Chapter 685: On the Way, Tree Diagram of Linear Constraints

What is the structure of the universe?

Xu Zhi's true body still stood by the study window, gazing up at the boundless, azure sky.

This was the ultimate mystery of the world.

Xu Zhi had known his fundamental goal for a very long time: to create a sand table, to deduce civilization systems, to seek the true meaning of the world, and to simulate the real laws of the entire universe.

As he often said:Knowledge is all power.

Looking back at civilizations, ancient and modern, the inheritance of civilization is the inheritance of knowledge, and the greatness of civilization is the greatness of knowledge.

It is believed that this also applies to the various incredibly advanced and ultimate civilizations in the universe. If their knowledge accumulation reached a certain level, spanning tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of years, such terrifyingly ancient beings might, perhaps, be able to create an entire real universe out of nothing.

The vastness of the universe inherently holds infinite possibilities.

However, based on Xu Zhi's current knowledge, his observation of the entire world was very limited, confined to mere glimpses of eighth, or even ninth, order fragments, like being inside a glass fish tank, unable to see beyond it.

Is our universe the only one?

Not necessarily.

Due to the discoveries of quantum mechanics, people in recent times have found that the universe is very likely not unique; it may consist of countless universes stacked together like bubbles or foam, resembling crystalline walls.

This is the famous physics hypothesis: the theory of parallel universes.

As early as the 1950s, some physicists proposed this concept while observing quanta.

The idea of countless versions of oneself existing in parallel timelines is truly fascinating.

Many people say that the famous Mandela Effect, a phenomenon of collective false memory, is precisely the déjà vu of another self in a parallel universe.

Many individuals have no clear memory of a place, yet feel certain they have been there before.

And according to this theory of infinite possibilities, if you in this universe don't have a girlfriend and are alone, there's no need to worry. Another version of you in a quantum-entangled universe might be leading a fulfilling life and could very well have a loving partner.

Perhaps, based on this hypothesis, it is entirely plausible that a version of you in another universe is doing things you wouldn't dare to do, living an unimaginably brilliant life, and realizing dreams you have already given up on.

For the version of you that fails in this world, there is surely a successful version in a parallel universe.

“Parallel universes, quantum entanglement, Death God’s immortality...”

Xu Zhi sighed, “These theories involving various higher-dimensional, super-concepts... it seems I really need to try implementing the infinite possibilities of a multi-parallel universe setting. It's akin to the cultivation path where a cosmic era is extinguished with merely an eye-blink.”

Whoosh.

Medusa's mental energy surged into one of the bottle-worlds, a realm of pure void, surrounded by a vast whiteness.

“Am I to create a primitive civilization here?”

Medusa paused.

She clearly understood the process of creating civilization: kill living beings and project their souls into this spiritual world.

Souls, naturally, could procreate.

In the parlance of the Great Zhou Dynasty, this was like “ghost offspring” or “ghost fetuses.”

Therefore, she only needed to kill those species and place them here. In this spiritual universe, they would not perceive it as fake.

Generation after generation, civilization would advance and evolve.

No one would know they were living in a dream.

They wouldn't know they had died, truly living as if in the real world.

In essence, this was Carolyn's "Death God’s Immortality."

“Truth and falsehood are inherently relative,” Medusa smiled, sighing, “The evolved species I brought from outside can serve as the original first batch of creatures.”

“Kill them, and put them in.”

She pondered seriously, “Souls are a special kind of spiritual entity, without racial segregation. This is unrealistic; people would discover this is a false universe. So, I must add a rule to this world: only souls of the same race can reproduce offspring...”

“Hmm...” She mused for a moment, then smiled, “That's quite good.”

She then planned to kill these beings and introduce their souls into this entire world, conducting experiments and guiding the progress of a civilization. This was also her mission.

Suddenly, a hazy figure slowly emerged from the distance.

Medusa's eyes widened, then her face filled with joy. Indeed, her actions were correct. This was truly for her new Demon God organization, and she had successfully integrated, meeting the trials and requirements. Had the Creator thus returned?

“Have you already seen truth from falsehood?” The hazy, radiant being stopped, emerging from nothingness, and slowly smiled.

“Yes, in this world, all living beings reside within a dream.” Medusa's expression grew serious, and she began to earnestly explain her vision and her plans for the future construction of the entire civilization.

Her words, initially, were also Xu Zhi's ideas for construction.

The bottle where Medusa resided, acting as the central crystalline wall, would transmit souls to the surrounding crystalline wall bottle-worlds, establishing civilizations.

Serving as a fabricated origin of all things, it would supply species.

This offered infinite possibilities.

