A steadfast will can change reality.

Du Chengfeng always knew this, and he had personally experienced its wonders—even if he didn’t quite understand why this damn world was so idealistic. Yet, this nonsensical principle was an iron law, derived from a countless loss of lives by the ancient people.

However, achieving this is incredibly difficult, as it requires using one’s will to challenge reality itself. Faced with the cold, hard reality, how strong must one’s will be to effect change in this world?

Confronted with this seemingly insurmountable problem, the ancient people chose to abandon thought and used sheer force to crush reality, using their will to ravage the world itself—but the choice was merely a choice, as no one could truly achieve this, not even the ancient people themselves, because it is inherently a self-contradictory endeavor.

Humans cannot truly abandon thought; even a fool knows to think a little. The only things truly incapable of thought might be brainless objects like stones. But the problem is, stones cannot move.

Thus, the even older Yin people didn’t choose this path but opted for a more refined approach.

That is, finding a way to believe.

Through various meticulous processes, they induced belief in themselves, thereby eliciting the power to alter reality. This bizarre idea can only be described as the capability of gods and spirits.

Du Chengfeng once wondered why the Yin people developed such technology. After all, if they merely sought power, there were simpler methods available, and it was already sufficient for battle—but the Yin people chose this more extreme path, pursuing omnipotent power. Why was this?

"It’s as absurd as monkeys from the Stone Age trying to make a star-destroying cannon."

This is Du Chengfeng’s understanding of the Yin people.

It’s not that monkeys can’t desire a star-destroying cannon; the main point is that they don’t need such a thing—the enemies they face are just some ferocious beasts, and armor and weapons suffice. A star-destroying cannon is overkill for these monkeys.

Clearly facing nothing more than a group of enemies also in the wilderness, yet these Yin people pursued omnipotent power, even after acquiring the might to destroy cities and countries single-handedly, they continued to pursue incessantly.

What’s the point? Is it really necessary to continue?

"It really is necessary to continue."

At this moment, Du Chengfeng finally understood those ancient Yin people.

Extreme pursuit often stems from extreme pain. Only by personally experiencing such pain did he fully understand the thoughts of the Yin people.

There are always things one cannot accept, things that cannot be accepted no matter what.

Even if it means opposing reality, it’s worth it.

And this is also what he is doing now.

"Just replace all the organs, and old Li will get better."

Du Chengfeng patted Cui Yuan’s shoulder.

"Do you think there’s something wrong with my idea?"

"It seems... not."

At this moment, Cui Yuan’s mind was a mess.

No, there should be something wrong; there must be something wrong with this. Replacing body parts for a deceased person can bring them back to life? This seems... but if you follow Du Chengfeng’s thinking, if the person wasn’t dead to begin with, then it seems... no problem?

After all, he just acknowledged it himself: if you replace the heart with something that functions as a heart, then whether or not there’s a heart doesn’t matter. By extension, the other body parts should be the same; if they can be replaced with something with the same function, the other parts can naturally be replaced too.

So if this idea is continued, if something can be found to replace the function of the body, then the body itself isn’t really necessary. Even if the whole body has died, as long as the replacement for it hasn’t broken down... is the person still alive?

"So... Mr. Li is actually still alive?"

Cui Yuan felt his brain wasn’t enough.

He had personally seen carpenter Li’s body; carpenter Li should indeed be dead, but carpenter Li’s body had died, yet he was still alive... So what exactly is death? What is life? What did he see, and what did he hear?

"This..."

Cui Yuan, holding his head, squatted on the ground, feeling waves of sharp pain in his skull at that moment.

That was the aftermath of overthinking; he couldn’t differentiate anymore at that moment.

"Think of it as part of your cultivation."

Patted Cui Yuan’s shoulder, Du Chengfeng stepped out of the courtyard.

Liu Bolun, who intended to offer some comfort, came over just in time, directly running into Du Chengfeng. Then, Du Chengfeng laid out his idea again to Liu Bolun—even though Liu Bolun had much experience, after hearing Du Chengfeng’s explanation, he was dumbfounded, rooted to the spot, speechless for a long while.

"Could it be that I lack knowledge?"

Liu Bolun very much wanted to find a reason to refute Du Chengfeng’s theory of replacement parts, but at the moment, he couldn’t think of how to refute it—and according to Du Chengfeng’s theory, carpenter Li really wasn’t dead.

So, a moment later, Liu Bolun, too, was squatting on the ground holding his head, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

Or rather, precisely because he could understand what Du Chengfeng said, he found it harder to believe what he had heard.

If according to Du Chengfeng’s theory, wouldn’t this world never have a say about life or death?

"Physiological death is not true death."

Du Chengfeng thought for a moment and explained a few words to Liu Bolun.

"True death is when everyone forgets about you... hence old Li is not dead, because none of us have forgotten him."

So saying, Du Chengfeng opened carpenter Li’s coffin.

"Wouldn’t you agree, old Li?"

"Brother Du, all these grand truths you talk about don’t matter to me; I can’t understand them."

Inside the coffin, a wooden figure, similar in height to an adult, sat up slowly with Du Chengfeng’s support.

"In my life, I only know a bit of carpentry; speaking of anything else, I... wait, how did I become wooden too?"

"This..."

Cui Yuan and Liu Bolun were dumbfounded.

Even if they couldn’t believe it, at this moment, they had to admit.

The deceased carpenter Li was indeed brought to life.