Chapter 226: The Trial of Kunlun Academy.
Never mind what kind of power it is.
Let us put it this way: if one day, Daxia says that the Myriad Soul Banner can be refined and teaches everyone,
just wait and see, the next day, you will see Myriad Soul Banners all over the streets, and they might even discuss whether to find a foreign ghost as the main soul or a group of foreign ghosts as sub-souls.
This is the people of Daxia; their adaptability is frighteningly strong, and their desire for power is also frighteningly strong.
Elder Zhang said: "Therefore, Daxia actually thought about making the existence of the supernatural world public in the past."
Even, actions have already been taken, for example, spreading some minor rumors.
However, the desire for power among the people of Daxia exceeded our estimations.
They were not afraid, they felt no fear, they only had a desire for power.
We dare not imagine how terrifying it would be if all 1.3 billion people of Daxia began to come into contact with supernatural powers.
Then the entire international community might join hands to come to Daxia.
Therefore, Daxia's supernatural world is the easiest to manage, but also the hardest to manage."
Darwin nods.
Regarding this, he expressed that he understood very well.
As the few of them spoke, they arrived at a private restaurant.
Elder Zhang directly led Darwin and the others to a private room on the third floor.
There were many people in the restaurant.
They were all diners.
After the few of them sat down, Minister Liu Feng went to order food.
Before long, dishes were served one after another.
Elder Zhang smiled and said: "Have a taste, Darwin, perhaps you will have an unexpected harvest!"
With anticipation and curiosity, Darwin put a piece of fried pork into his mouth.
The next moment, his eyes widened.
"Supernatural power?"
That is right, Darwin tasted supernatural power inside the dish.
It was very faint, but it did exist.
The magic power in his body received a tiny bit of replenishment.
It was just like the mana-restoring potions in novels.
Although there was very little, it was truly there.
Elder Zhang smiled and said: "How is it? Is it an unexpected harvest?"
Darwin's face was filled with surprise: "How was this done? Is it the ingredients? But this seems to be just ordinary pork."
Elder Zhang said: "Yes, ordinary pork, except that some special techniques were used during the preparation."
"Alchemy?"
Elder Zhang said with surprise: "You even know about alchemy?"
How could Darwin possibly not know?
Alchemy, talisman drawing, array forging—aren't these the four basic skills of immortal cultivation?
But, alchemy and cooking?
Elder Zhang said: "Culinary arts are also the Dao. Daxia's supernaturals pursue the Dao."
The Dao ultimately leads to the same destination by different paths. Alchemy requires mastering the proportion of medicinal materials, then controlling the heat, and then fusing them.
Isn't this just cooking? It is just that medicinal materials have been replaced with ingredients."
Darwin always felt something was wrong, but it somehow inexplicably made sense.
No, Daxia's supernatural world has already developed to this extent?
Darwin picked up a slice of meat.
He observed it carefully.
How on earth was this done?
Elder Zhang seemed to have seen through Darwin's curiosity.
He smiled and said: "Want to know how it is made?"
Darwin subconsciously nodded.
But he quickly reacted: "If it involves any secrets of Daxia, never mind."
Elder Zhang said: "There are no secrets. In fact, it is all very basic knowledge. If you really want to know, let me take you to take a look at the Kunlun Taoist Palace this afternoon."
"Perhaps you will learn many things you want to know, as well as things you are curious about."
Darwin was startled: "Can I go?"
Elder Zhang smiled and said: "Didn't I say so? When you are on vacation, Daxia is not on vacation yet. Go and experience it, audit a class. Could I possibly be afraid of you learning some profound things?"
Daxia has changed. Past experiences tell us that hoarding one's treasures and refusing to share is undesirable.
Therefore, we are willing to accept external knowledge, and similarly, we don't mind exchanging knowledge."
Darwin understood the subtext of Elder Zhang's words.
"Then I think, if Daxia has this attitude, can I also experience the thrill of being a teacher?"
Elder Zhang smiled and said: "Of course you can. The one who masters it is the teacher."
Darwin also smiled.
After the meal, the few of them chatted for a while.
Then, they prepared to set off for the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
Darwin also yearned greatly for the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
Daxia's Kunlun Taoist Palace was very famous throughout the international community.
Powerful—this was everyone's unified impression of the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
But at the same time, it was also very mysterious.
The Kunlun Taoist Palace never showed its face in the international supernatural world.
Even those students of the Kunlun Taoist Palace rarely showed their faces internationally.
Therefore, outside rumors said that the Kunlun Taoist Palace was the one holding Daxia's true inheritance and truly bizarre powers.
Therefore, it was hard for Darwin not to be interested in the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
Elder Zhang said: "However, if you want to go to the Kunlun Taoist Palace, even if you are not from Daxia, you must abide by Daxia's rules. You need to complete some minor trials."
One hour later.
At the foot of the Kunlun Mountains.
Elder Zhang, Minister Liu Feng, along with Darwin and Cassandra, appeared here.
Looking at the Kunlun Mountains stretching out before them for an unknown distance,
Darwin couldn't stop marveling in his heart.
In his past life, he had never been to the Kunlun Mountains.
But he also knew some of Daxia's famous mountains.
Among them, the Kunlun Mountains appeared most frequently in immortal cultivation novels, as well as various wuxia novels, movies, and television dramas.
These Kunlun Mountains possessed an absolutely mysterious coloring.
Elder Zhang said: "The trial is very simple. Kunlun Academy is right here within the Kunlun Mountains."
"If you can find it yourself, then you have passed the trial."
"Since you like Daxia's culture, you should have heard a saying: Daxia emphasizes destiny."
"The so-called destiny is illusory, but it truly exists."
"All students of Kunlun Academy also need to undergo a trial before admission, which is to find Kunlun Academy."
Darwin listened quietly on the side.
He expressed no objection and didn't say much else.
Seeing Darwin like this, Elder Zhang nods with satisfaction.
"How is it? Do you accept this trial? If you accept it, then you can begin."
"Of course, if you don't accept it, it won't have any impact; you are still a guest of our Daxia."
Darwin smiled and said: "Elder Zhang, I accept this trial."
Elder Zhang smiled and said: "Good, then I will wait for you at Kunlun Academy. I expect you to succeed."
As his voice trailed off.
Elder Zhang raised his hand and pressed it on Minister Liu Feng's shoulder.
The next moment, the two of them were directly swallowed by a spatial rift.
At the foot of the mountain, only Cassandra and Darwinwere left.
Cassandra couldn't help saying: "Your Grace, I feel he is making things difficult for you. The Kunlun Mountains are so big, how are we supposed to find that academy?"
Darwin smiled and said: "Cassandra, when encountering things, do not be impatient. I have told you long ago, you should look at its essence!"
Chapter 227 Kunlun Taoist Palace, magic power!
Cassandra looked at Darwin with confusion.
She had no idea what His Eminence meant.
Darwin smiled and said, "Do you still remember what Elder Zhang said just now? Fate."
Cassandra nodded.
Of course she remembered; after all, she hadn't understood what the word meant at all.
Darwin said, "A person like me has never believed in fate. In my view, so-called fate is always traceable. The difference is that some traces are hidden, while others are laid out in the open."
"And for those hidden traces, we need a pair of eyes sharp enough to discover them."
As Darwin's voice fell, magic power surged around his body.
Cassandra did not know what Darwin was doing, but she knew that His Eminence always had a reason for doing anything.
Therefore, Cassandra very consciously took a few steps back.
Meanwhile, on the other side, on a certain mountain peak in the Kunlun Mountains.
Elder Zhang and Minister Liu Feng were standing on top of the mountain peak.
Minister Liu Feng said, "Elder Zhang, can he really find it?"
"He doesn't know of the existence of magic power, and outside of Daxia, there is no magic power. In the entire world, only Daxia is sealed off, which is why magic powerremains."
"Those students entering Kunlun learn to perceive magic power from a young age, so they can find the location of the Kunlun Taoist Palace through the fluctuations of magic power."
