At the exact moment that divine star completed its ultimate metamorphosis and acknowledged Lu Jingming as its sole Creator, the feedback from the star began.
It was as if a world were offering its gratitude to the god who had brought it into existence.
Strands and beams of chaotic energy—born at the dawn of the Big Bang, silent for billions of eons, and now only extractable by tearing open black holes—condensed out of thin air from the deepest foundations of the universe.
No longer obeying any physical laws, they acted as if summoned, crossing the barriers of space and dimension to surge mightily into Lu Jingming's body. In that instant, his physical form seemed to transform into a singularity capable of containing the entire cosmos.
His divine body was glowing.
It was not a piercing, energy-saturated light, but a gentle radiance that seemed to encompass all things—a glow originating from Reality itself.
As this surging energy, capable of reshaping a world, poured into him, an ultimate fusion began in the deepest recesses of his soul. Within him, those once distinct and independent supreme authorities seemed to hear the command of "Reality."
The "Lightning" that represented eternity and silence.
The "Life" that represented wisdom and creation.
The "Wither" that represented decay and the end.
The "Eternity" that represented cycles and order.
The "Ruination" that represented destruction and rebirth.
The "Creation" that represented the origin of all things.
Any one of these supreme authorities was enough to allow a deity to ascend to the realm of a God-King. Now, they transformed into ribbons of the purest law, actively converging toward the single point at the core of his soul.
That was the foundation of all his power and the proof of his identity.
The authority of "Reality."
If the other authorities were the brilliant chapters in the book of the universe, then "Reality" was the unique seal that determined whether the book truly existed or was mere fiction.
The fusion commenced.
It was a quiet yet unimaginably grand "ascension."
Lightning merged into Reality; from then on, every form of energy in the world became a reality that he could define at will.
Life and Wisdom merged into Reality; from then on, the birth and death of all souls, the transmission and storage of all information, became a reality he could write as he pleased.
Wither and Ruination merged into Reality; from then on, the entropy and silence of all matter, the termination and return to nothingness of all concepts, became a reality he could set at his whim.
All powers lost their original names. They became insignificant branches under the supreme concept of Reality. At this moment, Lu Jingming finally understood.
A spark of unprecedented realization flashed in his eyes.
"So that's how it is..." he murmured softly. "Reality is existence."
The moment those three words left his lips, the entire universe fell silent.
An invisible yet omnipresent conceptual ripple spread outward from Lu Jingming. At a speed exceeding light, time, and causality, it expanded through the entire universe and the infinite, bubble-like parallel worlds that flickered in and out of existence.
From this moment on, the reality of this universe and all its connected parallel worlds was redefined.
What was "True"? That which Lu Jingming acknowledged was True.
What was "False"? That which Lu Jingming denied was False.
Lu Jingming's divine power began to skyrocket at a geometric rate that no numbers could measure.
God-King? Supreme God-King? Those realms felt as fragile as soap bubbles in his perception. He surpassed them with ease, reaching a supreme, unique, and brand-new domain that even the Creator God had failed to reach.
The Realm of the Transcender.
This was not a level that could be reached through cultivation or inheriting a divine seat. This was the unique title granted only when a living being's existence itself rose above the reality of the entire universe.
The moment he ascended to this Transcender state, Lu Jingming's perception—or rather, his existence itself—merged with the entire universe. He no longer needed eyes to see or divine sense to probe, for every corner of the universe actively revealed its secrets to him.
He "saw."
In a dark stellar region shrouded in ominous crimson light, separated from the divine star by several galaxies, a plane composed of pure devouring desire and destructive obsession was slowly writhing. He saw the core of that plane, the woman in the blood-red dress with peerless beauty but eyes filled only with greed and madness—the Crimson Mother.
He also saw, in another plane called the "Throne of Seal," the terrifying "God of Heavenly Punishment," Austin Griffin, roaring in fury.
He even saw the "past."
The long river of time was no longer a one-way stream flowing relentlessly before him. Instead, it became a thick historical record that he could flip through at will. He saw how the once-mighty Dragon God rose and fell.
He even cast his gaze back to a point further than the Dragon God, to the beginning of time. There, he "saw" the original Creator God who had fashioned the entire universe. He saw the Creator God bring the universe into being within the chaos and then merge into it, becoming the basic operating rules of the cosmos—as if the sole meaning of its existence was to light the first campfire of the universe.
After witnessing all of this, Lu Jingming slowly withdrew his gaze. A smile of interest appeared on his face.
"Since 'Reality' can be defined... then this universe seems a bit too monotonous."
He slowly reached out his hand.
"In my name, as the Aeon of Reality."
"I shall anchor all Imaginary Energy within this universe."
"The concept of Reality manifests here."
His voice echoed through the entire cosmos.
In the next moment, the universe began to expand at an unprecedented rate. Countless new planes, like bamboo shoots after a rain, "emerged" from the churning Sea of Quanta. Countless worlds shifted from fiction to reality.
