Forge a path to success.

Chapter 354 Beyond One's Power

“The face of Parriman is behind the thorn robe,” Chu Hengkong said.

Upon returning to the Supreme Prosecutor's Office, he immediately informed everyone of the matter. Li Ke, whose emotions were already unstable, flew into a rage upon hearing this: "What do you mean?!"

"Literal meaning. There's another face on the back of the head, just like Professor Quirrell."

"Who is Professor Quirrell?! Please stop using such incomprehensible analogies!"

However, everyone's reactions were different. The two captains who knew the sacred tree best showed no surprise, but only became more gloomy upon hearing this.

“I can think of that,” Trek said dryly. “Let’s go back and talk about it.”

"No, no, it's better to clarify this matter as soon as possible." Ji Huaisu exclaimed in shock, "What exactly happened? Did that masked man use some insidious magic to try and possess someone? We need to find out quickly so we can deal with this!"

"—Please let me answer this question myself."

Everyone turned their gaze to see Parriman walking toward the prosecutor's office gate, his white military uniform spotless, the iron surface reflecting a cold light.

His voice was somewhat hoarse; the lectures of the past few days had taken a toll on his energy. Yet, he was full of vigor and charisma, a perfect complement to the frail and elderly Jing Sha. He began as if giving a lecture: "Do you all know the essence of the Senluo pantheon?"

Vande coldly replied, "The Senluo pantheon is a civilization that draws its power from all living beings."

"That's very true. If the Candlelight pantheon is a 'totem' with the ancient dragon as its absolute core, then the Senluo pantheon is a 'holy spirit' that unites all beings. The divine tree does not rely on its own power, but on the strength of the collective. The unique advantage of this path is that it can firmly maintain the 'purity' of the pantheon itself."

The power of one person can bring unparalleled efficiency, but it also means entrusting the risks to a single individual. If the person in power is overwhelmed and becomes ideologically extreme, their loss of control can lead to the collective downfall. From the recent example of the Empire and the Spiral Tower to the distant example of the Lone Dragon that parted ways with the Candle Dragon, the tragedy of the entire nation's collapse is all too common.

However, if collective will is powerful enough to influence the course of a nation, then unless the entire population experiences a complete mental breakdown, there is absolutely no risk of corruption. This is why, throughout all these vast ages, only the Senluo pantheon has never fallen!

Parriman said calmly, “But everything has its advantages and disadvantages. The Divine Tree thrives because of all living beings, which means that its form is inevitably influenced by the thoughts of all living beings. The image of the thorn robe that you see just now comes from the first Speaker at the beginning of the city’s founding. It is a projection of the spirit of all citizens of that era.”

But times have changed. Citizens are unwilling to choose the path of struggle, and the image of the divine tree naturally changes with the choices of the people. The other face behind the thorns is a projection of the current city-state's path of 'exclusive love'... and its resemblance to mine is merely because the will of the people has chosen me, the current speaker, as their vessel.

"In other words, it's nothing more than a game of choosing chairs that you're all already used to."

He adjusted his mask and asked, "Does anyone have any further questions?"

"Yes." Chu Hengkong met his gaze. "What good would it do you to kill Jing Sha?"

"The bill is for all living beings—"

Chu Hengkong interrupted him directly, saying, "We're all smart people, there's no need for nonsense. It's true that some citizens want to avoid war, but without Speaker Parryman's push, this bill wouldn't have passed even in fifty years!"

Parriman stroked the mask and let out a low laugh.

"As I mentioned before, the path of the Senluo pantheon has both advantages and disadvantages. But do you know how the other divine trees circumvent this weakness?"

“Symbiosis,” Van der said dryly.

"Indeed, it is still a symbiotic relationship! The World Tree exists alongside the world, the Cherry Blossom Divine Tree and the Netherworld God jointly rule the divine kingdom, and the Azure Phoenix Divine Tree is rooted in Longquan Township and thus lives on. They ensure that all living beings and the strongest can insure each other, consolidating their own purity while guaranteeing internal stability."

