Chapter 179: Approaching the Divine (Part 1)
Jinghe Ninth Year, June 25th.
Chang’an had been experiencing a continuous four-day thunderstorm, leaving the ground muddy, with every step sinking into soft mire.
Before dawn, a long queue had already formed in front of the Ministry of Rites’s Tribute Yard, waiting for inspection before entry.
The shoes of every examinee were deeply mired in the mud, and the hems of their clothes were splattered with dirt, but no one had the mind to care, all looking preoccupied.
After all, for most people, the most important examination of their lives was right before them.
Whether they could leap over the Dragon Gate in one go depended on today.
Of course, for academic elites, or those with external aids, there was no need to be preoccupied.
“Sheng Sheng, why are you so energetic?”
While queuing for entry, Wang Dongdong, with two large eye bags on her face, asked Liu Sheng weakly, who looked full of vigor.
Although she was usually carefree, when it came to the day before the exam, she tossed and turned like a pancake and couldn't sleep at all.
“Because I slept well,” Liu Sheng said as a matter of course, “My sleep quality was quite good. Just as you said, thunderstorm weather is perfect for sleeping.”
“Why could you sleep!” Wang Dongdong roared, quite unwilling, “Do you have any idea about this exam’s questions?”
“Because I have no idea, I need to sleep.”
“Perhaps inspiration will come if I close my eyes,” Liu Sheng said very seriously, without a hint of jest.
What she said was also the truth; she had been thinking about the Supreme God for the past few days but had no clue.
Firstly, she had not experienced true connection with the divine, so she simply didn't understand what it felt like to establish a connection with the Supreme God, nor did she know what it truly felt like to wholeheartedly believe in the Supreme God.
Even if she asked Wang Dongdong, she couldn't explain it, only saying that it felt very warm and safe, like lying in a mother’s womb.
Secondly, she had experienced several worlds and had begun to doubt the existence of the Supreme God. Although she had no evidence, her faith in the Supreme God was shaken.
Thirdly, she could not forget the supreme fear, coldness, and threat she saw during the period when she forcibly tried to connect with the divine using the seven profound token.
Therefore, for Liu Sheng, thinking about believing in the Supreme God was very fragmented.
Even though she was already split into countless pieces, every single one of them was wholeheartedly rejecting it.
So last night, when Liu Sheng really couldn't think of anything and decided to give up, she pulled up the covers and went to sleep, and the Liu Shengs started arguing.
“Can’t do it, can’t do it!”
“Rather die than go against my true self!”
“Then drop out of the exam?”
“No… Wen Weilan will beat us to death.”
“Our parents will be disappointed.”
“We will be disappointed too.”
“We just advised Wang Dongdong to stick to her dreams, and now we’re deserting?”
“Then what is our dream?”
“From the initial goal of getting promoted, getting rich, and retiring early, what about now?”
“Entering the National Academy.”
“And then?”
“Seeking the truth of the world.”
Liu Sheng recalled what Senior Sister Nangong said.
“Before you have the ability to prove what truth is, try to follow the rules of this world and integrate into it.”
“Only then will you have the opportunity to master enough power to prove the truth you seek.”
“So, even if it’s repulsive, rejected, and incomprehensible, I should complete this exam?”
“Yes, and you can change your mindset to make yourself self-consistent.”
“Doesn’t the truth of the world you want to understand include ‘the truth of the Supreme God’?”
“Then start with ‘Theology’ and study the Supreme God.”
“How?”
“Re-enter the state closest to the Supreme God.” The world spoke.
So, Little Tentacle took out the seven profound token.
It then autonomously pulled back the quilt from Liu Sheng’s body, moved Liu Sheng to the roof amidst the stormy weather, and posed her in a standard meditation posture.
The Liu Shengs who were still awake took over the body, held the seven profound token, and directly entered a meditative state.
Above the dark, swirling sky, lightning occasionally exploded between the clouds, illuminating the shifting and elusive god's face behind the dark clouds, which, besides being sacred and pure, seemed to have gained a few hints of majesty and anger.
Soon, Liu Sheng’s consciousness passed through the thick, lightning-filled clouds and arrived at that tranquil Void Realm.
The Supreme God once again appeared before her in a form she could neither describe nor comprehend.
“Hi, long time no see.”
Liu Sheng silently greeted.
Of course, the other party would not pay attention to her, not even noticing such a tiny consciousness.
“And then?” Liu Sheng asked the world.
She didn't know what to do next; she only knew that every time she tried to focus and look, she would be expelled from the Void Realm.
And the world seemed to know something.
“Stack all of you together.”
“What do you mean???” If the world hadn't spoken without a trace of emotion, Liu Sheng would have almost thought it was joking.
“Gather all your fragmented selves to form a superimposed you and enter the high dimension.”
What the world said was simple and clear, yet utterly perplexing.
Liu Sheng seemed to understand the world’s meaning, and her heart swelled.
So, her already fragmented self could still be superimposed?
And, she could enter the high dimension through this?
“But according to your current energy, you can only enter for a maximum of forty seconds.”
“Forty seconds is good too!”
“How to increase energy?” Liu Sheng asked.
“Consume one point every ten seconds.”
“So points can be used this way. I thought they could only be exchanged, but there doesn't seem to be anything to exchange for…”
“By the way, world, shouldn’t there be a mall or something? Put some Divine Artifacts on the shelves?”
“Why don’t we first ask how to superimpose!” The other Liu Shengs became anxious.
“Yeah? I don’t understand, I only know how to split.”
“Can something that’s cracked be put back together? It’s not some broken mirror reunion, wife-chasing crematorium, abusive romance novel.”
“Sister, shouldn’t you be reviewing your lessons? Why are you reading such miscellaneous books?”
“Shouldn’t all of Professor Tang’s books be read?”
“That’s true.”
“Hey, hey, we’re getting off topic!”
The world’s voice weakly sounded amidst the chatter.
“Your conditions aren’t enough for a mall yet… Don’t blame me.” Its attention was still stuck on the previous messages; the screen was scrolling too fast.
“First answer how to superimpose!”
“Meditate again here, entering a state of focused mind.”
That was the world’s answer.
Although the Liu Shengs still couldn't understand, they knew they had to try no matter what.
Moreover, meditation was already second nature to them; they just hadn’t tried meditating here.
They were really looking forward to seeing what the high dimension was like!
Thinking this, the Liu Shengs closed their eyes in millions of timelines and entered meditation.
“Thousands upon thousands of you, superimposed into one.”
In the endless Void Realm of meditation, the world’s voice resonated, traversing infinity, reminding the Liu Shengs.
Thus, at this coordinate point marked “now,” countless Liu Sheng consciousnesses gathered, like sheets of paper stacked one upon another, but in terms of time and space, there was no true “above” or “below”; all existed simultaneously and at a common point.
In the high dimension of the Void Realm, there was only one Liu Sheng, and also the only Liu Sheng.