Chapter 21

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Chapter 21: What Unfolds Here?

Ji Yongxing meticulously outlined his plan, finalizing the division of labor among the three parties. The giant and the old man’s kin would each fulfill their roles and collaborate seamlessly, while the little bird would oversee the plan’s progress and mediate any potential issues.

After making these arrangements, Ji Yongxing suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion. He descended slowly from the sky and addressed his friends:

"This is a monumental project, and it may take many years to complete.

"I need to rest for a while. If any insurmountable problems arise, you may wake me."

Upon hearing this, the giant, the old man, and the little bird nodded in agreement. They placed the Great Prophet, who was slipping into a deep slumber, into a secure cave by the Seaside, and the grand project commenced with fervor across the land.

—

A beam of light fell upon Ji Yongxing’s eyelids, gradually restoring his consciousness. He half-opened his eyes and shielded himself from the bright light with a weak hand, gazing toward the source. At the entrance of a massive Cliff stood a Young Man, with a colorful-headed little bird perched on his shoulder, its red claws gleaming. Behind him loomed a gigantic one-eyed creature, scanning the interior.

Memories long buried resurfaced in Ji Yongxing’s mind; he recalled all he had experienced and felt as though he had regained even more knowledge that did not belong to this world.

"Do you need something from me?"

Ji Yongxing shook his head, feeling somewhat disoriented.

"Great Prophet, our plan has encountered a new problem. My great-grandfather once told me I could seek your counsel."

The Young Man, who was of similar stature to Ji Yongxing, spoke.

"Great-grandfather?"

Ji Yongxing trembled as he rose into the air, reclaiming his former abilities.

"Yes, the plan has been ongoing for a hundred years."

The Young Man smiled as the little bird on his shoulder, now more vibrant in color, chirped:

"That old man was this child’s great-grandfather."

"Long time no see."

Ji Yongxing flew out of the Cliff and saw the giant chieftain, whose beard had grown considerably longer.

The group gathered once more by the Seaside, which had transformed into farmland. Ji Yongxing looked at the giant, the human, and the little bird, asking:

"What problems have you encountered?"

After exchanging glances, the giant spoke first:

"I’ll begin. The plan to capture the sun has hit a snag.

"Twenty years ago, we completed the final road that divided the Sea, and after running east, we found ourselves returning to the starting point from the west."

The giant drew two concentric circles on the ground to illustrate:

"So, the world we inhabit is round, represented by this small circle. The sun resides in the larger circle, making it impossible for us to ever catch it!"

Ji Yongxing nodded at the giant and turned to the little bird:

"And what about you?"

The little bird pointed to the coastline, now receded to the horizon, and said:

"The land reclamation method you proposed is indeed effective, but I discovered that the Sea’s water volume remains constant. If we reclaim land on this side of the continent, the sea level on the opposite side will rise, potentially causing even greater disasters."

At this, the little bird sighed with a touch of apprehension.

"Thank goodness you stopped my plan back then. Otherwise, if the Waves had broken through the dam, I would have become a sinner—no, a guilty bird."

Ji Yongxing gazed at the small figure before him, recalling how a crow drinks water by carrying pebbles. He felt that even ten thousand years would not yield such a result.

Finally, he turned to the old man’s great-grandson and asked:

"What is your question?"

The Young Man shrugged and said:

"My question is easy to solve. The two large mountains have been completely dug out, and our people are confused about what to do next. After all, we have been digging the mountains since we were little, and now that the large mountains are gone, we still miss them."

Ji Yongxing’s lips twitched as he fell into deep thought.

After a long while, he picked up a branch and drew a line between two concentric circles:

"Since the outer circle is always larger than the inner circle, we in the inner circle should build a Sky Tower. Then we can capture the sun from the Tower."

He then drew an inward indentation on the inner circle and said:

"As long as we increase the depth, we can expand the Sea’s capacity. The dirt and stones we excavate can also be used to construct the Tower."

He finally looked at the Young Man and said:

"Digging mountains and dirt is not your family’s mission. Since the large mountains are gone, you should pursue your own ideals. What is your ideal?"

Without hesitation, the Young Man replied:

"Digging dirt!"

Ji Yongxing slapped his face, his brain momentarily shutting down.

"…It’s not impossible. In any case, you can do whatever you want. There’s no need to confine yourselves to the framework of digging mountains and dirt."

"Okay, we understand."

Ji Yongxing let out a long breath and suddenly felt drowsy again. He looked at his friends around him and rose to fly back to the cave in the Cliff.

During the following time, Ji Yongxing was awakened multiple times. Using the gradually clear memories from his past life, he solved many problems for his friends, but he felt as if he were caught in a whirlpool of time, his entire soul being thrown out of his body, watching the world play out at an accelerated pace from an observer’s perspective.

The "Sky Tower" and "Deep Sea" projects were completed in the third century, and the majority of tsunamis were dissipated before they could occur. The giants discovered that the position of the sun was much higher than they had imagined.

As for the humans, they invented many efficient machines to dig dirt faster, better, and more perfectly.

Just when the giants were about to give up, the inspired humans proposed another idea—

Flight.

Rockets were manufactured in the ninth century, and two hundred years later, the middle-aged giant chieftain finally strolled in space, accomplishing an almost indescribable feat.

He fully understood the difference between the massive sphere he inhabited and the sun; it wasn’t something that could be easily resolved with a rope or a Tower.

In the year 1,532 of the Mountain-Sea Calendar, the final "Single Mirror" project was perfectly completed.

Countless mirrors with three states—transparent, reflective, and shielding—were launched around the Earth. Under the giants’ careful operation, every beam of light from the sun was captured, allowing every corner of the Earth to bask in sunlight.

The Sea had already been completely tamed by the little bird using technological means and was now fully under her control.

The human population grew larger, and they were trying to master various fields just as they did with digging dirt and launching rockets.

Ji Yongxing, with his ethereal body, stood in the universe near Earth, watching this magnificent scene, as the shadows of the giant, the little bird, and the old man appeared beside him.

Ji Yongxing had already remembered all of his memories and recognized his situation. If there was a word that could explain this magnificent, dreamlike lucid dream, it must be—divine enlightenment.