Absolute Destiny Game.

Chapter 612 The choice of fate

"The game 'Old Land' has been in open beta for almost four years, but the ultimate expansion, 'The Great World,' has actually been open for less than two years. Because the entry threshold is extremely high—you must 'ascend' to become an immortal or a god—the number of players has always been very small, estimated to be only a few thousand in total, which is the total number of players in all three thousand newbie villages."

The exploration of this vast world and the discovery of its game content are currently in a very early stage. Many high-level dungeons and areas are simply inaccessible or uncharted territory.

“However,” he added, “all the players who can enter the vast world are top experts in their respective small worlds, the most shrewd of all. Naturally, we also have a great passion for mining information about the game, and through forums, small circle exchanges and other means, we have summarized some consensus information about the world background.”

"The world background of the Great Thousand Worlds, from a macro perspective, is somewhat similar to the worlds described in those primordial fantasy novels in our world, where heaven and earth were first created and gods manifested their divine power, but there are also many differences. Based on the fragmented information currently unearthed, its history can be roughly divided into several eras..." The Celestial Venerable began to narrate, his tone carrying the ancient and timeless feel of telling a myth.

"The Primordial Era"—"Legend has it that the vast world was not born naturally, but was created by a supreme being known as the [Primordial Creator Taiyi]. This 'Taiyi' is similar to Pangu in Eastern mythology, born from chaos and shaped like a chicken egg. With his supreme will, he split the chaos, the pure yang energy rising to become the sky, and the turbid yin energy sinking to become the earth."

He stood between heaven and earth, his height reaching ten thousand feet each day, supporting the universe from collapsing. After eighteen thousand eons, the order of heaven and earth was finally established. And 'Taiyi', exhausted, collapsed with a crash. His left eye transformed into the eternally burning 'Radiant Sun,' and his right eye into the clear, bright 'Dark Moon'; his limbs and body became the four cardinal directions and five sacred mountains, his flowing blood became rivers, lakes, and seas, his veins became mountains and rivers, and his muscles became fertile plains; his breath became wind and clouds, his voice became thunder, and his sweat became sweet rain; and his hair and beard, scattered throughout heaven and earth, became brilliant stars… Finally, his vast and boundless divine will completely merged into this newly born world, becoming the source that nourishes all things.”

"The Primordial Era" - "After the world stabilized, and after a long period of evolution, all kinds of living beings began to appear in the world. Among them, some with extraordinary talents began to instinctively absorb the spiritual energy of the world to cultivate, and gradually mastered various immortal techniques and supernatural powers. It is said that the 'spiritual energy' that permeated the world was largely the manifestation of the soul and will of the [Primordial Creator Taiyi] after his death."

"The Perfect Era" - "As time went by, more and more powerful beings emerged among the cultivators, and eventually seven supreme beings with almost omnipotent power, who were above all living beings, were born - the Saints."

Sages are those who are in harmony with the Dao, wielding a portion of the power of heaven and earth. Their words become law, their thoughts can alter mountains and rivers; they endure countless eons without being worn down, and remain untainted by cause and effect. They transcend time and space, traversing between the past and the future, knowing all things in the world with a single thought. With a flick of their finger, they can create celestial realms; with a wave of their hand, they can influence the tides of the universe.

They are the rule-makers and maintainers of order; their power is vast, beyond the comprehension of ordinary immortals and gods. Under the joint protection and governance of these seven sages, the world has maintained peace, prosperity, and perfect order for countless ages, a golden age indeed.

"The Age of Calamity"—the Celestial Venerable's tone turned somber, "However, from some unknown time, and for some unknown reason, those seven supreme saints have all vanished! It's as if they completely evaporated from this world overnight, leaving no trace. At the same time, six demon lords representing chaos, destruction, and distortion have inexplicably appeared in the world."

These six demon lords each possess terrifying power comparable to or even surpassing that of the saints of the past, but they bring not order and creation, but endless calamities.

Their power corrupts the earth; wherever they pass, life ceases, laws crumble, all things wither, and even spacetime itself is distorted into terrifying forms. They are the embodiment of destruction, the nightmare of all living beings.

"The six demon lords used their respective powers to erode, transform, and conquer the entire world. Without the checks and balances of the sages, the world gradually declined. Gods fell, immortals vanished, the earth crumbled, creating countless abysses, and the sky collapsed, revealing a chaotic void… The entire Great Thousand Worlds descended into a desolate, post-apocalyptic wasteland."

