Bai Ye pondered for a moment and asked, "Can you speak human language?"
Taiyi Zhenren paused, then chuckled, "You are a troublemaker. Therefore, to prevent you from causing me trouble, I had to bring you here."
Bai Ye remarked, "Wasn't the method of bringing me here a bit crude?"
Taiyi Zhenren replied, "That's because Taishang Laojun favors a different approach to dealing with troublemakers."
Bai Ye inquired, "What approach is that?"
Taiyi Zhenren stated, "Dead people cannot cause trouble."
Bai Ye immediately wiped a bead of cold sweat and said, "I think a crude approach is quite good."
Taiyi Zhenren burst into laughter.
Bai Ye, curious, asked, "May I be so bold as to ask what plans you have that I could cause trouble for?"
Bai Ye was genuinely curious about this matter.
He might be quite imposing outside, but here, he was the weakest of the weak. Even a minor general like Juling Shen could beat him, let alone the one before him.
Bai Ye truly didn't believe he could cause any trouble for the other party.
"Era, civilization, world," Taiyi Zhenren said after taking a sip of tea. "Do you know what the so-called changes of time represent?"
Bai Ye thought for a moment and replied, "War?"
Taiyi Zhenren blinked in surprise. "Why did you arrive at that conclusion?"
Bai Ye spread his hands. "Every war is brutal, but after every war, progress follows."
"That makes some sense," Taiyi Zhenren conceded. "So, I am currently waging war."
Bai Ye exclaimed in surprise, "Ah?"
Taiyi Zhenren asked, "Are there stories about me in your world?"
"A little, perhaps," Bai Ye replied. "Investiture of the Gods?"
Taiyi Zhenren mused, "It seems our myths and legends have spread to quite a few worlds."
Was this something to be proud of?
Well, it was indeed something to be proud of.
Taiyi Zhenren continued, "Then do you know about the changes in the world I inhabit?"
"I don't know about that," Bai Ye said. "Moreover, someone told me that even with the same mythological civilization, many different worlds exist."
"Indeed, that is so," Taiyi Zhenren affirmed. "Then let me tell you about my world. Cultivation, achieving the Dao. The so-called immortals always look down upon all beings from a high vantage point."
"Different immortals perceive beings differently, but most of their emotions are pity, sympathy, or joy. None of them would feel fear or surprise."
"Time passed day by day, years flowed by. A hundred years? Two hundred years? A thousand years? Or two thousand years? Time has been so long that I can no longer recall."
"Until one day, out of idleness, I glanced at the mortal realm again. That glance truly astonished me, and at the same time, it evoked an emotion within me: a stagnant civilization should undergo new changes."
Bai Ye couldn't help but interject, "Technology?"
This was an easily guessable answer, considering the place itself, filled with a fusion of immortal arts and technology.
"Yes," Taiyi Zhenren smiled. "Humans are truly remarkable beings, full of potential, with an uncertain future, which could be dark or brilliantly radiant. Human lifespans are short, but the shaping of civilization is rapid, unimaginably so."
Bai Ye asked, "Can I take this as a compliment?"
Taiyi Zhenren replied, "Of course."
Bai Ye countered, "But I don't feel happy. In a sense, surprise itself signifies the unexpected, which means you looked down on humans and never imagined they could reach such heights."
Taiyi Zhenren considered this. "I won't deny it, as most immortals think that way. But please believe me, I genuinely admire the development of human civilization. Your kind has developed many things that are no less inferior to top-tier immortal techniques."
"For example, the spatial screen force field. Do you know about it?"
Bai Ye nodded. "I do."
Bai Ye's own world didn't have this, but many futuristic technology zones had force field devices. Their principles and effects varied, but they were generally vector fields used for defense.
"Using electromagnetic force to create spatial curvature, distorting all attacks for defense. The most powerful spatial screen force fields are even comparable to the most advanced defensive magical treasures."
Taiyi Zhenren marveled, "It opened my eyes."
Bai Ye asked doubtfully, "But magical treasures are also not inferior to spatial screen force fields, are they?"
"Yes," Taiyi Zhenren agreed. "But what if the two could be combined?"
Combining magical treasures with technology?
Bai Ye didn't quite know how to answer this.
Taiyi Zhenren chuckled, "When I made this hypothesis, I couldn't find an answer. In fact, the best way to find an answer is through practice. Thus, I began refining magical treasures by referencing human technology."
"Oh, and Taishang Laojun was also very interested in this, so we did this together."
Bai Ye showed a look of realization.
In mythological stories, both of them were great artifact refiners.
Taiyi Zhenren was exceptionally skilled in this regard. Nezha's Qiankun Circle, Hun Tian Ling, Feng Huo Lun, Jiu Long Shen Huo Zhao, and Huo Jian Qiang all originated from Taiyi Zhenren.
Even, to be precise, reshaping Nezha's physical body could be considered a form of artifact refining. In terms of a branch of future technology, it might be genetic modification? Nezha was undoubtedly a cyborg.
As for Taishang Laojun, most people only knew he was good at alchemy and was kicked by Sun Wukong into his alchemy furnace, which seemed rather pathetic. However, he was actually a top-tier figure, one of the Sanqing of Taoism. Legend had it that Laozi was an external manifestation of Taishang Laojun.
In terms of artifact refining, Taishang Laojun was also highly skilled. His Golden Cudgel, Purple Gold Gourd, Sheep Fat Jade Bottle, Huang Jin Sheng, Seven Star Sword, and Purple Gold Bell all came from his hands.
In modern terms, these two were like artisanal inventors...
No wonder they were so interested in futuristic technological products.
Bai Ye nodded and asked, "And then?"
Taiyi Zhenren took another sip of tea. "From failure to success, we spent a lot of time to achieve the initial combination of the two. Technological power also has its flaws, and these flaws can be resolved by immortal arts and formations."
"Similarly, immortal arts and formations often have their own shortcomings, but these can be compensated for by utilizing future technology. We invented many things and promoted them."
Bai Ye nodded. "It seems this entire island is your collective effort."
Taiyi Zhenren smiled. "What you see is just the tip of the iceberg. How could the entire immortal realm only consist of Fanghu?"
After smiling, Taiyi Zhenren's expression turned solemn.
"However, change always faces obstacles."