"That is to say, while Xandar was uncertain whether he could slay Nous, he found the grandest plan that could potentially achieve his goal..."
Ruan Mei narrowed her eyes slightly. She had also grasped the essence of Xandar's plan; even as a fellow genius, she felt a sense of admiration for this Member #1 of the Genius Society.
"Unable to kill Nous himself, Xandar eventually laid out this chess match, temporarily cutting off Nous's support from the Path of Erudition, leaving only that cold mechanical consciousness, and then..."
"Using the targeted [Inverse Function of Erudition], he caused Nous to fall into self-destruction!"
Chadwick, Screwllum, and Stephen also fully understood. For the plan of this Member #1, whose name they had only heard of in the past, they finally felt that incomparably stunning brilliance.
At this moment, Xandar could reveal his fangs. He was no longer just the existence who occupied the #1 seat in the Genius Society by virtue of unintentionally creating the astral computer before Erudition: Nous Ascended to Godhood, but a true genius worthy of the name!
"However..."
Xandar was indeed stunning enough and a genius in his own right, but Herta, Ruan Mei, and the others shook their heads inwardly and sighed.
At this point, they not only saw through Xandar's scheme but also through Nous's scheme.
"In other words, is Nous going to be gone?"
Cyrene murmured softly. She could already sense that the great will that once occupied the source of the Path of Erudition seemed to have been completely shaken.
"If nothing unexpected happens, it should be so."
Herta said calmly, yet she had no intention of making a move.
In fact, not just Herta, but Ruan Mei, Screwllum, Chadwick, and Stephen Lloyd—these geniuses—had no intention of intervening either.
The geniuses' choice caused the Astral Express Crew and Black Swan to widen their eyes in confusion.
"Strange, your own boss is about to be gone, so why aren't you lending a hand?"
Stelle blinked. Even she had just felt the urge to pull out the Galactic Baseballer's exclusive divine weapon and give it a swing. Why were they all so quiet?
"Ms. Herta, if Nous really is gone, it would be a huge blow to the Erudition faction. Are you really not going to save Him?"
Even Welt finally snapped out of his obsession with the giant mecha. He knew very well what it would mean for a Path's faction if the head of that Path—the Aeon—were to perish.
The Astral Express's database contained detailed records of the major blow to the Trailblaze Faction after Trailblaze Akivili disappeared; the Trailblaze Faction had barely avoided a total collapse.
The Astral Express had nearly vanished from the cosmos.
"The reason is simple. Just like the Ancestor of the Myriad Dragons of the Abyss of the Path of Permanence back then, the disappearance of Nous is, in a sense, actually a great thing for the Path of Erudition."
Before Herta and the others could explain, Hermes appeared in the Parlor Car. Looking at the death match between Emperor III: Great Tomb and Nous, he sighed deeply: "Why do you think Nous would let Xandar find such an opportunity so easily?"
As long as Aeons themselves do not wish to die, who can truly kill them?
Aeons are the Dao, the Principle, the metaphysical incarnations of philosophy, and they even possess a minuscule amount of sea of trees multiverse heavenly dao authority!
How could such beings fall into a dead end so easily?
Or rather, even if an Aeon wanted to commit suicide, it would be impossible—
Because it would violate the philosophical concepts of their corresponding Path.
After all, if an Aeon dies, they can no longer practice their Path—
Of course, Nanook the Destruction is an exception. This incarnation of destruction not only wants to destroy all things but also attempts to bury Himself along with them after everything is destroyed.
Then, after everything is completely destroyed, He will become the foundation for a new era.
"In a sense, what Xandar wants to do is also what Nous Himself has tacitly allowed!"
"Perhaps Nous is also looking forward to Xandar's plan succeeding and bringing about His own end..."
Hermes's explanation caused everyone present to widen their eyes and gasp.
The waters of Amphoreus are deeper than they imagined!
Himeko and the others looked at the silent Herta and the rest, understanding that what Hermes said was likely the truth.
The fall of the Ancestor of the Myriad Dragons of the Abyss of Permanence brought about the flourishing Honkai: Star Rail Universe.
And the significance of Nous's fall is actually no less than that of the Ancestor of the Myriad Dragons of the Abyss.
"Nous's Path is the pursuit of wisdom, yet His reason tells Him that He cannot pursue wisdom without restraint."
"If wisdom is not restricted, the universe will eventually step into an irreversible end because of His pursuit of it."
The Herta had actually figured everything out. She crossed her arms, waiting for the arrival of Nous's final moment: "This is actually why Nous's left brain sometimes elbows His right brain."
"On one hand, He orders the Lord of Silence to assassinate geniuses who attempt to cross the Boundaries of Knowledge; on the other hand, He subtly protects the members of the Genius Society, making it difficult for the Lord of Silence to actually succeed."
"Even more so, this is why, in addition to the Lord of Silence, several Instruments of Intellect—including myself—were elevated..."
"Back then, when I crowned myself in the cosmic frontier, Nous certified me again. Did He not know that the Philosopher's Stone I created was a creation sufficient to directly shatter the so-called Boundaries of Knowledge?"
Hermes shook his head and continued: "Nous knew, of course, but He still did nothing. He even crowned me again, causing my strength at that time to skyrocket, directly giving me the power to leave Polkakakamu with no way to strike."
In the Honkai: Star Rail Universe, the [Theory of Four Ends] is widely circulated. Its meaning is the belief that the universe will eventually move toward its end because of four Paths.
So, which four Paths are they?
The answers are: [Nihility], [Destruction], [Harmony], and [Remembrance], which was just confirmed by Hermes and the others.
However.
Only Nous knows that [Erudition] is a Path in a Schrödinger state.
If not restricted, Erudition would become the fifth of the Four Heavenly Kings of the End.
But to truly restrict it?
"...Then is there still a need for Erudition to exist?"
Hermes sighed and said, "That is what Nous asked Himself."
"And this is the existential essence of the [Anti-Erudition Function]."
In a practical sense.
Nous has now begun His final and most resolute step in practicing His Path—
Facing the choice between practicing the Path or falling, should He still continue?
And Nous's answer:
Yes, I will still keep going, even if the price is falling right here!
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