Chapter 653: Terrifying Information

As soon as the Alchemy Emperor finished speaking, the eyes of all the gods burned with fervor.

Hermes did not answer. Instead, he posed a series of counter-questions, his voice cold: "If you want to ask the next two questions, then tell me, do you understand the first one?"

"Naturally, we understand."

"Although we were slow to grasp it, we now understand. Only by correcting our mindset can we break through to the ninth-tier."

The gods responded one after another.

In fact, by this point, it seemed that no explicit mention had been made about how to break through to the ninth-tier. Yet, the path had become entirely clear, pulling them back from their misguided ways onto the correct one. They were not foolish; naturally, they grasped it instantly. In their view, Hermes was inscrutable and would not explicitly state the answer. Instead, he intended for them to ponder and comprehend the true meaning themselves.

They reflected carefully on the entire era. Initially, as youths full of dreams, they embarked on the path to power, possessing a pure heart that sought truth. However, as they matured, their edges were smoothed by worldly affairs. In this competitive world, their hands became stained with blood as they began to kill and seize resources. They had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood, fighting, killing, seizing, and scheming to break through to godhood, their hands tainted with untold gore.

The eighth-tier era was one where contention was unavoidable. Reality was cruel. Most had risen from humble beginnings. All of them were currently first-generation gods, building their empires from scratch without influential fathers to back them. If they didn't contend, they would have no cultivation resources.

But what about the ninth-tier? Breaking through wasn't merely a matter of resources. Having already reached the eighth-tier, they commanded significant forces, enough to sustain their daily cultivation. The ninth-tier, however, depended on themselves.

—To return to their original aspirations, to lay down what they had picked up before.

In reality, they had long since put the cart before the horse. They initially engaged in schemes and intrigues to gain knowledge and cultivate to higher realms, but now they were completely immersed in that mode of operation.

"Contention and acquisition have long since seeped into our very bones, stained with blood," the Blood Emperor said, bowing his head in contemplation, feeling increasingly struck by the realization, his face filled with awe. "Upon closer thought, the ancient Land of the Gods always remained hidden from the world, never easily entering the mortal realm. How unlike us? We constantly interfere with the mortal world, dominating the entire era with powerful hands, ruling the world arbitrarily."

Indeed, in ancient times, the actions of the Land of the Gods had indirectly revealed the truth of how to ascend to the true ninth-tier. They simply hadn't noticed it, turning a blind eye. Therefore, the former Land of the Gods did not descend to the mortal realm, remaining aloof from all things. They feared descending to avoid being tainted by mortals, adding to their troubles, and to maintain a pure, sacred heart dedicated to seeking the Dao. No wonder only Hermes, who had already broken through to the ninth-tier and was their leader, personally descended, while none of his subordinates were seen. Before, they had lingering doubts, viewing it as a profound mystery... Yet, it all made sense now! Everything was logical and reasonable!

After careful reflection, the minds of many gods were once again violently shaken, surging with immense awe and profound silence.

"But the path to the eighth-tier demands contention, while the path to the ninth-tier demands the opposite! How easy is it to lay down a heart entangled in worldly affairs, re-enter seclusion, and disregard everything external?" Hu Rennong spoke bitterly. He recalled the young scholar he once was, innocent and singularly devoted to seeking the Dao. These years had long since weathered him beyond recognition.

"Having entered the world, how easy is it to leave it?" Liu Wenjian, holding a shimmering glazed immortal sword, her gaze cold and clear, the peerless sword immortal spoke with detached resolve: "To relinquish millennia of bloodshed from our path of growth, glory and wealth, formidable enemies encountered along the way, countless acts of killing and seizing treasures, to discard blood-stained memories, the triumphs and honors of a successful era... can we truly return as youths? Can we reclaim our original aspirations?"

Her words were direct, realistic, and pierced the hearts of all the gods! It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality. Though this saying might not be entirely appropriate, it conveys a similar meaning. It sounded simple, but their mindsets had already fundamentally changed.

"The ninth-tier is about the soul, the integration of soul and body, the soul's will permeating every part of oneself," Baekhosaeng whispered. "Upon closer consideration, breaking through to the ninth-tier is indeed intimately connected to the soul! One must re-enlighten their Dao heart, return to their original aspiration..."

