Chapter 592: Evolution of All Things (Combined)

“This is the path leading directly to the ultimate.”

Draped in a kasaya, the rabbit motioned to the players below to distribute elixirs everywhere, slowly twirling the prayer beads in its hand, and occasionally tapping the wooden fish beside it. “Today,” it announced, “whoever joins our order will be taught without discrimination!”

Its voice deepened.

“Hair,” it declared, “sucks the nutrients from our brains.”

It stood up.

“Hair is a hateful parasite rooted in our heads.”

Boom!

It took a forceful step forward, its voice resonating.

“Hair causes our brains to atrophy.”

“It constantly saps our wisdom, casting us into a sea of suffering, preventing clear thought, and burdening us with three thousand threads of vexation.”

It slowly spread its arms.

“Today, by shedding your hair, you and I shall all be fellow disciples!”

“The iron fist of materialism will ultimately scatter the ancient beings of the dark forbidden zone!”

“Eliminate delusion, superstition, and fear; use a rational mind to illuminate the future with the light of wisdom!”

It was draped in a kasaya.

At that moment, its head glowed with endless golden, glazed light.

Dazzling and majestic, it appeared as if an ancient divine being had descended from a temple or church, arriving cloaked in eternal, vast divine radiance.

The crowd below fell silent; even the celestials were moved. They hastily used the distributed genetic elixirs, feeling a stimulating ray spread throughout their bodies.

With a gentle swipe, their hair fell out in handfuls.

A light scratch revealed smooth, white, perfectly round scalps, with no trace of hair follicles. The process was entirely painless and natural.

Sitting cross-legged, they felt their bodies enveloped by countless waves of warmth mixed with heat, bathed in divine light. Their throats dry, they clasped their hands, closed their eyes, and wore expressions of compassion.

“We have traced back mythological history... and embarked on the ancient immortals' path of investigating things to understand their principles!”

History.

Distant history always evokes longing.

The glory of past millennia compels people to seek it.

But what exactly is history?

“So-called history,” Xu Zhi mused faintly, speaking with a smile, “is a group of jubilant people, cheering together, who at the time thought they were just doing something trivial... laughing heartily, happy, even finding it quite amusing.”

He watched the bald rabbit in kasaya preaching before him, and the enthusiastic individuals below distributing elixirs, leading everyone in cultivation.

These players were proud to popularize their new sect.

They were also pleased and self-satisfied to popularize and revive the glory of their ancient Chinese ancestors.

After all, in their eyes, their ancestors had indeed once been on this land! And an unknown ancient glory and war had erupted here, giving them a special sense of connection to their homeland.

Naturally, they were keen to explore this history.

Xu Zhi murmured, “Many times, when history actually unfolds, it's neither sacred nor solemn. It's as haphazard and playful as these guys are now... But history will sing praises and deify them.”

“They,” he concluded, “are the distant myths.”

Celestial Year 470.

The Buddhist cultivation system expanded; everyone practiced Buddhism, planted Bodhi trees, and purified their six senses.

At this moment, history moved from its wild and primitive state onto the right track, truly embarking on the ancient path of cultivation and reviving ancient methods.

They had once quickly achieved glory on the “talent” fast track, but because of talent, they had neglected to develop fundamental cultivation systems. Now, they were beginning to lay solid foundations once more.

Celestial Year 473.

The expansion of Buddhism was unstoppable!

Various mortal dynasties discovered its power, which could ward off the ominous threats from the forbidden zones.

Buddhism offered salvation to all beings; even many ordinary mortals, previously unable to cultivate, embarked on the path of cultivation.

The Buddhist cultivation lineage emphasized innate nature, wisdom roots, and enlightenment. Only those with a knack for understanding physics were considered true prodigies of this Buddhist sect, dominating their era and vying for a place on the prodigy list.

Many of the previous great prodigies, imperial princes, and saint sons couldn't keep up with this path of cultivation, and some were quickly eliminated!

Instead, gifted individuals from humble backgrounds shone brightly on this cultivation path.

“The Buddhist Son Du'e traveled west, delving deep into the Southwest Forbidden Zone, exploring ancient ruins, and acquiring an immortal elixir from an ancient divine source.”

“The Buddhist Son Baikul, in the Eastern Forbidden Zone, observed ancient Pagoda murals and, during that time, slew a great demon that had been mutated and infected by the dark forbidden zone!”

One after another, Buddhist Sons emerged, astonishing everyone.

However, ultimately, they all cultivated the “Killing Buddha,” mastering the light of death, traditional radiation that brought death wherever it touched. Still, no one had awakened to the ancient “True Buddha” that offered salvation to all beings.

Furthermore, they were vaguely disinclined to spend time on the vague notion of saving all beings and offering universal salvation, as it clearly wasn't focused on combat power.

What they sought was supreme combat power!

Rather than exploring methods that would weaken them, it was better to cultivate the Killing Buddha, spending more time in combat and competing for opportunities to stand out in this era.

