Exploring Immortality Cultivation

Due to the different forms of life, there will always be differences between the Human Clan and Sea God Type. Many truths that humans naturally understand seem like Mysticism to Sea God Type and are difficult for them to comprehend. Conversely, some simple concepts in Sea God Type thinking appear as cryptic as computer languages to humans.

The simplest point is that humans' concept of space-time follows Euclidean Geometry, while Sea God Type is inherently from the perspective of Luo's Geometry.

Although these two geometries are equivalent to a certain extent, it is enough to cause enormous communication difficulties.

This is true in other aspects as well.

One obvious example is "self-awareness." Don't be fooled by the fact that communication between Sea God Type and humans seems effortless now; humans at least find it very challenging to understand their perspective on "self-awareness."

At least Wang Qi initially thought so.

Therefore, he somewhat felt that Senior Sister Mi's approach was "nonsense."

But when he contemplated Senior Sister Mi's question, he realized he had never actually thought about "I."

—No, actually he subconsciously avoided thinking about it.

In those early years after transmigration, he once believed he was trapped in a brain-in-a-vat experiment, frantically seeking clues or evidence leading to "reality."

And now, Wang Qi realizes he's seemingly genuinely trapped in a "brain-in-a-vat." At this moment, he doesn't know how to prove "I am me."

If "the current me" is the thought of a brain created by Mi, then how should the self-awareness in "Wang Qi's" memory be accounted for?

At this moment, Mi stood up.

Mi looked no older than ten and was very petite. When she stood up, she was only slightly taller than Wang Qi who was sitting down. However, her calm expression and serene demeanor made Wang Qi feel that she was the one in control...

—Alright, no matter what, Senior Sister is several million years old...

Wang Qi almost thought instinctively.

Then, Mi fixed her eyes on Wang Qi's face and said, "You are still restricted by your own 'narrowness.''"

Wang Qi was startled, "Narrowness?"

"When I first completed this brain, I allowed my consciousness to enter it," Mi said, "For me, it was truly a terrifying experience."

"You actually lose mental health points from trying human ways of thinking?" Wang Qi marveled, "What exactly did it feel like?"

"Narrow," Mi said with a heavy heart, "So narrow it was frightening, as if my thought was completely bound."

"Narrow? Bound?"

"Under the Wanfa Sect, there is a lake carved out for me. For you, it should be quite significant, right? But... my body once spanned fifty million square kilometers. If I hadn't abandoned the vast majority of my body, I couldn't have entered that place," Mi explained, "If I were to squeeze my body at its peak into that small pond, that would be the feeling."

The area of China is 9.6 million square kilometers. Asia is 44.6 million square kilometers. At its peak, Mi was even larger than the Eurasian Continent. Even if the Wanfa Sect carved out an underground lake, it couldn't be larger than this.

—Narrow, narrow, narrow.

—Thoughts are squeezing themselves.

—Narrow, narrow, narrow.

—Wanting to get out.

Perhaps because the idea was too intensely vivid, Mi's notion resurfaced in Wang Qi's mind.

For Mi's Xinling, the human brain is shackles, a straitjacket. She just infused a portion of her thoughts into it and felt the illusion of "being unable to move."

"Our human brains are so small, I really apologize," Wang Qi shook his head, "In this sense, your thoughts feel entirely opposite to me."

Large, too large.

Wider than the sea, taller than the sky.

That is the heart of Sea God Type.

Wang Qi felt as if he might be submerged by just glancing within.

"Do you understand? From the perspective of my thoughts, your sense of self is so narrow, insignificant, and laughable," Mi looked at Wang Qi, "Therefore, I don't particularly understand your current dilemma. Even the cautious 'gradual change' approach you adopt when breaking through."

"Since you already understand that the answer to the proposition 'I am me' is not fixed but changes with timing, why not break this 'me' from the start?"

"As long as your self can initially control the various influences brought by changes to your thinking organs, then you can completely traverse the three realms of the human world at a faster pace and touch the Primordial Spirit Heaven Barrier."

Wang Qi was taken aback: "You intend to..."

"Touch our realm, and you will know how your self is restricting you." Mi pursed her lips and smiled slightly: "Here, you will alter your thinking organs in various ways. In this process, your narrow self will be shattered countless times, until your consciousness knows how to control these changes."

"For instance, the various things of yesterday die with yesterday, and the various things of today are born today?" Wang Qi felt moved by these words.

