Lord of the Earth

"Oh no... my thinking... seems to be slowing down!"

"I can't remember the incantation for the formation..."

"How could I forget... my name... No, I haven't forgotten it, but... but I can't remember what my master taught me..."

In the cities of Qianxia, ​​countless cultivators, scholars, and craftsmen simultaneously uttered cries of terror.

This is because the knowledge, skills, and insights that were originally engraved in his mind and used day and night are being extracted from his brain and flowed along the spider silk that manipulates fate to the white jade spider, and then transmitted to the "Dao Fruit" on the top of the Spider Queen's head!

From Confucian scholars studying the classics in the Imperial Academy to artisans forging divine weapons in workshops; from generals strategizing on the battlefield to agricultural officials researching the grafting of spiritual plants in the fields!

In the numerous human cities, the wisdom of all people is being gradually drained away, turning into specks of light flowing on those purplish-black spider silks.

A burly craftsman with long arms and a wasp waist was staring blankly at the half-finished divine weapon when the forging hammer in his hand clattered to the ground.

He stared at the metal before him, his mind blank. He couldn't recall what he had just been forging, and even the name of the metal was a blur!
A feng shui master collapsed to the ground, his eyes unfocused, the compass he was holding slipping from his hand.

He had just been drawing upon the power of the dragon veins to reinforce the city walls with a protective array, but now he couldn't even recall the simplest way to set up a spirit-gathering array.

It was as if the knowledge and skills that humans had painstakingly accumulated had never existed in his life experience.

Above the heads of all the people of Qianxia, ​​those threads of fate that had already been tied together.

At this moment, it was as if they were being pierced by tiny yet sharp "needles of wisdom," silently piercing their minds and gradually extracting and plundering the sparks of their thoughts!
"Is this the true power of the Spider Queen—using destiny as a web to plunder the wisdom and insights of all beings… to achieve her own supreme Dao fruit?"

In the Jade Palace of Langhuan, Wang Yuyan's face was extremely pale. What kind of great power is this, to plunder wisdom?

"Humanity's greatest strength lies in its intelligence, which terrifies even the weak... Therefore, they desire to exterminate humanity."

The Spider Queen's voice, filled with a cold laugh, echoed across the entire sky.

The weaklings she spoke of were naturally the "gods," or more accurately, the true gods who had once attacked humanity!
"However, in my eyes, the wisdom of the human race is the most precious nourishment. I will raise the human race, let them comprehend the rules of heaven and earth, and then gather them into my Dao Fruit... All the wisdom of the human race is nothing more than the resources for my Dao Fruit."

"What? The Spider Queen can actually plunder the wisdom of my human race?"

This statement came out.

Even the many outstanding people in Qianxia couldn't help but change their expressions drastically!

The reason why the human race has been able to get to where it is today is because of its "wisdom".

From the ancient people's knotted rope record-keeping and star-gazing calendar-setting to the formations, spiritual plant grafting, and divine weapon forging in this eternal land today, all achievements originate from here.

Now, this supreme true god has actually attacked the "wisdom" of the human race, which is tantamount to directly severing the foundation of the human race.

If humanity loses its intelligence, how are humans any different from those mindless beasts?

"No, no. The Tao gives birth to One, One gives birth to Two, Two gives birth to Three, Three gives birth to all things..."

"Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, proceed..."

"who I am?"

In an instant, cries of sorrow rose throughout the divine city.

Some frantically searched through the books at hand, trying to recall the mantras they had just memorized; some curled up on the ground with their heads in their hands, muttering some fragmented passages, only to completely forget them the next moment; and some with shallow cultivation had blank stares, their own names already blurred!

"Using the wisdom of all beings as sustenance... Is this how the gods nourish themselves?"

Just as this wave of despair was spreading wildly, a voice suddenly rang out.

The voice wasn't loud; it even carried a touch of refined gentleness, yet it strangely pierced through the city's mournful cries, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

There seemed to be a power in the voice that caused the thoughts that were being drawn away to pause slightly.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Above the most central building of the human race's divine city, the "Emperor's Academy," a figure in a green robe slowly rose.

He looked to be no more than middle-aged, with a thin face and slightly graying temples, but his eyes were as calm and bright as a deep abyss.

Standing in the void, he did not look at the white jade spider that blotted out the sky, but instead lowered his head slightly to look at the bewildered human people in the divine city. Wherever his gaze fell, he saw the students, craftsmen, and generals who were losing their memories. Suddenly, a strange sense of peace welled up in his heart—as if something had been gently lit up in the deepest, deepest part of him!
"It's Master Yangming... Master Yangming has emerged from seclusion!"

