Chapter 1601
Chapter 1601 - 1597: Advancement
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".....So it was this simple."
𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
This time, unlike the grand spectacle of previous advancements, the moment Lu Ping’an opened his eyes, he had already completed a qualitative change.
Eighth-tier, a realm countless Rule-level strong people could not enter for their entire lives, the true beginning of the journey to immortality—Lu Ping’an stepped into it so easily.
In fact, as he had previously understood, becoming an eight-tier Life system entity, in principle, is quite "simple."
"Creating one’s own substantial ’Divine Kingdom.’"
He had long possessed enough Rule, and the World Fragments gathered from Mercury 42, step by step evolved his rules into the true World’s Reason.
His body had already become immortal.... Whether it is Elder Liu’s Spirit immortality or Lord Xiuyi’s infinite branching, it signifies that beings of this tier have transcended the form of existence bound to a single physical body.
They, have the potential to bear the "Country of Reason" that lies a step further.
The rest is even simpler..... At least for Lu Ping’an.
To assemble one’s own rules, one’s own Rule, into a self-cycling "Independent Space"... This is the creation of one’s own Earthly Divine Kingdom, a powerful manifestation of will that could stand against the world independently, a domain many Extraordinary people could never touch in their lifetimes.
After all, it’s like stacking bricks, turning countless past accumulations into stairs to ascend to the heavens. To miss by a little is still to miss, yet some things can never be accumulated in a lifetime.
And the material needed to construct this mini-world is "Rule."
Often, it would take a senior seventh-tier multiple Rules to serve as Keystones, Pillars, Walls..... step by step to build their own Castle. Heaven knows how long such an accumulation takes.
More difficult still, is to make it self-sustaining and self-circulating.
That is to say, I want to tell a "story," which requires internally consistent logic, requires the characters and figures within the story each to have their identities, and requires their collective actions to enact the narrative... But every character, every figure, must be "Rule."
Thus, to integrate these Rules, it is necessary to make them collectively construct a "story" or what one might call "a principle," essentially fusing these low-dimensional powers.
The material is difficult to come by, the material that can be used is even more so, but the hardest, is that step of transformation, the part that turns "false" into "true."
A theme, a core that runs through the story, a "substrate" for all forces, a "stage" where every existence dances... Yet, Lu Ping’an, right from the beginning, had already found it.
"The trade of Life, a mutually beneficial path to Evolution." He, from the very start, had been telling his story, evolving around it.
Whereas other Quasi-Eighth Tiers, do not have it so easy, they possess too much, which makes it difficult to determine which one is the essential "theme," and whether the world built around that theme can in turn bear their totality.
Some may strive their entire lives and still be stuck at that last step.
It’s not that they are not strong or diligent, but from the start, they never had the possibility of success..... Their Puzzle, from the outset, was incomplete or more cruelly, was never meant to fit together.
It can be said that every eighth-tier is a lucky child who just happened to successfully piece together the Puzzle.
Truly turning it into a world, turning it into a self-sustaining "True World," is one favored by fate amongst countless Losers.... This success rate already makes talent and effort fundamental, and even if everything goes smoothly, it still requires decades of prior accumulation to undergo the transformation.
Lu Ping’an was no exception.
"But from the start, I had the Courtyard...."
Only upon reaching this juncture did Lu Ping’an become increasingly certain of the importance of this "Gift," understanding why it was known as God’s Keystone.
While others piece together a puzzle and then paint upon it, Lu Ping’an started with his own "canvas," ready to be written upon directly.
What he needed was to prove his ability, to prove that he had the capability to become the master of the Courtyard, and at the same time, to activate it and integrate it into his own Rule.
And this endeavor had never ceased.
"Every time the Courtyard consumes Taboo items, especially Rule-level items, providing rule buildings, it means I have integrated new rules..."
From the beginning, Lu Ping’an was building his own "world," and since he had a "foundation" from the start, filling it up thereafter was too easy. Those Rule-level items that were absorbed and assimilated were his continual accumulation of materials.
And the greatest, most valuable materials were those World Fragments... those represented higher levels of World Origin, and after being absorbed, they instantly transformed the original "clay" materials into "reinforced concrete," constructing new and wondrous architectural miracles within the Courtyard, crazily raising its limits.
Without those World Fragments, even Lu Ping’an himself would need decades or even a century of accumulation to compensate for the foundational needs of the "Kingdom."
Yet, he already possessed everything.
As for the privileges of the Life system, the miracle of creating life, in a sense, validated his qualification as a life form of the eighth-tier or beyond, granting him the status of a "Creator" and paving the way to the pinnacle... But from another perspective, it was also due to possessing those World Fragments turned into rule buildings and Occupational Traits that he easily achieved all this.
"Lamp Flowers, and Phoenix Fire, will become Earth’s native citizens..."
Seizing this opportunity, and the occasion to communicate with the world, to register his creations as local citizens.
As their "father," Lu Ping’an successfully naturalized his "children"... Of course, this world needed more fresh blood, and Lu Ping’an was not the first to do this, but he was definitely the youngest and the "weakest" among those who could.
Lu Ping’an extended his hand; this time, the sacred flames and the deadly Black Flame were both burning gently on his right hand.
This time, he did not gain anything... He merely integrated everything he possessed and then secured a stronger platform, which was enough to bring about a qualitative change.
[Lord of Life and Death. Lu Ping’an (World): Create a humanoid Clone, possessing the forms of Life and Death...]
Two abilities to create "Avatars" merged into one again; now, Lu Ping’an possessed both the Incarnation of War and the Incarnation of Life.
This was a true eighth-tier body, and there was no reason for him to continue being split in two.
Lu Ping’an closed his eyes; countless rules and powers flowed within his body, yet still as calm as a stream... Unlike other high-level Extraordinaries, the current Lu Ping’an, as the Avatar of the Courtyard, could still suppress the greatly increasing "rules" and "World Privileges."
Lu Ping’an was a young strongman, he still had ample time for Evolution and accumulation, and the "Contamination" he restrained was probably the most stable among those of the same level.
Compared to the past, "integrating all that is Extraordinary" was the most fundamental change.
At this moment, even though Lu Ping’an was still bounded by "Life Points"... If one were to consider longevity alone, this body had a lifespan of at least over five hundred years.
If it were not for the special Life Form of Lu Ping’an, perhaps these five hundred years would be the limit for his further Advancement.
Lu Ping’an took a deep breath, all around him returned to serenity, and he seemed to be merely a Mortal.
Behind him, however, a "Heaven" had appeared.
Part of his Courtyard had already become the core of a nascent Earthly Divine Kingdom of this region.
— End of Chapter 1601 —