The Mortal World's Tumult, A Dialogue Between God and Man

A solemn and majestic divine temple.

Flanking both sides were giant stone carved elephants.

An aged emperor stood quietly before the hall, endless rosy cloud qi dispersing around him, carrying an indescribable solitude.

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng, Chong Dao.

Even as death approached, this old man still bore the murderous, brutal, bloody, and unruly aura of a lifetime of conquest, pressing down on all who beheld him with immense force.

He stood there in silence, enough to make the many immortal herbs in the nearby pond feel their scalps go numb. Ever since this emperor had arrived, they had jolted awake in this Sleep Game, utterly unable to find any drowsiness.

One immortal herb swayed its body and twisted about.

"Wow! That look of longing is so full of flavor—wherever his eyes fall, it's all memories. Whatever his heart dwells on, it's all the past. Whatever his gaze meets, it's all regret. With just one glance, he perfectly captures the final moments of an aging, domineering tyrant looking back on his life."

Another immortal herb flaunted its leaves, clearly a female player.

"Is the technology already this advanced? Is this an actor or an AI? I feel like I'm not watching a movie, but a grand epic from real history. Every single move has flavor, has ancient charm."

"The historical atmosphere is so thick, it's like being there in person."

"Amazing, amazing, amazing—give the Special Effects Artist a raise!"

Some players of the Mortal World were marveling at the exquisite production of this wallpaper game.

They thought it was just a beautifully cinematic story game, but they had no idea that everything happening was a real scene unfolding before them. The dense historical weight was something no film could ever replicate.

At that moment, the old man was still waiting.

In the sky, the rosy cloud qi grew thicker and thicker.

A figure finally descended from the clouds above.

Zhu Zhengwei had used a tiny bit of his GM Authority to stir the wind and clouds, descending from the heavens with at least a modicum of divine presence.

He looked at the middle-aged traveler from that tea shed years ago, the Revolutionary Army Leader who had now fully achieved his ambitions, walking the kingly path he had dreamed of, and reaching the end of his life.

Boom!

A clap of thunder.

At this moment, the god with the tear mole descended step by step from the clouds, wrapped in pure and holy radiance, as if he were the one true god of heaven and earth.

A celestial voice rang out:

"Human Emperor Chong Dao, you are the Eternal Emperor."

"In the Shaman Zhu Era, humanity's great unity began with you. You cultivated immortality for the world, chasing the wind and consuming qi."

"You are destined to be remembered by your descendants. This life holds no regrets; you have fulfilled the dream in your heart. Why do you insist on seeing me?"

The voice carried a sacred, ethereal clarity, yet was filled with the hollow stillness of passing ages. Every word seemed to peel back the layers of history, revealing a majestic and dignified mortal sovereign, an Eternal Emperor enshrined in the myths of human history.

A terrifying aura pressed down on the entire Divine Temple, suffocating all within.

"I'm numb, I'm numb—just a few simple lines and there's this kind of pressure. Is this what a god is?"

"I'm completely blown away by this god's grand entrance scene. My scalp is tingling from the sheer terror. The pressure is insane. Is this the aura of a god? The precision of the script, the atmosphere—this Story Wallpaper Game is destined to be legendary!"

"Whoa! Cool!"

Many were shaken to their core.

From within the pond, they watched the god descending from the sky, feeling like tiny souls before a vast, colossal soul—as if they were seeing the very center of the world, the one true god holding the reins of existence.

That soul-crushing pressure was like a howling gale.

This VR Game was simply too realistic.

Immersive beyond belief—how could they not hype it?

They never imagined that a simple wallpaper scenery game could reach this scale. Did the Development Team run their own special effects company? How much money were they burning through?

"What are they all discussing?"

Zhu Zhengwei pricked up his ears, listening to the chatter from the Servers, and couldn't help but chuckle.

Still, he let them be, paying them no mind.

He treated them like the wildflowers and weeds by the roadside, like the sound of wind passing by.

Just the noise of nature—their clamor, mockery, play, joy, and anger—what did it have to do with this world?

After all, in a certain sense, they were merely Onlookers of this Mortal World.

At that moment.

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng showed no fear in his expression. Instead, a look of aged weariness crept across his face. "I knew you would come. From the moment I saw you at that tea shed back then, I knew we would meet again."

Zhu Zhengwei simply looked at him.

But the next second, the emperor's aged demeanor vanished in an instant. He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "May I ask—is the one before me a god, or the traveler I met by chance at that tea shed, with whom I shared such pleasant conversation?"

"What difference does it make?" Zhu Zhengwei smiled.

Hahahaha!

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng suddenly burst into hearty laughter, bold and unrestrained. "If you are a god, then I should invite you into the temple and bow three times with nine prostrations! If you are a traveler, then let us speak as we did back then, sit in a tea shed, drink and chat freely—let a friend see me off in my final moments!"