Imagine combining the backdrop of primordial mythology with a post-apocalyptic wasteland. Everything in the world has either been utterly annihilated by the power of the Demon Lord or twisted into terrifying, mindless monsters driven only by destruction. The world we live in today is a primordial version of this post-apocalyptic wasteland.

"And now, it is called—the Age of Hope." The Celestial Venerable took a deep breath and said, "And we, the 'Ascension' players, according to the game's background, are descendants of immigrants sent to various 'minor worlds' by the sages with their last strength at the end of the 'Primordial Era,' and are called [Returnees]. Now, responding to the ancient covenant and the call of our bloodline, we have returned from countless minor worlds, shouldering the mission of saving this homeland on the verge of destruction..."

Xiao Jie listened intently, his fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the table. The background of this story... it sounds a bit like a dark epic? Even carrying a strong tragic undertone.

Is the so-called Lesser Thousand Worlds the Nine Provinces World, or is it that even Earth is a so-called Lesser Thousand Worlds?

Players from other small worlds who enter the larger world are probably not from Earth. Could it be that there are other worlds similar to Earth?

A jumble of information swirled in his mind as Xiao Jie pondered, considered, and hesitated...

Now that the 'Age of Calamity' has passed and the world has become what the Celestial Venerable called the 'Apocalyptic Wasteland Version', Xiao Jie thought to himself that this vast world must be ravaged, fraught with danger, and a 'quagmire' from which there is no return. Thinking about it, it really is quite a headache.

Even if there is immense power to be gained there, I am now the only True Immortal on Earth, practically invincible. I was initially worried that the Celestial Venerable, this pioneer, might pose a threat, but now that I've discovered he went to the Great Thousand Worlds and can't return... doesn't that mean I am truly the only one worthy of respect in heaven and earth?
If that's the case, what need is there for me to pursue that elusive and risky 'greater power'?

Why not just stay in this world and be a carefree, untouchable local tyrant, enjoying supreme power and the bliss of immortality?

Moreover, Xiao Jie secretly pondered that although the Celestial Venerable said that ordinary monsters in the Great Thousand Worlds were not fatally dangerous, who knew if he had once again deliberately downplayed the overall threat level? Based on the principle of leniency towards those who have been defeated, and considering this guy's numerous past offenses, Xiao Jie felt that the true danger level of the Great Thousand Worlds was only higher than he had described, and certainly not lower.

"So, brother? After hearing all this, do you have any thoughts?" the Celestial Venerable asked expectantly.

Xiao Jie shrugged noncommittally, not answering directly, but continuing to press for details, trying to piece together a more complete picture: "That 'immortal puppet,' you still haven't explained in detail, what exactly is going on?"

“Oh, Celestial Puppets,” the Celestial Venerable explained. “They are the original inhabitants of the ancient ‘Primordial Era’ and even the ‘Perfect Era’. After the ‘Age of Calamity’ descended, they were unable to resist the corrupting power of the Six Demon Lords and were transformed into puppets without self-awareness, completely controlled by the Demon Lords, which are ‘Celestial Puppets’.”

"They look no different from normal immortals, and can even use the immortal techniques and supernatural powers they possessed in life. Their fighting instincts are still intact, making them very difficult to deal with. But in essence, they are already the puppet minions of the Six Demon Lords scattered all over the world, capturing immortals who are still free, absorbing their immortal spiritual energy, or carrying out various destructive missions for the Demon Lords."

"Moreover, they are extremely skilled at disguise and infiltration. Ordinary immortals, even those with great strength, are often caught off guard if they are not vigilant enough, and are easily approached and ambushed. We speculate that the reason why the immortals in ancient times were ultimately defeated by the Demon Lord was probably because of the existence of 'immortal puppets,' which led to a huge crisis of trust among the immortals. No one knew whether their companions had been transformed into immortal puppets, which meant that the surviving immortals could only fight individually and could not unite, ultimately being defeated one by one by the Demon Lord and the army of immortal puppets."

"Of course, many powerful native immortals have also successfully hidden themselves, avoiding the Demon Lord's corruption and the immortal puppets' search. When we players explore some hidden maps, we can occasionally encounter them. They are a bit like those reclusive masters who live in the deep mountains and forests of the Nine Provinces world. They may issue some quests."

“However,” the Celestial Venerable changed his tone, his voice becoming much lighter, “the disguise of the Celestial Puppet is ineffective against us players.”

"Because of the red name?" Xiao Jie immediately realized the key point.

