The deathly silence of the Still Depths was completely broken at that moment.

Aiden stood in the void. Around him, the Law of Space folded like mirrors. Thunder and light intertwined behind him, forming a godly phantom hundreds of feet tall. It made him look like a supreme ruler holding the power to punish heaven and earth.

"Yves..."

Aiden softly repeated the name. In his twin-pupiled eyes, dark gold and pure white light gently intertwined.

That name belonged to a legend of Earth from hundreds of years ago.

It also belonged to the person who had left him the system’s core logic.

"So he came here too, back then."

Aiden looked at the huge, faint ancient stone pillar. His voice echoed through the locked space within ten thousand miles, stirring up layers of ripples in the void.

"And not only here, right?"

The corner of Aiden’s mouth rose slightly, carrying a hint of wisdom, as if he had seen through everything.

"The Pillar of Greed, the Pillar of Gluttony, the Pillar of Vanity... In truth, he once spoke with all seven of you divine pillars."

The phantom of the Pillar of Sloth trembled slightly in the darkness, as if surprised by Aiden’s sharp mind.

But Aiden did not act like Yves.

He did not use absolute strength to force it down.

He did not use a truth he believed was absolutely correct to argue against it.

He only looked quietly at the stone pillar. The sharpness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by a calmness he had never shown before.

"Then, when Yves left, how did you feel?"

Aiden asked softly.

That question pierced through the endless void and struck the very source of the Pillar of Sloth.

Deep within the Still Depths, there was a long silence.

After a long time, that distant, tired voice sounded again, carrying a sigh that could not be let go.

"Disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Disappointed."

A trace of emotion appeared in the Pillar of Sloth’s voice.

"He came here only to prove that he was right."

"He debated with me using flawless logic and overwhelming strength."

"He proved that humanity had to move forward. He proved that stopping meant destruction. He proved that his path was the only way to save Earth."

"Then he left."

"From beginning to end, he never truly stopped to listen to what I was really saying."

On the huge phantom of the Pillar of Sloth, countless ancient runes began to appear. They glowed with a faint light, like pairs of tired eyes.

Aiden took a deep breath.

At last, he understood the difference between Yves and himself.

Yves was an absolute pioneer. He was too powerful and too confident, so he was used to persuading others, conquering others.

But Aiden was a transmigrator who had fought his way up from the very bottom. He was more used to listening, to understanding the rules of this world, and then breaking them.

"Then what are you really trying to say?"

Aiden put away the Radiant Blade and clasped his hands behind his back, standing quietly in the void.

He was listening.

The phantom of the Pillar of Sloth seemed to be moved.

The Law of Sloth, which had been trying to completely assimilate Aiden, actually became gentle.

"What I am saying is... not all progress has meaning."

"What I am saying is... not every choice is worth giving everything for."

"In this cruel, cold world, a world that could be destroyed at any moment, sometimes, stopping is the answer."

"Only by stopping can you avoid getting hurt. Only by stopping can you avoid losing anything. Only by stopping can you gain eternal peace."

The voice of the Pillar of Sloth echoed through the hall.

It carried a gentleness that touched the soul, like a safe harbor opening its arms to a weary traveler.

Aiden listened carefully to every word.

He did not argue.

Instead, he nodded in agreement.

"You’re right."

Aiden’s voice was calm and firm.

"Sometimes, stopping really is the answer."

"For example, on a battlefield where death is certain, a temporary retreat is meant to preserve the last spark of hope."

"For example, on a path that is clearly wrong, stopping in time is the wisest choice."

"And when someone is completely exhausted, when their soul is about to break, stopping to rest is only so they can set out again in a better state."

When the Pillar of Sloth heard Aiden’s words, its phantom shook violently.

It was like the trembling of someone who had finally found a kindred spirit.

However-

At that very moment, Aiden’s tone suddenly changed.

"But."

Aiden took one step forward.

Boom!

As his foot came down, the Law of Space Lock erupted wildly, instantly shattering the slothful mist that was trying to gather around him into nothingness.

"The ’stopping’ you give to everyone who enters the Still Depths is given without any judgment."

In Aiden’s twin-pupiled eyes, divine light surged as he stared straight at the ancient stone pillar.

"You do not care whether they should stop or not."

"You do not care whether they truly need rest, or whether they are just running away out of fear."

"You give them the feeling of ’stopping’ all the same, and you imprison their souls in endless sleep forever."

"So tell me..."

"Is this an instinct you cannot control?"

"Or is it a test you chose to create on purpose?"

Aiden’s question was like thunder from the highest heavens, exploding through the Still Depths.

