Although Dimarco's experience had already indicated that the "Hall of Stars" appeared sometime after the destruction of the Old World, Jingnian's statement was still quite valuable.
First, it confirmed that the destruction of the Old World brought about the awakening of a group of humans. Or rather, along with the massive outbreak of "Heartless Disease," a small number of people awakened, such as Dimarco and some within the "Monk Order."
Second, Jingnian mentioned that with the appearance of the "Hall of Stars," the difficulty of awakening decreased.
This was clearly not just a casual remark; there must be corresponding evidence.
Jiang Bai Mian could even guess why Jingnian said this:
The group within the "Monk Order" who had consistently failed to awaken gradually had a portion of them awaken after the appearance of the "Hall of Stars."
"I see," Shang Jian Yao said, first with a sudden realization, then with disappointment, "The 'Hall of Stars' already existed when I awakened, so I didn't get to challenge the highest difficulty."
Then, he asked curiously:
"Zen Master, I know that many people in your order uploaded their consciousnesses and became mechanical monks after awakening. So, have any original 'Eternals' awakened?"
The red light in Jingnian's eye sockets flickered a few times:
"Yes, but very few. Proportionally speaking, it's significantly lower than for non-'Eternals.'"
"Why?" Shang Jian Yao looked as if he wanted to champion the cause of the mechanical monks.
Jingnian's metal neck turned left and right, indicating that he didn't know the reason either.
Jiang Bai Mian pondered for a moment and said:
"Is there any difference between the awakening of 'Eternals' and the awakening of ordinary people?"
"No," Jingnian answered without hesitation.
Jiang Bai Mian thought for a few seconds and then said:
"Are there any other accompanying changes?"
The red light in the mechanical monk's eyes instantly intensified.
After a while, he replied:
"For monks who awakened after uploading their consciousnesses, the bionic chips corresponding to their bodies experience a certain degree of disorder during the awakening process, requiring several tens of minutes to readjust."
"Why is that?" Shang Jian Yao voiced the thoughts of everyone present.
"We don't know either, and we've been conducting corresponding research," Jingnian said, chanting a Buddhist prayer in a low voice, "Namo Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi."
The monks are conducting research on chips and bodies? As a folklore scholar with considerable knowledge of the Old World, Jiang Bai Mian felt that such a thing was quite absurd.
But looking at Jingnian's tall, solid body made of black metal, she felt that it seemed natural.
"Aren't you supposed to be studying Buddhism every day?" The honest Shang Jian Yao asked on behalf of Zen Master Pudu.
The mechanical monk Jingnian answered in a synthesized voice:
"A large portion of the order were researchers who participated in the 'Eternal' project back then. In addition to studying Buddhism, they also find other things to do to make their long lives fulfilling."
Hearing this, Long Yue Hong couldn't help but ask:
"After uploading consciousness, is it really possible to achieve eternal life?
"Without considering that this technology still has flaws and can lead to severe mental problems."
Jingnian fell silent.
Long Yue Hong was immediately embarrassed:
"If this involves the secrets of your order, then pretend I didn't ask."
It wasn't easy to catch a mechanical monk they could communicate with, and he couldn't help but want to verify if the widely circulated news on the Greylands, written into the "Pangu Biology" textbooks, was true.
——Jingfa, whom the "Old Task Force" had encountered before, would obviously not discuss this topic with them peacefully.
The mechanical monk Jingnian said slowly:
"It's not just mental problems. We later discovered that as the number of uploads increases, the corresponding consciousness weakens, and the passage of time also brings about similar changes.
"Those researchers have been working hard for decades to find the reasons and improve the 'Eternal' technology. But no matter what, the life of an 'Eternal' is several times, or even dozens of times, longer than that of a normal person, giving us enough time to understand Buddhism, cultivate ourselves, attain enlightenment, and achieve transcendence."
This corresponds to the rumors that the "Eternal" technology is far from mature... Jiang Bai Mian nodded almost imperceptibly.
Xu Liyan next to him was listening with excitement.
He planned to wait until he had enjoyed the prosperity of the world and was over fifty years old before uploading his consciousness and becoming an "Eternal."
Of course, Jingnian had also told him that after a person's consciousness began to decline, the "Eternal" technology would have a certain degree of risk and failure rate.
That's why Xu Liyan didn't plan to wait until he was seventy or eighty years old before uploading his consciousness.
It was only at this time that Shang Jian Yao seemed to realize that there was a problem with the mechanical monk Jingnian's earliest answer:
"Zen Master, why does the difficulty of awakening decrease with the 'Hall of Stars'?"
"We have many examples in this regard," Jingnian only stated the conclusion and didn't give specifics.
Shang Jian Yao tried hard to argue:
"What I mean is, why can the 'Hall of Stars' bring about a reduction in the difficulty of awakening?"
