The Aeon of Propagation, Tayzzyronth.
This was an Aeon who was already dead beyond any doubt.
But just like Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze, although the Aeon of Propagation had also died, the concept of the Path of Propagation had not been eradicated from the universe.
Although the Swarm Disaster that once swept across the sea of stars had ended, reproduction and proliferation were instincts embedded in every intelligent life-form. They still quietly operated within the codes of countless living beings.
And now, Qlipoth had chosen to gift away the corpse of a fallen Aeon.
Something like this was unheard of in the entire history of the universe.
What exactly did They want to do?
"Amber Lord."
Looking at the corpse that radiated an ominous aura, Wei Qing suppressed the doubts in his heart and spoke again.
"Isn't this gift a little too bizarre? I don't quite understand what You mean by this."
This is a remnant.
The ancient voice echoed through the space.
Wei Qing looked at the corpse of Propagation, which was still exuding that ominous presence, and frowned slightly.
That answer was the same as saying nothing.
Of course he knew this was a remnant.
It was even the remnant of the Aeon of Propagation.
After all, he could sense that although the Path power of Propagation contained within the corpse had lost its activity, its essential rank was extremely high.
If an ordinary True Sting were allowed to devour it, it might directly ascend and become the new Aeon of Propagation.
"I can see that. This is Tayzzyronth."
"I simply don't understand what You want me to do with it. Surely You don't expect me to take it home and make soup with it?"
Wei Qing spoke flatly, attempting to read some information from Qlipoth's rock-like face.
However, he soon realized he was overthinking things.
The Amber Lord did not possess anything like an expression.
This object may be useful to you.
Qlipoth's answer remained obscure and difficult to understand, but Wei Qing seemed to catch one key point.
This thing was useful to him?
A corpse of an Aeon. Its value naturally went without saying.
Whether it was used to study the mysteries behind an Aeon's fall, analyze the essence of the Paths, or serve some other even more hidden purpose, it was undoubtedly a priceless treasure.
But what did any of that have to do with him?
What was he supposed to do with this corpse?
Surely Qlipoth did not actually want him to swallow it, right?
To be honest, Wei Qing was not very willing.
After all, the Path of Propagation really was rather grotesque.
He recalled the historical records concerning the Swarm Disaster.
Back then, Tayzzyronth, the Aeon of Propagation, had multiplied madly and threatened the balance of the entire universe. In the end, multiple Aeons, including Qlipoth, had joined forces to slay Them.
If he really inherited the Path of Propagation, would his brain not be filled with thoughts of reproduction forever?
Wei Qing felt a headache coming on.
This gift was simply too hot to handle.
The corpse of Propagation was certainly valuable, but it was also a ticking time bomb.
Setting aside the possible contamination and danger remaining within it, the mere news of its existence spreading would be enough to drive those scholars of Erudition completely mad.
"Fine. I admit, this thing is indeed very special."
Wei Qing sighed and tried to extend his hand to perceive the corpse's condition.
But just as he was about to touch the corpse, an abrupt change occurred.
Within the originally deathly silent corpse of the Swarm King, there seemed to be a faint pulse that flickered for an instant.
Was it an illusion?
That should be impossible. Wei Qing did not think he would experience an illusion.
In other words, this thing still had half a breath left?
Even if that were true, Wei Qing actually was not that worried.
After all, he now also had Order layered onto him. This half-dead Bug King, sealed for who knew how long, probably could not stir up much trouble.
Even so, he still glanced cautiously at Qlipoth.
Qlipoth's enormous body turned slightly, Their eyes gazing at the corpse.
As though sensing Wei Qing's doubt, They immediately raised Their giant hammer and smashed it heavily onto Tayzzyronth's corpse.
The giant hammer carried a force capable of crushing all things.
This time, it was no symbolic strike. It was true power containing the will of Preservation.
Qlipoth's hammer blows did not stop.
No one knew how long passed. Eventually, under those endless strikes, the remnant of the Aeon of Propagation that had once set off the Swarm Disaster finally turned into a cloud of faintly glowing fragments.
Wei Qing held his breath and focused.
He could sense that the tenacious will of Propagation within Tayzzyronth's corpse had finally fallen completely silent under Qlipoth's merciless hammering.
At last, the sound of hammering ceased.
Qlipoth raised Their enormous palm once more. The floating fragments seemed to be drawn by an invisible force and quickly gathered toward the center.
Then a brand-new Cornerstone slowly took shape in the air, firmly sealing away the final remains of the Aeon of Propagation.
This new Cornerstone no longer radiated an unsettling aura. Only the occasional flicker of dark light hinted at the extraordinary origin of what was sealed inside.