A deep blue plane, over ninety percent of which was covered by endless oceans, was born. There, strange treasures called "Devil Fruits" granted people all sorts of bizarre supernatural abilities, and a power called "Haki," originating from mental will, became the final standard for the strong.
An atmospheric, slightly oppressive plane with an Eastern style was born. There, man-eating monsters called "Demons" rampaged in the night, while a group of powerful swordsmen mastering "Breathing Styles" engaged in a tragic, never-ending battle to protect humanity.
A plane with a "Chakra" energy system and various powerful Ninjutsu was born.
A plane with Reishi and Zanpakuto, possessing both the Living World and the Soul Society, was born.
A plane with "Qi" and "Outsiders," inheriting ancient Taoist culture, was born.
A plane rooted in "Emotion" and "Fate," where humans and spirits could sign "Reincarnation Pacts," was born.
One Piece, Demon Slayer, Naruto, Bleach, Under One Person, Fox Spirit Matchmaker...
Countless worlds that had once only existed in Lu Jingming's memory, in "fantasy," were given true "existence" at this moment. They did not originally belong to this universe, but because of the birth of the Aeon of Reality—because of a single thought from Lu Jingming—they now existed.
As the infinite "Reality" was anchored and the vast universe gave birth to countless brilliant civilizations and worlds because of his whim, Lu Jingming, the newly ascended "Aeon of Reality," slowly withdrew his gaze which was capable of covering the entire multiverse.
Endless galaxies flickered and flowed within his eyes. Supreme authority gathered at his fingertips. He was no longer the man he used to be. His existence itself was the highest and only "Truth" of this universe.
However, after experiencing that supreme height and solitude—enough to make any being intoxicated or lost—he restrained his power. With a flash of his form, he crossed the endless sea of stars.
Planet Douluo.
Abyssal City.
When Lu Jingming's figure quietly appeared in the familiar meditation room, the supreme divine might capable of crushing eons and reshaping heaven and earth had been entirely withdrawn. He looked no different than before he had left—the same handsome face, the same simple black trench coat.
He stood quietly by the window, looking at the familiar scenery filled with life and feeling the breeze that carried a hint of grass.
That feeling was so real. It was even more real than the countless "Real" worlds he had just created.
However, this tranquility did not last long.
With a soft sound, a spatial ripple wavered in front of him. In the next moment, Herta and Ruan Mei stepped out of the ripple one after the other.
At the exact moment Lu Jingming achieved the supreme status of "Aeon of Reality," they—who had also been summoned from fantasy by his authority of "Reality"—were the first and clearest to perceive this transformation.
In that instant, they felt the "foundation" of their existence being raised infinitely. Strictly speaking, their "existence" was no different in essence from the "fantasy planes" just born in the universe. They all existed because of Lu Jingming's "Reality."
"Quick! Let me see! Let me research what kind of life form you are now!"
Herta lunged forward almost the instant she appeared. She grabbed Lu Jingming's hand, her bright eyes flashing with the light of excitement.
Ruan Mei didn't move as directly as Herta, but she slowly walked to Lu Jingming's other side. She didn't speak; she just used her beautiful eyes to scrutinize him inch by inch. Her gaze was incredibly focused and intense.
That was not the look of a lover. It was more like the look of a top-tier biologist facing a unique, perfect experimental specimen she had dreamed of for countless eons—a look filled with the desire for knowledge and inquiry.
"Ahem..."
Caught between these two "aggressive" gazes, Lu Jingming felt his newly achieved Transcender dignity vanish instantly. He gave a deliberate cough and said to Herta in a tone he thought was majestic:
"Herta, I'm much stronger than you now. Shouldn't you show me a bit more respect?"
Hearing this, Herta's movements paused slightly. She looked up, scanning Lu Jingming from head to toe. Then, she suddenly smiled. She let go of his hand and crossed her arms, looking at him with a playful, all-knowing smirk.
"Respect, is it?" she drawled. "Alright, tell me, how should I respect you? Or rather, what do I have to do to make you stay still for my research? I can agree to anything. I can strike any pose you want."
Lu Jingming: "..."
Herta knew him too well. She knew what this man was thinking. He was simply relying on the fact that he was "stronger" now to bring up those slightly embarrassing "little requests" that she and Ruan Mei had strictly rejected before.
To Herta, things like "face" or "modesty" were worthless in the face of knowledge. Moreover, Lu Jingming was her man. She didn't think there was anything wrong with fulfilling her man's requests.
Seeing Herta's proud expression—which basically said "I've seen through everything and I'm fully prepared"—Lu Jingming fell silent. He glanced at Ruan Mei, who had remained silent the whole time but hadn't taken her eyes off him for a second.
Then, he turned his gaze back to Herta. A smile full of anticipation appeared on his face.
"Then... I want you and Ruan Mei to do it together."
As for what they would do "together," he didn't say. But all three people present knew exactly what he meant.
Hearing the expected answer, Herta simply curled her lip disdainfully.
"Hmph, I knew it." She gave him a sidelong glance, her expression saying 'typical.'