Chapter 2862: Cheating
Chapter 2862: Cheating
Zu An frantically waved his hand. “I don’t think I’m suited for it. Please find someone else.”
He didn’t want to become a reproductive organ. Just thinking about Li Zicheng’s horrifying final form and looking at the countless wombs around him was enough to induce goosebumps.
“It’s not what you’re thinking. The Seed of Reproduction is the rudimentary form of Reproduction’s authority. It’s similar to the Death authority you obtained. It doesn’t mean that you’ll be controlled by the authority. Ultimately, what it manifests as will depend on yourself,” the Deity of Reproduction spoke with a compelling voice that shook the soul.
Zu An wasn’t surprised that the Deity of Reproduction knew about Death’s authority, since he had offered tribute to the Deity of Reproduction in Death’s trial as well.
Sensing his hesitation, the Deity of Reproduction continued, “You’re on hostile terms with the Annihilation Progenitor, but with your current cultivation, you're far from a match for them. You should be grasping every bit of power you can lay your hands on. We’re both enemies of the Annihilation Progenitor. An enemy of an enemy is an ally.”
“You almost have me convinced, but I don’t want to be reduced to a reproductive organ,” Zu An replied bitterly. “Pardon me, but I don’t align with the dao of Reproduction. In my view, you’ve been cloning yourself without any restraint in pursuit of power. No matter how many worshipers you have, they''re merely underlings obeying a single mind. They're no different from the lowest ants in a colony.”
He didn’t want to take the Seed of Reproduction, so he spoke with increasing boldness. “The countless worker ants born from the queen ant exist only to serve the queen ant. If the queen ant dies, the entire colony dies with it. In essence, it's no different from the dao of Order. Order is merely a set of rules dictated by a supreme being to restrain its worshipers.”
The wombs stopped wriggling, and Reproduction fell silent. Zu An even wondered if they had left in a fit of anger.
Eventually, however, the Deity of Reproduction answered, “I finally understand why I stumbled here with Order. Unbeknownst to me, our paths converged.”
The wombs ‘looked’ at Zu An and asked, “What do you think Reproduction should be?”
Zu An gave the matter some thought before replying, “In my opinion, Reproduction symbolizes the birth of new lives. Reproduction is a continuation and a choice. It isn’t about the number. Be it grass growing in the wilderness or trees trimmed in a well-tended garden, all lives wield the potential to become anything.”
“If you do grasp Reproduction, when a famine happens, will you sacrifice the minority to save the majority?” the Deity of Reproduction asked.
Zu An frowned. He felt as if he had stumbled into a trial, but there was nothing he wanted from the Deity of Reproduction, so he honestly replied, “Your question conflates the concept of Reproduction with the issue of resource scarcity. You assume that power is used for selection and not creation.
“Even if you temporarily ‘saved’ the majority, it’d only lead them into a deeper calamity. The survivors would live in fear, and trust in society would crumble. The one grasping Reproduction would only be viewed as a tyrant who has little regard for life.”
The Deity of Reproduction harrumphed. “There’s no point speaking such beautiful words. How would you resolve the problem in actuality?”
Zu An replied, “I’d reconstruct life itself instead of dictating who survives. I’d greatly reduce humans’ metabolic requirements so they could hibernate and return after the famine passed. I’d also expend my divine power to bestow some simple lifeforms such as algae the power to reproduce quickly, so they could provide the energy required for humans to survive.
“Famine is both a crisis and a chance to evolve. As the saying goes, people live in crisis and die in contentment. Without woes, humans would slowly walk down the path of self-destruction. A famine is a trial for evolution.
“Most living beings have the power to adapt to their environment, so there’s no need for deities to interfere too much in their affairs. We should be equipping humans with the skills to survive, not blindly providing them with the resources they need.”
The Deity of Reproduction took in Zu An’s words and commented, “Your answer is too theoretical. I might have limited the scope of my question to humans, but what if you extend the boundaries to all living beings?”
“The weak capelins swim to the shore every year to lay eggs, and the process is fraught with danger. They face many predators, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, tunas, birds, and mammals. There are many ways they can die. Only a small handful survive the journey to the beach to lay their eggs. If not for their ability to mass reproduce, they would have gone extinct," Zu An answered.
“You mentioned earlier that it would be meaningless to focus on quantity instead of quality, but it’s the opposite here. The capelins’ ability to mass reproduce has not just sustained themselves, but also other higher-tier races." The Deity of Reproduction continued, “In my view, there’s nothing wrong with sacrificing a portion of the capelins to ensure the survival of other races.”
Zu An’s heart shuddered. As expected of a universal deity. There’s no way they would be that easily convinced by me. He didn’t want the Seed of Reproduction anyway, so he replied, “I was being too shallow. I have failed to see things from a higher angle. This shows that I’m not suited for the path of Reproduction. Please choose someone else.”
“No, I now think you’re more suited for the path of Reproduction,” the Deity of Reproduction said with a teasing voice.
Zu An was stunned. Huh, how did you come to this conclusion?
“Why?”
“I stand by my interpretation of Reproduction, and I have ensured the survival of countless life forms in the Myriad Worlds over the years. However, I think I have reached the end of my path. Your earlier words have sparked some thoughts in me. You might be able to pave a new path ahead.”
That heaped huge pressure on Zu An. He hurriedly replied, “Based on what I know, universal deities usually prepare a convoluted trial to test their successor. You can prepare a trial, and I’ll help you look for challengers. I’m sure you’ll find a more suitable successor than me.”
“That was the trial.”
“...Ah? Isn’t that a bit too rash? Shouldn’t trials to obtain a universal deity’s legacy be fraught with dangers?”
“The Deity of Death was stupid. Why would they make their trial so difficult when the other universal deities were already ganging up on them? That only left room for other universal deities to tamper with their trial. In the end, they waited countless years before you finally came along. Even so, they still failed to pass down Death’s full legacy to you.”
Zu An was speechless. The Deity of Reproduction is surprisingly convincing.
He tried to put up one last struggle. “But I failed to give the correct answer to your question. That should count as failing the trial...”
The Deity of Reproduction interjected, “Who says you failed? Instead, I found your answer meaningful. I’ll consider it a pass.”
“That’s cheating! I was clearly talking bullshit earlier!”
“Even your bullshit satisfies me. That only goes to show that everything is fated. Now, accept my Seed of Reproduction.”
“...”