MC Creative Mode: Wholesale Perpetual Motion Machine

Chapter 308 Sets and Subsets
After briefly recounting his past, Zhang Biao stretched, yawned, and fell asleep leaning back in his chair.

In this era of inconvenient transportation, the arduous journey of more than half a month to suppress the strange movements of the blood corpse had left him physically and mentally exhausted.

In the dead of night, with the moonlight obscured by dark clouds, the carriage fell silent once more without his booming voice.

Zhang Kun kept looking out the window, his eyes, which vaguely revealed beastly pupils, watching everything outside, waiting for the mysterious shadow outside the window to appear.

Fang Zheng stopped talking and just sat there silently, lost in thought, before closing his eyes.

When my eyes opened again...

……

Thick, foul-smelling liquid filled the cave, along with pieces of half-rotten limbs, internal organs, and heads with their eyes turning and lips opening and closing, all fused together in this underground cavern into a grotesque mass of flesh and blood.

Neither alive nor dead, one can never truly come back to life, nor can one truly die completely.

No matter what means are used to erase it, it will continue to be born out of thin air.

With a dripping sound, some foul-smelling sewage dripped down from above, pooling in the pus from the rotting flesh.

"Yes, the interaction between different sets can indeed generate an endless number of aspects."

"Without other sets colliding with me, I wouldn't even be able to truly touch these aspects."

Step by step, Fang Zheng silently gazed at Him, listening to the endless wails, praises, prayers, conversations, and laughter emanating from the viscous flesh and blood within the Blood Grand Duke, which had failed to dissolve into immortality...

Unlike the terrifying evil spirits in the eyes of Zhang Biao and others, Fang Zheng, at his level, was able to fully analyze the Blood Tai Sui and see the countless life forms within it.

This is almost a paradise, where all life can find eternal satisfaction simply by immersing itself in it.

Looking at the viscous blood-red Tai Sui, Fang Zheng walked over and touched it. His body melted like a candle, turning into a thick paste of flesh and blood that merged into it.

A magnificent tapestry of life unfolds before Fang Zheng's eyes.

He saw that Homo sapiens gradually retreated, their clothing becoming more and more ancient, eventually becoming covered in animal skins, becoming Homo erectus, and then gradually growing thick hair, becoming ancient apes, and their figures becoming smaller and smaller, becoming primitive apes.

Continuing backward, we evolved into early primate ancestors resembling mice, early placental mammals, early mammals, synapsids, mammal-like reptiles, early amniotic zoos... chordates, the Ediacaran biota, primitive multicellular organisms...

Until, in that primordial broth filled with organic matter, countless organic and inorganic substances collided and reacted with each other, and at a certain moment, a primitive single-celled life form, as simple as a virus and capable of self-replication, was born.

Fangzheng is looking towards the future.

As Homo sapiens gradually evolved and ventured into space, they faced the harsh environment of the cosmos. In order to better survive, they abandoned the genetic code accumulated over countless years and independently edited it.

Thus, their presence gradually increased on every planet, in the vacuum, and even in stars.

In different environments, some of their bodies became larger, lighter, and stronger to better adapt to the environment of gas giants.

Their bodies became smaller and stronger to adapt to the environment of a high-gravity planet.

Like countless branches extending from a large tree, humans, originating from the same source, have grown into different forms on different planets and in different environments.

Then gradually, as their technology advanced, and as they reached the critical point of superhuman transformation, the bizarre and wonderful humans once again converged into one point, transforming into a super-intelligent entity that was no different from its carrier, endlessly iterating downwards.

Fang Zheng looked back again.

In the primordial soup from which the primitive single-celled life forms were born hundreds of millions of years ago, countless organic substances gradually retreated, the planet gradually became hot, turning into a ball of lava, the condensed ball of lava gradually dispersed, turning into countless interstellar dust, and countless interstellar substances continued to retreat, returning to those stars, those supernova white dwarfs, where the furnace of these substances transformed them from heavy matter back into light elements.

Even the cosmic fiber network is gradually returning to its original starting point, that seemingly infinitely large yet infinitely small singularity.

Then continue backwards.

In that void, the singularity experienced repeated surges, giving rise to universes that were similar yet different.

Adjacent to it, countless other "worlds" exist in parallel, some similar yet different, others vastly different.