Everyone understood the path. They should cultivate in seclusion. After breaking through to the eighth-tier, gods should retire from the world, having already contended for everything and secured their place. Their cultivation methods would also change, and this would provide opportunities for more young people. They should not easily descend to the mortal realm, remaining like the ancient Land of the Gods, becoming mysterious legends in the mouths of mortals, gods not easily seen. At the same time, with more gods, civilization would flourish, and they themselves would grow stronger. This was a win-win situation, the correct approach.

"So this is the right path!" Meng Mei's eyes widened in astonishment, as if witnessing a myth. "I've always said that the actions of these gods don't align with the ancient myths of Earth. They're constantly descending... whereas in those myths, gods remained in seclusion for ages, not interfering with worldly affairs. Even when they did, it was through divination, sending their disciples down the mountain."

"That's more like it!" she thought. She felt that all standards should be based on current Chinese myths. Hadn't they seen the development of "Physical Buddha" and "Chemical Dao"? They were the examples! That was the history of their ancestors, worthy of reference.

"But I don't have such worries." Meng Mei felt quite satisfied upon seeing this. "I've never contended; I've always just 'lain flat.' I've never entered the world, so why would I need to leave it? I haven't even been out there, so naturally, I'll return as a young girl, not even having killed a chicken." She immediately became smug. By quietly collecting rent and cultivating, she felt that she naturally aligned with the Great Dao. She was a maiden close to nature and truth, no wonder she was inherently close to the embodiment of truth—the Creator God, and was known by the world as the Creator God's woman.

Meng Mei couldn't resist posting the video and text. Soon after, the internet instantly erupted, showing great interest in this development.

"Ahhh?"

"Holy crap!?"

"What the hell?"

"To make progress in the ninth-tier, one must cultivate diligently and possess a pure, crystal-clear heart dedicated to seeking the Dao?"

"Those like them are following crooked paths! They're probably doomed! After all, although they are new gods, they've already wasted hundreds, even thousands of years!"

"Not necessarily. They're still young; a few wasted years can be recovered. If they return to diligent cultivation and realize their mistakes, they might still have a chance to break through!"

"Break through what? It requires immense talent and continuous effort, even those Dao Monarchs who worked so hard have failed!"

"I've discovered it! The 'demonic obstacles' and 'karma' mentioned in Chinese traditions are similar concepts. Those who cause trouble will always have to pay for it; the more evil one commits, the harder it is to break free."

"Cough, cough, cough. It seems our ancient Chinese civilization's heritage is indeed linked to ancient deities like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva."

"Physical Buddha, Chemical Dao, awesome!"

Their breathing quickened! And the ninth-tier? Wasn't it similar to the ancient Earth legends of 'Uniting with the Dao' or 'Transforming into a God'? This stage was the most sensitive; indeed, one needed to correct their mindset. Countless people cried out, finding it incredibly exciting, as the truth was being revealed in waves! It was perfectly logical. Just like the natives, they had completely failed to notice it before! The arrival of Emperor Messiah was clearly a piece of advice from Hermes back then, concealing the correct path for an eighth-tier god to break through to the ninth-tier! And why only the leader was seen among the gods in the Land of the Gods was also perfectly explained!

In this flourishing era, everyone emerged.

"Hahaha! I'm naturally a reserve for the ninth-tier; I've never contended! I'm inherently aligned with nature," said Qiu Mingshan Cheshu, who was currently on the Ancient Wood Planet, genuinely deceiving natives into spending money.

"We pet sprites truly align with the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth! We rely on human pets to fight and seize opportunities outside, while we ourselves remain detached from all things, outside the cycle of karma. The Pixel Lineage is indeed naturally close to the path of the ninth-tier!" A group of small animals rejoiced wildly.

A certain Balloon Fish immediately declared: "Hmph, you're all trash! I once slaughtered countless beings! A single action claimed hundreds of millions of lives, earning me the title of Iron-Blooded Emperor, with countless karmic debts. I was known as a generation's God of Slaughter, yet at this moment, I still maintain my original aspiration, unburdened by evil thoughts, possessing a youthful, crystal-clear heart. I am the one who truly entered the world and then left it!"

Everyone's faces darkened. These scoundrels were all praising themselves, despite clearly being utterly incompetent. But at this moment, countless players were overjoyed! They all felt that they inherently aligned with the mindset of a ninth-tier master. They didn't contend or fight for fame and fortune. Instead, they secretly hid away, diligently developing themselves, while also adhering to the principle that 'knowledge is power.' Constantly treading the path to baldness, they felt they were inherently in tune with the natural laws of Heaven! They were the Creator God's own children!

Another steam train passed through the fields. The surroundings were eerily silent.