Celestial Year 474.

“So that's it, so that's it....”

On this day, a beautiful young nun, hairless, sat deep in a bamboo forest. It was Xu Yingluo.

Although she was trapped in the forbidden zone and had not personally heard the teachings, she received messages from powerful individuals in the sky, along with scattered Bodhi seeds that integrated into her bloodline, leading her to begin studying physics and investigating things to understand their principles.

She was part of a later wave of cultivators.

At this time, she had been sitting in the bamboo grove outside the forbidden zone for three years, day after day, investigating the bamboo to understand its principles, hoping to achieve enlightenment in the path of vitality.

She came not for battle, but for her mother.

Since the forbidden zone erupted, Xu's mother had been severely injured and unable to recover, infected by the terrifying ominousness and curses. Her body was progressively wasting away, almost becoming a walking skeleton.

Unlike others, her nature was as gentle as water, very composed. She had no desire for victory, nor did she wander through various forbidden zones to hone combat abilities or deliberately seek fame.

Another day passed.

“This is Buddhist philosophy.”

“Buddhist thoughts and demonic thoughts are but a single thought apart.”

In an instant, divine light illuminated the entire bamboo forest.

Within the faint glow enveloping the bamboo forest, a slight mutation quickly occurred. The bamboo, infected and deformed, surprisingly did not wither but grew even more luxuriantly, achieving a special stimulated evolution under this radiant light.

It transformed into a unique “Buddhist bamboo.”

“Infecting all things, converting all things, transforming them into fellow disciples... Is this the essence of this Buddhist path? Mysterious, unfathomably great! Permeating the world.”

“Buddhist light illuminates all – so that's it!”

She couldn't help but laugh heartily, and a twelve-petaled golden lotus surprisingly appeared above her head. Her entire body became translucent like glazed glass, emitting a faint Buddhist fragrance and light.

With a stretch of her hand, she plucked a Buddhist bamboo leaf.

“In less than five years, with my current realm, I will sweep through all other realms, directly reaching the Buddha Heavenly Emperor!”

She raised a gentle smile, “They believe that one must fight to advance their realm, but they don't know that this Buddhism is a lineage of investigating things to understand their principles. Comprehending principles, understanding plants, insects, and fish, and cultivating oneself is the proper path.”

She had heard that this ancient lineage was moderate and peaceful, and thus felt it was a method for self-cultivation, not for combat.

“To observe heaven and earth, one must possess eyes of wisdom! By meticulously observing all things in heaven and earth, how their collisions form fields and light, and understanding this, one will understand all things.”

She now possessed a heart like glazed glass, seeing through all worldly matters; the grand Dao of physics was before her eyes.

On this day, after five years of comprehending the Dao, Xu Yingluo attained enlightenment in the bamboo grove, instantaneously realizing the ancient True Buddha. The world was shaken, and countless people flocked from far and wide, seeking to discuss Buddhism with her.

Within 800 meters, it was entirely Buddhist land.

A temple sanctuary was established in the bamboo forest, named “Wuwe Sumei Temple,” with these five golden characters emblazoned on its plaque.

Some local commoners quickly came to reside in this Buddhist land, becoming its disciples, enjoying the purified realm, resisting the forbidden zones, and prolonging their lives.

Her voice resounded throughout the land:

“It is only by not contending that no one in the world can contend with them!”

Water benefits all things without contention; thus, she was hailed as the Patriarch Wuwei Sumei Buddha.

The great era of heaven and earth had just begun.

The ancient divine path of primeval Huaxia was fully revived.

Innumerable powerful individuals arrived and beheld the Wuwei Sumei Temple, a shimmering ocean of golden light. They were incredibly shocked, finding it truly terrifying.

“Is this Buddhist land?”

“Protecting a region's people amidst the darkness...”

“Just by entering, even we feel we're about to be assimilated, converted, becoming Buddhas or disciples under its sway.”

“Not just us; look at these bamboos, even the animals and plants here have been affected. Perhaps in the future, they might gain sentience and convert to Buddhism.”

“Yes, this Buddhist land is very mysterious. Look at that macaque in the bamboo forest; after being Buddhified, it has six ears and seems spiritual, gazing at us.”

This land appeared unsettling in their eyes.

They had initially thought that the Killing Buddha's destructive power was more astonishing, but they hadn't expected that the True Buddha was the truly powerful one.

Its ability to offer universal salvation, along with its various miracles and mysterious great powers, was truly exaggerated. No wonder the ancients cultivated the True Buddha as their traditional orthodoxy... it made sense.

Because it not only benefited oneself and others but was also far more potent.

Consequently, one powerful individual after another immediately transformed their murderous disposition and respectfully went to seek guidance. Within days, they had vanished into the temple without a trace.

When others returned, they found that these contemporary heroes had already transformed into devout Buddhist disciples within the Wuwei Sumei Temple, their eyes filled with piety, their ears deaf to external affairs, respectfully chanting scriptures and converting all things.