This object is now harmless.
Qlipoth's ancient voice rang out.
Then They pushed the newly formed Cornerstone toward Wei Qing.
Wei Qing looked at the thoroughly processed corpse and was momentarily speechless.
Good grief.
This gift even came with after-sales service?
Was the Amber Lord always this considerate?
Wei Qing tried once more to sense the Cornerstone that now contained the final remains of the Aeon of Propagation.
Sure enough, the earlier heart-palpitating ominous aura had completely vanished.
Not only that, from Wei Qing's perspective, this Cornerstone itself was anything but simple. Judging solely from the traces of Preservation displayed upon it, it would be enough to instantly flatten those two Emanators of Preservation outside like stray dogs on the roadside.
"All right."
Wei Qing extended his hand again.
"Then I will accept it with thanks."
Whether he could use it or not was unknown, but it was free.
Wei Qing put away the Cornerstone and once again turned his gaze toward Qlipoth.
However, just as Wei Qing was about to say something else, yet another unexpected incident occurred.
And this was no ordinary incident.
Before Wei Qing could even speak, an entirely different, cold will descended without warning upon this space that should have belonged solely to Preservation.
The space seemed to freeze under an invisible force. Even the eternal pulse of the world wall became stagnant.
Countless tiny pale-blue motes of light emerged from the void like fireflies drawn by some attraction, then rapidly converged.
They swiftly wove together, finally forming a strangely shaped mechanical head.
The Aeon of Erudition, Nous.
Wei Qing's brows furrowed tightly.
What kind of day was today?
Why had this mechanical head come here?
Could Nous have come to ask Qlipoth out on a date?
"Nous?"
Wei Qing spoke tentatively, while the power of Order within him quietly circulated in preparation for any possible situation.
But he received no response.
Nous's mechanical head, composed of countless pale-blue motes of light, turned slightly. That cold gaze landed on Wei Qing.
Conditions met…
Beginning link…
A mechanical voice devoid of emotion rang out.
There was no inquiry and no request for consent. It was as though a preset program were being executed.
Immediately afterward, Wei Qing felt an enormous stream of data attempting to surge into his Path.
What was going on?
Was Nous also trying to bestow a blessing on him?
Confusion instantly rose in his heart.
Wei Qing froze.
What auspicious day was today?
First, Preservation Qlipoth had given him both power and a gift. Now even Erudition Nous had come to join the fun?
This sudden stroke of good fortune instinctively made Wei Qing wary.
He did not think he had anything to do with the Path of Erudition. If Nous was granting him a blessing, there had to be some motive behind it.
Suddenly, Qlipoth moved.
Their enormous body erupted with dazzling light, and the entire space trembled violently.
Even the world wall let out a low hum, as though responding to its master's anger.
Leave.
Qlipoth spoke.
This Aeon, usually known for Their steadiness, seemed to have been angered by Nous's actions.
Their voice was no longer a calm declaration. It carried thunderous pressure, blasting directly toward Nous.
Interference. Eliminate.
Nous's voice remained completely without fluctuation.
Facing Qlipoth's expulsion, a barrier of extreme complexity appeared out of nowhere, forcibly blocking the impact powerful enough to reduce all things to nothingness.
The collision between two supreme Path wills instantly caused the entire space to groan under the strain.
Wei Qing also reacted extremely quickly. The instant those two forces collided, he had already flashed backward.
His eyes burned as he stared at the scene.
He had never seen a conflict of this level before.
Qlipoth's giant hammer swung again, smashing straight toward Nous's mechanical head.
Naturally, Nous would not simply sit there and wait for death. The instant the giant hammer descended, Their form rapidly decomposed into streams of data and vanished from this space.
Not only that, while resisting Qlipoth, Nous was still releasing a Path connection toward Wei Qing.
This feeling did not seem malicious. Instead, it was more like a programmed compulsory operation.
Conditions met… Link necessary.
As the battle between the two Aeons gradually unfolded, Nous's intermittent voice once again pierced through the chaotic energy turbulence.
Clearly, Nous was still unable to defeat Qlipoth.
"Conditions met? What conditions do I meet?"
Wei Qing was filled with suspicion.
He asked himself honestly: he should have nothing to do with the Path of Erudition.
Surely Nous had not taken an interest in him just because his brain occasionally worked quickly?
Wei Qing began gradually guessing in his heart.
Could it be that he really was a genius?
Although he had never developed anything on the Path of Erudition, not developing it did not mean he had no talent.
Just like impoverished natives on backward planets who could never access technology in their lives might still have the potential to become esports prodigies.
