The Emperor gave too much, and the system, dissatisfied, has turned evil.

Chapter 424 Immortality: A Blessing or a Torture?

Suddenly, a thought arose in Zhang Xianzhi's mind.

Mo Xiangran, a graceful and beautiful woman, possessing exceptional talent and charm, is truly a rare gem!

To be honest, Zhang Xianzhi had taken a liking to her. He decided to use his extraordinary knowledge and charm to make Mo Xiangran admire him and turn to him as her master.

Today, he is going to openly steal Li Congxin's woman, who is known as the "Number One Cool King of All Realms".

The number one arrogant king of all realms? Ha, it's not that easy to be. Others might agree, but Zhang Xianzhi wouldn't. Of course, in doing so, he was essentially slapping Li Congxin in the face in front of everyone, and showing off his superiority in a grand way. "Clear-headed and intelligent, eloquent as a parrot, writing like a phoenix, his knowledge is unparalleled in the world!"

As if making a fool of himself: "Haha, young lady, you have a very high opinion of your teacher."

He didn't directly object or show dissatisfaction, but instead put his hands behind his back and said calmly in the manner of a teacher, "Since you have such a world-renowned teacher, you must also have extraordinary knowledge. So, I'll ask you a question, shall I?"

Then he said gently, "If you don't answer well and can't convince everyone here, then I will patiently teach you."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Investiture of the Gods Hall perked up.

Xiao Huohuo, Li Jiuye, Gu Du Bubai, and others also showed interesting expressions on their faces.

This guy is up to no good.

Interesting.

You must know that Zhang Xianzhi, the King of the East, is all-knowing, and he can defeat everyone in the world with just his words! Moreover, he likes to preach, so how can a little girl possibly engage in a verbal battle with this so-called 'King of Mouths'?

By then, they'll definitely be brainwashed by him and worship him to the point of obsession.

"Please ask, sir."

Mo Xiangran may appear delicate and frail, but in order to prove that her teacher is extraordinary, she is not timid at all, but rather poised and confident.

Zhang Xianzhi liked this temperament even more and asked with a smile, "I won't deliberately make things difficult for you. Since you want to convince everyone here, I'll ask you a question that everyone here has thought about countless times and that cultivators talk about the most."

"eternal life!"

He asked, "Is immortality a good thing or a bad thing? Is it a blessing or a torment?"

This question caused a slight stir among many people.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xianzhi was truly magnanimous, asking a very common question, one that cultivators often discuss. However, this question has never had a definitive yes or no answer in people's minds.

Immortality is a good thing.

Because people all yearn for it.

In truth, people don't necessarily think it's a good thing, because what would one face if they truly lived forever? I'm afraid... it would mostly be torture rather than happiness.

However, people are also afraid of death.

Thus, people, like a group of mindless creatures, drifted along in the tide of cultivating immortality, struggling like ants and desperately trying to survive.

But, upon careful reflection, people don't really know what the meaning of life is.

What, then, is the answer to the question of immortality?

Everyone looked at Mo Xiangran, wondering what unique insights this young girl, who hadn't had much life experience, could offer. Xiao Huohuo, Lin Shuishui, and the others chuckled inwardly.

Isn't this just being difficult? This problem is unsolvable, because no one has ever lived to the limit of life after achieving immortality. Unless you, Zhang Xianzhi, personally intervene with your silver tongue, there's no way a little girl could convince everyone present.

Mo Xiangran did not directly answer whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Is it happiness or torture?

Without showing the slightest bit of restraint, she looked around at the crowd and said in a clear, melodious voice, "Look at the bat, it cannot see, it is almost blind, how pitiful; the bat looks at you, it cannot hear the sound waves, it is almost deaf, how unfortunate."

“Look at the sparrows, so frail and weak, living under someone else’s roof. A bamboo pole or a stone can kill them. Look at you, pigeons and swallows, so fat and bloated that you can’t fly. How can you be free when you hover on the ground?”

“Look at cats and dogs, their lives are only a little over ten years, they are confined to the house every day, and are just human playmates; look at you, cats and dogs, you are busy all day long, you can’t forget to feed you and clean up your poop, you are just a servant to cats and dogs.”

Many people looked bewildered, completely confused.

Zhang Xianzhi, having grasped the profound meaning, was immediately invigorated.

"The meaning of life is determined by the scale of time."

Mo Xiangran, with a composure reminiscent of her teacher Li Congxin, continued calmly, "In the eyes of a grasshopper that can only live for three seasons, autumn is the end of life, followed by a hellish winter, and living there is bound to be endless suffering."