However, the city-state of Jingsha has no second 'god.' Jingsha's weakness persists to this day because it was the first divine tree to become a deity after the World Tree attained enlightenment. In the era of its ascension, the righteous path was weak and unable to provide such a luxurious 'insurance.' And after Jingsha became a god, this vast city-state could no longer accommodate a second deity!"

Parriman's spirits rose, and he raised his right hand as if addressing the people once again: "This is the weakness of the city-state of Thorns, a weakness that has grown larger over thousands of years of development and war, bringing countless contradictions and ills, and today it has become a 'poison' that has placed the city-state in a deadly situation!"
Political system changes and replacements are an inevitable law; an outdated system, riddled with problems, will inevitably give rise to armed resistance when it reaches its most corrupt point. However, the current world no longer allows for dynastic changes in city-states; the day civil war breaks out will be the day the city-state perishes.

He thumped his chest and proclaimed to the crowd, "That's why we need Act 368! That's why we need to pull the city-states out of this chaotic world! We must replace bloodshed with peaceful change, preserving the value of the city-states at the lowest possible cost. This is the significance of the Independence Act I'm promoting!"

Ji Huaisu roared, "Stop deceiving yourself! Do you think Jing Sha can survive on her own after leaving the secret realm?!"

"Before pointing fingers at the future, let's open our eyes and look at the present!" Parryman said without backing down. "From our Thorn City-State to the north lies the Spiral Tower, the stronghold of the Cataclysm; to the west lies the True Machine Army of the Empire of Truth; to the south, the former Netherworld has long since become a forbidden land for funeral processions; even if we go east, there is no way back, for there is the Sea of ​​Illusions where demons are eyeing us covetously."

"In this turbulent world, what place could be more dangerous than the thorny path we face today?!"

Upon hearing this, everyone paused in shock. Parriman sneered, "What you worry about is nothing more than the siege of demons and the invasion of heretics, but now Jing Sha is facing the two true forms of heretics, guarding the front line of the desperate battle. There is no more dangerous situation in the world than this!"

"Once we leave the secret realm, Jing Sha will lose its value as a priority target. The reinforcements from Longquan Township will naturally take our place and hold off the enemy we should be facing. As for those one or two roving armies overseas, they can't even conquer Wuchen Land and Paradise, so how can they threaten us, Jing Sha? This scholar should understand the reasoning very well."

Vilbert said calmly, “The independent dust islands ruled by Point 7 are both territory and home ground. Enemy deities from afar cannot conquer them; at least two Point 7 deities would need to join forces to have a chance of winning. However, most heretics consider each other enemies, and even those of the same faction would find it difficult to send two deities overseas to attack a solitary island. The Dustless Land and the Pure Land are safe year-round; frankly, attacking them would be a losing proposition.” “If we were to truly annex these independent dust islands, a Supreme Being would need to personally intervene, which would mean that the heretical forces’ headquarters would be undefended, and the Allied Supreme Beings would naturally take action as well.” Parriman sneered, “If the destruction of my city-state could result in the severe damage or even annihilation of any heretical headquarters, then I, along with these 1.7 billion people, would have died a worthy death, without any regrets!”

With his hands behind his back, he smiled and said, "You all know the advantages and disadvantages of independence. If there are still any doubts in your minds, I will certainly explain them to you without reservation."

“I have another question, Speaker Parryman,” Trek said coldly. “Your method might ensure stability for the next ten years, but what about a hundred years from now?”

Parriman stood firm: "I don't know what the world will be like a hundred years after Thorns' independence. I only know that if we remain on this front line, Thorns will probably cease to exist in less than a hundred years!"

Chu Hengkong nodded: "Then you really are a great person. You're willing to watch billions of lives perish just to protect your city-state."

Upon hearing these hurtful words, Parriman did not deny them.

"As the Speaker of Jingsha, I am naturally only responsible for the interests of the Jingsha city-state. As for how other forces protect themselves, let their rulers figure that out!"

