Upon seeing the characteristics of another "Knowledge Emperor" provided by Adam, Odis realized that his current thinking was even more important than the one he had played before.
Adam, at least, believed that he was in a state where he could "drink" another dose of the characteristics of the "Knowledge Emperor".
Of course, Adam wouldn't have been watching him all this time. Odis guessed that the Celestial Master must have noticed the change in his condition and informed Adam.
After discarding his special abilities, Odis continued to think along the same lines he had been following.
He also realized that finding his own "Tao" and promoting his own "Tao" was very likely the reason why the "original ancient times" had such a stable state.
According to the information Odis has obtained so far, in the ancient times created by the "original creator," the "fallen mother goddess" and the "tree of desire" existed at the very beginning of this universe.
As for the "decaying king" and "unceasing words" born from the "original" and the "fallen mother goddess", they also appeared later and have existed for a very, very long time. However, their state is very stable, even "super stable".
So, is their way of maintaining their own state simply by adhering to their own "Tao"?
Our "Tao" is something we are born with, unlike humans who have to search for their own "Tao" through constant self-improvement.
Moreover, it is highly likely that they are unaware of this and cannot find their own "path". After all, the current seven true gods can all be traced back to the distant Second Era. The "God of Steam and Machinery", who became a god the latest, is only a latecomer.
The concept of "Tao" didn't exist in that era, and it still doesn't exist now.
One reason is that there are very few cases of intelligent beings becoming the Old Ones. Currently, there are only a handful of beings on Earth who have become the Old Ones, among whom "God" and "Celestial Being" belong to the "Primordial Old Ones".
The "sages" can be considered a "joint venture", containing both "original ancient" elements and elements of ordinary intelligent beings.
The remaining "Ancient Sun God" can only be considered a "quasi-Ancient Sun," and he never dared to take that step.
The "Emperor of the Underworld" can only be considered "half of the Old Ones," and the method by which he became an Old One was clearly problematic, failing to provide any experience for the gods on Earth.
At this moment, Odis suddenly realized why the Celestial Master had suddenly entered a state of "enlightenment" after clearing away the will belonging to the "wilderness of knowledge".
It should be realized that for the extraordinary power of Earth, the most critical thing now is not how to cultivate more Ancients, but to find a stable state of Ancients, or a way for intelligent beings to fight against the divinity of Ancient level.
Clearly, relying solely on human nature and anchoring methods is no longer sufficient to meet the needs of the past.
Therefore, the method that the Celestial Master conceived of—separating humanity from divinity, first uniting divinity with the primordial essence, and then uniting it with humanity, which has been universally elevated to the status of a true god—should be the most reliable approach.
Even without prior planning, finding and adhering to one's own "way" can help stabilize the "post-natal past"—that is, the post-natal state of universal ascension.
Thinking of this, Odis breathed a sigh of relief, marveling at how timely he had come up with the problem—or rather, if he hadn't, Adam wouldn't have offered him the "Knowledge Emperor" attribute.
Only after he has figured out these issues will he become the King of Angels and wait for the opportunity to fight the "Hidden Sage".
Odis then suddenly realized that his "Tao" was the foundation for his future "harmony with Tao".
When one's own "Dao" is highly aligned with the Celestial Master's "Dao," their process of "merging with the Dao" will certainly be very smooth.
After summarizing his thoughts, Odis filled his pipe and let his mind rest while smoking.
Now that the theory is in place, all that's missing is to become a god.
Thinking of this, Odis suddenly smiled. The biggest problem now is how to force the "Hidden Sage" out.
He became the King of Angels in just a few days. Theoretically, once he familiarizes himself with his abilities and finds an opponent to practice against, he can prepare to fight the "Hidden Sage".
However, in reality, the "Hidden Sage" will definitely hide at this time, making it difficult to find the opponent and fight them.
After careful consideration, Odis decided to become the King of Angels first and make thorough preparations before proceeding further.
The next day, Odis carefully assessed his own condition and confirmed that he was in good condition. Then he went to a deserted island and drank the second dose of the "Knowledge Emperor's" potion.
