Chapter 82: Life and Death
"As for human-like races... they’re even more disappointing."
"Across each generation in the entire universe, the number of people who begin walking the path of this law is, at most, in the tens. More than ninety-nine percent of them can never advance beyond the Wis realm. Dozens of generations may pass without a single one surpassing Wis. That’s why this is a law meant only for geniuses, not ordinary people."
"So there’s no point in creating doors for the secondary laws derived from the Cosmic Law of Derivation, because no one uses them."
"The administration only keeps the door of the Cosmic Law of Derivation here to complete the collection, so no one can say that the Eternal Path lacks a suitable environment for practicing a major or cosmic law that has been discovered in the universe."
Lily shook her head and pointed toward another door.
"Besides, Master, the Cosmic Law of Derivation isn’t the only cosmic law here that has no secondary law doors."
Rios looked toward the door Lily had pointed at and frowned.
It too floated alone, with no other doors belonging to it or surrounding it.
The door shone with a brilliant golden light.
Engraved upon it was the symbol of an arm consisting of only a hand and forearm, as though it were crushing something. At the end of the forearm rested what appeared to be a crown forged from pure light.
Above it was written...
"For example, Master... the Cosmic Law of Dominion.
"It’s just like the Cosmic Law of Derivation. One of the most demanding laws in terms of comprehension and talent, and one of the rarest cosmic laws in terms of both its beast lineage and human practitioners...
"It is also the law of one of the Nine Immortal Trees. The most famous beast that possesses this law...
"...is the Immortal Emperor Tree."
"The Immortal Emperor Tree!"
Rios was stunned by the revelation and fell into thought.
So the Tree of Abyss isn’t the only one that possesses a rare law!
"And those two aren’t even the rarest cosmic laws, Master. There is also the rarest cosmic law without question...
"...and the cosmic law with the worst reputation."
Rios followed the direction Lily pointed once again, and his frown deepened.
He found a grayish-black door.
Instead of being surrounded by doors of its secondary laws, it was enveloped by an aura of misfortune and intense rejection.
It was as though the universe itself... and this very world... did not want it to exist.
Yet despite that...
It remained.
Engraved upon the door was the symbol of a pair of withered wings, as though life itself had abandoned them and fled.
Above it was written...
"Master... this is the Cosmic Law of Death, the rarest cosmic law since the beginning of creation in terms of human practitioners."
"Human practitioners only? Then what about the beasts and resources associated with this path?" Rios asked in confusion.
"In truth, Master, while the beasts and resources related to the Cosmic Law of Death are indeed rare, they aren’t as rare as those of the Cosmic Law of Derivation or the Cosmic Law of Dominion.
"The reason humans rarely cultivate it lies in its very nature. It repels life and all living beings.
"And humans, Master... are living creatures. A living being cannot possess death.
"Of course, every rule has its exceptions, and the Cosmic Law of Death is no different.
"Although thousands of generations may pass without a single person walking the path of the Cosmic Law of Death, throughout the universe’s long history, a handful of individuals have still managed to do so."
As Lily spoke, her expression became one of pure reverence.
"One of them was the son of the Ancestor of the Abyss.
"And another was the son of Her Majesty, The Immortal Queen of the Primordial Night.
"Like the other rare laws, this door exists here mainly for display.
"Since it was established, only a very small number of people have ever entered it.
"And everyone who entered it out of curiosity...
"...left immediately after stepping inside, never daring to enter it again."
Lily then turned toward Rios with a smile.
"So then, Master... would you like to enter the door of the Cosmic Law of Life, or would you rather try another law?"
"Hmm..."
Rios stroked his chin thoughtfully as his gaze shifted between the doors of the Cosmic Law of Derivation and the Cosmic Law of Life.
Finally, he made his decision.
"Let’s start with the Cosmic Law of Life."
Rios’s reason for choosing the Cosmic Law of Life first was simple.
First, it was far easier to cultivate than the Cosmic Law of Derivation.
Second, the techniques he had inherited from the Tree of Life were all of Heaven rank.
The techniques of the Cosmic Law of Derivation, on the other hand, were still only Legendary rank because the bloodline of the Tree of Abyss had yet to fully mature.
"A wise choice, Master. With the support of your Immortal bloodline, after spending some time inside, you’ll surely deepen your understanding of the Cosmic Law of Life and move one step closer to Wis Level (5)."
Lily happily circled around Rios’s neck before pointing toward the door of the Cosmic Law of Life.
Rios remained silent after hearing Lily’s suggestion, but inwardly he couldn’t help but sneer.
Wis Level (5)? Girl... I’m still only at Master Level (3). I haven’t even broken through to Wis Level (4) yet, let alone Wis Level (5).
Lily assumed that Rios was already at Wis Level (4), and that he wished to enter the Cosmic Law of Life to deepen his comprehension before attempting another breakthrough.
What she didn’t know was that Rios hadn’t even surpassed the third realm.
However, thanks to the Abyss System, which had tampered with the world’s own system, Lily perceived him as a Wis Level (4) cultivator preparing to comprehend the Cosmic Law of Life.
"This way, Master. The path to eternal glory begins with a single step... and true greatness is never achieved with only one."
"Hahaha... then let’s see what my first step looks like."
Rios laughed and strode confidently toward the door before stepping inside.
The instant he entered, he found himself in a different dimension.
It was relatively small, filled with small rivers and grassy plains.
Rios could clearly feel the power of the Cosmic Law of Life surrounding him, and he looked around in astonishment.
This world contained none of the familiar forms of life—
No animals.
No birds.
No fish.
Yet...
It wasn’t devoid of life either.
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You can view the character illustrations through the Discord link below the synopsis on the novel’s main page.