“That’s right!” The Celestial Venerable snapped his fingers. “The name of the Immortal Puppet is a striking red in the players’ field of vision! No matter if it looks like a celestial being or has a kind face, as long as its name is red, there’s no need to hesitate, it’s definitely a monster, killing it is the right thing to do! Moreover, killing the Immortal Puppet has a chance to drop fragments of ‘Origin Treasures’ or related materials, which are quite sought-after ‘resources’ when you encounter them in the wild.”

Xiao Jie then asked, "Does the game's main storyline explicitly tell players how to 'save the world'?"

"The official background says we need to find the 'lost saints'," the Celestial Venerable said with a smirk. "However, within our player community, there's a fairly well-known, albeit unconfirmed, but logically plausible, speculation circulating—that the six demon lords who wreaked havoc on the world are likely six of the original seven saints transformed!"
That lost sage must naturally be the seventh sage.

Xiao Jie wasn't surprised by this speculation. The Demon Lord's power was so immense that he couldn't have appeared out of thin air. And the Saints, equally incredibly powerful, couldn't have vanished without a trace either. Therefore, the most reasonable explanation was that something had happened to the Saints, and six of them had become Demon Lords.

"Then the question arises," Xiao Jie pressed, following the logic, "why would a saint become a demon lord? What caused this terrible transformation?"

The Celestial Venerable spread his hands: "This is the core puzzle the game leaves for players, and it is also the ultimate goal that we players need to explore and solve in our 'main quest'!"

He stared intently at Xiao Jie, his tone becoming highly inflammatory: "What do you say, Brother Suifeng? Fellow Daoist Suifeng? As a chosen returnee, a savior with ancient blood flowing through your veins, a pioneer destined to write a legend in this apocalyptic wasteland, shouldn't you join me? Let's join hands, brothers, and together in this magnificent world, accomplish something earth-shattering and save this world from destruction!" He spoke with fervor, as if he could already see the dawn of victory.

However, Xiao Jie remained silent, only tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes deep, clearly deep in thought, weighing all the pros and cons. "Hey! I've been so honest, I've practically laid out my secrets to you, why don't you say something!" Tianzun was getting impatient.

Xiao Jie finally stopped tapping, slowly shook his head, and showed an apologetic smile, but his eyes were very firm.

“I’m sorry, Brother Celestial Venerable,” he said. “I’m afraid… I can’t agree to go to the Great Thousand World with you to ‘save the world’ right now.” He spread his hands, revealing a helpless expression.

"Why?!" The Celestial Venerable's tone instantly rose, tinged with provocation. "Are you afraid? Or are you unwilling to relinquish this bit of power in the Nine Provinces World?"

“It’s not that I’m afraid, nor that I’m completely reluctant to give it up,” Xiao Jie explained calmly. “It’s just that there are too many unknown and uncertain factors. If I were still the ordinary player who had nothing and could only seek excitement and a sense of accomplishment in games, perhaps I would have been attracted by the grand blueprint and top-tier treasures you described and would have gone without hesitation.”

But now, as an immortal, I can enjoy almost endless benefits and freedom in the Nine Provinces world and even in reality—longevity, power, authority, and respect. Why should I abandon all this certainty to venture into a place fraught with danger, uncertain future, and even a place of no return? This is not the choice of a rational person.”

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Venerable seemed to have his secrets exposed, and he sighed deeply, a complex expression on his face: "Alas... you are the one who lives life more clearly and understands things better. If I had had your level of awareness and composure back then, perhaps... perhaps I wouldn't have been so easily driven by the desire to 'become stronger' and ultimately embarked on a one-way journey to the Great Thousand Worlds."

There was a hint of regret in his tone.

“However…” the Celestial Venerable suddenly chuckled again, a sly glint in his eyes, “I think I still have a chance to convince you.”

"Oh?" Xiao Jie raised an eyebrow, signaling him to continue.

“Do you know,” the Celestial Venerable lowered his voice, his tone becoming unusually serious, “that this vast world and the Nine Provinces world are inextricably linked and share a common destiny.”

He paused, noticing the slight change in Xiao Jie's expression, and continued, "And the Nine Provinces world, in a sense, is also connected to our real Earth."

Xiao Jie's heart sank slightly; he vaguely guessed what the other party was about to say.

The Celestial Venerable smiled calmly, but there was a hint of schadenfreude in his smile: "The Nine Provinces World should have recently shown signs of the so-called 'doomsday calamity,' right? The Demon Star Tower has risen, Canglin Province has fallen, the World Events have begun... and this is just the beginning."

