Then, Meng Chao noticed that he had turned into a monster.
No, it was not one, but ten thousand different monsters.
Suddenly, he turned into an eagle with a wingspan of more than one hundred meters. He rode the wind and waves in the vast sea of clouds and watched the most dazzling sunrise and the most alluring sunset.
Suddenly, he turned into a big fish with shining golden scales and swam through the rapids. He played on a waterfall that had a drop of more than one hundred meters and sensed the terrifying impact.
Suddenly, he turned into a liger-type monster with pure-white fur. He charged through the forest like a white bolt of lightning.
There was someone behind him.
A human cavalier grabbed the fur on the back of his neck. Sometimes, he screamed in fear when he charged forward, and sometimes, he giggled because of the weightlessness when he jumped.
The cavalier's fluctuating emotions affected him and made him feel incredibly happy. He intentionally did all sorts of dangerous and exciting actions to make the cavalier laugh.
In the end, he carried the cavalier to the top of a mountain that was not too tall. He looked down at the warm setting sun, the quiet forest, and the dream-like town.
The cavalier stroked his fur gently, making him moan in comfort. He yawned drowsily.
"Does it feel good?" He heard the cavalier's familiar voice.
It was only then that he noticed that the person sitting on the cliff beside him with her chubby feet were Ancient Spirit, the granddaughter of the mayor of Peach Blossom Garden.
The girl looked at him with a grin. Her smile was as pure as a crystal.
By the looks of it, he had read Ancient Spirit's memories and the memories of the monsters who accompanied her through the intelligence tree's neural network.
Meng Chao hesitated for a moment before he nodded and said, "It feels good."
The pure white liger-type monster spoke in a human voice from the depths of its throat. It did not seem logical.
However, this was a world that was as beautiful as a fairy tale.
In a fairy tale, no one would care about such details.
"This place is much better than Earth and Dragon City, right?"
Ancient Spirit yawned together with him. She looked at the sea of flowers, the green tide, the peach blossom garden, and the mountains that rose and fell under the sun. "There's no war, no slavery, no lies, no oppression, no injustice, no anxiety. Everyone can live happily and happily together forever. Isn't that great?"
"In a way, yes."
Meng Chao nodded. "A world without war, enslavement, and unfairness, where we don't need to work so hard to be happy is indeed a good world."
"Then, stay here forever, okay?"
Ancient Spirit took out a colorful and fragrant garland from somewhere and put it on Meng Chao's head. Then, she looked at him expectantly and said, "Stay in this paradise forever and be happy, happy, and carefree forever!"
"If possible, I really want to stay here forever, in this almost perfect paradise."
Meng Chao looked at Gu Ling seriously and sighed. "It's a pity that no matter how perfect this paradise is, it's fake. All the happiness, happiness, and carefree life are fake, just like you, Gu Ling."
Gu Ling's smile remained unchanged.
It was as if he was wearing a mask that was as thin as a cicada's wing.
No matter what was hidden behind the mask, her expression was always so innocent, happy, and joyful.
"Even if it's fake, it doesn't matter. Is fake happiness really not as good as real pain?"
Gu Ling continued smiling. "Regardless of whether it's Earth, Dragon City, or the past Peach Blossom Town, there are only a handful of people who can truly enjoy life, achieve their dreams, and obtain the ultimate happiness. Most people suffer in this so-called reality, and their days feel like years. Some of them even wish they were dead.
"Let's take Dragon City as an example.
"The normal Dragon Citizens first train madly in school. Since elementary school, they have to train their bodies and learn all sorts of fighting skills. They have to endure training that even the professional athletes on Earth can't handle. They also have to face the risk of getting injured or disabled.
"Once they manage to last through a day, after school ends, they have to be sent to all sorts of refresher courses to practice martial arts. They train until they're so tired that they can't even move their fingers.
"Even if they train day after day and year after year, not all of them will be able to get into famous schools and awaken to supernatural abilities. Most of the normal people with mediocre talent can only accept the fact that they will fail in school.
"Even if they manage to awaken to supernatural abilities, more than 90% of the superhumans will remain as one-star superhumans their entire lives. They're just useless soldiers, and they can't control their own fates.
"Even if the outstanding and lucky ones among them manage to squeeze their way through thousands of people to work in the nine great mega corporations, they're still human-shaped crystals that are exploited by the powerful fighters of the nine great cultivation families. In the end, all their talent and potential are squeezed dry, and their cultivation realms stop improving." In fact, because they work and fight too hard, they end up with hidden injuries and serious illnesses. They're kicked out of the mega corporations, and the high profits they earn with their lives go to the peerless fighters and the rich people who control the mega corporations.
