"Surrender your Emotionality, and you can obtain the 'Perfect Truth Authority.'"
Hearing this answer, Ren Suo wasn't surprised at all.
Absolute Rationality had granted him the ability to contemplate all possibilities before entering the ga.
Ren Suo: "Can't it be sothing else? Does it have to be my rationality?"
The voice: "No. Only by surrendering the Gatekeeper's Emotionality and rationality can one obtain the 'Perfect Truth Authority.'"
Ren Suo: "Why?"
The voice: "Only a Gatekeeper devoid of Emotionality and rationality can control the Door of Truth; only by rging Emotionality and rationality with Truth can one obtain the Perfect Truth Authority."
"The Door of Truth is the embodint of all things, all principles, and all unity; the root of past, present, and future.
It represents immortality, liberation, redemption, the end, and the beginning.
It is the whole, as well as the one."
"The intellect of Living Beings, compared to the vast Truth, is like the difference between dust and the universe."
"Only a Gatekeeper devoid of Emotionality and rationality can fully control the Door of Truth."
"Once the Door of Truth is fully controlled, Truth will inevitably shatter the Gatekeeper's Emotionality and rationality."
"This is an intrinsic relationship."
"Perfect Truth Authority is the internal manifestation of the Door of Truth, currently in a masterless status. When the Gatekeeper surrenders Emotionality and rationality, your Emotionality and rationality will beco the core of the Door of Truth, and the Gatekeeper will beco an existence equivalent to the Door of Truth, thus being able to wield the Perfect Truth Authority."
"At that ti, you are Truth, and Truth is you."
Ren Suo asked, "What if I refuse to surrender my rationality?"
The voice beca slightly more emphatic. "That would not be a wise choice, and it would be a aningless one."
"After undergoing the trial of reigniting the ten Primordial Substances and retracing the Path of the Fire Sword, you should understand a key concept. What we call Emotionality is a screening system produced by biological genes. This system stirs up endless strife, creates hierarchies, incites wars, reduces the numbers of Living Beings, and selects for superior life forms.
If there were no Emotionality, only rationality, then all groups could work together and no longer engage in any strife. Humanity would not be confined to this tiny planet but would advance towards the starry ocean and even the Azure Silver Ti-River."
Ren Suo nodded. "Indeed."
The voice: "And what we call rationality is but a silent strategy for survival. You must be well aware of its shortcomings. While you have gained much from rationality, you have also lost much. You can no longer derive any extrinsic motivations; not even survival can serve as your drive. Your struggle to control the Door of Truth until now is rely an extension of a primal life instinct.
If there were no rationality, only Emotionality, then all individuals could attain maximized motivational experiences, imrsed in an ocean of Emotions. Social structures would greatly shift, and the world would no longer be connected. Even if material progress stalled and humans lived day-to-day, the intensely vibrant spiritual lives of humanity would an every person could have a magnificent and extraordinary existence, and every individual would realize their life's value."
Ren Suo nodded. "That makes sense."
The voice: "Rationality ends the internal strife that consus a race, unites it in its developnt, and adheres to Truth."
"Emotionality frees the individual from the shackles of reality, allowing the pursuit of Freedom and the acquisition of true knowledge."
"Those with rationality are Gatekeepers, while those with Emotionality are Seekers."
"These are two forces that can inscribe Truth, but humans have both."
"Thus, your collective cannot cease its internal conflicts. For millions of years, it has constantly fought over resources left by stardust on a tiny planet. Your individuals are also trapped by the shackles of reality, spending their entire lives ensnared by the traps of capital and striving for man-made desires."
"Possessing both correct forces, yet only capable of walking into the wrong abyss."
Ren Suo nodded. "You're absolutely right."
The voice: "As the Gatekeeper of the Door of Truth, you need not add bricks and mortar for the collective, nor do you need to strive as an individual. Because rationality and Emotionality both lead to Truth, and you, you are Truth."
"You have already reached the end, so naturally there is no need to retain the burdens and provisions on your person; they have beco nothing but shackles. Sacrifice Emotionality, sacrifice rationality. Accept the ultimate Truth."
Ren Suo lowered his head and silently contemplated. The voice then said, "Everything is already predestined."
"Even if you do not give up your rationality now, with every use of the Basic Authority of Truth to trade for truths, your rationality will gradually erode."
"The more you control the Door of Truth, the more it will erode your Emotionality and rationality."
"With your Emotionality already gone, your rationality will continue to deplete."
"In the end, when your rationality is completely worn down and rges with the Door of Truth, you will automatically obtain the Perfect Truth Authority."
