Muscular Rabbits Legion: “No one can escape from the novice village!”
Chapter 581 - 551 The Rabbit Accelerated

Chapter 581: Chapter 551 The Rabbit Accelerated

Originally, when Yi Zheng reached a few thousand steps on the staircase, he found that, although he learned a lot each time he observed the characters, there always was that tiny bit missing. That tiny bit hindered his progress, making him feel extremely uncomfortable, as if stuck between advancing and retreating.

It was like eating with disposable chopsticks, and when you split them apart, one chopstick is longer than the other. They still work, but they feel awkward to hold no matter how you look at them.

After going a few more steps, he realized that his current state was like eating with uneven chopsticks. If he couldn’t even out the two chopsticks, let alone study, just that sense of disharmony could drive him insane.

So, he chose to retreat, seeking a way to make the chopsticks even in length.

As he withdrew, he immediately felt much more at ease, and as he continued to move downwards, eventually dropping below two thousand steps, he faintly felt that the missing piece seemed to have been filled in when the sound of the characters resounded.

In that moment, he understood. He had not started learning from the first step and instead relied on his superficial literary foundation to force his way upwards.

In the beginning, it was okay, but as he reached higher levels, his unstable foundation became apparent, which was why he felt so much discomfort.

To feel stable, to learn comfortably, he needed to take it one step at a time, starting from the beginning again.

So, he rushed to the first step and then took each step one by one as he ascended.

What happened next surprised him greatly.

Not only did the awkward feeling vanish, but the sense of joy and fulfillment from learning was several times stronger than before!

Moreover, his comprehension increased more and more as the characters he was observing revealed more and more.

From discerning the strokes in each character to a pen appearing out of thin air to write the characters.

Now, there is a giant hand holding a brush writing characters. With each character written, his soul shuddered, washing away all weariness while a sense of enlightenment rose in his heart.

The clarity of the runes’ speed had also increased significantly...

"Comfortable, exhilarating!"

After comprehending the fourth character, Yi Zheng was exceedingly excited.

In this aspect, he was completely different from the others.

Others rushed forward for quick success, fast at the start, but unable to settle down to learn. They quickly found themselves in a situation similar to Yi Zheng’s, with shaky foundations, becoming more confused and tired the more they learned.

The characters they had not fully comprehended became like small mountains pressing down on them.

One character was not heavy, but as their number increased, their steps became heavier, their minds more muddled, and their thinking slowed...

The candidates on the thirteen-thousandth step had already started to show signs of obvious fatigue, with red eyes and gasping breaths.

Some even started to walk on all fours.

...

Even Li Hanlin and Liu Haichao, who had crossed the five-hundred-thousand-step mark, had visibly slowed down, and a slight frown formed on their relaxed faces.

They had to pause briefly with every step they took...

Even so, the dozing Wenchang Star Lord still had a smile on his lips, clearly very satisfied with the two of them.

Looking at Rabbit, he was even more pleased. If not for the possibility of Wenqu Star Lord flying into a rage and fighting it out with him, he would have jumped up and sung a song right then and there.

Meanwhile, Yi Zheng, at that very moment, didn’t care about anything else. He just raised his leg and stepped forward, climbing the mountain step by step.

He ignored the hours, unbothered by the thoughts of others, focused only on the characters in his Sea of Consciousness and the thunderous sounds. He was completely immersed in the world of those characters.

One character per hour, it took him nearly two thousand hours to climb two thousand steps.

By that time, most people had already charged past the hundred-thousand-step mark, only to begin stumbling because the subsequent steps were too difficult.

Some people simply sat down on the ground, staring blankly ahead.

Others hopped and jumped on the spot, as if they had gone mad.

And some lay down right there, snoring heavily...

Even worse, some began crying after making it to the one hundred and twenty-thousandth step and then turned around to walk back down, signaling they had given up.

Only Li Hanlin and Liu Haichao continued to advance, though the two of them had also started to stop for long periods now; every step on the six hundred and twenty-thousandth level made it incredibly difficult for them to move.

However, their achievements were enough to look down upon everyone else.

Those below looked up to them with admiration, respect, and a feeling of being outdone that filled them with frustration.

Yet, no one noticed that Rabbit, who had initially been incredibly slow, taking a whole two thousand hours to complete two thousand steps, had begun to gradually increase his pace!

Although the increase was slight, just a second or two faster than before, it was indeed getting quicker.

What set him apart from the others the most was that while others showed signs of weariness, utter exhaustion, and even faces filled with grief or seemingly insane, even the two prodigies had solemn expressions, with steps heavy as if leaden.

But Rabbit, from beginning to end, hadn’t slept a wink, yet became more spirited with each step, his eyes sparkling, each lift of his leg effortless.

It was just that his frequency of leg-raising was too low, and since most people were closing their eyes and contemplating, those who occasionally looked at him saw a Rabbit that never moved, like a toy, taking him for someone slacking off and didn’t observe further.