They suddenly felt a chilling sensation.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

When a certain Heavenly Emperor descended into the Animal Path again, they coincidentally encountered some peculiar Asura Path warriors, who tearfully caught up to them, declaring,

“We have a Dao that is no less impressive than that of those Buddhas!”

“We are filled with regret!”

They were precisely those sects who practiced the Dao, distraught with grief.

Those scoundrels, originally far inferior to them, had selfishly monopolized development in the Mortal Path, secretly flourishing there. It was said that powerful Buddhist figures had emerged, beginning to comprehend many profound mysteries, and even the True Buddha was becoming widespread.

Buddhist light was illuminating everything, transforming the present world into Buddhist land. With such terrifying assimilation, if they didn't act soon, there would be no place left for them in a few years.

The internet was in an uproar.

The debate between physics and chemistry began.

“The Mortal Path is undergoing a dramatic change; even a pig can fly if it sits on the wind!”

“Who are you calling a pig?!”

“On the contrary, you scoundrels are planting spies among us, constantly reporting our reactions—that's just too low!”

Everyone was chattering noisily.

After all, traditional fighting online games always featured sectarian disputes, with many players finding enjoyment in competitive gang wars. Where there are people, there is conflict, grievances, and enmity, and the current situation naturally amplified these feelings.

“Hmph, you bald donkey! Does anyone dare to fight me?”

“Hmph, if you want a fight, you'll get one! I'll make you understand that the weak don't deserve parents!”

Xu Zhi: “.....”

What in the world was that about the weak?

These guys, about to take up their keyboards, were swiftly muted.

He was speechless. Wherever there are people, there's a flame war. Aren't both sides systems that love learning? Why can't they just seriously compete in their studies?

Was it because of hair that there was such fundamental contempt and discord?

But it didn't really matter. Factional disputes were more interesting; a stagnant pool wouldn't be good. Also, they had brought these cultivation systems to the Mortal Path, but they couldn't influence many things.

After all, with the Celestial repulsion, it was difficult to stay for long.

Celestial Year 478.

The Asura Path was brought to the Mortal Path by a Heavenly Emperor. After several discussions, they reopened their dojo, teaching the Daoist cultivation lineage of ancient ancestors, known as “Innately Unified Qi.”

News spread:

“The four directions and up and down are called 'Yu' (space), and from ancient times to the present are called 'Zhou' (time)... Today, I shall explain the Dao of the Universe!”

Such words, so dominant, immediately caused people from all over the world to flock.

Everyone rushed, eager to hear the teachings of this lineage.

At the dojo.

“This path of cultivation is different from physics. Physics, the investigation of things to understand their principles... involves observing the phenomena of heaven and earth, and analyzing the principles within them.”

A treant, clad in a gray Daoist robe, bore an exquisite and mysterious Yin-Yang Bagua symbol on it. The sixty-four trigrams were densely inscribed with the periodic table of elements, in precise, intricate script.

Clearly, they had come prepared.

The struggle among adherents of different orthodoxies was indeed this brutal.

He held a whisk, embodying a serene Daoist demeanor, and calmly declared, “Our ancient Daoist lineage cultivates chemistry!”

A tremor went through the crowd below.

They didn't understand its meaning.

What is a Daoist?

What is chemistry?

The treant Daoist slowly spoke, its voice like thunder,

“The Dao is nature itself; it is the rule by which all things in heaven and earth operate—it is the Great Dao.”

“The Great Dao is formless, yet it gives birth to heaven and earth. The Great Dao is dispassionate, yet it governs the sun and moon. The Great Dao is nameless, yet it fosters all things.”

“The Dao follows nature; those who walk the Great Dao are called Daoists!”

As this brief outline of the Daoist orthodoxy was uttered, silence immediately fell upon the audience.

They only felt their hearts tremble like thunder. This concise passage was too profound and mysterious, as if it contained the secrets of the universe—it was truly awe-inspiring.

Nature is the Dao?

Daoists, walking with nature, just like the Buddhists, also follow a path directly to the ultimate cultivation system?

They seemed to envision a group of ancient people from tens of thousands of years ago, with long black hair flowing over their shoulders, dominating the world, all beings bowing before them, walking the Great Dao, controlling wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—what an unparalleled magnificent bearing that must have been?!

“What is chemistry?”

“The Dao is nature; the Dao follows nature; it is the study of natural change...”

The treant continued to hold its whisk, looking down at the crowd, pointing to the sky, the earth, mountains, and rivers, and eloquently recited: “Not constrained by all things, not confined by nature, free and non-contending.”

“The sun and moon illuminate themselves without being lit; stars arrange themselves without being placed; animals are born without being created; wind blows without being fanned; water flows without being pushed; plants grow without being sown!”

“Seas shift, matter transitions.”

“The study of the changes of all things... is chemistry.”

As these words were spoken, heaven and earth seemed to split apart.