Comprehensive network wizard, magic emperor.

Chapter 267 Challenges, Epidemic

Having failed to decipher the fragments of knowledge, Lin Bo sat at a table on the second floor, watching the little seagulls and peregrine falcons play together while pondering to himself.

He was convinced that he had found the right path, using the art of controlling flow to drive the art of controlling life, giving vitality and spirituality to creation. This was an extremely crucial and important step, as well as an extremely difficult hurdle to overcome.

The line of thought is correct; the mistake lies in not having reached the required level of understanding.

Lin Bo knew that his mastery of the Flow Control Technique was not yet profound enough, and therefore he could not use it to advance the Life Control Technique. Ultimately, this was because his understanding of the True Word Control Technique still had shortcomings.

The Five Elements Techniques refer to the circulation of the Five Elements, which is also the evolution of five beliefs.

The art of controlling flow is continuous, the art of controlling life is flourishing, the art of controlling intensity is clear and bright, the art of controlling solidity is indifferent, and the art of controlling absoluteness is solitary. He has already understood and comprehended the mechanisms of transformation among the five beliefs, but the last gap has not yet been filled.

He still did not know how to transition from the Absolute Control Technique to the Flow Control Technique, that is, the Way of "Metal Generates Water". If he could achieve perfection, it would be like installing the last spoke of a wheel, and the Five Elements and Five Controls could naturally alternate, like the stars in the sky, endlessly circulating.

Lin Boyin realized that if he could not comprehend the principle of mutual generation between metal and water, he would probably never be able to use the art of controlling flow to drive the art of controlling life, thus imbuing the creation of things with spiritual power.

He had always relied on his divine state, entering a state of unintentional intent, forcibly integrating the five control techniques, ignoring the deficiencies in his cultivation level. But now, it was time to face the challenge head-on.

The monk pondered in silence.

He watched the birds playing, these little creatures bursting with unrestrained vitality, their hearts beating, nerve pulses pulsating, their cells metabolizing—things that a lifeless steel statue could never replicate.

Even though he manipulated the statues into all sorts of lifelike poses, making real birds cry out in surprise, they still retained a strong sense of craftsmanship.

Recalling my experience exploring the [Great Archives], I realized that while it's possible to breathe life into inanimate objects, giving them a unique vitality, this is probably not the realm that True Word Magic seeks. True Word Magic never seeks power from the outside, but rather explores potential within.

Lin Bo realized he was trapped, unable to find the answer, yet he also had a vague feeling that the answer was always right in front of him.

There is very obvious evidence: when he was studying the fragments of knowledge, the network clearly prompted him to unlock temporary characteristics, but Lin Bo did not notice anything unusual.

Either this characteristic is too subtle, or he has already met the conditions without realizing it. Lin Bo is more inclined to believe the latter. What he needs to do is to discover the potential he already possesses, and in a moment of enlightenment, he can break through the shackles and bottlenecks.

On this peaceful spring night, the monk decided to stop meditating alone.

He called out to Stone Tower Town, and the Dragon of the Tower, a fragment of the world's spirit, answered the call.

The monk poured out his troubles.

Shita Town didn't know how to answer, so it responded with a warm silence, letting the gentle breeze that drifted through the small window at night caress the monk's ears and hair.

The monk murmured to himself, "If we assign a linear timeframe to the Five Elements belief, comparing it to five stages of a thing: development, flourishing, peak, extinction, and death, this is a complete historical cycle. But how does a thing emerge from death and begin a new cycle?"

He asked Shita Town about this issue.

As the embodiment of history, the Tower Dragon offers its answer.

“I existed long before the first settlers set foot on this land. The rustling of the forest canopy in the wind was me, the rotting smell exhaled from the gills of the sea bass stranded on the beach was me, and the shriek of the field mouse digging in the tree roots as it was pounced on by the owl was me.”

"At that time, I was nurtured by the forest, the ocean, the earth, and the atmosphere. I was their child, still young and knowing nothing about myself."

"When humans came to this place, they felled trees with axes and saws, built houses and boats, split rocks with hammers and chisels, built lighthouses, and lit fireworks in the braziers on top of the towers."

"The world was newly born, a chaotic void. They pointed and named everything, and so I existed in their breath, in their flowing sweat, in the buzzing of flies that bred on the first corpse buried in the earth. I obtained my true name through their vibrating lips and tongues—Stone Tower."

