Lex held the faint consciousness of the newly created "will," a small white orb of light hovering above his palm.
He scanned its essence down to its most basic form and noticed subtle similarities to himself.
To further refine its purpose, Lex removed 10 percent of his understanding of Origin Law.
The process was swift and precise. All the laws he removed coalesced into a single, small, pentagon-shaped gem.
The gem hovered before him, throbbing with immense power, its power undiminished even in the blank point, a place where laws were inherently ineffective.
Using his power, Lex copied the gem into two, creating two more identical replicas. Now three gems hovered before him, each radiating identical power and Origin law mastery.
But Lex frowned slightly. He didn't want them to remain generic copies of his law mastery.
He reached forward, reclaiming the original gem, and reabsorbed it into himself, leaving only the two to remain hovering close to each other.
With deliberate intent, he modified their compositions. To one gem, he made it to be fully compatible with the new "will" he was creating.
To the other, he adjusted the laws to make it universally adaptable, compatible with any entity that might wield it in the future.
The two gems pulsed with unique energy signatures as Lex carefully brought one of the gems closer to the orb "will".
With precision, he fused the gem into the will orb, and in an instant, a dramatic transformation unfolded.
The willorb expanded, its mass increasing exponentially, and a radiant white figure emerged from within, seamlessly blending with the surrounding white void.
The figure took on a humanoid form, its silhouette smooth and unblemished. However, its eyes were devoid of emotion, blank and unreadable, as if contemplating the neutrality of its existence.
Without hesitation, the figure kneeled before Lex, its presence radiating obedience and purpose. It awaited his command, silent and still, it was a being born from the fusion of universal laws and pure will.
Lex observed the kneeling figure in silence as he thought "Let me test it." With a wave of his hand, he conjured a miniature realm;full of chaotic storms, unstable laws, and collapsing timelines.
"Let's see what you can do," Lex murmured.
The figure rose without hesitation and stepped into the chaotic realm. Its movements were precise, methodical, as if unbothered by the maelstrom around it.
The storms calmed under the figure's influence, and the collapsing timelines wove themselves back together seamlessly.
Lex's eyes narrowed slightly and he internally reasoned. "It follows commands perfectly and it is powerful enough not to need my assistance, but can it act on its own?"
He intensified the scenario, adding an unpredictable element; an anomaly created by conflicting laws.
The figure hesitated for the briefest moment, then acted, resolving the conflict with cold and ruthless efficiency.
"Not bad, but far from complete." he complimented the newly created will.
After that he called the "will" back, and Lex talked to it, his tone carrying authority.
"You will be the keeper of balance," he declared. "You will watch over the flow of time, the integrity of space, and the harmony of creation itself."
The primordials crossed his mind, they were supposed to be keepers of balance but the way they acted made him reconsider, some of them were selfish and consumed by greed forgetting their created roles.
The figure tilted its head slightly, acknowledging his words without expression.
Lex frowned, extending a thread of his consciousness toward it. "Can you comprehend what I ask of you?"
The figure's blank eyes glowed faintly, a quiet hum emanating from its form. "I exist to fulfill your will," it replied, its voice devoid of emotion.
Lex leaned back, contemplating. Fulfilling commands is one thing. Understanding their implications is another.
He raised his hand, and an invisible energy flowed from his hand "Your form lacks what is needed to interact with this universe," he said as he infused a fraction of his humanity into the figure and made it so that it could only reason with logic on the basis of emotions.
The figure's blank eyes flickered, and for the first time, faint trace of what looked like emotion stirred within them, curiosity, perhaps even determination.
Its form shifted slightly, the once-sterile appearance gaining subtle details that gave it a sense of presence.
"Better," Lex muttered. "But not enough." He wove strands of Origin Energy into its core, refining its compatibility with the universe. Now, the figure radiated authority, not as an extension of Lex, but as an entity in its own right.
He extended his hand, creating a glowing thread of time energy. "Your first test," he began, "is to stabilize this."
The timeline thread crackled violently, shifting between past and future states. Lex's eyes watched with anticipation as the figure reached out to the thread, its movements careful and decisive.
