193: Chapter 193 Reading the Self?

After the test results appeared, the Nine-Tier Card Creation Room fell silent.

Qi Yuan looked at the last few pieces of information, and his breathing became abnormally rapid.

Ninth-Tier Rainbow Card.

And not an ordinary Ninth-Tier Rainbow Card.

It could temporarily generate an unprecedented set of Ninth-Tier Law structures based on the user's soul!

This meant that as long as they found a truly suitable person, the Stand Arrow could potentially create a Ninth-Tier Stand that had never existed before.

Time.

Space.

Causality.

Destiny.

Even certain rules not yet understood by humans.

All of them could possibly be mapped into reality through the user's soul.

"It succeeded..."

Qi Yuan muttered.

He lowered his head to look at the outermost periphery of the card.

Those six auxiliary lines that he had personally carved were emitting a faint golden light.

There were no redundant nodes.

There were no complex amplifications.

They were only responsible for establishing the initial 0.01-second anchoring between the user's soul and reality.

They were still just six auxiliary lines.

Yet this time, as Qi Yuan looked at them, there was not the slightest bit of unwillingness in his heart.

Because he knew that these six lines had participated in witnessing the birth of a Ninth-Tier path.

Researcher Yun Zhi stood to the side, her expression dazed.

"Is this still the original Second-Tier card?"

"Yes."

Li Qingyue raised her hand.

The Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow slowly fell into her palm.

"The materials have been completely replaced."

"The Law structure has also undergone a qualitative change."

"However, its history, concept, and existence have never been interrupted."

She looked at Su Bai.

"It is precisely that original Stand Arrow."

"It just walked from the Second-Tier to the Ninth-Tier."

Su Bai reached out and took the card.

Familiar Mental Power fluctuations transmitted from his fingertips.

It still retained the traces left behind when [The World · Time Stop] first manifested.

And it also retained the mental records from when Qin Ye used it in battle.

Yet apart from these familiar fluctuations, there was an unprecedented sense of profundity.

It was as if what Su Bai was holding was not a card.

But a door that had yet to be opened.

Behind the door, there was no pre-prepared power.

Only the user themselves.

"Is there a limit to the number of uses?"

Su Bai asked.

Li Qingyue looked at the True Meaning origin in the test results.

"Yes."

"The philosophers stone only separated a wisp of True Meaning Law."

"It can retrieve most of the origin after the awakening ends, but it cannot achieve complete zero loss."

"If it's just awakening an ordinary Stand, the consumption won't be too great."

"Once a true Ninth-Tier Law Stand is generated, a single awakening may consume a massive amount of origin."

Qi Yuan immediately added:

"Furthermore, the card body also requires recovery."

"When the Ninth-Tier Law is temporarily generated, it will place tremendous pressure on the blank slots."

"Continuous use is very likely to permanently damage the dynamic adaptation structure."

Su Bai nodded.

This meant the Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow could not be used to popularize Stands on a large scale.

It was a true top-tier awakening card.

And a Ninth-Tier Rainbow Card that only a very few people could endure.

Ordinary users would still have to use the original lower-tier Stand Arrows and fixed templates.

Only those whose mental state, will, and Law potential all met the requirements were qualified to receive this Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow.

"Then the problem arises."

Researcher Yun Zhi asked softly:

"Who will be the first tester?"

The Card Creation Room fell silent once again.

Everyone subconsciously looked at the Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow.

This card had just been born.

No one knew what kind of Stand it would ultimately awaken.

Nor did anyone know how great the risk of the so-called "mental adaptation failure potentially leading to soul collapse" truly was.

Qi Yuan pondered for a moment.

"This old man suggests establishing a Ninth-Tier mental simulation body first."

"After completing at least ten thousand virtual tests, then select a Ninth-Tier professional with a stable will..."

"That's meaningless."

Su Bai interrupted him.

"Why?"

"A Stand reads the real soul."

"A simulation body has no life, no true desires and fears, and no mental will of its own."

"No matter how many times it's simulated, the results hold no reference value."

Qi Yuan frowned.

This was indeed the hardest aspect of Stand Cards to verify.

Traditional cards could be tested using puppets, formations, and mental models.

Yet the Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow had to pierce a real person.

The first user would inevitably have to bear unknown risks.

Li Qingyue looked at the card and suddenly reached out her hand.

"Give it to me."

Su Bai didn't let go.

"Master wants to test it personally?"

"I am the chief Card Creator."

