Connecting this with the physics he had learned, Lumian thought for a moment and asked, "Why not just call it the Law of Conservation?"
"That is another law, but you don't need to know the details for now." The lady nodded approvingly. "In essence, it's the same as the Law of Indestructibility, just with a few more prerequisites and specific elaborations."
*I see...* Lumian pondered for a moment, then chose his words carefully. "According to the Law of Indestructibility, if I want to obtain Beyonder characteristics, besides hunting the corresponding monsters, can I also target other Beyonders?"
Since Beyonder characteristics were indestructible, then once a Beyonder died, the corresponding Beyonder characteristic would surely precipitate out.
The lady showed a hint of emotion.
"You're very sharp.
"That is why it isn't suitable for most Beyonders to know about this law. It would cause them to slaughter one another, leaving not a shred of trust among them."
"Humans slaughter one another even without this law," Lumian said dismissively. "In the real world, are suspicion, bullying, and murder any rarer?"
The lady replied with interest,
"At least there is still some warmth, some radiance of humanity."
Lumian thought for a bit longer.
"Looking at it from another angle, this law ought to be common knowledge among Beyonders even more. Only then can the weak be on guard in advance and not end up completely as prey for the few who know."
The lady nodded slightly.
"That makes some sense.
"In truth, after going through a few battles between Beyonders, anyone involved would most likely guess a part of it."
She shifted the topic, saying, "The second law is called the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence."
"Convergence..." Lumian found it hard to understand.
He couldn't deduce it from what had been explained before.
The lady's expression turned slightly solemn.
"As the existence that created this world, even though the original Creator split into the Beyonder characteristics of the different pathways, it does not mean He has completely exited the stage. His psyche is dispersed within the various Beyonder characteristics, never to be erased unless this world completely perishes.
"Although these mental fragments are closer to imprints, they all possess the instinct to reconverge and revive the original one.
"In other words, after becoming a Beyonder, you will run into other Beyonders more easily than before, and you will encounter Beyonders of the same and neighboring pathways even more easily than those of other pathways. This is a convergence of destiny. The higher the Sequence, the more pronounced this phenomenon becomes."
Faced with these words, Lumian had far too much he wanted to ask, but unable to bring it all up at once, he could only start with what was most pressing:
"Combined with the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Indestructibility, can we conclude that convergence brings slaughter?"
The lady once again showed an approving expression.
"You really are very sharp regarding such matters.
"It's manageable at lower Sequences, but by the demigod stage—especially after becoming an Angel—one must find ways to weaken or circumvent the effects brought by convergence."
"Demigods? Angels?" Although Lumian already knew that reaching the end of any Sequence meant becoming a true god, hearing these two terms still stirred a sense of surprise and excitement within him.
The lady explained offhandedly, "Demigod is short for half-god, half-human, encompassing Beyonders from Sequence 4 to Sequence 1.
"Among them, Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 are called Saints, while Sequence 2 and Sequence 1 are known as Angels. There are other designations further up, but it is best that you do not know them for now."
*Saints... Angels...* Lumian immediately thought of the patron saints and angels of various regions.
*They truly exist?
Are saint relics the corpses of Saints, containing preserved Beyonder characteristics?*
Lumian suddenly felt a chill of fear. Shifting the topic, he asked, "Every Beyonder characteristic contains the mental imprint of the original Creator, and the higher the Sequence, the more remains?
"Then wouldn't anyone who consumes a potion be affected in other ways as well?"
The lady nodded with a smile. "Otherwise, why do you think this is called a path full of danger and madness?
"This is also one of the main reasons taking potions can lead to losing control.
"Mm, losing control refers to losing control over one's supernatural powers and own mind, mutating into a terrifying monster."
"Are there other reasons?" Lumian pressed.
The lady hummed in affirmation.
"First, the lingering mental remnants of the previous owners of the corresponding Beyonder characteristic. The intensity mainly depends on their own status—er, their obsessions and level of madness before death also add to it. Second, consuming potions in the wrong order or through the wrong method, which causes immense conflict within the body. Third, certain entities can exert influence through the consumption of potions. For example, every time someone on the Mystery Pryer pathway consumes a potion, they passively receive an infusion of knowledge from the Hidden Sage."
*Was that voice I heard after drinking the Hunter potion something similar?* Lumian considered it for a moment, then recounted his experience truthfully before concluding, "Whose influence was that?"
In the next second, he saw the expression of the lady across from him turn slightly odd.
She said solemnly, "With certain entities, merely knowing of Their existence can cause you to be corrupted and lose control.
"Unfortunately, the owner of that voice is just such an entity. It is not suitable for you to know His honorific name at present."
*That terrifying? A Sequence 0 true god? But the vast majority of Intisians and I know of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery, and nothing has gone wrong... Could there be a difference between a true god and an evil god? No, she mentioned the Hidden Sage directly just now, and that's also a Sequence 0... Is it possible that she doesn't actually know which entity it was, and is using these vague words to conceal her ignorance?* Many thoughts raced through Lumian's mind.
