Chapter 652: Telling a Historical Myth! (Two in One)

The deities were momentarily stunned. Facing Hermes' refusal to see them, they remained silent, neither speaking nor attempting to stop him, but continued to ponder outside. The God of Wisdom possessed boundless wisdom, and his actions naturally held profound meaning.

"Today, I will be substituting as the teacher."

Hermes turned around, looking calm and composed. He replaced the flustered female teacher, walked straight to the podium, and began to teach the class.

"Messiah."

He wrote these large characters on the blackboard. Then he turned, resting his hands firmly on the podium, and with a focused gaze, he addressed the students below with authority: "I will tell you about an ancient monarch emperor—Emperor Messiah, the first emperor of the Potion Era after the fall of the Babylonian Wizard Kingdom, and his search for King Wesley."

The students in the class remained silent. A peaceful calm settled over the classroom.

Hermes began to recount history: "At that time, Emperor Wesley was a king of extraordinary vision and talent. He faced an attack from the Orc Kingdom, which was transforming humans into orcs, and his nation was on the verge of ruin. He furiously rebuked Emperor Messiah, who had suddenly appeared, for his arrogance and reliance solely on brute force, for believing he could solve the desperate situation alone. 'The world cannot be changed by a foolhardy individual,' he had stated."

His voice was even, and the students in the classroom gradually became engrossed. Meanwhile, the deities outside the classroom suddenly had a peculiar realization: they had, of course, heard this ancient history many times, and were even intimately familiar with it. Reflecting on it now, and considering the full context, they were struck by a sudden epiphany.

This was Hermes at that time, who had fought and fallen in battle against an unknown, terrifying enemy. His residual soul-consciousness, born from "essence," had descended into this world. Could this have been his final warning to the mortals on the ground?

Their breathing quickened. This was no different from a Ninth-Tier being's final words to the mortals of this world! And they hadn't perceived it until now!

"It must contain some hidden information, perhaps even the correct path to the Ninth-Tier!" A tempest raged within everyone's minds.

Xu Zhi continued to narrate that period of history: King Wesley had said: "Messiah, you simply do not understand knowledge! You lack social skills, strategic acumen, and practical capability! You know nothing of the art of kingship, and you haven't even read the principles of governance written by previous human kings... You are also arrogant and conceited! Ridiculous! How utterly ridiculous! Your understanding is far too shallow! You lack the ability to grasp the bigger picture! Why do you not heed my counsel!?"

The deities felt a mix of amusement and consternation. It was as if they were listening to an ancient allegorical myth, akin to "The Emperor's New Clothes." To laugh at Emperor Messiah for not understanding knowledge? How truly laughable that was. That was the residual body of Hermes, the God of Wisdom! No one in the world understood the meaning of knowledge better than him.

But in the next moment, their expressions froze. Weren't they, in this present moment, another Wesley? So ignorant, ridiculous, and pathetic. They were laughing at others, yet those others were surely laughing at them in turn.

They suddenly fell silent, their smiles vanished, and with calm expressions, they quietly entered from the back.

"Please come in, everyone!"

"Mother Earth, you should take a seat closer to the front."

"Alchemist Emperor, please also take a seat."

They courteously yielded to one another, arranged their seating according to their status, and settled into the unoccupied chairs in the back rows of the classroom. Some deities couldn't help but feel nostalgic, as if they had returned to their earliest youthful days, sitting like innocent, naive children, listening to a teacher speak of the outside world and their childhood dreams.

"Oh my goodness!" Meanwhile, the child students sitting nearby in the classroom got goosebumps! What in the world was happening!? They felt as though they were sitting on pins and needles, unsure whether to stand or sit. Those deities from ancient myths were actually sitting in the same classroom as them, in the back rows, listening intently like ravenous students?! Ah!! They...they sat down?!

The female history teacher standing outside rolled her eyes, completely overwhelmed by the terrifying shock, convinced it must be a dream.

Xu Zhi appeared not to notice them taking their seats in the back, continuing to narrate the history of that time to the ordinary students in the classroom.

Hoooo! Hoooo! Another steam train chugged past, billowing white smoke. The immense wind pressure caused the golden rice fields nearby to ripple backward, and occasionally, scarecrows swayed. A cold wind swept through.

At the edge of the railway track, in the classroom beside a small chapel at the edge of the rice fields, a young man in white was teaching students amidst the cold winter snow. Behind him, Western and Eastern deities, their bodies encircled by divine light, were seated! Had any mortal witnessed this scene, they would have been horrified to realize that each sacred Western face belonged to a deity worshipped as an idol in major churches, commanding hundreds of millions of followers. Each Eastern face was even more awe-inspiring, belonging to the founding ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty and Mount Shu, the venerable forms of the Thunder Emperor, Ancestral Witches, and God-Slaying Heavenly Emperors revered in the Immortal Realm. Even the Heavenly Dao and Mother Earth themselves had descended here.

