The prerequisite for the birth of every Chosen One was the Blessing bestowed by a Superior Virtue.
The essence scattered from the vast Time Tapestry woven from an infinite multitude of phenomena fell into the soul, answering the Chosen One's desires and prayers and bringing with it power granted by the world.
Although there was no rule stating that one could not receive another Superior Virtue's Blessing after receiving one, the vast majority of Chosen Ones chose to cultivate deeply along a single Superior Virtue's Path. Unless necessary, they would not come into excessive contact with other Superior Virtues' Blessings.
Everyone's capacity to endure had its limits.
The vast majority of people, even when specializing in a single path, found it difficult to endure multiple Blessings. Once the number of Blessings exceeded their capacity, the gradually uncontrollable Blessings would shatter their overburdened souls, severely damage their consciousness, and even mutate their bodies.
What it triggered then was the Sin Corruption that made all Chosen Ones pale at the mention of it!
With enough luck, they could still be saved. After having the Blessings stripped away, they might become cripples or vegetables. With bad luck, they might be sensed and noticed by Evil Folly outside the other Superior Virtues, with results that were often worse than death.
To prevent this from happening, the Secret Rite known as the Matrix was born.
After generations of exploration and experimentation, the Chosen Ones created the soul imprints of the Twelve Supreme Goodnesses. They could increase the soul's capacity to endure and guide Chosen Ones to grow in a predetermined direction when advancing, preventing them from losing control.
They were like guides and maps for the Superior Virtue's Path.
At the same time, they were armor and protection for the soul, capable of resisting the erosion and pollution of other Evil Folly. The more advanced Matrices even contained precepts and oaths, abilities that ordinary Chosen Ones did not possess.
Just like the [Minerva] Ji Jue had once seen on Wen Wen.
Named after the goddess of war from before the Calamity Era, it was itself a top-tier Matrix of the Waste Ruins Lineage. Not only did it bring Wen Wen's crystallization ability to perfection, it also possessed corrosiveness, defensive power, and killing power incomparable to other Matrices. In the end, it could even cover reality and create a [Realm of Encirclement] that seemed like another world!
"Hmm, it sounds like a professional template specially designed for twelve enhancement paths. You level up step by step, gradually lighting up the prescribed skills, so you don't accidentally ruin your character, right?"
Ji Jue felt that he understood. Not just a little—he understood it thoroughly.
"...Although that's more or less right, why does it sound so cheap when you put it that way?"
The corner of Ye Chun's eye twitched. She did not dwell on it and continued along the topic. "From the moment of awakening, those who become Chosen Ones will gradually grow.
"After passing through the four realms of Summoning, Metamorphosis, Rebirth, and Transcendence in succession, and crossing twelve levels of rank, they will reach the Celestial Realm that the vast majority of Chosen Ones can only yearn for throughout their entire lives.
"To Chosen Ones who enter that realm, ordinary people probably won't be any different from gods.
"But that has nothing to do with you. As a level-one blank-slate newbie, you'd better worry about what to do with your Matrix. Otherwise, even if a Superior Virtue bestows another Blessing upon you, you won't be able to keep it."
She gloated. "Auntie's inherited Matrix is called [Mo Xie]. It's one of the top-tier Matrices in the Embers domain, and it's best at enhancing Alchemy. Unfortunately... it's limited to women.
"How about considering a trip to the Southeast Islands? Their gender reassignment services seem pretty well developed."
"It even limits gender?" Ji Jue was shocked. He could not help shivering with anger and cold, tears nearly flowing from his eyes. Why did even a good Matrix have to dictate whether someone was a man or a woman?
A Matrix for the masses—how utterly disgusting!
No, he had to make a post on Little Red Book...
"Gender is the least of it. The stronger the Matrix, the more restrictions it has. Some restrict the age of implantation, some restrict personality, and some require simultaneous surgery to remove an eyeball or limb. Some even forcibly alter the user's personality or simply erase their emotions."
Ye Chun shook her head. "A simple gender restriction is basically already among the least restrictive types."
