Chapter 774 The Tenth Source River?
——And a short time before that.
Aiwass, who was sleeping in the Eternal Theocracy, unconsciously opened his eyes slightly for a moment, and then closed them again.
And in the gap between reality and dreams, Aiwass suddenly stopped flying freely.
He frowned slightly and looked towards the south, with a hint of worry in his eyes that were as bright as the sun.
"what happened?"
——Just now, Aleister completely cut off contact with him.
From the moment Aleister set foot on the land of Star Antimony, Aiwass vaguely felt that something was wrong.
Originally, when Aleister was on the ship, Aiwass and Aleister could communicate in real time anytime and anywhere... But when Aleister entered the city of Leipzig, their communication gradually began to become blurred.
To describe it, it's like the difference between two people chatting by voice and typing in a window.
The former can easily perceive what the other person is doing, can talk anytime and anywhere, and can hear the other person's status and emotions from the words.
The feedback from the latter is delayed... Not only can words not fully express the information, but you even have to wait for the other party to receive the message.
Like a priest listening to a confession, Aiwass sensed Aleister's fragility and melancholy, and noticed his sentimentality and emotional excitement.
In fact, their connection has indeed weakened, and it is getting further weakened as time goes by.
Until just now, they had completely lost contact.
"How sad..."
Aiwass closed his eyes slightly and looked up. His free-flying spirit hovered in the air, arms outstretched to embrace the sky. "So I've always been mortal. I'm not without sorrow, just as I'm not omnipotent."
In his half-open eyes was a brilliant divinity filled with compassion.
This was the complete opposite of Aleister's emotions becoming increasingly intense and out of control.
Aiwass clearly felt that his emotions were gradually fading.
Or rather—
He began to gradually understand the amber and tree-like elves.
"How could you have such a dangerous idea?"
The voice of the Lord of Scales and Feathers rang out from Aiwas's heart.
Then, the voice rang out from beside Aiwass. A faceless man in black appeared in the sky near where Aiwass had been flying. He sat astride a chair, his hands folded on the backrest, his head resting on his arms.
The incarnation of the Lord of Scales and Feathers said lazily, "Omnipotence... that kind of thing is not something you can touch."
"Yeah, I know."
Aiwass's voice was calm, peaceful, and somewhat divine: "Human perception and selfhood come from human incompleteness, from fear and incompleteness.
"It is precisely because we can be hurt and die that we feel pain; it serves as a warning. Humans have touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste... These are all based on survival. They are sensory tentacles that extend from our imperfections of 'not being omnipotent.'
"If humans ever become omnipotent, then these perceptions will no longer be necessary. The civilizations, cultures, nations, and emotions born from perceptions...how fragile and insignificant will they become?"
"——That is why there is no "perfection" or "omnipotence" in this world."
The Lord of Scales and Feathers said casually, "All the extraordinary powers in this world are incomplete. No power is absolute, objective, or the only correct path, and there is absolutely no ability that does not require any cost and has no shortcomings.
"Through a piece of glass, we see nothing—all we see is the essence of the world. But if this glass is shattered by external forces, we will also obtain beautiful broken glass. Just as perfection is shattered, we also obtain many imperfections... It is because of this that your human civilization has emerged... and because of this, it shines."
"Perhaps."
Aiwass replied calmly.
He did not look at the Lord of Scales and Feathers, but stood in the sky and looked down at the earth.
For Aiwass now, he could move forward as he pleased. He no longer needed to eat or drink, nor did he need to sleep or work—he didn't need to do anything, and nothing could constrain him. Living between the material world and the dream world, nothing could affect him.
With the power of the Holy Crown, Aiwass could change everything at will. He merged with the corpse of the giant tree, and the entire theocracy became an extension of his body. Everyone who lived in the giant tree became his people, his children.
Like the sun, it burns itself quietly and gives light equally to the earth.
That feeling... is like playing Stellaris, setting everything up and then entering "sea-viewing mode." Quietly overlooking the starry sky, watching the colors being dyed back and forth.
Calm, curious, bored.
While feeling an inexplicable sense of relief, time seemed to pass by meaninglessly, like sitting by the sea, watching the tides rise and fall, the sun and moon rotate.
Aiwass felt that his mood was extremely peaceful, without any distractions.
His pupils are clean and transparent, his brain is clear and ethereal, and his soul is calm.