Crack. Crack. A soft, snapping sound rang out, like branches breaking in the forest. It was the sound of someone clenching their fist, so tightly it seemed they were about to crush their own hand.

"You bastard, Parriman!!!"

Lico's eyes were bloodshot. Before the conversation could end, she leaped forward, throwing a punch at Parriman's head. However, her fist stopped mid-air as a deep green divine power barrier appeared in front of Parriman, completely blocking her attack.

“Miss Rico, I do not recommend that you take any further action. Attacking the Speaker under the watchful eye of the Divine Tree is unwise, and besides…”

Parriman raised his hand and gently pushed her fist away, reverting to his usual emotionless demeanor.

"Although I lack the talent for combat, I am still a 6-point mass. With your abilities, you cannot harm me."

Trek gripped his enraged daughter's shoulders tightly, preventing her from moving. Parriman straightened his clothes and brushed past the crowd.

"Well then, I must report the voting results to Lord Jing Sha. Farewell, everyone."

He walked into the prosecutor's office and disappeared in the light of the teleportation array. At that moment, Rico lost control of her emotions. She turned to Banningtik and shouted angrily, "Captain Banningtik!! How can you allow such a villain to continue committing crimes in Jingsha?!"

Banningtik closed his eyes slightly and said, "Miss Lyco Trek, what would you like me to do?"

"Take him down! Throw him in jail! Drag this traitor off the speaker's seat and use your power to stop his bill!"

“I can’t do that,” Banningtik said. “Zan van Pariman became speaker through a fair election, and he implemented new policies in accordance with the people’s requests through reasonable and legal means. I have no right to stop his actions.”

"The vote on the bill was—"

“There are many points of contention in the voting process that still need further verification. However, there is no evidence to suggest that those points are connected to Speaker Parryman,” Banningtik said quietly. “Therefore, Speaker Parryman’s actions so far have been entirely legal. And I am certain that no evidence of him breaking the law will be found in the next thirty days… because if such evidence existed, I would already have it in my hands!”

Trek grabbed his shoulder: "So you're just going to sit idly by? That's a tragedy for the law!"

Banningtik slapped his hand away and shouted, "The law is a tool to uphold justice!"

These words struck like an invisible arrow, leaving Trek speechless and taking a step back. Banningtik glared at him angrily: "Laws are ultimately rules made by people; they have limits! Human effort can shorten the boundaries of these limits, but there are always things the law cannot do. That's why the world needs 'justice'!"

He noticed Trek's somber expression and realized he had misspoke. He sighed and turned away, saying softly, "I sincerely request that you all, if you have the time, carefully read the constitution of our city-state."

According to Article 78 of the Constitution, my most important task at present is to ensure the safety of the current Speaker before the bill is passed... I hope that everyone can hold onto simple justice.

The prosecutor left in silence, and most of the people looked no better than him. As Banningtik said, the greatest tragedy in the world is knowing the root of the problem but being powerless to change it.

They teleported back to the bookstore several times, and the shopkeeper asked with concern, "How is Lord Divine Tree?"

"Don't ask," Van der told it. "It's pointless to know."

The atmosphere in the bookstore suddenly became somber. Manager Ji led the staff upstairs to rest, to prevent them from getting too involved in these unpleasant topics. Ji Huaisu, her face ashen, was the first to criticize: "That bastard actually has a 6-point mass?! If it has that ability, why isn't it on the battlefield?!"

“Theoretically, Parriman only possesses the ‘position’ of a 6th mass point,” Wilbert replied. “This topic would involve a great deal of information if discussed in depth, so I will give a brief conclusion first. Under the Floating Light Path system, such as city-states, divine kingdoms, and empires, the mass point of a Floating Light Path Ascendant is almost strongly bound to their position. The higher the position, the higher the mass point.”

Chu Hengkong found it unbelievable: "Fu Guanglu's later promotions depend on getting promoted?"

(End of this chapter)