Chapter 587 - 367: Master and Disciple Meet Again, Eternal Longevity is Not My Wish

Chapter 587: Chapter 367: Master and Disciple Meet Again, Eternal Longevity is Not My Wish

Yi Beidou seemed to have a faint guess, and his gaze gradually grew solemn.

"This Human Dao River is the convergence of the subconscious minds of all sentient beings. It carries all the thoughts and information, all the skills, insights, and Dharma Gates of human civilization from ancient times to the present. It was created by all living beings and is the most precious treasure of human civilization, but only a very small number of high-level Spirit Cultivators can harness its mysteries."

"Don’t you find this situation familiar? Ninety-nine percent of the world’s wealth is controlled by just one percent of the population. What separates those lofty beings from ordinary people isn’t just money and power, but more importantly, ’information.’"

"You want to use a calamity to usher in a new era. Is that truly possible? Yes, you could indeed sift out a group of dao-seekers in this age. They might be selfless, single-minded, and full of ideals. But what about their descendants? What about their successors?"

"Powerful technology will gradually be hoarded by later generations for their own use. The information that truly shapes humanity will be firmly grasped by a select few, used to create distinctions between people. Even the most dazzling ideals will be extinguished in this way. Because they are constrained by their times and shackled by human nature, people are not given equal opportunities."

"Public opinion and information can guide people, but they can also mislead them. Those in power can use this to twist right and wrong, obscuring the truth from the masses and thus forming an insurmountable barrier. This situation will, to the greatest extent, restrict humanity’s creativity. It will cause many people to ’drown’ in the world, ignorant of the truth, ultimately leading civilization into its next cycle."

"Are you confident you can break this barrier and guide human civilization to the next level?"

Hong Datong looked at Yi Beidou and asked.

Yi Beidou fell silent again.

He knew he couldn’t do that. He might be able to change the world, to start a new trend, but he alone was not enough to guide a civilization toward a new future.

Because his path was, by necessity, a solitary one.

"So, what’s your plan?"

Yi Beidou asked.

"I want to break the monopoly that a select few have on this Human Dao River. Using myself as a medium, I will give every sentient being in the world the ability to connect to it."

"As long as they focus on cultivating their minds, everyone will be able to browse all the wisdom of our ancestors within this river. They will be able to roam the countless wondrous realms of the Void, find the Dao and Skill that suits them, and shatter the barriers built from information. This will make opportunities for everyone as equal as possible, allowing human talent to be realized to its fullest potential, thereby ushering human civilization into a new phase of high-speed development."

"A world of great harmony across the Primordial Universe, where every sentient being is like a dragon! This is the ’Spirit Web Project’ I hope to achieve!"

Hong Datong stared into Yi Beidou’s eyes and spoke in a deep voice, his words like a thunderclap tearing through the thousand-year night of human civilization. Even Yi Beidou’s pupils constricted slightly.

"But achieving this is no easy task. Its difficulty is no less than ascending to a True Spirit. However, after years of contemplation, a rather complete plan has formed in my mind."

"First, we need a leader, a relay station. At a pivotal point in the tide of the era, at the very crest of the Human Dao River’s wave, this leader must guide and release the river’s great power. I will enter the fray in the body of a Deity, just like Siddhartha did back then. I will gather the countless wills within the Human Dao River, discard all personal desires, and leave only the foundational will of ’Great harmony in the Primordial Universe, every sentient being a dragon.’ I will transform into an unprecedented ’Giant God,’ communicating with the Human Dao River like a super-AI from humanity’s technological predictions, until I have completely mastered all of its functions."

"On this point, I possess all the Dao and Skill of my predecessor, have explored the Human Dao River for a long time, and have seized all of Lotus’s abilities and Divine Powers. I am already confident that I can achieve the initial stages of this."

"Second, fully mastering the Human Dao River is a gradual process. During this time, in order to influence reality, I cannot completely detach from a physical anchor. Therefore, I need a node in the real world—a device powerful enough to take the consciousness signals I export from the Human Dao River and broadcast them across the Earth’s surface."