Someone recognized the figure, their voice trembling with the excitement of escaping a desperate situation.

Wang Yangming was the "Chancellor" of the Imperial Academy.

This former "last sage" of the Ming Dynasty is the "stabilizing force" of this divine city that gathers all races.

For nine hundred years, the Qianxia Kingdom was established. Bai Qi led the military affairs office to expand the territory, Zhuge Liang was in charge of the government affairs office to manage the people's livelihood, and the Imperial Academy was the place where the civilization of the entire human race was passed down.

The position of Grand Master of Ceremonies is equivalent to the head of both the military and political affairs departments, which shows its importance!
At this moment, Wang Yangming stood in the void, slowly raising his right hand, and above his head, a bright moon suddenly rose—

That bright moon was not a physical entity, but rather a collection of countless fine, warm points of light, each of which seemed to contain some profound truth!
That is the pursuit of "investigating things to acquire knowledge", the practice of "unity of knowledge and action", and the enlightenment of "extending innate knowledge".

It is the culmination of Wang Yangming's life's work, the "Bright Moon of Mind and Fruit of the Way" formed from his centuries of cultivation since his enlightenment in Longchang!
As the bright moon rises and its clear light shines down, the "needles of wisdom" that pierced the human race's soul crumble inch by inch. The purplish-black threads, after being cleansed by the clear light, transform into specks of golden light rain, flowing back into everyone's sea of ​​consciousness!
I have a bright pearl, long locked away by worldly troubles. One day, the dust will be gone and its light will shine, illuminating countless mountains and rivers!

Those memories, formulas, and skills that had been pulled away by the threads of fate seemed to be drawn back along the same path by a gentle force.

The burly craftsman's eyes widened suddenly. He bent down to pick up the forging hammer from the ground, looked at the half-finished divine weapon in his hand, and blurted out.

"It's the 'Hundred Refinements Steel Method'... I remember now!"

The feng shui master also got up from the ground, grabbed his compass, and watched as the needle spun rapidly. He cried out in disbelief.

"The earth's vein patterns... the Gathering Spirit Array... I remember it all! I even have new insights..."

Excitement filled the air throughout the divine city.

Many people even had a sudden flash of inspiration at this moment, and the spiritual breakthroughs that had been stagnant for many years suddenly became clear in their minds.

He had an instant enlightenment and achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation and skills!

"Hmm, your Dao Fruit... is quite interesting!"

Above the sky, the Spider Queen's six compound eyes lit up simultaneously, scrutinizing the human man who had emerged from the Imperial Academy for the first time.

"To perceive the rules of heaven and earth with the power of the mind, to understand their principles, which are unchanging through the ages... to actually use the inherent understanding of the rules within the human heart to resist the 'Needle of Wisdom' that will follow me?"

"A newly ascended human true god is actually capable of this?"

The Spider Queen, with her vast knowledge and experience, naturally saw through the essence of the "Tao Fruit" that Wang Yangming had condensed at a glance.

Wang Yangming's own "philosophy of mind" is based on the principle that "the mind is principle"—the rules of heaven and earth are not cold laws external to people, but are inherent in the mind of every person. The so-called "extending innate knowledge" is to make people realize and awaken this innate sense of rules, thereby understanding the rules of heaven and earth and comprehending the reason for the existence of all things!
This power was able to resist the Spider Queen's attempt to steal wisdom because the Spider Queen plundered "known principles"—the concrete wisdom and knowledge that had already been comprehended, summarized, and recorded. But what Wang Yangming awakened was something much deeper within the human heart—

The instinct to comprehend rules and the innate talent of the human race to perceive the Great Dao!

That is the fleeting thrill that flashes through a person's heart when they first look up at the stars, first touch a flame, and first ask "why" as they move from ignorance to enlightenment. It is something that no external force can truly take away.

Because it wasn't a specific formula or a clear memory, but rather an "instinct" belonging to the human race.

Even if the Spider Queen takes away all the knowledge in a person's mind, as long as that "desire for knowledge" remains, the human race can re-understand, re-accumulate, and re-create!
"I see……"

A flash of understanding crossed the Spider Queen's eyes.

"Your Way is not to bestow wisdom upon all beings, but to awaken their inherent awareness of the rules. One seeks externally and grasps, the other illuminates internally and reveals itself..."