Even Wenchang Star Lord didn’t notice that there was something different about this Rabbit.

"So, that’s how the character is pronounced; my previous way of pronouncing it was wrong..."

That was Yi Zheng’s realization on the five-hundredth step.

"No, these sounds were not given by humans but discovered by them amidst heaven and earth. These sounds are hidden within the Dao, not manifesting in the world. If not for a person of great Comprehension, someone who contemplates heaven and earth, sees through the essence of everything, and seeks them out among the endless principles of the Dao, then even if humans had their own sounds, they wouldn’t be as they are.

It’s akin to the seven-character true sayings of Daoism or the true words of the Buddhist Sect. Those are the primordial sounds of heaven and earth, the evolution of the Dao."

"It wasn’t that humanity invented the sound of writing, but rather we discovered the sound of writing!"

This was Yi Zheng’s insight when he reached the one thousandth step.

"Every sound corresponds to a principle of the Dao, every character corresponds to a law of the Dao! The Dao of characters is not an isolated Dao, it is the Dao that encompasses all, it is a description of the Dao of All Heavens!"

This was Yi Zheng’s insight upon standing at the two thousandth step!

"I understand now why the Swallowing Dao coveted that rune so greedily, it likely originated from the Swallowing Dao’s characters! It is the character that describes the Swallowing Dao! This is the soul of the Swallowing Dao!"

At the hundred thousandth step, Yi Zheng finally understood the reason behind everything.

Hundred thousand steps, hundred thousand characters, hundred thousand Dao Name Plates, the soul of the Dao—Yi Zheng saw them all!

Although they were still vague, Yi Zheng saw the path, saw the direction he should take.

At this moment, he understood like never before what he should and should not do.

Continuing forward, at the one hundred thousand and first step, the sound that rang in his ears was no longer that of individual characters.

But a word: Shengsheng!

However, at this moment, Yi Zheng no longer focused on its meaning. Having contemplated each character one by one, he could directly perceive their essence, that is, the Dao behind those two characters!

Perhaps, there is more than one Dao on this diligent path, but Yi Zheng understood that what he needed the most was the Dao behind the characters, the rune that described the Swallowing Dao!

The rest, he didn’t need, nor did he care to contemplate.

Kong Ni once said, "There are myriad paths to the Dao, but to follow one path to the end is the true way."

Moreover, Yi Zheng didn’t have the energy to comprehend them all, so he simply ignored everything else and focused solely on the essence of each stroke behind the characters, the Dao that described the laws of the universe!

Yi Zheng termed it—Descriptive Dao.

Having determined his direction, Yi Zheng no longer needed to ponder the meaning of the phrase. He just needed to concentrate on the Descriptive Dao.

Thus, he simplified the complex and his speed began to increase.

And as he became more adept at using it, his speed continued to accelerate...

From taking one step per hour, to one step every half-hour, then ten minutes per step, to a minute per step!

He was different from everyone else; for others, it was easy at first and difficult later, but for him, it was difficult first and easy later!

While the other examinees were in agony and suffering on the stairs, suddenly a voice came from behind, "Excuse me, could you let me through?"

The six of them side by side instinctively turned their heads to look, but no one was there!

"Down here!"

The voice sounded again.

The group looked down, only to see a plump little white rabbit looking up at them with big sparkling eyes, its smile innocent and cute.

"Is this the same rabbit that went down the mountain earlier?"

"How... How did it catch up?"

They turned around; they had already taken one hundred and ten thousand steps. Given the dawdling pace of the rabbit before, it should have been impossible for it to catch up.

But it had caught up.

"It’s me, indeed. But could you make some room?" the rabbit continued.

Although they felt as though they had seen a ghost, the six people still moved aside, only to see the rabbit take a step up.

"Humph, that step was very difficult. You made it up, but you’ll probably have to stand with us. Let’s see how proud you are until the building collapses, hehe..."

One person thought maliciously, then saw the rabbit pause slightly on the step and then take another step, ascending yet another level!

Their expressions instantly stiffened, a look of disbelief as they watched the rabbit’s figure recede, "How is this possible?"

The other five were equally astonished. Was this the same rabbit that used to wait an hour per step?

"Has there been a switch?"

The group was puzzled, but after pausing for a while, the rabbit moved on again.

Another step!

The group was utterly flabbergasted.

At this point, the rabbit looked back, "Why aren’t you moving? Hurry up and follow!"

The group exchanged looks, bitterness in their hearts. Move?

If they could move, would they need to be told?

"No, you go ahead, we... We’ll rest for a bit," one of them said through gritted teeth.

The rabbit looked at them in surprise, "Are you tired from just these few steps?"

Then, he sighed and said, "Youngsters, you must learn moderation. Don’t let your youth go to waste.

As the saying goes, the young do not know the value of essence; when old, they yearn... Ahem, take your time."