Chapter 18;The Celestial Mandate

Lex held the small white light ball in his hand, He scanned its essence down to its most basic form and noticed subtle similarities to himself. Resolving to further refine its purpose, Lex removed 10 percent of his law mastery.

The process was swift and precise. All the laws he removed coalesced into a single, small, pentagon-shaped gem. It hovered in the air pulsating with immense power, its power undiminished even in the blank point,a place where laws were inherently ineffective.

Using his power he duplicated the gem, creating two identical replicas. Now three gems hovered before him, each radiating identical power and law mastery.Yet, Lex frowned slightly; he didn't want them to remain generic copies.

He reached forward reclaiming the original gem and reabsorbing it into himself, leaving only the two. With deliberate intent, Lex altered their compositions. To one gem, he infused laws that made it fully compatible with the new will he was forming. To the other, he adjusted the laws to make it universally adaptable, compatible with any entity that might wield it in the future.

The two gems pulsed with unique energy signatures as Lex carefully brought one closer to the glowing will ball. With deliberate precision, he fused the gem into the ball, and in an instant, a dramatic transformation unfolded.

The ball expanded, its mass increasing exponentially, and a radiant white figure emerged from within, seamlessly blending with the surrounding white void. The figure took on a humanoid form, its silhouette smooth and unblemished. However, its eyes were devoid of emotion, blank and unreadable, as if reflecting the neutrality of its existence.

Without hesitation, the figure kneeled before Lex, its presence radiating obedience and purpose. It awaited his command, silent and still, a being born from the fusion of universal laws and pure will.

Lex watched the kneeling figure in silence as he thought to himself"let me test it."With a wave of his hand, he conjured a miniature realm;full of chaotic storms, unstable laws, and collapsing timelines.

"Let's see what you can do," Lex murmured.

The figure rose without hesitation, stepping into the chaotic realm. Its movements were precise, methodical, as if unbothered by the maelstrom around it. The storms calmed under its influence, and the collapsing timelines wove themselves back together seamlessly.

Lex's eyes narrowed slightly and he internally reasoned. "It follows commands perfectly, but does it act on its own?" He intensified the scenario, adding an unpredictable element;an anomaly created by conflicting laws. The figure hesitated for the briefest moment, then acted, resolving the conflict with cold and ruthless efficiency.

"Not bad, but far from complete."he praised.

After that he recalled the figure, Lex spoke, his tone carrying authority.

"You will be the keeper of balance," he said. "You will watch over the flow of time, the integrity of space, and the harmony of creation itself."the primordials crossed his mind they were supposed to be keepers of balance but the way they acted made him reconsider,some of them were selfish and consumed by greed.

The figure tilted its head slightly, acknowledging his words without expression. Lex frowned, extending a thread of his consciousness toward it.

"Can you comprehend what I ask of you?"

The figure's blank eyes glowed faintly, a quiet hum emanating from its form. "I exist to fulfill your will," it replied, its voice devoid of emotion.

Lex leaned back, contemplating. Fulfilling commands is one thing. Understanding their implications is another.

Lex raised his hand, and an invisible energy flowed from his hand"Your form lacks what is needed to interact with this universe," he said. He infused a fraction of his humanity into the figure and made it so that it could only reason with logic on the basis of emotions.

The figure's blank eyes flickered, and for the first time, faint trace of what looked like emotion stirred within them,curiosity, perhaps even determination. Its form shifted slightly, the once-sterile appearance gaining subtle details that gave it a sense of presence.

"Better," Lex muttered. "But not enough." He wove strands of Origin Energy into its core, refining its compatibility with the universe. Now, the figure radiated authority, not as an extension of Lex, but as an entity in its own right.

Lex extended his hand, creating a glowing thread of time energy. "Your first task," he began, "is to stabilize this."

The thread crackled violently, shifting between past and future states. Lex's eyes gleamed with anticipation as the figure reached out, its movements careful yet decisive. The thread fought back, writhing like a serpent, but the figure's blank aura enveloped it, calming its chaotic energy.