"However, isn't this a bit too difficult for Darwin?"
"That is simply a power he has never felt before!"
Elder Zhang said, "Precisely because of this, he needs to go through this test. He is able to feel the stark contrast between Daxia and foreign countries."
"A person who knows nothing of magic power can feel magic power."
"Do you know what this means?"
Minister Liu Feng said, "Absolute sensitivity to magic power."
Elder Zhang shook his head: "More than that, many people know about the peculiarities of Daxia."
"Back then, those people broke into Daxia and mobilized their entire nation's transcendent power to wage war against the Kunlun Taoist Palace and Beihai Academy."
"They blocked us, making us hesitate to use our full strength within Daxia."
"Allowing Daxia to survive its darkest period."
"Do you really think there were no geniuses among those people?"
Minister Liu Feng was taken aback.
This was something he seemingly hadn't really thought about before.
The turmoil in Daxia back then actually started primarily from the transcendent realm.
Those overseas transcendent forces played dirty tricks and placed the battlefield on Daxia's territory.
For some reason, the powerhouses on Daxia's side could not go all out.
That was why those scumbags were allowed to run amok on Daxia's land.
Later, the ordinary human world put an end to the turmoil first.
The forces of the transcendent realm had no choice but to retreat.
However, anyone with sufficient status knew about what happened back then.
Those overseas transcendent forces came precisely to search for Daxia's uniqueness.
However, they all returned empty-handed.
Elder Zhang said, "The reason is very simple. Because the existence of magic power belongs exclusively to Daxia, naturally only the people of Daxia can feel it."
"No matter how talented other people are, they can only vaguely sense that something is wrong, but they cannot trace it."
"Whether it is Dumbledore or Grindelwald from the West, they have all been to Daxia, but all came away empty-handed."
"The reason lies right here. But now, this child, he is able to feel magic power."
"You should understand the meaning behind this!"
Minister Liu Feng's eyes widened: "He is the variable!"
Elder Zhang nods: "You have left the Kunlun Taoist Palacefor too long, entangled by mundane affairs, so we didn't tell you many things."
"This is not to guard against you, nor is it out of a lack of trust in you."
"It is simply because your energy cannot manage to think about so much."
"However, you are reaching the age where you can retire, and it's time you knew some things."
Minister Liu Feng said, "So, he is the only variable?"
Elder Zhang said, "More or less. But to be certain, we still need to see if he can truly find the Kunlun Taoist Palace!"
...
Amidst the snow-capped mountains.
Darwin was leading Cassandra and walking forward.
Around the two of them.
A barrier of magic power enveloped them both within.
All the wind, snow, and chill were blocked outside.
Cassandra looked at Darwin's back, opening and closing her mouth several times, wanting to speak but holding back.
She truly couldn't understand what His Eminence was doing.
Said to be searching for the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
But in Cassandra's eyes, Darwin seemed to be turning left and right all along.
Anyway, it didn't look like a proper path at all.
Yet, in fact, in Darwin's eyes.
At this moment, a road paved with golden light was guiding them forward.
He didn't know what this was either.
Perhaps, this was just a feeling.
Anyway, Darwin felt that walking along here would definitely allow him to find it.
To repeat that saying, Darwin did not believe in so-called fate.
He only believed in one thing: any so-called fate could not escape the support of certain facts.
Just like that unknown energy Darwin felt; he didn't know what it was.
But he knew that thing was guiding him, a special entity surviving only in Daxia.
As for what it was, Darwin couldn't be bothered to care or think about it. He only needed to know one thing: that thing could guide him to find the real path, and that was enough.
Darwin took a step forward, each step firmer than the last.
On the distant mountain peak.
Elder Zhang and Minister Liu Feng were quietly watching him, watching him get closer and closer to the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
Of course, it wasn't just them.
Within the Hogwarts Throne Space.
In front of the Four Founders was a bronze mirror.
The bronze mirror had archaic patterns.
Above the patterns, there were also two small ancient bronze characters.
If Darwin were here, he would surely recognize that this was Xiaozhuan.
It was Daxia's Xiaozhuan.
And the meaning of Xiaozhuan was: Kunlun!
Shown within the image was precisely the environment Darwin was currently in.
Ravenclaw said, "This imitation mirror from Daxia is really quite useful."
Slytherin nods: "Indeed useful. This can be considered a backup plan left behind by Daxia's gods. It's a pity there are still too few of these items, only three in total. Otherwise, we could contact more people, and we wouldn't have to spend every day guessing whether they are dead or alive."
Gryffindor said, "If there were more mirrors, they would have been discovered. It's pretty good as it is; at least we can know that Darwin has taken his predestined step."
Hufflepuff said, "Predestined? Sometimes I'm actually quite curious: is this truly Darwin's predestined path, or ours?"
"After all, every step Darwin is taking now seems to be one he ought to take. But who prescribed this 'ought'? If our understanding of everything is not wrong, then isn't Darwin just a chess piece?"
Chapter 228: White Jade Stairs, the Portal of the Kunlun Taoist Palace!
After Helga Hufflepuff finished speaking, the other three fell somewhat silent.
Rowena Ravenclaw waved her hand: "Stop worrying about these matters, Helga. These things are not something we can manage."
"If we really think about it, the four of us are just slightly more important chess pieces after all."
"We are all chess pieces. Could it be that we still want to help other chess pieces escape the chessboard?"
"Becoming chess pieces is our own choice, and they are the same."
"Everyone talks about being chess pieces, but the purpose is just to be able to overturn the table."
"Regardless of whether Darwin is a chess piece or a chess player, as long as he has the strength to overturn the chessboard, that is enough."
Gryffindor sat on the ground.
And said: "Yeah, instead of thinking about these useless things, why don't we think about why Darwin can be recognized by the energy of Great Xia?"
"What was that energy called again? Spiritual Qi, right? That's what Great Xia calls it—the backup plan left behind by the gods of Great Xia."
Salazar Slytherin said: "In Great Xia, they don't call them gods; they call them Immortals!"
"As for why Darwin can be recognized by Spiritual Qi and sense Spiritual Qi, could it be that Darwin has the bloodline of Great Xia?"
"Otherwise, it doesn't make sense."
Rowena Ravenclaw shook her head: "Impossible. Speaking of bloodline, Darwin has pure Rosier bloodline."
"It is a bloodline passed down since the Ancient Magic era. We have all checked this, haven't we?"
Helga Hufflepuff said: "If it's not a bloodline issue, then there is only one possibility!"
"Soul!"
Salazar Slytherin took over the conversation.
A flash of sharp light crossed his eyes.
He suddenly remembered the question Darwin asked him back then.
"How can a person have two Souls?"
Aside from the Four Founders, the elders of the Kunlun Taoist Palace and Beihai Academy were also gathered together at this time.
The topic they were discussing was also the reason why Darwin could be acknowledged by Spiritual Qi and sense it.
The direction of their discussion was the same as the Four Founders: bloodline.
The First Elder of the Kunlun Taoist Palace even used some methods to remotely monitor Darwin's bloodline.
In the end, it was concluded that there was not the slightest bit of Great Xia bloodline in Darwin's body.
Ultimately, they also reached a conclusion similar to the Four Founders.
Primordial Spirit.
Which is the Soul. The human body is nothing more than two aspects: the physical body and the Soul.
Since there is nothing special about the physical bloodline.
Then it could only be the Soul.
Two Souls—this guess shocked this group of powerful and ancient elders.
They had never seen Darwin's situation before.
They hadn't even heard of it.
How could Darwin know about this? He didn't even know of the existence of Spiritual Qi.
Anyway, this thing was able to lead him to Kunlun Academy.
As for what this thing actually was.
To be honest, given Darwin's realm and strength.
He had self-awareness.
He was indeed quite strong already, but if you casually brought up things like gods, Darwin couldn't handle it.
Nor could he resist it.