Hiss.
Wei Qing started fantasizing.
For Nous to forcefully bestow a blessing on him even under Qlipoth's pressure, could it be that he was not only a genius, but an overwhelmingly top-tier genius?
Just then, Qlipoth's method of attack suddenly changed.
They no longer tried to directly disperse Nous. Instead, Their enormous body leaned back slightly, raising Their giant hammer high above Their head as the energy of the entire Preservation domain gathered madly toward the hammerhead.
"Oh? Is this the ultimate move?"
Wei Qing's eyes lit up.
The next moment, Qlipoth's giant hammer did not strike Nous. Instead, it slammed heavily into the void before the world wall.
Dong!!!
This strike far surpassed any previous blow.
At this moment, all living beings in Pier Point, and even countless star systems far beyond, felt their hearts tremble.
What had happened?
A dull boom rang out deep within the souls of countless people.
Diamond and Taravan, who were anxiously waiting outside, abruptly raised their heads. Their faces lost all color, and their eyes filled with unbelievable shock.
They could feel that the Amber Lord had used true power. And this power was not directed at the outside world, but used for sealing and expulsion.
"What happened?" Diamond's voice trembled slightly.
At this moment, he and Taravan had not gone far. They were waiting for Wei Qing to come out.
But from the current situation, if the two of them did not leave and instead continued lingering nearby, they might soon be innocently blasted to death by the AoE damage of a battle between Aeons.
"…Let us leave first. That Mr. Yiqing is extraordinarily powerful, and the Amber Lord is present. His safety is not something we are qualified to worry about," Taravan said calmly.
Whether Wei Qing could survive, they did not know.
But if the two of them did not leave now, they really would die.
Both of them were utterly confused.
In truth, not long ago, the two of them had also sensed the descent of the Aeon of Erudition.
But why had Nous come to find the Amber Lord?
And why had the Amber Lord started fighting Nous?
They could not understand it.
And they were not the only ones. Even those geniuses far away at the edge of the cosmos could not understand it either.
Nous's gaze toward geniuses had always been conspicuous and high-profile.
It was precisely because of this that Ruan Mei, who had once been a recluse, was constantly harassed after refusing to join the Genius Society.
But just now, all Pathstriders connected to the Path of Erudition across the universe—especially the members of the Genius Society—once again felt that familiar gaze from an Aeon.
Nous had once again cast Their gaze upon some individual who met the conditions, and had even attempted to forcibly bestow a blessing.
However, the process this time seemed extremely unsmooth. That blessing connection had been brutally interrupted by an even stronger power.
And in the eyes of these geniuses, the only being capable of stopping an Aeon was naturally another Aeon.
As several geniuses investigated with intent, a shocking fact was discovered.
Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, had actually entered direct conflict with Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, in the holy land of Preservation!
What was going on?
What reason could make these two Aeons, who usually did not interfere with each other, fight so fiercely?
Could Nous have wanted to bestow a blessing on someone from the IPC, only for Qlipoth to refuse?
But that made even less sense.
Qlipoth had always been indifferent toward those IPC people. Why would They fight Nous over something like that?
But no matter what, this inexplicable divine war had already begun.
Regardless of who won or lost, and regardless of whether one of the Aeons fell, this battle was destined to be remembered by the galaxy and become another legend passed down for countless ages.
…
Back on the battlefield.
Following Qlipoth's decisive hammer strike, the confrontation between the two Aeons had already reached a fever pitch.
After that unprecedentedly loud strike, the entire Preservation domain seemed to have been muted.
Nous's mechanical head began flickering violently, like a signal suffering severe interference.
…Link interrupted… Calculation error…
This time, the voice carried extremely obvious disorder.
Clearly, under that strike from Qlipoth, Nous was about to lose.
Leave.
Qlipoth once again issued that declaration. This time, it carried an unquestionable intent to drive Them away.
Qlipoth did not continue attacking, but the giant hammer raised once more and ready to fall clearly expressed that any further intrusion would be met with the most thorough blow.
Nous's gaze lingered on Wei Qing for one final instant.
That cold stare seemed to scan and record every piece of data about him.
Nous looked somewhat unwilling, as though reluctant to leave just like that.
Unfortunately, the Amber Lord was still slightly stronger than Them.
…Conditions met. Link necessary…
Before Nous's intermittent mechanical voice dissipated, a faint blessing stubbornly pierced through the stagnant space.
Countless pale-blue streams of data, like a final struggle, forcibly broke through the blockade of the Preservation domain and transformed into a thin yet incredibly condensed beam of light, instantly drifting before Wei Qing.
Wei Qing's body trembled slightly.
