Eldritch Horror Theatre

Wasn't this Land of Bliss a bit too tethered to everyday life?

Fu Qian didn't think he had misunderstood. The paid services mentioned by the woman standing before him, who had offered to act as his guide, clearly involved sexual intimacy.

He could even take her at her word, believing she truly was different and performing this as a bodily offering and the like.

But the mere mention of "other women" as a comparison was enough to prove that certain highly traditional professions still existed in that town.

Did people really have to make a living like this after arriving in the Realm of Bliss?

"I told you, everything is just the beginning. The only thing that is eternal is yourself."

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Fu Qian, clearly anticipating his choice.

More than one person reached out, their smiles making it clear they wouldn't mind acting as his guide either.

Amidst this scene, Godot, who had been the first to welcome him, looked even more casual, merely repeating his earlier words.

"And this so-called bliss actually just refers to this?"

Fortunately, Fu Qian had always possessed a rich imagination. Having already pondered the nature of such an existence, he quickly frowned and fired the question back.

"That's right. In the Realm of Bliss, the self never dissipates. There is only infinite samsara."

This time, without waiting for Godot to speak, the robed woman smiled and validated his guess.

"And across those infinite selves, one beholds their true nature."

Although her phrasing was slightly convoluted, Fu Qian didn't find it hard to understand.

It really was exactly as he had guessed. This World of Ultimate Bliss was not like the traditional concept of Paradise—a place of immortality where resources were inexhaustible and one could enjoy every worldly pleasure imaginable.

There was only one reason this place was called bliss: the eternal "self."

There was no ageless immortality. It was simply that the "I" existed forever, experiencing endless samsara to continuously perfect itself.

Judging by what was just said, these onlookers had all been through samsara at least once. It made perfect sense for them to call a newcomer like him a young man.

All in all, from Fu Qian's perspective, this was far more imaginative in terms of sheer conceptual scale than those traditional ideas.

Moreover, parts of this philosophy actually reminded him of Master Yuhun, whom the Old Man had mentioned not long ago. He wondered if Yuhun had come here to study.

"Understood. I'll leave it to you, then."

Pondering silently, Fu Qian didn't keep everyone waiting. He reached out and accepted the robed woman's invitation.

......

"I thought you would consider it a little longer."

Fu Qian's choice seemed to leave more than one person disappointed.

The group didn't mind expressing this directly. In the next moment, someone had already turned and walked away.

Godot wasn't quite as abrupt, but he shook his head with evident regret.

"Given how quickly you made your choice, this outcome is completely understandable... but in truth, you could have taken your time to think it over.

"Even if you haven't been through samsara yet, you have already achieved Sublimation."

Is that so? If you had been willing to say that before I made my choice, I might have considered changing my answer.

Fu Qian merely mused to himself in response to Godot's words.

He naturally understood what Godot meant by "understandable."

A young, beautiful body was dazzling and seductive to ordinary mortals. It was perfectly normal to be drawn to it.

But as a member of the Realm of Bliss who had already obtained "eternal life," one's awareness shouldn't be limited to petty fleshly desires. One ought to view things with a different mindset.

Truth be told, Fu Qian found this quite reasonable.

Anything associated with infinity carried tremendous power.

Set against the grand backdrop of endless experiences and Transcendence, worldly desires would seem insignificant and much easier to control.

But the reason he had still made this choice wasn't because the woman was overwhelmingly charming. It was the result of thorough consideration.

Brother Godot might know a lot, but after their brief interaction, it was obvious that extracting information from him would be much harder than from this lady.

Aside from omitting her name, the woman had clearly stated her personal philosophy the moment she opened her mouth.

For him, the most pressing matter was figuring out the operational rules of the Realm of Bliss as quickly as possible. Dealing with this kind of guide would clearly be much easier.

He could even glean a bit more information based on everyone's subsequent reactions to his choice.

And the harvest was clear: more than one person felt that as a newcomer to the Realm of Bliss, he hadn't yet adjusted his mindset and needed time for his thoughts to undergo Sublimation.

"You can call me Kako."

This even applied to the robed woman.

Fu Qian's prompt response didn't evoke much pride or smugness from her. On the contrary, a hint of pity flickered across her serene, gentle face.

Taking Fu Qian's hand a moment later, she introduced herself and began walking among the stone steles without a word to anyone else.

......

"So, does every stone stele represent a new person ascending to Paradise?"

Fu Qian had always appreciated people who acted as if no one else was around. Following the woman who called herself Kako through the tranquil space, he asked his question.

"Yes, every grave does. And every new grave means a new member has joined us, prompting someone to come awaken and welcome them."

Sure enough, she didn't disappoint. Kako answered his question directly and even offered a detailed explanation.

Then the population here isn't small at all.

"What if someone dies? Will they be buried in another cemetery to enter samsara?"

Feeling satisfied with his choice, Fu Qian briefly estimated the number of graves and posed a new question.

"No, your mind still holds too many preconceptions. Samsara does not mean death. It simply means that, at an unpredictable time, the current you will meet your end."

Kako seemed a little surprised that Fu Qian's focus hadn't been entirely on her.

However, she answered his question carefully while staring deeply at him, and her words sounded rather wondrous.

"You will simply vanish at a certain moment, and at that exact same time, a new person will be conceived, beginning another cycle of samsara.

"If no one is conceived, that is the most enviable outcome of all. It means achieving Transcendence and entering the upper layer of the World of Ultimate Bliss, where one can enjoy ineffable joy."

It actually sounds like a rather rigorous system.

Not only was the population conserved—with someone vanishing just as someone else was conceived—but this talk of ascending to a higher layer also faintly aligned with the illusory image he had seen before the task began.

[Current task updated: See through samsara and enter the Upper Heaven.]

It even lines up perfectly with the task.

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