Saber-Toothed Tiger
It is said that the name of the Theseus Magic Society comes from this legend, and the most widely spread story about Theseus is that they possess a ritual that grants them immortality, a ritual that has spread far and wide along with the name of Theseus.
"Constantly replacing the decaying parts of oneself to keep oneself forever intact?" Lu Li had already grasped the true meaning of this legend, the so-called method of immortality. Presumably, most people who have heard this story would understand it, but if anyone actually followed this method, they would be courting death.
Leaving aside the issue of implementation, the most crucial question about this method of achieving immortality is: after you completely replace your entire body, will you still be yourself?
Some might say that as long as the soul remains unchanged, it's still the same person, just as the keel of a ship remains the same. But what if the keel rots, and the soul gradually withers away? If you replace the soul and the keel, are you still yourself?
If we were to reassemble a ship from the discarded parts of a large ship, which would be the original ship: the one with all the parts replaced, or the one reassembled from the parts that were originally discarded?
Lu Li inexplicably recalled a phrase he had seen before, "Running water never stagnates."
This refers to the fact that river water is constantly flowing, so it doesn't rot. This is because the river water is always in motion, and it is different every moment. Aren't people the same? In this long river of time, can you still be sure that you are the same person you were a second ago?
Therefore, the question of the Ship of Theseus raises a philosophical question: Who am I?
If you don't resolve the question of who you are, you can never guarantee that the you who achieves Theseus's immortality will still be you.
However, Lu Li put these philosophical questions aside for now. His main goal was to pass through the large iron gate in front of him and go to the Theseus Magic Society. He learned from Theseus's story that one should constantly replace decaying parts to keep oneself forever new.
The current large iron gate is composed of dozens of iron bars that resemble iron spears. Most of the bars are black and shiny, looking brand new, but three bars are covered in rust.
Grabbing the three iron bars, he pulled them out with a flick of his hand. The large iron gate opened automatically, revealing a grassland scene about knee-high inside. The three iron bars in Lu Li's hand turned into dust and floated back to their original positions, transforming back into iron bars.
Lu Li raised an eyebrow and walked in. The door behind him closed, Lu Li with only a vast grassland stretching as far as the eye could see. The knee-high grass concealed too much of what was behind him.
The original wall and iron gate behind them had all been transformed into a solitary, towering, pitch-black gate. On that gate was a map, showing a pitch-black gate in the center of a vast grassland, and to the east of the gate was a castle.
"Is this telling me to head east? Is this still within the testing area?" Lu Li thought for a moment and walked towards the east side of the grassland. He didn't know how long he walked, but because he was wearing Pumpkin Trousers, Lu Li didn't feel like he had used up any energy. However, all he could see in front of him was an endless green grassland, which made him wonder if he was on the right track.
If it were anyone else, they might have already thought they had been fooled by the map on the gate and returned the way they came. However, Lu Li was unable to feel negative emotions, so without the interference of negative emotions, he believed his own judgment and did not turn back.
Finally, Lu Li gradually reached his destination. A clear, winding river flowed through the grassland, surrounding a majestic and magnificent castle. The destination seemed to be right in front of him, but another test was about to begin.
A dozen or so saber-toothed tigers with long teeth leaped out of the grass and surrounded Lu Li, leaving only an opening at the back. The leader of the saber-toothed tigers stepped forward, glanced at Lu Li, and then said, "This grassland is the territory of our saber-toothed tiger clan. We have reached an agreement with Theseus that anyone who passes through here must pay the price."
"You're such a delicate little thing, so we'll only charge you for one leg," said the saber-toothed tiger leader, pulling out a rusty woodcutter's knife from somewhere and tossing it in front of Lu Li.
"Hurry up, left leg or right leg, it's up to you. Either you go back the way you came, or you cut off one of your legs and make it our food," another saber-toothed tiger said, licking its lips. "I think your meat must be delicious."
Lu Li held up his Oil-Paper Umbrella, looking at the dozen or so saber-toothed tigers around him. He could sense that these creatures possessed considerable magical power and were not ordinary beings; otherwise, they wouldn't be able to speak human language. Especially now that a dozen or so had surrounded Lu Li, this was rather troublesome.
"There's nothing we can do about it." Lu Li channeled magic into the Dragonbone Umbrella, and a black mist containing dark Shadow Magic rose up, slowly enveloping the surrounding area. With the direct sunlight gone, Lu Li stretched and closed the Oil-Paper Umbrella in his hand, while his other hand condensed a black Short Blade.
"Here, take this back." With a flick of his foot, he lifted the wood-chopping knife, then kicked the handle, sending it flying into a saber-toothed tiger, breaking its long tusks and piercing its mouth. The tiger collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from its mouth as it whimpered.
Before he could even make a move, a saber-toothed tiger pounced on Lu Li from behind. Its body shimmered with a blood-red magical light, and a terrifying aura rushed into Lu Li's heart. If Lu Li had hesitated for even a moment, he would have died a gruesome death in the saber-toothed tiger's mouth.
The next moment, it seemed as if countless tentacles rose from the ground. The shapeless shadows writhed and transformed into tentacles, leaping onto the saber-toothed tiger behind Lu Li to vent its frustration at being unable to move forward even half a step. Its body was bound by the shadows, like flowing liquid. The shadows poured into its body from various parts of it, blooming into Thorn flowers.
Lu Li raised the Oil-Paper Umbrella in his left hand, knocking away a saber-toothed tiger that pounced at him. His body kept leaping, and the shadowy Short Blade in his right hand slashed, forcing another saber-toothed tiger back. The Touch of Fear, originating from himself, was launched with all its might in all directions.
The saber-toothed tiger that pounced on Lu Li was startled. Lu Li his left hand, like a watermelon exploding, red and white splattering everywhere. A saber-toothed tiger then pounced from behind, its long teeth carrying tremendous bite force, biting Lu Li's left shoulder.
Black flames burst forth, burning the saber-toothed tiger into a torch, emitting painful howls. Its vitality was evaporated by the Fire of Wrath, and it was burned alive into charcoal. Lu Li his body away, throwing the desiccated corpse aside, leaving only two large teeth on his shoulder.
These saber-toothed tigers were all physically strong, possessing a scarlet magic power within their bodies. Most importantly, there were more than a dozen of them, and their coordinated attack caused Lu Li to be injured once again.
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