She suddenly smiled.

The laughter echoed in the sky, its coldness tinged with a certain greed.

"Young human, do you know that our Dao fruits are quite compatible... The Way of Weaving Destiny takes the known principles of all races as its sustenance. The Way of Mind is based on the desire of all beings to seek truth. One emphasizes 'knowing,' the other emphasizes 'seeking.' If they are united, it is the unity of 'known' and 'seeking knowledge'..."

Wang Yangming stood under the bright moon, his expression unchanged, and said calmly.

"Good! What a fine young human, able to see through my thoughts at a glance. In that case, you should know—I am determined to obtain your Dao Fruit!"

The Spider Queen's laughter grew even louder. The next moment, the endless black energy emanating from the "purple Dao Fruit" above her head transformed into countless black chains, binding towards the Dao Fruit above Wang Yangming's head!

"We're the same, we're the same!"

Wang Yangming spoke in a calm tone.

The "bright moon" above their heads suddenly burst forth with unprecedented brilliance, its clear light shining forth like a surging tide, rushing towards the countless purple-black chains!

The direct collision of the two Dao Fruits at the level of the Great Dao, and the clash of every strand of Dao rhyme, were stirring up the most fundamental rules of heaven and earth.

Above the sky, the clear light and purple tide surged and churned alternately, sometimes evolving into a sky full of stars, and sometimes collapsing into a void of chaos. Large areas of space were distorted and deformed by the Daoist rhyme, and the entire sky was cracking!

The Spider Queen's chains of law wrapped tightly around the bright moon, each carrying a unique devouring power, attempting to tear apart, decompose, and absorb Wang Yangming's Dao Fruit into itself.

The clear light emanating from the "Heart Learning and Dao Fruit" above Wang Yangming's head was like mercury spilling onto the ground, penetrating into the gaps of the purple-black chains, peeling away and releasing the fragments of wisdom imprisoned within them bit by bit!
"This...is indeed true. Your methods have truly surprised and delighted me..."

For the first time, the Spider Queen revealed her true astonishment. In her compound eyes, she clearly saw a scene: her "Weaving Life Dao Fruit" and Wang Yangming's "Mind Learning Dao Fruit" were colliding at their extremes and producing a strange resonance!

The purplish-black "Sea of ​​Knowledge" and the bright gold "Heart of Seeking Reason" are intertwined, slowly rotating like a yin-yang symbol!
"When the 'known principles' and the 'heart seeking principles' unite... if either of us can absorb and fuse the other's Dao Fruit, we can condense a brand new Dao Fruit that surpasses both of them—a Quasi-Supreme!"

She suddenly looked at Wang Yangming, and the most greedy light burst forth from all six of her compound eyes at the same time!
"Young human, after you submit to me, I will make you the number one divine general of my divine court—our Dao fruits will be aligned, and we will jointly step into the Quasi-Supreme Realm!"
"At that time, all races will be subjects, and the great principles of heaven and earth will be jointly governed by you and me!"

Wang Yangming did not answer.

He simply closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again.

Rumble!
The power emanating from the "Mind Learning" Dao Fruit above his head was even more violent, like a "chisel" that was about to crush the Spider Queen's "Dao Fruit"!

I want this sky to no longer obscure my vision, I want this earth to no longer bury my heart, I want all the gods and Buddhas in the sky to vanish into thin air...

Above the sky, the figure of a scholar in blue robes seemed to be walking with a sword.

As the mind knew, the numerous attacks manifested by the Spider Queen's Dao Fruit were dispelled one by one...

"For a mere junior to have mastered the power of the Dao Fruit to such an extent in such a short time is truly astonishing..."

"If that's the case, then I'll have no choice but to take it by force..."

The Spider Queen's voice turned cold.

Originally, if Wang Yangming had been willing to voluntarily relinquish his "Dao Fruit," she could have obtained a perfectly complete Dao Fruit...

However, this human god refused... so she had no choice but to take it by force.

Even if this might shatter her Dao Fruit, the remaining Dao essence would still be enough for her to advance further!
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."

Above the sky, the Spider Queen's six compound eyes lit up simultaneously, each eye revealing a complete Dao Fruit!

The Dao Fruits varied in size and color; some were as translucent as amber, some as deep as black jade, and some as fiery as flames.

"What? The Spider Queen actually possesses so many Dao Fruits?"

This scene left countless beings in the Eternal Land breathless. How could a true god condense so many Dao fruits?
How do we deal with this?

