Before the division of Hongmeng, before the opening of chaos. Wind Forest stood in a chaotic realm, where chaotic energy churned all around, as if gestating a brand-new world. It only awaited an ancient chaotic primordial god to wield the power of creation and split heaven from earth.
What kind of world should I build? Gazing at the chaotic scene before him, Wind Forest pondered, lost in thought. Creating a complete new world with its own rules entirely from imagination was far too difficult! He lacked both the mental energy and the necessity for it. If his conception were flawed, the new world’s laws might be incomplete or even contradictory, and even if built, it would soon face collapse—a loss outweighing any gain. Thus, imitating a known world to establish a new one was the most mature and reliable approach.
Wind Forest didn’t lack knowledge of how to create a new world; he simply knew too much, making it hard to choose. The Eastern Chinese mythological world, the Western Greek mythological world, the Norse mythological system… Each mythology was a mature world, perfectly suited as a template for building a new one. None were inferior, but Wind Forest had his own ideas. With so many possibilities, picking just one would be foolish! He wanted them all!
Wind Forest was greedy. But if a person isn’t a little greedy, how are they any different from a failure? Ancient Earth had countless myths, each a real mythological civilization system with its own essence. If he could blend them together and create a virtual mythological version of Earth, perhaps it could embrace all rivers, absorbing the essence of every mythological civilization system to forge an unprecedented new world with boundless potential.
With this thought, Wind Forest grew thoughtful, a mature idea forming, and he suddenly spoke. With a flick of his will, the surrounding chaos churned as if about to be split by a divine axe, birthing a fresh heaven and earth. Standing in the chaos like a supreme lord creating all things and beings, Wind Forest slowly declared.
The god said: “Let there be light!” The chaotic energy remained still, unchanged at all.
So that’s… “…” His attempt at grandeur failed, and Wind Forest looked awkward. He checked the system to learn how to create a world.
Oh, so that’s how it is! After reading the explanation, Wind Forest’s expression turned utterly strange, and then…
The god said: “Let there be money!” Only with money can there be light! Thus, a divine light, like an axe splitting chaos, blasted through the chaos, transforming into a new heaven and earth, separating light from darkness. This became day and night. Star coins clattered down in the system, but only by spending star coins could the virtual universe’s light brain autonomously help him split heaven and earth to create a world.
This virtual universe really is obsessed with money! Wind Forest gritted his teeth and continued speaking.
The god said: “Let there be money!” The god said: “Let there be money!” The god said: “Let there be money!” …
In the virtual universe, only with money could one have everything. So Wind Forest spent money like water and began his Genesis…
In the beginning, the god created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the spirit of the god moved over the waters. The god said: “Let there be money. Only with money can there be light.” And there was light. The god saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. The god called the light day, and the darkness he called night. And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
The god said: “Let there be money! Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water.” So the god made the expanse and separated the waters under the expanse from the waters above it. And it was so. The god called the expanse sky. And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
The god said: “Let there be money! Let the waters under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so. The god called the dry ground land, and the gathered waters he called seas. And the god saw that it was good. The god said: “Let there be money! Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And the god saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
The god said: “Let there be money! Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years. And let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. The god made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. The god set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And the god saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
The god said: “Let there be money! Let the waters teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.” The god created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And the god saw that it was good. The god blessed them and said: “Let there be money! Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
The god said: “Let there be money! Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. The god made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And the god saw that it was good. …
At this point, a virtual mythological version of Earth appeared before Wind Forest. Imitating the Christian myth of God creating the world in seven days, Wind Forest had established a new world. But he only got to the fifth step—not because he didn’t want to continue creation, but because he ran out of money! That was a bit awkward!
This virtual universe was utterly obsessed with money! The star coins needed to create a new world were enormous! The star coins originally stored in this virtual territory had been nearly drained by him, making it impossible to proceed. To develop and grow in the virtual universe, spending money was unavoidable. He would have to wait until later to perfect it!
Wind Forest shook his head, looking at this nascent new world, and thought to himself. Though flawed, this virtual small world could be considered fully formed. Wind Forest spent star coins to use the virtual universe’s power to transform the original giant planet into a towering mountain, placing it in the region of the mythological Earth corresponding to China. This place was filled with spiritual flowers and exotic plants, destined to become a sacred site in this virtual world.
Wind Forest glanced at the remaining money in his account and knew his limits. The mythological version of Earth had been created; from now on, this would be the base of the Mythological Gene in the virtual universe. But to recruit members later, he would also need a base. He would have to change his identity to avoid revealing his true nature. He spent the remaining money all at once, and as he willed it, the virtual universe naturally manifested it.
Beyond heaven and earth, the chaos exploded, and an ancient purple-gold Dao palace emerged from it, surrounded by myriad auspicious clouds and thousands of auspicious rays. Wind Forest shook his form, transforming into an ancient-looking, immortal-like old man, seated high on a cattail mat.
“Reclining high on nine-layered clouds, the cattail mat holds the true Dao. Beyond heaven and earth’s yellow realm, I am the honored master. Pangu gave birth to the Supreme Ultimate, and the two principles and four symbols followed. One Dao passed to three friends, two teachings split into Chan and Jie. The leader of the Xuanmen, one breath transforms into Hongjun!”
From this day forth, I am Hongjun!