Chapter 554: Inside the world

Putting those matters aside, Li Shiwei is currently in the midst of her own adventure.

She had no choice but to take risks, because what she wanted was something like 'civilization history,' which is extremely important in any civilization.

The development history of an entire civilization, its secrets, and the biographies of all famous people—these things are not easily collected; in fact, it takes considerable effort for a civilization itself to compile them.

Only then did Shi Wei realize how extravagant her past self had been, and how precious the thousands of civilization histories she had spent over a decade reading truly were.

However, to find commonalities, the history of civilization is essential.

Therefore, she formulated a plan: she intended to conceal her identity, secretly establish her own force, and use this hidden, secret power to travel to various nations of this world, piecing together the civilization history of this world from subtle clues.

This process cannot be too ostentatious; her current identity is that of an extraterrestrial invader, and she has already disturbed the native powerhouses of this world, so she cannot be too arrogant.

A group of Rank Seven powerhouses would kill her, so she still needs to act cautiously and humble herself.

Therefore, establishing a secret force must be put on the agenda.

The first priority is to find a few suitable subordinates, making them the highest-ranking visible presences within the organization, as if it were a local force beginning to develop.

And as for how to scout for subordinates…

She still remembered many stories her father told her when she was a child, which could now be put to use.

It was the third month since she arrived in this world.

Inside a research institute in the center of a kingdom's capital.

The research institutes here are the forces of the cultivators in this world, and in Li Shiwei's understanding, they are similar to 'Dao Orthodoxy.'

Throughout the world, they are called Dao Orthodoxy, but in some smaller, more unsophisticated places, such forces are called 'Schools.'

In any case, they are more or less the same thing: a group of people gathered for common goals, whether to band together for survival or because of shared aspirations, and they typically share distinct characteristics.

These research institutes are generally centered around a Senior Instructor, because according to the laws of the kingdom, only a Senior Instructor can establish their own research institute.

Since they are called instructors, there must be students below them; a Senior Instructor, accompanied by a few lower-Rank assistant instructors, and then some 'apprentices,' forms the main structure of a research institute.

This type of organization is quite strict, so there are fewer people, and it largely follows the master-apprentice Legacy, where apprentices almost unconditionally obey their instructors in exchange for learning opportunities.

And the content of their learning is also very simple: they learn cultivation methods, or, as this world calls it, 'Truth.'

The natives of this world believe that they are learning the Truth of the world, and they are those who approach the Truth; their power, those abilities to shatter mountains and split seas, are brought about by approaching the Truth.

Of course, in Li Shiwei's view, they are actually just systematically learning spells; apart from those 'Instructors,' no one else has even caught a glimpse of the 'Dao,' being solely fixated on minor techniques.

However, for the local natives, these minor techniques are their extraordinary powers and the foundation of their livelihood.

At this moment, Li Shiwei quietly appeared within a research institute, eluding the eyes of almost everyone.

She and the stone had already investigated; the primary research topic of this institute was 'God.'

Of course, their native language certainly doesn't phrase it that way, but that's roughly the meaning.

Their 'Gods' are actually native deities who have received the faith of the indigenous people and inadvertently shaped their golden bodies; such 'Gods' are common throughout the myriad realms, but they are still quite rare in this particular world.

Especially in this world, the emphasis on 'God' is simply unparalleled.

As mentioned before, this world has two Dao Orthodoxys that focus on spells: one pursues Truth, and the other is similar to a combination of primitive Shaman Dao and primitive divine Dao.

Correspondingly, there are research institutes and another religious organization, and the two have been at odds, secretly contending for a long time.

Li Shiwei is very familiar with this kind of contention.

Dao disputes, indeed.

The research objective of this institute is to decipher the mysteries of 'God'; their research topic is how 'God' is born.

For the natives, having such awareness is already quite remarkable.

And this idea is also why Li Shiwei likes it.

And Li Shiwei wants to be this 'God.'

Anyway, in terms of cultivation, she is no different from a God to these people.

——————

Lu De is an 'apprentice' at the research institute.

Apprentice and Instructor are classifications on the path of Truth; apprentice means you are still learning, while being an Instructor means you have reached the boundary of everyone's knowledge, and every step Instructors take is creating new history.

Therefore, an Instructor's knowledge is original; almost every Instructor has their own unique skills and understanding of Truth, while apprentices can only follow their Instructor step by step, learning the knowledge that the Instructor has already created.

And a Senior Instructor signifies that you are an outstanding individual among Instructors, having far surpassed other Instructors.

Of course, this is the natives' perspective.

From Li Shiwei's perspective, apprentices are unranked, instructors are Rank Nine, and most Senior Instructors are top-tier among Rank Nine, with a very small number being true Rank Eight.

As for Rank Seven, those are the top existences in this world, probably not many, and very difficult to encounter.

Returning to Lu De.

This is a diligent young man, and the most talented young person in the entire research institute, possessing an extraordinary experimental intuition and an excellent grasp of Truth.

Unfortunately, he is a poor boy from the countryside.

An assistant instructor at the research institute, a kind old man with the title of Instructor, brought Lu De from the countryside and sponsored his studies there, also giving him many work opportunities.

However, his funds were still barely enough to support long-term study, as experimental consumables were quite expensive, and due to his background, he did not get along well with his other classmates.

It's not that his classmates bullied him; after all, everyone was there to learn Truth, so there wasn't any idiotic situation where they would suppress him because he was talented and poor.

They just had good backgrounds, and they weren't idiots; why would they intentionally make enemies?

So, it was simply that they couldn't relate.

His classmates talked about balls, operas, and fine wines imported from other countries.

How could he possibly join in such conversations?

