If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1171 Decaying in Time
Grey Crane Master said, "I remember that two years ago in Western Shu, the Grand Tutor also dealt with a man-eating city god, who was the capital city god of Western Shu, right?"

Grand Tutor, have you ever considered that they are clearly human beings, so why did they start eating people after becoming gods?
If they enjoyed eating people when they were human, they could not become gods.

In fact, the vast majority of the gods appointed by the Heavenly Court had served the human realm, or at least made great contributions to the local people, and had accumulated great merit.

When they are alive, they would never enjoy chewing on their own kind.

On the contrary, like the Grand Tutor at this moment, they deeply abhorred such behavior.

But once they shed their human form and condensed their divine bodies with the power of incense and vows, they transformed from humans into gods.

As time goes by, a kind of inhuman alienation will occur, extending from the body to the soul.

Time is poisonous!

At this point, Master Grey Crane seemed to empathize and sighed, "Not only gods, but also immortals and even mortals with long lifespans can undergo similar alienation and distortion."

There is a worldly atmosphere in the human world, which is also called "human energy". Only when a person has "human energy" can he be called a human.

Fairies lack 'human charm' but possess 'demonic charm', hence the name 'demon'.

Immortals cultivate the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which means they are actively eliminating 'human energy'.

As the saying goes, what kind of qi you cultivate determines what kind of 'person' you become.

Refining demonic energy makes one a demon; refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth makes one an immortal; even mortals like us can absorb demonic energy, causing our physical bodies to become demonic and thus become demons; Confucian scholars can refine righteous energy and become sages.
Regardless of the method of cultivation, as long as one refines Qi, their popularity will decrease.

If one completely loses their true nature, a god will fall into demonhood, and an immortal will become a monster.

Grand Tutor Yu must have made some discoveries while browsing through ancient secrets in the secret chamber.

In ancient times, in addition to humans, ghosts, gods, immortals, and demons, there were also many monsters and strange creatures in the human world.

Now there are fewer demons and monsters, they are very rare, because after the Dao Ancestor took control of the Heavenly Dao, he established the rules of the Heavenly Dao and determined the basic order of the Three Realms.

Before demons and monsters were even born, cultivators or gods were already burdened by karma and faced the "Three Calamities and Five Tribulations," turning to ashes in the heavenly tribulation.

The City God that the Grand Tutor met in Western Shu, and the King of Guangfu, Wang E, at this time, were probably in the 'Demon Transformation Period'.

If they do not eat people and do not draw 'spiritual essence' from the human race, the most intelligent of all beings, they will uncontrollably degenerate into demons.

In fact, it's not just gods; even humans lose their 'humanity' after living for a long time.

For example, long-reigning monarchs may not actually want to eat people, but what they do is no different from chewing up living people.

Xiaoyu said, "We're only talking about cannibalism right now. Exploitative acts that resemble cannibalism should be considered separately."

The Gray Crane Immortal said, "Actually, there is no essential difference. Immortals' souls and bodies have become alienated over time, turning them into 'outcasts.' They no longer see themselves as human, and cannibalism has become an instinct, without any psychological burden."

They exploited their own kind like cannibals, treating people as less than human.

Xiaoyu said, "You said that fallen gods and immortals need to eat people, otherwise they will fall into demonic ways."

The key is the need.

But if one eats people, doesn't that also lead to demonic possession?

The Grey Crane Immortal said, "Those who eat people are considered demons, but they still possess immortal or divine bodies, so they are different from true demons and monsters."

Moreover, they don't have to eat people; they can eat other things.

Doesn't Heaven have peaches of immortality?

Even a small peach, even if sliced ​​and given a piece, could provide them with at least a thousand years of sustenance and satisfaction, halting the process of degeneration.

But the Heavenly Court refused to give Wang E peaches.

If we don't turn a blind eye and allow him to eat several children whose lives are destined to end prematurely, he will fall into demonic ways and be struck down by heavenly tribulation.