The monk, not understanding, continued to press for an answer.

The Tower Dragon said, "Before I had a true name, I couldn't even perceive my own existence. But after having a true name, the ignorant and chaotic me of the past no longer exists. I am still me, but I have gained a different form of life."

"The kind of absolute loneliness and death you described has never existed in my view, because death necessarily means new life. Only living things can look back on history and define the death of old things."

"When you believe something is dead, it proves precisely that it continues in your mind in the form of memory. Without this memory, you cannot determine death. If even this memory disappears, then its death vanishes without a trace. My dear, I never forget. Everything that has ever existed will live on forever in my memory."

Having answered the mage's question, the Tower Dragon departed amidst the howling night wind.

His worries were somewhat relieved, but not completely eliminated, so the monk asked the bird what life was.

The king of the seagulls flapped his wings, flew to the wizard's shoulder, raised his wings high, and replied: "Fly, eat your fill, poop, nap, bully the peregrine falcon, see what good humans are doing, stand on good humans for a while, and nap..."

Three young peregrine falcons, growing up, were full of energy, chirping: "Flying, catching mice, preening feathers, being bullied by seagulls, looking at human mothers, taking naps, and finding other birds to fight."

The monk chuckled, the fog in his heart seemingly dissipating somewhat, yet also growing thicker.

With a few scattered insights, he immersed himself in the solitary and indifferent belief of the Absolute Art of Control, his mind like the desolate ruins of an ancient kingdom, striving to find an opportunity for the world to be reborn.

The monk did not insist, and once the rest time was over, he went back to his other affairs. He knew that there was plenty of time ahead and was prepared for a long period of contemplation, but whenever he had a moment of leisure, he would ponder it repeatedly and keep it in mind.

Before we knew it, the stars had set and the sun had risen, and the bright daylight sky had landed on the Sail Islands.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the Sail Islands also have traditional festivals to commemorate the passing of winter and to hope for a large and thriving fish population in the new year.

On such days, people often go out in groups to enjoy the spring scenery. In city parks and rural wastelands, wherever there are flowers, there are people out and about.

Primroses are in full bloom along the streets of Shita Town, near the fences of the houses. A steady stream of tourists buy food and tablecloths in Jinbei City, then gather in the outskirts of town for picnics and to admire the endless fields of daffodils and hyacinths. Carriages and horses crowd the country roads, with drivers and horsemen shouting orders.

During gatherings, relatives and friends exchange gifts to strengthen personal bonds.

The lighthouse's monks and their apprentices strolled along the cape, both to teach and to appreciate the early spring scenery.

After class, before the visitors arrived, the monk lingered in the wasteland, gazing down at the blooming bouquets of flowers.

The disciples had prepared gifts well in advance, but they were unsure whether they would be accepted, so they elected a representative to sound out the Grand Master's opinion.

The astrologer mustered his courage and approached the silent monk.

Before he could speak, he suddenly heard a soft murmur, which was the monk speaking in some unfamiliar language.

"For light gives birth to darkness, and life gives birth to death."

The monk turned to his apprentices and asked, "Have you prepared any early Spring Festival gifts?"

"Yes, Grand Master, this is just a token of our appreciation."

You think I won't accept it.

The astrologer looked dejected. "We've heard that the church in Stone Tower refuses all offerings from believers. That's your idea—not to ask people for anything—so we're worried we won't be able to give our gifts."

"What use are worldly riches to me? Therefore, I do not accept offerings. But my disciples, your kind intentions are appreciated. However, I have no equivalent to reciprocate. Last night, while I was tailoring my own clothes, I also made some cloaks for you. Take whichever you like."

The disciples presented the gifts they had made to the archmage, and each of them chose an enchanted cloak in various colors such as black, white, red, and blue. They wore them with great joy.

Around noon that day, patients began to be brought to the lighthouse. It was early spring and the flu was rampant. Most of these tourists who were out enjoying the spring scenery showed symptoms of fever. They got some herbal medicine from the night watchman and their condition improved slightly before they went home.

But the air above Shita Town began to be filled with the sound of coughing.

As evening approached, the radio hosts coughed a few times.

Both Jinbei City and Hongdu have large numbers of patients. Not only in the Kening Empire, but radio stations across the Bountiful Continent are also broadcasting news of the disease outbreak, and people are gradually realizing that this is a widespread epidemic.

(End of this chapter)