Strange was lost in thought when he unknowingly arrived at the lounge.
In the lounge, there was another person who had also stayed up all night.
"Sorcerer Lucas, aren't you going to rest?" Strange asked.
"Oh, I'm watching a movie, no, a documentary."
Lucas looked up, saw it was Strange, and asked, "And you, Strange, did you gain anything from your discussion with that person?"
Strange nodded, without asking Lucas how he knew what he had gone to do. He never hid his actions, and Lucas found it perfectly normal for him to go see Dr. Doom.
He sighed, "I've gained some insights, but ultimately we're not on the same path."
"Yeah, don't be discouraged, there's always a way."
Strange nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Lucas's words of comfort.
He was steadfast in his beliefs and didn't need comforting words, only practical help.
He deliberately changed the subject and asked instead, "Sorcerer Lucas, what are you talking about watching documentaries?"
Lucas replied, "I've copied the history of a planet and am watching it slowly."
Strange nodded.
He has never done such a thing. But after Lucas explained it to him, he roughly understood how to do it and also understood the benefits of his approach.
It does not affect the original spacetime and does not cause spacetime disturbances to the universe.
"Sorcerer Lucas is truly meticulous." Strange sighed.
If he had been that careful back then, perhaps he wouldn't have destroyed his own universe.
Lucas nodded.
"Meticulous" is a compliment, praising someone for being attentive doesn't mean they are petty.
"Strange, do you think humans are information beings or material beings?" Lucas suddenly asked.
He remembered that coincidence.
The ancient Prosilicans knelt before him in devotion, calling upon the gods.
"Science tells me that the world is material. Magic told me that the universe is not just a material world. Humans possess not only the physical body but also the soul." Strange replied.
Lucas paused, realizing he had asked a stupid question.
This is a world with a soul.
The soul is the essence of life.
Soul = Life, Life = Soul.
"Strange, tell me, does life exist in the multiverse that has neither soul nor matter?" Lucas then asked.
A question mark appeared on Strange's face.
"For example, a character in a literary work or a movie." Lucas added.
Strange's expression became even stranger. He countered, "Are the characters in these works real people, or just people as perceived by the authors and readers?"
Lucas hesitated and said, "Perhaps, to them, they are real."
Strange categorically denied it, "No. Life is not without possibilities, it's just a program. And for anything to have a possibility, both matter and soul are indispensable."
"Mm." Lucas nodded.
He suddenly lost some interest in the stories of the ancient Prosilicans.
Some people like to read stories that already have an ending, while others prefer stories that are still unfolding.
He could certainly endow these ancient Prosilicans with physical bodies and souls, allowing them to step out of history.
But were they the ones who would come out?
Lucas shook his head, deciding to stop thinking about the problem. He got up and walked towards the room.
"Strange, it's late. Sweet dreams."
Strange shook his head with a wry smile.
Sweet dreams?
What distant words.
...
Nothing was said that night.
The Sorcerers' Convention proceeded as scheduled the following day.
"Earth Goddess."
"Mother Goddess."
"Miss Gaea."
Before the male Ancient One's lecture even started, a commotion broke out in the crowd.
Gaea was present at the event.
"I hope my arrival has not disturbed you." Gaea smiled apologetically at everyone.
Everyone said no and made way for Gaea to go straight to the best spot in the arena.
Lucas also realized once again how exalted Gaea's position was in Earth 616, especially among the gods.
He is a model young man with good moral character, a positive attitude towards life, and solid learning ability. He wouldn't want to harm such a highly respected person unless absolutely necessary.
"Good morning, Goddess of the Earth." Lucas greeted her softly.
He was naturally near the best location.
"Good morning, Sorcerer Lucas. You can call me Gaea." Gaea also greeted Lucas warmly.
Then she took the initiative to find topics to talk about. "I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to personally thank you properly. I'm so sorry."
Lucas said with a righteous expression, "Ultron, this madman who has wantonly slaughtered the multiverse and caused countless cosmic beings to perish and become barren, deserves to be killed by everyone. Gaea, you don't need to thank me for this."
While changing how they addressed each other to get closer, he reiterated the dangers of Infinite Ultron.
As for how Infinite Ultron came into being, and how he discovered the existence of the multiverse, Lucas didn't know either.