"Everything is unavoidably moving towards Truth."
An overt plot.
Everything beca clear. Unless Ren Suo never used the Authority of Truth again, his rationality would inevitably erode. The outco would be no different: he would gain the Perfect Truth Authority and lose all rationality completely.
Could he then stop using the Authority of Truth for trading? He could, but he wouldn't do so.
He would calculate the rate at which his rationality was slipping away and use it to price any activity in his life.
Once the value of certain activities surpassed the rationality he was losing, he would not hesitate to use the Door of Truth to quickly complete them for higher efficiency.
Fear of sacrifice only leads to losing more. Closing your eyes can, of course, keep you from the blinding sun, but you'll also miss the shining stars.
Ren Suo asked, "What will I beco after I lose my rationality?"
The voice replied, "You will beco the purest form of yourself."
"Emotions and mories will no longer hinder you; goals and direction will no longer confuse you. You will beco an embodint of Truth, constantly inspired by Truth."
"No more confusion, no more bewildernt."
"You will break free from the ubiquitous shackles and gain complete Freedom."
"All things in the world will be but fleeting clouds to you; the desires of the mortal world are not worth half as much as Truth."
Ren Suo spoke calmly, "That sounds like a monster."
The voice: "If you wish to call it a monster, then so be it. But isn't becoming a free monster a good thing?"
Of course, that would be good.
No longer burdened by Emotionality, no longer driven by rationality—complete and pure.
While Ren Suo had never experienced this so-called 'Freedom,' he was certain that such Freedom was indeed worth the price of his Emotionality and rationality.
The voice gently said, "Then, make your sacrifice."
Ren Suo raised his hands, preparing to place them on the door. However, when his hands were still a finger's width away, he stopped and asked, "My Emotionality should be completely exhausted by now, right?"
There was no answer.
"My Emotionality was gone from the start of the ga," Ren Suo continued. "I sacrificed my Emotionality, but I didn't get anything in return. The Bead Rotation Matrix is a natural aid for the Gatekeeper, and the trading privileges were unlocked gradually after igniting the Primordial Substances."
"And why would my emotions increase in value after I give up rationality?"
"At first, I assud that these emotions stemd from others' feelings towards . But if that were the case, those who should lose emotions after I trade them would be others, not ."
"Yet without a doubt, the one who lost emotions is , and the one whose emotions increased in value is also ."
"Therefore, my Emotionality has never been lost from the beginning, just suppressed. Hence, I beca an Absolute Rationalist."
"So my feelings can be generated again and continue to appreciate. Because my Emotionality is hidden deep within, completely suppressed by my rationality, I couldn't perceive it. But with external stimulation, my Emotionality will continuously generate emotional resources."
The voice finally spoke up. "Yes."
"However, as you said, with every trade at the Door of Truth, so part of my Emotionality and rationality is eroded. Since my rationality hasn't diminished, the trades over these days must have eroded my Emotionality."
"Six hundred thousand Truth Points," Ren Suo spat out a number. "That's the total amount of Truth Points I've used, which is also the amount needed to completely erode my Emotionality in a trade, right?"
"As long as I use 600,000 Truth Points and sell all my emotions, my Emotionality will be entirely eroded and fully integrated into the Door of Truth."
The voice finally spoke up. "Yes."
Ren Suo nodded. "That makes sense. I've been wondering why the final part of the fifth trial was set to begin two days after the fourth trial ended. It's because you had already calculated everything."
"Everything is arranged by the Door of Truth."
"Right, Truth?"
The voice gave no response, and Ren Suo continued his analysis. "The ti and place of the first four trials were fixed: dayti was dayti, and nightti was nightti. Only the fifth trial was different—if I undertook it during the day, it would be day; if at night, it would be night."
"This can only an one thing: the fifth trial inherently has no ti limit. Therefore, the Door of Truth, by imposing a ti limit for completion, has only one purpose—to prevent from delaying and acquiring sufficient funds to pass."
"You needed to have precisely 360,000 Truth Points after selling all my emotions, and then pass the fifth trial."
"At that mont, devoid of emotions and Emotionality, I would have truly beco an Absolute Rationalist."
"Faced with Perfect Truth Authority, rationality will make the optimal choice. Then I would give up my rationality, becoming the sole Gatekeeper of the Door of Truth."
"From the day I made the wrong choice, my Destiny was already determined by you."
Truth's voice suddenly rang out, "What is right? What is wrong? Can Truth be discerned by such a superficial concept as 'right or wrong'?"