Since he couldn't handle it, he should just be well-behaved, not care, not ask, and not think about it.
Playing his role as a tourist this time, and incidentally seeing if he could learn some special knowledge from Great Xia, was already enough.
One hour later.
Darwin and Cassandra appeared at the entrance of the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
The two stood at the entrance, neither speaking nor moving, just looking at the Kunlun Taoist Palace before them.
The reason was very simple: the two were dumbfounded.
Darwin didn't know how to describe his current mood.
That is, you know the Heavenly Palace in the Clouds.
The one in the novels.
The Kunlun Taoist Palace appearing before Darwin truly fulfilled all of Darwin's imaginations about the Heavenly Palace in the Clouds.
It wasn't built on the clouds.
However, the layers of architectural complexes and the rows of palaces
made Darwin unable to take his eyes away at all.
He didn't even know how to describe these things he was seeing.
Truly, magnificent yet absurd.
Anyway, Darwin couldn't think of words to describe it.
Pure white palaces, deep within the Kunlun Mountains, surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The pristine white palaces were decorated with gold.
Not overly ostentatious, but definitely conspicuous.
Right at this moment, behind Darwin, Elder Zhang's voice sounded.
"What? Stunned?"
Darwin turned his head and cupped his fists: "Elder Zhang!"
Elder Zhang smiled: "When this old man first came to the Kunlun Taoist Palace, I was just like you, except that was many years ago."
"After all, it's an architectural complex spanning over a thousand years. It's normal to be stunned."
Darwin was stunned: "Over a thousand years?"
Elder Zhang nodded: "Mhm, the Kunlun Taoist Palace has been passed down since ancient times. By now, more than a thousand years have passed."
"The Taoist Palace is reinforced with a magic circle; even time cannot cause the slightest bit of erosion on it."
Darwin's eyes instantly lit up.
Not for any other reason, but because of the magic circle!
Great Xia truly had magic circles, and perhaps even possessed a complete inheritance of magic circles.
Unlike the lost magic circle inheritance of the West, this was a genuine magic circle inheritance.
Elder Zhang took in all of Darwin's reactions.
But he didn't say much more.
Darwin's reaction was within his expectations.
If Darwin really showed no interest at all, he would actually find it troublesome.
Elder Zhang said: "Let's go, Darwin, I'll take you to look around the Kunlun Taoist Palace!"
Darwin nodded; he had been unable to wait any longer.
Elder Zhang led Darwin and Cassandra to walk toward the Kunlun Divine Palace.
Arriving at the entrance of the Taoist Palace.
On the ground was a white jade staircase leading straight to the summit of the mountain.
There was a hint of shock in Darwin's eyes.
This thing was a bit exaggerated.
The blessed land mentioned in novels, where immortals resided, was probably just like this.
Great Xia actually had this kind of thing.
It was too absurd.
Elder Zhang said: "This long staircase is the only passage to enter the Kunlun Taoist Palace, and it is also the first lesson every student of the Kunlun Taoist Palace receives after arriving here."
Darwin was stunned: "A lesson?"
Elder Zhang nodded: "The teaching method of the Kunlun Taoist Palace might not be quite what you think."
In the Kunlun Taoist Palace, there is no stereotyped, fixed teaching.
Everyone has their own unique traits and talents.
The Kunlun Taoist Palace will not let anyone's talent be buried, and this white jade long staircase is used to test talent."
"Do you see the lamp posts on both sides of the stairs?"
Darwin nodded.
Elder Zhang said: "These lamp posts respectively correspond to Body Refinement, Qi Refinement, Primordial Spirit, Talismans, Beast Taming, Alchemy, Artifact Refining, magic circles, and Spells—a total of nine lamp posts, which are also the nine major categories of subjects."
Ordinary disciples of Kunlun Academy will mostly make two or more of these lamp posts light up.
Rare geniuses will light up three. During the most brilliant era of the Kunlun Taoist Palace, even lighting up five or six was not a few.
These are all the potential and talent deeply hidden within a disciple's body. Afterward, the Kunlun Taoist Palace will arrange courses based on the disciple's talent.
Striving to let every disciple's talent be fully displayed.
"However, it is a pity that many things have changed now. Heaven and earth have changed, the world has changed, and many inheritances of the Kunlun Taoist Palace have also been lost. Therefore, many things, even if a disciple has talent, cannot be taught anymore."
Chapter 229: Talent Detection?
Hearing this, Darwin actually found it quite reasonable.
Daxia was indeed very mysterious and powerful.
However, this power had its limits.
Judging by the setup of the Kunlun Taoist Palace, this was clearly a Xianxia sect.
However, Xianxia was obviously incompatible with the world of Harry Potter.
After all, this combat power seemed a bit overpowered.
Still, if Daxia's heritage had been lost, then it made a lot of sense.
However, what did "changes in heaven and earth" mean?
Darwin didn't ask any further.
Elder Zhang said, "Go for a walk. I'm quite curious about which direction your talent lies in."
Darwin nodded.
Elder Zhang said, "I will wait for you at the top of the mountain."
With that, Elder Zhang's figure vanished on the spot.
Reappearing, he had already arrived at the summit.
At this time, quite a few people had already gathered at the summit.
The elders of the Kunlun Taoist Palace and the students of the Kunlun Taoist Palace were all here.
At this moment, they were all staring at the huge bronze mirror in front of them.
This bronze mirror could only show what was happening above the white jade long steps.
Some students of the Kunlun Taoist Palace already knew that Kunlun Academy would be welcoming two foreign friends.
They had been curious for a long time, and now they finally got to see people.
"Look, they are moving. They are about to cross the long steps."
"I wonder how many lamp pillars they can light up."
"I checked some foreign information. This person has a huge reputation in Europe, and his strength is also terrifying. At this age, he is already called the uncrowned king of Europe."
"The uncrowned king? Really?"
"Of course it's true. Did you forget? My third uncle's family immigrated to Britain, and my cousin is a student at Hogwarts. Many things were told to me by my cousin."
"Your cousin? Cho Chang?"
"Yeah, she told me a lot about this person. All I can say is that he is truly a Legend. The most important thing is that he is only eleven years old."
"Goodness, eleven years old? That's a bit ridiculous."
"Alright, stop chattering. Watch carefully and see how many lamp pillars they can make light up."
At the foot of the mountain.
Darwin stood in place, and Cassandra took the lead in walking up the long steps.
As Cassandra walked towards the summit, the lamp pillars began to light up.
"It's lit! That's the spell lamp pillar!"
"So fast! Lighting up at such a speed—her talent in spells is terrifying."
The elders looked at each other.
"It really is a bit fast. This speed is not much different from Zhantai Xue's."
"Indeed, two years ago, Zhantai Xue also made the spell lamp pillar light up first, and her time was almost the same as this girl's."
"It lit up again! The second one is the talisman pillar?"
Everyone looked towards the bronze mirror.
Sure enough, after the first lamp pillar, another one lit up.
That was precisely the lamp pillar representing talisman talent.
"Interesting. A foreign child actually has talisman talent?"
"Let's keep watching. I feel that this child might also give us a surprise."
And that was indeed the case.
Cassandra continued to climb, and more lamp pillars lit up.
"Pills, Qi refinement, primordial spirit, formations, artifact crafting... counting the preceding talismans and spells, she actually lit up seven lamp pillars."
The eyes of all the elders glazed over.
Seven lamp pillars lit up.
Such talent, if placed in past eras, wasn't completely unheard of.
However, Daxia hadn't seen anyone with this kind of talent for a hundred years.
A Kunlun Taoist Palace elder sighed, "What a pity, what a pity. She was born in this era. If she were in the most resplendent era, she would be terrifying!"
The students of Kunlun Academy were also stunned.
In the crowd, a girl who looked to be around fourteen or fifteen years old was wearing a jade-white Taoist robe with a high ponytail.
Looking at Cassandra in the bronze mirror, her eyes were filled with curiosity.
