Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1895 Other Robins?!

After throwing the new board onto the pile stacked beside the desk, Robin fixed his gaze on them for a long moment, his eyes tracing the layers one by one, before releasing a slow, weary sigh and leaning his head back again.

The number of innovations he had reached for the Sixth Path had already climbed into the dozens-far more than he had initially anticipated.

Just recently, his Sixth Consciousness had managed to uncover seven distinct solutions tied directly to the Master Creation Law. Each of them proposed a fundamentally different approach, each carried its own set of consequences and risks, and yet all of them were technically viable-polished enough to be distributed, refined enough to be worthy of publication.

Every cultivation path released in the past had followed the same flawed pattern. They were published with imperfections, then, over time, Truth Chosens and other sages stepped in to amend them, refine them, or outright patch their weaknesses. Even now, every known cultivation path remained riddled with unique problems and limitations. And yet... No.

If a cultivation path were to be released under his name, there could be no room for anyone to revise it afterward. It had to stand complete and flawless from the very beginning. It had to be perfect.

And there was also the matter of time. The Fifth cultivation Path had recently resolved several deep-rooted issues within the First Army. That success had bought him breathing room-around 350 years to continue experimentation before he and his children would be forced to attempt another breakthrough. ”Hooof-” Robin exhaled, deliberately trying to calm his frayed nerves. Whenever conflicts erupted between his own consciousnesses, he felt an unsettling sense of internal discord, a grinding irritation that refused to fade.

”I really hate it when one consciousness tries to seize control of the body from another,” he muttered. ”The worst part is that theyʼre all me. I donʼt even know who Iʼm supposed to be angry at. Iʼm the selfish bastard who wants to write the idea down the instant it appears, and Iʼm also the bastard who wants to keep talking without interruption. Itʼs driving me crazy!”

Turning toward Arkalon, a faint, crooked smile formed on his face. ”Hey- wouldnʼt it be amazing if I had as many bodies as I have consciousnesses?”

”Itʼs possible,” Arkalon replied without looking up, his hand never pausing as he continued to draw. ”You know that already. But itʼs dangerous, complicated, and extremely risky. Youʼre better off not doing it.”

”.....” Robin nodded several times in quiet agreement. ”Creating a body identical to mine using the Master Creation Law, then planting a shard containing one of my consciousnesses inside it-theoretically, that part is simple. But in practice...” He let out a dry chuckle. ”Yeah. Not so simple.”

Even setting aside the immense difficulty of crafting a flawless, identical body -especially for someone who had yet to leave the Martial Emperor Realm- the true nightmare lay in transferring the consciousness itself. First, Robin would need to create a separate soul domain for the copy, nurture it, and strengthen it to stability. Only then could he attempt to move a royal star-one that contained a consciousness-into that new vessel.

On paper, everything sounded feasible. But what would it truly cost to transfer a royal star? And more importantly... was he really willing to weaken his own existence by the weight of a star for every single copy?

And there was another problem.

All of those copies would remain fundamentally bound to him. They would not be free. They would possess consciousness, yes-but only Robinʼs main body carried the sole initial soul.

The copies would undoubtedly be powerful, and they would undeniably share Robinʼs awareness and intellect. But the sheer number of restrictions, bindings, and shackles that would be imposed upon such living-dead bodies was staggering. The risks were so severe that Robin would need to think a thousand times over before ever daring to take such a step.

”...Iʼll look for a middle ground,” Robin finally said, rubbing hard between his brows as if trying to press the tension out of his skull. Then he gestured toward Arkalon.

”By the way-werenʼt you just telling me earlier that Iʼd end up destroying my empire if I didnʼt send them more money, or something along those lines?” ”You were the one who said that, not me,” Arkalon chuckled softly, a hint of mockery in his tone. ”You said they had, at most, a century before everything start crumbling-and half of that century has already slipped by. Which means the process of collapse has already begun, whether anyone wants to admit it or not. I understand your desire to teach your followers self-reliance, truly I do, but Iʼm not convinced that lesson is worth the risk of destroying everything youʼve built along the way.”

”Hmmm... because of your constant joking” Robin replied while nodding slowly, ”I sometimes forget that youʼre a genuine sage beneath all that sarcasm.” He exhaled quietly. ”All I want is for them to act with reason and restraint. They will never starve-thousands upon thousands of planets are being mined relentlessly, their resources funneled straight into the factories. The revenue of the Shadow Swords alone is astronomical, more than enough to offset any increase the empires might require. And thereʼs also the Academy; for all we know, it may already be generating a substantial surplus.”

”...If they simply make do with these resources, theyʼll continue advancing steadily and wonʼt need me at all,” he went on, his voice growing heavier. ”But if, even after all this financial backing and structural support, they still fail to endure and end up collapsing... then what meaning does all my effort hold? As we said earlier-am I the one supporting the empire, or are they supposed to be the ones supporting me?” Robin shook his head again, more firmly this time. ”Iʼm completely confident theyʼll be satisfied with what they already possess and wonʼt ask for anything further.”

Then his expression darkened, the levity draining from his face. ”But if it does happen if they truly fall into trouble and genuinely ask for help... Iʼll give them enough to keep things running. No more than that. And when that happens, the serious face of the father will come out.”

”Oooh, how frightening,” Arkalon burst into laughter. ”What will you do next- ban them from playing for an entire month? Hahaha.”

”.....” Robin stared at Arkalonʼs infuriatingly relaxed face for a long moment, resisting the urge to respond. Eventually, he sighed and deliberately changed the subject. ”Has the technique for absorbing soul force from the atmosphere reached forty percent yet?”

Several decades earlier, Arkalon had managed to push his technique to 25% of the natural energy absorption rate-a breakthrough at the time. That very version had been handed over to Morgana and used as the foundation for

establishing the Soul Army.

”Hmmm, itʼs at forty-four percent now,” Arkalon answered, his tone suddenly serious and professional. ”I believe I can push it to at least forty-seven percent within the current decade. However, the project aimed at further easing the compression of royal stars through external assistance will have to be postponed.” He frowned slightly, as if recalling an inconvenience. ”By the way, Iʼm formally requesting an increase in vacation time-three days per week.” ”... Why donʼt the rest of the soul creatures behave like you?” Robin studied Arkalon carefully. ”I mean, thereʼs no denying theyʼre evolving-becoming more realistic, more aware. Most of them have even started speaking. But you...” He paused. ”Youʼre missing nothing except a physical body.”

”And were they like me when they were alive?” Arkalon replied calmly, already returning to his drawing. ”Iʼll consider your silence as approval for the weekly vacation. Much appreciated.”

”....” Robin fell into deep thought. Despite Arkalonʼs light tone and casual humor, his words carried deeper implications that lingered uncomfortably. There were ancient tales-half-forgotten legends-of extraordinarily sentient soul creatures who once accompanied Behemoths on their journeys. Soul beings known by name, each with their own myths, capable of attaining terrifying power. Power so great that, even as soul creatures, they could fight Guardians on their own.

Perhaps, one day, Arkalon might reach that level.

Robin smiled faintly and shook his head. That bastard would rather stay at home with his wife and children than ever step onto a battlefield.

Knock Knock

”.....?” Robinʼs expression shifted when he sensed someone gently tapping against the defensive array, the contact precise and restrained. Instantly, he knew who stood outside. With a simple wave of his hand-click- the door opened. He frowned at the newcomer. ”Harper, what brings you here? Donʼt tell me one of the empires is on the brink of collapse”

”Your Majesty!” Harper-the Shadow Sword assigned to the Academy-looked

at Robin with undisguised panic, his voice tense. ”You must enter the Soul Society immediately!!”