Chapter 823: Evolution

"That sounds dangerous, but there aren't many normal people who can make a name for themselves here anyway," Qi Xia said.

"Yes, the ones who reach the top are either lunatics or monsters. As for the second drawback of 'Xin Xiang Shi Cheng', it's that the so-called 'Xian Fa' has been split into thousands upon thousands of fragments," Di She continued. "This doesn't even seem like real 'Xin Xiang Shi Cheng'—those who want wind can only get wind, and those who want rain can only get rain. So, my teacher spent a long time focusing on two key issues: first, how to solidify a person's beliefs; second, how to enable a person to acquire multiple 'Xian Fa'."

"Then what?"

"Then... he achieved extremely significant 'research results'."

Before Di She could explain what he meant by those 'research results', Qi Xia interrupted him: "So, the thing behind you is the 'research process'."

"Of course..." Di She said with a bitter smile, "It's not just me—there are many colleagues like me. We're all part of the 'research process', enduring pains that no normal person could ever withstand, all to contribute the best 'research results' to 'Long' and 'Shen Shou'. Now, we're more monstrous than monsters."

The more Chen Jun Nan heard, the angrier he got. He muttered under his breath, "That kid 'Tian She' looks perverted enough, and it turns out his actions are just as twisted."

"No, my teacher is great," Di She said. "Our sacrifices were necessary... Besides, it was because I wanted to become a 'test subject' that I ended up like this..."

"Why the hell do you always lie to yourself?!" Chen Jun Nan started to step forward to argue with Di She, but Qi Xia reached out and stopped him.

"Don't bother trying to convince him about this," Qi Xia whispered. "This is probably the only delusion he uses to hypnotize himself. If his beliefs crumble, he'll just become a completely mad snake."

"This..." Chen Jun Nan glanced at Di She with frustration, then turned his head away in discontent.

"My teacher... he always took unconventional paths..." Di She said with a desolate laugh. "Perhaps geniuses and lunatics are often just a thought away... He was the genius who most resembled a lunatic."

"How so?" Qi Xia asked.

"Initially, his research was on 'how to give a person powerful beliefs', but after many experiments, he found that the stronger the beliefs, the crazier the person becomes," Di She explained. "There's a subtle tipping point—if someone goes completely insane, they won't understand 'Hui Xiang' at all, but if they're just on the brink of madness, they can't unleash the full power of 'Hui Xiang'. I mentioned this theorem in the book I gave you..."

Qi Xia frowned slowly as he listened, glancing at the scattered books in the corner, as if piecing together some fragmented memories.

"'Di Er Shi Er Tiao Jun Gui Li Lun'," Qi Xia blurted out.

"That's right," Di She said with a bitter smile. "On the surface, according to the 'Di Er Shi Er Tiao Jun Gui Li Lun', only a lunatic among the pilots can be excused from flying, but they have to apply for it themselves. However, the moment they apply, it proves they're sane and still trapped. But Qi Xia, you know, right? This despairing theory has a second part."

"Yes," Qi Xia nodded. "It also states that a pilot can return home after flying twenty-five missions. But it emphasizes that pilots must absolutely obey orders, or they'll never go home. So, superiors can keep adding missions, and you can't refuse. It's an endless cycle."

"Doesn't that sound just like the 'Can Yu Zhe' and 'Sheng Xiao'?" Di She let out a grim, "Heh heh" laugh.

"Yes, we're all trapped by the rules," Qi Xia said.

"My great teacher had a sudden inspiration from this... Since people with strong beliefs always end up as lunatics no matter what, why not start directly with lunatics?" Di She said.

"Are you talking about the 'Yuan Zhu Min'?" Qi Xia asked.

"Yes... There are lunatics everywhere here, easy to come by," Di She laughed. "There are even more lunatics than 'Can Yu Zhe'. If you add up the 'Yuan Zhu Min' from many cities, they could form an army of lunatics... If these lunatics could gain 'Xian Fa', wouldn't that create the most powerful 'Xian Fa Da Jun'? They have no independent thoughts, making them easier to control than any 'Can Yu Zhe', and their deaths wouldn't matter. Even if the 'Xian Fa' backfires and kills them, it's just losing a walking corpse."

Qin Ding Dong's expression grew increasingly unpleasant as he listened: "I can hardly agree that your teacher is a 'genius'... He seems crazier than anyone else."

"No, he's not as mad as the 'Yuan Zhu Min'," Di She said. "For a long time, his research focused on how to let the 'Yuan Zhu Min' acquire 'Xian Fa'."

Qi Xia thought for a moment and said, "So, how did he do it?"

"My teacher tried many methods," Di She said. "First emotional stimulation, then trying to break them down, and eventually physical beatings. But none of it worked. The 'Yuan Zhu Min', having completely lost their reason, couldn't feel emotional changes and ignored physical pain. Although beating them made them afraid, it couldn't spark their inner 'Hui Xiang'. My teacher told me... they're like a pack of unintelligent beasts."

"Beasts...?" Qi Xia thought the term was tragic—these people didn't have to become beasts.

"I told you, my teacher is a true genius..." Di She said with a touch of mockery. "Since they're 'beasts', we need to find a way to make them 'evolve'..."

Di She slowly revealed a terrifying smile.

"Do you know what was an essential step in human evolution?" Di She turned to Qi Xia, his expression filled with unresolvable sorrow.

"I feel every step was essential," Qi Xia said. "Which one does your lunatic teacher think it was?"

"It's 'cannibalism'..." Di She said. "Although human DNA now has the 'prion virus' prohibition, fossils from tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years ago show teeth marks from cannibalism. My teacher theorized from this that early humans' fastest way to grow stronger was by eating their own kind."

"Then he really is insane," Qi Xia said.

"Insane he may be... but he succeeded," Di She laughed. "I witnessed the most shocking scene of my life... A group of people who had lost their minds devouring each other... and one of them actually managed to activate 'Hui Xiang'."