Chapter 181: Chapter 134: Month: Storage and Cold

At last, he had meticulously read through An Zheng’s manuscript.

The last twenty-five years of An Zheng’s life had now played out completely in Lu Cang’s mind.

A.D.

An Zheng wanted to become a Magic Divine Being. At the time, the Level 8 Mage was already an elderly 465.

His body had already withered.

A Level 8 Mage’s lifespan was only about 500 years.

In the final twenty years of life, the body’s various functions would decline rapidly, withering away.

It was said that gods possessed near-infinite lifespans.

An Zheng did not want to die, so he set out on a journey to find the path to godhood.

For a Level 8 Professional like An Zheng...

...becoming a god was certainly a fitting ambition. After all, a Level 8 Professional was already at the apex of the world.

Ascending to godhood was the logical next step.

The vast majority of Professionals also believed that reaching Level 9 was perhaps the same as ascending to godhood.

Even if it wasn’t godhood itself, reaching Level 9 was seen as an indispensable prerequisite.

But as An Zheng searched...

...he discovered that the path to godhood and the path of leveling up were not necessarily one and the same...

Much of the deleted content was his research into the path of Divinity Ascension.

’The War God experienced not a single battle in his later years?’

’The God of Cold actually lived out his final years in a place where it was spring year-round?’

Between 4997 A.D. and 5005 A.D., An Zheng journeyed across the world. He searched for sites left behind by Divine Spirits, ruins holding their legacies, and sought out the legends the gods had left in the mortal realm.

He also visited other Level 7 and Level 8 Reincarnators.

He exchanged ideas with them about Divinity Ascension.

’I can find no trace of any Level 9 Reincarnator. Why? I also can’t find a single Divine Spirit walking the earth. Again, why?’

’They clearly exist in the world and have such a great impact on it, so why has there never been a single sign of them?’

’However, in my discussions with Roya, the Level 8 Chaos Deceiver, I vaguely formed a theory from his fantastical and absurd ideas.’

’The Level 9 Profession may not be a path to Divinity Ascension.’

’Perhaps the two paths are contradictory, leading in opposite directions. Could leveling up actually be unrelated to godhood? This is simply absurd!’

’Yet this speculation vaguely hints at a logic that cannot be disproven.’

...

’January 1st, 5005 A.D.’

’Yesterday, I met a Divine Spirit walking the earth, but I can no longer recall Its appearance... From It, I learned a Secret regarding Divinity Ascension, but I feel myself rapidly forgetting everything. I must write this all down as quickly as possible.’

After that... everything he had recorded was, in fact, gone.

But Lu Cang, using his Talent, Divine Level Information Tracing, was able to restore it.

’The path of a Level 9 Professional and the path of Divinity Ascension are completely different.’

’Choosing to advance to Level 9 is practically the same as choosing to forsake becoming a Divine Spirit.’

’Level 9 Professionals already possess power comparable to a common, non-Moon God Spirit. They also gain the opportunity to vie for the 10th Level.’ 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

’If you wish to ascend to divinity, you must make a choice at Level 8 and find your Ritual for Divinity Ascension. At that point, you no longer need to abide by the tenets of your Profession.’

’If you wish to reach Level 9, you must continue to fulfill the tenets of your Profession.’

’Godhood and Level 9 are two almost diametrically opposed paths.’

’I asked the nameless Divine Spirit if there was a path that allowed one to both achieve Divinity Ascension and reach Level 9.’

’It told me that such a path exists, but it is nearly impossible.’

...

These records were all things the forgotten Divine Spirit had said personally.

’To say something only for it to be forgotten... isn’t that the same as not saying it at all?’

Lu Cang mused. ’If this forced forgetting was the Divine Spirit’s doing, then It truly has a twisted sense of humor.’

An Zheng had indeed forgotten a great deal, but with these vague clues, he finally discovered the Mage’s path to Divinity Ascension.

Although his search for the path to Divinity Ascension was fraught with setbacks, An Zheng’s Talent was truly undeniable.

An expert who could walk the path of a Mage to Level 8 could not be some simple character. For An Zheng, the word "genius" was an understatement.

He deduced the requirements for Divinity Ascension.

The first requirement was to deny the Root Source.

The second requirement was to master three types of Original Forbidden Magic.

There were only two requirements.

To deny the Root Source—how absurd.

After verifying these requirements for godhood, An Zheng’s final choice was to abandon Divinity Ascension... and instead continue to pursue the Root Source.

The manuscript from the following years contained many of his thoughts on the Root Source.

However, these thoughts were too profound and complex...

Lu Cang could not yet comprehend them.

He could vaguely discern that it was a line of reasoning meant to prove the singular, unchanging nature of the Root Source—surprisingly, the very opposite of what he himself needed to contemplate.

After this, An Zheng tried to advance to Level 9 on multiple occasions, but all his attempts ended in failure. Instead, his Spirit was broken time and again on this path.

He could never take the final step in his proof of the Root Source.

Having failed to reach Level 9, he then planned to deny the Root Source and walk the path of a god.

However, he found success in neither path. He suffered endless torment, forgetting everything again and again each January.

Once fully restored, the manuscript chronicled his multiple attempts at godhood and his extensive conjectures about the Root Source.

Lu Cang copied the original manuscript onto Fire-Written Paper, planning to discuss it with Iz in a while.

The current year was 5025 A.D., meaning An Zheng was now 493 years old and had reached the end of his life.

’No wonder Iz said he was the most powerful Mage.’

’If An Zheng’s body has weakened enough, it’s entirely possible that Iz really is the strongest.’

Closing the manuscript, Lu Cang spent the rest of the day lying in bed, studying Rituals.

...

「Early the next morning.」

"Kumironi."