"Do you gods usually feel this way?"
Aiwass suddenly asked.
"What does it feel like?"
The Lord of Scales and Feathers raised his head. "Action at will? It's not impossible, but it's meaningless. The so-called 'Pillar God' is the pillar of humanity that stands tall and firm... We are indeed pioneers on the path of the Tao, but we are also prisoners of the Tao.
"Compared to the Pillar Gods, the Celestial Officials are much freer. They possess powers not much weaker than the Pillar Gods, yet they are not bound by the Dao. They do not need to worry too much about the consequences of their actions, nor do they have to worry about violating the principles of the Dao..."
"—I mean, this feeling of emptiness and tranquility in the soul."
Aiwass's eyes were empty and emotionless. "I feel something is a little off, boss."
"Ah, don't take it too seriously, it's a good thing."
Although the Lord of Scales and Feathers had no face, his expression seemed to have turned serious. "It's best not to think too deeply about this. Just enjoy your hard-earned vacation. This is the extra-long paid annual leave your boss has given you..."
"I'm miserable, boss."
Aiwass said calmly.
He looked down at the earth, his eyes as compassionate as a god.
At this moment, in the material world - above the 22nd ring, in the "real sky" that no one can see, a huge eye opened silently.
——That was Aiwass’ left eye.
Its presence seemed to dim the sky a little—as if it absorbed the light, or blocked the sun.
"Is this all really normal?"
Aiwass said softly, his voice resounding like overlapping thunder, brilliant as the echo in the cathedral: "I feel that my happiness is decreasing every day... Do all popes have to go through this?
"I can clearly feel the devotion deep within my soul constantly rising. Logically, this should be a pleasure... or at least a test. But on the contrary, I feel my love for the children growing weaker, and my willingness to contact Aleister is also becoming weaker and weaker...
"I feel like everything in the material world is gradually fading. I seem to be... forgetting. No, not forgetting, but abandoning...
"I understand what you mean, and I may understand the secret behind this. But I don't want to be a vain and lofty god. I just want to be an ordinary person, boss."
Aiwass rarely made a sound.
He raised his head slightly, and the huge eye in the material world disappeared.
"This is a test, like a moth emerging from its cocoon—if I say this, will you still be determined to know the answer?"
"I'm worried about Aleister."
Aiwass replied softly, "If this trial only affected me... I think I could probably bear it. But I can't use another person..."
"—another person?"
The Lord of Scales and Feathers interrupted Aiwass: "Shouldn't she be you too?"
Aiwass was slightly stunned.
……strangeness.
When did he start to see Aleister as another person?
As Aiwas's thoughts fell into confusion, the Lord of Scales and Feathers' voice became more serious: "You should have enough faith in the cutting technique of the Sand Clock, Aiwas."
"Of course. That is the great art that created the Great Master and the Supreme Heaven." Aiwass replied.
"In this world, the art of cutting is truly a great art... After all, once one ascends high enough, a mixed self is no longer sufficient to grasp the power of the Tao. To advance further, one must attain a purer self. This is true of Hengwo's Egg Moon Secret Art, Huantiansi's Tail Severing Method, and the Yin-Yang Gap of the Sand Clock... all of these are like this.
"And the 'Liang Yi Gap' will, in principle, divide all your power completely and evenly into two."
"I already know this."
Aiwass's voice was ethereal and sacred. "What I want to know is why this ritual caused Aleister and I to gradually become abnormal, and why I could no longer sense Aleister."
"The Sand Clock has already asked you for details—it hinted to you twice, but you still wanted to cut out the Moon Child body given to you by the Twin Mirrors. This is undoubtedly a test given to you by fate."
"Trial..."
"It's a trial. You've chosen the most difficult division—but if you can ultimately return, this will also be the foundation of your path to becoming a Celestial Master, or even a Pillar God."
The Lord of Scales and Feathers whispered, "Don't forget, the 'Moon Child' body that Aleister manifested possesses the characteristics and powers of a true Moon Child. If her path of transcendence is equivalent to your path of devotion...
"So, how does her Moon Child power correspond to yours? If the powers on both sides are not equal, then it wouldn't be a perfect 'Yin and Yang'."
...The power of the Moon Child?
Isn't that the blessing of the twin mirrors? The mirror image of reality and illusion also happens to be a kind of balance...