"This is because my Buddha is merciful." The mechanical monk Jingnian, wearing a yellow robe and a red cassock, put his hands together and said piously, "'Hall of Stars,' 'Sea of Origin,' and 'Corridor of the Mind' are convenient gates created by the World Honored One and my Buddha Bodhi to guide all living beings and connect all spirits. It is a path to escape the sea of suffering and directly point to the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss."
"Namo Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi," Zen Master Pudu Shang Jian Yao followed, chanting a Buddhist prayer in a low voice.
Jingnian took a deep look at him and then said:
"Do you have any other questions?"
Jiang Bai Mian thought for a moment and then asked seriously:
"Do monks get infected with 'Heartless Disease'?"
The red light flashed, and then it stagnated again. Jingnian answered after a while:
"Yes.
"Although we have abandoned our physical bodies, we are still trapped in the sea of mortal suffering and will still experience all kinds of pain. Only by attaining enlightenment and entering the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss can we achieve true transcendence."
While Jiang Bai Mian nodded solemnly, she stopped Shang Jian Yao from saying something like, "You mechanical monks are not as good as Old Ge and his intelligent robots in this regard."
She exhaled and said:
"That's about all of our questions. Is there anything you would like to ask, Zen Master?"
Jingnian had already prepared what he wanted to ask and asked directly:
"Do you confirm that the 'New World' exists?"
So, you don't have that much confidence in the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss either? Long Yue Hong muttered in his heart.
Jiang Bai Mian answered sincerely:
"Yes, we have dealt with experts who have entered the 'New World,' and we have also seen nodes connecting to the 'New World.'"
When did we deal with 'New World' experts? The only 'New World' expert we met was Yan Hu... Uh, scaring or startling "Doctor" also counts as dealing with them? Long Yue Hong heard this and muttered.
"Someone has entered the 'New World'? Since they are already in the 'New World,' how did you communicate with them?" Xu Liyan blurted out a series of questions.
This was enough to show his astonishment, surprise, shock, and curiosity.
"It's not like they can't come back," Shang Jian Yao said with a look that it wasn't a big deal at all. "We have encountered 'New World' experts who have returned.
"Able to return?" The mechanical monk Jingnian made a puzzled sound.
Jiang Bai Mian keenly captured this:
"Zen Master, doesn't your 'Monk Order' have any eminent monks who have attained enlightenment and entered the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss?"
She preliminarily confirmed that the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss mentioned by the "Monk Order" was equivalent to the "New World" in the field of awakening.
"Yes," Jingnian answered with a flashing red light in his eyes, "But their bodies have all stopped functioning. No one has ever returned."
"Is there a certain difference between 'Eternals' and ordinary people?" Bai Chen didn't quite understand this.
To the "New World," do "Eternals" also belong to a rather special type? Jiang Bai Mian thought for a moment and said:
"Among the high-level members of the major forces, it is not a secret that 'New World' experts can return."
Jingnian fell silent, and after a long while, he asked:
"You said earlier that 'Heartless Disease' originates from Ultimate Bliss, the 'New World.' What evidence do you have?"
Jiang Bai Mian immediately replied:
"There is a certain chain of evidence.
"We once encountered a sleeping 'New World' expert who couldn't return. Staying near him for too long would cause you to contract 'Heartless Disease,' which led to the destruction of a town...
"We have confirmed from other sources that similar phenomena exist within a certain range around such 'New World' experts...
"A high-level member of the 'Savior Army' told us that 'New World' experts can artificially create 'Heartless Disease'...
"Some of our friends became 'Heartless Ones' after being attacked by 'New World' experts...
"Near many 'New World' nodes, abnormalities similar to those brought about by awakening abilities will appear, and over time, if humans fail to stay away from that node, they are likely to contract 'Heartless Disease'..."
Jiang Bai Mian spoke very vaguely, without mentioning specific people or events.
The last point was a conclusion drawn from the shadows of the cruise ship.
The mechanical monk Jingnian listened quietly without saying anything. Xu Liyan was secretly amazed, marveling at how these people had experienced so many high-level things and survived.
"Namo Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi." After a dozen seconds, Jingnian chanted a Buddhist prayer and said, "I have no more questions."
Seeing this, Shang Jian Yao looked at his watch on his wrist.
Then, he smiled at Xu Liyan:
"Isn't it time for lunch?"
Xu Liyan squeezed out a smile:
"I've already instructed the chef to add more dishes."
At the time when the "Old Task Force" entered the door.
...
After eating and drinking to their fill and leaving the City Lord's mansion, the "Old Task Force," with Xu Liyan's warrant, drove the jeep around the alleys of North Street, striving to ensure that Shang Jian Yao's sensory area could cover every corner.
After an unknown amount of time, Shang Jian Yao opened his half-closed eyes and said with considerable disappointment:
"There is no 'New World' node."
Wild Grass City had no node connecting to the "New World."
Then where did the "Heartless Disease" here come from? Could it be the previously guessed "fluctuation theory," that the "Heartless Disease" brought about by the return of "New World" experts was not limited to one place? Such questions flashed through the minds of Jiang Bai Mian and the others.