Chapter 783: Recognition

Inside the research institute, all the scientists felt as if a door to theology had been flung open. Their understanding of the world had been completely shattered.

"Once, a rebellious Cantonese student, very clever and hardworking, left my lab because he didn't agree with my research direction," a white-haired old man murmured. "He yelled at me, 'Sir, times have changed!' I was angry at first, then skeptical, still clinging to my own beliefs... until today."

The other scientists looked at him with complex expressions. He was one of their institute's most esteemed experts in the field of radiation and nuclear weapons.

"If even you agree, what more can any of us say?" someone finally uttered, which was met with another silence.

Everyone knew the old man was famously stubborn. He was unlike the others. Normally, he would frequently tweet. As an irascible old man, when the concepts of Buddhism and Taoism first emerged, he had emphatically declared on Twitter: "No one understands radiation better than me."

He was quickly proven wrong. The online gamers, playing within the "Six Paths of Reincarnation," had produced a multitude of astounding inventions: "Physical Buddha," "Radiation Relics," "Tesla Buddha Rings," "Gatling Buddha Staves," and various methods of "cutting magnetic field lines." This had caused him to completely break down and become withdrawn. After that, the white-haired old man had gone completely silent.

But what about now? The development of celestial weapons, following nuclear ones, seemed as inevitable as the progression from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. What era of ancient mythological civilization did this development correspond to? They had just been discussing the underlying meaning and potential for realization, but now their thoughts seemed superficial.

"He... he has already told us!" someone said, their face unsettled, as they continued to watch.

At that moment, "Akina Mountain Speed" was still speaking with great enthusiasm: "Have you understood by now? This is the evolution of civilization! Dyson spheres, magnifying glasses—these are all ways of harnessing cosmic energy, and higher cosmic civilizations must utilize them! And as for 'Dongtian Fudi' (Cave Heaven Blessed Land), it's truly literal. Look again... 'Dong!' 'Tian!' 'Fu!' 'Di!'" (He pronounced each character slowly and distinctly.)

"Dong! Tian! Fu! Di!" Online, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Each word resonated like a lead hammer striking their hearts.

"Dong" for "sky"... "Fu" for "earth"... In their astonishment, they turned to look at the image. The sky, with a magnifying glass concentrating light beams, creating a large opening—wasn't that "Dongtian" (Cave Heaven)? And radiating the earth—wasn't that "Fudi" (Radiated Earth)?

Everyone gasped collectively. It was as if everything said before had merely been a prelude, finally erupting into full clarity now. The intense impact of that moment felt like a newly built dam bursting, an overwhelming rush of blood surging through their veins, threatening to burst their hearts.

"'Dongtian Fudi'… 'Cave Sky Radiated Earth'… it truly is… literal… a complete construction process!"

In a university somewhere in China, an elderly professor who specialized in ancient texts suddenly shed tears in his office. "Is this... the truth behind ancient mythological history?" he murmured.

"'Dongtian Fudi'," a woman of exquisite beauty suddenly uttered, opening her eyes wide in the Heavenly Court of the Seven Realms, where the towering, jade-green Jianmu tree stood reaching for the sky. "So that's it!"

"What is it?" her apprentice, Hu Haihan, asked, startled.

"If someone were to tell you that an ancient mythological civilization breached the heavens, using divine power to draw in endless, vast energy from beyond the sky, concentrating it into an energy zone for future generations to cultivate, would you consider that possible?"

Hu Haihan pondered carefully. Harnessing the power of the heavens to forge a supreme sacred land—such terrifying, world-altering power was almost unimaginable. Furthermore, simply maintaining such a massive channeling array would likely demand an immense cost. It might even necessitate distorting cosmic laws, implying a level of power only found at the ninth tier.

"What you don't realize," the woman continued, "is that some ancient myths and legends, though obscured by history, often prove astonishingly simple once later generations unearth them. The greatest truths are often the simplest; it's merely 'the Dao to simplicity'."

The Earth Mother, seated in her chair, suddenly condensed moisture from the air, forming a transparent magnifying glass. She directed the concentrated light onto her Jianmu vine. "To achieve the most complex things through the simplest means—that is the truly unimaginable power of ancient myths!"

The vine began to glow and quickly ignited. Hu Haihan looked at the magnifying glass, and a sudden realization dawned on him, blanching his face.

On the forum, countless minds buzzed, trembling with excitement. Only then did they realize how much they had over-analyzed and over-imagined the information passed down by their ancestors. The forum was instantly inundated with messages. "What the ancients intended to tell us was truly the literal meaning!" "It's just that we, their descendants, were too ignorant to understand, and we misinterpreted their words!"

Countless people were overcome with emotion, witnessing a historic moment. This was a groundbreaking revelation, as the mysteries of history were finally unveiled, coinciding with humanity's continued advancement.

"Akina Mountain Speed" then continued: "I've paused for a moment so you can fully process this. Once you have, I won't need to say much more; you'll understand its significance. After all, the advantages of this 'Cave Heaven Blessed Land' are undeniable, aren't they? Normally, to gather spiritual energy over an entire area, a large-scale array of that magnitude would require immense energy consumption and constant maintenance. But this method requires none of that! Its ultimate power lies in its extreme simplicity, offering unparalleled convenience in various ways—it is truly the inevitable trend for the development of planets focused on extraordinary cultivation.

"So, let me present the next possibility... We now understand the ancient mythological era of the 'Cave Heaven Blessed Lands.' But what does the legend of Nüwa mending the sky imply?"

One, "Cave Heaven"? The other, "Mending the Sky"? A dense tangle of thoughts rose in everyone's minds. Nüwa mending the sky was, in fact, Nüwa mending the atmosphere!

They had always sensed that terrifying wars must have erupted during the glorious ancient mythical era, but all of that had been shrouded in mist, turning into ancient dust, completely unknown to later generations.

Everyone fell completely silent. In that moment, they felt as if the grand historical scroll of Chinese mythology was unfolding before them. These ancient epics were so magnificent. Recalling that glorious mythical era, with "Heavenly Realms" standing tall in the sky and "Cave Heaven Blessed Lands" scattered across the earth... it was simply captivating!

Meanwhile, the people in the research institute had also fallen silent. They had been eagerly discussing celestial weapons just moments before, but now all their enthusiasm had vanished. Their pride had been shattered by what "Akina Mountain Speed" had presented, a line of reasoning that felt almost undeniably true. Everything seemed to corroborate it. On a planet with sparse spiritual energy, cultivation reliant on radiation energy would inevitably lead to the development of such a method. And the name "Cave Sky Radiated Earth" further validated it.

Could it be a coincidence? How could so many coincidences point to the same conclusion? It seemed impossible!

They couldn't help but force a bitter smile.

Just then, the white-haired old man took a deep breath. "The field of radiation, my lifelong expertise, has already been utterly defeated. As for this new field of celestial phenomena, I will naturally offer no further comments, nor do we need to argue anymore.

"I know you've always looked down on them," he continued. "This 'Akina Mountain Speed,' representing what they call an academic forum, consists of many individuals who may seem boastful and impatient, working tirelessly until their hair thins, driven to absorb knowledge. But in reality, they truly dedicate their lives to research, striving to share the world's truths and ancient history with everyone. I see in him the same qualities we possess: diligence, bold hypothesizing, and careful verification. This quality, whether called the scientific spirit or the artisan's spirit, isn't exclusive to us authoritative scientists in various fields... They possess it too!"