Just as this thought came to Aiwass' mind, he was suddenly startled, and suddenly remembered something in his mind -
My holy number is 11, the number of those who belong to us.
Those were the words spoken in the visions of the "divine entity" summoned by Jacob in the past.
The sacred number is eleven.
The so-called sacred number is actually the number of the source river.
The Source Rivers are so powerful that even their numbering itself is shrouded in mystery.
However, there are only nine source rivers in total, so it is impossible for the "Holy Eleven" to appear.
Aiwass had realized before... the so-called "Holy Eleven" refers to the sum of two sacred numbers. Using the power of two existing source rivers to create a new source river is also an "impossible power."
Devotion is three, transcendence is eight—pastoral care is a skill that can only be mastered by learning both devotion and transcendence at the same time!
And if devotion and transcendence are established as a mirror image in the "gap between the two poles"...
The sacred number of the path of love is one.
In other words, the symmetrical force that was causing Aiwass's emotions to gradually weaken should have come from...
"The sacred number is... ten?"
Aiwass murmured, "The tenth path?"
……yes!
If Huan Tiansi wants to transcend the established principles of the entire world and become a new pillar god besides the Nine Pillar Gods... then the holy number should be ten, why is it eleven?
Unless... the tenth source river already existed.
Huan Tiansi knew about the tenth source river, so he directly planned to create the eleventh source river.
Once he realized this, Aiwass's gradually rigid mind became active again.
As he gradually sensed a sense of crisis, he felt like he was about to wake up from a dream, and his thoughts gradually became clear:
The original god of this world is the Stag of Candles.
"...The candle ignited the holy fire, burning away the sins, and shared the power of the source river with all living beings... Thus, this world gained extraordinary power, the path, and mystery."
Aiwas' pupils trembled slightly, and he suddenly woke up from that meaningless deadness, and his expression came alive in an instant.
Just as consciousness gradually returned to reality from a dream, even his speech speed and tone gradually returned to normal: "So, in the very beginning... where did Sizhu obtain the extraordinary power to burn the Sinthorn?"
As Aiwas gradually woke up from that hazy dream, he once again restored the vague connection with Aleister.
——And it was at this moment that Aleister regained consciousness briefly, and the noise in his head and the uncontrollable instincts disappeared.
"That is the tenth source river that doesn't exist, shouldn't exist, and yet it already exists. It's like a dry well, connecting to other worlds.
"Sizhu came from there, and so did I. Your predecessor...also came from there.
"However, the Twilight Wall now completely blocks the path to the Tenth River Source. Snake Father is curious about the 'world outside the Twilight Wall,' that is, the other side of the Tenth River Source—what lies there?"
Seeing Aiwas's pupils gradually become clear, the Lord of Scales and Feathers also gradually relaxed. "However... although the Tenth Path is now broken, since you have walked that road, some of its remnants still remain in you. Because of this, Aleister has obtained the corresponding power of the Path of Love.
"That was a blessing from the Twin Mirror... That person is like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder, having long ago granted you symmetrical power, but neither you nor she could utilize it. Even so, the immersive nature of the Path itself was enough to corrode her mind... But just as your devotion was able to overcome the will of nothingness, I believe Aleister can also surpass the instincts of the Moon Child.
"All you need to do is maintain your composure. Resolutely walk the path of devotion... Don't be swayed by temptation. Although telling you this will affect your ability to temper your heart...yet, with your dedication, you can already break free from those remaining traces. As long as you don't tell this secret to Aleister, the final outcome will not be any different."
"Because your problem has never been with the path of devotion—it's with your flawed path to transcendence. Huan Tiansi only gave you a portion of his heart of transcendence, but gave you his entire heart of devotion. In other words, you need to re-cultivate a transcendent nature comparable to that of a saint... Now is the perfect opportunity.
"——That's why I said this was a trial."
"…I have one last question."
Aiwass realized something: "What level is Aleister's Dao impulse...?"
"Of course it is... the sixth energy level."
The Lord of Scales and Feathers answered mercilessly: "After all, the material world can only allow the existence of the sixth energy level at most."
The update of 8,000 words is so tiring, meow... Please give me your monthly vote!
It's half past six, time to go to bed (peaceful)
I'll correct the typos after I wake up——
Thanks to the leader of Golden Jasmine - I'll return one too!
(End of this chapter)
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