Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1036: Cultivation paths

”Forget it then-” Robin waved his hand dismissively and looked away. Receiving a direct attack without being able to dodge?

That sly scoundrel would undoubtedly use his strongest attack right from the start. Perhaps heʼd even bring out that dark cube and claim, ”This is my attack.” Sure, Robin wanted to know more about the middle planetary belt, but not to this extent!

”Haha, fine, fine, I was just joking. Of course, Iʼd be happy to explain,” Pythor said, crossing one leg over the other while lifting his left hand to play with a strand of his thick hair. ”But in return, I want an honest answer about the nature of those two flames after Iʼm done explaining.”

”Deal!” Robin shrugged. If Pythor had simply asked from the start whether the flames were merged laws without bringing up martial techniques, Robin would have answered anyway with a Yes. It wasnʼt a secret, after all!

”Good. Let me explain then... Energy cultivation systems in the middle planetary belt have branched out and evolved significantly compared to what we have here. This is only natural when you consider that the planets there range from 500,000 to 100 million years old when it comes to cultivation heritage. Additionally, there are major entities invested in this kind of development, such as multi-planet schools and sects, all the way up to the colossal entities called ʼStellar Academies.””

Pythor started explaining directly, a hint of pride evident on his face as he educated his primary rival.

Robin nodded. That was only logical. He was barely 200 years old yet had reshaped several planets. What about those entities that had survived for millions of years?

Pythor continued, ”One branch of this evolution is the Path of the Soul. We donʼt have Soul Masters here in the young planetary belt, Well, no one except you. But over there, Soul Masters are numerous enough to warrant their own cultivation classification. They even have their own organizations. Anyone who can access their soul domain is called a Soul Disciple, while those who can open gateways to the domain to bring things out are considered true Soul Masters.”

He pointed toward the soul creature Hovenheim, currently fighting about a hundred martial emperors on his own.

”...Soul Masters are respected because theyʼre essentially a moving army. No one knows how many of those creatures a Soul Master has at their disposal until the battle begins. Additionally, their soul creatures donʼt die unless their masterʼs soul units are depleted. You, Soul Masters, are a real nuisance, but youʼre also the weakest defensively. Thatʼs because you focus on your soulʼs force and, frankly, because most of you are human!”

Then Pythor gestured toward Robin.

”When battles start, everyone targets the Soul Masterʼs body. Usually, one or two strikes are enough to settle any fight. Thatʼs why Soul Masters often stay within their organizations, focusing on crafting inscribed artifacts and raking in enormous profits. However, during ancient ruin explorations or wars, Soul Masters travel in groups of hybrids and halflings tasked with defending them. Thatʼs when things get really tough.”

Robin raised his eyebrows slightly. For the first time, he began to form a general idea of what the middle planetary belt was like!

Swoooosh

Boom!

At that moment, something resembling a meteor crashed between Baithor and Robin, creating a massive dust storm. Amidst the chaos, the voice of First Marshal Celebos could be heard screaming, ”Damn you! Youʼre going to die a horrible death today! TODAY!!”

”Haha, Iʼd like to see how!”

Hulak then rushed forward at a similar speed, aiming to punch the injured Marshal again and send him flying once more.

Hisss!

But as Hulak swung his punch, a shadowy snake with five horns emerged from Celebosʼs elbow, sinking its fangs into Hulakʼs hand!

”Tch!” Hulak grabbed the snakeʼs head and crushed it, then looked at his hand, which had started to change color. Nevertheless, he raised it and struck the Marshalʼs nose again.

”I will send you flying whether you like it or not!”

Whoosh!

The Marshal disappeared from the battlefield once more, and moments later, the sound of an explosion came from the nearby buildings.

”Boom!!”

”That stubborn fool...” Hulak shook his hand as if the snake bite were nothing more than a childʼs nip, ignoring the venom infused with the Path of Destruction. He then looked around and laughed loudly, ”Haha! Sorry, guys, Iʼll leave you to finish your tea party. Carry on!”

Bam!

He stomped the ground and leaped after Marshal Sylebos.

Whoosh!

Robin waved his left hand effortlessly, and a gust of wind swept away all the dust. ”Then what?”

”Where was I... Oh!” Pythor tapped his forehead a few times, then gestured as if recalling something. The commotion between Celebos and Hulak was ignored, treated as little more than a squabble between mosquitoes.

”There are several new paths of cultivation over there, most of which arose from the issue of humansʼ inability to use the fourth stage of laws. You see, the human race, the most widespread species in the universe, failed in something as simple as this. As a result, they tried every possible way to become stronger and ensure their survival-even if it meant changing their race at times.”

”You mean...?” Robin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Pythor spread his hands calmly, ”I mean the most prevalent path of all: racial upgrade, And Iʼm a living example. Look at me... I used to be human, like you. Maybe a bit shorter. But I chose to adopt one of those new paths to gain strength after humanity on Poison Rock Planet was on the verge of extinction.”

”...Didnʼt they go extinct that way? You arenʼt really a human anymore” Robin looked Baithor up and down. ”When I visited Poison Rock Planet, the humans who didnʼt get a chance to use that device didnʼt seem like a victorious species to me.”

”They survived, what more can they ask for?” Pythor shrugged.

”No one said the process was without consequences. Itʼs true we have lost what is known as humanity and sometimes see humans as a lower race-or even prey to some. But what was the final result? We became stronger. The human race on Poison Rock survived because they had familial ties with us, and together we conquered several planets! If you were a human there 10 thousand years ago, would you choose this or extinction in an internal war?”

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Robin couldnʼt respond immediately. Baithor was... somewhat convincing.