Just like the evolution of life, the universe is also gradually evolving, undergoing an incredibly vast process, gradually moving from simple to complex, and then from complex back to simple.

Or, starting from a certain point, originally similar universes began to spawn alien universes that were completely different from and incompatible with their original forms, thus parting ways completely.

At some point, after two completely different universes evolved to a certain stage, they reunified and became part of a larger set of universes.

The further we trace back to the mysterious "past," the simpler the structure of the "world" becomes.

Every creation of the universe, every change of the world, is a process of self-evolution of the macroscopic "life" of the world.

Looking back through the infinite ages, all the complexities and everything else, their structure becomes simpler and simpler, ultimately returning to the original "one".

Fang Zheng continued tracing downwards, and as the universe infinitely evolved, life within it gradually became more complex, gradually coalescing into self-iterating super-intelligent entities, much like the original tree of life gradually diverging downwards and then gradually spreading upwards, intertwining as the main trunk.

Then it begins a completely new cycle.

It spreads downwards endlessly, becoming more and more complex, sometimes differentiating, sometimes running in parallel, and at some point converging again. This entire evolutionary path endlessly approaches the absolute "one".

Among all of these, the "primordial soup" network, unique to all possible aggregates of flesh and blood life, at a certain moment, gave rise to a certain intelligent entity, which is the essence of this Blood Tai Sui.

"Another grand gathering..." An indescribable "voice" suddenly rang out from within the Blood Tai Sui.

Then, the blood-red Tai Sui, which was neither alive nor dead, suddenly began to writhe violently.

The viscous flesh and blood disintegrated, breaking everything around it down into the most basic organic and inorganic matter, disintegrating into a pot of primordial broth.

Then, in the warm, endlessly flowing primordial broth, a primordial life force began to emerge, giving rise to the most basic single-celled life.

Single-celled life forms rapidly proliferate and combine to form multicellular life forms.

Those small and fragile multicellular life forms devoured and fought each other, with the fittest surviving and working together to find a more suitable state.

Then evolution continued rapidly, and tiny worms, almost invisible to the naked eye, were born, evolving into notochordine life forms, and then continued to evolve.

Primitive fish, primitive amphibians, primitive reptiles...

Countless life forms were born, died, and evolved rapidly within this underground cavern and in that primordial broth.

Until the birth of primitive spinal life, a boy-like figure "grew" out from within flesh and blood.

It has a human form, but it is by no means the square shape of "humans" in this world. Its naked body draws energy and matter from this primordial soup and walks outward step by step, with every cell still evolving in sync.

When a certain limit is reached, self-iteration begins. The body, which was originally based on cells, rapidly spreads and transforms into life forms based on smaller units.

Molecules and atoms, then electrons and quarks...

As the energy level increases and reaches the most basic critical point, it collapses again, weaving symmetry in nothingness. When the symmetry is broken, nothingness emerges in a square shape.

From rudimentary to complex, from carbon-based life confined to the rules of a single universe to the very essence of a square set.

In that very moment, Fang Zheng guided himself along this network of life, from the very beginning, to his present state.

“Heh…” Fang Zheng chuckled softly. “Although I was born with this essence, all life forms, when they reach a certain point, will evolve into something like me.”

"If I were to package up this entire life map path and randomly throw it at a dog or an insect, it could also iterate itself into my form. What would that be called? The supreme technique of the blocky man? It sounds like something out of a fantasy novel."

And with an endless iterative evolution, Fangzheng was able to be born again, while the immortal Blood Tai Sui was transformed into a pile of stinking rotten flesh.

These things, known as Blood Tai Sui, are less a living entity and more a loophole, an abnormal emergence of primordial life force.

Leaving aside its true biological network, from this perspective alone, this Blood Tai Sui is something similar to Alaya consciousness, rooted in the genetic information of all life forms on this planet.

All life originates from Him and returns to Him.

All life experiences, knowledge, wisdom—everything will be integrated into it.

Just like a dream, the entire life of every living being is a series of dreams. In the end, after all life dies, the final Blood Tai Sui will be reborn.

If it weren't for those guys who practiced corpse cultivation and immortality-breaking recklessly putting themselves in a death trap and frantically pursuing life as they approached the brink of death, this thing wouldn't have appeared by chance.

