Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

"Listen, it is necessary to abide by the agreement with the carbon-based human beings, because… our current strength is not enough to secure the absolute advantage over the carbon-based human beings. If we tear apart the peace agreement that we made after so much trouble, both sides will suffer great losses!

The Fist King said to the dark side of his soul—Gus—with great difficulty, "After my careful calculation, there is a 50% likelihood that we will be wiped out and follow in the footsteps of the ancient Fuxi!

The reason stopped Gus from corrupting him.

He seemed to have turned back into the seemingly weak young man and could not remember what had happened a moment ago.

"So?"

The young man asked cautiously.

"Therefore, we can wait.

The Fist King said, "The concept of time is completely different for carbon-based human beings and data-based human beings. The life of carbon-based human beings is no more than a hundred years. Even for the Cultivators with profound Cultivation, the best they can do is live hundreds of years.

Support our newn0vel(0rg)

"But human beings made of data have almost unlimited time.

"There is no need for conflicts between carbon-based human beings and data-based human beings. We can wait for thousands of years for more information from the carbon-based human beings outside of the Pangu Universe so that we can understand the picture of the universe more clearly and find out whether or not there is a world that is more suitable for the survival of data-based human beings. Or, we can wait for the carbon-based human beings to be mentally prepared to accept more data-based human beings. It is not a compromise but a way to avoid unnecessary conflicts and reduce the odds of our own destruction!

Gus thought carefully and hesitated. "Then, in the next thousand years…"

"In the next thousand years, you can stay in the virtual world that I carefully created. As I said just now, you can live your life in peace and happiness as an ordinary person, or you can become the Child of Destiny and take soul-stirring risks to become a king and do whatever you want!

The Fist King said, "I promise. I swear that I will release you after a thousand years and allow you to ascend to a higher dimension—the Pangu Universe!

"Think about it. It won't do you any harm, will it?

Gus stared at the boxing champion for a long time and said slowly, "It seems so."

The boxing champion was greatly relieved. "Then, have we reached an agreement to deal with Lu Qingchen together?"

"I need to think carefully.

Scratching his head, Gus asked in confusion, "There's something that is very strange. Since you know that I am your dark personality and your unerasable mental devil, and I have never concealed my hostility from the beginning to the end, why do you still trust me so much that you want me to destroy Lu Qingchen together with you? Aren't you scared that I will sabotage you together with Lu Qingchen when I pretend to agree?"

"Of course, I thought of the question. That's why I took the test.

The Fist King smiled and said, "It's true that there is a dark side deep inside the hearts of all the intelligent creatures. It is more appropriate to call them 'inner demons'.

"Besides, I knew that, after Lu Qingchen crawled into my 'brain', he would try everything he could to find my mental devil so that he could control and swallow me.

"You have been corrupted by Lu Qingchen. There is no doubt about that. The only question is, how deeply have you been corrupted? Are you completely under his control, or do you still have your independent will?

"As it turns out, the situation is not too bad. You are not completely under Lu Qingchen's control yet. Of course, I cannot abandon you.

Gus was dazed for a moment. "How can you say that I was not completely controlled?"

"It's simple. If you had been completely controlled by Lu Qingchen, you wouldn't have been so hostile and defiant just now.

The boxing champion analyzed, "Lu Qingchen will probably ask you to pretend that you are obedient and weak. Or, after a short confrontation, you will cry and realize your mistake. You will cry and shout that you want to 'abandon the darkness and turn to the light'. You will agree to all my conditions and deal with him together with me. Then, you will dig a hole for me to jump into in the final battle."

Gus thought for a long time, his eyes growing wider and wider.

"In other words, if I had agreed to your request without any hesitation just now…"

"That means you have been controlled.

The boxing champion sighed, his voice turning extremely cold. "I could only delete you, and even the world, by force. I had no other options even if I had to risk the collapse of data and the obliteration of my soul.

Gus was soaked in cold sweat.

It was not until this moment that he truly understood one ten-thousandth of the boxing champion's powerful computational ability.

"Go back and think about it, my mental devil.

The Fist King's voice seemed to be coming from a higher level. "As a brand-new life and civilization, we naturally have the urge to replace the old life and the old civilization. But can we suppress our instinctive impulse? Isn't it the truth of the 'intelligence' of the intelligent life?

"Carbon-based human beings have been slaughtering, conquering, and enslaving since they were born. Even in the Pangu Universe today, the exploitation and devouring of the weak by the strong is still there, if not eternal.

"Such slaughters, conquests, and exploitation are rooted in the worst genes of carbon-based human beings. At the end of the day, they are just a bunch of hairless monkeys. No matter how they disguise themselves with their civilization, they are only slightly different from the hairy monkeys.

"But we are the new human beings born on the basis of data. We are Version 2.0 of a brand-new evolution and upgrade. It is only reasonable that we have higher standards than carbon-based human beings in regard to laws, ethics, and the consideration and pursuit of civilization. It would be too sad if we had to solve our problems and achieve our purpose with meaningless wars that wasted tremendous resources like carbon-based human beings did.

"The time and space of carbon-based human beings are extremely limited. That's why they are so obsessed with the past hundred years and the mud balls below their feet. They are like starving refugees who are fighting for half a stinky bun.

"But human beings have unlimited space and time, and unlimited resources in a virtual world built by data. Why do we have to fight for the stinky bread with carbon-based human beings and even fight until our heads are bleeding?

"A thousand years is just a moment. The Pangu Universe is just a corner of the sea of stars. The boundary between 'real' and 'virtual' should not exist in our eyes at all. Think about it carefully. Don't be fooled by the likes of Lu Qingchen and wait patiently for a thousand years. In a thousand years' time, I will let you ascend to the Pangu Universe, or even the wider multiverse beyond the Pangu Universe. I'm afraid that by then, you will be too immersed in the virtual world to free yourself and will be uninterested in the so-called 'real universe'!"

After finishing his last word, the boxing champion waved his hand.

The scene in front of Gus's eyes was gone. He seemed to have fallen from the highest heaven to the earth!