Poor Taoist Qiu Chuji

Chapter 402 A Land Where Everything Is Possible
Qiu Chuji did not rush to manifest his divine power, but instead contacted the authorities, established his divine status, and expanded his influence.

Such a slow and hesitant approach is indeed detrimental to his competition for the "Proof of the Great Luo".

It's important to understand that while the number of available "gods" is infinite—theoretically, it's possible for someone to claim the title of "god who eliminates acne scars," "god who ends obesity," or "god who remains energetic the day after clubbing at midnight"—a truly effective god must achieve unparalleled influence in the ancestral land, permeating every aspect of people's lives and spiritual development.

It's not just about having some fun and then it's over.

From this perspective, the divine position that Nezha chose is actually somewhat inherently flawed. No matter how high the popularity, once it lacks long-term influence and maintenance, it will fade away and quickly weaken.

Nezha is able to succeed because he already has a very strong foundation in all the heavens and myriad worlds. In essence, he is not far from the concept of being omniscient and connecting the past and present. What he lacks is just that drive.

If it were someone else, even if it were from their ancestral homeland and the related movies had high box office returns, it wouldn't be very successful.

Therefore, some seemingly promising new divine positions are actually not that necessary.

Because once the veneer of civilization's development is stripped away, the most fundamental divine position relates to only one eternal concept: survival and destruction.

These two concepts are complementary and should not be viewed in isolation.

Like Thor, who wields thunder, he symbolizes both destruction and rebirth.

Like a god of war, He brings the flames of war, yet He can also protect the soil and dignity of survival.

Like the sun god, He can transform into the blazing sun to scorch the earth, or He can bring sunshine to all things and bring them life.

All divine positions hailed as 'core' are dualities of existence and destruction, essentially permeating the entirety of life.

Only gods who are related to survival and destruction will be remembered by people for a long time, thus generating endless associations, spreading thoughts and ideas to all heavens, and influencing countless dimensions.

If such a divine position is seized by a powerful force, then theoretically, even if Qiu Chuji were to reclaim the divine position later, he would still face the problem of eliminating the impact.

Because many people have a preconceived notion.

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Central Province, Xuan City!

This is a small town surrounded by mountains, very similar to the small town that Qiu Chuji projected into the Sky-Mending Stone.

This is to be expected, since everything in the Heaven-Mending Stone originated from Qiu Chuji's distorted and confused perception.

However, Xuan City doesn't have a confidante like that number 888.

When Qiu Chuji returned this time, he visited his parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. After greedily enjoying the happiness of family reunion, he reluctantly took action to erase all traces of his existence in this small town.

Family, relatives, friends... even strangers he'd only met once, would no longer remember him.

Records related to him in schools, hospitals, and various related units and departments have been completely erased.

Before truly joining the struggle for the 'Proof of the Great Luo,' Qiu Chuji needed to eliminate any lingering concerns.

At this point, leaving any so-called life-saving trump cards for your family is actually unreliable.

Because his opponents must have strength and methods no less than his, while his parents and relatives, as ordinary people, have too little ability to withstand risks.

Of course, once he cultivates to the level of a Great Luo Immortal, all those lost memories and traces of his existence can be restored.

After erasing all traces of his existence, Qiu Chuji found Nezha, who was doing promotional work in Guangzhou.

In a small shop selling braised pork trotters, Qiu Chuji and Nezha sat facing each other.

At this moment, Nezha would certainly not still have his hair in a bun and wear his iconic red lotus battle armor. Instead, he was wearing a bright red T-shirt and shorts, flip-flops, and his hair had become short. He looked like a handsome young boy with a roguish charm and a touch of sophistication.

"You haven't decided what to choose yet?"

"In Northern Europe... someone has already made their move, declaring themselves the God of Games! Then they used their divine power to pull many people into the so-called real game world, which is actually just creating a larger dream and adding some game elements to it."

Nezha is very well-informed, clearly he has his own sources of information.

Because the domestic internet doesn't interact with the outside world very frequently, Qiu Chuji, who has been learning about information through the internet these past two days, was actually unaware of this matter.