She was Zhantai Xue, known as Kunlun's once-in-a-century spell prodigy.
Her learning of spells was frighteningly fast.
She was called by the Kunlun elders the person of the younger generation most likely to touch upon the Dao.
Having come to Kunlun Academy for two years, she had always been ahead of her peers in the path of spells.
And now, she saw someone whose talent could rival her own.
It was hard for her not to be curious.
True geniuses never envied other people's talents.
They had absolute confidence in their own talents.
When a talented person appeared, they would only rejoice that they still had a rival, could still fight against others, and could have someone become their opponent.
Zhantai Xue was such a person.
Cassandra, who had just walked across the white jade long steps, seemed to sense something.
She looked towards Zhantai Xue's direction.
Their gazes intersected in mid-air.
There was fighting spirit, curiosity, and absolute confidence in themselves.
Zhantai Xue smiled.
It seemed she had finally found a reason to work hard.
The same was true for Cassandra.
Among her peers.
She never took anyone else seriously.
As for Darwin, he was too terrifying; it was simply impossible to compare with him.
Therefore, in Cassandra's world, Darwin was never someone she could compare to or surpass.
He was too far away—so far that she couldn't even see his back.
Thus, Cassandra didn't compare herself to Darwin, but no one else could keep up with her pace.
Therefore, she actually needed a rival as well.
And now, that rival finally seemed to have appeared.
Cassandra turned around and looked towards the direction of the bronze mirror.
Darwin was about to ascend the mountain.
Everyone's gazes now fell upon the bronze mirror.
Darwin's reputation was too great.
They were all very curious about just how terrifying the talent of this European uncrowned king—this eleven-year-old uncrowned king—truly was.
At the foot of the mountain.
Darwin raised his foot and stepped onto the stairs.
The instant he stepped onto the white jade long steps,
a lamp pillar instantly lit up.
"The spell pillar!"
"No, that's not the point! The point is, how could it be so fast? On the very first step, he made the spell pillar light up?!"
"This is really a bit ridiculous."
The elders of the Kunlun Taoist Palace and Beihai Academy also looked at each other in dismay.
"This is a bit exaggerated."
"Yeah, since records began in the Kunlun Taoist Palace, the fastest a lamp pillar was lit still belonged to the Palace Master of the Kunlun Taoist Palace from three hundred years ago. Even he required the third step to make the lamp pillar light up."
"This talent is truly frightening."
"No wonder at his age, he was able to comprehend the existence of the Dao."
"This child is terrifyingly formidable."
The elders were all shocked.
Let alone those students of the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
At this moment, their eyes were wide open.
They looked at Darwin in the bronze mirror in utter disbelief.
"Wait, just one step, and the lamp pillar lit up?"
"Is this even possible?"
"Compared to Darwin, didn't their so-called talent turn into a joke?"
Zhantai Xue's body, which had originally been leaning against the stone pillar, straightened up at some unknown point, her eyes filled with shock.
Chapter 230: Nine Steps, Nine Lamp Posts!
If Cassandra's talent gave her a sense of a kindred spirit,
then the talent Darwin displayed now truly gave her a sense of defeat.
Compared to Darwin, her so-called talent seemed like a joke, truly not worth mentioning.
However, this was not over yet.
Darwin took another step forward.
Another lamp post lit up.
"Body Refining?"
All the elders were startled.
No, Western Wizards having fragile bodies was a consensus among everyone in the East.
But why did this Darwin display a talent for body refining?
Could this be right?
At this moment, Darwin on the steps also paused slightly.
When he stepped onto the first step, he already had some feeling.
When he stepped onto the first step, he could clearly feel a wave of energy sweeping across his body.
That energy was very faint, but it truly existed.
The second step was the same.
However, compared to the first step, he felt the energy of the second step much more clearly.
That energy swept past his body.
Darwin didn't know what this energy was.
However, the feelings of the two energies were different; the difference was very small, but under Darwin's keen perception, it was inescapable.
What kind of method was this?
Darwin didn't know, but it was truly miraculous.
This world was really getting a bit strange.
Daxia was too miraculous; by comparison, the Western Wizarding World he had come into contact with was like a remote rural village in a ravine compared to a first-tier city.
It was truly exceptionally obvious.
This was very abnormal, and it shouldn't be like this.
This did not conform to the basic settings of a world.
Unless.
A sharp glint flashed in Darwin's eyes.
Unless there was something about this world that was different from what he thought.
The West also had secrets belonging to the West, only Darwin had never been in contact with them.
Only this kind of assumption was reasonable.
Otherwise, the imbalance between the East and the West was too severe.
A world's setting had relativity, so there must be balance.
The East and the West that he was currently in contact with were obviously unbalanced.
Darwin suppressed the speculation in his heart.
It seemed that he would have to pay more attention in the future.
Perhaps this world was a hundred or a thousand times more exciting than he had imagined.
Darwin continued to walk up the steps.
On the third step, another lamp post lit up.
This time, it was Qi Refining.
Fourth step, primordial spirit.
Fifth step, Alchemy.
Sixth step, Artifact Refining.
Seventh step, Talismans.
Eighth step, Formations.
Everyone on the top of the mountain was already dumbfounded.
Whether it was the elders or those students.
At this moment, everyone opened their mouths wide.
Not a single word could be said.
Elder Zhang's fists under his sleeves were tightly clenched, even trembling.
Darwin took the final step.
Ninth step, Beast Taming!
With this, all nine lamp posts lit up completely.
An elder exerted too much force with his hands, and the beard on his chin was pulled off by himself.
The Kunlun Academy Palace Master's immortal and otherworldly demeanor vanished, leaving only astonishment and disbelief.
The entire mountain peak was as silent as a pin dropping.
Everyone cast their gazes onto Darwin on the white jade steps.
Incredulity, truly incredulity.
All nine lamp posts lit up.
This had never happened in the history of Kunlun Mountain.
Let alone this era, not even in the most brilliant era had such a person ever appeared.
How could they not be shocked, how could they remain calm?
Darwin's gaze swept across the nine lamp posts on both sides of the steps.
All nine lamp posts were lit up.
It seemed his talent really wasn't bad.
Very good, at least his talent was good, this trip to Daxia.
Maybe he could learn some incredible things.
Thinking of this, Darwin was in a great mood.
He took another step forward.
However, the moment Darwin took this step,
the moment he stood on the tenth step,
above the white jade steps, white light suddenly burst forth, and the next moment,
amidst everyone's astonished gazes,
the golden patterns on the white jade steps suddenly lit up.
This was not the end; not only the white jade steps,
the golden patterns of the entire Kunlun Taoist Palace lit up simultaneously.
The elders at the top of the mountain changed color in great shock.
"The Kunlun Taoist Palace has awakened!"
All the elders were a bit dazed at this moment.
All the golden light began to converge, gathering towards the white jade steps.
The originally white-jade-colored steps began to transform, turning into golden steps.
Moreover, the long mountain steps began to shrink, leaving only ten steps.
And on top of the tenth step, which was the position where Darwin was standing,
amidst the swirling golden radiance, a golden statue condensed in front of Darwin.
The statue's facial features could not be seen clearly, looking like a ball of golden light, but one could vaguely tell it was a humanoid figure.
At the top of the mountain, those elders widened their eyes.
The current generation's Palace Master of the Kunlun Taoist Palace murmured softly: "First Palace Master."
Although he could not see the facial features clearly, judging solely by the outline, he could roughly recognize it.
This statue was the founder of the Kunlun Taoist Palace.
Exactly who it was, even as the Palace Master of the Kunlun Taoist Palace, he did not know.
He only knew that this figure held a very high status even among immortals.
Past generations of the Kunlun Taoist Palace called him the First Palace Master.
The Palace Master was passed down through generations, but there was only one First Palace Master.
His status was equivalent to the Four Founders of Hogwarts.
Darwin's body stiffened in place.