"Good," Lex said, though his expression remained unreadable. "But can you maintain it?"

He increased the energy's volatility, forcing the figure to adapt. The figure faltered momentarily, but then its power surged, stabilizing the thread once more.

Satisfied with the test, Lex stepped back, folding his arms. He observed the figure as it stood motionless.

"Now let's see if you can act without direction," he murmured.

He allowed a ripple of instability to spread through the surrounding white void . The figure reacted immediately, extending its hand to suppress the disturbance. Lex raised an eyebrow.

"Good… but predictable. What will you do if I leave entirely?"

He turned, vanishing from the blank point, leaving the figure alone. Hidden from view, Lex watched as the figure surveyed the surroundings, scanning for further disruptions. Its actions were precise but lacked creativity.

"Still incomplete," Lex whispered to himself. "But it has potential."

Returning to the blank point lex stood in front of the figure,he pondered"what name should it have"Lex sat in silence, His mind churned as he pondered a fitting name for this creation.

"Heavenly Overseer… no, too direct," he mused silently. "The Immutable Path… perhaps, but it lacks the weight I want." His thoughts circled other options,Eternal Order, Transcendent Dao—before settling on one that felt right.

"Celestial Mandate," he murmured, the words resonating with finality. It carried the authority and balance he envisioned, embodying the essence of the Will. With a faint nod, he spoke the name aloud, solidifying its identity and enforcing its principles.

...…

At the same moment, the primordials scattered across the universe felt an oppressive gaze fall upon them. The very fabric of space around them tightened, constricting their movements, as an invisible weight pressed down on their existence.

Restrictions they had never experienced before took hold. The surrounding space grew unnaturally solid, and tasks that once required little effort now demanded significantly more. If they could reduce a mountain to rubble with a single punch before, now it would take two or more strikes to achieve the same.

The changes were most apparent in the Divine Realm. Already a place where their power had limits, it had now become nearly unyielding. Once, they couldn't destroy a mountain there; now, even the strongest of them could only hope to leave a faint mark. The Celestial Mandate had solidified the realm further, turning it into an untouchable fortress, a stark reminder of their diminishing supremacy.

Frustration and unease rippled through them, but none dared to question the source of this shift, for they knew whose will was behind it.

The Celestial Mandate imposed further changes upon the universe. Access to the laws, once boundless, was now restricted. The clarity and ease with which the primordials once navigated the laws were diminished, forcing them to exert far greater effort to wield their powers.

Navigating the layers of space had become particularly challenging. The paths between layers grew treacherous, and only those with significant mastery over space laws could traverse them with ease. Those with lower mastery found themselves struggling, their movements hindered as if the universe itself had become an obstacle.

The mandate also introduced a fundamental balance to the system of power. It decreed that the more laws one mastered, the higher their potential and combat prowess. However, a new rule emerged: one who mastered a single law to its peak could rival, or even surpass, someone who had comprehended many laws but lacked depth in any of them.

This balance ensured no path was inherently superior. A jack-of-all-trades could rise high, but a singular master could match them. The universe itself now rewarded focus, depth, and understanding as much as it did versatility. For the primordials, this realization was both a challenge and an opportunity—one that would reshape how they approached their own power.

The Ascendants, scattered across various locations in the Divine Realm, felt the subtle shift ripple through existence. Though the change was less impactful for them compared to the Primordials, it was still undeniable.

Those with greater strength and mastery over the laws could sense the adjustments more acutely. The stronger the creature, the clearer the understanding of the changes brought about by the Celestial Mandate. For the weaker Ascendants, the shift was a faint unease, an indistinct awareness that something fundamental had altered.

The Celestial Mandate began to fade from Lex's sight, its luminous form dissolving in a gradual, almost deliberate motion. Lex watched silently, his eyes calm and unreadable, as the creation he had shaped so meticulously dispersed into the vast fabric of the universe.

Without a sound, it vanished completely, moving to fulfill its purpose, leaving Lex standing alone in the stillness of the blank point.

...…

End

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