Artificial Selection

Inside Zhu Ming Cave on Mount Luofu.

In the core area, atop an Immortal Mountain, a small, maze-like mechanism is in operation, controlling the traps and 'trials' outside.

And beside all of this, an orchid swayed.

The leaves are short and soft, with one flower per stem. The flower is like jade petals, with six petals and three stamens. The color is like jade, with no black veins or purple stripes. The orchid has not yet opened, and the buds have not yet emerged from the soil, but the fragrance is already overwhelming.

A gentle breeze carries its fragrance far and wide, making it especially enchanting.

Li Qi took a deep breath and felt refreshed. The book once said that the orchid is the ancestor of fragrance and a symbol of virtue.

It is said that orchids and irises do not cease to be fragrant simply because no one is adorning them. When one travels with a virtuous person, it is as if one has entered a room filled with orchids and irises. After a while, one no longer smells them, for one has become one with them.

Granny Lan must be a gentle and refined elder, with the air of a gentleman.

The two hurried forward, Shen Shuibi hurriedly called out to the orchid, "Granny Lan, Granny Lan! You—"

She stopped abruptly halfway through her sentence.

Li Qi's expression also changed immediately, and he chose to stand aside.

As mentioned earlier, this orchid is still alive.

But... I don't feel 'alive'.

His mind was completely extinguished, leaving only his body, swaying as if he were... a 'prize' for conquering that maze.

This was a true adventure.

One Fourth-Rank Orchid!

What happened here is not difficult for the two of them to understand.

Li Qi patted Shen Shuibi on the shoulder and said, "It seems... Senior Lan protected her own life before she died. Knowing that she wouldn't live much longer once her soul was destroyed, she used her last strength to set up these fortuitous encounters and even spread her Cultivation Method."

"So... those fluctuations were a temptation. At the last moment, she threw away the inheritance of Mount Luofu, hoping that Mount Luofu could find a qualified successor in the future."

Yes, the successor, Granny Lan, at the last moment, thought of the legacy of Mount Luofu. Under the Human Emperor Sword, she probably thought she was the only survivor.

So, she designed this maze in the end, leading to this series of difficult problems. Everything outside was a scheme she had set up. Those thousands of people, and even countless others who might come in the future, were the 'challenges' she had to overcome in selecting her successor.

The Cultivation Method she spread will attract these people to come and 'break through' the barriers. All her belongings, Law Treasure, pills, and spiritual items are already placed here, and even her own body is here.

Those ninth, eighth, and seventh grade items outside are just bait scattered around to attract those of lower grade to try their luck. Although there are rewards for trying their luck, they are nothing more than miscellaneous items.

The true treasures, the true heritage of Mount Luofu, require overcoming all the trials to finally arrive at Zhu Ming Cave.

If anyone passes the test, he will receive all the inheritance belonging to a fourth-rank powerful being, including her physical body.

The value of this Fourth-Rank Orchid is self-evident, probably far exceeding that of a Fourth-Rank World.

Therefore, it is reasonable to deduce the details of Zhang Xin's matter.

Zhang Xin was someone who stumbled upon the inheritance by chance. He came to this place hoping to enter, access the true inheritance, and obtain the treasures within.

However, the interior of Mount Luofu was too dangerous. Without the suppression of Mount Luofu, the gates of hell were wide open, and Yin Ghost roamed freely all around. He dared not venture out on his own, so he lobbied outside, looking for opportunities, and established relationships with those eighth-rank officials.

At this moment, they happened to run into Li Qi and his group. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhang Xin used the banner of Mount Luofu and the promise of profit to entice the people outside and began to gather manpower to rush inside.

The result was obvious: they successfully made it inside, triggered the maze, and started the 'challenge'.

If someone succeeds, then... that person will become a direct disciple of Mount Luofu, Granny Lan's personal disciple.

"This is Granny Lan's wish, so let's do it this way." Shen Shuibi shook her head. "Li Qi, how about we stay here for a while? I want to see how many of those thousands of people outside can break in."

"Alright, I'll go take care of things outside first. As for the challenges and assessments, you can stay here and keep watch." Li Qi nodded, unsure of what else to say.

Faced with the remains and last wishes of a senior, perhaps the best course of action is to patiently wait for things to settle down.

Li Qi left silently, knowing he was of no use there and letting the rabbit have its own peace and quiet.

