The universe is vast and boundless. Even light would take millions of years to complete a journey across it. Compared to this, human life is so brief and insignificant. Yet, despite this brevity and smallness, humanity has gradually uncovered the secrets of the universe and begun to hear its sounds through the continuous transmission of civilization and unceasing exploration.
On one of the blue and green planets within this universe, inside a heavily guarded research institute, super photonic computers were operating at high speed, interconnected, flashing with lights, and exuding a sci-fi aura.
The researchers watched nervously, instinctively holding their breath so as not to disturb the super photonic computers.
This was a crucial computation, involving humanity’s effort to transcend its brief and insignificant existence and evolve into higher life forms.
They had discovered some inexplicable anomalies on a primitive planet within the ninth stellar system of the left spiral arm of the 1596th galactic system in the Seventh Super Galactic Cluster, which seemed to exceed their civilization’s understanding. These anomalies were suspected to be remnants of an ancient alien civilization from millions of years ago.
These anomalies were statues resembling human forms. They blended seamlessly with the primitive environment. Though each statue had a unique appearance, they seemed to share intricate connections, as if they were different faces of the same existence. Their bizarre and terrifying characteristics almost made the well-educated exploration team question whether they had encountered ghosts or were being watched by deities.
After some research, they were delighted to discover that all these anomalies originated from higher life forms. This was a field many scientists were tirelessly exploring: the ancient alien civilization, for unknown reasons millions of years ago, had encountered higher life forms and worshipped them as deities. These human-like statues were manifestations of the higher life forms in different situations and places, embodying their essential characteristics and possessing immeasurable value for current research.
It was as if humanity’s understanding of higher life forms was initially only rudimentary, with vague formulas, while these statues were like equations. By solving the unknowns in these equations, one could reconstruct the formulas to accurately describe higher life forms. Thus, the computation began. As more statues were unearthed, the likelihood of obtaining results significantly increased. After a long period, it seemed that success was now within reach.
The photonic computers operated rapidly, lights flashing, faces of the researchers alternating between brightness and darkness, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Gradually, the super photonic computers emitted a buzzing sound, and the display screens turned blindingly white.
“Are we getting results?” The researchers held their breath, waiting for the emergence of a landmark moment in the history of civilization.
But at that moment, a thunderous sound rang out, the super photonic computers violently trembled, and then collapsed.
The researchers stared in shock, their eyes vacant, like stone statues. They had expected not to obtain conclusions, but they never imagined that the super photonic computers would self-destruct due to exceeding their limits!
All computations were in vain.
“Can’t even the most advanced super photonic computer handle this computation?” The researchers exclaimed in astonishment and sighed.
“Perhaps the conditions are not sufficient, lacking a key point,” someone pondered with a frown.
It seemed this research would have to be temporarily suspended.
Inside the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain, Meng Qi also sighed deeply with regret. His attempt to open the door to legends through the scientific path had failed. He still needed to honestly break through the barrier of “Who I Am.”
While mentally traversing myriad worlds, he discovered a highly advanced civilization in this universe that had already gained a vague understanding of higher life forms, or what they called legends. Thus, he forged relics, leaving behind stone carvings representing his different “other self-images,” to aid this civilization’s research. As more “other self-images” were established and “Primordial Projections” were absorbed, more carvings would be unearthed, until reaching nine hundred and ninety-nine.
Meng Qi hoped that this civilization could solve the mystery of legends by “solving the equations of other selves” in combination with their research theories, enabling him to directly grasp the detailed state after attaining legend and bypassing the barrier of “Who I Am,” thus directly ascending to legend.
Unfortunately, perhaps this universe’s civilization was not yet advanced enough, and their efforts ended in failure.
“If the essence of legends were so easily grasped, they would have already been mass-produced…” Meng Qi muttered with a shake of his head, flicked his robe, and rose from the cloud bed, wearing a cyan Taoist robe and a wooden hairpin.
He planned to search for more advanced research-oriented civilizations using fragments of the Heavenly Mirror while traveling to seek opportunities to break through the barrier of “Who I Am.”
The aura of the Absolute Blade spread, transforming into purple electric snakes that merged into Meng Qi’s palm, concealing his aura and heavenly secrets.
With one step, Meng Qi quietly left the Jade Void Palace on Kunlun Mountain and arrived at the Huamei Villa.
This was the first step in his journey—to engage in a face-to-face discussion with Master Lu about the question of “Who I Am.”
Meng Qi had considered sealing his memories and powers, immersing himself in the mundane world, and reliving another life to find the answer to “Who I Am,” similar to the Night Emperor’s “Thousand Faces and Ten Thousand Lifetimes Cultivation Method,” but even more extreme. He would not seek others to serve himself, but rather find the truth of “Who I Am” through various experiences.