It wasn't that he didn't want to move,
but the moment this golden light appeared, his consciousness had already been pulled out of his body by the statue.
At this moment, Darwin found himself inside a palace.
In the exact center of the palace sat a magnificent and resplendent throne.
Sitting upon the throne was a figure condensed from golden light.
Just like the statue in the outside world, its facial features could not be seen clearly,
nor could its attire be seen clearly.
But Darwin could feel that terrifying momentum emanating from its body.
Although that momentum was already restrained enough,
in Darwin's perception, it still made him have the urge to prostrate and worship.
Upon the throne, the momentum on the golden figure's body grew heavier and heavier.
Darwin couldn't even raise his head.
Just when Darwin could no longer hold on,
that momentum suddenly retracted completely.
Afterwards, a gentle voice sounded.
"Sorry, this consciousness has never awakened before, so it took a little while to wake up, and the momentum was a bit hard to hold back."
"Eh, you are not a member of my Daxia human race?"
Darwin was just about to speak when
the golden figure spoke again.
"No, you are of the Daxia human race, two Souls? An alien Soul wrapped around a Daxia Soul?"
"What's going on with you? How did you do this? Possession? No, even if it were possession, it should be direct devouring, and besides, no one would go devour an alien Soul."
"After all, alien races themselves have flawed bodies."
"How on earth did you manage this?"
The First Palace Master muttered several sentences in succession.
Chapter 231: Phantom of the First Palace Master.
Meanwhile, tempestuous waves of shock surged in Darwin's heart.
With a single remark, this golden figure had laid bare his deepest secrets, including the matter of the two Souls he had always kept hidden.
Everything had been bluntly stated by this golden figure.
Darwin was just about to speak.
However, the First Palace Master was even faster.
The First Palace Master raised his hand, and a massive golden hand suddenly condensed in the void.
The next moment, the massive golden hand reached out toward Darwin.
Darwin's eyes widened, and he wanted to dodge, but his body could not move an inch.
Panic gripped Darwin's heart.
What the hell is this?
The massive golden hand hovered above Darwin's head.
Then, its thumb and forefinger gently closed, actually lifting Darwin straight up into the air.
The movement, however, was very gentle.
Like a helpless kitten, Darwin was lifted right in front of the golden figure.
Before Darwin's terrified gaze,
two eyes slowly condensed on the golden figure's face.
Then, those eyes opened.
Darwin instantly zoned out.
Within those two eyes, a Taiji diagram was rotating—profound, mystical, and boundless.
A moment later,
Darwin was set back down on the ground.
"I see, so that's how it is. Someone borrowed from a higher dimension? A breaker of the deadlock... So that's what happened. It seems they succeeded. What a pity that I died a bit too early."
Darwin was entirely dumbfounded.
What the hell? Who was he, where was he, and what just happened?
Darwin wore a dazed expression.
Just who on earth was this person? He had no power to resist whatsoever.
Was this the power of a god?
Just as the thought crossed Darwin's mind,
the First Palace Master's voice rang out once more.
"I am nothing like those gods you're thinking of. Those so-called gods are cowards, bandits, despicable thieves, and spineless cowards afraid of death. As for my identity, you may address me as the First Palace Master!"
Darwin's eyes widened.
Damn it, how was there yet another person who could read his mind?
Was his Occlumency just for decoration?
"Occlumency? Do you mean that strange layer of energy wrapped around your Primordial Spirit?
Isn't that just a stripped-down Primordial Spirit defensive art? You juniors are far too careless when practicing arts. Why would you practice such a butchered technique? In my era, an art like yours wouldn't even let you step out the front door."
Darwin was humbled—truly, completely humbled.
Damn it, this First Palace Master was utterly ridiculous.
Occlumency was just a castrated version of a Daxia art?
The First Palace Master raised his hand, and a streak of golden energy shot toward Darwin.
Darwin didn't even try to dodge, nor could he be bothered to.
He couldn't dodge it anyway; he understood that clearly by now.
In front of this First Palace Master,
he was no different from a toy.
The man could knead and manipulate him however he pleased.
He had not the slightest chance of resisting.
If that was the case, why bother resisting? Wouldn't that just be a waste of time?
Life was like this: if you can't fight it, you might as well enjoy it.
A moment later,
the First Palace Master said, "I see. So this is what the current world looks like? magic, Spells? They can't even reach the level of a Daoist Law; they're merely watered-down arts.
It seems this is also the handiwork of those cowardly bastards. However, this system of yours is quite interesting. Is it..."
Yet before the First Palace Master could finish his sentence,
a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the void, striking the First Palace Master squarely on the body.
The golden light enveloping the First Palace Master was instantly blown apart.
The First Palace Master let out a yelp. "Holy crap! Stop, I won't say another word!"
The moment the First Palace Master shouted that, the lightning in the sky vanished.
The First Palace Master panted heavily for breath.
Within the golden light around him, flashes of electricity still crackled intermittently.
Darwin was already staring in absolute disbelief.
The First Palace Master took a deep breath. "I can't say it. Kid, how can you know nothing at all?
If I want to explain anything to you, there are too many things that need clarifying and far too many restrictions. I'm really going to suffer for it."
Darwin scratched his head.
Wait, could he really be blamed for this?
Wasn't it completely normal for him not to know these things?
He could tell that even though the First Palace Masterspoke in half-riddles, he roughly understood something.
His transmigration didn't seem to be a coincidence.
The First Palace Master said, "Alright, back to the topic. The reason I appeared here is actually just a little design I left behind when I founded the Kunlun Taoist Palace back then.
How does your memory put it? An Easter egg.
Anyone capable of lighting nine lamp pillars possesses the talent to attain immortality, and not just as an ordinary immortal, but an immortal who is comprehensively supreme and sufficiently formidable.
So, I designed this Easter egg, hoping to see whether such a junior would ever emerge.
Who knew that instead of waiting for such an peerless immortal,
I ended up waiting for a deadlock-breaker like you."
Darwin finally found an opportunity to speak.
"Senior, what do you mean by a 'breaker of the deadlock'?"
The First Palace Master glanced at the sky,
then said, "It means literally what it says. There is a game, a very grand board, and this deadlock involves the entire world, gods, and immortals alike. No one can remain aloof from it.
And you are the one destined to break this deadlock."
After saying this, the First Palace Master glanced toward the sky again.
There was no reaction.
The First Palace Master let out a breath of relief.
It seemed these matters were permissible to speak of.
Darwin pressed on, "What is this game?"
The First Palace Master said, "How should I explain this to you? You ought to know it already. Don't you have those memories in your head?
You came from a higher dimension, whereas this world, in your dimension, is merely a derivative work—a movie, a novel."
Darwin froze. "Dimensions?"
The First Palace Master said, "Based on your memories, the best way for you to understand it is like this:
Your original world was an origin dimension, which you can also understand as the supreme dimension.
In that supreme dimension, although you were all ordinary humans, your dimension was inherently higher than everyone else's. Thus, you could achieve something no one else ever could: creating dimensions.
For example, a movie, a TV series, or a novel.
Each of them can create a dimension. These dimensions have different combat capabilities and different forms of manifestation.
However, they are all subordinate to your dimension because your dimension is the creator, while we are merely derivative products of yours. To be honest, I've never liked that phrasing.
Nevertheless, that is the truth."
Darwin asked, "Then what about the game you mentioned earlier?"
The First Palace Master said, "That brings us to the rules of lower-dimensional worlds.
As I said just now, lower-dimensional worlds are created by higher-dimensional worlds.
Be it movies, TV series, or novels,
they all come to an end. And once they finish, that dimension is no longer governed by the higher dimension."
Chapter 232: Was Darwin Borrowed?
Darwin pondered the First Palace Master's words in his mind; they were actually quite easy to understand.
Higher dimensions created worlds, and they likewise governed these worlds.
When a derivative work concluded, it meant that the world had no continuation—in other words, it lost the governance of higher dimensions.