Unlike the trouble he experienced when drinking the first potion, Odis was in good condition and the ritual of ascension was performed thoroughly. He only felt slightly disoriented before the two potions in his body completed their fusion process.
Odis immediately sensed his own abilities and in which areas they had improved.
He soon discovered, to his dismay, that no new abilities had emerged; only the abilities of all the "Knowledge Emperors" had been strengthened.
This aligns with the rule that the second potion can only make the user stronger.
This applies not only to Sequence 1, but also to other sequences. Repeatedly drinking potions only makes an Extraordinary more powerful within that sequence.
However, at the Sequence 1 level, the "magnitude" of the increase in power is a bit greater.
For example, the ability to instill knowledge into the target's brain. Previously, opponents at the Sequence 1 level could still find a way to stop it, but now it can easily defeat opponents at the Sequence 1 level. This half-level improvement is indeed perceptible.
Moreover, Odis now wields more power. For example, he now possesses an ability similar to "knowledge judgment," which is actually an enhancement of his previous "knowledge control."
The only difference is that the original "control of knowledge" has been strengthened to the current "judgment" that some knowledge is invalid.
This is actually quite close to some of the unique powers of the "Hermit" path, which includes the ability to modify the basic knowledge of the real world to a certain extent.
For example, if we change "1+1=2" to "1+1=3", the universe will not collapse as a result. Instead, within a certain period of time, the mathematical concept remains "1+1=3".
But the opponent usually can't "react" yet, feeling that "1+1" should equal 2.
As Odis gained a deeper understanding of the "Hermit" path, he realized that the most powerful aspect of the "Hermit" was the ability to switch between "0" and "".
It's about the interchange between "having" and "not having". Things like "1+1=2" and "1+1=3" are child's play. What's really powerful is "1+1=0".
However, the authority of the Angel King of the Dual Sequence 1 did not touch this point. Odis's authority is currently mainly focused on "modification," that is, operating on the basis of "existence."
This is one of the advantages of the "Hidden Sage"—
Thinking about this, Odis suddenly laughed, because he realized that this was a misconception: why should he fight in the opponent's area of strength?
Odis realized that she should play to her strengths and keep her opponent busy.
With this in mind, a rough plan to deal with the "Hidden Sage" took shape.
However, Odis needs to familiarize herself with her abilities first, then practice the role, adjust her state, and then figure out a solution.
It forced the "hidden sage" to come out.
While doing these things, Odis also paid some attention to the international situation.
The arms race had only lasted a few months, and with countries investing heavily in "extraordinary technology," the Republic of Intis was the first to develop an "extraordinary puppet."
Odis saw their "extraordinary puppets" through his extraordinary abilities. Although they looked bulkier than the "extraordinary puppets" that Odis had developed, they were stronger, used spirituality as their power source, and had a certain degree of autonomy, which met the definition of "intelligent extraordinary puppets".
This marked the end of Remenberg's monopoly on the "extraordinary puppet".
Odis had previously deduced that the only one capable of catching up with Remenberg in terms of "extraordinary technology" was Intis.
Because this country has a church dedicated to the god of steam and machinery.
Before this, the extraordinary beings in this church were not enlightened; they did nothing but create sealing artifacts and study science and technology in the real world.
After Odis pioneered "extraordinary technology" that combined mysticism with the wisdom of ordinary people, the demigods of the Steam Church were the first to understand it. Given enough support, they could do just as well as the Remnburg Research Institute.
However, Odis did not expect them to be so fast.
Odis originally thought it would take at least three to five years before he would resume the war with Intis, but now it seems that the plan to start the war will have to be brought forward.
Indeed, the main reason why Odis had a plan to destroy Intis so early on was that he needed the "God of Steam and Machinery" to fall, and at the same time, he needed a large number of "General Knowledgeers" who were extraordinary to help spread "extraordinary technology".
Therefore, Odis was not afraid that Intis's "extraordinary technology" would surpass Remenberg's, but rather that he did not want his own development in "extraordinary technology" to become unsustainable.
In Odis's eyes, the large number of "generalists" and extraordinary individuals cultivated by the Steam Church were a valuable asset that he was determined to acquire.
