Chapter 1826: The Path of Choice

The voice was vast and magnificent, supremely exalted.

With a disdainful, unquestionable posture overlooking the four directions, the Overseer now displayed his true authority before Lin An for the first time.

In the vast enclosed space, Overseer 77 suddenly erupted with endless red flames all over his body, like rolling solar prominences, filling the entire space.

Under an invisible pressure like that of a true deity, in an instant Lin An even had his mind and spirit suppressed; in his thoughts only that enormous eye kept enlarging without limit.

It was just like the first time he saw that eye in the sun.

Cold and merciless, it was as if embodying everything in the world! The incarnation of order!

At this moment, a flash of insight suddenly crossed Lin An's mind, and he suddenly understood the true meaning of the Overseer.

The Overseer is the eye of the system, the myriad incarnations by which the system controls the world!

"Tell me your choice, Lin An!"

"No more nonsense."

As Overseer 77's voice once again thundered through the space, within the silver-blue eyeball it seemed even the red eye was staring at Lin An.

No need to say more; he displayed such power merely to tell Lin An that, given his identity, every word and promise of his need not be doubted!

At the same time, Lin An, feeling infinitely small, silently gave a bitter smile.

Lin An strained to lift his head and gaze at the eye as vast as the universe; for the first time in his life, he fell into great hesitation.

How could he not understand the Overseer's meaning?

As long as he nods in agreement, his future will be smooth sailing, leading straight to the Heavenly Path!

With virtually limitless resources and privileges, even a Sixth Stage would guard him; lying down he could become the supreme being in the eyes of Hei Di and others!

Moreover, Lin An had no doubt that Overseer 77 could truly make him an Overseer, an invincible existence feared by countless civilizations!

How tempting...

At this moment, it seemed another self burst forth in Lin An's mind, frantically urging him to nod in agreement.

One step to ascend to heaven, never again would he have to toil so hard.

No need for life-and-death battles, no need to struggle desperately; because of his choice, the Earth civilization behind him and everyone around him would end this nightmare!

But...

Sixth Stage?

A Sixth Stage is nothing but an ant.

Although saying this may be overreaching, Lin An clearly knows he is merely a Fourth Stage, utterly unqualified to judge a Sixth Stage he has never even seen!

Yet the levels he has encountered are so high that he knows Sixth Stage is, in the Overseer's eyes, merely cannon fodder, and that even stronger beings above Sixth Stage cannot resist the Apocalypse!

If he had never known all this, if he had never known these truths...

At the moment the Overseer spoke, he Lin An would have gladly agreed.

But now...

For some reason, Lin An really wants to say he wants to try it himself.

He does not know whether, after voicing his innermost choice, this supreme being will be disappointed, or even think him foolish beyond measure.

But for Lin An, he truly does not want to abandon the path he has always upheld!

All wrong! Then why shouldn't he persevere to the end!?

Especially deep within Lin An's heart, a series of crazy thoughts are like brands etched into his soul, urging him to take a gamble!

(Thought split! Three paths correspond to three mes!)

(According to Overseer 77, the path of strengthening the Three Systems together, the biggest problem is dying from thought-split, completely losing the self! But for me...)

(I have not never split my thoughts! I have not never lost my self! Second Will, Fifth Stage reversal! Before I became Fourth Stage, I had already 'done' this!)

No one knows how crazy Lin An's inner thoughts are; perhaps even Overseer 77, who knows everything, does not know.

For anyone wanting to walk these three paths, merely the split of body and rule in thought is unbearable, or rather unacceptable.

No one can tolerate the emergence of a second self.

Lin An can imagine that those Awakened Ones who try to walk the path of rules and body, when they first realize their thoughts are beginning to split and they can no longer control themselves, would feel how panicked and fearful!

They likely choose to attack 'themselves!' The body thinks it is the living self, and the thought simulated as rules also thinks so!

Both thought entities are weakened, lacking a complete self, and will inevitably follow instinct—like beasts, like monsters, they will self‑slaughter! Or, terrified, they will flee from each other, literally tearing themselves apart to death!

But for Lin An, he has an extremely absurd 'illusion'!

(Pre‑separate the self before reaching Fifth Stage!)

"If after Fifth Stage the two paths would subtly split the thought, forcing it to be constantly poured into both paths, suffering all the time—then I might as well split in advance!"

"Just like early cultivation, starting the split when rules and body are weak, the side effects might be much smaller!"

"Moreover..."

In a death‑like silence, Lin An's heart pounded wildly, his fists clenched tightly.

"The biggest problem of splitting is that neither side has a complete self; they instinctively want to make themselves whole! But I know, I know the two selves can actually coexist!"

"Start from thought! One with many memories, one with few—just like the Second Will, and as Overseer 77 said, the path of rules ultimately turns oneself into a tool!"

"Those Sixth and Seventh Stage Awakened Ones turn rules and body into weapons; why can't I reverse it, turning my soul and thought into tools, into weapons!"

The more he thought, the faster it went; unconsciously, Lin An now seemed to have suddenly found a road no one had imagined, with countless ideas combining at astonishing speed, smooth beyond compare!

Perhaps he is just a foolish daydreamer, wildly fantasizing about something absurd.

But for some reason, as Lin An considered this, his thinking grew clearer! Even his body trembled uncontrollably!

It's possible! Why wouldn't it be!?

Three thoughts walking three paths together!

In battle, the three selves fight together! Just as in the alien species world, he relied purely on the residual thought of his body to fight!

Looking from another angle, if he had been lucid then, he could have let the 'Second Will' control the rules, he control faith, and Long An control the body!

Under the Three-in-One, they unleashed unimaginable combat power!

(Moreover!)

(If the greatest danger of split consciousness is losing oneself, or if a certain split consciousness's self-concept is too strong and threatens another me—just like the Second Will!)

(I have the Flame of Time! I can burn memories! I can burn the memories that arise the moment they rebel, before they lose control!)

(This way, I can even... I can even infinitely burn the past and future!?)

His train of thought grew ever more wild, as one shocking idea after another popped up; at this very moment, Lin An actually forgot that the Overseer was waiting for him!

It seemed he also sensed something; at this very moment, number 77 likewise remained silent, merely gazing at him with deep eyes, patiently waiting for something.

"Burning the past and future..."

"Burning the past, burning consciousness, burning the self..."

"No... or maybe I'm mistaken... the true use of the Flame of Time is to continually produce qualified thoughts! If a split-off thought is wrong, we burn it away and remake it! Until we create thoughts that perfectly match my Second Will! Third Will!"

"Just like a factory producing weapons—defective ones are scrapped, qualified ones are kept!"

"But thinking this way, my biggest problem might actually be my thoughts—can I withstand so many splits? Will I go mad and become a monster like an Aberrant Mutant again!"

The more he thought, the more excited he became; at this very moment, Lin An couldn't help but feel an urge to test it right then and there!

He didn't know whether his thoughts were right or wrong, but he was willing to try!

Three-in-One, achieving a path no one has ever walked!

Just as Lin An was about to irresistibly invoke his own Eternal Rule, suddenly, the suppression of an unusable rule jolted him awake.

At the same time, he seemed to come to his senses, recalling that he was still in the closed space.

Instinctively focusing his gaze, Lin An looked helplessly at the Overseer above him, his heart suddenly sinking.

Damn it, he had inexplicably zoned out so badly, forgetting that the Overseer was still waiting for him to make a choice!

Without Hesitation.

His thoughts raced, his resolve settled.

Facing that god-like giant eye, Lin An took a deep breath and firmly made his choice.

"I want myself..."

"Let's give it a try!"