Three hundred years later.
While Maximus was tending to their territory during his family's seclusion, Iris finally completed the first stage of her task.
Staring at the mature seed of immortality, indistinguishable from the real one, Iris couldn't help but feel emotional.
It was like the source of knowledge had bred a path mirroring her own: a one-to-one replica that could be used and mobilized.
At this moment, as long as Maximus wished, he could tap into the power of the path of immortality, nearly identical to hers.
Still, considering she had spent a total of 2.7 trillion units of plane origin to make it happen, Iris felt it was justified.
Most physiques could be upgraded to rank thirteen with just a trillion units of plane origin. How could it be any easier to nurture a path of law?
"Huh~ Time to start…"
Having nurtured the seed of immortality, Iris began the second phase of the plan.
Manipulating the essence of immortality, she started siphoning it into the seed she just nurtured.
The process was essentially fully transferring her path into the source of knowledge.
"This is a weird feeling."
Shaking her head, Iris continued working.
As days and years passed, Iris started to feel bored.
"Why is this so slow?"
Based on the rate at which the essence of immortality merged with the seed, it would take thousands of years to finish.
"Can I use plane origin to speed it up?"
Curious, Iris pulled some crystallized plane origin from her storage and tossed it into the mix.
Suddenly, the trickling flow surged forward, like a flood gate had been opened.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived. After just a few seconds, the phenomenon stopped.
"Huh? I really can speed it up!"
Realizing that plane origin could accelerate the process, Iris grew excited.
Her sisters and the children were already in seclusion, upgrading their physiques. How could she not feel pressed for time?
Having found a way to hasten the merging process, Iris immediately brought out millions of crystallized plane origin to accelerate the fusion of the two.
Soon, with a wave of plane origin, the process that would have taken thousands of years began to accelerate.
Finding that millions of units weren't enough, Iris kept adding more.
From ten million… to a hundred million… to a billion.
Finally, after spending 7.2 billion units of plane origin, the seed and the essence of immortality merged in just a few years.
Instead of feeling weaker, Iris felt the power of her path increased multiple times.
It was like switching from a battery to a generator, as a road to the path of immortality widened before her.
Every second, every minute, her path of immortality grew stronger.
"Now, it's time for the last step…"
Merging the source of immortality with the source of knowledge, Iris couldn't help but hesitate.
Once this was done, it wouldn't just affect her. Everyone who walked her path would be impacted.
Like merging one gang into another, the people who followed her path would now be under someone else.
But knowing it was Maximus, her husband, they would be following next, her hesitation melted away.
What harm could there be in following him?
They should be grateful. They would be the first to walk a blazing trail, a trailing light toward the path of eternity!
Beginning the final phase, Iris sharpened her focus, using more plane origin to speed the process.
But unlike before, where she could simply pour one into the other, merging two sources was like assembling a puzzle.
Although plane origin helped, the process couldn't be rushed too much.
Meanwhile, as Iris merged the source of immortality with the source of knowledge, those who followed the same path began to feel something strange.
"What's happening? Why does the source of immortality feel… off?"
Though it didn't weaken them, it felt like their connection to the source of immortality was shifting.
"Did Lord Iris do something?"
Feeling no loss of strength or obvious change, they shook off the feeling and returned to their duties.
Focused on battling the dark disaster, they didn't have the energy to dwell on something that didn't directly affect them.
Besides, trusting Iris and the path of immortality they had chosen, they felt little worry in their hearts.
On the other side, feeling the changes within the source of knowledge, Maximus couldn't help but smile.
"Iris is finally about to finish the final phase!"
Although he had deduced that merging another source with the path of knowledge was theoretically possible, there was no precedent.
The one with the source of will had been a mere coincidence, something that couldn't be replicated.
But if Iris succeeded, it would set a precedent across the entire Aeon Plane.
With such a foundation, Maximus could begin inviting those who had conquered forbidden paths into his faction.
At that point, even without the recognition of the Aeon Plane or the Entities of Law, he would become the de facto leader—the pioneer of all paths, the source of all laws.
Of course, this was still just theory.
His plane-level ability, True Path, continued to buzz, reminding him that there was still an obstacle he needed to overcome.
Without solving it, the entire plan could fall apart.
"I wonder what it is… the Overlords? The Entities of Law? Or the Aeon Plane itself…?" Unable to pinpoint the issue, Maximus could only steel himself to face it.
Yet this wasn't his greatest concern. While it could affect his plan, what truly troubled him lay outside the Aeon Plane.
As the Omnis continued to multiply and spread, he still couldn't identify the source of that deep, gnawing unease in his heart.
Moreover, as time passed, the threat grew closer and closer.
The danger he felt was even greater than what he'd sensed before the Dark Disaster erupted.
Like a ticking bomb, ready to go off at any moment, Maximus felt a heavy weight settle in his chest.