Therefore, war between Rembrandt and Intis was inevitable from the beginning, but the war between the two countries could very well trigger a new world war.
May has arrived in the blink of an eye, and construction has begun on Azshara's new city district!
The reason why the new urban area was built so quickly is largely due to its "extraordinary productivity".
Just like Remenberg's "extraordinary industrial system," the reason it was able to take shape so quickly was mainly due to the help of extraordinary forces.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that Remenberg already had its own industrial system.
For an agricultural country to become an industrial country, it requires decades of primitive accumulation or investment from other economies.
Moreover, this process is very risky. If one is not careful, decades of accumulation could be completely plundered by other countries.
Rembrandt was already an industrialized country, and with only extensive modifications, it could build the first "extraordinary industrial system".
Moreover, because this is a diocese of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, the literacy rate is very high. With just a little training, enough workers can be obtained to carry out "extraordinary industrial" production.
Of course, this transformation process was aided by some extraordinary power.
For example, Odis's planning was a complex undertaking. Normally, a special team would be formed to learn from Odis, understand the president's intentions, unify their thinking, conduct sufficient research, and then begin the planning process based on the actual situation.
Moreover, the proposed plans need to be revised repeatedly until they are scientifically sound and objective enough. Generally speaking, the planning stage of such a new industrial system alone takes more than half a year, or even several years, or the plan is adjusted while it is being transformed.
However, Odis completely skipped this point. Apart from the statistical work being completed and coordinated by various departments, all the planning work was done by the "intelligent puppets" of the "wilderness of knowledge" under Odis's orders.
From obtaining the statistical data to developing a plan that satisfied Odis, it only took a little over an hour.
The same applies during the construction phase; if some key projects cannot be completed on schedule, then extraordinary resources are mobilized to assist.
The fact that extraordinary people work on construction sites is not a joke for Remenberg; it is a real thing.
The new city of Azshara is Odis's project to test his "extraordinary industrial system".
It looks pretty good now; a new city area, half the size of the old city, was built in less than nine months.
Moreover, all the supporting facilities in the new urban area adopt an "extraordinary layout," and all equipment, such as heating, cooling, lighting, and elevators, are driven by intelligence!
Although the facilities are brand new, the housing prices here are cheaper than in the old town.
Because the building is tall enough.
Following this, Odis launched a banking service offering loans to "working class" residents, encouraging them to move in.
At this time, people generally had very good expectations for the future of Rembrandt, as well as for their own future careers, so many people were willing to take out loans to try living in the new houses.
In addition, many foreigners, wealthy businessmen and nobles who heard the news came here to view the properties and immediately placed orders to snap up the larger apartments.
The Rembrandt government subsequently introduced a policy that large apartments would be sold at market prices, while small and medium-sized apartments would be sold at official guidance prices.
Because there are still too few wealthy people in Rembrandt, the residents of the large apartments in the new town are mostly foreigners.
The residents of medium-sized apartments are mostly researchers or technicians, government officials, religious workers, etc., while the residents of small apartments are mostly workers, small vendors, etc.
Overall, housing sales are performing much better than the Reimsburg government had anticipated.
Only about a month later, the occupancy rate in the new urban area was already very high.
As the population grows, commerce will naturally develop.
Azshara Old Town.
After reporting to the church, Edwina went home.
The Edwards family is one of the few extraordinary families in Remenberg, but they are not nobles. However, they have a good working relationship with the church, so many family members work for the Church of Knowledge or are official extraordinary members of the church.
Edwina also has a younger brother who does not work in the church, but works for the current Remnburg government's extraordinary institution. A few days ago, her brother wrote to her asking her to help him buy a large apartment in the new town.
Currently, the wealthy in Rembrandt are mainly divided into two categories: one is the rich who supported President Gard's new policies two years ago and voluntarily handed over their factories.
Although they only held about 8% of the shares and lost management control, their previous businesses had expanded several times over, and the profits from their exceptional products were very high. Their income was now about the same as before, and they didn't have to take on too much risk.
The wealthy people who fled Reims back then, having squandered most of their savings, are now filled with regret.
Another type of wealthy people are the extraordinary families, who have accumulated savings and investments over several generations, and their assets are now quite considerable.
