"Do you think this tree possesses consciousness?"
Su Changqing replied noticeably quickly.
"It probably doesn’t have it either."
Zhang Xiaoman nodded, then bent down to pick up a little stone.
"Now, look at this stone, does it possess consciousness?"
This time, Su Changqing said without any hesitation:
"No, it doesn’t."
Zhang Xiaoman smiled and said:
"Then, if you already have an answer in your heart, why do you trouble yourself with questions?"
Su Changqing paused, clearly this answer was different from what he expected.
"But... the Star Guards are different from these insects, right..."
"Oh? Are they different? Then take another look now."
As Zhang Xiaoman said this, he gently touched Su Changqing’s forehead, and immediately Su Changqing felt a dizzy sensation as his perspective was suddenly drawn to the little insect that Zhang Xiaoman had just released.
More bizarre still, he saw everything that this little insect had experienced from birth till now.
Starting as a tiny insect egg, then transforming into a milky-white nymph, cautiously avoiding threats from predators. Eventually, the insect formed its own cocoon, which endured torrential rains, and finally emerged from its cocoon, spreading beautiful wings to roam the flower sea beneath them.
Then, the scene shifted again, and Su Changqing saw the young sapling.
Just like before, the sapling started from a seed, struggled to break through the soil, and after decades of growth, it became the towering tree they saw before them.
Lastly, Su Changqing saw the stone, whose existence spanned a much longer time compared to the first two. Millions of years passed in an instant before his eyes, as the surrounding world changed dramatically, but the little stone remained largely unchanged, occasionally moved by animals until a series of factors brought it to its present location.
"You’ve seen their past, now, look into their hearts."
Zhang Xiaoman touched Su Changqing’s chest again, and the latter felt as if he had entered a more fantastical world, colors flashed before him, and he could faintly hear the insects joyfully singing. Yet the scene quickly vanished, the insects remained quietly sucking nectar on flowers.
Beside him, trees seemed to float in midair, communicating with each other, forming a new world on a level of consciousness.
Su Changqing felt as if he could hear the trees speaking, but couldn’t quite catch the words. When he returned to his senses, he saw the trees had reverted to their original appearances.
As for the stone on the ground, amidst the flickering of light waves, the stone seemed to merge into the earth, becoming the earth’s eye, quietly gazing at the side of Su Changqing’s face.
Su Changqing instinctively shifted slightly, and the stone instantly returned to its original inanimate form.
"This is..."
He felt his mouth was dry; everything he had just seen had overturned his understanding, making him feel like he might be dreaming.
"Do you feel like this is a dream?"
Zhang Xiaoman’s timely voice resonated.
"If this is just a dream, have you ever thought about which side is the real world? Like the insect, it might just be a little insect in your dream, while you are the towering mountain in its dream."
"And those trees, in your eyes, they are just soulless wood, but in the tree’s world, you are the ’tree’ without a soul."
As Zhang Xiaoman spoke, he suddenly stepped on the ground, inviting a gentle breeze to blow through the forest, causing the little stone to sway slightly, only to settle back into stillness.
"Did you hear it? This is the planet breathing."
"Perhaps what you think is just a lifeless stone is actually the planet’s eye observing the world beneath your feet."
Su Changqing’s expression froze.
Zhang Xiaoman patted his shoulder and said:
"This world is far larger than what you perceive, and the power we wield is merely a part of what it reveals. When you see its essence clearly, you will truly comprehend the Divine Domain."
At that moment, Su Changqing felt a flash of light in his mind, and among the perceivable Dark Spiritual Power, a figure briefly appeared. It was the first time he "saw" the form of Dark Spiritual Power Particles.
The tiny particle turned out to resemble the little insect he had just seen!
Moreover, the 36th Sequence God Domain Particle, which he had always been unable to communicate with, seemed to come alive, appearing before him in the form of the little insect, even turning around to glance at him.
With the teachings from his mentor, Su Changqing suddenly had an epiphany.
Unfortunately, this state lasted only a moment, and he quickly reverted to his previous state, unable to "see" the little insect representing the Power Sequence anymore.
Seeing him gain some insight, Zhang Xiaoman said:
"There’s no rush to grasp the Divine Domain; it’s a long journey requiring mindful experience, not something to be hastily pursued."
Su Changqing immediately performed the disciple’s salute and said:
"Thank you, master, for your guidance."
Zhang Xiaoman nodded with a smile, then pointed to the little stone on the ground, infusing it with Primordial Power, causing its form to transform immediately—four small legs extended from beneath, two small protrusions emerged on its smooth surface, resembling eyes, it was turning into a little stone monster.
"Do you see? Everything in this world perceivable by you possesses a soul, though varying in strength."
"They grow by absorbing information, only existing in states of weakening and growth; there is no fixed form that remains unchanged."
"What I did just now was to greatly enhance its growth state, and the Star Guards operate under the same principle."
As Zhang Xiaoman spoke, he waved his hand, causing countless rays of Star Light to gather in the void before him. In the next moment, these rays transformed into humanoid forms, eventually becoming several hundred thousand Star Guardians.
Then, he soared into mid-air, his palm emitting a glow, from within which emerged three images riding giant dragons.
"Xing Han! Star Light! Xing Lan!"
Upon seeing the familiar three figures, Su Changqing couldn’t help but beam with joy.
However, the three appeared to have completely forgotten him, showing no sign of acknowledging him.
"Master."
The newly born Holy Light Giant Dragon sisters bowed to Zhang Xiaoman. They had no facial features, but their presence was the same as always, which is how Su Changqing identified them.
Zhang Xiaoman gestured for them to stand, and using his mind, he crafted for each a beautiful female face.
"Mentor, they seem not to recognize me... Yet I can clearly feel their presence as unchanged, what exactly are they..."
Su Changqing asked nervously.
Zhang Xiaoman sighed lightly, and said:
"Even if there truly exist two identical flowers in this world, they are not the same plant anymore. No matter how identical I sculpt them, they are ultimately not the same entity."
As he spoke, he once again exerted Primordial Power, influencing the Holy Light Giant Dragon sisters. After a momentary daze, they turned their gaze toward Su Changqing, although their looks were no longer unfamiliar.
"Inspector, sir."
Su Changqing’s body trembled, staring blankly at the three individuals before him.
After a long time, he let out a sigh.
"Ah..."
This sigh was filled with apologies and helplessness.