Mythological origin

Teach's speaking style was somewhat erratic, sometimes arrogant, sometimes overly excited, and sometimes unusually calm, sounding somewhat like a combination of schizophrenia and histrionic personality disorder.

This sudden shift in emotion and the twisting of tone is like several distinct personalities vying for dominance within his body.

However, Bai Mo was already used to it. The first generation of cultivators on Earth who struggled and fought their way through the world and eventually broke through the boundaries of the mortal realm to become true immortals, were they not completely insane?

Some people sever all emotional ties and become like a cold, heartless stone.

Some people suffer from schizophrenia, with their fragmented personalities acting independently.

Some people have their aesthetic sense distorted to an appalling degree, and they are obsessed with "art" that is incomprehensible to ordinary people, the kind that makes them lose all sense of self-worth after just a few glances.

Even worse, some have become "masters of de-urbanization," deeply despising all order and rules, and yearning only for complete chaos and primitiveness.

In the long process of exploration, even the most shrewd person will inevitably make a few mistakes.

At best, it can cause qi deviation and demonic possession; at worst, it can lead to immediate death.

Not even a trace of its soul remained; it was completely reduced to dust.

The minor side effects of schizophrenia are already considered milder than Bai Mo's own illness.

……

"The world we are in now is part of the outer perimeter of the Sky Shuttle Great World! It's like... like an insignificant little meteorite floating next to a giant celestial body, or... a piece of debris that has been peeled off from the exterior wall of a huge building!"

In their conscious communication, Teach seemed quite pleased with the metaphor he had added, a somewhat neurotic smile spreading across his face, revealing a few slightly crooked teeth.

"The locals call it the Divine Ruins."

"The immortal techniques of the Divine Ruins World may not be much stronger than those of Terra. If it weren't for its small size, the Empire wouldn't have considered invading it. If it were the same size as Terra, Terra would definitely be the one to die."

"Oh?"

Although Terra rarely promotes things like confidence in its system or superiority of its path, it was quite surprising to Bai Mo that a True Immortal with such high aspirations would give it such high praise.

In Bai Mo's memory, if he didn't count himself, the Holy Terra Empire's strength on paper was about three to four times that of the White Land under the rule of the Good Corpse.

Because the organization of the White Earth is both tight and loose.

The intricate nature of this system lies in the fact that within the White Land, there is an omnipresent, vast network called the "System," which controls almost every aspect of its members' lives, from birth to death, from work to daily life.

It precisely allocates resources, issues tasks, evaluates contributions, distributes benefits, and maintains order.

From early childhood education and practice selection to career assignments, partner matching, and even entertainment, members are all guided and regulated by the "system" in every aspect.

It is like an invisible combination of mother, mentor, employer, and judge, weaving a vast, gentle yet coercive net.

Living here, everything is arranged in an orderly and efficient manner, and individuals only need to focus on improving themselves, with almost no need to worry about survival or trivial matters.

Its looseness lies in the ease of leaving.

Breaking free from the White Land's organizational structure is far easier than with other interstellar empires or cultivation sects.

There were no cumbersome censorship, no cruel kill orders, and no bloodline or soul-level curses binding them.

The only hurdle is a fee known as the "retirement tax." This fee is not a punishment, but rather a "cultivation cost" precisely calculated by the "system" based on the resources consumed during growth, the benefits enjoyed, and the current level of strength.

As long as the fee is paid in full at once, any member can be cleanly and efficiently disconnected from the "system" within an hour of submitting their application, have their core identity erased, and gain complete freedom.

The whole process was simple, efficient, and cold.

It is precisely because of the simplicity and clarity of this exit mechanism, without any emotional attachment, that a significant characteristic of the White Land has emerged: the loss of talent.

Many powerful individuals, having grown up in the efficient, safe, and resource-rich environment of the White Land, choose to leave after accumulating sufficient strength and capital.

They grew tired of the system's ubiquitous planning and protection, and longed to break free from its constraints in pursuit of a wider world and more complete autonomy.

Some venture into the Endless Land, those chaotic places that have not been fully explored or brought into order. With the foundation laid in the White Land and the resources acquired, they establish their own kingdoms or sects and become regional overlords.

Many more chose to join the Holy Terra Empire, a nation with the same lineage and a more "free" but also more brutal system.

After all, five hundred years ago, the White Land and the Terra Empire's predecessor, the Federation of Humans, were truly one family.

They share a common cultural origin and their martial arts systems are also inherited from the same source, so there is almost no cultural or power system barrier between them.

This talent mobility has even spawned a special industry – “headhunters” from Terra.

A large number of brokers with keen senses and diverse methods are often active on the fringes of the White Land or in information networks.

Their goal was very clear: to identify those elites who were emerging on the White Land, had great potential, but might be dissatisfied with the status quo.

Headhunters will proactively contact targets, offer generous terms, and even go so far as to pay the hefty "renouncing citizenship tax" out of their own pockets, providing a "one-stop immigration service" from processing procedures to settling down.

For them, the value of having an outstanding talent join them far exceeds that small "ransom".

If it weren't for the fact that the ransom for a true immortal was truly outrageous, Terra might have considered it.

The system never interferes with any of this.

There will be no raising of the bar, no setting of obstacles, and no accountability or liquidation.

Because the Lord doesn't care.

……

When Terra's predecessor, the Federation of Humans, left Earth, the Federation and the White Land were roughly equal in strength. However, over the centuries, with one side increasing and the other decreasing, Terra's accumulated strength has become three to four times that of the White Land.

Especially those at the True Immortal level.

Currently, there are eight True Immortals remaining in the White Land. Of these, only three have no intention of leaving, while the remaining five are on their way to raise money.

The tax on retiring from citizenship in the White Land is basically positively correlated with cultivation level.

The stronger a team is, the more taxes they have to pay if they want to leave.

According to the mission reward system of the White Land, even if a True Immortal-level expert worked tirelessly and devoted all his efforts to completing the most difficult mission, it would still take him more than a hundred years to barely accumulate this amount of contribution points.

However, compared to true immortals who are all million-year-old emperors, a working time of over a hundred years doesn't seem too outrageous. (End of Chapter)