This statement was less of a question and more of a statement of a known fact. After all, the Celestial Venerable had his subordinates from the Pantheon operating in the Nine Provinces World, gathering information for him, so he was naturally well aware of all this.

“That’s right,” Xiao Jie admitted, adding that it was no secret.

"So, based on the information chain and world setting we understand..." The Celestial Venerable's voice carried an undeniable certainty, "A similar 'apocalyptic catastrophe'... appearing in the real world of Earth is only a matter of time. It may take some time to brew and ferment, but in any case, according to the underlying logic of this world, it will inevitably happen."

The vast universe is like the trunk, while the smaller universes, and even the Earth, are like the branches and leaves. If the trunk decays and perishes, the destruction of the branches and leaves is only a matter of time.

He looked directly into Xiao Jie's eyes: "You can indeed stay on Earth and enjoy the carefree life brought by your current immortal power. But sooner or later, you, or your descendants, will have to face all of this directly. There's no escaping it."

Xiao Jie countered, "Aren't you currently 'saving the world' in the Great Thousand World? Perhaps after a while, you will have successfully saved the Great Thousand World, cut off the source of the disaster, and the Earth will naturally be safe and sound."

“That’s true,” the Celestial Venerable shook his head, “but how can you be sure we will succeed? To place the hopes of ourselves and the entire world entirely on others, and on a group of ‘others’ struggling to survive in a strange world with an uncertain future… Fellow Daoist Suifeng, with your personality, are you really willing to entrust your fate to them like this?”

His tone carried a hint of accusation: "If all ascendants with potential and ability like you hold the same mindset, staying in their own 'newbie villages' to enjoy their existing benefits instead of contributing their strength to the 'main battlefield' of the Great Thousand Worlds... then the resistance of the Great Thousand Worlds will inevitably weaken, and destruction will be almost inevitable. And when that time comes, the destruction of the source world will inevitably affect all the derived 'minor worlds,' including Kyushu and Earth... You will not escape either. When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?"

Xiao Jie remained silent, not responding immediately. The Celestial Venerable's words had indeed struck a chord with some of his deepest concerns. Entrusting his fate to others had never been his style.

After a long while, just when the Celestial Venerable thought he was about to refuse outright, Xiao Jie finally spoke slowly, his tone revealing no emotion:
"I... need to think about it."

This answer neither agreed nor completely rejected, leaving some room for negotiation.

A glimmer of hope flashed in the Heavenly Venerable's eyes. He knew that for someone like Xiao Jie, not being directly rejected meant there was a possibility of winning him over.

“By the way,” Xiao Jie asked casually, as if suddenly remembering something, “if… I mean, if I ultimately decide to go to the Great Thousand Worlds, how should I get there? There has to be a route, right?”

Upon hearing this, the Celestial Venerable nearly jumped out of his chair, his face displaying an exaggerated "I'm impressed!" expression: "Holy crap! Bro! You haven't even downloaded the update client for the 'Great Thousand Worlds' expansion yet?!"

Xiao Jie coughed awkwardly and nodded slightly. He had been so focused on leveling up and figuring out the immortals' abilities that he hadn't bothered to download the expansion pack.

The Celestial Venerable rubbed his forehead, feigning collapse: "Hurry up! The first thing to do when you get back is to download the update! After downloading, you should be able to receive a tutorial quest in any major city, which will take you to a place called the 'Tower of Babel.' Once you pass through the Tower of Babel, you can naturally open the passage to the Great Thousand World."

"The Tower of Babel... I understand." Xiao Jie memorized this information.

"Once you've thought it through, whether you come or not, just let my men know, and they'll inform me. Sigh, I won't keep you any longer. Before this sweet dream ends, I'll have one more round of feasting." With that, he snapped his fingers, and the beautiful waitress reappeared, quickly refreshing the table with a whole new array of delicious food.

Xiao Jie also stood up and walked out of the restaurant. The moment he pushed open the door and stepped out, his eyes lit up...

Xiao Jie slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of the bedroom. He was lying on the bed, covered with a blanket, and the moonlight from outside shone in through the gap in the curtains, dazzlingly bright.

Xiao Jie lay motionless in the darkness, staring at the ceiling, his mind once again lost in thought. The conversation in his dream had come to an end. But the decision of whether or not to go to the Great Thousand World weighed heavily on Xiao Jie's heart.

Is it about being content with the status quo and enjoying the carefree life before you?

Or should we venture into the unknown, risking everything we have now for a potential future crisis?
He fell into deep thought once again.

(End of this chapter)