Though Aha's move was entirely unexpected, catching Bai Ming off guard and exposing her high-definition image to the entire universe—leaving her feeling a bit exposed and frustrated—there was a silver lining.
The authority and power Aha granted were the real deal.
Wielding the power of Elation, Bai Ming began to rapidly comprehend the equations she previously found utterly indecipherable, deconstructing them with ease.
While she couldn't claim total mastery in an instant, simply driving the Equation's gears and borrowing a few tricks of its power had become effortless.
Through the fragments she now understood, one thing became crystal clear: this "Equation of Trickery" was the literal manifestation of the Path of Elation, fully decoded.
Unlike the actual Path of Elation, which remained an enigma even when its gates were thrown wide open to humanity, these equations—though dizzying at first glance—were at least legible to a genius mind.
If she had to describe it, Bai Ming felt it was a case of "the greatest truths are the simplest."
An idea suddenly sparked in her mind—a somewhat wicked plan to shift the universe's collective gaze.
At this point, it was unrealistic to expect the galaxy to simply forget her existence.
However, if she could provide a massive distraction, she could successfully divert their attention.
Since Aha had already dragged her into the spotlight, THEY had effectively given her a platform to broadcast a "server-wide announcement" to the entire universe.
What could possibly make the people of the cosmos stop obsessing over her, the second Aeon?
There was only one answer: self-interest. Only when something directly affected their own lives would people ignore a distant, ethereal god and look back down at the ground beneath their feet.
All Bai Ming needed to do was produce a "massive benefit"—something so shocking it would involve every living soul.
That would bury the frantic curiosity surrounding her person, or at least spread it thin.
So, what was this "benefit" that anyone could reach for?
Bai Ming's gaze fell upon the Equation of Trickery she was currently parsing. It was a genuine formula that could allow a mortal to rival a god.
Unlike the hazy concept of Paths, as long as one had the right medium and reading equipment, anyone could see the equation in its entirety rather than a jumble of corrupted code.
Of course, the difficulty of actually understanding it was astronomical. If even geniuses struggled, the barrier to entry was impossibly high.
But that was fine.
The higher the difficulty, the safer Bai Ming felt using it to stir the pot.
She was confident that no one outside the Genius Society would ever truly decode it. At least, that was her perspective as an Aeon who also possessed the talent of a genius.
With her conscience clear, she prepared to broadcast the equation to the ends of the universe.
As for whether an individual would truly emerge who could solve it? She didn't worry.
She was a true Aeon now; if someone actually succeeded in wielding the Equation's power, she would sense it instantly. She could deal with it then.
And so, while the inhabitants of the universe were still reeling from the shock, the previously motionless Bai Ming suddenly stirred.
Right in front of Aha, she flung her arms wide. Behind that strange mask, the corners of her mouth curved into a smirk.
Using the power of Elation, she projected her voice to every corner of the cosmos.
"Listen well! This universe is steeped in suffering!"
"God says: 'Let there be laughter.' So!"
"Let us play a little joke involving an Aeon—"
Her voice defied distance, ringing clearly in the ears of every spectator.
Then, before the eyes of all living beings, Bai Ming extended her left hand. Using her other hand like a blade, she made a swift, sharp cut across her palm!
Blood, as brilliant as a river of stars, erupted forth. Some droplets scattered into the void, while others pooled in her palm.
Within her grasp, the flowing starlight began to condense, hardening into a deep, multifaceted crystal that shimmered with a yellow glow.
"I have scattered my divine blood across the galaxy. Within the Originium of this blood lies the secret to becoming an Aeon!"
As her words fell, she flipped her palm. The massive crystal plummeted, instantly shattering into countless tiny, dark shards that streaked away into the depths of space.
But she wasn't finished.
With her hand still outstretched, the endless, shimmering blood truly transformed into a celestial river, spanning the universe in an instant and raining Originium upon the worlds.
Countless meteors cut through the dark, silent vacuum, landing across the stars in plain sight of millions.
"Do you want to be an Aeon? If you want it, I'll give it to you! Go find it! I have hidden all the secrets of Aeonhood within these infinite pieces of Originium!"
Her voice shook the firmament, sending the entire universe into a fever pitch!
Having finished her performance, Bai Ming glanced at Aha.