The first reaction of ordinary people upon hearing Mi's suggestion would definitely be to refuse. Because they would mostly be unable to accept Mi's approach of dissecting self-awareness.

However, Wang Qi was indeed tempted.

Because he had always entertained such thoughts!

——Some people treat their undesirable habits as defining characteristics, their acquired bad practices as part of their self. Even though they wish to rid themselves of these habits, when others persuade them, they always feel their freedom is being infringed upon. Clearly, this is a manifestation of their spirit being constrained by material conditions...

——The cultivation of human character and the formation of personality are forever influenced by the material world. What you perceive as 'personality' is actually a collection of external influences. Don't you think many people's bad habits tend to converge? My idea is to bring this absolute freedom to everyone, allowing each person to fully dictate their personality according to their own thoughts.

——I want every person to have the freedom to control their own spirit!

From the start, Wang Qi intended to dissect his own self-awareness. Naturally, he wouldn't mind Mi's method of shattering the self and then rebuilding it.

If anything, he felt a slight impulse to agree with Mi.

But now, one problem remained.

"Senior Sister, this 'me' is nonetheless an imagined version of 'Wang Qi' by you. If you let the external 'Wang Qi' follow my experiences in cultivation, wouldn't that result in Wang Qi carrying out cultivation based on Mi's fantasies?"

Mi looked a bit helpless: "No matter how I explain, you just don't believe me... This indeed is you, and it's also maintaining linkage with your brain outside. It's just that your external brain can't bear six thousand times the consciousness time, so I created this brain."

"Believe me, because it's equally important to me. I also need your personality."

Wang Qi asked in surprise: "Why?"

"Aren't you curious?" Mi sighed leisurely: "Without the knowledge barriers, we are the most suitable race to delve into the way of Modern, yet my kind has persisted for over a million years, far exceeding the existence of the Immortal Alliance, but why is our civilization inferior to yours?"

"This..." Wang Qi pondered for a moment and then shook his head: "I don't know much about you, so I'm unaware."

"We can't complete the prerequisites for the way of Modern." Mi sighed: "Tribulation God Riddle, Heavenly Star Riddle, Tengling Riddle... Why do these thought processes, these cultivation methods carry the term 'riddle'?"

"Because they are a riddle, and can only be a riddle."

The emergence of science also requires prerequisites. It's not merely a spark of genius from an individual, but long-accumulated kindling, ignited by a genius.

On Earth, that 'kindling' includes Ancient Greek philosophy, logic, medieval equations, and the intellectual currents of the Renaissance.

In Shenzhou, Mo School's doctrines against fate, heavenly intent, Daoist's natural laws, and Mathematical Sect's studies, all stand as the 'charcoal fires' for the way of Modern.

Sea God Type lacks knowledge barriers, they could have been smooth sailing on the path ahead, yet they are stuck at the previous step.

"Sea God Type, unable to have that accumulation, because nobody can persist in their creed long enough to form their own doctrine." Mi shook her head: "Every member of my kind I know has overturned their creed and denied their statements; every doctrine I know has ultimately been abandoned by its creator."

Wang Qi frowned: "Why?"

Mi pointed at herself: "Why did I choose to appear as a human child?"

"I heard it's because... the personality is akin to a child, constantly in the personality formation stage..." Wang Qi vaguely remembered Mi mentioning this issue, but soon he was surprised: "No way..."

"This is our shortcoming. Instability," Mi said calmly, as if she wasn't talking about her own race: "We find it very difficult to adhere to a doctrine for long; maybe one day's whim will lead us to abandon our past conviction, even to meet life and death with past comrades."

"We cannot develop theories. What accompanies us is only increasingly clever, increasingly irrefutable logic, but no empirical evidence..."

Wang Qi asked: "Have you never thought of improving this situation?"

"We have thought about it. But the Sea God Type bearing this thought mostly perished." Mi's expression finally showed a touch of sadness: "We cannot stabilize our physical form; stabilization means losing the community, means death."

"When a Sea God Type believes their idea is unparalleled, that is when they head towards death. The entities inside them will coagulate, become rock, sink into the sea floor, lose vitality, ultimately becoming a fossil on the planetary rocky core."

"Underfoot, any given stone is a sediment of those late thinkers."

"You just mentioned something very true. Freedom is dancing wearing shackles, its true intent is not the ability to do whatever one wants, but the ability not to do whatever one doesn't want. Now, it's time for me to find myself a shackle." (To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)