At this moment, Hermes said, "Your second question, is it about the truth of ancient history?"

The surrounding gods nodded eagerly, their faces filled with anticipation. The fall of the ancient Hermes and some unknown powerful enemy had kept them restless for a long time.

Hermes's expression was calm as he asked again, "Why do you ask this question?" He was asking about the essence of the question again? They were stunned. Of course, it was to acquire knowledge. Historical truth was also knowledge. They continued to ponder: but why did they need to know the true historical knowledge? Naturally, it was to know who the enemy was, so they could contend against them. Once they knew, would they truly resist, truly contend? They would merely add to their troubles, and it would negatively affect their cultivation. Sometimes, ignorance was the greatest bliss.

"We were obsessed," they said, feeling guilty. Since he wasn't speaking, they stopped pursuing the question, instead drawn by the new path before them, eager to try it! Although he didn't answer directly, Hermes suddenly offered a hint: "Hermes is connected to an ancient group of extraterrestrial visitors and is himself a projection from a higher dimension."

The gods frowned, not yet realizing the meaning or implication. But the players slowly widened their eyes, their pupils dilating. Extraterrestrial visitors? In that instant, they felt as if thousands of kilograms of weight pressed heavily on their chests, and something violently burst and shattered in their minds. They felt their hearts might leap out of their chests.

What did this mean? Hermes, a higher-dimensional projection? Hermes was also an Earth player? An ancient-era player from Earth? Their minds churned with tumultuous waves, filled with dread! This information simply overturned everything. What had truly happened throughout the history of the ancient mythical era, even up to the present? Could the fallen ninth-tier Hermes have been a player? A mysterious hyper-ancient deity holding what seemed to be ninth-tier remains? An ancient existence, known by countless names and titles throughout different eras: if Hermes was how he was described in the West, then how was he described in the East? Was he also like Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, a distant ancient Chinese figure? Was this terrifying? It was absolutely terrifying!

Li Shengjiang, Meng Mei, and the others felt a chill run through their bodies at that moment, their hearts filled with indescribable shock. Vaguely, they envisioned a peerless god, single-handedly resisting a formidable enemy, standing firm before the world, traversing the endless river of time, and battling through all ages, past and present. The most crucial point was that this entity wasn't even a native; it could be...

"Something, something big has happened!!" Meng Mei's face turned pale. The first part of the question was alright, but the second one, by revealing just a little, completely shattered her worldview. She could only take a deep breath and quickly reassure herself, "A higher-dimensional projection doesn't mean only us; it doesn't mean only we were chosen. It's highly likely another civilized race similar to ours."

Amidst their uncertainty and astonishment, the second question concluded. Then, the third question was posed. Hermes simply replied, "The method for leaving this world was also given to you long ago."

Everyone was utterly baffled. The words of the God of Wisdom contained various hidden meanings, difficult to decipher. However, many clues were indeed hidden in the past, and Hermes at this moment wasn't really answering but rather prompting them to realize what they already possessed. Hermes, however, was not in a hurry to speak. Instead, he turned and left.

The gods exchanged glances. "Could it be that this, too, is hidden in ancient history?"

"Perhaps so. We should search through history."

"No wonder we haven't been able to enter the path of the ninth-tier, unable to even integrate a single cell. It turns out it's also related to our will; we have too many distracting thoughts, and our souls aren't pure."

"We still can't be patient enough to truly seclude ourselves. I always worry that you all will seize my believers' territories, so I'd rather secretly seize yours first!" the Blood Emperor stated bluntly. "The early bird gets the worm."

The faces of the gods darkened slightly. This one was very blunt.

"Everyone, let's not continue like this. At our level, even those with the fewest followers have hundreds of millions. Resources are no longer the priority for us. How about we stop? If anyone makes a move, we will jointly condemn them."

"We need to temper our minds. Constantly scheming and intriguing, our hearts remain restless."

The gods whispered among themselves, deeply moved. Without breaking through to the ninth-tier, even immense power was fleeting, merely a few millennia of enjoyment, if even that much. Cultivation is like sailing against the current; one either advances or falls behind. If a god becomes stagnant, later comers won't hesitate to unseat them. And other powerful beings, seeing you too weak, won't hesitate to simply eliminate you. Knowledge is power. Without dedicated focus, no amount of scheming, trickery, or unorthodox methods will be of any use.

"The method to break through this world was given long ago?" At this moment, Armin's brow furrowed slightly as he suddenly thought of something, a strange expression appearing on his face.