I am the Arcane Archer, and all my skills are self-created.

Erling's remaining will left no room for idle talk.

In the golden space, thirty-six secret symbols were arranged in a perfect circle, surrounding Li Wu at the center.

Each symbol is slowly rotating, radiating its own unique light.

"How many secret texts do you currently possess?" Erling's remaining will asked.

"I fully understand fourteen of them," Li Wu said. "I can use them, but I don't understand them deeply."

"Fourteen complete understandings... at your stage, that far exceeds my expectations," said Erlin's remaining will. "But have you considered this question?"

"What?"

"Why thirty-six?"

Li Wu did not answer. He had indeed thought about this question, but had never found the answer.

"Thirty-six secret texts, not random numbers," said Erlin's lingering will. "They are the underlying code of this world. Each secret text corresponds to a fundamental law."

"Incandescence corresponds to energy transformation, condensation corresponds to density and compression, domain corresponds to spatial definition, increase corresponds to scale expansion... These thirty-six laws combine to form the complete operating rules of the Origin Realm."

"So, the essence of the Arcane Archer..."

"They are the manipulators of the rules," Erlin's lingering will said. "Other professions use skills preset by the system, which are essentially fixed programs combined by the system using ciphertext."

"And the Arcane Archer is the only class that can directly write programs."

Li Wu's eyes lit up.

He had always had this feeling, but no one had ever told him so explicitly.

"What is the essence of the Star-Burning Arrow you created?" asked Erlin's remaining will.

"A self-collapsed, enclosed space," Li Wu said.

"Yes, but not entirely," said Erling's lingering will. "Its complete description should be: within a defined space, energy proliferates infinitely and is forcibly compressed until the space itself can no longer bear it, triggering an existential collapse."

"This process used four secret texts—Blazing, Increase, Domain, and Condensation. A combination of four laws."

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying, four laws are already enough to create devastating effects, so what about five? Six?"

Li Wu fell silent.

"When the number of cipher combinations reaches five or more, what you create is no longer a skill, but a temporary law," said Erlin's remaining will. "Within the scope of that law's effect, you are a god."

"And the price?" Li Wu asked.

"You're very clear-headed," Erling's remaining will said approvingly. "The price is comprehension. The Five Scripts combination requires you to have over ninety percent comprehension of each scripture you participate in."

"Six coins require 95%. Seven coins or more... require 100%."

What does 100% mean?

"It means you not only understood the law represented by that cryptic text, but you yourself became a part of that law," said Erling's remaining will.

"For example, when your understanding of flame reaches 100%, you yourself are the flame. It's not that you will become fire, but the essence of flame, energy transformation, will become a part of your existence."

Li Wu took a moment to process the information.

"So you brought me here to improve my understanding of the cryptic texts."

"Not just that," said Erlin's lingering will. "Each of these thirty-six towers corresponds to a deep trial of a secret inscription. Through these trials, you can push your comprehension to its limit. But more importantly..."

Erling's remaining will paused for a moment.

"I'm going to teach you something, something that I've spent my whole life trying to understand."

"What?"

"The grammar between ciphertexts."

Li Wu frowned slightly.

"You're combining the runes now based on intuition and experience. You know what effect this combination will produce—blazing, domain, and condensation—but you don't know why," said Erlin's lingering will. "Grammar is the answer to why."

"Once you master the grammar, you can predict the result of any combination without having to try and fail repeatedly. You can directly deduce in your mind what effect a combination you've never tried before will produce, down to every single detail."

"This is what you leave for your successors," Li Wu said.

"Yes," said Erling's remaining will. "It took me forty years to figure out the framework of grammar. You don't need forty years, because I'll give you the framework directly. But understanding and digesting it will require you to do it yourself."

"how long?"

"It depends on your talent," said Erlin's remaining will. "If things go quickly, six months; if they go slowly..."

"Six months is enough," Li Wu interrupted him.

Erling's remaining will smiled again.

"Let's begin. The first grammatical rule: the master-slave relationship in ciphertext."

Within the golden space, two cryptic symbols flew out from the ring and hovered in front of Li Wu.

"炽" and "凝".

"When blazing comes first and condensation comes second, it means compressing the flame. When condensation comes first and blazing comes second, it means releasing the flame during compression," said Erling's lingering will.

"The former is the core logic of your Fusion Penetrating Arrow, the latter... is something completely different."

"What is it?"

"Try it yourself."

Li Wu raised his hand and condensed an arrow in the void. Following the order instructed by Erlin's remaining will, he first constructed the framework of "condensation" and then infused it with the energy of "blazing".

The moment the arrow took shape, he sensed something different.

This arrow doesn't release energy outwards. It releases it inwards.

It is constantly compressing itself, and during the compression process, the temperature of the flame rises exponentially.

"This is……"

"A miniature star," said Erling's lingering will. "If you launch it, it won't explode, it won't penetrate. It will land on its target and then continue burning."

"The temperature doubles every second until the target is completely vaporized. No treatment can counteract this damage, because its essence is not to cause harm, but to alter the target's state of matter."

Li Wu looked at the tiny speck of light in his hand, no bigger than a fingernail, and felt the terrifying energy contained within it.

"These are just two different arrangements of the cipher texts."

"Yes," said Erling's lingering will. "Now you understand the importance of grammar, right? The same ciphertext, different arrangements, different hierarchical relationships, produce vastly different effects. The total number of permutations of the thirty-six ciphertexts is..."

"An astronomical figure," Li Wu said.

"So you need grammar. Grammar can help you find patterns and the optimal solution in this astronomical number."

Li Wu nodded.

"continue."

"The second grammar rule, the nested structure of ciphertexts..."

Erling's remaining will continued to explain, and Li Wu listened attentively, trying to understand and digest it.

He didn't know how long the lesson lasted. In this golden space, time lost its meaning.

But he knew one thing.

When he leaves here, he will no longer be the person he is now.