Since they couldn't connect… their relationship naturally wouldn't be very close, so he was the most reclusive person in the entire research institute; apart from the kind Instructor who brought him from the countryside, he had no friends in the entire capital.

“Jin Laoshi, these are today’s instruments, all Divine Artifacts sent from the Holy City, said to be related to the gods. Along with these instruments came news from the Holy City, reportedly… there’s been a new miracle there.”

An old man in a luxurious robe looked up and adjusted his monocle: “A new miracle? Like those faint lights from before?”

“No, it’s said that during a large ceremony, the statue of the god came to life… and then vanished without a trace, it ran away.”

“Ran away?!” The old man called Jin Laoshi widened his eyes: “Where did it go?!”

“I don’t know.” Lu De shook his head: “But it’s already considered a miracle. The Holy City has decided to record this ceremony and spread its tale widely.”

Jin Laoshi nodded, stood up, and began pacing the room: “Then it seems it’s real. Put the equipment over there. Since there’s a new miracle, and such a significant one, it means communication with the gods is indeed effective. We just haven’t found that specific point yet, but the direction is correct.”

Lu De, the shy young boy, nodded and then asked: “Also… Jin Laoshi, you said, is it possible for a human soul to exist independently of the body? I’m not talking about ghosts or spirits, but a living soul.”

“Well… in the current stage of research, it is possible. Why? Have you encountered a problem in your studies? A question about the soul?” Jin Laoshi looked up, somewhat curious.

This question is not often heard.

“No, I just had a thought: what is the difference between a deity and such a living soul?” Lu De asked.

“That’s an interesting line of thought. You can publish an introduction, but until a living soul is found, it can only be considered an introduction, not a true discovery.” Jin Laoshi said.

“I understand.” Lu De said, lowering his head.

However, though his head was bowed, Lu De’s expression suddenly became extremely distorted.

This distortion was caused by a strong emotional impact, where shock, ecstasy, worry, fear, and other thoughts all erupted in an instant; in other words, he had intense emotions but didn't know what expression to make, so he could only lower his head to conceal his feelings, lest others see them.

Then, he forcibly suppressed his emotions and said in a normal voice, “Then I’ll be going now, Jin Laoshi.”

The old man didn’t notice anything amiss: “Study hard. With your talent, it’s very possible to obtain Instructor qualification within fifteen years. Don’t worry too much about current gains and losses; the future is still long.”

“Oh, and also, you’ve made rapid progress these past few days and proposed many useful ideas. They’re all excellent. I won’t take credit for your work. I’ve already written a report to the Senior Instructor, and your commendation should be finalized in two months. Keep up the good work.”

“I understand, thank you, Jin Laoshi.” Lu De bowed very seriously, then turned and left.

Just as he walked out of the research institute, in the hallway entrance, he suddenly clutched his chest, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, using this method to calm his heartbeat.

At this moment, his chest spoke.

“Your teacher is quite good. You see, his words have proven everything I said. Now do you believe it? I am a true Senior Instructor. When I still had a body, I was far stronger than all the Senior Instructors in any research institute here. Look at the commendation you received… I only needed a few words to get you the commendation you’ve dreamed of.”

“With this commendation, you can apply for more experimental resources, right? Is my sincerity enough?” A voice, audible only to Lu De, came from his chest.

“...I don’t know if you’re lying to me.” Lu De gritted his teeth.

“I don’t want to argue about something as unclear as deception. I just want to tell you that meeting you is my opportunity, and you meeting me is also your opportunity. Don’t waste your luck. If you don’t want to believe me, then throw me away. I don’t have much power left, so I can’t say too much.” The voice from his chest said.

Lu De was silent for a moment, then said, “To let you keep talking… how much energy do you need?”

“All of those energy crystals you have left, the ones stripped from Demonic Beasts, all of them, will be enough for me to remain awake for two or three more months.” The voice from his chest said.

“That much?! Do you know how long I’ve saved those crystals?! That’s all my savings!” Lu De exclaimed in astonishment.

“Knowledge is priceless, Truth is priceless, isn’t it?” The voice from his chest continued.

“How far can you help me go?” Lu De asked again, his fingers trembling slightly.

And the voice from his chest remained as calm as ever.

Because he knew very well that when Lu De asked, “How much energy do you need?” the young man had already made up his mind.

So, the voice said, “How far you can go has nothing to do with me; how far you can go is the result of your own efforts. But what I can tell you is that I am a Senior Instructor, and I need you to help me reshape a body.”

After speaking, the voice from his chest stopped, because Lu De had already walked out the door, left the research institute, and arrived on the street.

Lu De walked down the street in a daze, his apprentice robe attracting many gazes; passersby looked at him with expressions of reverence and fear, parting to let him pass, not daring to block his way.

Then, as he walked, he suddenly encountered another classmate wearing an apprentice robe; the other person also seemed to be heading to the research institute.

It was a noble and handsome aristocrat, tall and upright, with dazzling platinum blonde hair.

Lu De was originally very conspicuous, but compared to the other person, he looked like an ugly duckling.

The two merely brushed past each other, not even exchanging greetings.

There was no need; they weren't close anyway. The other person acted as if they hadn't seen Lu De, walking straight past him.

Lu De, like the other person, didn't even glance sideways.

However, after they had passed each other, Lu De suddenly clutched his chest.

On his chest, there was… a strangely shaped jade pendant, which didn’t look like it belonged to this world at all.

Clutching the jade pendant, Lu De suddenly stopped, his fingers tightly clenched, veins bulging.

Then, he said, “I agree…”

The jade pendant also emitted a voice, calmly saying, “Deal.”

(Had a wisdom tooth extracted, impacted tooth, dizzy and brain-dead, in excruciating pain, trying my best not to stop updating.)