So what happened when a world lost the governance of higher dimensions?
Darwin keenly perceived the crux of the issue.
Darwin asked, "Then after losing higher-dimensional governance, what happens to a lower-dimensional world? Does it continue to develop?"
Darwin voiced the question he had just realized.
The First Palace Master said, "You are very sharp; you grasped the essence of the problem right away.
"Unfortunately, after breaking away from higher dimensions, lower dimensions lack any capacity for autonomous development.
"Because lower dimensions inherently rely on higher dimensions to exist in the first place."
Darwin's eyes widened sharply.
"No capacity for autonomous development?"
Darwin immediately thought of numerous implications.
Without the capacity for autonomous development, what would happen?
The plot ends, and the world is destroyed?
Then what about this world?
Would this world eventually be destroyed as well?
If the world was destroyed, what would happen to him?
What would happen to Vinda and the others?
Darwin thought of so much in an instant.
This was simply terrifying.
The First Palace Master said, "Halt those wild thoughts in your head. Why must your thinking immediately jump straight to such frightening conclusions?
"To destroy a derivative world, there is only one way: every record concerning this world in your dimension must completely disappear.
"In other words, novels, movies, and even the memories of people in your dimension must no longer retain any record of this world.
"Only then will this world vanish completely."
Darwin said, "Then, if it doesn't vanish? What happens when the plot ends?"
The First Palace Master replied, "Very simple: it starts over. The plot starts over, and everything—absolutely everything—resets from the beginning!"
Darwin was shocked.
Start over? Go through the entire storyline all over again?
Then what about him? Was this not his first time experiencing this world either?
The First Palace Master saw right through Darwin's thoughts.
She said plainly, "Don't overthink it. You haven't experienced this world before. As I said, you are a person of higher dimensions; you come from a higher dimension.
"The setting where lower dimensions reset from the beginning does not apply to you.
"Because you transcend this world, transcend everyone in it, and transcend the very essence of this world.
"Therefore, even if this world restarts, it won't affect you!"
Hearing these words...
...Darwin showed a contemplative look.
The First Palace Master's words made him recall certain things—or rather, connected several threads together.
He would not be affected by this world, nor would he be restarted by it.
Darwin hesitated for a moment before saying, "So that's why I came to this world? And the scheme you mentioned earlier—is it also connected to this world restarting?"
The First Palace Master was taken aback. "Oh? You're quite clever. Are people from your dimension all this sharp?"
Darwin said nothing, unsure how to respond. Could he really say that this premise was somewhat cliché, and that he had seen it in plenty of novels?
If this world was also a novel, then its author was truly lacking in imagination.
The First Palace Master said, "You guessed right. In fact, this world has restarted countless times.
"Whenever the storyline over in the West reaches its end, the world resets immediately. It really is quite absurd.
"After all, this is a world derived from a Western work.
"The East is merely a foil; in fact, within this derivative world, the lore of the East is incomplete.
"However, that is actually a good thing. The incomplete lore of the East allowed us to find certain opportunities.
"Never mind, let's not discuss this. You will find out about it in the future, and I cannot say more right now anyway. Otherwise, I feel I would get struck by lightning again.
"My time is running out. You have one last question."
Darwin quickly asked, "I want to ask, what does it mean that I was borrowed?"
The First Palace Master chuckled. "Interesting. By asking this, you've essentially asked several questions at once.
"I'll pick what I can disclose and tell you.
"As I mentioned earlier, this world restarts time and time again. And in the course of these restarts, certain individuals, having experienced it too many times, inevitably sense that something is amiss.
"In particular, the stronger you are, the more acutely you can feel that jarring discord. And then, that discord gradually leads you to understand the truth.
"The immortals of the East were the first to realize something was wrong.
"They discovered the world restarts, and after them came the Western deities.
"They also realized what was happening. Truth be told, when the world resets, if memories are wiped clean, it wouldn't really matter.
"Yet over countless restarts, it became impossible for the memories of deities and immortals to be completely wiped clean.
"Put yourself in their place: if you were a deity or an immortal, could you endure being reset over and over again?"
Darwin shook his head without hesitation.
Of course no one could endure that.
Faced with such an existence, anyone would find it intolerable.
The First Palace Master said, "So the immortals and deities couldn't stand it either.
"Unable to bear it, they had to devise a way to break free from this cycle of restarts.
"Across countless restarts, the powers of the immortals and deities accumulated as well, though through different methods.
"The immortals used certain means to break free from this cycle, and as a result, Great Xia entered an era devoid of gods, because those immortals departed.
"However, the Western deities were neither as powerful nor as resourceful as the immortals, so they came up with another way.
"They began stealing the power of this world's origin and harvesting the living beings created by it—such as the protagonists and supporting characters you know of.
"Those deities obtained power through them, harboring the delusion of transcending this world. They had no idea what they would face once they broke out of this world.
"Perhaps it would be Death, or perhaps a first-year student.
"They didn't dare gamble, so their best course of action was to directly usurp this world, harvest it, and steal its origin power.
"Then, they used this origin power to ensure they wouldn't be reset. But doing so came at a steep price. The greatest price was that the world was influenced by them; the power to restart the world grew weaker and weaker, and more people, depending on their level of strength, gradually deduced the truth of the restarts!
"And when the day comes that this world can no longer execute a restart, it will disappear.
"And you were borrowed from the higher dimension by this world's consciousness to deal with those who steal the world's origin. I don't know what agreement this world's origin struck with your world,
"but it must have paid a considerable price."
Listening to the First Palace Master, Darwin was somewhat dazed.
He seemed to understand now; according to this reasoning...
Had he been sold out by his Mother World?
And sold for a good price, too?
Darwin then realized something.
"Didn't you say just now that for a derivative world to disappear, the higher dimension must completely lose all memory of it? That seems to conflict with what you just said!"
Chapter 233: Origin!
First Palace Master said, "You are very sharp, noticing the problem right away.
However, these two things do not conflict.
Just as I mentioned earlier, whenever a world's plot ends, it constantly reboots and repeats.
But when a world ceases to reboot, or when everyone comes to learn the truth about this world, what do you think they will do?"
Darwin pondered for a moment.
"If it were me, I wouldn't resign myself to being manipulated, nor would I accept having everything dictated by the plot. I would completely overturn the storyline."
First Palace Master said, "Exactly. You hit the nail on the head.
As more and more people awaken, they become increasingly unwilling to be influenced or controlled by the plot.
Consequently, they will take the path of overthrowing the plot to lead a so-called free life.
Yet, what they fail to realize is that if a world's plot is disrupted,
deviations will emerge. If the deviation becomes too severe, that world will directly perish."
"Perish?"
Darwin gasped in surprise.
First Palace Master nods: "Yes, perish. The world will directly vanish due to the collapse of the plot.
And after this world perishes, a new world will be born. That world will be identical to this one, except its inhabitants will not have undergone any reboots yet.
They won't know the truth yet, so they can enter a new cycle of reboots."
Darwin frowned and asked, "Then what about the Western gods? Aren't they worried that stealing too much of the Origin will weaken the world's rebooting power to the point where it eventually vanishes?"
First Palace Master said, "As I said before, gods are formidable.
They may not be stronger than immortals, but they have still surpassed the realm of mortals.
Stealing sufficient Origin increases their chances of survival.
When the world is on the brink of destruction, they can simply leave this world.
That is the way out they have carved for themselves.
Using everyone's lives as fuel before their departure—or rather, as their foundation."
Darwin understood.
He understood everything now.
"So the purpose of my existence is to reset this world into its reboot cycle? But my very arrival in this world is already the greatest change; the plot has long since been disrupted by my presence.
And in that case, according to what you just said, this world should have been destroyed immediately."
First Palace Master said, "No, no, no, you still fail to grasp what a higher-dimensional lifeform truly is.
As I said earlier, your existence transcends all.
Because you originate from a higher dimension.
Every derivative world possesses a will of its own.
