Chapter 363

Eight Immortals? Traveling east?

Although the plot is very serious, Lin Liu this guy occasionally comes up with some abstract antics, which still makes Zhao Si a bit troubled: following the previous "Eight Banners", another fresh abstract antic has emerged—soul‑crossing into an old cripple plus the Eight Immortals, it's hard not to suspect this was designed……

However, compared to the antics, Zhao Si is still more concerned about his plot development.

"Obviously, Lin Liu has temporarily given up on a perfect clear!"

This is a no‑solution solution, after all a perfect clear has no clue, and even now he's still stuck on that bug, unable to advance or retreat.

To let the Primordial Wilderness exist, Lin Liu as this 'anchor point' would need to descend from the dream realm into the Primordial Wilderness, but Lin Liu obviously lacks this ability, and all his attempts have ended in failure.

Thus, the disappointed Lin Liu can only stay in the dream realm and try to make the dream‑world's inhabitants live as well as possible.

"If he merely wants to make the dream realm a prosperous age of peace, then the problem is actually quite simple……"

Zhao Si seriously reasoned: "Because in his previous life Lin Liu already served as a shogun‑grand general who ruled the world, his experience and ability are more than enough; as long as he wants, governing the world poses no problem."

To be honest, in the previous simulation Lin Liu had actually already figured out the path to peace: for example, limiting population, for example, reducing the excessive binding of people and gods, letting mortals rely solely on technological power to become self‑sufficient.

Although the 'falseness' of the dream world imposes an upper limit on technology, if mortals could truly reach that limit, productivity could be many times higher than now; at least under reasonable population control and resource distribution policies, maintaining a prosperous age of peace would pose no problem at all.

The main reason Lin Liu's previous life walked the path of self‑destruction was that, in the early stage of incomplete information, he bound mortals and true gods too deeply.

By the time problems were discovered later, it was already too late to change course, so he could only give up on himself……

But in this life, as long as he avoids those landmines he already stepped on, the dream realm can achieve the prosperous age Lin Liu originally envisioned!

"But the Lin Liu of today is no longer the original Lin Liu…… the more he knows, the further he is from his original ideal and mindset……"

When he didn't know that the Eternal Primordial Wilderness was blocked by himself, Lin Liu could happily work on a prosperous age in the dream, but once he learned the truth, his mindset could never be as good again.

But having said that, mindset is one thing, life is another.

In the simulation game, the standard for judging the final ending is always just one thing: whether the protagonist achieves immortality, while specific accomplishments only affect the ending's rating! Therefore, theoretically, if Lin Liu is willing to live a lifetime in the dream and completely forget the existence of the Eternal Primordial Wilderness, that also counts as clearing the game……

"Could the ending of chapter four be like this?"

Zhao Si felt a bit hesitant.

He isn't particularly concerned about the life or death of the Eternal Primordial Wilderness, just as Patriarch Bodhi doesn't care about the dream realm—Bodhi is the dreamer, he has no duty to worry about the fate of dream characters, because a dream is inherently false, a figment of his imagination.

And as a game player, Zhao Si is of a higher order than Patriarch Bodhi; whether it's the dream realm or the Eternal Primordial Wilderness, they are merely a text‑based simulation game he plays, and if it weren't for the profound lesson Jiao Ming gave him, he would never bother caring about the game's characters at all.

So, if Lin Liu really intends to be content with this state, Zhao Si won't blame him—after all, it doesn't matter, the protagonist just needs to be happy! But he ultimately went through Jiao Ming's lesson……

"System, is it really impossible for Lin Liu to anchor the Eternal Primordial Wilderness by his own strength?"

Zhao Si couldn't help but ask.

"No matter how you say it, the Eternal Primordial Wilderness has so many people; if we abandon it……"

【Cannot.】

【From the moment he was born in the dream realm, he became part of the dream; to him the Eternal Primordial Wilderness does not exist, so he cannot use his own power to reach a place that does not exist.】

The System's blunt honesty completely shattered Zhao Si's illusion.

The Official itself certified it—can't go, can't go! The disappointed Zhao Si pondered again: "What about Houzi's cultivation? Can it truly turn the false into the real, becoming an anchor point like Lin Liu?"

