Chapter 724: Unity and solution

When Li Qi awoke from his Epiphany, his understanding of the world had advanced another level.

He had already realized that the world, at its Origin, inherently possessed both “subjective” and “objective” aspects.

The Origin of the world, whatever it actually was, simultaneously produced conscious reality and physical reality.

This was the reason for the emergence of two levels: pure spirit and pure matter.

The so-called subjective and objective were, in fact, two sides of the same Origin.

All objective things inevitably possessed subjectivity, because all ‘objective’ things must pass through subjective consciousness to be known.

And all subjective things inevitably possessed objectivity, because your own subjectivity, in the eyes of other subjectivities, was also an objective thing; other people’s subjective thoughts were essentially objectively existing, unaffected by your subjective consciousness.

All “objects” in the world had both a physical reality and a spiritual entity.

Anything in this Universe, anything at all, included both material attributes and conscious attributes.

This answer might not be correct, but at least all phenomena Li Qi had observed so far could corroborate this point: that matter and spirit were interdependent and mutually influential.

The world could be said to be a “multi-natured unit”; it was neither matter nor consciousness itself, but simultaneously possessed both attributes.

In Li Qi’s view at this moment, matter and consciousness did not exist separately, but were two attribute dimensions composed of the same basic substance.

It was like “a red apple” having both the attribute of being an apple in shape and the attribute of being red in color. These two must exist simultaneously in the concept of “a red apple.”

This world was like “a red apple”; red and apple could coexist, so spirit and matter were not in conflict, nor were they opposite.

Therefore, subjectivity and objectivity were inherently unified and indivisible; objectivity existed within subjectivity. You must first observe this world, and then the ‘objective’ world would appear. At the same time, your own subjectivity was also the objectivity of other subjectivities. Under relativity, the two subtly merged into one.

Unless you, like the Heavenly Demon, denied the existence of all other subjectivities and only acknowledged your own, this theory could hold true, just as the Spirit Dao relied on others to confirm its own existence.

But Li Qi did not approve of the Demonic Dao, so now, he had solved a major problem for himself.

It was too smooth, so smooth that he himself couldn't believe it.

However, he looked back and the Shaman God’s gaze was still present.

So Li Qi relaxed; at least for now, he had not been manipulated by Karma, nor had he been subjected to retrospective arrangements.

It should just be good luck.

Li Qi opened his eyes.

It was an unexpected gain, he supposed.

Thinking this, he looked at the nearby Mother Nest and asked, “How long has it been?”

The Mother Nest respectfully emitted mental fluctuations, conveying the information: “Fifteen days, Master.”

“Oh, right, give me a small flying boat and let me go out,” Li Qi said as he got up.

“Yes,” the Mother Nest showed no resistance or doubt whatsoever, unhesitatingly arranging what Li Qi wanted.

It already knew Li Qi’s identity and that he was a great existence capable of suppressing its master.

Even in the entire Illusion-Reality Domain, there were not many who could stand as equals with this one…

Li Qi didn't say much either; he was still under a Seal, so he couldn't fly for long outside. It was better to use a flying boat.

He quickly arrived outside and found that this world-class giant ship was still ‘refueling’; it must have found a new world after abandoning the Advancement Alliance.

He looked up at the sky, calculated the distance based on the relative positions of the Illusion-Reality Domain and these star maps, and then Li Qi prepared to leave.

He intended to return to the Advancement Alliance, after all, theoretically, the rabbit was still there, and he was still under a Seal that he couldn't undo himself.

Besides, his main task for the Seal was not yet complete.

Although the unexpected gain led to a new understanding of the world’s first principle, the real problem he needed to solve was still unresolved.

Sometimes it was like this: accidents always accompanied one. What one wanted was nowhere to be found, but some things one didn't originally want came effortlessly.

Life was unpredictable, who could foresee?

After all, what he truly wanted to solve was the problem of his perspective and the old turtle mentality brought by the extraordinary life of a long-lived being. That was his initial goal. As for the first principle problem, though much more important, he hadn’t really demanded it.

Now that the problem of the first principle was solved, he still felt that in the rapidly changing world of the Advancement Alliance, he could best achieve the results he desired and restore his sense of time there.

