Meta-Origin: Genesis Key

Earth Metaverse 10 Years, January 25.

Ranzi leaned forward slightly, his deep and magnetic voice resonating through the room:

"The origins of the I Ching can be traced back to the ancient Fuxi era."

A familiar statement—most of those present already knew it.

But then he continued:"The earliest I Ching… was the Meta I Ching."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shawn froze. The fourth I Ching that Ranzi mentioned—was he truly referring to the Meta I Ching?

Meta I Ching. Wasn't that the core of Meta-Origin Culture?

For the others, it was an unfamiliar concept, something novel, something that stirred curiosity.

Ranzi swept his gaze across the room. He saw the way everyone was holding their breath, waiting for him to continue. So he did.

"In that era, Fuxi did more than observe the movement of the sun and moon or the cycles of the four seasons. He pondered success and failure, birth and death, illness and vitality… He took all the changes of nature and human life into account."

His voice fluctuated—sometimes slow and deliberate, sometimes rising with intensity—as if he were guiding them across time and space, back to an age when the world was still shrouded in primordial chaos.

"And in the end, Fuxi realized this fundamental truth: The union of Heaven and Earth gives birth to all things."

He paused, letting the weight of the words settle in. His sharp gaze swept across the room before he continued:

"From this principle, he combined the Sundial, the theory of I Ching's Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, and more. He then created the Meta I Ching Hexagram system. This is what later generations described in the saying: A single stroke opens the sky and begins civilization."

As his voice faded, a low murmur rippled through the room. It was the sound of realization, of minds grasping at something long hidden.

Ranzi took the moment to lift his cup, took a slow sip of water, and then continued:

"After the advent of writing, people compiled and refined these ancient insights into a book—" Meta I Ching. "It begins with..."

Straightening slightly, he cleared his throat and recited in a deep, steady voice:

"From primordial chaos, a single breath emerges, cycling without end…"

Shawn's heart jolted.

This… this was the very aphorism he had been searching for!

So it came from Meta I Ching all along?

Simple yet profound, these words seemed to contain the mysteries of the universe itself, striking deep into the hearts of everyone present.

Some hurriedly grabbed pens and scribbled down notes.

 Others tapped furiously on their phones. Some simply hit the record, capturing every word.

Once the murmuring and note-taking subsided, Ranzi resumed his calm, composed posture and continued:

"The Meta I Ching is also known as the Qi I Ching (炁 I Ching). The word '炁' is pronounced 'qì,' and it is written like this…"

He picked up a pencil and neatly wrote the character 炁 on a blank sheet of paper, then held it up for all to see.

By now, everyone had come to recognize Ranzi's teaching habits. Whenever he introduced a new term, an obscure concept, or an unfamiliar character, he would either type it on a screen or write it by hand—ensuring absolute clarity.

With a gentle tap of his finger on the paper, he explained:

"In ancient times, '炁' and '气' (Qi) shared the same meaning. But in Taoist thought, '炁' refers to a more fundamental, metaphysical energy—the primal source of all things."

A hush fell over the room. People exchanged glances, their eyes filled with both awe and curiosity.

Ranzi allowed a small smile before adding, his voice soft yet deliberate:

"In fact, modern quantum mechanics has begun to uncover evidence that aligns with this ancient concept of cosmic energy. But that… is a discussion for another time."

With just a few words, he had sparked a fire of curiosity, drawing everyone in even deeper. The air in the room grew charged, the atmosphere more focused than ever.

Setting down his pen, Ranzi spoke again:

"Meta means the beginning, the source, the root. It was the Yellow Emperor who integrated the wisdom of the Meta I Ching into medicine and wrote the Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon. This book laid the foundation for traditional Chinese medicine and established core theories such as 'the unity of man and nature.'"

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Even the sound of breathing seemed to have vanished.

Shawn sat there, stunned, his mind rippling like a lake stirred by the wind. The questions that had haunted him for so long… Were they finally being answered?

Then, Ranzi's voice rang out again, low and deep:

"Next, let's talk about the Tao Te Ching."

His tone carried weight.

"The Tao Te Ching is both an interpretation and an extension of the Meta I Ching. Though the two are not identical, understanding the Tao Te Ching is crucial for grasping the deeper meanings of the Meta I Ching."

Whispers filled the room as people discussed in hushed voices. Finally, someone couldn't help but ask:

"Does this mean that by understanding Tao Te Ching, we can grasp the core ideas of the Meta I Ching?"

Ranzi nodded slightly.

"It would be a starting point, yes. But to truly understand the Meta I Ching, one must delve deeper—into its Hexagrams, its symbols, and the wisdom embedded within."

His voice was like a great bronze bell, reverberating in their minds, shaking something loose within them.

The Meta I Ching…

What secrets did it hold?

And how much of it had the world forgotten?

Ranzi saw the flicker of curiosity in everyone's eyes and continued,

"If you want to apply this knowledge in practice, you can refer to the Meta Hierophant's annotations on the Meta I Ching. Compared to the Tao Te Ching, these insights directly reveal the practical wisdom of the Meta I Ching."

He then lifted his teacup, took a slow sip, and recited in a rhythmic tone:

"All things strive and contend—success brings fortune, failure invites doom."