The biggest problem now is that the Eternal Wasteland lacks an "anchor point"; if Patriarch Bodhi's plan truly succeeds, then the monkey can, through his "marvelous cultivation method", train himself into a new "anchor point" independent of the game system! And if the monkey succeeds, it will naturally be able to go to the Eternal Wasteland, at which point it can stay in a world alone with Lin Liu, perfectly achieving the best of both worlds...

But unfortunately:

【Cannot.】

【Because it is essentially not a true anchor point, no amount of practice will help, just as a sage can never truly create something from nothing, and the monkey can never truly turn false into true; all such self‑righteous actions are merely wasted effort.】Another official certification from the system once again shattered Zhao Si's glimmer of hope.

"Well…"

Zhao Si wanted to speak but held back; it seemed there was indeed no hope for a better development trend.

【In the 135th year of the Dashun era, you sent the monkey to Lingtai Fangcun Shan and instructed it to diligently study Patriarch Bodhi's marvelous cultivation method… Although you didn't really expect it to achieve anything, since Patriarch Bodhi said so, you could only let it try.】

【Without the monkey, your original plan to swiftly sweep the world also lost its foundation...】

【But you did not give up on saving the world's populace; instead, you pressed on.】

【Without the monkey's help as a cheat, if you wanted to cleanse the world's chaos, you could only farm and develop bit by bit; lacking strength, you would accumulate strength—though it would take a long time, this is currently the only way.】

【However, you did not directly return to the Southern Continent to replay your previous life's power‑seizing operation, because times have changed; in this life the Southern Continent is filled with true gods everywhere—if you went there, you would have virtually no room to develop and would easily be ganged up on and beaten to death...】

【So you chose to develop locally, taking advantage of everyone being in the Southern Continent making dumplings, you directly incarnated as a Blood God Son immortal in Xiniu Hezhou and started playing a bullying‑newbies game.】

【As an "ancient god", fighting those wild gods of Xiniu Hezhou was just like beating up AI opponents; under a strategy of suppressing and appeasing, your power grew rapidly.】

【In just fifteen years, you not only re‑cultivated back to the true‑god realm but also seized all of Xiniu Hezhou!】

【But even with such a huge haul, you couldn't single‑handedly clear the Southern Continent, so you again established the "new Heavenly Court"...】

【In the 150th year of the Dashun era, after unifying Xiniu Hezhou, you selected seven of your subordinate wild gods to form the ruling core, collectively called the "Eight Immortals", and established a complete governmental organization!】

【And as your endeavors flourished, your subjects began the classic urging to take the throne...】

【However, this region differs from the Southern Continent's customs and culture; Xiniu Hezhou has never been truly unified, its rulers neither call themselves emperor nor sovereign, and each state has its own title for its monarch.】

【So the titles they bestowed upon you are rather a mixed bag...】

【"General, according to our country's customs, you should be called Pasha!"】

【"General! You should be called Sultan!"】

【"General! You should be called Augustus!"】

【"…"】

【Although you have always been reluctant to call yourself emperor, the titles of Xiniu Hezhou are not imperial, so you accepted them rather smoothly, waving your hand: "I'll take them all!"】

【Thus, in the first year of the new Heavenly Court, you were formally crowned as: "Pasha", "Sultan", "Augustus", "Consul", "First Citizen", "King of Kings", "Pharaoh", "Great Khan"...】

【In order to fully win over the people's hearts, you accommodated their customs as much as possible, and thus everyone rejoiced!】

【However, because you did not use the Blood God Son on a large scale against mortals, popular support for you is not wholehearted; many people, while they dare not openly defy you, often mock you in private.】

【They seized on your limp and mocked you as the "lame Sultan"...】

【But these are trivial matters; you see them, yet you have no intention of pursuing them.】

In the first year of the New Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Court's Pasha Lin clan ascended the throne; as soon as they ascended, you announced that you would carry out a great leap forward on the backward productivity of Xiniu Hezhou!

Amid everyone's bewilderment, you began to implement the policy: using incense divine power to guide and upgrade the people's productivity, striving to raise it by one level every five years!

At your command, Xiniu Hezhou launched a grand industrial revolution.

Having learned the lessons of your past life, you intend to rely solely on mortal strength to create a truly peaceful and prosperous age, free of unpaid oppression and divine-power bondage!

……

(End of chapter)