Perhaps because Qlipoth was watching from the side, this time Nous did not directly force the blessing onto him. Instead, Nous placed the choice in his own hands.
Should he accept it?
This was a blessing that Nous had delivered right before the end, stubbornly sending it to him despite Qlipoth's pressure.
Wei Qing glanced again at Qlipoth, whose colossal form stood silently nearby.
That enormous body still radiated speechless pressure. Yet Qlipoth did not move to stop Nous's final gift. They merely watched in silence, as though observing Wei Qing's choice.
Forget it.
Accept it!
The timid starve; the bold feast.
At this point, what was there to hesitate about?
Wei Qing steeled his heart.
When meat was delivered right to his mouth, what reason did he have not to eat it?
He had already accepted so many Paths that he could almost no longer keep count. What difference would one more Erudition make?
When debts pile high, one stops worrying. When lice are too many, one stops itching.
From today onward, he, Wei Qing, was Genius Society Seat #84!
As Wei Qing extended his finger and gently touched that strand of pale-blue data, an immense amount of knowledge thundered into his consciousness the instant they made contact.
Perhaps because Wei Qing had never accumulated anything in Erudition before, this blessing was like a sudden enlightenment. Countless pieces of knowledge instantly poured into his mind.
Hiss.
Strange knowledge had increased.
Wei Qing coughed softly.
This brief blessing finally ended.
The Path of Erudition had finally taken root within him.
At the same time, the other geniuses also sensed the birth of this new genius.
Because of Preservation's interference, the rest of the universe might not be able to perceive the birth of this new genius, but they, as geniuses also belonging to Erudition, could.
Perhaps because this time there had been interference from Preservation, they did not immediately learn the identity of the new genius as they usually would.
But that was not what left them confused.
What they first began struggling with was:
That was it?
The fight was over?
And Nous actually won?
Nous could beat the Amber Lord?
There was nothing they could do about this misunderstanding. These outside geniuses did not know what had specifically happened. But judging from the result that Nous had achieved Their goal, there was indeed a possibility that Nous had won.
As for what the truth truly was, perhaps only the two Aeons and that newly appointed genius knew.
"Ahem."
Inside the subspace, Wei Qing coughed softly, breaking the silence.
He raised his head and looked toward Qlipoth. That massive figure remained silent.
"Looks like today is my lucky day?"
Wei Qing tried to speak in a relaxed tone.
"First came Preservation's generous gift, then Erudition forced something into my hands. Amber Lord, did You call me here because You already knew this would happen?"
Qlipoth did not answer the question about Nous. That ancient will seemed indifferent to the interruption just now.
Their enormous palm rose once more, pointing toward the Propagation remnant that had already been sealed inside the Cornerstone.
This object must be used well.
This time, Qlipoth's voice carried a trace of reminder.
"Used well?"
Wei Qing weighed the heavy Cornerstone in his hand, then looked directly at Qlipoth.
"Amber Lord, did You and Nous see something in me? Or rather, did You calculate something?"
He recalled the inexplicable words Nous had spoken just now.
It was not strange for that Aeon to calculate certain futures.
But could Qlipoth do the same?
I do not know.
Qlipoth's answer remained calm.
Good grief.
You do not know, yet You beat Them so enthusiastically?
The corner of Wei Qing's mouth twitched slightly.
Could it be that these two had a grudge, and Qlipoth had merely used this chance as an excuse to act?
However, there was no follow-up.
As Qlipoth turned around, They once again faced the endless world wall.
The giant hammer was raised once more and suspended in midair.
The wall must be built.
You may leave.
That was undoubtedly a dismissal.
Fine.
Wei Qing also knew that these Aeons sometimes acted like senile old people. Even if he asked further, he probably would not receive any clearer answers.
"In that case, thank You for the gift and hospitality, Amber Lord."
Wei Qing shrugged and properly stored away the Cornerstone containing the Propagation remnant.
He took one final look at Qlipoth's eternally unchanging back as They continued building the wall, then turned and stepped away.
When Wei Qing's figure became clear again, he had already returned to Pier Point.
Almost at the same time, two rather battered figures instantly appeared before him.
They were Diamond and Taravan.
Both of their auras were somewhat disordered. Clearly, Qlipoth's earlier area-clearing strike had injured them quite badly.
"Mr. Yiqing!"
Diamond spoke anxiously, his gaze quickly scanning over Wei Qing.
"It is wonderful that you are unharmed! Just now, we sensed that the Amber Lord…"
Taravan also stared fixedly at Wei Qing. His eyes were filled with inquiry and disbelief.
"And Nous's will… What exactly happened?"
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