Scanning the globe with one's primordial spirit is something one can't do all the time, otherwise it'll be too conspicuous and attract hatred. Qiu Chuji certainly doesn't want to be the target of a group attack.

These returning 'time travelers' all have cheat codes, and at least from the perspective of combat power, they are definitely not weak. Even if Qiu Chuji is not afraid of one-on-one battles, he does not want to be targeted by multiple people at once.

"It's a great gimmick, but it will be very difficult for the God of Games to get things going... Unless he can turn reality into a game, he's just making a spectacle of himself!" Qiu Chuji saw things very clearly and hit the nail on the head.

Actually, the God of Games can become a core deity, but only if there is no interference from others.

For example, if a virtual game world suddenly appears in a mundane and uninteresting real world where class, wealth, resources, and so on are all completely distributed, then this virtual world will definitely become a second world, and may even gradually overlap with reality.

Thus, the virtual world invades reality, games become the essence, and the god of games achieves the goal of connecting the past and present and linking the life and death of all beings.

However, with so many time travelers returning home, the original social structure will definitely be disrupted, and the changes that occur in reality will bring about a greater sense of excitement and turmoil than those in the game world.

Under such circumstances, the allure and necessity of virtual game worlds for people are greatly reduced.

The fundamental conditions that connect the past and present and control people's survival and destruction no longer exist.

They are not even as good as the God of Wealth. At least if the world is at peace and the overall order does not collapse, then the God of Wealth, who controls immeasurable wealth, can also dominate the survival and destruction of all living beings.

"Now that you mention it... he's quite a smart person!"

"He chose a lively but not conspicuous position, and who knows, he might actually have made a fortune off it," Nezha said with a laugh, munching on a pig's horn.

Not all those who return home are there with a final goal in mind.

Some of them simply want to enhance their cultural heritage, while others carry religious or civilizational missions, prioritizing the spread of civilizational influence over their own self-improvement.

Therefore, without considering the sustainability of survival and destruction, their primary focus became how to maximize dissemination.

Those who can travel through the heavens and return are all intelligent people.

Everyone knows the saying "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down," so those who rush to announce their existence and then brand themselves have their reasons and confidence.

Just then, the sky suddenly darkened.

A terrifying aura permeated the sky.

Qiu Chuji and Nezha exchanged a glance, then simultaneously picked up their trays, walked outside, looked up at the sky, and prepared to watch the show.

The sudden darkening of the sky caused the lights on many tall buildings to flash in response.

After all, many light strips have already been replaced with solar-powered ones, so they will automatically light up when it gets dark.

The light and shadow refracted by the glass curtain wall suddenly distorted, and the steel forest seemed to groan with metallic fatigue. Dark clouds swirled from the dome of the central business district, and golden patterns climbed along the walls of the financial buildings, like ancient runes being scorched by lava on the surface of tempered glass.

Amidst thick, dark clouds, a massive penguin stands atop the clouds, looking down upon all living beings with a gaze that is three parts disdain and seven parts mockery.

Twelve tassels of the crown descended, like fragments of stars, illuminating the dark sky.

"I am the God of the Internet!"

"All internet users should believe in me and recite my name."

The sound spread in waves, captivating the hearts and minds of millions.

At the same time, at least on the domestic internet, on websites large and small, those annoying and disgusting pop-up windows reappeared after a long time.

All the pop-up windows are announcing the same thing!

The Internet... a virtual yet all-encompassing network, seems to have found its master at this moment.

"Who is this?"

"You've got some nerve! Did you get permission to use my image like this?" Qiu Chuji said, taking a bite of rice and chewing.

The Internet God... that's a pretty good idea.

This is actually a conceptual extension of the 'wind god,' who in the ancient past also symbolized the dissemination of information and the exchange of civilizations. However, with the development of technology, the importance of communication has become increasingly apparent, and the internet god... in a sense, can indeed communicate about survival and destruction.

Qiu Chuji also considered vying for this divine position, but then gave up.

Because he doesn't understand 'technology'.

Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether the 'Internet' is a product that will truly determine the next few hundred or even thousands of years, or a transitional product of civilization at a certain stage.

The judgment made in the present moment is different from the judgment made from a higher perspective of time and space.