However, both of these types of people are few in number.
Edwina's family has some savings, so her brother really hopes to move into a larger apartment in the new city area.
The problem is that large apartments are no longer available. Edwina's brother, Icarus, has heard that the Remnburg government has dozens of large apartments that it hasn't put up for sale, seemingly waiting for prices to rise further.
Despite using his own and his family's connections, Icanos was unable to purchase a large house, so he asked his sister to write a letter to the president to help him buy one.
Edwina has rarely been home in recent years, and this time when she came back, she felt a little unfamiliar with the place. She was seeing many of the industrial-style furniture pieces for the first time.
Her brother, Ikanos, opened the refrigerator as if presenting a treasure: "This machine can cool things down even in the summer. Try an ice-cold beer—oh, right, you don't like beer, how about a glass of red wine from Kamelbon? Their red wine is perfect chilled."
With her delicate oval face, Edwina gestured for her younger brother to step back. She closed the refrigerator door, looked at it carefully, and then asked, "This kind of furniture isn't common in ordinary households anymore, is it?"
The equally handsome Icanos laughed and said, "Although it's not that widespread yet, most of my colleagues have one of these at home."
"The newspaper once said that residents with a monthly salary of more than 20 Sasenkins can basically own their own refrigerator."
Edwina remarked, "It's already quite widespread."
During the war, the production of these civilian goods was very limited. Only six months after the war ended, the field of "extraordinary technology" had already developed to such an extent.
Icarus rubbed his hands together: "Edwina, did you inquire about the house for me?"
Edwina glanced at Icanos: "How did you know I know President Gar?"
"The newspapers have all said that you, and the current 'Queen of Stars,' have had close cooperation with President Gar," Icanos said.
In fact, some newspapers published at sea speculated that their relationship was more than just "close cooperation," and that they must have spent wonderful nights together.
When these newspapers reached the country, their statements were definitely "filtered," so only the statement that the president had once had close cooperation with the pirate general remained.
Edwina frowned: "These days, even such trivial things are reported in the newspapers?"
"The style of the newspapers changed after the war," Icanos explained, then asked, "Did you contact the president at all?"
Edwina looked at her brother and gave a cold laugh.
Icarus felt cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I mainly think you're too tired at sea and should enjoy the best accommodations in Azshara."
Edwina then softened her sharp gaze: "Is the money ready?"
"It's ready, it's been ready for a long time." Icanos hurried back to his room and took out a briefcase: "I knew you were coming back today, so I prepared the money yesterday."
Edwina nodded: "Then let's go take a look at the new district."
Icanos asked somewhat uneasily, "You really asked—"
Seeing that his sister's gaze was about to change again, he immediately shut up: "I'll go drive the car. What do you think of the car I bought?"
Latest configuration, 600km range on a single charge!
Icarus drove out his hovercar and began to introduce it to his sister, saying, "This is absolutely a gift from the gods!"
No damn horse manure, you can experience the joy of driving, and it's easy to operate.
Edwina interrupted the other person's remark: "How much?"
"1600 Sasenkins," Icanos said with a smile. "I bought it with my salary and bonuses."
Last year, he participated in several wars and accumulated a considerable amount of prize money.
Edwina, who had been active around the Raging Sea, habitually converted the currency into gold pounds using the current exchange rate, which amounted to approximately 360 gold pounds.
She couldn't help but sigh: at sea, 360 pounds couldn't buy a single one of the extraordinary qualities of a "sailor".
Southern Continent, Caesar Port.
This is the Intis colony—at least for now.
At this time, Intis's ocean-going fleet was confronting Remenberg's fleet in the open sea off Caesarsport.
Remburg claimed that one of their merchant ships had been attacked by the Intis ocean fleet, so they came to Caesar Port, Intis's largest colonial port.
But judging from their demeanor, they didn't seem to be there to argue.
They deployed a total of more than twenty warships, all of which were new ironclads from Remburg. They were not as large as the ironclads from Loen, but they looked more streamlined and aesthetically pleasing.
It also has a faster speed, more advanced weapons, and greater power.
