Chapter 1955 - 1955. Missing

The old cultivator remained confused in front of that behavior, but he didn't panic. A replica meant to be almost identical to the original could have many malfunctions, especially when it came to a highly complicated existence.

Heaven and Earth would have already created the favored son of the "Breath" by themselves if that were an easy task. Finding and recognizing Divine Demon among the rebels had been a lucky chance that they didn't dare to waste, and their follower on the scene knew that far too well. He didn't hesitate to activate some of the many precautions the rulers had prepared for the occasion.

The rulers' priority was to preserve what they had created since nothing like that existed in the world anymore. They had the closest copy to the dead original, but they had to turn it into the actual existence they were trying to obtain.

Storms gathered around Divine Demon's copy and the old cultivator. They transformed into currents of white light that fused with the former to adjust a few details in its law.

The issue seemed to be with some separation from Heaven and Earth. The white law belonged to the system, but it appeared unaware of that, so the old cultivator had to fix it.

Truth be told, the old cultivator's task was relatively easy. Heaven and Earth had already programmed the world for those functions, and they had even prepared enough energy. The expert only had to activate each phase depending on how the white figure reacted.

Heaven and Earth would gladly handle the process themselves, but their quasi-dormant state prevented them from affecting the world too much. Moreover, they were dealing with a law almost stolen from a rank 8 cultivator. They had already stretched the limits of their fairness to create the trap, and the process had actually caused backlashes that Noah and the others couldn't see.

Joining the process would only intensify those backlashes, which wasn't ideal in their current state. After all, the rulers had already proven how they were their worst enemy. Everything wanted to see them fail, so each mistake could cause problems that they would need millennia to solve.

Heaven and Earth preferred to play it safe when it came to their existence, and their liquid stage follower had already proven himself to be capable enough to handle the matter. He activated each function in the world in the precise order declared by the rulers, and Divine Demon's copy slowly changed.

The modifications didn't affect the figure's appearance. It changed its aura and some details of the law that it radiated. The connection with Heaven and Earth carried by its existence intensified, and the currents of lights eventually let its fabric go.

"Let's try again," The old cultivator uttered before pointing at the sky past the storms above him. "Divine Demon, take a look at the sky."

The white figure had remained with its palm raised, but its cup had disappeared during the process. A frown appeared on its face when it noticed that detail, but its shining white eyes moved toward the sky anyway.

The blinding radiance of the sky shone on the copy's eyes and resonated with their whiteness. They clearly belonged to the same existence, and their light was even identical. Yet, the figure's frown deepened before it turned its head to look at its palm again.

"What are you doing?" The old cultivator asked while activating multiple sensors hidden in the very fabric of the world.

Chaotic laws moved on their own and flowed toward the copy's palm. They gave birth to the cup again, and they didn't hesitate to fill it with wine.

"That's not me," Divine Demon's copy remarked while pointing its free palm toward the sky.

The old cultivator continued to remain relaxed. The idea that Divine Demon could come back to life didn't even appear inside his mind. He had confirmed his death with a rank 9 item in the upper tier. Nothing could escape that. Even the rulers would struggle against that.

Still, worry inevitably appeared, even if for different reasons. The expert wanted to succeed in that task and provide Heaven and Earth with that law. His duty felt almost holy when he considered the many advantages that the rulers could seize with the addition of that true meaning in their existence.

The copy of Divine Demon's law wasn't even a simple true meaning now. It was a world since Heaven and Earth had rebuilt that power with level in the gaseous stage. It felt incredible how a simple copy had already come out so strong, so the cultivator had to preserve it.

"Just drink it and try to remember," The old cultivator suggested without showing the slightest doubt.

Divine Demon's copy almost seemed to ignore his orders, and it eventually brought its cup to its lips. The first sip from the whine concocted by the chaotic laws made his eyes widen, but it didn't link to anything. There was something off, but that off wasn't alive.

"Strange," The copy commented and made the old cultivator relax.

It seemed that the new law was far more stable than before. It had doubts about its nature, but it remained incapable of going against Heaven and Earth, which was already a lot.

The old cultivator checked his sensors. There didn't seem to be anything off with the copied law. It even seemed better than the original now, so the expert decided to let it rest for now.

Divine Demon's copy continued to stabilize and grow closer to Heaven and Earth as its harmony intensified. It wouldn't take much before the rulers could properly absorb it into their existence and deploy its power. Perfection was close, but the figure still complained whenever it looked at the sky.

"Not me," The white figure stated. "That's definitely not me. I must find myself."

"Of course you must," The old cultivator promptly responded while handing the sensors. "Do whatever you feel like yourself."

The figure nodded before another cup full of wine materialized in its palm. It drunk it in a single sip, and the chaotic laws quickly refilled it. It drank again, and the cup also shattered during the process.

Something was off, completely off even. Divine Demon's copy knew that it was missing a crucial aspect of its existence to express itself, but the world didn't seem to have it. However, the figure was itself. It could think, so its true self had to be inside its law.

Divine Demon raised its hand and stared at it for a few seconds before stabbing its own chest. The old cultivator almost shouted seeing the structure Heaven and Earth had spent so much creating hurting itself. The components were still in the sky, but it would require more fuel to rebuild it now.

Storms quickly converged toward Divine Demon's copy, but they froze in the sky when he raised his hand. The old cultivator's annoyance transformed into confusion at that sight. The gales of chaotic laws were part of one of Heaven and Earth's functions, so the white figure shouldn't have power over them. Yet, a simple gesture had been able to stop them.

"It must be here somewhere," The copy continued while digging its arm deeper into its chest. "Maybe it's missing on purpose, but I know what it is. I can sense it."

The old cultivator activated all the restrictions in the area, but the chaotic laws didn't follow those instructions. They seemed to obey Divine Demon's as they gathered in front of its figure and made energy seep past its glowing skin. Nothing happened right away, but a faint red shade slowly started to appear among its white eyes.

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Author's notes: One hour or so for the next chapter.