Chapter 287: Forge a City as a World, Forge the World as a City!
In the verdant mountains outside Gamma Sacred City, a stream of red-gold light swiftly passed by, eventually stopping in front of a cloud-capped peak, quietly observing the ethereal pavilion hidden within the mist at the summit of the mountain, which had an air of celestial elegance.
Yunlan Mountain, Yunlan Sect, here we are.
The distance between Yunlan Sect and Gamma Sacred City wasn't very far. With the help of the Feather Sheath, Jiang Lin set off in the evening and arrived at Yunlan Mountain before dawn.
"The location of Yunlan Sect is quite remarkable. Hidden in the mountains, veiled in mist, it carries a celestial aura. No wonder so many people want to join here," Jiang Lin hovered in front of Yunlan Mountain, his golden-red eyes slightly glowing as he silently examined the 'Mist Array'—the protective array of Yunlan Sect.
"They say that only a Dou Zong can master spatial abilities, but that doesn't mean a Dou Huang can't access them. I heard from my senior brother that Yunlan Sect doesn't have a Dou Zong, but it possesses many profound things, like the Mist Array, the Life and Death Gate, and so on. The Mist Array can create a terrifying no-fly zone around Yunlan Sect. Anyone below Dou Huang cannot directly fly over Yunlan Sect. This array is quite impressive. After Master returns, I'll see if I can learn some special array techniques," Jiang Lin thought to himself as he gazed at the Yunlan Sect enveloped in mist, as if floating among the clouds.
Jiang Lin was familiar with basic arrays, just like Hai Mo had once told him. For a refiner, learning the basics of arrays was as easy as eating and drinking. Enlarging a simple Dou Qi tool could create a basic array. But to truly master arrays, one needed to have talent. After all, it was a branch of the refiner profession, and without talent, it would be impossible to achieve any significant accomplishments in it.
"The Mist Array seems simple, but to think that the strongest domain of the Spiritual Eyes is here?" Jiang Lin's eyes flashed with a faint golden-red glow. The world in front of him turned grayish-white, but the mist that disguised the mountains as fog and clouds shone brightly in this gray world! The energy quietly flowed, and the energy of heaven and earth moved in a regulated path under the influence of the array. The violent feeling of heaven and earth energy didn't manifest at all within the Mist Array, as though the energy of heaven and earth had never been activated. Everything seemed natural, everything flowed without effort.
"The principle of this Mist Array feels so similar to a Tier Earth Dou Technique. No, no, or perhaps Earth-tier Dou Techniques are derived from arrays because arrays can control more energy from heaven and earth than the human body. The difficulty of mastering an Earth-tier Dou Technique is obviously greater than the same-level arrays. After all, the human body is not so easily developed."
"First comes the array, and then comes the integration of Earth-tier Dou Techniques into the human body." Everything in the world is connected. As Jiang Lin saw the Yunlan Sect's mountain-protecting array operating with the energy of heaven and earth, he realized that Earth-tier Dou Techniques, which also used the energy of heaven and earth to amplify one's power, were similar in principle. This realization deepened his understanding of arrays, adding new insights to his perspective.
"Between human power and heavenly power, human power is ultimately limited. The phrase 'Man can conquer Heaven' isn't about being physically stronger than the heavens, but about understanding and manipulating the rules and order of heaven through human effort. The victory of man over heaven is the victory of subjective will over objective rules and order. It's about turning heaven's power into human power and transforming the favorable forces of heaven and earth into human advantage."
Acknowledging one's weakness does not equate to weakness.
Acknowledging one's limited knowledge does not equate to ignorance.
On the contrary, the moment you acknowledge your weakness, you truly understand what strength is.
The moment you acknowledge your limited knowledge, you open your mind to a much broader world.
"Things of form are called tools, things of principle are called the Dao. A tool can carry the Dao, and the Dao can dwell in the tool. Heh, quite good," Jiang Lin looked up at the brightening morning sky and smiled slightly, then turned and flew towards the foot of Yunlan Sect Mountain.
Jiang Lin had always misunderstood something. In a world where individual strength limits are extremely high, he used to think that ultimate personal power, strength, and cultivation were the true path. Everything that didn't contribute to increasing one's cultivation was seen as an inferior side path and not worthy of consideration. After all, didn't the saying go, "Man can conquer Heaven?"
But now, Jiang Lin's mind had suddenly opened up to something new. A person doesn't necessarily have to be a physical person, and heaven doesn't necessarily have to be a physical heaven. Victory over heaven isn't about man's physical strength triumphing over heaven; it's about man's subjective awareness responding to objective awareness.
This idea applies to both the world of technology and the world of the mysterious.
"No matter how strong an individual's power is, as long as they are living within the world, the plane, the universe, the void, their individual power will always be beneath 'Heaven'."
Jiang Lin landed on a small path at the foot of Yunlan Sect Mountain, then swiftly climbed up the winding stone path.
"If you can break a city, then the continent can still bear you. If you can shatter the continent, then the world can still carry you."
"Life is born from the world, and the world composes life. How could the energy of the subset surpass that of the whole? Unless the subset itself forms a new whole, making the whole anew. From this perspective, man hasn't defeated heaven; man has simply become heaven. As the new heaven, your will becomes the new order of the world, your Dao becomes the program of the new world."
"The world is merely a new cycle. An individual may perish, but the world is reborn."
The morning breeze brushed against Jiang Lin's ear, and the moist mountain fog dampened his clothes, but he paid no mind, silently walking step by step toward the mountain peak shrouded in clouds.
"When I acknowledged the insignificance of the individual, I suddenly realized I've become stronger."
Jiang Lin looked at the increasingly bright and steep path ahead, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable expression.
"Tools and Dao, man and heaven, material and spirit."
"Cultivation is the root, the tool is the Dao, and the Dao is also a form of tool."
"Tools are the tangible Dao, and the Dao is the intangible tool."
"Thus, the saying goes..."
"Forge a city as a world, forge the world as a city."
"If you are in the tool named the world, do you still have the courage to say 'man can conquer the tool'?"
"After all…"
"Dou Qi, Dou Qi continent."
(END CHAPTER)
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