He should go outside and finish his chores first. Once he's done, the rabbit should have calmed down, and then we can talk about comforting him. That would be best.

Li Qi left the area and went outside, pulling Old Ma along to continue searching for the remaining materials, such as spirit herbs.

Shen Shuibi sat cross-legged on this Immortal Mountain, watching the scene inside the miniature maze. The things outside had been reflected here.

Here, you can clearly see the performance of the young Daoist priests who are trying to pass the test outside.

There have been casualties, but not many. Granny Lan is not bloodthirsty, but... since no one is controlling the difficulty, casualties are inevitable.

However, many people also benefited greatly, and some even achieved breakthroughs on the spot.

Some of those Law Treasure and spirit medicine were also taken away.

Then...

Many Daoist priests went almost insane.

Two or three days passed, and they began to form cliques and scheme against each other, splitting into different forces. They gathered together with different Yang Spirit True Person as their core, each trying to eliminate their rivals in this labyrinthine ruins and pocketing all sorts of spiritual treasures.

Despite having only a few thousand people, several 'wars' have broken out.

Their Dao heart became confused by these things.

These people had never seen spiritual treasures with such a high density before. Moreover, many of them were of the seventh grade, which could be obtained simply by passing the trials of the ruins.

As for how to hold onto it after they get it, that's their own problem.

In just three days, the number of people who died at the hands of their own people was far greater than the number killed at the ruins.

At most, a few dozen people might accidentally die in the ruins, but the thousands of deaths and injuries were all caused by the Daoist priests themselves.

Ouyang Dongsheng and Liu Dewang turned against each other, and the two families fought fiercely over the seven Seventh Rank Magic Treasure, resulting in over a hundred deaths and injuries. In the end, they had to find another one and were forced to split it equally.

Under these circumstances, the old Daoist priest had no choice but to hide. He didn't want to get involved in these matters or take any risks. If he were surrounded and attacked, he estimated that he would never have the chance to go back and see his disciple.

So he found a place and obediently became a coward.

After all, he was an eighth-rank official, and no one dared to do anything to him or provoke him, lest the old Daoist priest be drawn into the forces of others. So they simply let it be.

However, being a cultivator after all, he unexpectedly discovered a mystery in the place where he was hiding, which aroused his interest.

Since he had nothing better to do, he hid the puzzle while solving it.

As for Zhang Xin...

He is the only person here who understands the true purpose of this site.

Therefore, he did not engage in meaningless competition, because he knew that these were nothing but petty gains, scattered scraps next to a truly great fortuitous opportunity, or merely the smell of a piece of meat.

Just some smells have driven these people to such a frenzy... They're really... ignorant.

Therefore, he paid no attention to the fighting of others, pretending that he had no intention of stealing anything, and hid away like the old Daoist priest. The only difference was that the old Daoist priest really hid his head, while he wandered around, looking for the true location of the fortuitous opportunity.

Shen Shuibi just sat there, quietly watching them.

These people were all too ordinary; in her opinion, none of them were worthy of being the successor of Mount Luofu.

Not to mention possessing extraordinary talent for cultivation like Li Qi, he's even terrible at being a decent person.

However, this should only be the first batch, right?

Or... is it no longer in the first batch?

The screening mechanism set up by the fourth-rank official before his death should ensure that a continuous stream of people will come to join this screening process.

Granny Lan is genuinely afraid that the heritage of Mount Luofu will be lost. She wouldn't have done something like this before. In Shen Shuibi's memory, Granny Lan has always been a gentle and kind person.

"Don't worry, Granny Lan, you don't need to be anxious anymore. Mount Luofu has not been destroyed, and the Your Highness is not dead. There is still a chance to start over..." she said, sitting next to Lan Hua.

Even though I know the other person can't hear me, I'm saying it to myself.

Only...

Does it really exist?

I'm afraid that's it. The moment I accepted Li Qi's proposal, it meant that I had given up the opportunity to achieve the Great Dao Opportunity of Mount Luofu in exchange for a chance to live.

The Sun Moon True Lead Cauldron, the Dao Path is severed.

His journey ends here.

For a spiritual practitioner, there is nothing more painful than this: your path, the truth you pursue throughout your life, the ultimate goal you seek for countless hours, is shattered and can never be seen again in this lifetime.

What utter despair must this be?

