Publish it after a few tens of thousands of years. Delaying it by a hundred thousand years would not be much in the scale

of the universe.”

”Who knows what will happen tomorrow?” Robin replied with a confident, steady smile. ”Right now, the Supreme Council of the Stellar Academy is in its worst state. It has lost control of ninety percent of the academies, and everyone is complaining about it openly. Who can guarantee me that this wonʼt change, and that they wonʼt regain control over time? If that happens, this recording will become useless.”

”But...” Temari shouted, trying desperately to say something.

”Thatʼs enough, Temari.” Robin waved his hand slowly. ”I gathered a great deal of courage just to give you this recording. Donʼt make me reconsider.” He clenched his hands tightly, sweat forming in his palms. ”Donʼt make me go back

on my decision.”

”....” Temari stared at him for several long seconds, searching his face, then finally nodded. ”I hope you truly know what youʼre doing.” She sighed deeply. ”Do you have any other request?”

”No. You may go,” Robin said, rubbing his forehead with trembling hands, his

composure barely holding.

”..... Temari nodded silently, and the connection was cut.