Journey to the West: Life Simulation of Sun Wukong

"Su Jie, you have arrived quite early."

Zhang Manman arrived belatedly and greeted Su Jie, who was sitting by the window looking at the scenery outside, "The sky here is indeed very beautiful, like a dream."

The sky of the inner courtyard at Minglun Martial School was different from the blue of the outside world, presenting a dreamy crystal-like color. Looking at it for a long time could make one's mood become relaxed and joyful.

Studying and cultivating in such an environment would certainly be much more efficient than outside.

"My arrival is not considered early; there are plenty who came before me."

Seeing Zhang Manman sit beside him, Su Jie casually said.

"You are different from them. You sleep until you wake up naturally, while others do it to make a good impression on our incoming teacher," Zhang Manman said, slightly shaking her head.

"You flatter me, I am not that amazing."

Su Jie found it somewhat amusing; he always felt that Zhang Manman seemed to see him as some sort of special character.

"That remains to be seen."

Zhang Manman spoke with profound meaning.

Just then, Zhao Xinglong entered from the door, and class time had just arrived.

He came just in time.

Zhao Xinglong walked with the power of a dragon and the grace of a tiger, his steps extremely steady, like a moving mountain, yet his tread was incredibly light, making no sound as it touched the floor.

"Hello, students, I believe most of you already recognize me, but I will introduce myself anyway. My name is Zhao Xinglong, I originally practiced Eight Extremes Fist, then when Minglun was still a martial hall, I went there to challenge them, failed... and after that, I joined the Minglun Martial School."

Zhao Xinglong introduced himself while taking the opportunity to tell the students how he came to join Minglun.

"I am very fortunate that I joined Minglun."

In conclusion, Zhao Xinglong said this and then suddenly became serious, "Now, let's begin the class. The first lesson is history."

As soon as he finished speaking, a student raised their hand, "We have to study history?"

"Using history as a mirror, you can understand the rise and fall of empires," Zhao Xinglong said gravely. "The same applies to martial arts. With martial techniques, there are ancient and modern ones. By comparing the past and present, extracting the essence and discarding the dregs, that is the true path."

"Some blindly pursue ancient martial arts, believing they are the strongest, and as a result, they fall behind the times."

"Others completely discard ancient martial arts, only seeking modern methods to rapidly improve vitality, and this leads them onto a misguided path from which they cannot extricate themselves."

"Those who hold either of these views are both arrogant and prejudiced, and neither is correct."

"Taking the strengths of ancient martial arts and embracing the advancements of modern martial arts, combining the two, and viewing them dialectically, that is the trend of the future."

Su Jie raised his hand, "Instructor, why does this sound like dialectical philosophy?"

Zhao Xinglong said, "In ancient times, kung fu was initially for fighting against various fierce beasts. Later, as humans gained imagination and spread across the world, and as their numbers grew, kung fu was used to deal with one's own kind."

"On a smaller scale, it's personal grudges. You offend me today, and I must teach you a lesson. Those taught a lesson feel disgruntled, learn to fight better, and strike back. A cycle of revenge without end."

"On a larger scale, it's national hatred."

"As humans settled in different regions, environmental differences led to distinct appearances and cultures, and conflicts arose, defending home and country."

"Invasions, resistance, wars, etc., you should all be familiar with these, so I won't go into detail."

"So, Su Jie, what do you think kung fu is?"

After thinking for a while, Su Jie said, "Whether it is a technique for killing or the fighting and performances of today, it is all art, and ultimately, it is all for survival."

"Correct, survival."

Zhao Xinglong showed a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

"As the continent became peaceful, the role of martial arts gradually diminished because a real fight could easily lead to death."

"Kung fu's lethal nature is undeniable because, in the era that dared to bid the old heavens to change, the function of kung fu was to kill, to eradicate the pests of the old age."

"But now, as times evolve, methods of killing are no longer suitable for society."

"Kung fu, naturally, must adapt to the changes of the times."

Speaking thus far, Zhao Xinglong paused for a while, and with self-mockery said, "Ten or so years ago, I felt useless because I was lamenting the decline of kung fu..."

"But now, I understand that it was us, who adhered to ancient martial arts, who didn't know how to adapt."

"The methods of our ancestors cannot change…"

"It's laughable in hindsight. Before encountering Ming Lun, my thoughts were not much different from those obstinate elders of the feudal era, unwilling to teach my boxing technique to others."

"Even now, there are many ancient martial families and sects clinging to deficiencies, adhering to so-called traditions—"

"What do you think, is this kind of 'persistence' valuable?"

Silence.

The students were all silent.

Zhang Manman broke the silence, "For the older generation, it is valuable because it's what they've held on to all their lives. But for modern youth, those things they've persisted in are probably already out of date."

