Tasting the air of freedom after a prolonged period of confinement, Niu Chang couldn't help but feel somewhat suffocated.
It wasn't as though the air of freedom he inhaled was tainted with an oily stance; in fact, it was filled with so many harmful substances that they corroded his being – his flesh, spirit, and mind.
‘So much time has passed, and this dead zone has already transformed into a truly deadly zone unsuitable for any living being,’ he mused.
The action taken by the Heavenly Dao to prolong its reign by dumping the negative karma accumulated by living beings had irreversibly turned this dead zone into an unsalvageable wasteland.
‘With more time, this vast amount of waste could develop into something spiritual enough to threaten the very throne of the Heavenly Dao itself.’
With his complete resurrection, the second brain was once again connected, allowing Niu Chang to deduce some hidden plot orchestrated by the Heavenly Dao through all of these events.
‘But all of this no longer has anything to do with me,’ Niu Chang declared as he walked forward.
"You can't harm me, and I can't harm you," he softly spoke.
Following his resurrection, he didn't discover the karmic bond with the Land Dao Spirit as he had expected. This led him to firmly employ his "In The End Nothing Remains" skill to prevent any mistakes.
There was no need to ponder the how and why; the reason was simple. The Heavenly Dao, the convergence between the Land Dao Spirit and the Sky Dao Spirit, wouldn't let such an ominous time bomb go unattended.
Hence, it had to take action to eliminate this subsequent event from its karma inversion method.
Simultaneously, Niu Chang was prohibited from taking any action against the Heavenly Dao. Or, to be precise, he no longer had any connection with this world.
His wish for a secure time to cultivate in peace resulted in all his previous karma being pruned.
Without karma, naturally, nothing could harm him.
Receiving no response from the Heavenly Dao, Niu Chang leisurely extended his hand.
Three tiny worms appeared and wriggled in fear, coiling between his fingers.
‘It's not your turn yet. Just observe for now,’ he commanded his pets to enter his sleeve.
Two specks of light flew out from his index finger, gradually growing larger and brighter.
His current deficiency was in energy, prompting the need to revive his two followers to their living state. He aimed to feed them the energy he had obtained from them in a closed-loop of positivity, ultimately returning to his former standing.
Behind him, a scale crafted from pure ideas materialized. It appeared uneven, with the right side lower than the left.
Niu Chang shook his head as the scale began to function, eventually balancing both sides.
"You can't do that," Niu Chang stated, fully aware that even now, the Heavenly Dao was attempting various methods to eliminate him.
The Blind Judge – a noble technique that upheld justice without room for error.
However, a persistent issue lingered: justice was subjective. Depending on the timing and circumstances, the same case could yield differing verdicts.
This was precisely why the scale that manifested behind Niu Chang was a construct of pure idea, devoid of any material substance. Justice couldn't and wouldn't exist in the past, present, or future.
This was also due to Niu Chang's attainment no longer resembling his previous state when he confronted the seven saints. Back then, he had been confined to the pinnacle of the golden core, where he comprehended the Laws but couldn't interact with them.
Now, he had transcended those worldly Laws and directly grasped the direct derivation of truth – the false truth.
This elevation enhanced all of his previously acquired techniques and skills. The time spent in confinement enabled him to manipulate this manually, given the absence of the second brain in his mind.
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Operating without mistakes or errors, the scale functioned as the hands on both sides rose and fell.
It applied a fair rule to determine various arising problems.
It deliberated the right for Niu Chang to reside within the territory of the Heavenly Dao's world, the right for Niu Chang to linger in the territory of Heavenly Dai – a play on words.
Similar to a court of law, skilled lawyers employ their eloquence and linguistic mastery to secure their cases.
Turning the worst into the bad, and converting the bad into the barely acceptable, and so on.
However, the core essence of the Blind Judge was justice, not equivalence, equalization, or any similar concept.
The main distinction between those seemingly fitting concepts and justice was that justice inherently carried traces of kindness and compassion.