"Therefore, I accepted Lotus’s invitation and once joined the Pioneer Group to promote the development of life sciences. I also scouted a suitable candidate: Beretta. He is a genius in the field of life sciences."

"He did not disappoint me. After learning of my plan a short time ago, he agreed to cooperate with me and has already completed the prototype for that device—the very ’radio’ that you saw."

"These first two steps are already in place. But what truly troubles me is actually the third step of the plan."

"And that is how to forge a ’shackle’ for this plan."

"When I become a God in the Human Dao River and the Spirit Web covers the world, there are two points of uncertainty. First, human civilization will inevitably undergo drastic changes. Humanity’s old systems will be overturned, the deck completely reshuffled. It’s hard to guarantee that some desperate madmen won’t try to drag the whole world down with them. After all, while the world’s current ’harmony weapons’ can’t destroy the Earth, they are more than enough to annihilate human civilization."

"Moreover, the consequences of such a global change are unpredictable. When that time comes, heroes and villains alike will rise, and it will surely be accompanied by demons running rampant. Especially those hidden existences. Without a power capable of suppressing the world, human civilization might instead spiral into the abyss."

"The second point is my own state. Given Siddhartha’s precedent, I cannot be certain if I, after becoming a God, can adhere to the foundational principles of the Great Dao I’ve set. If something goes wrong, it could also lead to a complete breakdown of civilization."

"If I can’t find a ’brake,’ I would rather not carry out this plan at all. Therefore, I need someone who stands at the absolute pinnacle of the era, someone who can pacify the entire world with their presence alone."

"He would be the sword hanging over everyone’s head, capable of nipping any rebellion that endangers civilization in the bud. At the same time, if something were to happen to me, he would have the power to change me... or destroy me."

"I traveled the world and met many geniuses. Perhaps, under some unseen guidance, I found you."

Hong Datong’s gaze fell upon Yi Beidou, a smile appearing on his face as if he was recalling the moment they first met.

"That day, I sensed an unprecedented eruption of Demon Nature. I rushed to the scene and saw you, covered in blood. A mere seven-year-old child who had single-handedly killed five vicious adults. You were like a Celestial Demon incarnate, a Demon Lord descended to the mortal world."

"But if you were merely a demon, you wouldn’t have been worthy of my attention. I might have even snuffed you out in your cradle to prevent you from bringing disaster to the world in the future. What truly made me take notice was what I discovered after observing you closely."

"What impressed me the most was during a subsequent eruption of your Demon Nature. You were staring at a stray cat rubbing against your leg, your eyes completely red, gasping for breath. But you still suppressed the Demon Nature within you, digging your nails deep into your own flesh and biting your lips until they bled. And even then, you were still able to gently stroke the little cat’s forehead."

"At that moment, I knew. I had perhaps found the person I was looking for."

"And you truly did not disappoint me. You were born a Celestial Demon descended to the world, with a profound Demon Nature, yet you managed to persist with the Free Heart Technique for twenty years without losing your true self, ultimately achieving freedom. Others may not know it, but I know very well that even a Spirit Cultivator like me, who has been in Cultivation for a thousand years, could not accomplish such a thing."

"So, when you achieved Ascension, I knew my plan could begin."

"I didn’t restrain your path of growth. An unprecedented being must have an unprecedented path to walk."

"Forgive me for hiding this from you for so long, but as the saying goes, ’success is born of secrecy.’ There are far too many hidden horrors in this world. Before you had fully matured, any leak of the plan could have led to irreversible consequences."

"But now, you stand at the pinnacle of this world, no longer fearing any shadows. You and I, master and disciple, can finally meet again and speak frankly about everything."

Hong Datong’s eyes held a benevolent smile, just as they had on the first day he met Yi Beidou. He slowly extended his hand toward Yi Beidou and said, "Are you willing to lend me a hand, so that we, master and disciple, can achieve an unprecedented miracle in human history, one that will be immortalized in the annals of time?"