Within the World

Putting those things aside, Li Shiwei is currently on her own adventure.

She had no choice but to take the risk because what she wanted was something like 'Civilization History,' which is extremely important in any civilization.

The entire history of civilization's development, its secrets, and the biographies of all its famous figures—these things are not easy to collect. Even for the civilization itself, it would take considerable effort to organize them.

Only then did Li Shiwei realize how extravagant she had been, and how precious the thousands of years of reading about Civilization History she had spent over a decade was.

However, to find commonalities, we must look to the Civilization History.

Therefore, she devised a plan: to conceal her identity and secretly establish her own power, using this hidden secret force to glean the Civilization History from the slightest clues in various countries around the world.

This process cannot be too ostentatious. Her current identity is that of Outer Domain Invader, and she has also disturbed the original powerful beings of this world. She cannot be too arrogant.

A bunch of burly men of low rank would beat her to death, so she should be careful in her actions and keep a low profile.

Therefore, establishing a covert force needs to be put on the agenda.

The first priority is to find a few suitable underlings and make them the highest-ranking members of the organization, just like a local force starting to develop.

As for how to find underlings...

She still remembers many of the stories her father told her when she was a child, which she can now use.

The third month since I came into this world.

Inside the research institute in the very center of a kingdom, in the capital city.

The research institute here is the power of cultivators in this world, which, in Li Shiwei's understanding, is similar to a 'Dao Lineage'.

In the general Dao Lineage." In some smaller, more unsophisticated places, this kind of power is called a "sect."

They're all pretty much the same thing. A group of people might band together to survive, or they might share the same goals. In any case, they're groups that come together because of some common objectives, and they usually have the same obvious characteristics.

These research institutes are generally centered around a high-ranking mentor, because according to the laws of the kingdom, only high-ranking mentors can establish their own research institutes.

Since they are called mentors, they must have students under them. Senior mentors, along with a few junior teaching assistants, and some 'apprentices', constitute the main structure of a research institute.

This type of organization is relatively tight-knit, so there are relatively few people. It is basically still the master-apprentice system, where apprentices obey their masters almost unconditionally in exchange for the opportunity to learn.

The content of the learning was very simple: learning Cultivation Method, or, in this world's terms, 'truth'.

The natives of this world believe that they are learning the truth of the world, and that they are people who are close to the truth. Their power, the ability to destroy mountains and split seas, is all due to their proximity to the truth.

Of course, in Li Shiwei's view, they were just learning the Technique Method step by step. Apart from those 'mentors', the others hadn't even seen a trace of the 'Great Dao' and were just fixated on minor techniques.

However, for the local natives, these minor skills are their extraordinary abilities and the foundation of their livelihood.

At that very moment, Li Shiwei quietly appeared inside a research institute, evading the notice of almost everyone.

She and Stone had already investigated the research institute; its main research topic was 'God'.

Of course, they don't say it like that in their native language, but that's roughly the meaning.

Their 'gods' are actually indigenous deities who have adopted the indigenous beliefs and unintentionally created golden bodies. Such 'gods' are abundant in all the heavens and the myriad worlds, but they are still quite rare in this world.

In particular, the world places an unparalleled emphasis on 'God'.

As mentioned before, there are two Dao Lineage in this world that emphasize Technique Method. One is the one that pursues truth, and the other is a combination of primitive Shaman Path and primitive deities.

The corresponding entities are the research institute and another religious organization, who have been secretly vying with each other for a long time.

Li Shiwei is very familiar with this kind of competition.

It's a matter of principle.

The purpose of this research institute is to decipher the mysteries of 'God', and their research topic is how 'God' came into being.

For the indigenous people, having such awareness is already quite remarkable.

This is also why Li Shiwei likes this idea.

Li Shiwei wanted to be this 'god'.

In any case, in terms of cultivation level, she was no different from a god to these people.

Lu De was an 'apprentice' at the research institute.

Apprentice and mentor are categories on the path to truth. An apprentice means you are still learning, while being mentored means you have reached the edge of everyone's knowledge. Every step forward a mentor takes is creating new history.

Therefore, the knowledge of mentors is original. Almost every mentor has their own unique skills and understanding of the truth, while apprentices can only follow their mentors step by step and learn the knowledge that their mentors have created.

A senior mentor signifies that you are an outstanding mentor, far surpassing the other mentors.

Of course, this is the perspective of the indigenous people.

From Li Shiwei's perspective, apprentices are considered to be below the rank of master, while mentors are considered to be at the ninth rank. Most of the high-ranking mentors are among the best of the ninth rank, and very few are actually at the eighth rank.

As for the seventh rank, that's the pinnacle of existence in this world. There aren't many of them, and it's very difficult for someone like me to encounter one.

Back to Lu De's side.

He is a diligent and hardworking young man, and the most talented young man in the entire research institute. He has an extraordinary experimental intuition and a very good grasp of the truth.

Unfortunately, he was a poor boy from the countryside.

A teaching assistant at the institute, a kind old man with the title of mentor, brought Lu De up from the countryside, sponsored his studies here, and gave him many job opportunities.

However, his funds were still insufficient to support his long-term studies, as experimental supplies were quite expensive, and because of his background, he did not get along well with his classmates.

It's not that the classmates bullied him. After all, everyone came to learn the truth. There's no such thing as you being talented but poor, so we have to suppress your stupidity.

They just come from a good family, they're not mentally challenged, why would they make enemies for no reason?

So, it's just that we simply can't connect.

The students chatted about dances, operas, and fine wines imported from other countries.

How could he possibly get a word in edgewise?