In the silence, Ji Jue said nothing.
For a moment, he had really wanted to crack another joke, but he could not help thinking of Wen Wen... After she unfolded her Realm of Encirclement, those indifferent eyes that held not the slightest ripple of emotion.
He wanted to make a few jokes, but his voice turned dry when he opened his mouth, startling even himself. "Senior, I once heard a bastard say that the Wasteland Ruins Path is the path that needs the human heart the least.
"Was he telling the truth?"
"Hmm, there's some truth to that. After all, the Waste Ruins represent matter, and the thing matter cares about least is probably so-called emotion.
"But it isn't quite that absolute."
To onlookers, Chosen Ones would more or less display certain traits based on the Superior Virtue's Path they had chosen. No, perhaps it was precisely because they had these traits that they could receive a Superior Virtue's Blessing.
For example, Chosen Ones of the Wasteland Ruins Path were all stubborn, cold on the outside and cold on the inside as well. Meanwhile, Chosen Ones of Ascension, whose Superior Virtue presided over the soul, were so emotionally abundant that they seemed neurotic.
The Chosen Ones of White Deer were often lax and rebellious. In the eyes of Chosen Ones of Celestial Origin, however, Chosen Ones of the White Deer Path had no staying power, never listened to advice, never kept their promises, and possessed neither manners nor upbringing.
Chosen Ones of Celestial Origin generally followed the rules and behaved conventionally. Chosen Ones of White Deer, on the other hand, thought they were all control freaks who dug traps even with the punctuation in every sentence they spoke, and every contract they produced was an overbearing one.
The Horde's Chosen Ones were all homicidal maniacs, constantly producing vicious incidents. The Chosen Ones of the Heart Pivot were all insidious schemers, dark-minded and deep as the sea. The Chosen Ones of the Mirror told lies by the dozen and loved scamming people. The Chosen Ones of Ether liked peeking into other people's privacy and would risk their lives for gossip and juicy news. The Chosen Ones of Entropy had explosive tempers and blew up at the slightest spark. The Chosen Ones of Embers were all technology fanatics, each one crazier than the last, and would produce deranged things like "Onii-chan, suckle..." if one wasn't careful...
The Chosen Ones of different Superior Virtue Paths were often opposed to one another and rife with Strife, while also being saturated with all kinds of ingrained impressions and prejudices. In reality, most of these...
Were still correct!
Unfortunately, they were not prejudices but facts.
Although a large forest would always contain some anomalies, most of the time Chosen Ones complemented and reinforced the Superior Virtue to which they belonged.
"For example, you—"
Ye Chun pointed at the bewildered Ji Jue. "Aren't you the same?"
"Huh? I haven't gone crazy over technology to that extent!"
"What do you think? After following Auntie at Tianmen University for so many years, I've seen people study day and night to earn certifications, and I've seen people rack their brains to produce results. But you're the first person I've seen who enjoyed being a study machine this much. Sometimes I find it so annoying that I wish you'd work yourself to death and get lost already. But if I don't take the initiative to bring you food, you'd starve to death in the laboratory."
"I was forced into this by circumstances, all right?" Ji Jue replied decisively. "If I were like those rich young masters, with food and drink provided every day, why would I work myself this hard? I had no choice!"
"You already have a choice, Ji Jue."
Ye Chun looked at him with an unreadable expression and let out a faint sigh. "You're already a Chosen One, and you awakened on your own. Aren't there plenty of jobs simpler, more convenient, and more profitable than being an alchemist?
"Why haven't you thought about finding another job?"
Ji Jue was rendered speechless.
He could say that he was afraid of strangers, that he had grown accustomed to staying with Professor Ye, and that he trusted the professor. But there was no denying that... no matter how difficult it was to remain in the project group or how troublesome it was to keep up with the progress, he enjoyed it.
The Blessing granted by Embers had never been wasted.
Compared to dominating others, indulging his whims, or killing and setting fires, what he loved most was this kind of life.