"Then, how can old things keep up with the times?" Zhao Xinglong asked.

"Keeping up with the times means changing along with it, breathing new life into it," said Zhang Manman after some thought, offering her view. "For example, traditional wood carving on Quick Sound Videos, artisans release videos carving various characters from movies and animations, which can be seen as a form of innovation."

"Indeed, they have barely kept up with the times, injecting new vitality into traditional crafts."

Zhao Xinglong nodded, then shook his head.

"However, they missed the point; it's not about keeping up with video streaming. The content of their carving is not what's crucial."

"The same goes for martial arts."

"In the past, martial arts were used for killing and were widely practiced. Now the world is generally peaceful, with occasional frictions, but martial arts are no longer used for killing—instead, they are for competitive fighting and action movie stars."

"This is how things evolve with the times, breathing new life into them."

"The headmaster of Minglun Martial School once said, 'The Way changes with time and adapts to place.' Anything that remains unchanged will only become stagnant."

Su Jie nodded vigorously.

That was very true.

Unchanging things, if they are lifeless objects without wisdom, that's fine since their state won't be affected by the outside world.

But for those with wisdom, no, even for beings with life, unchanging existence might prolong genetic material, but it's extremely fragile and easily wiped out by the influences of the external environment.

However, looking at the evolution of martial arts from ancient times to the present, there truly are dialectical and philosophical thoughts in martial arts.

"Nowadays, the cultivation of the mind has been pioneered by the headmaster of Minglun Martial School, and the enhancement of life force is widely known," Zhao Xinglong continued. "In the future, Transcendent beings will become more common, and with the development of technology, everyone's level will be raised and they will know more."

"Therefore, martial arts must reach for even greater heights."

"Any profession, aside from, or I should say, after satisfying our physical pleasures, must aim for higher contemplation, which is philosophy."

"In the future, you'll not only take history classes but also mathematics, biology, mechanical engineering, geography, medicine, and so on."

All that learning? H*el-p us out by read&in%g on M|+V&|LE@M5%PY^R.*

Su Jie clicked his tongue; even if the enhancement of life force is all-encompassing, Minglun Martial School obviously wants all students to develop comprehensively. Perhaps students are not expected to master everything, but they must understand.

But from ancient to modern times, the knowledge of all nations, when added together, is vast like the seas; people struggle to even master one discipline, let alone achieve a synthesis of all.

Then, Zhao Xinglong said, "Of course, we don't expect you to master everything. It's fine if you master one or two areas. As for the rest, just don't be completely ignorant when you come across them."

Hearing this, the students all sighed in relief.

If they were expected to master everything, it would simply be impossible. Perhaps only by reaching the Embryonic Breathing Realm, undergoing a deeper transformation of the body, could one possibly remember all the knowledge that exists so far.

"Alright, let's leave the idle talk there."

Zhao Xinglong stood up from his seat behind the podium. "Now, let's officially start the history lesson!"

Snap!

With the sound of a snap, the interior of the classroom slowly dissipated, and everyone appeared on a vast expanse of yellow earth.

The cold wind whistled through the desolate grass.

"Where is this?"

"A fantasy realm?"

The students were somewhat unsure, but Zhao Xinglong seemed accustomed to it and said, "In the future, various subjects will be studied within corresponding fantasy realms. You'll get used to it."

Su Jie understood that the greatest advantage of the fantasy realm was that it made people feel like they were right there!

Even though the fantasy realm is illusory, it is incredibly real; even the intelligent beings within it are not the stiff NPC types but have very real logical thinking.

However, according to the information released by Minglun, the creatures in the fantasy realm are not considered real beings because their thinking logic is predetermined, akin to a super-intelligent AI, and they do not grow like real humans.

NPCs haven't received a soul like humans!

Therefore, it's all an illusion!

Therefore, players need not care about the feelings of NPCs, because once they leave the fantasy realm, it will be reset to its original state, over and over again.

"Kill!"

Suddenly, the sound of killing rose.

On the desolate yellow plains, heads peered out from both sides; guns fired, and cannons boomed, shaking everything around them.

Feeling the vibrations, Su Jie and the others stood on end.

Nothing else, it was just too real.

It was probably more than just feeling like being there.

"This is a war of passionate struggle, fought to protect our homes and our country," Zhao Xinglong said slowly. "Next, we will truly integrate and participate, not just watch. Are you ready?"

All the students were prepared, including a Japanese student among them, filled with righteous indignation.

She looked at those "compatriots" who initiated the war of aggression and clenched her fists tightly.

"This is an unjust war, and I am ashamed of them!"

This student was named Chen Tian Yuzi, one of the few Japanese people who honestly faced history.

For cultivators of the heart, deceiving one's own heart is the most difficult.

Otherwise, their cultivation can hardly make progress.