If he couldn't be killed by the sword, the situation would be worse. He completely transformed into a demon, eating people every day, sometimes dozens or even hundreds at a time.

Xiaoyu seemed to understand something and asked, "Are you talking about the 'immortal essence' inside the peaches of immortality?"

Grey Crane Master was a little embarrassed, and her eyes held a hint of resentment.

"This humble Taoist priest has never even smelled the small peaches, let alone eaten them."

They had never even seen a giant peach before.

I really don't know what a peach tastes like, or what its essence is.

Xiao Yu said, "The peaches I ate were rich in three kinds of essence: one was the substance of longevity, another was the pure yang immortal source power, and the last and most mysterious was the 'immortal essence'."

Longevity substances are useless to me; I don't lack lifespan.

At most, the large peaches contained too much longevity substance, which allowed my physical body to easily transform into an immortal body.

However, the Immortal Essence made me feel a noticeable change.

The weariness and desolation in my heart were wiped away in an instant.

From body to soul, and then to true nature, it's as if returning to the time of infancy, always full of wonder and vitality for the world.

Even when comprehending the laws of the Great Dao, one's thoughts become more active and efficient.

Gray Crane Immortal seemed to understand something and nodded repeatedly, saying, "That's right, gods and immortals who have lived for too long are lacking this thing."

Speaking solely of longevity substances, they are indeed not considered rare.

Many spiritual fruits in the human world can prolong life, but divine medicines rich in the essence of immortality are almost impossible to find in the wild.

Even if there were once wild fairy fruits, they have now been taken by the great immortals.

"Fortunately, and unfortunately, we humans are like 'divine fruits' that can jump and leap."

He looked around cautiously and carefully, and secretly transmitted his voice, saying, "I have heard that when the Goddess Nuwa created our human race, it was to provide food for the demon race."

Gods and immortals will suffer from the poison of time and gradually lose their 'humanity'.

The demonic aura surrounding a fairy will only grow stronger, yet her soul will still become corrupted.

Back then, the demon race's heavenly court didn't even have peaches of immortality to eat.

Over time, they will inevitably go mad, and the Celestial Court will turn into the Demonic Court.

So the goddess took pity on them and created the human race for the demon race.

Humans are blessed with the unique advantage of possessing an innate essence of immortality.

Especially children.

Just like how the Grand Tutor felt after eating the giant peach, the weariness and aging in his heart were swept away, and he regained the innocence and radiance of a child, full of wonder and vitality for the world, and could be moved and satisfied every day and every moment.

Unlike middle-aged and elderly people, who are numb and unmoved by anything exciting or mysterious, they remain expressionless and heartbroken.

If a person grows old but does not die, he will transform into a demon or monster, just like a god or immortal.

Or perhaps, gods and immortals simply endured longer than 'humans' through time.

Then he switched back to normal speech and said, "The Goddess Nuwa loves our human race!"

When creating humanity, the Creator skillfully added more immortal essence to the human body.

Having the essence of immortality within you, aside from being eaten by others, it also benefits your own cultivation!

A lively mind makes it easier to attain enlightenment.

Fairies have bloodline inheritance, so it's easier for them to learn than for us.

But as long as our human race obtains 'celestial affinity' and enters the immortal sect, the speed of cultivation is extremely fast.

Several decades have passed, not enough time for the demon race to mature, yet the exceptionally talented Taoist has already become a celestial immortal.

Whether Nuwa loved humans or demons depends on the perspective from which this question is considered.

The fact that humans were "well-nourished" did indeed perfectly solve the food problem for the demon race in ancient times.

It is precisely because the human race is "well-nourished" that it has been able to grow strong and replace the naturally powerful witch and demon races, becoming the undisputed protagonists of the world.

Without the immortal essence added by the goddess Nuwa, the human race would obviously not have achieved what it has today.