"Sorcerer Lucas, then I should thank you even more. For Universe 616, for the trillions of lives lost in those millions of universes, and for those universes in the multiverse that may one day face the endless slaughter of Ultron." Gaea spoke emotionally, then her expression suddenly turned somber.
"Unfortunately, I am currently preoccupied with other matters and have no energy to host a banquet for you."
Is Gaea implying that she wants him to ask her what's bothering her?
Lucas opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
From the high platform, the voice of the male Ancient One slowly drifted out.
"Mind and soul."
"The source of thought and the essence of life."
"Ordinary people believe that the body is an objective existence, while the soul is merely a subjective consciousness."
"But as sorcerers, we know that the soul also exists objectively."
"Then what about the mind? Is the mind an objective existence, or a subjective consciousness?"
Gaea withdrew her gaze from Lucas and sat up straighter to listen attentively.
The audience below also perked up their ears.
The sorcerers and the gods are concerned with the relationship between mind and soul, just as ordinary people are concerned with the relationship between soul and body.
"There is a strong coupling between the body and the soul, they are closely related and inseparable."
"When discussing the mind and soul, the body cannot be ignored. Body, soul, and mind are both independent of each other and a trinity."
On the high platform, the male Ancient One was still speaking eloquently.
In the audience, Gaea remained seated, appearing to be listening attentively. However, Lucas, who was standing next to Gaea, noticed that her eyes were gradually becoming unfocused.
Clearly, Gaea wasn't very interested in what the male Ancient One was currently telling.
Lucas saw this and secretly sent a text message to the male Ancient One.
Lucas: Master, speed things up. Tell me about methods to strengthen the mind and soul.
Male Ancient One: Gaea isn't interested in these?
Lucas: Mm.
Male Ancient One: It's alright. She won't just get up and leave if she's not interested. She is the goddess of the earth and the mother of all gods.
Lucas: ...
So the male Ancient One on the high platform continued to slowly explain his research and understanding of the mind, soul, and body.
He spent most of his time explaining the essence and connection between the three.
Not only Gaea, but most gods showed little interest in this part. They are more concerned with the application aspects that can directly enhance combat capabilities.
The attending sorcerers, on the other hand, did the opposite. Most of them are interested in the principles, and once they grasp the principles, they can deduce the application techniques themselves.
"The above covers the principles. Next, I will give you a few examples to demonstrate the application of the power of the mind and soul."
Finally, the male Ancient One explained the techniques for using the power of the mind and soul.
In an instant, the gods stirred slightly and sat up straight.
"There is a tendency in human nature that we will become what we imagine ourselves to be."
The male Ancient One spoke slowly, gesturing for everyone to look at him.
The next moment, his spiritual body began to transform.
An elderly man, a middle-aged sorcerer, and a young farmer.
"People often believe that the body shapes the soul. The soul is as the body is. Conversely, the mind can shape the soul, and the soul can shape the body."
Gaea's eyes lit up as she watched the demonstration of the male Ancient One.
She wondered if Atum could learn this technique and return to his normal form from his Demogorge form.
The male Ancient One then demonstrated several ways and techniques for applying mental and spiritual power.
"There are several methods for enhancing mental and spiritual strength. Reflection, meditation, and psychological counseling."
The lecture by the male Ancient One quickly came to an end, and the sorcerers asked questions enthusiastically, which the male Ancient One answered one by one.
From time to time, sorcerers would offer their opinions, but after heated discussions, no consensus could be reached.
The male Ancient One was invited back on stage for a live demonstration.
The venue kept breaking down and then being fixed, then breaking down again.
Fortunately, there was no deep-seated hatred between the two sides, only differences in ideology, and there were no casualties.
But this still opened Strange's eyes.
"Is this how all sorcerers in this universe communicate?"
He seemed somewhat eager to try.
Lucas said, "Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. The sorcerers were all forged in battle."
Gaea and Strange, who were standing nearby, nodded.
Theory has nothing to do with strength. A theory proposed by someone with weak strength may also be correct.
When there is no higher authority to guide them, and no one can convince anyone else, the only solution is to resort to physical methods. At least the theories proposed by those with strong capabilities are relatively correct at the current stage.
"Yesterday..."
Strange was puzzled and asked everyone why no one had talked to him yesterday.
However, Lucas, Strange, and Gaea ignored him.