"So much talk."

Zhu Zhengwei crushed an Immortal Herb again to brew tea. Another Immortal Herb grew anew at the window, but he ignored it and slowly opened his diary.

A fragrance of ink and books wafted over, directly following the death of Shiguang, the real emperor.

[Year 401, Ah Da's death left my heart unsettled. After attending his grand imperial funeral, I suddenly recalled another old friend, Li Su, and returned to the vassal state, the Bronze Steam Country. Li Su's descendants had already become a renowned local family, but their hearts gradually became blinded by interests, no longer a family versed in books but filled with the stench of money, losing their familial heritage.]

[Before I reached the door, I was chased away by a servant as if I were a beggar. I've seen such things many times and have long been accustomed to them. I still remember the 'Su Jian' from his home, which I taught him. At the time, I mocked him for having no martial talent, while Li Su mocked my lack of painting talent. I once used this sword skill to slay the Ocean Dominator, yet they are now using it for wrongdoing.]

[Year 421, on this day, while working as a miner in a mountain, I suddenly felt a large amount of energy descend at night. I left overnight to find where the Immortal Herb grew. It was not randomly distributed. After years of searching, I finally discovered two thousand Immortal Herbs on an island along with prehistoric human survivors in an underground shelter. They knew not from what era they came, but their genetic technology was terrifying. I chose to observe them in secret.]

[New Era 498, people discovered the existence of elves, leading to a great war among three races.]

[New Era 502, I heard news of the disappearance of Li Su's descendant, Li Su, whom I met twenty years ago while traveling back to the Bronze Kingdom. He was much like his ancestor, Li Su—kind-hearted, passionate, and exceptionally talented. I personally mentored him and named him Li Su, hoping for Li Su's descendants to return to the right path. I had a certain hope in my heart, thinking he would be a second Ah Da, to inherit his ancestral spirit... But after investigating, I found he died at the hands of the Elf Race. This strong and innocent youth didn't die from force but from trust—an invisible, cruel blade that took his life.]

Zhu Zhengwei's expression was calm as he sipped his tea and turned to the next page.

[Only then did I realize the impermanence of the world, and I had no intent for revenge. Perhaps over countless years, there was no longer any hatred in my heart. I spent a night drunk at a port tavern, not due to his death, but because, for some unknown reason, my heart grew colder, and the fire within me dissipated completely with Li Su's death.]

[New Era 503, I returned to the Fairy Forest as a researcher. This civilization had already discovered my traces and established a database on me. Yet, I have no more talent in their modification technology than I do in painting, which I am extremely unwilling to learn, for life modification ultimately violates moral principles.]

[New Era 604, after a hundred years, I returned to the Fairy Forest to find they had grown increasingly frantic, but it was an ordered, premeditated frenzy. They failed in their third attempt to breach the world border membrane. I couldn't help but reveal myself and began conversing with the head of their civilization.]

The man, said to be born a sage inheriting prehistoric memories, was unsurprised at my arrival. Beneath a Tree of Life at the gene pool, we engaged in a profound dialogue significant enough to influence the entire future of human history. I chose to record this conversation.

Zhang Zhi: "Disguised as Natural Elves, former humans, why are you so fixated on the world beyond? There is already enough within the world for you to survive."

Leader: "I come from another civilization, and I have my own values and beliefs. Humans are not beasts that can stop at merely surviving; a forest is enough for peace."

"Through continuous research in cellular biology, we found that in every moment, countless cells in humans shatter and regenerate; indeed, we are embarrassingly insignificant and laughable, and we will eventually die."

"So we modified genes, modifying many beastmen, amidst outbreaks of genetic diseases, we opened God's door with hardship. Yet we realized a more frightening fact: all cells, genes, everything internal to life is doomed to perish. No life endures forever."

Zhang Zhi: "Indeed, for the world, even time does not exist; time is merely a measure humans use to gauge the sufficiency of life's length."

Leader: "Our civilization fell into greater despair. Even if we ceased to be frail humans, blending with plant cells and other life forms, we still feel the limitations of life, an endless despair."

Zhang Zhi asked: "Have you tried enhancing the spiritual path rather than just focusing on the physical body?"

Leader: "That is far too long, not reachable by gene modification. Cultivation requires gradual exploration, discovery, and accumulation step by step, which we are unwilling to wait for. So we attempted to leave this world, perhaps beyond the world lies the eternal truth, beyond this narrow world exists the truth of life."

"In these years, we have completely confirmed and discovered a terrifying truth: the world is conscious, and the entire world you see might be the creation of a higher-dimensional life!"

"Like an experimental zoo we domesticate, as long as it is large enough and diverse enough, the animals will believe they live in the real wilderness. Who would imagine such a vast cage?"

Zhang Zhi asked: "Does your civilization believe that humans of our era are imprisoned within a cage constructed by some higher-dimensional creature? Watching us at any time, overlooking the world in a box?"

Leader: "Yes, with our continued study, border exploration, environment survey, underground and water quality... We are increasingly certain that we are most likely just a microscopic civilization in a petri dish, or we are a civilization that has erred, imprisoned as slaves in a small world, under the silent observation of a warden from a higher-scale macrocivilization, whom we can never perceive."

Zhang Zhi said: "So your civilization chose to keep trying to break through the world border membrane?"

Leader: "Our civilization seeks freedom, desires coexistence with the sun, moon, mountains, and rivers, all beings free."

Boom!

With that, the words fell like a thunderclap on a clear day.

The Immortal Herbs stared blankly at the deity with a tear mole reading this book, the last few short lines, each like peeling back the curtain of a recently ended era of civilization.

"He, he! Sure enough, he's here!" Even Zheng Weiwei who had just entered was left in shock, watching this scene, the hazy man with a tear mole quietly drinking tea in the room.

She hurriedly calmed herself, joining the excited discussions of her novice companions beside her, as if watching a movie plot unfold.

"The dialogue is astonishing."

"For the sake of freedom, everything can be forsaken!"

"Indeed, from beginning to end, 'Within the World' is an epic story circling around the pursuit of immortality and freedom by successive civilizations within the world."

"Yes, now looking back, we see only a partial picture! Only involved in the creation of little elves, we never saw their other grand plans, to break the world, only learning after the fall of a nation, feeling both regret and fascination!"

What they saw in front of them showed what this race was truly doing, only feeling oppressed by fate, oppressed by the world, terrified that their life might be a puppet and plaything, evoking a suffocating need to seek the truth.

At this time, turning the pages, Zhu Zhengwei suddenly opened his eyes.

"Is there such dialogue, truly a frightening civilization."

His heart was calm,

"Though I knew they discovered abnormalities in this narrow world long ago..."

"However, I didn't expect they'd theorize to such an extent, this civilization even conducted various deep tests, attempting to resist in any possible way."

Zhu Zhengwei slowly glanced out at the blurry sky and rain outside the window, his gaze profound as if seeing the world beyond, towards the direction of the ancient ruins where the Demon Ancestor was sealed, "But, so what?"

"I've never cared."

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