If people are the source of food, the dilemma will be resolved.

As for Nuwa's inner thoughts when she created humans, she herself knew, and so did the will of Heaven.

As a result, the empress became a saint because of this achievement.

Xiao Yu said, "Eating people helps with longevity and cultivation, and there are too many benefits. But I saw many research projects in the storage room, but none of them studied how to eat people."

Grey Crane Master shook his head and said, "It's not that there's no research; in fact, there's a lot of research."

The Ying royal family has all studied this.

From the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, many feudal lords and kings openly and secretly studied it.

After the late emperor unified the country, didn't he exhaustively search for books and secret texts throughout the land?
Not only the entire land was thoroughly searched, but a vast amount of ancient and rare books were collected.

Foreign lands were also plundered.

Among them, the number of books related to cannibalism and immortality alone exceeds eight million!

"Eight million copies? 'The Earthly Fiends Dragon Vein' only has three million copies." Xiaoyu exclaimed in surprise.

Grey Crane Immortal disagreed, saying, "Only the Emperor is particularly concerned about the Earthly Fiend Dragon Vein; the other feudal lords are obviously more concerned about longevity."

The eight million volumes are not the work of any one dynasty or any one family; they represent the sum total of research conducted throughout the entire human world.

Xiao Yu asked doubtfully, "Ying Zheng sent so many alchemists to the Chaos Immortal Realm to search for the 'true elixir of immortality,' so he must care more about immortality, right?"

Grey Crane Master said, "We'll only talk about the 'method of immortality by eating people' for now."

This method is useless against human emperors and human kings.

Whether the late emperor regretted not being able to achieve immortality by eating people, I do not know.

In any case, in terms of behavior and conduct, the late emperor was just like all "upright people," deeply abhorring and indignant about cannibalism.

He simply set the entire collection of secret texts ablaze.

These include various heinous methods of cannibalism, such as using humans to make elixirs, taking premature fetuses from pregnant women's wombs to make medicine, and so on.

Of the eight million copies, many are duplicate studies.

Alas, which monarch does not wish for immortality?

To a monarch, ordinary people are not considered human beings at all, and they feel no guilt whatsoever when they eat them.

In many dynasties, there was a ritual involving the cooking of human bodies.

The concepts of propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, benevolence, and morality only emerged later. It was only after the Three Sovereigns ruled the world and the Five Emperors established moral order that humanity was truly established.

Standing up is just the beginning.

Of those eight million volumes of secret scriptures, six million came from the royal courts of the human race itself, from the courts of the superior Chinese states, and from the courts of foreign barbarians.

In their pursuit of immortality, barbarians and Chinese nobles are no different.

Of the remaining two million copies, less than 30% came from heretical sects and evil factions.

There were many demonic sects in China before!
Those like the Bee Taoist who used Blood Lotus Bees to harm the Grand Tutor were put on the 'Wanted List of Heretics'.

Over the course of several centuries, all the demonic and heretical sects that were openly present in the Southern Continent were eradicated by the late emperor.

Those who remained were all independent individuals.

Recalling the glorious years of the Qin Dynasty's heyday, Master Grey Crane's face turned red, a mixture of excitement and melancholy.

"It's not just a research project about eating people to achieve immortality."

The Grand Tutor could not find any other evil or demonic methods or secret techniques that harmed the common people in the secret chamber.

After the late emperor unified the country, he did not put away his weapons and let his horses graze freely.

Instead, they continued to support a million iron cavalry, using swords and flames to reorganize the entire human world.

Whether it was books, sects, or old customs, the emperor personally certified them all. Anything he deemed unfit for preservation was to be killed, burned, and eradicated.

His judgment was certainly biased, but the result was that the humanitarian atmosphere was indeed renewed.

You modern people didn't experience it, so you don't know what happened back then.

Grand Tutor Fan Yu was born several hundred years earlier and, like me, witnessed the world before the reign of the Human Emperor.