It's like telling a physicist that physics doesn't exist; it's like extinguishing all the dreams and passions of someone who dedicates their life to pursuing truth.

This is especially painful for those who live long lives.

Why do those who wish to live forever desire to live forever?

It's not that I'm afraid of death, but that if I use my limited life to pursue the Tao, I will never reach it. So I want to live long, to extend my life, and to use endless life to endlessly pursue the end of the Tao, until I reach the final destination.

Dao Path is blocked, what meaning does this long life have? All that remains is suffering; endless life is no longer an advantage, but a torment.

Shen Shuibi knew that the troubles of all beings were nothing more than wanting but not getting, being greedy but unable to do so, loving but not getting results, being born with delusion, and following ignorance. This was even the foundation of the Affliction Demon.

To live, one must have pursuits; a life without pursuits is nothing but suffering.

However, only the lowest forms of life pursue material desires, such as being well-fed, clothed, and able to reproduce.

Further on, life loses its desire for material things; instead, it pursues vanity, recognition, status in the eyes of others, and the desire to be remembered in history.

Moving on to the next level, these kinds of people already feel that even if they are remembered in history, what's the use? They want to realize their ambitions, establish a system, write a masterpiece, and surpass their own limits. These are their goals, and they pursue self-realization.

Above that are the Dao Pursuer.

So-called self-realization is nothing but self-satisfaction. A true Dao Pursuer seeks nothing but the ultimate truth, the foundation of everything.

The severing of the Dao Path means telling them that 'truth' will forever be closed to them, and that they will never achieve this ultimate goal in their future lives.

This is the cruelest kind of 'wanting but not getting'.

How many people have lost their Dao Path, their Dao heart have collapsed, they have been invaded by the Affliction Demon, and they have ultimately fallen into demonic possession?

The pillar of Mount Luofu, the Sun Moon True Lead Cauldron, is about to face such a future.

She said it was a chance to start over...

Is it possible for Mount Luofu to produce another top-quality product in the future?

Shen Shuibi could not see such a future. The opportunity for the First Grade Great Dao Opportunity, the myriad worlds... the only one known was the one in the hands of the Sun Moon True Lead Cauldron. The others had already been used up. Some became true First Grade, while others, though powerful beings, ultimately perished along with that opportunity, their Daos vanishing and their lives annihilated.

Yes, who says that having Great Dao Opportunity guarantees advancement?

Dream on! The Great Dao Opportunity is just giving you a chance to try. If you fail... you'll have to bear the consequences yourself.

Therefore, after a moment of silence, Shen Shuibi chose to change her mind.

"Granny Lan, I misspoke just now. It's not that we can go back, but that... we can continue on our path. Just like you risked your life to leave behind a legacy, since we are not destroyed, the path that has been passed down from Mount Luofu will surely come to an end. Although the sect leader's Dao Path is broken, he is still a second-rank cultivator and can hold up a piece of the sky. As long as the sky hasn't collapsed and there are still people alive, there will always be someone to continue on our path."

She said this to the orchid.

Since that's the case, then we have no choice but to keep going.

"However, I still cannot leave you here, Granny Lan. But I will help you improve these methods you left behind, so that one day you will be able to find a suitable successor."

As Shen Shuibi spoke, she began to arrange the remaining methods.

Reinforce the maze, add cyclical Technique Method, introduce new methods, place new prizes, and improve the prize distribution logic.

Shen Shuibi even took out her own Pill Furnace, the 'Three-Five Furnace' that had helped her and Li Qi escape danger several times, and then inscribed a set of seals on it.

This is a set of alchemy methods. After Li Qi arrives in a while, Li Qi can use the techniques of Law Treasure assembly lines and Witchcraft Silkworm to set up an automatic alchemy mechanism here to replenish the consumed rewards.

She didn't know how to do it, so she had to leave it to Li Qi.

As for the ingredients for alchemy...

Those who died in this maze-like assessment mechanism should be excellent raw materials, so a corresponding collection device needs to be made...

Shen Shuibi was modifying the maze, preparing to extend its lifespan to over four hundred years.

By now, a suitable successor should be found, right?

After doing all this, Shen Shuibi left a note recounting Granny Lan's story for the final winner.

It was five days later that all of this was resolved.

At this moment, Li Qi also returned.

It's time to go back to Wushen Mountain.