If a case were solely judged based on the concept of equivalence, then the adage "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" would prevail. Naturally, this would leave no room for repentance or opportunity for salvation on either side.
This inherent flaw constituted the most significant loophole within justice itself.
Yet, it was this very loophole that existed to be exploited, rendering justice incapable of ever achieving true fairness and impartiality.
The scale, however, wouldn't err. It engaged in direct comparisons within its judgment process, thereby yielding verdicts immune to semantic manipulation.
Before long, the verdict was reached, evident as both sides of the scale were balanced.
In truth, Niu Chang didn't need to await the result, for his second brain had already foreseen it.
The sole discrepancy between his calculation and the scale's judgment was the authority it wielded.
With a derisive snort, Niu Chang proceeded with the resurrection of his two followers.
And the final verdict?
In line with Niu Chang's stance of non-aggression, he was restrained by the system and declared his disinclination for any hostility directed at the Heavenly Dao. The scale's assessment factored in humanity, allowing him to remain, at least until he could survive beyond the boundaries of the Heavenly Dao's domain.
Yes, humanity was a component considered by the scale in its judgment.
As for his non-aggressive stance, it was a manifestation of his skill, "In The End Nothing Remains."
The potency of the scale?
Not defined by any singular attribute, it provided clear and rational solutions to every issue, all while accounting for humanity.
Considering the matter of Niu Chang remaining within the Heavenly Dao's domain, it became unequivocally apparent that the Heavenly Dao had no further recourse, and no exploitable loopholes remained.
Niu Chang was currently experiencing the safest moment of his entire life.
As time passed, the resurrection procedure proceeded without interruption.
Xia Yue, possessing celestial beauty, slowly opened her eyelids. Niu Chang, finding himself bored, injected more charm into Xia Yue's design, enhancing her appearance universally.
Following her was the newly revamped Qiu Yue.
Both of them were exemplars of beauty, their looks alone enough to fill an entire book with descriptions.
As for his rationale behind these actions, it naturally stemmed from his preference as a male. He found it more appealing to embody a female character in his interactions rather than observing another male on his computer screen.
"Master," both women respectfully bowed upon seeing Niu Chang.
The scene offered Niu Chang a satisfying respite after an extended period of emptiness. Additionally, after reconnecting with his second brain, he had significantly rewired his mentality to avert any erroneous paths.
Consequently, his current disposition didn't differ substantially from his state before entering the void of emptiness.
This continuity wasn't negative in the grand scheme; rather, it was a measure to ensure Niu Chang wouldn't tread an incorrect course, as he had done in the past.
For his present mindset remained untainted, and his intentions were readily perceptible.
Yet, to avoid squandering his alternate ego, he stored it in his database for potential future use.
‘Whether it's the present me or the future me, nothing should or would alter. Ultimately, everything will be a manifestation of me,’ he justified while contentedly observing his followers' rejuvenation.
A sigh escaped Niu Chang's lips, sensing that his actions might upset some people in the hardcore side.
‘If I lose myself in the pursuit of immortality, then what's the purpose once I attain it? Well, it's true that I can revert to my former self upon reaching that point, but I don't see the necessity for it currently. At least, not for the time being.’
The quest for immortality was undoubtedly arduous, but who bestowed upon Niu Chang a system to exploit?
Moreover, possessing a character unburdened by constraints could potentially hinder his journey.
Whether it was his two followers or anything else, they could be readily sacrificed, knowing he would ultimately restore them.
"Engage in cultivation," Niu Chang commanded, establishing a connection with his two followers to supply them with the energy required for elevating their cultivation levels beyond that of normal humans.
He manifested in their minds to guide them directly, ensuring they wouldn't make any mistakes in the process.
With their cultivation levels ascending, the energy feedback from the system surged correspondingly.
In a short span, both of them had already ascended to the pinnacle of the golden core stage, poised to evolve into saints from the old world rather than adhering to the cultivation path in this world.