All in this unremarkable classroom in a small village.

Xu Zhi continued to narrate that period of history, his gaze suddenly distant, recalling the most remote era when he first truly descended into the sandbox world in an ordinary form.

Back then, Emperor Messiah had said to King Wesley: "You claim I lack knowledge, and it's true that historical monarch emperors were always learned individuals. But what exactly is this 'knowledge' you speak of? Is it the ability to manipulate schemes? The talent to control global affairs? Or a mind of grand strategy? These...have never been knowledge."

These are not knowledge? The deities' minds reeled, a hazy concept unfurling before them, a mix of understanding and confusion.

At this point, King Wesley argued vehemently: "I have diligently studied the 'Code of Amyck' by the first king, I have read the various rare manuscripts treasured by the Church of Light, I have even researched the history and texts of the Orc Kingdom, I am even proficient in the most powerful and profound knowledge in the world—the imperial art of governing a nation. There is no one more learned than me in the human world, no one more capable of strategic planning. I have read every book, pursuing knowledge since childhood. Yet you dare to say these are not knowledge? Then! What! Is knowledge!?"

Upon hearing this, the deities inexplicably felt shivers down their spines. Wesley, in that ancient era, had already posed the question—what is knowledge? And it had already been answered back then? They fell silent. In that distant era, Hermes had already provided all the answers, but they had been in a deep slumber then; one can never wake someone who pretends to be asleep.

A sudden, overwhelming realization washed over them! It turned out that much knowledge, in that distant era, had already been secretly imparted to them by this ancient, fallen great deity, intended to help them develop the world, reclaim the brilliant glory of past civilizations, and resist future unknown enemies—such as the "Gate of Alchemy" and the very concept of "What is Knowledge." Yet, they had turned a blind eye to it all! They felt a surge of bitterness and numbness; the truth had been right before their eyes all along, yet they had failed to see it, instead seeking it through various complex methods in the farthest reaches.

They continued to listen. At that time, Messiah said to King Wesley: "Wesley... ancient emperors were indeed the most knowledgeable individuals. Knowledge was their key to ruling the world. Benevolence and gentleness have never been credentials for becoming a monarch emperor. Gilgamesh reigned with tyranny, yet no one in the world dared to rebel against him. Good governance is also not a credential for becoming a monarch emperor. Back when the Alchemist Emperor ruled, he did not attend court for a hundred years! He ignored state affairs, immersing himself in his alchemy lab for most of his life, often in seclusion for decades. He allowed his witches to govern for him, yet did anyone in the world dare to rebel? During his prime, it remained an era of great peace and prosperity! The standard for becoming a monarch emperor... is the mastery of knowledge. Knowledge is all power. Every ancient emperor possessed vast knowledge capable of dominating their contemporary world. As long as they lived, they were an era! Their demise marked the end of an era!"

At that moment, Emperor Wesley's mind was profoundly shaken. Now, the deities also felt a profound shock.

—Knowledge is all power!? So-called schemes and stratagems, the art of kingship, manipulating people, vying for power and profit, killing to seize treasures—all this "knowledge" was utterly ridiculous? Could they attain immortality with such knowledge? None of it was true knowledge! In that instant, they seemed to grasp a hazy understanding of "what is knowledge."

At that time, Messiah slowly said: "Hahaha.... Wesley, a minuscule existence like an ant, you mock the great seekers of truth who strive for the heights of the heavenly gods and eternal stars. You mock the epochal eagles who seek to contend with time and soar through eras. You laugh at successive monarch emperors, calling their understanding shallow and their knowledge meager, dismissing them as mere brutes and warriors. Truly pitiable are you, the people of this era."

As these words were spoken, it was as if the heavens and earth had shattered. Yes, the heavens and earth shattered, the entire world spun, and their spiritual foundation was utterly torn and impacted. All the deities present felt their souls explode as if struck by lightning, enveloped by an indescribable aura. They had been as complacent and self-righteous as King Wesley from six thousand years ago. They had pursued the trivial while neglecting the essential.

Hahaha. What exactly had they been doing all these years? An era steeped in confusion and strife. An era consumed by the pursuit of fame and profit. An era of factionalism. They had been lost in the mists of worldly affairs, foolishly vying for power and profit, like crickets fighting in a jar, complacent in their petty struggles. Had they not recently witnessed Daojun's single-minded pursuit of the Dao, and been touched by her sincerity, they would not have realized that earnest cultivation and seeking the Dao was the true path. Furthermore, witnessing the Avatar of Truth descend, and seeing Medusa's selfless, moth-to-a-flame bravery, repeatedly pushing forward, had deeply impacted them.