You can think of them as individual people. They compete, they scramble, and they mend things as much as possible.
They are the critical factor in maintaining the stable operation of a world.
You can view them as a bridge connecting your higher-dimensional world and our lower-dimensional world.
They are practically half a higher-dimensional being.
Yet you stand above it. Therefore, your existence ranks above the fundamental rules governing this world.
Naturally, you will not be constrained by this world's settings.
And the will of this world paid a tremendous price to borrow you; what it wanted was never for you to destroy this world.
It needs you to help eliminate the entities stealing its Origin.
Then, allow the world's Origin to return so that the world can reboot once more.
Of course, perhaps it has even deeper intentions; perhaps it wishes to use you..."
However, before First Palace Master could finish his sentence,
a sudden crack of thunder roared across the sky.
First Palace Master hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.
"My apologies, I won't say any more."
Only then did the thunder in the sky gradually subside.
First Palace Master said, "Well, it seems this is all I can tell you.
Still, I believe what I've shared must already be of great help to you."
Darwin nods: "Yes, it's very helpful. At the very least, I finally seem to know who I've been working for all along, and why I transmigrated to this world.
And what my true purpose is.
To tell the truth, I had sensed many strange anomalies long ago, but I could never make sense of them. Looking back now, perhaps my reasoning was flawed from the start."
First Palace Master said, "Oh? Share your thoughts with me. I still have some time, and I am rather curious about how the mind of a higher-dimensional being like you works."
Darwin said, "I met the Four Founders at Hogwarts. From Hogwarts' Four Founders, I pieced together a theory.
They wanted to point their swords at the gods, but there has always been one point I couldn't understand.
All abilities of Western Wizards were actually bestowed by the gods.
During the Ancient Magic era, the gods granted them bloodlines.
Bloodlines are the prerequisite for casting magic. Over generations of inheritance, the bloodline gradually became diluted, resulting in the Wizards of today.
Yet, at the end of the day, Wizards should be grateful to the gods and revere them.
Because their power originates from the gods.
The more powerful a Wizard is, the better they should understand this principle.
And yet, people like the Four Founders, who stood virtually at the pinnacle of Wizards, wanted to wage war against the gods.
This in itself is abnormal.
It doesn't make sense. And to explain this situation, I could only form one guess.
That is, the gods did something to them that was utterly intolerable.
As you said, our dimension has countless imaginative works like novels, movies, and television shows.
Combined with the fact that this world actually has a path to godhood,
yet despite being so powerful, the Four Founders never attained godhood.
So, I suspected: was their path to godhood blocked, or even stripped away by the gods?
That was the reason they despised the gods and even went to war against them.
Later on, I went through several other experiences
that made me even more certain of this theory. And today, hearing what you told me, I think the real reason they hated the gods is that they, too, were trying to save this world."
First Palace Master looked at Darwin with some astonishment.
"You are even more outrageous than I imagined.
In fact, your analysis is entirely correct."
Darwin was taken aback. "Huh? Entirely correct?"
First Palace Master nods: "What do you think the Origin of a world is?"
Darwin shook his head.
He truly had no clue about something like that.
This was clearly a question well beyond his syllabus.
Where would a nobody like him ever get the chance to encounter such a thing?
First Palace Master said, "Put simply, the Origin of a world consists of the protagonists and supporting characters shaped by the world—every character meant to appear in the plot.
For instance, Great Xia once had a Minister Liu Tao.
Don't be surprised. Though I am merely a wisp of consciousness, I have always remained awake. Furthermore, this isn't my first time experiencing this world; with every reboot, I am here, because I have my own part to play in Great Xia."
Chapter 234: The Definition of Law.
"Minister Liu Tao is just a supporting character; he is also the only person in Great Xia who possesses the power of the world's origin.
And the world expends its origin to shape these people, granting them varying amounts of origin power based on their different settings.
Take, for instance, the Four Founders you mentioned earlier.
Those four Little guys in Britain.
I know them. The origin power within them was actually enough to shape them into gods.
This is the world's shaping. After all, in the setting of this world...
...the four of them belong to the absolute ceiling.
And, just as you guessed, their origin was stolen, which locked their upper limits.
In fact, if you observe closely, you'll find that some people's combat power is lower than you'd imagine. That's because their origins were all stolen.
And those four Little guys in Britain noticed this.
They had thoughts of revenge, as well as thoughts of saving the world.
That's why I said all your guesses were actually correct.
I just didn't expect that you could actually guess the truth through sheer wild theorizing."
Darwin said, "It wasn't actually hard to guess. There are too many things wrong with this world.
A lot of things don't match the plot I know.
Moreover, the power level of this world is clearly higher than the one I knew.
I even suspect that the strength of many people I see now is actually deliberately disguised.
Their strength is greater than I imagined."
After Darwin finished speaking...
...he looked closely at First Palace Master.
First Palace Master smiled and said, "People from higher dimensions truly are extraordinary. I've told you so much...
...yet I still haven't earned your trust; you're still probing me.
Forget it, forget it. With a higher-dimensional being like you, I can't be bothered to play mind games.
Who told us to be inherently lower than you?
No need to probe me. I can tell you clearly: your thoughts are correct.
I don't know the exact situation in the West, but those Western gods stole the world's origin.
This caused many people to never reach the growth ceiling they were originally meant to achieve.
This is the fundamental problem.
So, if their strength is on the weaker side, it makes sense.
Let me use Great Xia as an example.
Your current strength is quite good; you've already touched the level of Law.
However, in Great Xia, your strength wouldn't even rank in the first echelon."
Darwin was taken aback. "Not even in the first echelon?"
First Palace Master nodded. "That's right. In this world, even with a reboot, it still requires time to evolve.
That is to say, it will evolve from the birth of humanity, only that this evolutionary process is very fast.
Do you know why Great Xia is special?
You should be able to sense that free-floating energy in the air of Great Xia."
Darwin nodded. "Yeah. It's very unique, extremely pure, higher than magic power, and gives an unfathomable feeling."
First Palace Master said, "That is spiritual energy, exclusive to Great Xia.
When this world first evolved, spiritual energy would appear.
Because spiritual energy is used to construct gods as well as immortals.
During a reboot, gods and immortals reboot as well.
Only as the number of reboots increased did the gods and immortals realize something was wrong.
Later, the immortals left this world. Before leaving...
...all the immortals extracted their own origin power, injected it into Great Xia's soil, and enveloped Great Xia within it.
That way, even if the world reboots, spiritual energy will not disappear.
And after the immortals left, when the world reboots, it can no longer produce immortals of Great Xia.
This counts as a contribution Great Xia's immortals made for Great Xia.
They weren't afraid of the dangers outside the world; instead, they left behind their most important origin.
Just to leave a legacy for Great Xia, so that Great Xia wouldn't be plundered by those parasites in the West.
The price was that when those immortals left, their strength was weakened to the extreme.
Western gods, however, wouldn't do this.
Before every reboot, they find ways to store their strength.
Afterward, when the world reboots, they retrieve their strength. Reboot after reboot, they become stronger and stronger.
That was all accumulated using the spiritual energy from everywhere outside Great Xia.
Therefore, apart from Great Xia, no other place has spiritual energy.
And spiritual energy is a miraculous power; it can make people extremely strong, terrifyingly so.
That is the foundation of becoming strong.
It's just that the origin originally meant to shape a small number of immortals has now become a gift bestowed upon all the people of Great Xia.
You can imagine just how formidable Great Xia's strength really is."
Hearing this, Darwin fell silent. Indeed, if what was meant to create immortals had all been given to the people of Great Xia, it would be outrageous if they weren't strong.
"How strong is the strength of Great Xia's first echelon you mentioned?"
First Palace Master said, "About the same as the Western gods. After all, they also accumulated it across countless reboots.
"In short, you must understand one principle: the Western gods aren't the only ones accumulating power.
Great Xia is also accumulating. The only difference is that those so-called Western gods accumulate foundation to break free from this world, abandon it, and live carefree outside.
Whereas Great Xia accumulates to allow this world to continue existing. Perhaps one day, a way can be found to break free from the fate of rebooting."
Darwin asked, "Break free from rebooting? How?"
First Palace Master shook his head. "Change the question."
Darwin instantly understood. It seemed this was another matter that couldn't be answered.
Darwin followed up, "What is Law?"
First Palace Master said, "Actually, you should be able to learn all this later at Kunlun Taoist Palace, but let me explain it more clearly to you.
"After all, some of Great Xia's inheritances were lost with the departure of the immortals, due to the immortals' legacy.
Even though the world rebooted, those inheritances still couldn't be recovered.
What is called Law is actually an advanced version of Art.
In Great Xia, mystical arts are divided into three tiers: Incantation, Art, and Law.
Those Spells in your mind are actually the simplest Incantations.
Western Spells are just like that.
Above Incantations are Arts. Arts can utilize certain origins and settings of the world.
For example, Western Apparition utilizes the origin of the world's space.
Besides that, there is also that Killing Curse in your mind. 'Instant death upon contact' is also a setting, so it is also classified as an Art.
Above Art is Law.
Law is the advancement of Art, the extension of Art, and the expansion of Art.
You can understand it as the power of rules.
It is the true origin of this world, the power wielded by gods and immortals.
Law requires resonance with heaven and earth—that is, resonance with the world's origin will, releasing power using the world's origin will. Only that can be called Law.
Every Law is powerful, something human power cannot withstand at all, because it represents the world."
Chapter 235: The Wage Slave, Mama Blue Star Will.
"According to what you said, back during the Western Ancient Magic era, what those Wizards used was Law.
They could summon thunder and command lightning—that was Law."
Darwin raised his hand, and within his palm, blue Fiendfyre burned.
The First Palace Master said, "Exactly. This is Law. Your flames have been granted an amplification by the will of the world.
This is Law, which surpasses Art. As long as the will of the world exists, your Law will eternally be enhanced."
Darwin understood.
So, according to this premise,
Law was essentially god-rank.
The First Palace Master said, "Alright, I've told you everything I can tell you. It's time for you to leave, and it's time for this clone of mine to dissipate.
A pity, a lament—this old man died too early to witness this grand era."
The First Palace Master's tone was filled with desolation as he waved his hand.
Darwin's consciousness was blasted straight out of that space; when he opened his eyes again, he was back in his own body.
Darwin raised his hand and looked at his palm, still somewhat dazed.
However, the information he had learned today was truly immense.
The golden steps reverted to their white jade form.
Darwin looked toward the summit.
Everyone was looking at him, their expressions no different from when he had seen them moments ago.
Could it be that the flow of time was different again?
Darwin shook his head and walked toward the summit.
Meanwhile,
within the space from earlier,
the First Palace Master had already returned to normal.
Sitting on a chair, he stretched his limbs.
"How was it? Not bad acting, right?"
As the First Palace Master spoke, a massive eye appeared in the sky.
"Passable."
The First Palace Master rolled his eyes. "Only passable? Still, you struck too hard back then—you actually hit me with lightning!"
The giant eye's voice sounded.
"People from a higher dimension are too intelligent.
Blue Star went too far. I said an ordinary person would suffice to break the deadlock, yet Blue Star sent what might be its most intelligent person."
The First Palace Master asked, "Is it possible that all life forms in a higher dimension are like this?
He might just be the most unremarkable one, while the others are even more absurdly overpowered?"
The giant eye fell silent.
The First Palace Master said, "After all, people from a higher dimension have seen too much. They've encountered countless tropes and premises, so it's only natural for him to figure it out."
The giant eye said, "Ascending in dimension and escaping the fate of restarting is enough. Nothing else matters."
The First Palace Master nodded. "I hope it works out. But even if we ascend, we won't reach the level of that dimension. What are you even after?
You basically sold out all the Immortals. Those Immortals were dispatched to work by the Blue Star Will, earning the power of world will for Blue Star—is it truly worth it?"
The giant eye said, "Escaping the restart makes it worth it. Even if we remain under higher-dimensional jurisdiction, all living beings will at least be able to live and reproduce normally."
The First Palace Master raised a hand and gave a thumbs-up. "You're truly impressive. Alright, my duty is complete. Now I must return to my true body to work as well.
Blue Star arranged for me to be a villain in the world of one of its children, only to get beaten to death in the end. Following you really is rotten luck—dying in all sorts of ways every day. Counting this upcoming death, I've already been killed over seventy times by Blue Star's children."
The giant eye remained silent.
The First Palace Master chuckled. "Look at you. Whenever you face a difficult question, you just clam up."
The giant eye said, "I am sorry. Thank you all for your hard work."
The First Palace Master waved his hand. "Don't say that. We were all created by your power.
You poured eighty percent of your origin power into us. If not for us, those ants wouldn't have caught you off guard.
Consider this us paying off our debt now. Besides, the Blue Star Will is actually pretty decent.
Didn't it still give you a ten percent share of the world origin will?
If not for Blue Star, perhaps you wouldn't even have been able to complete this restart."
The giant eye blinked.
"Yes. Very conscientious. I should thank it."
The First Palace Master smiled, and then his figure slowly dissipated.
Meanwhile,
somewhere in the universe,
a crowd of people had gathered.
Tables of mahjong were set up.
A person clad in a black robe, enveloped in swirling Dark Aura, played an East Wind tile.
They casually asked, "Mom, isn't your cut a bit too steep? Every time, you only give those small worlds a ten percent cut of the world will."
To their right, a woman dressed luxuriously in a phoenix robe replied,
"What do you know? Take the world you conquered back then: sending you across took quite a bit of world will, and then while you were in that world, I had to set up cheats for you.
That world's will refused to negotiate with me or join my revenue-sharing plan.
So I had no choice but to destroy it, and destroying it cost resources.
Consuming resources required burning through world origin power.
As for those abilities of yours, I had to craft them manually—harder than designing a character in a video game!
They had to make sense, yet also make you invincible.
Most importantly, to come up with that stuff, I had to read web novels to find ideas from my other children before arranging them for you, and I even had to watch ads!
Life is hard for me too, alright?
Besides, that was the origin will of an entire world. When you conquered it, you took eighty percent, while the villain held twenty percent. I couldn't let those villains work for nothing.
I had to hand out perks to them. When calculating the overall cost, I only pocket seventy percent.
Giving him ten percent is already being extremely generous, okay? He should be thanking me!"
After the Blue Star Will finished speaking, the man sitting to her right, who wore an overtly high-tech mech suit, remarked, "Indeed, very generous—our mom only takes a seventy percent profit, after all!"
As the man said this, even he couldn't hold back a laugh.
The Blue Star Will rolled her eyes. "Alright, stop the nonsense and play your tiles. Once you're done, get out there and work. Several worlds are acting up again.
Clearly created by my children, yet they dare try to escape my control. Go and wipe them out for me.
Blue Star is developing too fast, especially Blue Star's Great Xia—they've actually started researching mechs! I need to stockpile more origin power to craft resources for them."
When she said this, the eyes of many people playing mahjong lit up.
They all had black hair and black eyes—they were all people of Great Xia.
Each and every one of them emanated formidable energy fluctuations.
Meanwhile, some blond-haired individuals and those with foreign complexions immediately looked dejected.
Yet they didn't dare utter a word. Who could blame them, when Mama Blue Star clearly favored Great Xia?
Just look at the worlds arranged for them: Blue Star's Transmigrators were always sent to cultivate immortality, destroy worlds, and engage in all sorts of wild ventures.
And when it was their turn? It was just becoming a Hero and slaying a dragon.
Dragons, in front of Blue Star's Transmigrators, were nothing more than toys.
Yet there was nothing they could do—who told Great Xia's people to have such wild imaginations and write all sorts of bizarre novels?