Chapter 318: Chapter 310: Ascension to a Higher Dimension
"The method I thought of isn’t that extreme, killing myself and then resurrecting myself ten thousand years ago, waiting for the time to come, then killing myself again, and resurrecting once more. Look at this, it’s bloody insane. If something goes wrong during the resurrection process, I might disappear before the universe is even destroyed."
Hong Jun and Nezha sat in front of a barbecue stall, holding a handful of skewers.
"Until this moment, there was still no conflict between my disciples and me; we were all exploring how to survive together. Ideas poured out one after another. Tongtian was especially skilled in execution. Until..." Hong Jun devoured the meat on dozens of skewers, "until I saw a new possibility from Netherworld Venerate’s failure—dimension elevation!"
"Dimension elevation?"
"Correct, since we can’t stop the grand universe from being dimensionally reduced, let’s elevate the world we live in. Just as a two-dimensional world cannot interfere with a three-dimensional world, similarly, the universe’s dimensional reduction in a three-dimensional world cannot interfere with a four-dimensional world. The only concern is the addition of a freely moving time axis in the space coordinate system, and the changes it might bring."
"However, compared to death, such changes are like cumin in barbecue seasoning—hard to accept, but not impossible."
Hong Jun took a deep breath, and almost immediately the owner, who was flirting with the neighbor’s boss lady thirty meters away, turned back to the shop and placed a can of cumin powder in front of them, smiling apologetically.
"And to that degree, do you know, those guys thought I was crazy? They thought dimension elevation and reduction were equally dangerous, preferring to scrape by for billions, even tens of billions of years, rather than immediately facing the risk of elevating dimensions. They’ve even plotted to take me down."
Is that so?
"Why do you doubt it?"
I just feel they’re not that dumb, Nezha thought.
"Of course, they’re not dumb, they’re actually quite cunning. With their power, even if the danger of the Two-dimensional Foil befalls them, they can escape the threat by spatial folding, unless the entire universe is completely two-dimensional, leaving them nowhere to hide. Only then would they consider dimension elevation. To be precise, they’re not afraid of elevating dimensions, but afraid of doing it now."
There’s nothing wrong with that.
"I have a sense of crisis, and my capability for action is even stronger than Tongtian’s; otherwise, I couldn’t have cultivated to my current realm in a world where the cultivation method isn’t even perfected."
That makes sense.
And what about Earth’s existence?
"Earth exists as a backup plan. I’m not crazy enough to block off the entire universe. Dimensional reduction is ultimately a product of the technological world. I embrace technology in hopes of finding another possibility. Earth may be behind now, but civilization evolves in leaps and bounds. No one can be certain whether a civilization that’s ten thousand years behind might lead in a hundred years, right?"
Nezha stood up. He saw a group of ruffians dragging a female student into a dark alley.
"I’ve talked so much, and you still want to meddle in such matters. Though insects do have the potential to change the world, who mates with whom, whether they want to or not, and mingling together—such things are utterly meaningless."
Nezha ignored him and walked into the dark alley, where a man was tugging at the girl’s underpants.
On the white cotton fabric was a drawing of a brown bear...
"Stop."
"For inevitable destruction, it’s meaningless."
The group looked at Nezha, and also glanced at the tall old man eating skewers behind him.
"You fucking—"
Nezha kicked the man’s privates until they exploded, sparing no one else as hands and legs were broken respectively.
"It’s meaningless."
"If you can’t stand it, just do it. What’s the point of caring about meaning? Is life still to be lived?" Nezha rolled his eyes, "According to you, everything is bound to happen, destruction is inevitable, and what you resist in the end is merely your delusion."
The smile on Hong Jun’s face disappeared: "You’re just an insect, of course you can’t understand how great my actions are."
"You’re just impulsive."
Hong Jun laughed: "Do you think Tongtian’s approach is correct?"
"They’re cowards, but wanting to live is never wrong."
"Insect’s rambling."
Nezha said: "How is the floor of the Heavenly Emperor’s house directly connecting to the Moon?"
"Little rascal, you ask quite a lot of questions. Heavenly Emperor—there’s no Heavenly Emperor, except for the already dead Extinction and possibly undead Netherworld Venerate, there are only four Saints in this world."
The Heavenly Emperor is... you?
"Of course not. The Heavenly Emperor is not my ally. According to you, he’s neither as radical as me, nor as cowardly as Tongtian."
Hong Jun’s tone shifted: "He’s a scientific advocate."
"He’s not even human."
"He’s a representative of the Singer Civilization."
Nezha stared wide-eyed: "Singer Civilization?"
"A group of thugs frequently misusing Two-dimensional Foil. However, they truly are the pinnacle among alien civilizations I’ve encountered. Their life technology is quite advanced, extending their lifespan from fifty years to about three thousand through biotechnology. But that’s as far as insects can go. I promised them that if they can solve the universe’s dimensional reduction issue, I’ll help them achieve immortality."
"You’re forcing them to work?"
"Sort of coercion and temptation. After all, though I’ve researched for a thousand years, some of their technologies still baffle me. It’s akin to cultivation; you cultivate too, so you should understand."
Yes, cultivation is like solving problems. The manual lies before you, and unless you’re a top genius, it’s not until a teacher spells out and breaks down the principles, letting you follow the book step by step, that you might go astray even then.
Going astray leads to death.
The universe’s end.
Destruction is bound to come...
Maybe it’s billions of years later...
Nezha soon ceased to worry about it, because none of that shit mattered to him. It only concerned the lives of those four old geezers. They’re doing great things, yet none of them is truly selfless.
After finishing the meal, Hong Jun vanished.
Nezha flew up repeatedly, eventually returning to Earth.
Earth.
Sphere.
Aliens.
Cultivator.
Groove.
Confused about what to do, he returned to the orphanage he once belonged to, became a caretaker.
Being in the Half-Saint Realm as a cultivator, even hiding cultivation, his demeanor wasn’t quite mortal. In just half a month, three young girls, two married women confessed their feelings to him. There were countless secret glances, and even wealthy women seeking children.
Time flies.
Ten years passed.
Hong Jun once again appeared before him.
"Ancestor, I was wrong, I shouldn’t have concerned myself with anything." Nezha sighed, and set the broom against the wall.
"I thought you’d like this peaceful life."
"I miss my family more."
"Was ten years a long time?"
"Very long." Nezha nodded.
"But just a moment."
Nezha merely blinked, and the scenery around him instantly changed. He was once again before the Heavenly Emperor.
The nearly one-hundred-meter-tall figure still calmly sat on the throne, dignified, solemn, unbeatable. It made one feel as though time had never really passed.
"Hello, Nezha."
His face was an expanse of chaos, like a galaxy. Nezha looked closer, discovering he was in human form sitting there, yet also seemingly without a torso or limbs—a kind of existence Nezha couldn’t quite grasp.
"Greetings, Singer."