“Speaking of which…” Fang Zheng tilted his head, looking at the pile of rotting flesh and the vast, boundless network of life behind the Blood Tai Sui. “As part of this group, although a large part of me is not part of it, only a part intersects with it.”

"But in that sense, this person could be considered a part of my 'mother'."

“Yes, that’s right. From a human perspective, it certainly qualifies.” Fang Zheng nodded.

The process of different sets interacting is quite similar to procreation. Two sets that were originally independent of each other may merge into a new entity during the interaction process, belonging to both sets yet not belonging to either set.

Since arriving in this world, Fang Zheng has witnessed many changes resulting from the interaction of different sets.

In mathematics, two sets that at first glance seem completely different and incapable of interacting at all may find some commonalities if they are governed by third-party rules.

These commonalities may not constitute the entirety of two different sets, but are only a negligible part of them. However, two completely different sets can still intersect because of these commonalities.

Furthermore, under a grander set of rules, two seemingly completely different sets can be perfectly unified into one, and the original two sets will simply be two subsets of this larger set.

Just like a person and a cat, they may seem different, but they both belong to the vast collection of spinal life.

Non-vertebral life forms can also be included in the category of carbon-based life.

On a grander scale, other life forms in other environments of the universe, based on different material foundations, whether they are silicon-based, sulfur-based, or in more exotic states, can all be classified as atomic life forms.

And what about the next level?

Everything that could possibly be born in the universe belongs to the universe itself.

In this case, another universe with completely different rules can be seen as two different sets from the previous universe.

But what if the two universes interacted in some way?
First, interactions between universes begin with similarity. When two universes share common ground in their fundamental rules, physical constants, or structures, they resonate and intersect.

This intersection may manifest as weak quantum entanglement, spacetime ripples, or even the trans-universe flow of matter and energy.

As the interaction deepens, the originally independent collections of universes begin to permeate each other.

In this process, they will go through a phase of "seeking common ground while reserving differences"—while retaining their uniqueness, they will gradually establish a shared system of rules.

This is like two different mathematical sets finding common ground under rules in a higher dimension, forming a larger set.

When the interaction reaches a critical point, a "merging event" may occur in the universe, integrating the originally separate universes into a larger set of universes.

This fusion is not a simple addition, but rather the creation of entirely new rules and structures that allow originally incompatible elements to coexist within a new framework.

However, interaction can also lead to "differentiation".

When the differences between universes become too great, or when external disturbances become too intense, the originally connected sets of universes will gradually separate, each developing along different evolutionary paths, and eventually becoming completely independent entities.

These interactive processes are not unidirectional linear developments, but rather exhibit cyclical and repetitive characteristics.

The universe is constantly reorganizing, separating, and merging through interaction, forming a dynamically balanced cosmic network. Every tiny change can trigger a chain reaction throughout the entire system.

Just as countless life forms evolve, adapt, and mutate within a larger life system, together they constitute what can be called the multiverse.

Fang Zheng looked at the decaying Blood Tai Sui, then at all the similar things in the outside world, which belonged to this side of the world. "Although here, for ordinary people, integrating into this world is like going to heaven."

"But it doesn't really matter when or where they die; they'll all end up in the same category anyway. There's no need to give them a good scare before they die."

After slapping it into nothingness, he took another step out and once again arrived at the train station that should have belonged to more than ten years later.

The timeline is when Zhang Kun traveled back in time, and the father and son were severely injured and collapsed due to the blood corpse.

The blood corpse was defeated by Fang Zheng and turned into a stinking mass of filthy blood, slowly writhing on the ground.

As Zhang Biao and his son, along with the other "observers" at the train station, departed, this pool of filthy blood gradually revealed its sacred nature, transforming into a mass of life that seemed to evolve and grow together, converging into a single entity.

Fang Zheng squatted down, took out a wooden stick, and poked the writhing, blood-red humanoid figure. "If you really want to be sure, you and I could be considered 'distant relatives'."

“Our fundamental forms are quite similar.”

As Fang Zheng spoke, the crimson humanoid figure, which was gradually becoming more sacred, condensed into a form exactly like Fang Zheng, staring at him expressionlessly.