She was met only with THEIR universe-shaking, manic laughter.
"Hahaha! Aha's secrets are going to be exposed! How embarrassing! How fun! Who can become Aha? Hahahaha!"
Amidst that wild laughter, the figures that had dominated the cosmic broadcast finally faded away.
However, the brilliant river of blood stretching across the heavens did not vanish immediately. It lingered at that paradoxical distance—appearing close enough to touch yet remaining worlds away—continuing to scatter an endless supply of Originium.
Many initially thought it was a hallucination, until someone actually picked up a Originium glowing with yellow light and posted it on social media. That was the spark that ignited a universal firestorm of obsession.
--+--
Meanwhile, Celenova stared in disbelief at the warm Originium that had fallen directly into her palm. It felt absurd.
What was that woman doing?
Using her own blood to spread the secrets of the Aeons to the whole world? Was she insane?!
And the fact that one had flown straight to her hand... Celenova didn't feel lucky.
On the contrary, she felt it was intentional. It was as if Bai Ming was telling her through this stone: Go ahead, study it. Try your hardest. I don't care about your efforts or your ambition.
That high-and-mighty attitude and the calculated nature of the act felt like a deliberate psychological blow to Celenova.
"No... is what she said true or false? Does this thing really hold the secret to becoming an Aeon?"
Celenova was both furious and bewildered. She didn't know if Bai Ming was telling the truth or if there was a trap within the stone. And even if it were true, how was she supposed to extract the information?
Questions piled up. She was curious, yet she loathed the idea of following Bai Ming's script by chasing the secrets within the stone. To do so felt like admitting total defeat.
The problem was, she couldn't ignore those words.
From this day forward, the entire universe would begin researching these tiny stones. If no one found anything for a long time, the craze might die down. But if someone did discover something...
The resulting tidal wave would swallow the cosmos. Celenova shuddered.
Bai Ming usually seemed so composed, so serious. In reality, she was just as much of a lunatic as Aha!
No sane person would ever pull a stunt that dragged the entire universe into such madness.
--+--
Elsewhere, the Interastral Peace Corporation was undoubtedly the fastest to mobilize.
By sheer luck, a Originium had landed directly in the headquarters of the Intelligentsia Guild, saving them the trouble of collection and transport.
Initially, the Guild attempted to analyze the secrets of the stone with a "give it a try" attitude.
However, they soon discovered that the information within was not encrypted at all. Even the most basic reading methods could access the data inside.
The Guild was initially overjoyed, but that joy was short-lived. The equations within were so vast and complex that they were beyond mortal comprehension, and they immediately fried every computer the Guild owned.
That fleeting glimpse of the complex formulas left a deep impression on everyone, yet they couldn't manage to record so much as a single character on standard equipment.
The Guild quickly reported to the IPC, and the news traveled all the way to the Board of Directors.
Some dismissed it as a prank by Aha and Bai Ming, but others argued that this very phenomenon proved the claims were true. Perhaps the stone really did contain information regarding the Aeons; why else would a simple data read cause the entire Intelligentsia Guild's hardware to self-destruct?
--+--
In another corner of the stars, Screwllum looked at the Originium in his hand, then at another that had landed on Planet Screwllum and been delivered to him.
"Madam Bai Ming, you truly... have a knack for exceeding my logic."
He didn't care that she had scattered these items across the world. There was only one thing Screwllum cared about now.
Did the equations inside truly represent the essence of Elation?
Did decoding them mean truly understanding an Aeon? Though he already had his suspicions, he desperately wanted an answer—a confirmed answer.
And why did Bai Ming do it? Was it truly just for a universal joke?
If so, the punchline was terrifyingly grand.
Just then, another voice spoke up.
"Indeed. That woman is starting to become quite frightening."
Screwllum turned around. A holographic projection of Zandar had appeared beside him—an intrusion Screwllum had allowed.
"What is your intent, Zandar One Kuwabara?"
"I am here to collaborate, Screwllum. This equation, which originated in Amphoreus, has taken on a new form. I, too, find myself curious."
Zandar's projection made no attempt to hide his motives.
He hadn't come for any grand scheme, but simply as a scholar seeking knowledge, looking for a partner.
He wanted to know exactly what secrets were hidden within the equation.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL