Chapter 277: I think, therefore I am (Two in One)

The mirror clone, an emotionless learning machine, perpetually absorbed new information, lost in an ocean of knowledge. Hu Ren Nung's knowledge was ultimately insufficient, so he relied on the mirror clone, which was currently studying the civilizations of several worlds, to provide the necessary information to compensate for his deficiencies and pave the way for the Immortal Dynasty.

No sooner had the immediate issue been resolved than a new problem arose right outside the door. Meng Mei, ever the sycophant, had actually brought Medusa to seek out her apprentice. As a result, they had walked right into a trap, with Medusa now fixated on his mirror clone...

Events suddenly took an unforeseen turn. At that moment, the entire capital erupted in an uproar, plunging into a fervor.

"Impossible!" Xu Jueqian spat a mouthful of blood, his face a mask of horror. He stumbled to his feet, bewildered. How could a Confucian scholar, one who cultivated incense power, be so terrifying?

His teacher, Duan Qianyu, a Land Immortal, had once said: In the Ancient Western Era, gods and humans coexisted, absorbing powerful beings as incense offerings, which was pure and orthodox. Today, however, one could only absorb the common populace, which was weak and impure. The higher one's cultivation, the faster one would die.

Yet now, a single shout from the white-haired Great Confucian before him had instantly caused his mind to scatter, severely impacting his cultivation. Hu Ren Nung paid him no mind, his voice booming across the entire capital: "Gather the incense of all living mortals to become a god; this is the Divine Path. The Divine Path is formed through incense... As long as the incense continues, the Divine Path will not perish, and one can attain eternal life."

The entire city was a hive of activity.

"Young man, I feel a kinship with you; might we become acquainted?" Amidst this historic moment, Medusa suddenly moved through the bustling crowd and slowly called out to the mirror clone. In the throng, anyone approached by a beautiful woman with a pleasant voice would pause, but the clone paid no heed. The clone's body stiffened, and it was instantly immobilized.

Medusa approached with a smile, a playful expression on her face, and leaned over from behind to observe the young man's features. So ordinary... Could this young man truly possess such immense magical power? Who exactly was he? What kind of being? Where did he come from? "This seems quite interesting," Medusa mused, her heart filled with curiosity. She found every aspect of this new world intriguing. After immobilizing the studying scholar, she was in no hurry, continuing to smile within the crowd, blending in as one of the common people, watching the white-haired elder from a higher vantage point.

The sight before her was what truly mattered. For her, this was a magnificent and precious journey in another world.

"I've witnessed scenes like this many times," she said with a smile, her voice carrying to the little white fox Hu Haihan and the two beautiful young sorceresses nearby. "This moment, right now, might well become an eternal legend in the future. Such is the allure of time, which covers all things in dust; only longevity and immortality can lead to eternity."

Meng Mei's breath hitched. It was only then that she fully grasped Medusa's continued presence! If Medusa intended to invade this world, the optimal course of action would be to instantly eliminate Hu Ren Nung. Otherwise, once Hu Ren Nung's Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty was established, the Barren Ancient World's power would undoubtedly surge! If she were in Medusa's position, she would certainly unleash a sudden, thunderous strike to kill Hu Ren Nung. How much more so for this ruthless Death Sovereign Emperor? "This is bad!"

Her face turned ashen, and she abruptly spun to face Medusa. Medusa was already smiling at her, her gaze as gentle as water.

"What a magnificent era this truly is," Medusa remarked. She didn't move, merely turned her head back to observe the old man, who was expounding on the Divine Path from his elevated position. "I respect this elder; his back is unbowed. A strong person should possess dignity and command respect."

She seemed to let things unfold. *Whoosh!*

"The Great Confucian is expounding on the Confucian Way!"

"The imperial court is saved!" The capital buzzed with excitement, its streets emptied as everyone gathered. Even the Great Zhou Emperor arrived upon hearing the news, further intensifying the fervor as Hu Ren Nung continued his discourse. At this juncture, a disciple posed a question.

"If the Divine Path is indestructible and grants eternal life, then what precisely is this 'eternal life'?" Old Man Hu Ren Nung spoke softly, yet his voice resonated like a sudden clap of thunder: "As long as living beings do not forget me, think of me, offer me incense, and worship me in my divine position, I shall return from death."

All living beings were astonished. Immortal? In this world, who could ever claim to have attained eternal life? Even the Heavenly Emperors of yesteryear had turned to dust, their heroic journeys concluded. The Twelve Ancestor Shamans entered the Great Luo Heaven to evade the Five Declines of Heavenly Beings. Never in their lives had they conceived that the Confucian path of incense could reach such a pinnacle, transforming from the incense civilization of the Western Era, which absorbed worship from myriad gods, into the ultimate path it was today—the Incense-to-God Path.

To establish a true Golden Age of the Immortal Court, where the entire nation, as an Immortal Dynasty, would ascend.

"May I ask for the true meaning of this method..." A Confucian scholar posed the question, and countless Confucian masters held their breath. All the literati from the Great Zhou Dynasty, aspirants of the imperial examinations, clasped their fists, trembling with barely concealed excitement.

Hu Ren Nung smiled, saying, "I think, therefore I am!" The heavens and earth trembled violently, as if struck by a bolt of lightning from a clear sky!

Within the Nine Heavens, the earth quaked and mountains swayed. Immortal palaces and edifices continuously shook, shedding rubble and teetering precariously, as if the entire order and framework of the Heavenly Dao were undergoing rapid revision.

"Heaven and earth are in turmoil; the Heavenly Dao is responding and changing accordingly!"

Countless ancient beings from the Western Era slowly emerged, including venerable ancient Heavenly Emperors, all gazing at the blue sky and crimson sun at the center. "Something earth-shattering, capable of altering the very fabric of heaven and earth, must be unfolding!" "Such a drastic change—we do not know if it portends good or ill." A group of ancient entities murmured coolly among themselves: "Go forth and seek the Heavenly Dao!"

"I think, therefore I am..." Medusa's eyes flickered with disbelief, and she praised, "A path of idealism and self-reliance—this is an unprecedented way." She pondered for a moment, then smiled, looking at the scholar holding a blank heavenly book. "Let's go. We originally came here to converse with this Great Zhou Confucian Sage, but it seems he is occupied; it's not the right time." The little fox seemed somewhat reluctant, finding the events incredibly fascinating and not to be missed.

"This is history; we travelers are merely here to bear witness," Medusa gently told the fox, then looked toward Meng Mei. "If you live long enough, you won't be so easily stirred." Meng Mei offered a strained laugh.

Half a day later, the group resumed their journey, as if they were truly nothing more than fleeting travelers passing through the capital's world-shaking event that ushered in the Golden Age of the Immortal Court. However, the sisters Aili and Miqi were left behind in the capital to assist Hu Ren Nung in firmly establishing the Great Zhou's foundation. While this was happening, Meng Mei kept glancing uneasily at Medusa, who merely offered a gentle smile and paid no attention.

"We witnessed history."

Inside a carriage traveling away from the capital, pleasant chatter filled the air. Meng Mei and her apprentice discussed the recently unveiled Divine Path, perhaps signifying the imminent birth of an Immortal Dynasty. Within the carriage, Medusa's eyes continuously observed the scholar, who remained engrossed in his reading. Having brought him along on her journey, she now seemed to understand his demeanor: he was utterly devoted to learning, and would only respond if one engaged him in discussions about knowledge; otherwise, he would ignore you entirely. "Sister Mo Qiuli... what are you doing?" Hu Haihan suddenly exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Mo Qiuli... A group of individuals had previously feminized Mercury into the Goddess of Wisdom, and now Medusa had even directly changed her name to Mo Qiuli... How exactly did the God of Wisdom manage to provoke all of you?!

The Medusa they saw now was gentle and kind, like an older sister, treating them with tender care as if they were her younger siblings—a stark contrast to her former appearance as the formidable Death Emperor. "I'm conducting an experiment," Medusa said softly, gently stroking the girl's head. She then took some skin flakes from the young man, continuously researching them, and brought out an alchemy table, complete with various bottles of potions and reagents. "What kind of experiment?" the little fox asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Human experimentation. Would you like to learn? I can teach you." Meng Mei's face instantly darkened. She quickly told her apprentice not to ask too many questions! She knew from personal experience that the more one asked, the faster one died. Back when she was the Jianmu, she couldn't move for centuries. In the quiet of deep night, she would confide her thoughts to the tiny green bug crawling on her. Once she felt relieved after speaking, she would then crush the little bug to death, her reason, of course, being: "You know too much!"

And now, they might be those very bugs... She hadn't even made a move on Hu Ren Nung earlier... There must be a conspiracy!

Meng Mei felt a headache. She tried to strike up a conversation with the scholar next to her, but her face instantly darkened again: He was a complete "steel straight man." Surrounded by a carriage full of unparalleled beauties, he only knew how to read? She, the Azure Vine Earth Mother—a peerless beauty of grace and wisdom, a mentor of the Heavenly Dao, the mightiest being who opened up heaven and earth!—along with a stunningly beautiful fox maiden and the terrifying Death Emperor Medusa, yet he remained utterly unmoved!

"He is truly not a living being," Medusa concluded. She continued to examine the young man's microscopic skin flakes. "He resembles a fundamental rule of heaven and earth, perhaps even a natural phenomenon like a mirage, a hurricane, or a tide—or perhaps the projection of some life form. Could he be akin to a Cthulhuian entity?" "Cthulhuian entities are born from the malevolent thoughts of all beings, indescribable, unwatchable, unspeakable. Yet this young man has no ego, only pure intellect, as if he is a learning creature that accumulates infinite knowledge, constantly studying. Is he a phenomenal being called 'Truth-Knowledge'?"

A day passed. As evening drew near, they stopped the carriage and found an inn for rest. Meng Mei spoke up again, "This foolish scholar! All he does, all day long, is read. He reads everywhere he goes, oblivious to the outside world, solely devoted to the texts of sages. If left unsupervised, he'll probably wander off. Let him sleep with us tonight; after all... he poses absolutely no threat!" She brazenly labeled him as a "great man," implying he was so unmasculine that sharing a bed with him would be harmless.

"No need," Medusa said with a smile. "I'll share a room with him. I'll watch over him to ensure he doesn't escape." She took the young scholar's hand and ascended the stairs, as if he were already her personal property.

Meng Mei's face froze. A man and a woman, alone in a room... "Oh my god, this is scandalous! She just saw him in the crowd, never forgot his face, and then immediately dragged him back to a room for the night..." Meng Mei quickly ushered the other girls back to their room, where she instantly lay down to sleep and quickly posted online: "Shocking! Medusa holds a scholar's hand, shares a room—the downfall of morality!"

"From this reporter, Meng Mei, now evolved into a dragon, tracking and investigating Emperor Medusa, who has invaded the Barren Ancient World: Today, Emperor Medusa singled out a scholar from the crowd and brought him back to the mortal realm late into the night...." "Pictures included for proof!"

The post quickly ignited a significant uproar. Inside the quaint, elegant, and ancient-style room, Medusa smiled. "Are you... Truth?" The young man continued to read. "Indeed, a being formed by some fundamental rule of heaven and earth, symbolizing truth and knowledge..." Medusa's eyes shone brightly. "This might be my greatest acquisition since coming to this land—to have found a pioneer relentlessly pursuing truth and knowledge, perhaps even truth itself... My path has always been solitary, but perhaps now I have companionship."

She stayed awake all night, as if she had discovered a priceless treasure. Under the lamplight, she sat at the table, picked up a pen and ink, and began to study alongside the young man, continuously discussing, researching, and debating. Her eyes gradually brightened. "With Truth as a companion, my path might no longer be solitary." She wielded her pen and ink, writing on the paper.

She had spent over two millennia living this way alone, but now, perhaps, a change was coming. A man and a woman, burning the midnight oil, reading by candlelight. Their interaction was pure, much like classmates cramming for a college entrance exam, tutoring each other.

Xu Zhi:

He felt a phantom ache in his teeth. "That's *my* learning tool, not *yours*! Are you treating him like your study partner?" Medusa, meanwhile, acted as if she had taken ownership of him, continuously learning, posing questions, and engaging in shared discussions, showing a strong tendency towards mutual advancement.

"Could you tell me about the Divine Path that Hu Ren Nung deduced?" Medusa asked earnestly. "You collaborated with him on its derivation, and while you provided him with knowledge, you must certainly know the entire process, having it recorded in your vast and knowledgeable mind." "You need to solve problems for me," the young man replied, still treating her as he had Hu Ren Nung, ignoring her equally and continuing to read in silence.

"I prefer equivalent exchange; that is the truth of a witch," Medusa stated. She merely smiled, propping her chin on her hands at the table, watching the reading scholar with keen interest, awaiting his questions. After a significant pause, the scholar spoke woodenly, "This Dao method is too difficult; I don't understand it."

"Let me see..." Medusa said, seating herself at the nearby table and adopting a serious demeanor. "Teach me the foundational knowledge of this system." After a while, Medusa unraveled the puzzle. She stood up and explained, guiding him with her hands from behind, "This problem is approached like this; you need to be more flexible in your thinking. There are three ways to solve it." As the most ancient and knowledgeable being, the primordial demon god Medusa—whose breadth of knowledge could only be rivaled by Di Qi, who constantly absorbed information—she could effortlessly answer numerous questions, grasping concepts instantly.

"That's how it works. Did you understand? If not, I can explain it again." Medusa patiently elaborated, and the scholar listened intently beside her. After solving a problem, she slumped onto the adjacent table, her eyes gradually glazing over. "I need to sleep now. You can study for a while on your own... Never mind, you probably won't understand anyway."

The scholar continued to study. Indeed... While the strong typically required no sleep, Medusa was an exception.

A millennium had passed, and she had once again refined the Longevity Bloodline. Now, she slept eighteen hours out of every twenty-four, meaning she was only conscious for six hours a day. However, even though she had contained the characteristics of her Cthulhuian entity body, any hostile action during her sleep would instantly trigger her unspeakable terror!

This would unleash a horrific, widespread catastrophe! She was unwatchable, unspeakable, and her voice unhearable! Even as the sleeping Medusa, any creature that glimpsed the beautiful girl's sleeping form would instantly perish, overwhelmed by awe!

Meng Mei was no fool; she had known for a long time that Medusa possessed both the Creator God's immortal blood and the characteristics of a Cthulhuian entity. Seeing her asleep, she dared not disturb her, knowing full well it would trigger Medusa's Cthulhuian instincts.