Considering his own strength, he dropped the subject and asked about another term that interested him:
"What are neighboring pathways?"
The lady's expression returned to normal.
"Under normal circumstances, whichever pathway you choose and consume the corresponding potion for, you can only advance step-by-step along that pathway. Otherwise, it will inevitably lead to losing control, or at least a partial loss of control. But there are always exceptions to everything. Every pathway has one or more neighboring pathways, and you can switch over at specific Sequences—such as Sequence 4, the stage dividing humans and demigods.
"The neighboring pathway of Hunter is Assassin."
*Assassin... That sounds classier than Hunter...* Lumian asked with concern, "Which pathway neighbors Mystery Pryer?
"If one switches to a neighboring pathway, do they stop being affected by the Hidden Sage?"
"It is the Savant pathway. Its current Sequence 0 is the God of Steam and Machinery," the lady replied in a calm tone. "Even after switching over, one will still be affected by the Hidden Sage, but to a much lesser degree. After all, the corresponding Beyonder characteristics still exist—unless a way is found to purge them."
"How do you purge them?" Lumian hadn't expected such a thing to be possible.
"The simplest way is to have a child. There is a decent chance of transferring the corresponding Beyonder characteristic to the child through mystical inheritance." The lady only briefly mentioned two sentences. "You can also rely on special abilities from certain pathways, but that carries certain risks and requires paying a steep price."
Lumian nodded and raised another question:
"Must the switch happen at a specific Sequence?"
Rising to Sequence 4 and becoming a demigod sounded like a hopeless prospect.
The lady glanced at him.
"Theoretically, one can switch at lower Sequences, but the risk of losing control is far greater. Unless there is no other choice, try your best not to attempt it."
She paused and said, "Now that both laws have been explained, next is the method.
"This is one of the most important pieces of knowledge in the mystical world."
*The most important?* Lumian instinctively straightened his back, extraordinarily focused.
The lady continued, "It is called the 'acting method.'
"It is a method to help you digest potions. Once a potion is digested, consuming the potion for the next Sequence will carry a much lower risk of losing control."
*No wonder you can't drink a Sequence 9 potion today and a Sequence 8 potion tomorrow... You have to use the acting method to digest the previous one...* Lumian came to a sudden realization.
He did not interrupt her, listening intently to her explanation.
"Remember, it is digesting, not controlling.
"What is the acting method? It means acting like an actor according to the name of the Sequence, thereby reconciling the differences between yourself and the remnant mental imprint in the Beyonder characteristic. Through this, you gain the corresponding recognition, bypass the barriers that originally existed, and fuse the Beyonder characteristic with yourself."
"In other words, I need to act as a Hunter and go hunting in the mountains every day?" Lumian had entered student mode.
The lady shook her head.
"That is the shallowest form of acting. Not only must we understand the superficial meaning of a Sequence's name, but we must also probe its deeper implications. For example, a city is also a jungle; every person is both prey and hunter."
*I know that well...* Lumian had already grasped the deeper meaning of "Hunter" long ago.
This stemmed mainly from his past vagrant life.
"Then how do you determine if you've fully digested the potion and can advance to the next Sequence?" he couldn't help but ask.
The lady smiled.
"When the potion is truly digested, you will feel it yourself."
*Alright...* Lumian did not pursue the topic further, instead asking in confusion, "Who came up with the names of the different Sequences?"
*Why does acting according to them allow one to digest a potion?*
The lady's expression turned serious.
"The earliest division of Sequences came from the remnants left after the original Creator split apart—a stone slate inscribed with mystical knowledge.
"Because it concerned the secret of becoming a deity, it was named the Blasphemy Slate.
"In ancient times, which is to say at the end of the Second Epoch and throughout the Third Epoch, there arose a powerful deity close to the original Creator, known as the Ancient Sun God. After His fall, the second Blasphemy Slate was born from His remains. All current Sequence names and potion formulas come from it."
*The Second and Third Epoch history I learned wasn't like this at all...* Lumian muttered inwardly.
The lady continued, "During Emperor Roselle's lifetime, he referred to the second Blasphemy Slate to create the Cards of Blasphemy, modeled after the Major Arcana of tarot cards. There are twenty-two cards in total, each containing one of the Pathways of the Divine."
"Emperor Roselle was a Beyonder too?" Lumian was shocked.
As an ordinary Intisian, it was difficult for him not to hold a certain degree of admiration for Emperor Roselle.
"What else could he be?" The lady chuckled.
Lumian pressed, "Was he very powerful?"
"Close to a deity." The lady was concise.
*That formidable?* Lumian felt both astonished and as though it was only natural.
He thought for a moment and said, "Then aren't the diaries left behind by Emperor Roselle exceptionally precious?"
The lady nodded.
"Yes, but very, very few people can decipher those strange characters."
*Aurore seems to collect transcriptions of Emperor Roselle's diary, and she appears able to decipher them... Does part of her power come from this?* Lumian fell into deep thought.
Chapter 29