The naval commander at Caesars Harbor knew very well that although Intis's sailing warships outnumbered their opponents by more than five times, they were no match for them.
At this point, he was prepared for all his warships to be destroyed and for him to engage in a counter-landing battle with the enemy at the port.
Just then, the naval commander seemed to sense something and looked up into the air.
His pupils dilated in shock. He had no idea when a colossal object had appeared there. It was the first time the naval commander had ever seen such a large steel behemoth.
Logically, it should be very heavy, but it defies common sense and floats in the air.
This is a form of contempt, a naked disregard for technology and for comprehensive national strength!
As more and more Intis crew members came into view of the giant ship, their morale was greatly affected.
This is the aircraft carrier's debut!
Azshara, New Town.
Edwina quietly looked at the tall residential and commercial districts, the clean and tidy streets lined with sidewalks, and the hovercars on the road.
From the moment she left the old town, Edwina felt as if she had entered another world.
The giant "GG" signs on the street are animated, and the streetlights on both sides of the road are simple and beautiful.
The green ring area is also very large, and both the trees and flowers are obviously improved varieties. The flowers are colorful, the trees are beautifully shaped, and even the lawn looks pleasing to the eye.
Icarus took his sister to see the large apartment model home. Although more than a month had passed, there were still many people looking at the apartments, including many foreigners.
The show flat was simply and elegantly decorated, with excellent natural light and a wide view. It lacked features like fireplaces and servants' quarters, giving Edwina a feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Suddenly, Edwina sensed something and saw a magician wearing an ancient ceremonial hat and a black robe by the window.
This reminded Edwina of some recent rumors, so she went to the window and took a closer look at the magician. Sure enough, his appearance was similar to the rumored "wandering magician".
"Sorry, I was a little distracted just now," the other person said with a smile, otherwise they would have noticed Edwina's approach.
This "wandering magician" is, of course, Klein's persona to digest the potion. He heard that the new town had been completed, so he came to take a look.
However, he wasn't just looking at the city's appearance; he was also looking at its supporting facilities. For example, in the hospital, Klein saw many extraordinary medical instruments whose functions required divination to understand, as well as a dazzling array of extraordinary medicines. In this hospital, most diseases could be treated.
Moreover, treatment can be obtained for very little money.
At the school, Klein saw extraordinary multimedia classrooms and many modern facilities.
It wasn't until he saw the "knowledge detector" that he felt a moment of disorientation and suddenly "remembered" that he was in a mysterious world.
The "knowledge detector" is said to be able to test students' mastery of a certain type of knowledge. It is currently in the trial stage. If enough data is collected and the results are satisfactory, this "detector" may replace traditional exams in the future.
In addition, the school has made extensive use of "extraordinary puppets," with school staff, security personnel, and some teachers working together to create a fair and just learning environment.
After all, the "extraordinary puppet" will not have any subjective prejudice against students based on their clothing or personality.
In the areas of healthcare and education, Klein saw a future that seemed not too far away.
As for the residential housing that others considered very advanced, Klein thought it was just so-so.
It's nothing more than having underfloor heating in the house, an extraordinary stove in the kitchen, running water in the bathroom, extraordinary lighting, and a spiritual radio in the living room.
To be honest, Klein thought the lack of widespread television coverage was a major mistake.
He smiled at Edwina, then quickly left and disappeared into the city.
Klein wanted to tell Odis that the city was very well-built for this time of year, even amazing.
But he believed that for Odis, this was only the beginning.
While Edwina was in the show flat, she seemed to be in a daze for a moment, and the "wandering magician" had already disappeared.
Icarus was preoccupied with the house and did not notice his sister's unusual behavior.
Edwina stopped teasing her younger brother and approached a staff member, expressing her desire to buy a large apartment.
The staff said that the remaining large apartments had already been reserved.
So Edwina went to a sales office and saw a huge "spirit-storing crystal" that emitted a bright, pure white light.
The staff immediately brought over the purchase contract, and Edwina said to her somewhat dumbfounded brother, "Haven't you heard?"
Do demigods have priority in purchasing large apartments in the new urban area?
That enormous "Spirit Storage Crystal" can only be lit up at least at Sequence 4.