Chapter 680 - 436: The Answer

Chapter 680: Chapter 436: The Answer

Pari told her story as if she were talking to a child.

As she spoke, she flipped through the pages of the book in her hands...

But when her story came to the part about the empty shell,

her gaze slowly turned toward Lu Cang.

Lu Cang felt her stare, but he remained unfazed. He simply asked calmly, "Pari, do you think I’m that empty shell?"

"I’m just putting the possibility out there."

"Spirituality is the benchmark of wisdom."

"The presence of Spirituality is like the difference between humans and common animals on your Earth."

"There’s a question on Earth, isn’t there?"

"What makes humans human, and what separates them from animals? The answer is actually quite clear. It’s because humans possess Spirituality."

"But..."

"Every creature that possesses Spirituality only has a small cluster of it, or perhaps a small, leafy branch from the Tree of Wisdom."

"Even the legendary Highest Leaf is still just a single leaf."

"No creature has ever been able to possess the entire, complete Tree of Wisdom..."

Pari’s tone started out serious and solemn, but it soon relaxed into its usual languor. "A creature possessing the complete Tree of Wisdom... I imagine it would be the very definition of a perfect lifeform."

"It would also be the answer that certain beings are searching for."

At this point, Pari’s answers didn’t sound like Divination at all.

It was more like a casual chat, through which she revealed extremely important Secret information to Lu Cang.

Pari was also a Level 7 Scholar.

Although, compared to her being a Level 9 Divination Master, her Scholar Level was hardly worth mentioning.

"Earth is an experiment, one among the countless planets and life forms in the Star Realm."

"These test subjects might be sent to the Nest."

"Or they might be sent to all sorts of other places for research."

"Even the Tower of the Sages is involved."

"I don’t know if you can save Earth. You know as well as I do that Bai has already annihilated it, along with the entire Secret Sea."

Pari was referring to the timeline Lu Cang actually existed in.

What Lu Cang had done was summon Bai.

"But you’re unpredictable, after all. I suppose anything is possible."

’Does that sound like something a Divination Master would say?’

’Anything is possible.’

"That brings your total to 70 billion Gold Coins."

Lu Cang had already grown numb to Pari’s prices.

"Mm, got it."

"Then what do you know about Aikator?"

Lu Cang decided to take this opportunity to ask about all the unsolved mysteries weighing on his mind.

About the corruption, about Aikator, about Luoti...

And so on and so forth.

’There’s too much I don’t understand.’

Here was a being who could answer his questions. Even if her information might be false, Lu Cang had to press for answers.

"Aikator of Time, you mean?"

Lu Cang asked, "Is she a god?"

Pari’s gaze drifted toward the distant future, yet in her eyes, Lu Cang saw time itself churn and roil.

Foresight and Time.

The two concepts were inherently linked.

"She isn’t a god, but she is the being closest to Level 10."

Lu Cang asked, "I seem to recall hearing that she’s existed since long, long ago. If she isn’t a god, how can she live for so long?"

’Only gods had near-infinite lifespans.’

’Otherwise, even a Level 9 Reincarnator would die within a mere few thousand years.’

’The long-lived ones might last for a few thousand years.’

’The short-lived ones, only a thousand. That was the extent of Lu Cang’s current knowledge regarding Level 9 Reincarnators.’

Lu Cang glanced above Pari’s head.

’Pari, a lifespan of nearly five thousand years.’

’Factoring in the various methods of Longevity, it made sense.’

...

But then there was someone like An Su, who had survived from ancient times, living for tens of millions of years, and had still only ever heard legends about Aikator.

"For a being who controls Time, what’s so strange about being able to halt the flow of their own life?"

Lu Cang conceded, "Mm, that’s true."

Lu Cang had actually thought of that himself.

But hearing it from Pari was different from making his own guess.

"This question of yours doesn’t require Divination, but I don’t mind telling you a bit."

"Aikator was born a hundred million years ago, part of the first batch of life to possess Spirituality."

"In that era, life was scarce... and beings with Spirituality were pitifully few. As a result, every creature born could receive a large share of Spirituality from the Tree of Wisdom."

"Furthermore, the Spirituality of the Tree of Wisdom back then was far more abundant than it is today."

"Over the long eons, although Spirituality has been constantly cycling through Reincarnation, there has still been a minuscule amount of attrition..."

"Aikator came into contact with the Origin of Time very early on."

"In a very short time, she became a Level 9 Time Controller."

"In that era, reaching Level 10 was like an instinct. Life was born to pursue the Source, born to ultimately become the Source."

"So, she tried something."

"She saw the essence of Time, and then... left only a single thread."

As she said this,

Pari suddenly looked up.

"Ah..."

"Never mind."

Lu Cang frowned. "Never mind?"

Pari said languidly, "I can’t say any more."

"Let’s end it here. You owe far too much. The total is 10 billion gold coins. Settle up next time we meet, and we’ll discuss the rest then."

Lu Cang’s fists tightened.

’Divination Masters were as infuriating as ever.’

"If you want these answers, you won’t have to wait long... I think you’ll soon have a chance to see for yourself."

"Or, you could go find that person and ask them yourself. That would work too."

Lu Cang was puzzled. "That person?"

Pari replied, "The person behind the door."

Pari waved her hand. "Alright... you know what you wanted to know now. I have nothing more to tell you until you pay me back."

"Bye-bye."

’No...’

’There’s still so much more I need to know. I haven’t found out everything at all.’

But Lu Cang understood the meaning behind her words and knew it was best not to pester her any further.

’As for trying to test my skills against a Level 9 Divination Master in this Future Preview’s timeline...’

’Hah.’

Lu Cang suspected that once he left the preview, Pari would realize she had been part of it.

’Right now, Pari’s attitude is neutral, leaning toward friendly.’

’Lu Cang didn’t want to make a Level 9 enemy for himself.’

’It’s better to just let it end here...’

WHOOSH—

The Future Preview ended. Lu Cang’s eyes snapped open, and his vision returned to his small room.

’So, Pari really is a Level 9 Divination Master.’

’Ruelun Continent.’

’Just how many more things are hidden here?’

He even recalled An Su’s words—that his transportation to the Secret Sea must have been deliberately arranged, and that the person responsible might even be close by.

’Could that person be Pari?’

...

Having reset to this point in time, he still had to let the hours pass as they would.

The Ring of Time Jumping could only let him choose which point in the past to return to; it couldn’t speed up the flow of time.

That afternoon, he casually rescued Luo Si and the others.

「That evening.」

Lu Cang made a trip to the Adventurer’s Hotel...

On his way back, he perceived the formally-dressed Meiser following behind him.