Chapter 1531
Chapter 1531 - 1527: Clear the Way
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8 min read
"When the Marshal’s Black Flame rose, the entire battlefield became her domain. The soldiers were equipped with armors of blaze and Sharp Blades; they exchanged their opponents’ flesh and Life for Power..."
News came swiftly, especially when there was a great victory at the frontline.
Lu Ping’an himself had not expected that this still-imperfect Power would be decisively grasped and forcibly used by Lulu.
What she got was a third-tier Black Flame Tamer... yet to her, it was only a "Fire Seed."
But her performance far exceeded the original; she just needed to purchase Lu Ping’an’s "Profession Module" in the Courtyard, and combining it with her own eighth-tier Soldier (Warlord) main Path, she was able to almost perfectly reconstruct it.
"I, quite lack offensiveness..." Lulu said so.
Don’t misunderstand, as an eighth-tier, her individual combat power was never lacking, but her main Path as a Soldier Warlord indeed had some generic traits, with relatively average widespread buffs for her subordinates.
When she saw that world-burning Black Flame in the war reports and recordings, she did not hesitate to use it and integrate it into her main profession.
As for the side effect of "Burn Life" to obtain Power... that was a necessary sacrifice.
Strength is not without reason; if Power can be obtained by burning Life, those warriors who linger on the brink of death would undoubtedly ignite themselves.
Moreover, as long as the slaughter and absorption of Life were sufficient, it would not be a slow poison, but a method to augment oneself.
Looking at the results, the effect was very good, but from the casualty list, this was probably quite problematic.
"Why not discuss it with me?"
"...You would have refused."
"It is incomplete; I need time to evolve and perfect it, and it also needs time to expose any possible hidden dangers."
"...I don’t have much time."
The girl, or former girl, shook her head.
"I only have one chance, even with your support, I still only have one chance. My race, my country, and even my world, all just have this one chance."
Watching Lulu smile, at this moment, Lu Ping’an opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
This indeed was the reality, even if already performing best as the Director of Military... the decision-makers and Investors in the rear, how could they be satisfied?
Perhaps switching a person might be better; you aren’t my person, you can’t represent my interest; maybe simply let a human/Saphire person play the role of "leader", such thoughts, inevitably come forth.
Now, it is a critical window and historical turning point; Lulu isn’t nostalgic about power... she saw through those trash and Insects during the previous Directors’ terms, truly not daring to give them the power.
"I..." The young man sighed and finally said.
"Contact me if there’s an issue, I will quickly deduce the version of the Flame; you should regularly check the Taboo Library for anything useful. I will sell the knowledge related to the Black Flame, if you have money, just buy it and not skimp..."
"Yes, I trust you."
The girl walked over, bowed her head, and gently embraced him.
Lu Ping’an didn’t avoid it.
Though it somewhat resembled the manner of a mother embracing a child, this moment of tranquility brought a pleased smile to her weary face.
𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
The vacation time of the Director of Military is even less than that of Lu Ping’an, precisely speaking, as long as she doesn’t shy away from her duties, it’s an endless overtime hell.
And her truly unhesitant acceptance of Lu Ping’an’s "Dark Fire" wasn’t merely a "sentimental decision," but a form of "faith."
As is well known, she is the proxy for Mentor Theory. If so-called Mentor Theory truly becomes a factional ideology, she should be the First Secretary; if the Mentor becomes a Deity, she is even the Pope, the spokesperson for Deity.
She is highly bound with Lu Ping’an in various aspects, but fundamentally, not only does she not dislike this binding, but she views it as a form of honor, a confirmation... Initially composing Mentor Theory from someone’s ramblings, actually it’s "two Eastern Thoughts" actively filtered and processed by these apprentices, definitely a theoretical product that would help this world.
She interpreted Lu’s thoughts and localized them, philosophicalized and elevated them deeply. It can be said she is the most fanatic believer and the most devout of Lu’s ideas.