If someone really made him use his abilities to earn a fortune and then spend every day idling around with nothing to do, he himself would feel he had wronged time and life.
He wanted to live a more valuable life. Even if he could not become a scholar who led an industrial Revolution or an Alchemy Grandmaster without equal in the world, would it not still be a good thing if he could use his creations to change the lives of more people?
After a brief moment of bewilderment, he accepted this fact calmly.
It was pretty good.
So what if he was a scientific freak? No, he was no longer scientific. What did that make him? A magic freak? In any case, as long as he was still human, that was all that mattered.
Smack.
Crisp footsteps came from the staircase.
"Finished?"
Professor Ye came downstairs carrying a box that seemed to be covered in dust.
"Ah, more or less. The rest is common knowledge that you can learn from books."
Ye Chun sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I finally understand why Auntie said that even if I became a Chosen One, I would regret it sooner or later."
"People who think too much worry about every possibility, while people with too many choices become trapped in the dilemma of choosing. This isn't your problem. You're simply unsuitable.
"Forcing yourself isn't a good thing."
Professor Ye beckoned to Ji Jue alone. "Come with me."
Ji Jue rose and followed her, but Ye Chun remained seated on the sofa, continuing to eat potato chips. She merely waved her hand indifferently and resumed watching the variety show.
It was as if she were restraining herself from turning around to look.
"Don't worry about her. She's different from you. What research and exploration are sweet as honey to you are merely dull and tedious to her. She's different from you."
Professor Ye, walking ahead, spoke as if she could guess what he was thinking without turning her head. "You should worry about yourself, Ji Jue."
"Huh?"
Ji Jue's attention was dragged back, and he gradually grew nervous.
The basement was unexpectedly spacious, utterly unlike the dark candlelight, ram skulls, strange specimens on display, and complex magic arrays he had imagined.
If he had to describe it... it was completely a machining workshop!
Ninety percent of the things inside were identical to the laboratories provided by the university for project research groups. Their specifications even far exceeded them... Ji Jue stared wide-eyed at the Dragon Gate Machining Center produced by Cosmos Heavy Industries in the corner alone.
It was a model he had never seen before, yet it bore Cosmos Heavy Industries' logo, as if it were a custom-made version.
The machine was more than nine meters long and stood taller than Ji Jue. Even in a factory building, it would have been enough to draw everyone's attention, yet here it was merely given a back seat.
The most conspicuous thing was the furnace door at the end of the basement, over two meters tall. Even from far away, one could still feel waves of heat, as if it were still running day and night without pause.
At the very center, on the workbench, stood a steel construct resembling a giant's corpse. It was a set of Powered Armor still in its rough initial form!
It had not been painted, bore no markings, and did not even seem complete. Complicated cables protruded from between the equipment in its chest and abdomen.
A dangerous weapon that should have been kept under tight guard even in the military, and that could never be deployed to the battlefield without orders from the Military Department, was simply displayed brazenly before Ji Jue.
He could not help swallowing.
This is bad. I know too much. They won't silence me, will they?
That absurd thought flashed through his mind and vanished. Professor Ye, walking ahead, seemed to notice it, yet could not even be bothered to glance back at him.
"It's a classified development contract with the Haizhou military. Interested?"
"Uh, no, no!"
Ji Jue shook his head frantically. But when he saw the several exposed Harmonic Reducers in the armor's joints, and even the faintly visible layers of a Phlogiston Power Furnace between its chest and abdomen, he finally vaguely understood what deadly thing his paper on the application of the Planetary Carrier in a new field had become connected to.
No, perhaps everyone in Tianmen's research groups was working as support and backup for the thing on the workbench right now.
"Come here." Professor Ye said, "Put your hand on it."
The old briefcase was opened on another table, revealing delicate objects resting on a fine-felt cushion. At a glance, it looked just like the Crystal Ball that the masses loved seeing in fantasy stories.
Wait...
Ji Jue rubbed his eyes and checked again and again.
It really was a Crystal Ball?!
Good news—the classic setup had arrived!
Before you continue