Chapter 932: Need

Li Pin listened to Transcendent Black White's words.

At first, it all sounded normal. It seemed everything he did was solely to confront that terrifying existence rapidly approaching, but if one followed his reasoning carefully, an irreconcilable conflict would emerge.

The true reason those Creators had entered this universe was to search for the Eternal, who had driven them out and filled them with fear. Or rather, they were here to search for the Power of Eternity left behind by the Eternal.

In order to find this power, they would stop at nothing.

Li Pin did not doubt the determination and willpower of Creators like Miao Ya. After countless eras of muddled drifting, these Creators were already on the brink of mental collapse. They were like mighty beings who once stood atop the universe, now caught in a long and lucid nightmare, only to awaken and find their era had already ended.

They didn't even know whether they would once again fall into such a nightmare, wandering in confusion through the years to come.

In such circumstances, taking the initiative to resolve the issue at all costs while still clear-headed would be their only option. Anyone who stood in their way would be mercilessly crushed.

Under these premises, if they scoured the universe and still could not find the Power of Eternity that would allow them to break through using conventional means, they would inevitably turn to extreme measures. They could very well destroy the universe to force the Power of Eternity to reveal itself.

And by then, the Supremes would already have allied with them, allowing them access to this universe. By then, they would be backed by the universe itself and could continuously harvest matter, energy, time, and space from it, steadily growing in power. What could the Supremes of this universe possibly use to resist them?

"Null, we need your help," pleaded Transcendent Black White earnestly to Null.

Null did not respond immediately but instead turned to Li Pin. "Your Majesty Origin should have more say in this matter."

Although Li Pin had debated Dao with Regalheaven, Genesis, and Primordial, the realms he spoke of and the realms in Null's database conveyed fundamentally different impressions. Only Null knew just how powerful the current Origin had become. He was fully capable of representing the will of the starry cosmos. The only difference was whether he was willing to do so.

"As living beings of the same starry cosmos, we should not become enemies," said Transcendent Black White.

At that moment, Li Pin suddenly asked, "There are divisions among you as well?"

Transcendent Black White quickly understood what Li Pin meant.

"Yes. Li and I advocate a peaceful means to glimpse the Power of Eternity and break through the current shackles of the realm. Miao Ya, Yong Yao, and the others, however, propose directly invading the starry cosmos and suppressing all resistance."

As Transcendent Black White spoke, his tone paused slightly. He added sincerely, "I mean no provocation, but I must make it clear, they possess that capability."

Null glanced at Black White, then shifted her gaze to Li Pin. She didn't interject.

"So... how exactly do you define the Eternal and the Power of Eternity?"

Transcendent Black White fell silent upon hearing the question. After a long pause, he finally replied, "All we know is that it must exist in the starry cosmos. But what it truly is, in definition or form..."

His eyes held confusion, bitterness, and even a trace of pain. "We don't know. Perhaps only when we truly find that power will we understand what it truly is."

Disappointment flickered in Li Pin's eyes. "You don't know..."

Regalheaven brought these top-tier experts from the Ancient Astral World into the current realm because he wanted to uncover the truth about that Creator, suspected to be the Eternal, and to retrieve his lost memories.

Li Pin was also curious about the existence that was suspected to be the Eternal. But now, according to Transcendent Black White's statement, they themselves didn't even know what exactly the so-called Eternal or Power of Eternity was, nor in what form it existed. In that case, everything Supreme Regalheaven had done seemed entirely meaningless.

Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that they did know the form in which the Power of Eternity existed but simply refused to reveal it, fearing that such power might fall into the hands of many Supremes, Highlords, or Transcendents.

If that were true, then everything Transcendent Black White had said was part of a scheme. He and Creator Miao Ya were simply playing good cop, bad cop, and their ultimate plan would definitely not be as simple as they made it sound.

After pondering for a moment, Li Pin ultimately stopped thinking about it. It was meaningless. These were not the things he sought.

"Go speak with Regalheaven," Li Pin said. "A hundred years from now, the Human Race will convene a grand Supreme Council, with over one-third of the starry cosmos's Supremes in attendance. If you can convince Regalheaven and the others, they'll allow you to represent the Ancient Astral World's powerhouses and explain the crisis the cosmos is facing."

"Regalheaven? The Supreme Council?" Transcendent Black White nodded after hearing this. "Then I shall go meet this Supreme Regalheaven."

He added firmly, "I've always believed that since we share the same universe and live under the same starry sky, only by standing united can we face greater crises and lead all beings of the cosmos to ascend higher and farther."

"Let's go," Li Pin said.