"I don't understand. To normal people, this so-called real life and this so-called 'civilization' is so painful. Is there anything worth pursuing and defending at all costs?"
The girl drew closer to Meng Chao.
Her face was filled with naive curiosity.
Her gaze was like two icicles that stabbed into the depths of Meng Chao's mind.
Meng Chao did not avoid her gaze.
He thought about it for a long time before he said slowly, "You're right. There are plenty of imperfections in the real world. In fact, they can be said to be … serious mistakes and flaws.
"But to escape from the imperfect real world, you have to run into a seemingly perfect illusory world, and you have to face a very serious problem.
"Since it's an illusory world, it must have been designed and created by someone.
"And the person who designed and created it must have a high level of authority. He's the god of this illusory world, and he can control the minds and fates of all the people who run here and all carbon-based intelligent life forms.
"Today, the creator is in a good mood, and his heart is filled with kindness. He can define this world as a paradise so that all the people living here will be happy and carefree.
"Tomorrow, the creator will notice that the humans living here have lost all value to him. Perhaps he'll be in a bad mood and want to vent his anger, or perhaps he'll want to use the humans' pain to achieve some sort of goal. In fact, even if he doesn't do anything and just does whatever he wants, he can instantly turn this paradise into a demonic nest that will burn eternally. He can make the people in the illusory world suffer pain that is one hundred times greater and longer than in the real world."
"That won't happen."
Ancient Spirit shook her head firmly and said, "You're still using a human's way of thinking to think about carbon-based intelligent life forms of a higher level. Only humans will obtain pleasure and benefits from human pain. The intelligent life forms of a higher level will definitely not do that."
"The main point isn't whether they will or not, but whether they can. My compatriots and I definitely don't want to live in a place where the creator can decide our fates as he pleases, no matter how beautiful, blissful, and beautiful the place looks," Meng Chao said.
"Compared to staying in a paradise forever and being treated like a pet by a carbon-based intelligent life form of a higher level so that we can live a carefree and carefree life, we'd rather return to the real world that isn't perfect and is filled with flaws and darkness. We'd work hard, fight, build, grit our teeth, and be covered in wounds to make the real world and our lives better.
"While it's true that no matter how hard we try, we won't be able to turn the real world into a paradise, at the very least, we can control our own fates and our own civilization, right?"
Ancient Spirit lowered her head and looked at the people in Peach Blossom Town who were as insignificant as ants at the bottom of the cliff. She said disapprovingly, "Can the people in the real world control their own fates?"
"At the very least, there's hope. Even if there's only one in ten thousand chance, to humans, there's nothing more precious than hope."
Meng Chao changed the topic and said, "Besides, even if I believe that the creator of Peach Blossom Town is an absolutely benevolent existence and doesn't have any malicious intent toward humans, it's still not an omnipotent god.
"But it's not an omnipotent god after all. It can't guarantee that this little paradise will never be invaded by foreign enemies.
"It's just like what I told you in the open-air canteen. Regardless of whether it's real or just an illusion, Peach Blossom Town can at most provide for thirty to fifty thousand people through fishing and gathering. It can't develop any outstanding technology or powerful weapons. The fighting power of the entire civilization is basically zero.
"The Other World is huge. Who knows just how many dangers and threats lie beyond Monster Mountain Range?
"Once foreign enemies invade, the dirty, dark, and unfair Dragon City you speak of will still have the power to fight, but the quiet, peaceful, fairytale-like Peach Blossom Town in front of us will have no choice but to wash their necks and wait for death!"
Ancient Spirit found herself speechless.
A puzzled and contemplative expression appeared on her face.
Meng Chao cast her a deep glance and stood up swiftly. He noticed that he had broken free of the monster memories and regained his human form.
"I remember who you are now."
Meng Chao's pupils shrank, and he suddenly said, "The first time I saw you, I thought you looked familiar. I must have seen you somewhere before, but we shouldn't have had any contact with each other.
"I've been thinking about it for a long time, and I had an epiphany just now. It was the Bubble Messenger that came out of the Vortex's carcass in the underground lab of Golden Tooth's headquarters during the battle in the lair!
"That's right. Your face is the same as Underground Emperor Jin Wanhao's younger sister, Battle God Lei Zongchao's lover, and Jin Qianxi, who was forced by Blood Alliance to explore the ancient ruins with them in the past. But this is how Jin Qianxi looked when she was young.
"Of course you're not Jin Qianxi.
"The real Jin Qianxi was heavily injured during the battle to destroy Blood Alliance and died in the raging Red Dragon River.
"Even if she survived, she should be an old woman with one foot in the grave.
"So, how should I address the real you? Ancient Spirit, Jin Qianxi, the wisdom tree, or … the monster mastermind?"
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