At that moment, Shawn felt a sudden jolt in his heart. Then, he nearly laughed—he had already memorized this aphorism!

But to his astonishment, it too came from the Meta I Ching!

Could it be that the very secrets he had been searching for all these years will finally be revealed tonight?

Yet, what shocked him even more than the aphorism itself was its author—Meta Hierophant!

Wasn't he the founder of the Meta Origin Order, Shudu Cai?

What exactly was Ranzi's connection to the Meta Origin Society?

Hearing this passage—clear and accessible—everyone's excitement ignited. Some exchanged animated discussions, while others clapped enthusiastically, unable to contain their admiration.

Ranzi simply smiled, bringing his palms together in a composed, humble gesture.

Then, in a calm and measured voice, he declared:

"Thus, the Meta I Ching is the earliest I Ching, created by Fuxi himself."

His tone was neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"Meta I Ching is the foundation of the 'Three I Ching,' the first of the classics, and one of the most ancient cultural texts known to humankind."

At these words, a wave of realization swept through the room.

Indeed, applying such descriptions to the Meta I Ching made perfect sense. But when applied to the Zhou I Ching, they always felt somewhat forced—after all, before the Zhou I Ching, there had already been the Gui Zang and Lian Shan!

A lively discussion broke out, with many exchanging thoughts on how the Meta I Ching is connected to later classics. Their faces were alight with excitement, as if a long-sealed door to ancient wisdom had suddenly been flung open.

Ranzi's gaze drifted slowly over the group, before settling on Shawn.

"Shawn, Can you understand?"he called.

Caught off guard, Shawn hesitated for a second. "Yes… I understand. Tonight… I've learned so much I never knew before."

"Good!" Ranzi's gaze swept over the rest of the audience. "How about the rest of you?"

Seeing the eager nods around the room, he continued, "Now, let me share something even more profound."

He paused, then spoke with deliberate clarity:

"The original Hexagrams of the Meta I Ching were not the ones we recognize today. Instead, they were composed of symbols and patterns—similar to ancient omens or the legendary Hetu and Luoshu. These early Hexagrams integrated elements such as Yin-Yang, celestial cycles, the four seasons, Stems and Branches, and the Five Elements, all illustrating the fundamental harmony of heaven and earth."

Then, Ranzi picked up a pencil and, with swift precision, sketched two symbols on the paper:

A circle "O", representing the Yang line—the sun.

An inverted "Λ", symbolizing the Yin line—the moon.

He then said:" This is the earliest symbol of the yang and yin lines."

The moment the symbols appeared, an audible gasp rippled through the room.

"So, the Hexagrams of the I Ching weren't originally composed of solid and broken lines?" someone muttered in disbelief.

But no one was more stunned than Shawn.

His eyes locked on the symbols, his heartbeat quickening.

This… This was the very same pattern engraved on the Meta-Spirit Key!

Almost instinctively, he reached beneath his shirt and clutched the pendant of the Zhen Palace Spirit Key resting against his chest. A flood of emotions surged through him.

But before he could process it, Ranzi smiled knowingly and continued,

"What most people don't realize is that the earliest form of the Meta I Ching contained only six Hexagrams. It wasn't until later that it expanded into the Eight Trigrams we recognize today."

"Six Hexagrams?"

"You mean… the original Eight Trigrams weren't always eight?"

Murmurs spread across the room, with wide-eyed expressions of disbelief.

Ranzi, seeing their confusion, explained calmly,

"As for which two Trigrams were added later—if you're curious, you can research the Early I Ching.While the Meta I Ching itself isn't documented on the internet, traces of this knowledge still remain in discussions of pre-Zhou divination systems."

He paused, taking a sip of tea, allowing time for his words to settle.

Then, setting down his cup, he picked up the pencil once more, quickly sketching the formation of the Eight Trigrams on the paper.

"The Trigrams of the Meta I Ching are led by Qian (☰), and their order and orientation mirror that of the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams."

At this, someone hesitantly asked,

"Brother Ranzi, are you saying that the Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams… is actually derived from the Meta I Ching?"

Ranzi nodded slightly and replied meaningfully,

"Yes. What we call the 'Pre-Heaven Eight Trigrams' is, in fact, relative to the 'Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams' of the Zhou I Ching. Since the Meta I Ching is the origin of all I Ching traditions, its Trigrams represent the true foundation of the Pre-Heaven order."

His words resonated deeply. One by one, heads nodded in understanding.

A door had been opened—a new perspective had emerged.

Finally, they saw it: the Meta I Ching was not just a tool of divination. It was a profound system that revealed the very harmony between heaven and earth. It was, in essence, the root of human civilization and wisdom.

Shawn was completely overwhelmed.

For years, he had thought he understood the I Ching. Yet tonight, he realized he had only scratched the surface.

What he had learned today had utterly reshaped his perspective—and with it, a newfound reverence for the ancient wisdom of the I Ching took root in his heart.

How many more hidden secrets lay ahead?

Gripping his pen tightly, his pulse quickened with anticipation.

Yet, amid all the mysteries, one question burned the brightest :

Who exactly was Mr. Ranzi… and what was his connection to the Meta Origin Society?