The thread fought back, writhing like a serpent, but the will's powerful aura enveloped it, calming its chaotic energy.
"Good," Lex praised, though his expression became more serious. "But can you maintain it?"
He increased the timeline thread's energy volatility, forcing the will to adapt. The "will" faltered momentarily, but then its power surged, stabilizing the thread once more.
Satisfied with the test, Lex stepped back, folding his arms. He observed the figure as it stood motionless.
"Now let's see if you can act without direction," hethought.
He permitted a ripple of instability to spread through the surrounding white void.
The will reacted immediately, as it extended its hand to suppress the disturbance. Lex raised an eyebrow.
"Good… but predictable. What will you do if I leave entirely?"
He turned, vanishing from the blank point, leaving the figure alone. Hidden from view, Lex watched as the figure surveyed the surroundings, scanning for further disruptions.
Its actions were precise but lacked creativity.
"Still incomplete," Lex thought. "But it has potential."
Returning to the blank point lex stood in front of the figure, he pondered "What name should I give it" Lex sat in silence, His mind churned as he pondered a fitting name for this creation.
"Heavenly Overseer… no, too direct," he mused silently. "The Immutable Path… perhaps, but it lacks the weight I want." His thoughts circled other options, Eternal Order, Transcendent Dao—before settling on one that felt right.
"CelestialMandate," he declared, the words resonating with finality. It carried the authority and balance he envisioned, embodying the essence of the Will. With a faint nod, he uttered the name aloud, solidifying the will's identity and enforcing its principles.
...…
At the same moment, the primordials scattered across the universe felt an oppressive gaze fall upon them.
The very fabric of space around them tightened, constricting their movements, as an invisible weight pressed down on their existence.
Restrictions they had never experienced before took hold. The surrounding space grew unnaturally solid, and tasks that once required little effort now demanded significantly more.
If they could reduce a mountain to rubble with a single punch before, now it would take two or more strikes to achieve the same.
The changes were most apparent in the Divine Realm. It was a place where their power already had limits, but it had now become nearly rigid.
Before, they couldn't destroy a mountain; but now, even the strongest of them could only hope to leave a faint mark.
The Celestial Mandate had solidified the realm further, turning it into an untouchable fortress, a stark reminder of their diminishing supremacy.
Frustration and unease rippled through them, but none dared to question the source of this shift, for they knew whose will was behind it.
The Celestial Mandate imposed further changes upon the universe. Access to the laws, once boundless, was now restricted.
The clarity and ease with which the primordials once navigated the laws were diminished, forcing them to exert far greater effort to wield their powers.
Navigating the layers of space had become particularly challenging. The paths between layers grew treacherous, and only those with significant mastery over space laws could traverse them with ease.
Those with lower mastery found themselves struggling, their movements hindered as if the universe itself had become an obstan obstruction on their journey.
The mandate also introduced a fundamental balance to the system of power. It decreed that the more laws one mastered, the higher their potential and combat prowess.
However, a new rule emerged at the same time: one who mastered a single law to its peak could rival, or even surpass, someone who had comprehended many laws but lacked depth in any of them.
This balance ensured no path was inherently superior. A jack-of-all-trades could rise high, but a singular master could match them.
The universe itself now rewarded focus, depth, and understanding as much as it did versatility.
For the primordials, this realization was both a challenge and an opportunity—one that would reshape how they approached their own power.
The Ascendants, scattered across various locations in the Divine Realm, felt the subtle change ripple through existence.
Though the change was less impactful for them compared to the Primordials, it was still undeniable.
Those with greater strength and mastery over the laws could sense the adjustments more acutely.
The stronger the creature, the clearer the understanding of the changes brought about by the Celestial Mandate.
For the weaker Ascendants, the shift was a faint unease, an indistinct awareness that something fundamental had changed.
The Celestial Mandate began to fade from Lex's sight, its luminous form dissolving in a gradual, almost slow motion.
Lex watched this silently, his eyes calm and unreadable, as the creation he had shaped so meticulously dispersed into the vast fabric of the universe.
Without a sound, it vanished completely, moving to fulfill its purpose, leaving Lex standing alone in the stillness of the blank point.