In the void, the Law of Thunder gathered into countless golden chains. They rattled loudly, cutting the darkness of the Still Depths into pieces.

Facing Aiden’s sharp and direct question, the Pillar of Sloth, one of the original laws, fell into panic and confusion for the first time.

"I..."

"I don’t know."

For the first time, there was a hint of explanation and helplessness in the Pillar of Sloth’s voice.

"When stopping is the right choice, I make them stop."

"When stopping is an escape, I also make them stop."

"I do not have the ability to tell the difference."

"I only have one answer."

"Stop."

This was the Pillar’s confession.

It was also the first time since its birth that this ancient being, the one who controlled the Law of Sloth, admitted its flaw to a human.

It could not tell right from wrong.

It was only a vessel of law, running according to a set design.

Aiden looked at the stone pillar, which now seemed almost helpless under the light and thunder. The corner of his mouth curved into a confident, domineering smile.

"You cannot tell the difference because you are only a single will."

"You cannot judge the complicated hearts of every living being."

"You cannot measure the situation they are in at that moment."

Aiden slowly raised his hand.

In his palm, the powers of Space, Thunder, Light, and the Origin Law intertwined and gathered, turning into a dazzling star.

"But you do not have to judge alone."

Aiden looked at the Pillar of Sloth. His voice carried the unquestionable authority of an emperor.

"When I gain the recognition of all Seven Pillars, when I push open that door, I will become the one who controls everything."

"When that time comes, I will tell you when stopping is right, and when it is not."

"You will no longer need to decide alone."

Boom!

Aiden’s promise struck the source of the Pillar of Sloth like a crushing weight.

And yet, it also felt like the gentlest form of salvation.

Deep within the Still Depths, everything fell into a deathly silence.

A long time passed.

A very long time.

"Buzzz-"

The huge ancient stone pillar suddenly burst out with blinding Origin Light.

A dark gray crystal, carrying a soft and peaceful aura, slowly separated from the core of the pillar and flew toward Aiden.

The fifth Crystal of Recognition!

"Ding! Source Crystal of the Pillar of Sloth detected. Core system protocol activated. Beginning forced removal of Origin traces!"

As the system’s cold voice exploded in his mind, the dark gray crystal slammed into Aiden’s chest and merged with him.

Boom!

In an instant, a mysterious wave beyond words spread out from Aiden like a tsunami, rushing wildly through the entire Still Depths.

The void trembled.

The laws resonated.

The three divine-tier laws-Space, Thunder, and Light-turned into three massive dragons ten thousand meters long. They roared around Aiden, tearing the remaining slothful mist into pieces.

And the fourth power, the Origin Trace, turned into strands of ancient and mysterious purple-gold light. Like a spiderweb, it spread out and locked the three law dragons tightly together.

In Aiden’s twin-pupiled eyes, dark gold and pure white light intertwined to the limit.

Behind him, the phantom of a god appeared like a supreme ruler looking down on countless worlds. It released the suffocating pressure of an Intermediate God.

[Notice: Origin Law resonance level increased. Current law comprehension has risen from 51% to 54%!]

Whoosh-

Aiden slowly let out a breath of stale air.

Only then did the almost solid divine pressure around him fade away like the tide.

"Five Pillars have recognized me. I have gained five."

Aiden lowered his head and looked at his palm. He felt the surging divine power inside him, so vast it seemed almost endless.

The corner of his mouth rose slightly.

"Only two Pillars remain-Lust and Gluttony."

He took one step forward.

The Law of Space Lock instantly changed into an extreme spatial leap, and his entire body vanished from the ruined Still Depths.

...

The Great Shaw Empire, the City Lord’s Mansion in Celestial Imperial City.

Inside the main hall, Zoey and Jade stood before a huge star map of the Abyss. Both of them looked more serious than ever.

The space around them twisted.

Aiden’s figure appeared out of thin air like a ghost.

When they saw Aiden return, and felt that the divine pressure around him had become even deeper and more terrifying, the two women finally relaxed.

"Aiden, did you break through?" A look of surprise flashed in Jade’s beautiful eyes.

"Yes. My law comprehension has reached 54%, and my Intermediate God realm is now fully stable."

Aiden nodded calmly, then went straight to the point.

"Do we have any clues about the sixth Pillar?"

Zoey stepped forward with a grave expression. She pointed at a blood-red point of light on the star map, located in the shallow layer of the Abyss.

"We found it, but... its location is special."

"The sixth Pillar, the Pillar of Lust, is sealed in the Labyrinthine Depths, in the shallow layer of the Abyss."