Ermin, Medusa, and Daojun—these three were the true seekers of truth, diligently pursuing all things, always treading the correct path, while they themselves had long been lost.

"Hahaha!" the Blood Emperor burst into laughter, tears streaming from his eyes. "Ridiculous, how utterly ridiculous! Before, we were secretly contemplating how to contend for power if the Underworld Emperor didn't abdicate... Contend for what? Like fools, we have wasted vast stretches of time."

The Blood Emperor recalled a saying from the East: "Only by not contending, can none contend with you under heaven."

Back then, Daojun did not contend, but devoted herself to seeking the Dao. Who dared to contend with her for supremacy? Ermin did not contend, content to be the Underworld Emperor, remaining in seclusion for years. Who dared to seize power from her? Medusa did not contend. The Origin Demon God remained dormant, and upon awakening, she engaged in the most arduous cultivation and research. Her diligence was unparalleled, leading to the creation of the 129,600 Heavenly Emperors.

"Those who do not contend may gain the world; those who do not contend may seek immortality; those who do not contend may achieve naturalness."

Hurenong murmured, "Not to mention the Alchemist Emperor, even in the past, another giant, Emperor Qi, also devoted himself to seeking the Dao, secretly acting as the mastermind behind the scenes, never contending. Even when he later emerged to slaughter the world, desiring to become a god, it was because his combat power could already dominate everything, leading to prosperity for those who followed and demise for those who opposed!"

—The true meaning of the world lay here. All obscurity and ambiguity gradually vanished from their sight.

Li Shengjiang's expression was also complex as he gazed at the young man in white before him. "This is knowledge!... So-called conspiracies, wisdom, and calculations have never been the means to unify the world. In fact, our Wizard Era was the true path, free from greed and unhindered by worldly power, with only a group of people pursuing truth..."

There was a time when he had ascended to the heavens, wishing to enter the land of the gods, only to be denied entry. Today, he truly realized that this was no longer the true God of Wisdom, Mercury. Yet, even now, he continued to light the lighthouse of wisdom for the mortals on the ground, guiding them through the dark, abyssal sea.

Li Shengjiang sighed, unable to help but admire the terrifying wisdom of the God of Wisdom. "In reality, we have long been playing to Hermes' tune. We thought it hadn't begun, yet he, who is neither unreasonable nor unkind but immensely benevolent, has already begun answering our first question: how to reach the Ninth-Tier, and what is the true path of cultivation!"

Li Shengjiang extended his hand and took out an alchemy hourglass, filled with countless shimmering glass particles that radiated endless vitality. "This is the knowledge of alchemy, imparted to mortals on the ground back then."

"So you've finally found it?"

Hermes reached out, drawing the alchemy hourglass through the air. He subtly absorbed some of its contents, feeling life surge through his entire body, as if he had been made whole. A realization dawned among the gods. Just as they had suspected, could he now be complete?

Xu Zhi looked at the gods and continued to smile, "To align with the Dao through righteousness is superior; to defeat enemies through schemes is inferior. Mortals and gods often say: 'One force overcomes a myriad of methods,' that all flashy displays and millions of calculations cannot withstand a single punch... One force can break all methods, and knowledge is all force... In later generations, you gods born into this world have now shifted from the deviant path to the righteous one."

As these words were spoken, the minds of all the deities were struck as if by lightning. Everyone silently stood up, utterly captivated. "'To align with the Dao through righteousness is superior; to defeat enemies through schemes is inferior.'" It was as if an ancient voice, reverberating with the tremors of heaven and earth, resonated in their minds.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher!"

One by one, the deities stood up in the classroom, bowed slowly, and respectfully addressed him as "Teacher." The students in the front were so scared their scalps tingled. Children around ten years old are easily influenced by groups and were already trembling with fear. They instinctively, though confusedly, followed suit and stood up, their scattered, childish voices calling out, each in their own way:

"Thank you, Teacher."

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher Peter."

"Thank you, PE Teacher."

The middle-aged, freckled female teacher standing outside the door, upon seeing this scene, nearly fainted from fright! Why are you all joining in?! That's Hermes! Not the PE teacher! Her heart pounded incessantly, and her ears buzzed, making her feel as if she could no longer hear. She vowed never to experience such a terrifying event again in her life.

"Lord God of Wisdom, the path to the Ninth-Tier has been explained! Two questions remain: the truth of history and the method of realm-breaking... Please guide us on these two mysteries," Li Shengjiang added, as everyone was now utterly convinced.