If one chooses the dissemination and application of information as the core definition, then Qiu Chuji might as well return to his roots and become the 'God of Wind'.

At least the definition of 'wind' is vague, and it can have many interpretations.

“This is Guangzhou! What do you think?” Nezha responded to Qiu Chuji’s words.

"They acted really fast!" Qiu Chuji exclaimed, then asked, "Who is this person? What is their connection to us?"

Nezha shook his head slightly: "I'm not sure, but I can smell the 'system'. This guy... heh!"

Nezha's smile gradually turned into a sneer.

Qiu Chuji had heard Nezha mention before that among all the heavens, demonic cultivators most liked to use 'systems' as cover to find substitutes, make puppets, and prepare the best materials for refining magical treasures.

After all, everything was created from nothing, relying on the power of the system. So who is truly powerful?
And for cultivators who are assisted by the system to reach the so-called 'peak', when they stand at the top, how much of their true self remains in the body beneath their soul?

There are differences between different cheat codes.

Like Qiu Chuji's Jade Void Bell, it provided him with many conveniences, but these conveniences only enhanced his foundation and gave him a relatively higher platform. In reality, his improvement still depended on Qiu Chuji's own cultivation and efforts.

It can be said that Qiu Chuji would indeed become extremely inconvenient without the Jade Void Bell, but he is still himself, and the abilities he has mastered still belong to him.

Not long after Nezha finished speaking, a figure appeared directly opposite the two of them. The newcomer was dressed in casual sportswear and wore sunglasses. He reached out and greeted the two of them.

"Fellow Daoists! I am Ma Liancheng! Greetings!" the newcomer said, removing his sunglasses.

Nezha rolled his eyes and took a step back: "You guys talk! I'm not getting involved, I'm leaving!"

After saying that, he simply picked up the plate and disappeared without even scanning the QR code to pay...

He certainly has the right to disregard everyone.

After all, Nezha was given a guaranteed path to success, so there was no need for him to get involved in the mess.

"This commotion... did you make it?" Qiu Chuji reached out and led Ma Liancheng into the small pig's feet restaurant, then called out, "Handsome boy! Another bowl of pig's feet rice, and a bowl of slow-cooked soup!"

Everything was prepared and served immediately.

Ma Liancheng chuckled as he took a bite of the braised pork trotter rice, then a nostalgic look appeared on his face.

"This is the one I ate the most when I was delivering food. It's filling, delicious, and cheap."

"However... this shop isn't particularly authentic, it's just that the hygiene is good."

"I'll take you to a more authentic one when I have the chance!" Ma Liancheng said, handing Qiu Chuji a cigarette and revealing some of his information, showing goodwill.

"Hey bro, where are you from?"

"Buddhism? Taoism? Or are you a handyman like me?" Ma Liancheng asked, seeing Qiu Chuji take the cigarette but not light it, and then light one himself.

Qiu Chuji clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "This humble Taoist is Qiu Chuji!"

"Uh!"

"So it was Master Changchun in person! I've heard so much about you!" Ma Liancheng seemed to have already made a series of connections, but he didn't show it much on his face. He ate a few more bites of rice before saying, "I made a fool of myself just now! I mainly chose an unpopular one to give everyone an example and also to test the waters."

"I wonder if the real person has chosen a target?"

Qiu Chuji shook his head: "I haven't thought about it yet!"

Ma Liancheng said, "Since that's the case... then I have a suggestion. Since you are a Taoist, why not just call yourself the Taoist Ancestor?"

"Although this concept is not universally applicable to all of humanity, it has a profound influence within the Chinese cultural sphere."

Qiu Chuji gave Ma Liancheng a deep look, wondering what this fellow was planning.

On the surface, Ma Liancheng's suggestion makes some sense.

While the title 'Tao Ancestor' may lead to some ambiguity in its definition and limited influence, it is undoubtedly one of the most 'fitting' divine positions for Qiu Chuji.

If Qiu Chuji's purpose in coming here was not for the "proof of the Great Luo," but rather to spread Taoist culture, then this divine position is indeed well-deserved.

As for the so-called offenses, overstepping boundaries, and other such issues, they are not problems in the ancestral land.

Because this is a place where anything is permissible.

(End of this chapter)