“Hmm?” Bai Ye blinked in surprise. “Me?”
Li Jiadao said, “From a human perspective, gods are unfathomable, so people believe everything is the work of gods and constantly try to guess their intentions.”
“Why is that? People always look up to those in high places, and those in high places naturally look even higher. So, what do you think the gods are guessing?”
Bai Ye pondered for a moment and ventured, “Civilization?”
“Mm.” Li Jiadao continued, “The theories circulating among the God Disciples are also two. The first is that higher civilizations are devouring lower ones. The world battlefield is like a furnace, where a pile of dishes is thrown in to cook, and then eaten.”
“The second theory is that they are fostering the development of civilizations. Take you, for instance. You come from a modern civilization. What did you do before entering the world battlefield?”
“Otaku.”
Li Jiadao was taken aback. “Otaku is a profession?”
Bai Ye rolled his eyes, ignoring the subtle sarcasm, and retorted, “Illustrator. I take orders from home. Is that not allowed?”
Li Jiadao replied, “It is. However, when you return from the world battlefield, you won’t be just an ordinary otaku. Do you know how much of your civilization you carry with you?”
Bai Ye was momentarily stunned. “If I leave here, can I take everything from this place with me?”
“Why not?” Li Jiadao countered. “The things in the world battlefield aren’t fictional. They are things that exist in various worlds. When these are integrated, it will undoubtedly lead to epoch-making development for different civilizations.”
Bai Ye asked, puzzled, “Then isn’t that a good thing?”
“Ah ha?” Li Jiadao looked at Bai Ye. “If a boss helps you with your business and makes you rich, isn’t that a good thing?”
Bai Ye responded, “Isn’t it?”
“It is a good thing,” Li Jiadao conceded. “But are they foolish? If they have money, why wouldn’t they earn it themselves and instead bring you along to earn it? There’s only one answer: you can help them earn more money, or their earnings are not clean, and when something goes wrong, you have to take the blame!”
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world!”
“Profit is one aspect, but another is more brutal. The emergence of a higher civilization is a huge blow to a lower civilization because the cognition of the lower civilization will be completely shattered.”
“Your faith will be broken, because they can display power far greater than your believed gods. The science you’ve spent your life researching might be basic knowledge in their elementary school textbooks.”
“What is the result of their help? Your civilization improves? Your life gets better? On the surface, yes. But in reality, you will live under a vast shadow. You will no longer be the controller, but a subordinate.”
“Of course, I’m just speaking casually,” Li Jiadao said, sitting down on a nearby sofa. “I don’t actually know what the world battlefield is all about.”
Bai Ye commented, “So, all that talk was just nonsense.”
Li Jiadao replied, “Although I don’t know, the gods might know something.”
Bai Ye thought for a moment. “This brings us to what the God Disciples are looking for, doesn’t it?”
“You’re not stupid, your mind works quite fast,” Li Jiadao said. “Normally, gods cannot enter the game themselves, so they need God Disciples. For God Disciples to methodically target the Tower of Gods is not an unreasonable strategy.”
“Most importantly, in a sense, this is within the rules. But clearly, the gods don’t intend to play by the rules,” Li Jiadao said, crossing his legs and spreading his hands. “Since they don’t intend to play by the rules, those things should naturally be outside the rules.”
“I know what you’re going to ask: why are those things outside the rules, and what is their purpose? I don’t know.”
Bai Ye exclaimed, “Can you stop disappearing at crucial moments?”
Li Jiadao asked, “What can I do if I don’t know?”
Bai Ye insisted, “I think you can know.”
Li Jiadao stated, “This time, I truly don’t know.”
Bai Ye pressed, “If you think about it carefully, you’ll know?”
Li Jiadao reiterated, “I’ve thought about it carefully, and I genuinely don’t know.”
“Alright!” Bai Ye asked, “Who exactly are you?”
Li Jiadao replied, “I told you last time, but you didn’t believe me.”
Bai Ye was astonished. “A God Disciple?”
Li Jiadao confirmed, “Yes.”
Bai Ye continued, “Then why was Situ Chicheng chasing you? I can understand if they wanted to silence me to keep the existence of God Disciples a secret. According to what you said, if God Disciples are outside the rules, they certainly wouldn’t want the owner of the world battlefield to know.”
“But you are also a God Disciple, so they have no reason to silence you.”
“Please, there are many mythological civilization worlds, and many gods. Li Jiadao said, “Can Zeus control Sun Wukong? In Chinese mythology, that fellow was only fit to be a thunder god. One blow from the Monkey King would be the end of him.”
“And the Norse mythology system, can Odin go play cards with the Jade Emperor?”
“Oh, and your old friend Gilgamesh, he is the King of Heroes, recorded in the oldest epic poems of humanity. The clay tablets detailing his deeds are still in museums. He has two-thirds divinity and one-third humanity. Strictly speaking, he is also a god.”
“Do you know Assyrian mythology from the Euphrates River? God must know about it, right? He and Pangu should have a relationship. One created the heavens and the earth, the other created the universe. Their work is similar.”
“By the way, Daoism and Buddhism are also two schools. Buddha is also a god. Right, don’t be fooled by Journey to the West where the Jade Emperor often seeks help from the Buddha. They are not from the same country. Speaking of which, the Jade Emperor is quite formidable, he wouldn’t be bullied by the Monkey King.”
“So, do you understand?” Li Jiadao asked. “We are all God Disciples, but we are not from the same faction. Also, I know you are surprised that Situ Chicheng and Bailu survived. That is indeed divine power, but not all gods do that.”
Bai Ye responded, “Oh?”
Li Jiadao explained, “Finding those powerful dead people is because they are easier to control. But some gods like to do this, some don’t, and some gods are indifferent and don’t have God Disciples at all, they do whatever they want.”
Bai Ye asked, “Why?”
“You’re asking me? Go ask the gods. Besides, even within the same mythological civilization system, there are so many world branches. There’s more than one Great Sage Equal to Heaven,” Li Jiadao said. “As a chosen one of the world battlefield, you shouldn’t be unfamiliar with the existence of parallel worlds.”
Bai Ye nodded, then asked, “Mythological civilization worlds also have them?”
…