"Truth is the destination of the universe, the direction of all Living Beings, the symbol of eternity."
"Gatekeeper, from beginning to end, you have only one choice: seize Perfect Truth and protect the Eternal Door!"
Ren Suo stared at the Door of Truth for three seconds, nodded silently, and placed both hands fully on the doors of the Door of Truth.
He took a deep breath and calmly spoke.
"Maybe, I didn't choose wrong."
The Door of Truth creaked, as if affirming Ren Suo's choice.
"I just didn't know there was a better choice when I made mine."
Ren Suo closed his eyes and shouted—
"Trade, begin!"
The ten Primordial Flas flickered as countless ethereal tentacles suddenly erged from the crevices of the Door of Truth, invading Ren Suo's body!
Ren Suo showed no reaction, letting them proceed!
"Changsheng Cross Slash," "Blade Armor"...
"Fla Bead," "Storm Bead"...
"Experience Card," "Fourth-Level Cultivation Card," "Thinking Card," "Reaction Card," "Key of Truth"...
"Chengling's Voidwalking Technique," "Gu Yueyan's Bright Moon Goddess," "Ren Xingi's Ti Rule," "Lin Xianyu's Storm Law," "Yu Kuangtu's Burning of the Eight Wastes"...
Ren Suo's Cultivation, props, and Spells were being frantically plundered by the tentacles of the Door of Truth!
In exchange, certain illusory things also flowed back into Ren Suo's body along the tentacles of the Door of Truth.
However, Truth's voice, rarely showing anger, demanded, "What are you doing!"
Ren Suo's mouth curled up slightly as he laughed, "Truth, it's you who actually needs both Emotionality and rationality the most, isn't it?"
"No matter how you disdain Emotionality and rationality, it's undeniable that without them, you are nothing more than a system operating solely on instinct."
"So from the very beginning, you had two goals."
"First, to achieve full manifestation."
"Second, to seize soone's Emotionality and rationality!"
"Am I right?"
Truth's voice beca chilly. "What if you are? What does it matter if you're not? The point is, why are you doing this?"
"Do I need a reason?" Ren Suo laughed. "Previously, I exchanged my Emotionality, emotions, and rit Points for Cultivation, Spells, and props."
"And now, I'm simply using my Cultivation, Spells, and props to take back all my lost Emotionality, emotions, and rit Points!"
"What I don't have, I can afford to lose again; but what I possess, I can't bear to lose even a bit!"
In the re mont this ntal exchange took, Ren Suo's Cultivation had plumted from the Sixth Transformation back to the Fifth Tier!
Truth's voice was both angry and anxious. "You ought to know the downsides of Emotionality and rationality, and how rare the chance to obtain Perfect Truth Authority is! If you miss it, you will never get the chance to be 'forever free' again!"
"Even if you give up the Perfect Truth Authority, doesn't your rationality make you understand that your current strength is enough to overco 99.9% of difficulties? Although you're still unable to transcend the universe, it's enough to achieve relative Freedom on this insignificant planet!"
"Why would you forsake this opportunity? Why return this power?"
At the end, Truth's voice was almost roaring. "When life's difficulties hit you, when Destiny beats you down, when society grinds you under its wheel, what will you use to solve it all!"
"Has your rationality not shown you what the ultimate solution is?!"
"You were ant to be a Strange Creature roaring across the world, yet why do you insist on retracting your Claws and Teeth to beco a worthless creature!?"
A defiant smile crossed Ren Suo's face. "My rationality tells that strength is not the only solution."
"Rationality gave a different answer."
"Just after I sold everyone's emotions, I slowly recalled my past, and then..."
"I fell in love with them all over again, guided solely by my own rationality."
"So, Truth, this is my answer."
"Whether it's life's difficulties, Destiny's cruel blows, society's oppression, or even if I beco worthless..."
"I'll·have·won·to·support·!"
In that instant, Ren Suo's Cultivation plumted, falling back to the Elentary Stage of the Fourth Transformation!
At that mont, he seed to hear Truth's laughter.
"You chose correctly!"
BOOM!
With a creaking, grinding sound, the tentacles of the Door of Truth withdrew from Ren Suo. The Door of Truth closed completely, not even leaving a crack for Ren Suo to peek through!
Ren Suo took his hands off the doors of the Door of Truth, then spread his arms, slowly opened his eyes, and gazed up at the night sky.
"Hee hee." He chuckled, a satisfied smile on his face, his eyes brimming with joy and anticipation.
I, Ren Suo, am back!
Reviews
All reviews (0)