Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 570 Immortals and Celestial Spirits

Xiao Jie was taken aback: "Please enlighten me, Lord Yuan."

"The biggest difference is that eight or nine out of ten of the immortals of Lonely Cloud have retained or reconstructed their physical bodies! But the immortals of Penglai, almost all of them, exist and act in pure immortal spirit bodies, just like you are now!"

Xiao Jie was stunned: "Huh? Why is that? What...is there a deeper meaning behind this?"

"The key to all this lies in the word 'human.'" Su Zhiqing said solemnly, "What makes a human being? Humans have seven emotions and six desires, joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, love, hate, and obsession. Humans have relatives and friends, greed, anger, ignorance, pride, and doubt, and the pursuit of beauty and the avoidance of pain. It is precisely because of these complex and vivid feelings and entanglements that we have what we call 'humanity.' And the carrier and root of all this is largely determined and caused by our flesh and blood."

"For this reason, in ancient times, the first sages who achieved immortality faced a crucial choice: whether to retain this flesh and blood body that embodies all of humanity and become an 'immortal' with emotions and desires, living a life of worldly pleasures; or to completely shed their mortal form, transcend all physical constraints, and become an absolutely rational 'immortal spirit' in harmony with the Way of Heaven."

"Immortals are detached from worldly emotions, in harmony with the Dao of Heaven, observing all things with absolute rationality, almost becoming the embodiment of the law. They are without sorrow or joy, without good or evil, pursuing the ultimate in eternity and truth, but they also lose many of the joys and warmth of being human. Immortals, on the other hand, although they possess extraordinary power and lifespan, still retain the core of humanity. They have preferences, they have obsessions, they rejoice because of delicious food, and they grieve because of separation. They have complex emotions and desires, and are more like 'humans' after gaining great power."

"In the primordial era, the ancient immortals gradually diverged due to these fundamental differences in their beliefs. The immortals who retained their physical bodies felt that the other immortal spirits were cold, ruthless, and inhuman; while the immortal spirits who chose spiritual bodies felt that the immortals were indulging in base pleasures, failing to transcend, and having impure hearts. The differences between the two sides grew larger and larger, eventually leading to a complete split."

"Originally, Penglai Prefecture, like Guyun Prefecture, was a place where 'immortal spirits' and 'immortals' lived together in harmony. Although they debated the Dao, they coexisted peacefully. However, as time went by, the ideological conflict intensified. Most of the immortals in Penglai Prefecture converted to or leaned towards the path of immortal spirits, believing that only by abandoning the seven emotions and six desires and severing worldly ties could they truly approach the Great Dao and obtain the ultimate truth. On the other hand, most of the immortals in Guyun Prefecture believed that immortals were also cultivated from humans and should not completely deny their origins. Without desires and emotions, what difference would they be from a stubborn rock or a piece of withered wood in the world? What would be the meaning of longevity?"

"Later, the differences became irreconcilable. Those in Guyun Prefecture who were inclined toward the 'Immortal Spirit' path left Guyun Prefecture one after another and went to Penglai Prefecture, which was more in line with this path; while those in Penglai Prefecture who still cherished humanity and were unwilling to give up their physical bodies mostly came to Guyun Prefecture."

Around eight thousand years ago, extraterrestrial demons launched a massive invasion of the Nine Provinces world. We, the immortals of Lone Cloud, took it upon ourselves to protect all living beings and save the world, and we all emerged to fight valiantly. However, the immortals of Penglai believed that worldly conflicts and calamities were merely part of the cycle of Heaven, and that interfering was pointless. They seized the opportunity to completely seal off their immortal island, severing all ties with the Nine Provinces, and drifted with the ocean currents into the endless depths of the eastern sea, never to be seen again.

"Afterwards, the Nine Provinces went through several more great calamities, and they all stood by and watched coldly as we, the Lone Cloud Immortals, fought alone, suffering heavy casualties. They were utterly inhuman, a bunch of cold-blooded, heartless, and morally bankrupt lumps of stone!"

As Miaofa Yuanjun spoke, her tone became clearly filled with indignation and disdain. It was evident that she firmly stood on the side of preserving humanity and possessing a flesh-and-blood body.

Xiao Jie was slightly shocked. Although the information was shocking enough, he was not too excited due to the influence of his immortal body. He just rationally thought, "So that's how it is."

"But... Fellow Daoist Su, I don't feel like there's anything wrong with me. My thinking is clear, and I can make judgments no different from ordinary people." Xiao Jie said with some doubt.

“It’s normal that you don’t feel much change right now,” Su Zhiqing explained. “Because you’ve only recently achieved immortality, your consciousness and your thought patterns still retain the strong inertia you had as a mortal. Humanity can rely on this inertia to sustain itself for a long time. But over time, ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years… without a physical body as an ‘anchor’ to continuously generate and bear those subtle emotional fluctuations and physiological feedback, your spiritual consciousness will become purer and more indifferent. You will gradually lose the ability to appreciate the taste of delicious food, the aroma of fine wine, the beauty of music, the joy of victory, the sorrow of loss, and even the attraction to the opposite sex.”