"In the eyes of a mayfly that can only live for one day, the vastness of a pond is the ocean. Born in the morning and dying at dusk, unaware of the changing seasons, it has seen all that is worthwhile in the world."

"Not bad!"

Someone couldn't help but exclaim in praise.

Mo Xiangran was not bothered by it: "A five-year-old child is crying because he missed three hours of playtime, but for him, that was meaningful in his life." "A seventeen-year-old girl is distressed because she wasted 30 days of love, but for her, that was meaningful in her life."

"The midlife anxieties of a thirty-year-old stemmed from missing out on a job in 30 months, which was significant in her life."

"The frustration of being fifty years old stems from the wasted 30 years of her youth, which, for her, were meaningful moments in her life."

"At eighty years old, she was annoyed, but only because of the strong wind today, she was unable to sit on the porch as usual, watching the clouds roll and the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard, and savoring the passing years. For her, savoring time with life is very meaningful."

……

The Investiture of the Gods Hall was completely silent.

Everyone was silent.

Everyone was drawn into a state of self-reflection by Mo Xiangran's words. Mo Xiangran didn't offer a clear answer as to whether it was good or bad, happiness or torment, but her words seemed to make everyone understand something, to gain some insight. Looking at the beautiful young woman whose voice flowed like a gentle stream as she spoke eloquently in public, Zhang Xianzhi couldn't help but show admiration and approval…

"The meaning of life is determined by the scale of time."

Mo Xiangran repeated it again.

With the aura of a celestial being, her voice possessed a magical power that could calm all beings and make them listen attentively: "Therefore, do not use a non-immortal mind to contemplate thoughts of the afterlife."

"It is difficult for us to imagine what life forms spanning billions of years would think about, witness, or try, what the significance of their actions is, what the gains are, and what they would find moving and joyful."

"Only when life truly reaches this dimension may we gradually seek new joys and emotions."

"Perhaps it's about emitting a beam of light, waiting a hundred million light-years later to see the response from another spacetime, to see if it breaks the dimension of time, and whether that beam of light has flown to the past or the future." "Perhaps it's about scattering a seed of life, and seeing what kind of creatures will evolve after hundreds of billions of years. That might be the time from the birth of life in a great world to this very moment."

"Perhaps it's about witnessing a single moment, taking billions of years to see the origin of all the heavens and myriad worlds, to see everything come into being from nothing, from collapse to expansion..."

"In short, with a mind that has a limited lifespan, it is probably impossible to imagine the happiness of immortal beings. Just like a budding young girl having a spring dream, she will always wake up at the crucial moment because of the limitations of her thinking and the unknown."

As she spoke the last sentence, her pretty face flushed slightly, revealing a charming shyness.

The preceding words were her insights; this last sentence is her personal summary. Because, every time she dreams of her teacher, he holds her, kisses her, and then…

Because she was still a budding virgin, she hadn't experienced what was to come, nor did she know how to proceed. Therefore, the dream could only end. Silence.

The Investiture of the Gods Hall, which was packed with people, was completely silent.

At this moment, everyone looked at Mo Xiangran with a changed expression, their eyes filled with the reverence one would show when receiving instruction from a teacher, and a look of sincere respect as they listened attentively.

Even Li Jiuye, Gu Du Bubai, and the others looked at him with newfound respect.

Faced with Zhang Xianzhi's deliberately difficult question, Mo Xiangran's response was considered by them to be perfect, flawless, and even amazing.

She is very smart.

Some problems are like sharp spears and guns; if you confront them head-on, you will inevitably be unable to remain unharmed and unscathed.

Therefore, from beginning to end, Mo Xiangran never explicitly said whether immortality was good or bad. She simply offered guidance from a different perspective, helping everyone gain clarity and understanding. Her words contained no negativity or darkness; she consistently encouraged everyone to be positive, to avoid excessive negative emotions, and to continue living, striving, and pursuing their dreams with hope.

Knowing that Zhang Xianzhi harbored ill intentions, she did not confront him directly, but treated him with gentleness. This woman's vision and mind had reached the level of a 'saint'.

This is what a true teacher is.

This is the true master teacher.

In complete silence...

boom!

Suddenly, someone had an epiphany, and a brilliant light burst forth from their body, a sign of breaking through to a higher realm.

Immediately afterwards...

boom! boom! boom! …

In the Hall of Conferred Gods, people were constantly breaking through to new heights, and their bodies were constantly radiating a radiant light imbued with immortal energy and Daoist essence.