They wouldn't be surprised at all by the fact that the King of Wei is cannibalistic today, and that the City God of Western Shu is cannibalistic, nor would they be particularly angry.

It's all so ordinary.

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and said, "I really didn't know these things if you hadn't told me. What are the historians of Qin doing? Emperor Zheng has been dead for more than ten years, and they still haven't come out to revise the History of Qin."

Grey Crane Master was taken aback and said, "The Qin Dynasty has not yet been destroyed, so why have you started compiling the 'History of Qin'?"

"Does the historian only play a role after a country has fallen?" Xiaoyu asked.

When the Han Dynasty came to help the Qin Dynasty compile its history, it seems there was no "History of Qin" at all.

Grey Crane Master pointed to the door and said, "The Iron Eagle Warriors Commander Sima Tie (Grandpa Sima Qian), you must be familiar with the Grand Tutor, right?"

Their Sima family was a family of historians.

The Qin Dynasty valued military merit, so families of historians abandoned their pens to join the army and became great generals.

Writing history is a dead end.

Many immortals and deities have lived from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the present day. With them around, what need is there for history books?
Take, for example, the *History of Qin*.

He tapped his chest and said, "I am a living history of Qin."

If Grand Tutor is willing to listen to my rambling, I can start from before the late Emperor ascended the throne.

I can even tell you exactly when the late emperor wet the bed and cried.

"The immortal's memory is excellent; events from hundreds of years ago are vividly recalled, as if they happened yesterday."

Xiaoyu was speechless.

“You are a Taoist priest and do not understand the science of politics. History is not compiled for immortals and gods to see, but to determine the dynasty’s place in the history of humanity.”

Grey Crane Immortal became increasingly dismissive, saying, "The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors are suppressing the human race's fortune in the Fire Cloud Cave."

They know perfectly well which dynasty made what contributions to humanity. What need is there for history books?

"What's the use of knowing about the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors? The times are driven forward by 'modern people'."

History books are for people of the present and future. Their thoughts and attitudes are what determine destiny.

Forget it, you don't understand destiny, you don't know the will of Heaven, there's no point in arguing with you.

Grand Tutor Yu waved his hand impatiently and said, "Go and bring me Wang E's investigation report."

—I am also an immortal. I have witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties. I do not understand destiny.

I'm just not as knowledgeable as you. If you explain it to me carefully, I'm sure I can understand.

Grey Crane Master was very dissatisfied.

"I've explained so much to you, and you still want to kill Wang E?"

"Does the only way to achieve immortality is by eating people and peaches of immortality? If we honestly recite the Yellow Court Classic, reaching the ultimate emptiness and maintaining perfect stillness, we can also preserve the immortality of our primordial spirit and mind," Xiao Yu said.

Master Grey Crane nodded and said, "Grand Tutor is right."

Besides nourishing the body, my Xuanmen's cultivation method for nurturing the primordial spirit can also resist the poison of time.

Once you reach the state of non-action and naturalness.

A clear mind is like a still mirror, untouched by dust.

By breaking free from attachments and distractions, and gaining insight into the essence of all things, one can truly achieve longevity and enduring vision, with every thought as vibrant as a newborn.

There's no need to eat peaches of immortality, much less to stoop to cannibalism.

Taoist cultivation involves nourishing essence, refining qi, preserving spirit, harmonizing the dragon and tiger, and capturing Kan and filling Li. It is very difficult, depends heavily on talent and temperament, and is extremely arduous.

Even the most gifted Golden Immortals, who do not eat peaches of immortality or take any medicine, rely solely on their own arduous cultivation to live for a thousand years. They would need to spend eight hundred years in their caves refining their Qi and nourishing their spirit.

It’s too hard and too tiring.

Even a great immortal couldn't endure this hardship, let alone someone like Wang E, whose talent was so poor.

You can't expect too much from him.

(End of this chapter)