"In the end, you will completely lose all humanity and emotion, and become a true, absolutely rational, and absolutely cold 'fairy'."

"Therefore, in my opinion, if you don't want to become like that, you'd better rebuild yourself with flesh and blood as soon as possible. This is both an anchor for self-awareness and a confirmation and protection of your own humanity."

Xiao Jie immediately fell into deep thought.

No wonder…no wonder that all this time, whether it was learning of my friend's resurrection, acquiring a powerful profession, or even being suddenly kissed by An Ran, my emotions have remained unusually "stable." It's as if my reason tells me I "should be happy" or "should be surprised," but my heart remains unmoved. Before, I only thought it was a sign of improved mental state, a state of perfect tranquility, and even secretly rejoiced in this state. But now, after hearing Miaofa Yuanjun's analysis, I'm startled to realize that this might be a sign that "humanity" is being gradually eroded by "immortal nature"!
If one ultimately loses humanity, what is the point of becoming an immortal? Isn't the pursuit of great power precisely so that one can better protect what is precious and enjoy the beauty of life? But if even the desire and perception of "enjoyment" are lost, then what difference is there between immortality, boundless power, and an unchanging stone for eternity?

In an instant, Xiao Jie had made his decision.

"Thank you for the reminder, Yuanjun! If it weren't for your guidance, I would have almost unknowingly gone astray." Xiao Jie bowed solemnly. "I've decided that it's better to be a 'celestial being' with flesh and blood, with emotions and desires. The pure path of 'celestial spirit' is a bit too cold, lonely, and inhuman." "Good." Yuanjun of Wonderful Laws smiled with satisfaction. "If you wish to reshape your physical body, you can return to the 'Taichang Hall' in Guyun Prefecture. There is a Hundred Bones True Lord there, who is most skilled in the methods of physical shaping and life infusion. Moreover, for all my fellow immortals of Guyun, the first body shaping is free, without the need to pay karmic points."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie smiled slightly: "There's no need for such trouble. Has Yuanjun forgotten that I am the Immortal of Ten Thousand Transformations?"

Reconstructing the human body might be simpler for him now than he imagined. Humans are one of all things, and one he is most familiar with. Visualizing it would definitely be twice as effective.

At that moment, he calmed his mind and focused his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness.

This was the first time he had used the visualization technique, and it was in a holographic virtual mode, which was much more complicated than using a mouse and keyboard.

Fortunately, with the systematic indoctrination of skills and knowledge, it is not difficult to use.

He began meticulously visualizing and constructing a virtual human avatar in his mind. The process was akin to high-precision game character modeling: starting with the basic skeletal structure, adding muscle texture, outlining the meridian network, covering skin texture, adjusting facial details... He could even "fine-tune" the density and shine of the hair. Ultimately, he chose a body model based on his original appearance, but optimizing all imperfections for a more perfectly harmonious look.

[System notification: You have successfully used the professional skill [Visualization of All Things]. You visualized [Humanity]. Your All Things Atlas has been expanded.]

"It's done," Xiao Jie thought to himself.

"Celestial Technique - Human Transformation!"

A flash of white light emanated from him, soft yet not dazzling. When the light faded, Xiao Jie's appearance seemed largely unchanged, still possessing that handsome look. However, upon closer inspection, a distinct difference became apparent—the previously overly perfect, untainted "ethereal aura" had faded considerably, replaced by a more realistic, fleshy quality. Bluish veins were faintly visible beneath his skin, his chest rose and fell naturally with each breath, and his eyes regained their human sparkle.

"Heh..." Xiao Jie exhaled softly, feeling the long-lost subtle sensations of his mortal body. "I'm back in this flesh and blood body... This feeling is both familiar and strange, with an unusually real... sense of existence."

He closed his eyes, carefully experiencing the new sensory feedback brought by this new body (or rather, reliving old dreams): the fresh scent of grass and earth in the air, the natural moisture of saliva in his mouth, the gentle touch and subtle temperature changes of the breeze on his skin, the steady and powerful beating of his heart, and the powerful vitality that came from the slight tension in his muscles.

"Indeed... it's better to be 'human'." He sighed sincerely. Recalling the absolute calmness and detachment he had experienced as a pure immortal spirit during this time, he felt a strange sense of disorientation, as if he had just woken up from a dream.

Even when An Ran kissed him before, he reacted indifferently... Now that he thinks about it, it was simply a waste! He was incredibly slow to react!

Xiao Jie suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze incredibly bright, as if he had suddenly figured out a crucial question.

"What's wrong?" Miaofa Yuanjun was curious about his sudden action and change in expression.

A look of keen anticipation crossed Xiao Jie's face as he muttered to himself:

"There's someone... I need to go kiss them right away!"

(End of this chapter)