“Who am I, and who is me?” This was the question that the Green Emperor had been asking after forgetting his own identity, and it would also be the question he hoped to understand after sealing his memories and powers.
Perhaps in the future, the myriad worlds would see a mad Taoist wandering around, asking everyone, “Who am I, and who is me?”
This method was dangerous and time-consuming, making it his last resort if he hoped to break through within a few years. Therefore, he first sought to consult Master Lu, who had chosen the most difficult and purest path.
At their current level, sometimes even the dialogue through the Myriad Worlds Communication Talisman could not fully convey all meanings. The great Dao was difficult to describe; words had limits, but meaning was boundless. When the Buddha twirled a flower, Kashyapa smiled—there had been no words exchanged.
The connection of aura, the nuances in every action, and the feelings conveyed through various factors all emerged from face-to-face conversation.
At the grass hut behind the Huamei Villa, Master Lu, who had been injured by the invasion of legendary aura, was wearing a gray robe and meticulously watering the exotic flowers and rare plants. The “Ice Fairy” Ye Yuqi was not by his side, as she had found an opportunity in the cycle and entered the Dreaming Universe to reenact her life and perfect her mind to attain the Dharma Body.
Master Lu’s aura was still unstable, revealing the might of legends. Upon sensing Meng Qi’s arrival, he still insisted on completing the watering motion before slowly lifting his head and nodding slightly, “You’ve come about the question of ‘Who I Am?'”
“Senior, you see through it all,” Meng Qi chuckled, clasped his hands in greeting, casually sat cross-legged on the ground, and spoke openly, “I have three questions.”
“My first question is about Chrono Shards. When a split occurs in time, due to different possible futures each forming a separate world, those below the level of legend inevitably differentiate, producing new ‘other selves.’ So, without knowing which world is real and which lacks legends, how can one distinguish ‘Who I Am’ when the past, personality, experiences, preferences, and emotions are entirely the same?”
The “other selves” within Chrono Shards were essentially duplicates, making it difficult to distinguish them and shaking one’s unique self-awareness. If I can be “me,” so can he.
Master Lu put down his watering tools, sat cross-legged inside the grass hut, and looked toward his wife’s grave beside him, pondering for a moment before saying, “His ‘me’ is not your ‘me,’ just as your self-awareness is not the same as the Demon Buddha’s.”
“Once a split occurs, due to the fundamental degradation within Chrono Shards, the connection with the Dao changes. Thus, the ‘other selves’ will naturally have slight differences in their true nature compared to yours. Wait and watch. After five or ten years, distinctions will gradually emerge.”
“The unique past is an important factor in making you who you are, but not the only factor. It’s like the root and trunk of a plant, which can grow into two different leaves.”
Meng Qi nodded thoughtfully. Since the Chrono Shards would differ from the real world, and considering his involvement with legends beyond that level, even if “other selves” were created, the differences in the environment would lead to distinctions, not shaking his unique self-awareness.
He lightly tapped his left hand with his right and spoke again, “My second question: If a powerful being copies your true soul and creates a world identical to yours in every way, giving that copy exactly the same experiences as you—no more, no less—how can you maintain your uniqueness?”
The conditions required to accomplish such a feat are extremely stringent, bordering on fantastical, yet beings like the Transcendent exist who can nearly defy logic and accomplish such feats, just like Meng Xiaoqi on Earth.
Failing to comprehend this point would inevitably lead to self-loss and failure when attaining legend.
Master Lu, who had chosen the path of “non-reliance on others” to achieve uniqueness, had given much thought to similar issues. Without hesitation or pause, he smiled gently and said, “This is the issue of ‘a single thought’s deviation.'”
“Buddhism speaks of true thusness, while Daoism refers to innate nature—they are speaking of the same thing: the innate spiritual essence untouched by acquired influences, unaffected by experiences or constrained by techniques. It originates from the Dao, aligns with the Dao, and is unique. Even the most powerful being cannot truly replicate this innate true thusness, or else there would be no barrier of ‘Who I Am’ in attaining legend.”
“Even if the past is the same, even if the true soul is identical, even if all the preceding causes perfectly align, a slight difference in true thusness will lead to a deviation in a single thought when dealing with a certain matter in the future, thus creating a distinction.”
“This is my humble opinion, not necessarily accurate. You must judge for yourself.”
Pausing for a moment, Master Lu continued, “In fact, you are already unique. You have severed the ties of the past, with no ‘other selves’ and no future rebirths. If this isn’t uniqueness, then what is?”
“Even if another you emerges, identical in every way, what does that have to do with you? Is that your ‘other self’? Your past? Your future rebirth?”
Meng Qi was momentarily stunned, and the hand tapping his left hand abruptly stopped, as if struck by a sudden realization.
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