Since they couldn't connect on a deeper level, their relationship naturally wouldn't be very close. As a result, he was the most reclusive person in the entire research institute. Apart from the kind mentor who had taken him out of the countryside, he had no friends in the entire capital.

"Teacher Jin, these are today's equipment. They are all Divine Communication Artifact sent from the Holy City. It is said that they are related to the gods. Along with these equipment came news from the Holy City. It is said that... a new Divine Miracle has occurred there."

An elderly man in a magnificent robe looked up and adjusted his monocle. "A new Divine Miracle? Is it the same as those faint lights from before?"

"No, it is said that during a large-scale sacrificial ceremony, the statue came to life... and then disappeared without a trace, ran away."

"Ran away?" The old man, known as Teacher Jin, widened his eyes. "Where did they go?!"

"I don't know." Lu De shook his head. "But it has already been regarded as Divine Miracle. The Holy City has decided to record this sacrifice and spread it far and wide."

Teacher Jin nodded, stood up, and began pacing around the room. "It seems to be true. Let's put the equipment over there. Since there has been a new Divine Miracle, and such a significant one at that, it shows that communicating with the gods is indeed effective. We just haven't found the right point yet, but we're on the right track."

Lu De, the shy little boy, nodded and then asked, "And... Teacher Jin, do you think it's possible for a person's soul to exist independently of the body? I'm not talking about ghosts or phantoms, but a soul that is still alive."

"Well... in the current stage of research, it is possible. What's wrong? Have you encountered any problems with your studies? About the soul?" Teacher Jin looked up, somewhat curious.

This is a question that is not often heard.

"No, I just have a thought: what's the difference between a god and a living soul?" Lu De asked.

"That's an interesting idea. You could publish an introduction, but until you find a living soul, it can only be called an introduction, not a real discovery," Teacher Jin said.

"I understand," Lu De said, bowing his head.

However, although he lowered his head, Lu De's expression suddenly became extremely distorted.

This distortion was caused by the intense emotional impact of shock, ecstasy, worry, fear, and other thoughts all erupting in an instant. In other words, he had strong emotions but didn't know what expression to make, so he could only lower his head to hide his emotions and prevent others from seeing them.

Then, he forcibly suppressed his emotions and said in a normal voice, "Then I'll be going now, Teacher Jin."

The old man didn't notice anything amiss. "Study hard. With your talent, it's very possible that you'll obtain your mentor qualification within fifteen years. Don't worry too much about current gains and losses; the future is still long."

"By the way, you've made great progress these past few days and come up with a lot of useful ideas, which are all very good. I won't take credit for your work. I've already written a report for the senior mentor, and your reward should be finalized in two months. Keep up the good work."

"I understand, thank you, Teacher Jin." Lu De bowed respectfully, then turned and left.

Just as he stepped out of the research institute, in the entrance hallway, he suddenly clutched his chest, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled, using this method to calm his heartbeat.

At that moment, his chest spoke.

"Your teacher is alright. Look, his words have proven everything I said. Now you can believe me, right? I am a true high-level mentor. When I still had my body, I was much stronger than all the high-level mentors in all the research institutes here. Look at the awards you received... I only need a few words to give you the awards you've always dreamed of."

"With this award, you can apply for more experimental resources, right? Isn't my sincerity enough?" A voice came from his chest, audible only to Lu De.

"... I don't know if you're lying to me." Lu De gritted his teeth.

"I don't want to argue about things like deception, which are hard to explain. I just want to tell you that meeting you was my opportunity, and meeting me is your opportunity too. Don't waste your luck. If you don't want to believe me, just throw me away. I don't have much strength left, so I can't say much more," the voice in my chest said.

Lu De was silent for a moment, then said, "How much energy does it take to let you continue speaking?"

"The Energy Crystal you have left, the ones you stripped from the Devil Beast, are enough to keep me awake for another two or three months," the voice in my chest said.

"So many?! Do you know how long I've been saving those crystals?! That's all my savings!" Lu De exclaimed in astonishment.

"Knowledge is priceless, truth is priceless, isn't it?" the voice continued from the chest.

"How far can you help me?" Lu De asked again, his fingers trembling slightly.

And the voice in his chest remained calm and composed.

Because he knew very well that when Lu De asked, "How much energy is needed?", the young man had already made up his mind.

So the voice said, "How far you can go has nothing to do with me. How far you can go is the result of your own efforts. But what I can tell you is that I am a high-level mentor, and I need you to help me reshape a body."

After he finished speaking, the voice in his chest stopped, because Lu De had already walked out the door, left the research institute, and come out onto the street.

Lu De walked down the street in a daze. His apprentice robes attracted many stares, and the pedestrians around him looked at him with a mixture of admiration and fear, making way for him.

Then, as he walked, he suddenly met another classmate wearing an apprentice's robe, who also seemed to be going to the research institute.

He was a noble and elegant aristocrat, tall and straight, with dazzling platinum blonde hair.

Lu De was originally very conspicuous, but compared to the other party, he was like an ugly duckling.

The two simply brushed past each other without exchanging greetings.

There was no need for that. They weren't familiar with each other anyway, so the other person just pretended not to see Lu De and walked straight past.

Lu De, like the other party, didn't even glance at him.

However, after they passed each other, Lu De suddenly clutched his chest.

On his chest hung a strangely shaped jade pendant, which didn't seem to belong to this world at all.

Grabbing the jade pendant, Lu De suddenly stopped, his fingers clenched tightly, veins bulging.

Then he said, "I promise you..."

The jade pendant also spoke, calmly saying, "Deal."

(I had my wisdom tooth extracted, and now it's growing sideways. I'm feeling dizzy, lightheaded, and in excruciating pain. I'll try my best to keep updating.)