Is this related to her choices on the Extraordinary Path? Actually, it is the most direct connection, the fundamental reason for her decisive choices.
"Is the pressure too high?" Big Cat asked after the person left.
".....A little, I also don’t know if this path is feasible."
Lu Ping’an was somewhat bewildered, like someone who had casually thrown out an idea, and his subordinates had already come up with a plan and even started implementing it.
"She trusts you." When Big Cat said this, his tone was slightly sour.
"Yes, she trusts me more than I trust myself." This was a reality Lu Ping’an had to admit.
In the world of top-tier Extraordinaries, having Soul and Body as one was one of the basic traits; their "thoughts" could interfere with the world...but from another perspective, the world also limited the scope of their "thoughts."
Deities and Quasi-Gods have their own rules and domain scopes; their power is naturally the product of their Rule and past experiences, life, and philosophical views.
For instance, Guan Xinxian’s path of Redemption, Lu Ping’an’s dealings with "Black Flame"... It could genuinely be said, "Evil power often resides in the hands of evil."
Low-level Extraordinaries might still use "Tools," but the primary Path for certain top-tier Extraordinaries must be the crystallization of their lifetime.
Lu Ping’an was not a good person... He never considered himself a kind person. His past life as a businessman also made him understand that the world could be brutally unfair; good people do not always receive good returns, while bad ones dying peacefully is quite normal.
As a successful businessman, he had done many things that could be called conscienceless, at least slightly better than some, at least not push things to the brink.
People’s values are often set before they turn thirty; unless they encounter something significant, it’s quite difficult to change, and even if it really changes... "A leopard can’t change its spots," and in many cases, the change is just a little.
Lu Ping’an sympathized with the Weaker but admired "fairness" more...sometimes, fairness itself, is the greatest unfairness to the Weaker; the law of the jungle isn’t just limited to the forest.
He despised War but did not deny the necessity of its existence.
As a rational "businessman," he had established his own "Utopia."
Internally, peace and trade were prioritized, so as a businessman, he could maximize his benefits.
Externally...War was the most efficient way to acquire resources, the wars beyond the borders had nothing to do with him; indeed, he benefited from wars but never considered himself an executioner, at least that’s what the younger Lu Ping’an thought.
In some sense, those who hold this concept are the biggest promoters of War.
"Everything, is for benefit."
This was Lu Ping’an’s motto in his previous life, but after experiencing two brushes with death, he added a little something in front.
"For family, to obtain the maximum possible benefits..."
Being extremely kind to "family" and "people of his race" on one hand, and extremely cold to outsiders on the other, Lu Ping’an’s seemingly schizophrenic behavior ultimately shaped his dual-nature as an Extraordinary.
The essence of a Deity’s power is often their Utopia.
Eventually, it formed its part "peaceful trade," part "brutal plunder" nature... The two aspects seem conflicting, but in reality, they complement and support each other.
The military-industrial complexes of the former peaceful markets became the capital for the latter’s plundering of resources, and the resources plundered by the latter became the sustenance for the prosperity of the markets.
Lu Ping’an’s power was cruel and pragmatic...but this "realness" was actually the embodiment of his Mentor Theory and also the source of his strength.
The more the Utopia moved towards reality, the more stable it became, and its capacity "ceiling" naturally became higher.
Lu Ping’an could feel himself growing every day, but just that was still not enough.
Lulu made a choice; her identity meant this was not merely a personal choice, nor just a choice of an Extraordinary Path.
She chose her future "ideology," chose to inherit Lu Ping’an’s ideology, and she herself was the brightest Lighthouse in the world; her decision was bound to change the world...
"This is a choice of the world’s development path... more and more locals will take this path, and I must make it more perfected. Whether as an Extraordinary or in its theorizing about the world."
This time, Lu Ping’an actively opened up his Mentor Theory...
— End of Chapter 1531 —