However, Xu Zhi's thoughts had now changed; he had discovered an even more infinitely possible method.

“Your idea is incorrect,” Xu Zhi stated calmly.

Medusa trembled, “Incorrect?”

“You believe everything you’re doing constitutes the path of infinite potential for this civilization, but is it truly infinite?” The voice seemed to come from another, unseen dimension.

Truly infinite?

Naturally... not truly infinite.

Medusa fell silent for a moment. She clearly understood that even a multitude of bottles would still result in a finite number of civilizations.

No matter how many more civilized worlds she created, it would ultimately not be truly infinite. But did genuine infinity even exist in this world?

Her current approach was already the optimal one she could conceive, aiming for as much infinity as possible, creating more possibilities.

Was there truly, genuine infinity?

“Great Lord, God of the Origin of All Things, what... is infinity?” Medusa couldn't help but ask.

Xu Zhi smiled, “One begets two, two begets three, three begets all things, evolving into countless forms—that is infinity.”

Medusa trembled.

She realized that this was precisely the origin of the universe, the Big Bang, where everything evolved from one, continuously expanding outwards.

“That is merely appearance,” the voice spoke again.

Medusa was completely bewildered. The evolution of one into all things was merely an appearance!? What, then, was the true essence of infinity?

“So, what is true infinity?” In the void, a stone was thrown.

Thud.

The stone struck the ground, shattering into countless grains of sand that spread across the land like fireworks.

“This is infinity.”

Medusa paused, contemplating, upon hearing this. This was infinity?

In the air, an identical second stone fell to the ground from a different angle.

Thud!

The stone struck the ground, shattering into countless grains of sand that spread across the land.

Yet, though it was the same stone, because it was thrown from a different direction, it shattered along a completely different trajectory.

“This, too, is infinity.”

Medusa trembled at his words. This was also infinity?

She seemed to understand, yet not quite, feeling as if she were grasping at something profound.

“Is infinity... choice?” Medusa suddenly gasped, crying out to the figure, “One is primordial, and through continuous choices, it transforms into all things... So, infinity is choice, not all things themselves?”

Medusa was almost ecstatic.

What did this mean?

It was almost self-evident.

One begets two, two begets three, three begets all things—this is infinite... but it is merely the appearance of infinity.

What then, is true infinity?

It is choice; it is the choice of 'one' to split, the choice of the Creator God: into what kind of myriad things, what shapes of myriad things? Are these all repeated choices of splitting?

These are all the hidden choices of “Origin,” “One,” “Dao,” and “Truth.”

Just like now...

That primordial 'One'... at a branching point, chose itself. This, too, is infinity.

Xu Zhi spoke calmly, “The world is a tree, covered in branches. Every choice is an infinite possibility. Throw a stone, throw it east, throw it south, and it will split into two world trajectories.”

Medusa's eyes widened, her face filled with shock, as she carefully pondered the meaning. “The world is a constantly splitting line, and each choice means splitting into another universe?”

The concept of worldlines came from the ancient Lava World.

But what Xu Zhi was about to explain now was an upgraded version of worldlines—the World Tree.

That is, parallel multiverses!

In the concept of worldlines, no matter how the world changes its direction or choices, there is still only one world.

Because there was only one ancient Lava World.

But what about the World Tree?

It represents a truly branching multiverse.

A single primordial worldline splits into two paths, and both split universes exist simultaneously...

This is the multiverse!

“The world is not a winding line, but a tree,” Xu Zhi stated calmly.

Medusa's mind exploded.

The world is not a winding line, but a great tree?

A treemap suddenly appeared in her mind: each universe of the world, due to different choices, splits into two universes. Universes are diverse, universes are infinite!

The Multiverse Theory!?

It was as if a brand new door had been violently flung open before her. What an incredibly bold, utterly unbelievable idea.

According to this concept, did another parallel universe exist where she had not become the Demon God of Origin?

This concept was too impactful for her.

The concept of worldlines itself was profoundly impactful for a being who had never ceased to exist or evolve, let alone the World Tree, a concept of an even higher dimension.

“Th-this...!?” Her eyes nearly bulged out. Her heart, like a withered leaf on a tree, was buffeted and swayed by the stormy wind.

She suddenly fell silent.

She hesitated.

The Creator God remained silent, his figure faintly blurring, then vanishing from where he stood, receding into the distance.

“A multiverse, is that truly possible? In reality, I can barely find a way to achieve it!” she suddenly murmured.

“But here, it is a dream.”

A distant voice resounded.

She stood frozen, as if enlightened by a divine revelation, then suddenly burst into ecstatic joy!