Just as he was about to step on the gas and speed towards the Advancement Alliance, the communication in the flying boat suddenly rang.

Li Qi picked it up and said, “Hmm? Who is this?”

“It’s me,” Shou Yu’s voice came from inside.

It had to be said, although this Martial Artist seemed overbearing, in reality, his interactions with Li Qi were very polite. Li Qi had not yet discovered his ‘overlord’ side.

Oh, actually, he had already discovered it: the predatory behavior of this world-class giant ship and its complete contempt for the weak.

As a Martial Artist, Shou Yu had absolutely no respect for life. For him, these ordinary worlds, and even the five civilizations that followed him, might all be disposable objects.

Only existences like Li Qi could earn his respect and receive the treatment he currently enjoyed.

It was somewhat similar to the Human Dao, but there was still a difference, because the Human Dao respected humans, those who had transcended low-level interests, the true ‘humans’.

Whereas what a Martial Artist respected was only the strong.

“Hmm? What is it?” Li Qi was a little curious; their conversation should have ended already.

“Do you have any connection with that world? I see your direction, are you planning to go back?” Shou Yu asked.

“Yes, I am preparing to go back. As for a connection… no, there isn’t, it’s just that I think going back is better,” Li Qi replied.

“Going back is better? Now that world is just ruins, how can it be ‘good’?” Shou Yu was puzzled.

He actually just wanted to ask Li Qi where he wanted to go, but he still couldn't understand why Li Qi insisted on returning to a world that was nothing but ruins.

“Perhaps… it’s precisely because it’s ruins that it’s good,” Li Qi smiled.

Shou Yu didn’t understand, but he didn’t say much, only bidding farewell to Li Qi.

There was no need to ask further. Sometimes, not understanding meant the conversation should end. Anyway, it was just temporary curiosity. Being able to befriend Li Qi this time was already a good thing. Li Qi having an Epiphany there was a Karma in itself. Building a good relationship would also be a good thing in the future.

So, after Shou Yu said goodbye, he cut off the communication spell.

Li Qi hung up, wasted no time, and immediately started the flying boat.

After several days of travel, he returned to the Advancement Alliance again.

He had just arrived when he saw a streak of light flying towards him.

It was the rabbit.

Li Qi braked, opened the flying boat’s door, and the streak of light quickly entered. The rabbit stood before Li Qi, frowning at him: “What are you up to?”

She seemed somewhat displeased, because Li Qi had suddenly told her to stay out of it, and then the Advancement Alliance exploded, and after that, Li Qi ran away!

After running away, half a month later, he came back.

It was utterly baffling! She couldn’t understand what Li Qi was doing at all.

So the rabbit was a bit angry. Although she was usually very calm, Li Qi’s recent inexplicable actions had really accelerated.

She found that Li Qi’s characteristic of ‘detachment from Mortals’ seemed to be constantly expanding, not just his sense of time, but also his way of doing things and his attitude towards everything.

Li Qi looked at Shen Shuibi, and he seemed to understand the rabbit’s current impatience.

Yes, after the fourth rank, he had become ‘more and more ethereal’.

This ethereality wasn’t an arrogance in his mindset, but rather an intrinsic ‘sense of unreality’. He acted on impulse, completely losing a sense of substance.

He was drifting, aimless, like a dandelion, or an inconspicuous stone, almost unresponsive to external stimuli, completely drifting with the current, yet not truly drifting.

He was still thinking, still had things he wanted to do, but… the way he appeared was that the outside world simply couldn’t affect him.

Boring, dry, nonsensical, as if no one could quite understand him, and he hardly displayed emotions, let alone stirred the emotions of others. He just went on blandly, completely wasting his time, letting his life flow by.

And he had an almost endless life to spend this way.

Not only was it uninteresting for those watching, but it was even more uninteresting for those around him. Even he himself found it difficult to perceive ‘interest’.

This was the so-called stone-like life; cultivation had turned him into a stone.

Called an Immortal, but what was the essential difference from a stone life? Without desires or demands, lost in thought, with no craving for the outside world, it was almost like…

Seaweed, jellyfish, or coral reefs. You say they don’t move, but they actually move quite vigorously, but if you ask what exactly moved, it seems like nothing…

If a Great Power were to watch Li Qi’s every move throughout this period, they would probably find it boring too.