He split off an avatar to depart with Transcendent Black White.

After watching Li Pin's incarnation leave with Transcendent Black White, Null's gaze landed back on Li Pin. "Will they reach an agreement?"

"What do you think?" Li Pin asked.

Null considered for a moment. "Highly unlikely. Based on my understanding of those people... some of them hold rather extreme views."

"Extreme?"

Li Pin nodded. It was an accurate description.

"To put it in simpler terms, it's like a deranged gunman claiming that something more important than his life has been lost in your house, yet even he doesn't know what it is or where it's hidden. If that's the case... who would dare let him in?"

As she spoke, Null smiled. "But you still chose to let him negotiate with Regalheaven. Is it because you have the power to suppress the situation at any moment?"

Li Pin shook his head. "Not quite. Supreme Regalheaven has also lost many of his memories, and so have Transcendent Black White and the others. In a sense, it was Regalheaven who provided them with the right path. Otherwise, even if they wanted to return, they couldn't have crossed the Void of Chaos so precisely in such a short time and appeared just outside the starry cosmos.

𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"The reason I'm letting them talk is in hopes that their exchange might spark a clash of memories, revealing the truth about the Eternal."

"The Eternal..."

Null nodded.

Who wouldn't wish to have a glimpse of that mysterious Eternal? Perhaps many questions would be answered upon meeting that being who could even obscure the memories of others.

***

The outcome wasn't outside of Li Pin and Null's expectations.

When Transcendent Black White met Supreme Regalheaven, no spark of memory was ignited between them. On the contrary, when Transcendent Black White mentioned he knew nothing about the Eternal or the Power of Eternity, the two of them immediately fell out.

Supreme Regalheaven did not believe Transcendent Black White's words.

If it weren't for the fact that Transcendent Black White had come to meet Regalheaven on account of Li Pin—and that suppressing a Transcendent in full form was extremely difficult—Regalheaven and the other Supremes would have joined forces to suppress Transcendent Black White.

***

This outcome naturally left Transcendent Black White deeply regretful.

After leaving the Homo Sapien Supreme Council, Transcendent Black White spoke bluntly.

"Although I knew that was the worst possible outcome, based on the current situation, the two sides of the alliance lack a shared consensus. Or rather, the beings in the starry cosmos have yet to realize that it wasn't due to weakness that we chose to ally with the starry cosmos. It's because we do not wish to deplete the cosmos' strength through civil war.

"Li and I have always believed that the true opponent is that terrifying entity who followed the trail here, and... the even more profound and dreadful threats lurking deep within the Void of Chaos."

He glanced at Li Pin. "But the current situation seems to be sliding toward the abyss of war. I will go seek to form alliances with other races. If it truly comes to the moment when action must be taken, they will not hesitate to show the Supremes of the starry cosmos the true power of the Creators. It's just that when it reaches that point, bloodshed and sacrifice will be inevitable."

With that, Transcendent Black White left the scene.

After Transcendent Black White departed, Supreme Primordial approached Li Pin. "Your Majesty Origin, do not be deceived by them."

He solemnly said, "These Creators have already comprehended the Power of Reincarnation. Once they enter the starry cosmos, they can endlessly draw mass and spacetime from it to strengthen themselves. In the end, they can use this method to elevate their power to unimaginable levels. Worse still... they can directly disrupt the balance of our cosmos and cause it to collapse."

He declared firmly, "We must never give them the opportunity to harvest mass and spacetime from within the starry cosmos freely! The battlefield must be at the edge of the cosmos!

"There, we won't have to venture deep into the Void of Chaos, and we can still draw mass and spacetime from the cosmos itself. Eventually, we will be able to suppress them and uncover the truth behind the collapse of the Ancient Astral World by our own means."

Li Pin glanced at Supreme Primordial. He knew that trust was missing between the two sides, and that was the most critical link at this moment. Especially for these Supremes, Highlords, Creators, and Transcendents who stood atop the universe, who believed they could control the situation.

Power was their confidence.

It was like a competitive game; so long as they had their ultimate move ready, they believed that no matter how dire the situation, they could charge in, execute a counter-kill, and carry the entire match. However, in the end, no one knew what the outcome would be.

"Everyone has their own pursuit," muttered Li Pin.

He wished to obtain information related to the Power of Eternity.

Regalheaven sought to recover his lost memories.

The Supremes wished to preserve their dominance over the cosmos.

The Creators would stop at nothing, even if it meant turning the cosmos to ash, just to confront their inner demons, sever karma, and break through to a higher realm.

This was how living beings were.