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng waved a hand, dismissing all the terrified ministers and guards around him, then strode directly out of the temple entrance and over to the Tea Shed beside it. "Please, sit."

Zhu Zhengwei looked at the Tea Shed.

He knew that this extreme, obsessive man, who had once harbored such grand dreams, wanted to end his life where it had all begun.

The Tea Shed was the starting point of his fate, and also its turning point. He had already ordered it to be perfectly relocated before the temple, even planting an identical Immortal Herb on its roof.

Zhu Zhengwei took his seat.

The old man sat down after him, and as if it were that year long past, he asked the same question as when they first met, cupping his hands: "You, sir, look travel-worn. Where do you come from?"

Zhu Zhengwei looked at him, and suddenly broke into a full smile.

That this man had reached such heights today was no accident after all!

If the other had begged for immortality, pleaded for a god's help, or shown fear, Zhu Zhengwei would have looked down on him.

Because he had known this man's character from the very first glance.

Fierce, pure, ruthless—a madman who didn't care about his own life, a Revolutionary Army Leader who thirsted for change and would shed blood without hesitation to overthrow Stone Light Emperor Changshou!

How could a hero who didn't fear death be afraid of dying?

As Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng, he had possessed countless Immortal Herbs and could have achieved immortality, walking the same lonely, bitter path as Zhang Zhi. But he was a radical fanatic who hated hiding and scheming. He didn't choose long life and distant vision; instead, he chose the Demonic Path, choosing to burn through his Lifespan, turning his One Lifetime of brilliance into a blazing butterfly, all to rapidly drive the development of civilization.

Beneath the Tea Shed, Zhu Zhengwei shifted to a more relaxed sitting posture, glanced at him, and answered his question calmly: "I come from the old days, and I go toward the future."

This emperor's body trembled. After a moment, he too suddenly laughed. "I once met an old man when I was a Young Man. He also said he came from the old days. He was a venerable ancient sage, a long-lived one who had survived the catastrophe of the old era. According to him, he was born in the transition between the old and new eras."

Zhu Zhengwei still smiled. "I know him."

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng, however, had no intention of continuing that topic. Instead, as if speaking to an old friend he had long known only in spirit, he suddenly said with immense pride: "Eternal Longevity's god, what do you think of my Life Story's achievements?"

"I've already said it." Zhu Zhengwei took a sip of tea.

But the emperor revealed a smug, arrogant look, like a naive child showing off: "In this one lifetime, I have done much! I did it recklessly! I did it without caring what others thought! I overthrew the tyranny, left a foundation for my descendants that will last ten thousand ages, and I also committed every evil deed. But in the future, they will understand my painstaking efforts!"

His expression was domineering and awe-inspiring as he pointed toward the distant coastline.

"When I ruled the kingdom, I had a million slaves build and continuously reinforce the 'City of a Hundred Stones'—a true wonder of the Mortal World!"

"Giant stones encircle the land, a million crossbows stand ready, and atop the stone walls are twelve cities that can station six hundred thousand soldiers for battle. The lighthouse beacons burn day and night, a thousand troops stand guard, watching over the ocean. If that Sea Giant dares to invade again, it will surely never return."

He swept his sleeve, pointed at the ground beneath his feet, and laughed again: "And I ruled with harsh laws! With this, the kingdom was peaceful and the people safe, all evils were slaughtered, and countless experimental subjects were provided for research, to open the path of the future."

"No matter how you think about it, I have founded this eternal foundation. After I die, the empire will surely continue for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years—immortal forever!"

He recounted every detail of his Life Story: his proudest victories, his most cunning ambushes, his terror when facing Stone Light Emperor Changshou's death, and his ecstatic joy upon discovering that Immortal Herb.

Zhu Zhengwei listened quietly.

Time passed minute by minute. Dusk fell, and night was about to descend.

Stone Light Emperor Zhizheng kept talking, until his mouth was dry, until his Aura was failing, until his voice grew weak.

He pointed at the sunset glow of that day and said:

"I should have died long ago, but there were still some things I couldn't let go of. Only after finally completing the All Living Beings Scripture did I completely relax. To be honest, for this body to have held out this long is already a miracle."

He revealed a smile, then stood up again, took two slow, aged steps forward, and pointed at the stone stele of the City of a Hundred Stones. "Back when that stele was cast, I never realized that what it describes is the truth."

"Oh?"

Even at the moment of death, this old man's tone was still full of unyielding strength. "I still believe now that mortals must accept their mediocrity, and the strong must accept their death—that is the most tragic thing in this world."

He had a posture that could swallow mountains and rivers, his hands clasped behind his back. "But as the first Human Emperor, I must set an example. As a 'human,' I must calmly accept a human's Life, and accept this most tragic thing in the world."