"I also possess Ninth-Tier Mental Power and the laws of time and space."

"No matter from which perspective, I am the most suitable candidate."

"No."

Su Bai refused very flatly.

Li Qingyue raised her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because this card was designed by me."

"And so?"

"The person who bears the risk first should also be me."

"Your mental grade is only Third-Tier."

"My Mental Power has already inherited all of Qin Ye's attributes."

"That still doesn't equal the Ninth-Tier."

Li Qingyue's tone gradually turned serious.

"The Stand Arrow is not an ordinary card."

"It will directly enter the soul and reorganize your mental state and laws."

"Even if the philosophers stone has recognized you, it doesn't mean you will definitely be able to endure the awakening process."

Su Bai lowered his head to look at the arrow in the center of the card face.

The nine-tier rainbow halos were slowly rotating.

Of course he understood what Li Qingyue was worried about.

Yet from its very inception, this Stand Arrow was not simply meant to create Stands for other people.

Su Bai had obtained [The World · Time Stop] through system rebates.

And could even directly summon the mental phantom of [The World].

Yet that was ultimately feedback coming from Qin Ye.

It was an ability bestowed upon him by the system.

Not the true shape of his own soul.

Su Bai had always wanted to know.

If the Stand Arrow read himself.

If he cast aside system rebates, Magical Girl, and existing Stand templates.

What on earth would his own Stand be?

"Master."

Su Bai raised his head.

"I entered the National Competition precisely for the philosophers stone."

"Contending for the philosophers stone was so that you could upgrade the Stand Arrow to the Ninth-Tier."

"And making the Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow—"

He gripped the card tightly.

"Was originally for myself."

Li Qingyue did not speak.

Inside the Ninth-Tier Card Creation Room, everyone's gazes fell upon the two of them.

A moment later, Li Qingyue extended her hand.

She did not continue asking for the Stand Arrow.

Instead, she gently pressed a silver space-time mark onto Su Bai's glabella.

"I will anchor your soul to the state before using the Stand Arrow."

"Once the awakening goes out of control, I will reverse your personal time."

"Even if the Stand Arrow has already finished rewriting you, it will be forcibly revoked."

Su Bai felt the slight, cool touch coming from his glabella.

"Will it cause any impact on Master?"

"No impact."

Qi Yuan opened his mouth to speak, but stopped.

How could reversing a person's soul state with the Law of Time possibly have no impact?

What's more, the Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow used the True Meaning Law of the philosophers stone.

To forcibly drag Su Bai back to the past from his post-awakened state, Li Qingyue would inevitably have to bear the Rainbow Card's backlash head-on.

Yet when he saw Li Qingyue's gaze, he ultimately did not expose it.

"Also."

Li Qingyue stared at Su Bai.

"If you find anything wrong, give up immediately."

"Don't try to act tough."

"Understood."

"You answered so quickly, I don't believe you."

"Then should I say it slower?"

"Su Bai."

"I really understand."

Only then did Li Qingyue let go of her hand.

She took half a step back, and the nine-tier spaces began to operate simultaneously.

A silver river of time surrounded Su Bai.

The space barriers closed layer by layer.

Qi Yuan and Researcher Yun Zhi quickly activated all testing formations.

The card's Law fluctuations, Su Bai's mental changes, and the consumption of the philosophers stone's origin were simultaneously projected onto hundreds of screens.

[Test Subject: Su Bai.]

[Grade: Third-Tier Card Creator.]

[Mental Strength: Far exceeding the current grade.]

[Soul Stability: Unable to determine.]

[Ninth-Tier Stand Arrow preparation complete.]

[Begin awakening?]

Su Bai raised his hand.

The dark red card turned into a physical Stand Arrow in his palm.

The arrow shaft was long and narrow.

The arrowhead was surrounded by nine-tier rainbow laws.

He reversed his grip on the arrow shaft, aiming the arrowhead at his own chest.

Li Qingyue's fingers tightened slightly.

Su Bai glanced at her.

"Master."

"What is it?"

"The card you made won't have any problems."

As his voice fell.

Su Bai did not give anyone else a chance to stop him.

The Stand Arrow plunged down abruptly!

No blood splattered.

The Ninth-Tier arrowhead pierced through his flesh and directly stabbed into Su Bai's soul.

Boom!

The entire Nine-Tier Space-Time Card Creation Room plunged into darkness simultaneously.

On all the testing formations, only a single line of flashing golden text remained.

[Reading the target's true self.]