“Speaking of which,” Fang Zheng continued, poking the guy’s face with the small stick, “I’ve had some interaction with you, and you must have had some interaction with other similar guys, right?”

“However, I normally wouldn’t be able to detect your interactions with them. Would you be interested in exchanging ideas? I’m quite curious about just how disruptive those ‘distant relatives’ are.”

However, the humanoid figure formed from the sea of ​​blood merely glanced at Fang Zheng, ignored him, and dissipated back into its filthy blood form.

Compared to the essence behind the Blood Tai Sui, which can be called "life" or "primordial dynamism," the thing behind the Blood Corpse can only be called a "sea of ​​blood," a negligible subset of the former.

The former can almost be regarded as the starting point of all life, and also the ultimate end point of the endless evolution of all life.

It is neither in any form, nor in any energy or matter, nor even in any structure.

It is merely a kind of "primordial dynamism" containing infinite potential, the origin of existence itself.

All differences, all diversity, whatever they may be, ultimately stem from the foundation of dynamism.

It is a never-ending impulse for self-exploration and self-realization, an endless self-reference, and also the fundamental driving force that promotes the differentiation of life.

It is differentiation and hierarchical emergence, an unfolding of infinite possibilities.

They continue to differentiate, forming nested subsets.

From the very beginning, the very starting point of everything, it continuously evolves downwards into more complex forms, allowing everything to continue to iterate downwards.

Not only does it continuously differentiate downwards, from the initial single differentiation into an endless stream of individual lives, but it also simultaneously "grows upwards" during the growth process.

At a higher level, countless differentiated individuals collectively form new wholes at different levels, whether it be a family, a country, or even an entire society, ecosystem, planetary biosphere, or even a more expansive existence.

As Fang Zheng watched the sea of ​​blood behind the blood corpse gradually recede, he pondered: "Although time and process are meaningless at my level, did a truly simple world exist at a much grander, more aggregated level?"

The interaction with the incubator civilization allowed Fangzheng to officially begin to master its own power, enabling it to edit itself, reach out to a grander level, and incorporate those unsolvable collections into itself.

Such a square shape can be regarded as an open logical system.

Through continuous interaction with the outside world, one grows spontaneously, learns from everything around them, and modifies oneself to make up for one's shortcomings and deficiencies.

If this continues, Founder will reach a state of perfect self-consistency.

It needs no external elements, but is a perfect whole in which there are no contradictions.

"But would I be complete enough?"

"Can I completely shut myself off?"

Founder can certainly isolate itself, as long as it does not interfere with the outside world and refuses external interference.

But looking at the entity behind the blood corpse, Fang Zheng knew that simply isolating oneself would still limit one to a larger group.

Just like the collection of life itself behind the Blood Tai Sui, even though Fang Zheng at this moment has many differences, it still has a lot in common and can almost be regarded as a subset of it.

Does true complete isolation truly exist in this world?

"A truly independent, self-consistent, and self-complete set of collections that is not subject to interference from anything outside, has no inclusion within it, and has no intersection with other sets."

"If such absolute closure exists, then it can be regarded as complete nothingness."

"Then, in absolute nothingness, in absolute zero, before everything had even interacted, was there an initial source? In the layers of disturbance, did the initial dynamism that created all subsequent sets of things?"

Fang Zheng shook his head, took a step, and returned to the train.

Fang Zheng tilted his head and looked out at the darkness.

The actions of life forms like Zhang Kun are a manifestation of the interaction process of numerous aggregates themselves.

As the process continues, such interactions will cause more and more disturbances, and become increasingly complex.

This is why, in their eyes, that blood corpse was the Blood Tai Sui from the Corpse Cave that was burned decades ago, reborn from the zombies in the nearby ancient tomb, and was defeated and suppressed on this train more than ten years ago.

But in Fang Zheng's eyes, it's all reversed. Their interactions, their contact and imagination will constantly make those originally simple sets more and more complex, encompassing more existences and becoming more grand...

"Hey!" Zhang Kun suddenly shouted, staring intently at a certain area outside the window. "Dad, and Fang Zheng too, watch out, a dark figure has appeared!"

Fang Zheng looked in the direction of his gaze and saw a tall, dark figure standing dozens of meters away in the pitch-black wilderness.

(End of this chapter)