Originally, the rabbit had long anticipated this situation, and she should not have been anxious. This time, she must have discovered that Li Qi’s symptoms seemed to have worsened.

Coupled with his unannounced departure and seeing the Seal on Li Qi, it began to make her anxious.

But Li Qi was unexpectedly calm at this moment. He stroked the rabbit’s head, then smiled and said, “It’s alright, it’s nothing. Just a small accident, with some extra gains, and… these gains have already given me a way to solve the problem.”

Li Qi said this, looking through the transparent cockpit at the scarred world below.

“An accident? You can still have accidents?” Shen Shuibi was puzzled.

There couldn’t be accidents for Li Qi, because he had the Shaman God’s gaze, and besides, he was a fourth-rank! Fourth-rankers had already transcended the level of being intentionally manipulated by providence, because they could, to some extent, perceive changes in their own Karma. Whether something was pushed by a big shot, they would know with a quick calculation.

So Li Qi replied, “It was a real accident, not controlled by providence. This must be luck. Alright, let’s not talk so much, let’s go down first.”

Li Qi said, piloting the flying boat, quietly passing through the world barrier.

He had been gone for more than ten days, so it was already clear that this land showed no signs of recovery.

This was… an apocalypse.

A large number of people were slaughtered and made into Blood Meat Ovum, a large number of indigenous creatures were catalyzed into monsters by the insect people, brainwashed parasitic mutants ran rampant, and the entire civilization’s order had been completely destroyed.

Under such circumstances, it would enter a state called ‘wasteland apocalypse’.

The remaining survivors scavenged the remnants of the previous civilization for survival. Previously mass-produced Patrol Officer mechs would become top-tier hard currency. Then, under these circumstances, everyone had to live for themselves, and after a long period of adaptation, establish a new order in the wasteland, gradually grow the population, slowly digest the data of the past civilization, and finally, after the efforts of several generations, barely recover to the previous state, and then plan for development again.

“This world is pretty much destroyed. The population is almost ninety-nine percent wiped out, less than one in a hundred remain. Why are you coming back in? You said you wanted to integrate into society… now there’s probably nowhere for you to integrate,” Shen Shuibi sat beside Li Qi, waiting for the flying boat to land, nagging him a little.

Even the rabbit had become naggy, which showed how much Li Qi’s attempt to integrate into society had failed this time.

“Oh, and also, the Seal on you, let’s go find Yunfang Great Shaman now, he can help you remove it. Your perspective problem, there’s absolutely no need to be so anxious—” Just as the rabbit spoke to this point, her mouth was suddenly covered by Li Qi’s outstretched finger.

“Don’t worry, I’ve already found a way. This is much faster than integrating into society,” Li Qi said.

Li Qi’s outstretched finger pressed against the rabbit’s lips, and he smiled, looking at the wasteland outside. Li Qi took out the answer he had previously thought of from his heart.

“This accident, I found the world’s first principle, so I also understood how to shape my perspective. To put it plainly, reshaping perspective isn’t that troublesome.”

“I plan to witness the Advancement Alliance’s rightful history, to let this civilization re-establish a proper society,” Li Qi said, looking at the ruins.

Shen Shuibi tilted her head.

She still didn’t understand what this had to do with reshaping perspective.

However, since Li Qi had decided, she would follow along. Anyway, for her, this period should be a vacation.

Just a few hundred years.

After that, Li Qi began his Dao.

Shen Shuibi didn’t know what this had to do with reshaping perspective, but Li Qi knew himself.

Because what he was going to do now was what Mo Long was going to do.

He was going to objectively realize the subjective, this apocalyptic wasteland, in the eyes of others in this world.

This was a classic example of another perspective. How to have more perspectives?

Very simple, experience more.

Li Qi deeply knew the thinness of his own life, and now, he was preparing to become the ‘objective’ of others, thereby strengthening his own subjectivity and filling his once empty life.

And the Advancement Alliance, now fallen into a wasteland, would be one of the best materials. This world was currently undergoing the most intense changes, even for Mortals.

Participating in such changes firsthand would allow him to experience time at its fastest.

Double update tomorrow.