"Don't let your Dao mind be disturbed... Judging from the Goddess of Destiny, this shouldn't be her own Dao fruit, but rather something she stole from someone else..."

Jia Xu shook his head, trying to calm the troops.

Indeed, these "Six Great Dao Fruits" were all extracted from the Spider Queen after she devoured countless civilizations and hunted down other True Gods throughout endless eras!
At this moment, they were all incorporated into her system, like spoils hanging on a spider web!
The six complete Dao Fruits shone brightly, and the purplish-black Dao Aura surged out like a tide, transforming into billions of law chains as thick as dragons, strangling towards the bright moon above Wang Yangming's head!

"Youngster, my resources are the culmination of hundreds of thousands of years of accumulation and the foundation of hundreds of civilizations that have been destroyed—what makes you think you can compete with me?"

The power emanating from the Spider Queen surged, and fine cracks began to appear on the bright moon, its radiance being continuously compressed by the purple tide.

Wang Yangming was at a disadvantage.

It's not surprising. After all, his Dao Fruit had only been condensed for a few hundred years, which was far less than the Spider Queen's accumulation of 100,000 years... More importantly, the other party directly used the "Six True God Dao Fruits".

Today, Wang Yangming is essentially "fighting seven against one," one of whom is even a top-tier true god!
"Sir...is he in retreat?"

Countless human cultivators below stared wide-eyed, their hearts pounding in their throats.

Wang Yang clearly retreated, his body leaning slightly backward. The "Heart's Bright Moon - Dao Fruit" above his head was shattered inch by inch by the impact of the Dao rhythm, and the cracks on the surface of the bright moon increased.

However, a hint of a smile suddenly appeared in his eyes.

You're wrong.

Wang Yangming said in a low voice.

"what?"

Above the heavens, the Spider Queen paused slightly.

"You say your resources are the accumulation of 100,000 years and the foundation of hundreds of civilizations—"

When Wang Yangming spoke, he did not attack the Spider Queen, but instead looked down at the entire human divine city.

The rain fell upon the teachers in the Imperial Academy gazing at the heavens, upon the artisans on the streets who had just regained their memories, upon the soldiers on the city walls who were once again gripping their weapons, and upon the young children and students in countless homes who were still reeling from the shock—

"—But you don't know that for nine hundred years, the torch of the Qianxia dynasty has been passed down through generations, and the inextinguishable lamp in the heart of every seeker of the Dao is my sustenance."

He paused for a moment, then spoke.

The sound wasn't loud, yet it pierced through the entire sky—

"Throughout my life, from an ordinary person to where I am today, I have only taught the world one thing—"

"That fleeting glimmer of light in your heart is what distinguishes you from beasts and plants. That is the root of what makes you human."

"Now, someone wants to uproot this. She thinks that by taking away the incantation, the skill, everything you can remember, you will no longer be yourself—"

"But she didn't know that the desire to 'know' couldn't be taken away. Because as long as you live, as long as you look up at the stars, as long as you ask the heavens and earth 'why'—"

"That spark of hope will reignite from the ashes."

"And that's exactly what she fears most."

"so--"

Wang Yangming suddenly looked up, his eyes shining like cold stars.

"Let us show it to her!"

"Yes, teacher!"

All the disciples of the Xinxue School simultaneously felt a surge of fervent power welling up from the bottom of their hearts. It was not wisdom given by others, but the awakened, inherent "heart of seeking reason"!
Inside and outside the divine city, countless people closed their eyes.

Suddenly, a ball of intense heat within his chest transformed into specks of light, detaching from his body and rising towards the heavens.

From Confucian scholars in the Imperial Academy to fishermen in remote border towns; from hundreds of millions of people within the Qianxia territory to distant tribes that had been influenced by the philosophy of mind.

Those who have ever had a sudden realization because of "the philosophy of mind".

At this moment, they all placed their hands on their hearts, raising up that little bit of "desire for reason" without reservation.

The light shone like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, with billions of points of light rising into the sky at the same time, like moonlight rolling back, converging above Wang Yangming's head.

The "bright moon," which was on the verge of shattering, suddenly solidified, carrying the spiritual power entrusted to it by all people. Its light increased a thousandfold, and its gentle radiance was no longer as soft as water, but transformed into a "spiritual storm" that swept across the heavens and the earth.

Crackling sounds!

The Spider Queen's six "True God Dao Fruits" trembled violently simultaneously, and the purple-black chains were forcibly torn apart by the golden light! (End of Chapter)